Monthly Archives: September 2012
Let’s Meet for a Drink at the Biergarten!
Sep 27
As Oktoberfest, is upon us, and the beer drinkers of the world unite, I find it a decent time to talk about one of the best drinking spots in all of the Walt Disney World resort, the Germany pavilion at Epcot! Many people come to the pavilion all year long to celebrate the heritage of Oktoberfest and the Biergarten environment can not be beaten, but why was Germany, and it’s history or beer brought to Epcot, especially when it’s sister park, the Magic Kingdom, had been a park without alcohol for years. I also don’t even need to mention the lack of booze at Disneyland because it never has had alcohol and probably never will.
Well, if you want to get really technical about timing at Epcot, Germany was a very early and natural pick for Imagineering wihen thinking about countries to add to it’s World Showcase. Several reasons are behind this. Funding attractions and pavilions was a big need and there were several German sposors willing to throw money in the hat for the pavilion to be built. A big thought going into it was that Imagineers wanted a big restaurant atmosphere at one of the pavilions and the Biergarten was a natural pick for that. Another big reasoning was the familiarity of German culture with Americans. When thinking about countries Americans would be interested in visiting, Germany, as well as several other Western European countries were picked.
Interestingly enough, the Germany pavilion is also one linked to controversy, but was built with that in mind. Epcot, and with it the Germany pavilion were built before the Berlin was demolished. Because of that, the pavilion had to be built with a bit more care for a country that was divided. The choice was made easily to design the pavilion around Western Germany, specifically southern Germany as well, which had lass of an industrial feel and more of a small town feel. That gave the pavilion a sense of history and backstory.
The choice to add an emphasis on Southern Germany also gave freedom to Imagineers who were designing the buildings. Because of their freedom, many of the buildings span architecture between the 13th and 17th centuries, giving each building it’s own personality. Southern Germany also represents many of the Germanic fairy tales represented in many Disney animated films. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Pinnochio, the first two Disney animated films, were based on German folklore.
Germany opened on Epcot’s opening day along with most of the other pavilions. (However Morocco and Norway were not opening day pavilions.) As the opening day Germany, it provided a place for shopping, drinking, and food. More was to come to the pavilion in a phase two expansion. A Rhine River attraction was to be added. A boat ride similar to the Fantasyland Storybook Land Canal Boats. As you were to ride along the rivers of Germany, guests would pass miniature representations of different historical regions. Because of financial reasons, phase two never got off the ground, but the showbuilding is still sitting there. Currently the former attraction building is home to any props needed for the Illuminations night time fireworks show.
Will the building ever be turned into an attraction? That is a mystery to all of us as we don’t have a clear cut answer. With so many other Disney parks getting attention, it is only a matter of time before some Imagineering attention comes to Epcot and the World Showcase, but truthfully, expansion will probably come in another pavilion, not a previous attraction idea. Germany does very well on its own as a food, drink, and shopping destination around the World Showcase, it does not need the attraction to succeed.
Leave your thoughts on the German pavilion. Tell us your favorite spot in Germany or your favorite memory from the the pavilion. In the spirit of Oktoberfest, whats your favorite beer, German or not?
Josh Taylor
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Modern Mouse Radio #2: Once Upon A Time
Sep 24
Apologies for the delay on Episode #2 as it was planned to be up on Friday. Never-the -less, it has made it’s way here and I am very excited to be sharing another episode with you. This week Keith and I return to talk about several topics.
To listen to the episode, click the player below:
The topics discussed include:
-The return of Once Upon A Time to Television
-Alcohol in the Magic Kingdom
-Finding Nemo 3D
-Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival
To see other episodes, subscribe, etc…
www.disneyparkhistory.podomatic.com
Josh Taylor
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Sneak-Peek-Sunday: Epcot’s 30th Anniversary
Sep 23
If you are like me, Epcot is your favorite of the Walt Disney World parks, and if Epcot is your favorite park at Walt Disney World, you probably know that Oct. 1st, 2012 is the 30th anniversary of the park being open. There has been speculation if there would be a celebration or if any big announcements will be made. Well, Disney did plan a celebration for October 1st and will be free with general park admission. Many festivities are planned, from panels of Imagineers to special merchandise.
