Walt Disney World Epcot Discussion Thread

[Hilltopper39]

Get a fastpass for Soarin, if any are available, then hit Frozen at park opening then head to Test Track and use the single rider line or standby. There may or may not be passes available depending on when you book them but even without passes its pretty reasonable to get on the three major attraction within the first 2-3 hours if you're inside the park ready to go when it opens.

[DarienPoint]

^ Thanks! I was able to get Soarin' (: , probably gonna do the Single Rider line but I'm bummed that the customization for the cars (which is my favorite thing about the ride) is dulled in the Single Rider line.

[DarienPoint]

So, as I said above, I went to Walt Disney World to be in the Candlelight Processional with my school's choruses! I was able to vlog everyday (except the water parks we didn't go to, and Magic Kingdom's footage was deleted), and it was such an awesome trip!!

 

EPCOT VLOG :

 

The other vlogs are in their correct forum! (:

[jedimaster1227]

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/12/2019-garden-rocks-concert-series-expands-to-seven-days-a-week-reservations-for-dining-packages-open-dec-13/?CMP=SOC-DPFY19Q1wo1220180016A

 

We recently shared that the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will return to Walt Disney World Resort March 6-June 3, 2019 with a wide selection of delectable bites at outdoor kitchens and dozens of Disney-themed topiaries blooming around the park.

 

New in 2019, the festival’s Garden Rocks Concert Series will expand to seven days a week, with a total of 270 concerts spanning multiple genres over the course of the 90-day event.

 

We’re excited to share part of the rocking line-up for the 2019 Garden Rocks Concert Series! Over the coming weeks, more artists will be announced on the Disney Parks Blog. Returning favorites like The Spinners and Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone will be joined by brand new artists like TobyMac, Steven Curtis Chapman and Colin Hay of Men at Work for what is sure to be the best year of Garden Rocks concerts yet.

 

• March 6-8: Journey former lead vocalist S TEVE AUGERI (NEW) “Don’t Stop Believin’ ”
  
• March 9-10: Glass Tiger (New to Garden Rocks) “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)”
  
• March 17-20: Simple Plan “Welcome to My Life”
  
• March 25-27: Air Supply (New to Garden Rocks) “All Out of Love”
  
• March 28-29: Berlin featuring Terri Nunn “Take My Breath Away”
  
• March 30-31: The Smithereens (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Top of the Pops”
  
• April 1-2: Rick Springfield “Jessie’s Girl”
  
• April 3-4: Christopher Cross (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Sailing”
  
• April 5-7: The Spinners “Working My Way Back to You”
  
• April 12-13: Sister Sledge (NEW to Garden Rocks) “We Are Family”
  
• April 17-19: Sister Hazel (NEW to Garden Rocks) “All For You”
  
• April 20-21: St even Curtis Chapman (NEW) “Cinderella”
  
• April 22-23: TobyMac (NEW) “The Elements”
  
• April 24-26: Lonestar “Amazed”
  
• April 27-30: The Orchestra starring former members of ELO “Evil Woman”
  
• May 1-4: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone “I’m Henry VIII I Am”
  
• May 5-7: Don Felder, Formerly of the Eagles “Hotel California”
  
• May 8-9: A Flock of Seagulls (NEW) “I Ran (So Far Away)”
  
• May 14-15: Richard Marx (New to Garden Rocks) “Right Here Waiting”
  
• May 16- 19: STARSHIP starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
  
• May 20-21: Colin Hay of Men at Work (NEW) “Who Can It Be Now?”
  
• May 28-29: Jon Secada “Just Another Day”
  
• May 30- June 1: Blood, Sweat and Tears “Spinning Wheel”

Garden Rocks concert performances take place at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. each night of the festival and are included in regular park admission. Guests can enjoy guaranteed concert seating by reserving a Garden Rocks Dining Package and enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner at select Epcot restaurants. Reservations for concert dining packages open Dec. 13. For more info or to make a reservation, call 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463) or visit FreshEpcot.com.

 

Keep checking the Disney Parks Blog as more acts will be added to the Garden Rocks Concert Series line up soon!

Edited December 22, 2018 by jedimaster1227

[SharkTums]

Singing to myself..."One of these bands is not like the other, one of these bands just doesn't belong"

 

Can you guess which one I'm talking about? Spoiler alert - I'm going to go see them!!!