One of the greatest assets to the celebration is D23’s involvement. Hosting seminars inside World Showplace, D23 has scheduled a panel of Imagineers to talk about Future World and it’s history to the park. The seminar is called “Designing the Future-Past and Present”. The other seminar that will run twice that day will be a special one man show with Marty Sklar, who was really in charge of the Epcot project and an international ambassador for Disney Imagineering, called “Epcot: How it Changed the World”. These presentations start at 1pm and will run until 8:30pm so plan your day carefully if you plan to see any of these showings.
At 3pm, the American Gardens Theater, which usually hosts a number of national and international musicians throughout the year, will be celebrating Epcot’s own talent with a concert from The Voices of Liberty, Mariachi Cobre, and many more to be announced. This is a unique chance to see some of Epcot’s talents in one place back to back. Rarely can you see all of the acts that happen within a day at Epcot, but this could be the best opportunity any of us may ever have. Personally, I would love to see Mariachi Cobre here as they are an under-appreciated band, but are excellent Mariachi musicians.
Of course, what Disney celebration isn’t complete without a few fireworks? As always Illuminations: Reflections of Earth will light up the lagoon, but this showing will have a special addition for the 30th celebration. After Illuminations, don’t forget to drop by one of the shops on the way out of the park. Disney has added several 30th anniversary shirts, pins, and vinylmations to the park for a limited time. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to take home something rather unique.
As far as a celebration, thats more than many of us were hoping for, but what about big announcements? There is always a chance that something may be announced. Maybe we will finally get a new pavilion in the World Showcase. Maybe we will see some upgrades happen to some Future World pavilions like Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Maybe they will announce plans to bring back an old attraction like Wonders of Life or Horizons will happen. Anything is possible during big events like this, however I feel like these announcements won’t happen until next year’s D23 Expo if they do happen. There is still work to be done at the Magic Kingdom’s New Fantasyland as well as the Avatar additions at Animal Kingdom. Once those are either done or in full swing, I expect Disney to focus some attention on Epcot and bringing some new things to the 30 year old park.
Josh Taylor
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Disney Park History One Year Anniversary!!!!
Sep 20
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to come here today to celebrate an achievement I didn’t know if I would see when I first started this site one year ago. I joined the online Disney community a few years ago as a spectator and fell so in love with this community, the Disney name, and everything anyone has been associated with it stands for. In September of 2011, I decided it was about time I took things a step further and be a contributor. So I started this site and had the goal of writing an article once a week.
This site led me to writing for Lou Mongello’s WDW Radio site and contributing there as well. Over the last year, I’ve tried several different types of articles, but have found my niche writing history articles and the newer “Sneak-Peek-Sundays” where I look into whats soon to come and the news coming out of the Disney Parks. Starting this month, if you hadn’t noticed already, I started podcasting as well.
I initially got into the Disney community by listening to Intercot Insider and WDW Radio as weekly podcasts. I loved them so much, I started to find myself listening to other podcasts like Wedway Radio and Of Mouse and Man. I’ve also befriended many people within the podcasting realm and others amongst the community. One of those people is Keith Lapinig who is now the main co-host for the new podcast on this site, Modern Mouse Radio. I’m very thrilled to not only be talking about the Disney Parks, but also animation, something I’ve been extremely fond of my whole life, live action films, television, toys, and everything else Disney.
With all of these extras piled on to the site over the last year, I am excited to see what happens in the future. This site WILL be changing over time, and for the better. I promise I will keep all of you updated when I know the clear facts.
Again, thank you to anyone who has ever contributed, helped, advertised, read, listened, and supported this site. I owe you all some serious hugs. I will return to the normal mid-week article next week, but wanted to show my support and gratitude this week for what seems like a monumental week for me.
Josh Taylor
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Sneak-Peek-Sunday: Alcohol at Be Our Guest Restaurant
Sep 16
In the Magic Kingdom’s forty-one years of operation, like it’s sister park Disneyland, the park has never served an ounce of alcohol. Due to the very family friendly nature of the park, it stands a testament as a place welcome more to children than adults. If you want to be precise, Club 33 at Disneyland does serve alcohol, but not to the public since the restaurant itself isn’t open to the public, and there have been private parties at both the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland that have served alchol, but again, they were not open to the public. So it comes with much surprise that Disney has announced that it’s brand new Be Our Guest Restaurant, part of the new Fantasyland project at the Magic Kingdom, will have a wine and beer list.
After forty-one years of being an alcohol free park. Why the change? After a Be Our Guest Restaurant media event and tasting this past week, Beverage Director of Disney Parks, Stuart McGuire, shared that this was all part of the storytelling. Beauty and the Beast is set in France and the cuisine served in the Be Our Guest Restaurant would reflect that backstory, including one of France’s biggest exports, wine. Many of the wines on the menu are listed from France, while a few American wines snuck on to the menu as well. The beer listing is rather short. Kronenburg 1664, being France’s biggest beer, is listed along with two other Belgian beers.
Before passing judgement, let me clarify that the alcohol listings will only be served at dinner which is a sit down meal only. That means that no alcohol will leave the restaurant, keeping the rest of the Magic Kingdom park alcohol free still. Seemingly, the park won’t be a place you can always get an adult drink everywhere you go, at least not in the near future. Does this open up the idea of serving alcohol at other places in the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, absolutely.
Tony’s Town Square is a pasta joint seeping with great Italian dishes. Could that be a possible spot to bring a wine menu? What about the Blue Bayou over at Disneyland? It’s southern hospitality opens it up for some classic whiskey or gin cocktails. These are all possibilities in the future. Will it become reality? Less than likely, but never say never in the world of Disney.
There are no doubt, going to be strong opinions on the matter. What are yours? Are you okay with the addition of alcohol or not? If so, where else would you like to see a menu pop up? Leave your comments below.
I recently joked about alcohol being served at Gaston’s Tavern on an episode of Wedway Now (which you can find at http://www.wedwayradio.com) and I can’t believe that it is happening just right next door at the restaurant. If you want to hear more on this topic, stay tuned for the next Modern Mouse Radio, coming up this Friday, where Keith Lapinig, my co-host, and I discuss some of our opinions on the matter as well as several other news topics coming out of the Disney World.
Josh Taylor
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World That Never Was: Animal Kingdom Carousel
Sep 13
A few months back, I wrote about Disney’s Animal Kingdom and it’s search to find what it was in it’s beginnings. I focused on the entrance plaza and land, which were themed to a biblical Noah’s Arc stork. This time around, we are going to talk about an area of the park that would change it’s image completely….seriously. Every park has their symbol, whether it is the castle for Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom parks, Spaceship Earth for Epcot, or the recent addition of the Sorcerer Hat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Tree of Life has been the park symbol since Animal Kingdom’s opening day, but before opening, several choices were on the table that did not include the park’s signature Tree of Life or even the It’s Tough To Be A Bug attraction.
The Animal Carousel was an extremely popular choice to be the centerpiece and symbol of the Animal Kingdom park. An innovative experience unlike any of the other carousels or tele-combat style attractions. Unlike a normal carousel, or even Dumbo the Flying Elephant, this animal inspired attraction would have three different attractions built into one. The first of which would be a Dumbo like attraction of several flying animals and insects. You’d be able to move your joystick up to fly birds and butterflies. The middle attraction was similar to that of a normal carousel, but instead of the usual horses, you’d have a mixture of land animals from around the world. The last and lowest of the attractions was to be a boat like carousel on the outside of the small island the attraction was placed on. These boat vehicles would be shaped like sea creatures such as various fish, dolphins and sharks.
Assuming that the “Animal Carousel” would stand where the current Tree of Life stands, Discovery Island would become much smaller in stature to make way for the lower boat carousel.That would mean a much larger area of water separating the other lands from each other. This would also be the second time that an attraction became the centerpiece of the park, however I would hate to see what this looked like in silhouette. Preferably, I think this would have been a wonderful attraction to add to the current Oasis area as it is a great introductory attraction to the park, but doesn’t stand out as a centerpiece symbol, logo, etc…
The Tree of Life was decided upon over the popular carousel idea. The tree would inhabit hundreds of animal sculptures and would also house another attraction beneath it. The Tree of Life also lent itself to being a silhouette and a recognizable, not so complex, logo of the park. Some ideas of this carousel did get used in other parks. Disneyland’s California adventure did get King Triton’s Carousel which was themed to sea creatures and Tokyo DisneySea received the Menagerie Carousel which has two layers. Will we ever see something similar come to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Nothing has been discussed, but with rapid expansion happening or coming soon to several parks, especially with the Animal Kingdom receiving some new construction, thanks to James Cameron and Avatar, we could see something similar popping up, but don’t give your hopes up, this is Disney and ideas are always dropped and new ones are picked up.