[Jew]

Clearly it is TobyMac and not Simple Plan.

[bert425]

Berlin is amazing live.

 

but that's overall a good enough line up that if I had a pass, would go seem most of em. (heck, I'd even go see Air Supply)

Tho just out of respect for Pat DiNizio I wouldn't go to see Smithereens. . yeah, I know the other band members decided to continue after his death, but they just won't be the same without his vocals.

 

 

interesting song choices listed tho. . .for Richard Marx, would think they would have listed "Don't Mean Nothing". . wasnt that a bigger hit.

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

[SharkTums]

Clearly it is TobyMac and not Simple Plan.

 

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

Meanwhile, in a story that sounds like something out of the Onion, someone was apparently able to sneak into the Wonders of Life pavilion and get away with the Buzzy figure from Cranium Command...how does that even happen?

[KBrylczyk]

Holy crap, Flock Of Seagulls is still around?!

[bert425]

Holy crap, Flock Of Seagulls is still around?!

 

really just Mike, but they just played here a few weeks ago, and he sounded great!

[Jew]

Meanwhile, in a story that sounds like something out of the Onion, someone was apparently able to sneak into the Wonders of Life pavilion and get away with the Buzzy figure from Cranium Command...how does that even happen?

 

This story reeks of someone desperately trying to get followers on Twitter. Especially when the reports state there was hydraulic fluid everywhere, which wouldn't be possible unless Disney was running the pumps...

Edited December 25, 2018 by Jew

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

Meanwhile, in a story that sounds like something out of the Onion, someone was apparently able to sneak into the Wonders of Life pavilion and get away with the Buzzy figure from Cranium Command...how does that even happen?

 

This story reeks of someone desperately trying to get followers on Twitter. Especially when the reports state there was hydraulic fluid everywhere, which wouldn't be possible unless Disney was running the pumps...

The details are all extremely bizarre and (as you're pointing out) really don't seem to add up, which is why I'm fine with using "something out of the Onion" as a descriptor of the whole thing. Even if it ends up being an extreme overreaction or a publicity stunt, a story about that would arguably be just as interesting as...well, an actual animatronic heist.

 

But back to the main topic, that concert lineup is looking pretty good.

[robbalvey]

By now we all know about Epcot's Food & Wine Festival and the Flower & Garden Festival. But there is another Festival that is only celebrating its 3rd year in 2019 and that is the "Epcot International Festival of the Arts" which sneaks into the park between Christmas and Flower & Garden.

 

Let me tell you that this event sort of came out of nowhere and took everyone by surprise! The event focuses around the "arts" and when we say that we mean paintings, music, culinary delights, sculpture, chalk drawings and much more!

 

Much like the other popular festivals at Epcot, the Festival of the Art will feature food kitchens around World Showcase, a wide variety of shops and stalls featuring Disney art by many different artists much of which will be exclusive to this event.

 

And of course my favorite part of the event is the "Disney on Broadway" concerts which feature real, legit Broadway stars from many of Disney's theatrical productions in New York performing some of the most popular songs that their characters from the shows also sang. And many of these are the same talent as you can hear on those shows cast recordings!

 

The event will run January 18th through February 25th and you can find more details about it here:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/epcot-international-festival-of-the-arts/

 

Let's show you a few photos and some video from the preview we attended!

Hello! And welcome to the preview for Epcot's International Festival of the Arts!

Upon entering the preview area we were greeted by a work-in-progress chalk drawing from one of my favorite Disney films, Big Hero 6!

Just in case you forgot already where we were!

Let's start out with some food... but wait... that is actually a BEER FLIGHT! You have a "Neapolitan Milk Stout", and Raspberry Beer, and a Vanilla! With some chocolate delights on top! This was wonderful!

This is a Pan-Seared Scallop with red pepper, chorizo and more!

Out of all the items I tried, this right here... the "Beef Wellington" was my favorite! Even Gordon Ramsey would approve!

The festival is called the "arts" so of course artwork is a major focus of the event.

Trevor Carlton is one of the featured Disney artists and you can see him getting his groove on painting to the music on the fountain stage at Epcot!

He completed this painting of Figment in 11 minutes! It was impressive!