What are your thoughts on the Animal Carousel? Would you prefer it over the Tree of Life? Would you still like to see it at the Animal Kingdom or any Disney park? Leave your thoughts here and thanks as always for reading.
Josh Taylor
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Sneak-Peek-Sunday: Enchanted Tales With Belle
Sep 10
With Disney’s California Adventure reconstructed and in the books, everyone’s attention is falling on the Magic Kingdom’s new Fantasyland development. Luckily we won’t have to wait long to see what most of this new wondrous land is going to be like (Soft openings start Nov. 19th and the official debut is Dec. 6th), and thanks to the Disney Parks Blog and YouTube channel, we are getting some great sneak peeks. The latest of those glimpses into Fantasyland is that of Maurice’s Cottage, better known as the attraction called Enchanted Tales with Belle.
If you are familiar with the history behind the new Fantasyland project, then you know the original concept for the “land” was to have several meet and greet type experiences with several Disney Princess figures. Due to vast changes to appeal to boys and girls, many of those original ideas were scrapped except for Enchanted Tales with Belle. Fitting into it’s own little area of Fantasyland, all decked out to be a small French town like in Beauty and the Beast, Enchanted Tales is the highlight attraction here. (Unless you are a foodie, then its the Be Our Guest Restaurant.)
You’ll start your journey by making your way through Maurice’s cottage and finding yourself passing through a portal into the Beast’s castle. You are greeted by the wardrobe (and a few cast members) who give you the rundown of how this attraction will work. Many of the children visiting will be picked to play parts in a play that you will perform with Belle and the talking, someone high pitched Wardrobe supplies you with all of the costuming you’ll need. As you enter into the next room, the library, you’ll meet up with Lumiere, who looks absolutely fantastic, and he helps bring the story to life along with Belle who is adorned in her yellow dress from the film. While many of the children are acting out, the rest of the crowd is seated on a few benches in the middle of the room. It isn’t clear how long the “play” runs for or how many times a day you’ll get the chance to meet Belle, but rest assured, this may be a very popular attraction for children 10 and under.
When I first saw this, I saw it as another step in the direction of something like Turtle Talk with Crush. It’s an interactive meet with some characters, like Lumiere, who you wouldn’t be able to meet while walking around. However, for my personal taste and as a single adult without children, it isn’t worth it to me to walk in a watch other people’s children put on a play while I look in wonder at the Lumiere animatronic. I feel as time goes, this attraction, especially during the slower periods of the year, will have a tough time hanging with its other Fantasyland counterparts. Is it a great concept, yes, but are there some serious bugs to be worked on, definitely. What happens when there aren’t enough children? Will adults get involved too? What if a child doesn’t want to play the part? What if only 4 people show up? There is a lot to be determined about this attraction, but i do hope it the best as I love the Beauty and Beast film and want this to succeed.
What are your thoughts on Enchanted Tales with Belle! Will it last? Is it something you are interested in doing? Does it have a repeat ability factor?
Josh Taylor
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Modern Mouse Radio #1: Let the Memories Begin
Sep 7
I’m very excited and proud to announce a new project here on the site. For almost a year now, this site has been dedicated to bringing quality content through written articles, but with a background in audio recording and engineering, my passion has been to launch something you don’t just read, but listen to. So, with that in mind, I spent a while trying to research, find a way, and deliver what I feel will be a quality podcast that can rival the best that are out there.
Modern Mouse Radio is a co-hosted show between myself, Josh Taylor, and Keith Lapinig. Both of us have a storied history with the Walt Disney Company and both of us are storytellers, whether its art, music, writing, or video. My hope is that as the podcast grows with listeners, it also grows in quality and content, adding sponsors, fan questions, and many other variables.
To listen to the podcast, click the player below.
The topics for this episode include:
-Introductions
-Favorite Disney Memories, Movies, and Them Park Attractions
-The NEW California Adventure Park
To check out our podcast site, subscribe, etc…
www.disneyparkhistory.podomatic.com
Josh Taylor
….and Action!
Sep 6
Inspired partially by the competition with Universal Studios and partially by what would have been an Epcot pavilion, Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened in 1989 as the Disney-MGM Studios and to great fanfare. The park was packed during that first year, unfortunately, there weren’t too many attractions, or at least what you would consider something you ride. There were shows and tours (at that time the Backlot Tour was a 2 hour showing) but only one true ride through attraction at opening and it took center stage at the end of the Studio’s Hollywood Blvd.
The Great Movie Ride was the star attraction at the opening of Disney-MGM Studios in 1989 but was a concept for an Epcot pavilion originally titled “Great Moments at the Movies”. When Michael Eisner joined the Walt Disney company, he approached Imagineering President (at the time) Marty Sklar and they came to an agreement that the pavilion and the attraction would be a great premise for an entirely new theme park. So Disney Imagineers automatically had their star attraction for the new park, but they had to figure out how to build it and what it was to be about, but anyone who loves movies can tell you that some serious time and detailing was put into what would become The Great Movie Ride.
First of all, we are greeted by a wonderful facade outdoors, with a replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, one of the most distinguishable and recognizable movie theaters in the world. The original theater on West Hollywood Boulevard opened in 1928 which fit the period look of the golden age of Hollywood Eisner and friends were hoping to achieve with the new park. Imagineers also included the famous handprints, footprints, and signatures of famous celebrities out front to give it an authenticity. Some hand prints are those of Disney characters while others are celebrities who either shot films while at the Disney-MGM Studios or while visiting the park. Up until 2001, the theater was the first thing you would see at the end of the park’s Hollywood Boulevard, going by the same design pattern as Cinderella Castle and Main Street U.S.A., but that all changed when the Disney company decided to create a logo for the park, adding a giant sorcerer Mickey hat directly in front of the Chinese Theater facade.
Inside the theater, the recreation of the Chinese Theater continues with a replica of the lobby. As you walk through the queue, you will wind back and forth seeing several glass cases filled with props and costumes from various films. Once through the lobby, the next room widens and you enter an actual theater which also has a winding queue. The film screen plays trailers for the films you may see while on the attraction. Once past the theater area, you enter onto a sound stage and the loading area for your vehicle. Before I go much further, I would like to say that this attraction has a great ride vehicle that allows 70 guests on at once and is one of the few attractions that actually has a guide that rides along with you, which not only give the attraction a comedy act, but allows the attraction to be unique and different every time you ride.
Several films are portrayed through sets and animatronics which include Singing in the Rain, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, The Public Enemy, and The Wizard of Oz. To note, the first film you come across is Footlight Parade which is a film about the “new” movie business that hit Los Angeles. Also to note about Footlight Parade is that it was seen as risque during a time when ratings and censors didn’t exist in the film industry so it seems as a logical but odd choice by Disney to add this film to the attraction. The attractions final audio animatronic scene is Wizard of Oz, which is worth taking note due to its popularity and it’s regarded as one of the top films in movie history. Beyond the Oz scene is a montage of over 100 different films from the 1920s until present day.
The attraction also has other hidden gems and details. For example, the attractions track runs for 1,928 feet which also matches the year that the Chinese Theater opened. Other interesting facts are that the belt buckle John Wayne wears in the attraction is in fact one of John Wayne’s own belt buckles he wore. In fact, several oringinal suits, props, and sets have been integrated into the Great Movie Ride and at 22-minutes in length, there is a lot of room for some interesting props.
The attraction was proven as a popular attraction throughout the park’s early years and plans to bring it to Disneyland and Disneyland Paris were in the works but never came to fruition. Along the same lines, there were plans to add a mock-attraction into the Disney-MGM Studios in the early 1990s. When Jim Henson had made a deal to bring the Muppets to the Studios, there was to be an entire land with one attraction being the Great Muppet Movie Ride. This attraction would have been smaller in scale but similar in presentation, however all of the animatronic figures would have been recognizable Muppet characters and the scenes they were portraying from films would never go according to plan. Unfortunately for all of us Muppet lovers, discussions fell through after Henson’s death and we only got Muppet Vision 3D instead of an entire area of the park.