"Disney on Broadway" is my favorite part of the event! We got a preview of some of the concert series! Meredith Inglesby and Steve Blanchard from Newsies and Beauty & the Beast preformed songs from, well... Beauty & The Beast!

Kerry Butler and Kevin Massey performed a medley of songs from the new Frozen Broadway Musical!

And here's all four of them with the man of the hour in his "celebration" costume... Mickey Mouse!

Plating and presentation of food will play a very important role in the "arts" festival, as everything will have a very artistic look to it!

This Panna Cotta features pistachio cake & raspberry jam.

China will offer some very delicate edible treats!

I did "Broadway geek out" getting to meet Meredith Inglesby and Steve Blanchard! I've seen them both in Newsies multiple times and I also saw Steve in Little Mermaid. They are fantastic performers!

Kerry Butler I recently saw in Mean Girls and Kevin Massey was in the tour for Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder. These are the stars I will fanboy out for! Robert Downey Jr. or Mark Hammil could have been on stage and I would have walked right past them to get a photo of these four!

Now she's plating the Beef Wellington! I may need to have some more of this!

Hello Mickey! How are you?

Always a pleasure hanging out with the mouse!

The Animation Academy returns to the festival this year!

Do you want to learn how to draw your favorite animated characters?

You can learn from a Disney artist!

The "Paint by Number" mural also returns with a new painting every week that guests can take part in!

How about some merchandise?

There will be lots of new items you can get during the festival!

Here's an overview of some of the items.

And yes, there will be lots... and I mean LOTS of new artwork that you can by from many different Disney artists, quite a bit of it will be exclusive to this event!

There are new limited edition pins...

...and some even just for Annual Passholders!

How about a new Figment headband?

What I love most about this festival exclusive Mickey plush...

It has little subtle Epcot logos as part of the pattern of the material!

And a festival Magic Band! YAY! I will be buying this!!!

The food displays they had were just fantastic let's take a look at them. Here's the Pan-Seared Scallop!

Once again the Beef Wellington!

Smoked Salmon stack with creme cheese and crepes!

Pistachio Panna Cotta.

Lemon and Blood Orange Tart

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Pretzel Crunch

And yes, the "Pop Art" is back!

So that wraps up the preview for Epcot's International Festival of the Arts! Huge thank you to Disney for inviting us out! The event will run January 18th through February 25th

Oh, yes... remember that work-in-progress chalk art we saw on the way in? It's DONE!!!

And you should follow the artist, Leigh, on Instagram: @TheChalkTeacher

Thanks for reading!

[bert425]

this event looks amazing, and that Panna Cotta has me drooling.

 

Super intrigued by the delicate sugar work from China. is it flavored sugar too? or just the cool design on a stick to munch on?

 

I'd be star-struck around the Broadway stars. . but how cool to meet them.

 

I *so* want the stuffed Mickey with the EPCOT logo in the design.. gonna have to ask some friends who live local (and I'll see in Atlanta later this year) to pick me up one so they can bring for me!

 

great report from what looks like an event I need to make plans to attend at some point.

Edited January 18, 2019 by bert425

[DBru]

Disney on Broadway Concert Series?!?! Yes YES YESSS!!! Can't wait to see Heidi Blickenstaff and Gavin Lee belt it out in a couple weeks!

 

Also that chalk art is fantastic. But what happens when it rains? lol

[Satans Hockey]

Stuff like this makes me wish I lived closer to there. If it was around 8-10 hours or so by car I'd have a season pass lol

 

That beer flight looks absolutely amazing and great report as always!

[Hilltopper39]

We had a great time at the Festival of the Arts last year, really loved the whole concept of it. I might actually prefer it to Food and Wine.

[A.J.]

I'm going to brave the crowds on Saturday. I must have the Lobster Bacon mac and cheese, and that glorious pop art tart.

[cfc]

All hail the Beef Wellington and the Panna Cotta!

[COASTER FREAK 11]

I am so excited to finally experience this event this year!

[jray21]

That Beef Wellington looks amazing.

[Nrthwnd]

...Also that chalk art is fantastic. But what happens when it rains? lol

 

Back to the real world.

[Guy T. Koepp]

What an amazing festival. I could easily spend an entire day there just eating and enjoying the art stuffs.

[Jew]

I am so excited to finally experience this event this year!

 

Same!