The attraction currently still brings in a pretty regular crowd, but is not nearly the star attraction it once was. There have been rumors and discussions for years about the future of The Great Movie Ride. It was once rumored to become a Disney Villian 3D show, and has also been rumored to be updated with new scenes from more recent films, giving it a relevance to a younger audience. Will any of these changes ever happen? We will all just have to wait and find out. In the mean time, please make your way to the Great Movie Ride, especially of you are a film fanatic. It is worth the lengthy ride, especially if you get a good guide aboard your vehicle.
What are your thoughts on the Great Movie Ride. Have you been on it? Is it an attraction you always have to do at the Hollywood Studios park? Would you like to see it updated or changed? Give your thoughts and I will be back with more new articles soon.
Josh Taylor
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Sneak-Peek-Sunday: Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival
Sep 3
With September here and the summer season winding down, that means one thing at Walt Disney World, Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. Since 1995, the festival has grown and added more and more delicious foods and drinks to its menu. This year nearly 30 different booths will be added to the already expansive list of great restaurants available in Epcot’s World Showcase. For anyone who considers themselves a “foodie”, its a destination trip and a must do. Also, as a first timer to the festival, plan it out, and don’t get overwhelmed. Many of the festivities are seminars you may have to pay for, but for the basic enjoyment of walking around World Showcase enjoying food, I would suggest only to show up at Epcot for the day because you will find enough to do and eat without paying for classes or special events, because this by itself is a special event.
A few weeks back I covered Epcot’s Party for the Senses, and with an extra tag of near $150 dollars (which doesn’t include park admission) it just isn’t worth it unless you are a seasoned Food and Wine participant. The best suggestion I can give to anyone is to check walk the Showcase and take in some of the foods you think you’ll like. Most come tapas (small appetizer size) style and most plates are less than $10. That means you can share, grab a few meals you know you’ll like and enjoy the scenery. With nearly 30 different booths and countries from around the world being represented, I would find it hard that you won’t find something you like.
New this year, and thank goodness for some of us (not me thankfully) is the Terra booth, giving options to people with allergies or who choose a meatless-heartless-very sad-vegan lifestyle. (I’m not judging or anything.) There are other specialty booths that don’t involve countries like the brand new Florida booth this year. The Florida booth will be putting together some great local beers, orange juice, and some Florida Shrimp….yum. You can also check out the Dessert and Champagne booth which has been long standing since 2000 or the 2010 hit, the Cheese booth.
Traditional fare from several countries you may not normally visit are also part of the festival. For example, the South African booth has a seared steak with mashed sweet potatoes. Other countries, much more common, like Canada, provide classic dishes like cheddar cheese soup. It’s all about how adventurous you want to get or how comfortable you are. If you don’t want to pay for something you don’t think you like, then don’t. That is the great thing about Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, you make what you want out of it.
What’s that you say? With all of this food, you need a drink? Not a problem. There are a few booths that specialize in beverages like the previously mentioned Dessert and Champagne booth or the beer drinkers destiny, the Craft Beers booth, supplying several microbrewery beers in one place, or the Brewer’s Collection booth, supplying several beers from countries from around the world, but mostly Germany. Of course, this ins’t just about the adults and the alcohol. Many booths this year are serving up non-alcoholic specialties like the Terra booth serving a Silk Berry Smoothie of the Florida booth serving orange juice. Also, much like the food, all of these drinks are priced reasonably, with most being around $5.
Some other festivities are also free like the Eat to the Beat concert series featuring Sugar Ray, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Air Supply, Boyz II Men, and several other big acts from the 1980s and 90s. Several cooking demonstrations are also available. Do be sure to check a times guide if you are interested in cooking some of the great stuff you see out on the Showcase. Also new this year is the Bean to Bar Chocolate Exhibit put together by Ghirardelli. Many stars from HGTV and Food Network will also be on hand doing seminars and signing books and bottles for free, which is a great opportunity to meet the chefs and drink makers.
So what else can you do? Well slow down, try some of this out first. In all seriousness, if you do need anymore information, be sure to drop by the official Walt Disney World Website or call the resort because they have all of the answers you need, unfortunately, most everything else (seminars, tastings, ticketed events, etc…) may come at a higher price. If you are willing to spend the money, go on ahead, but I think you can easily have a fun filled day at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival without all the extra charges and tickets to parties. Enjoy the company you are with, grab a few drinks and a few food items, rock out to the music you grew up with, or weren’t around for, or are too old to know (Oops, sorry we are all ageless at Disney right?) and have fun.
Josh Taylor
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