Epcot's Food and Wine 2017 - Episode 140 of The Disney Exchange Podcast

The Disney Exchange is Lisa, Dave and me, Nick

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After news and shout outs, Dave makes a big announcement!

There is much confusion as to when Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party begins we eventually get to our main topic, which are the latest offerings at this year's Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
Lisa shares a few of the special events, and we go on to talk about which offerings we would like to try from each of the food booths.

Ladies and gentleman : Yucca 

photo: Wikipedia

The Wheel of Distiny topic this week : Have you ever taken a survey at Walt Disney World?

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Our Hurricane Matthew Weekend : Part 4

By Nick

Saturday 10/9/16

Barbie and I arrived at Epcot early, hoping to say hello to our friend Kathy, who work's at the front entrance. And we did!

We were admitted a little before 9am, and proceeded with the throngs to Soarin' Around the World.
The first time we had ridden, 3 days earlier, we were seated on the far right. This time we were lucky enough to get the exact center seats.

Unlike the first version of Soarin,' there is absolutely a difference in experience depending on where you sit. There was considerable distortion in the image, especially noticeable during certain scenes featuring monuments, the Eiffel Tower in particular, when seated off to the side.
My Disney Exchange Podcast co-hosts and I discussed this on a recent episode, and speculated as to if this is dependent on which theater you get. More investigation is clearly required!
Except for the distortion, it is a wonderful attraction, but...I miss the original.

We met up with Jill and Zach at Seasons before riding Imagination followed by our first visit to the DVC lounge located within the pavilion.

We spent awhile there enjoying this wonderful new DVC perk celebrating the programs 25th Anniversary, but I was disappointed to find out from a Cast Member that it may not be a permanent fixture!

This little rest was followed up by hitting several Food and Wine kiosks, as well as a stop in Germany for a more substantially sized beer than those offered at the booths.

We headed to Animal Kingdom late in the afternoon, making a stop at the Dawa Bar for Mojitos, while we waited for our Kilimanjaro Safari Fastpass window to open up, followed by a walk through the Pangani Forest trail.

Dinner that evening was at the recently opened Tiffins.
I had not read any reviews, and didn't really know what to expect, but will say this. I had one of the most delicious pieces of fish I ever had in my life. The halibut was amazing. The entire dish was fantastic.

Before leaving the park for the evening, we visited Mickey and Minnie at the Adventurers Outpost, an appropriate end to a somewhat adventurous trip!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Getting Psyched for Food & Wine

When I choose articles for Saturdays with Lisa, I usually go back into her archives, but this post from her Living a Disney Life Blog from just a couple of weeks ago is too perfect, as we have been planning our trip to Walt Disney World which overlaps with Lisa's for a couple of days, and the last episode,  of  The Disney Exchange Podcast , which Lisa co-hosts with our friend Dave and me, have dealt with Food and Wine planning. - Nick

By Lisa Green


My countdown calendar finally feels like it’s moving.  The days are ticking by ahead of our long-awaited return to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.  I couldn’t be more excited!  This may only be my second visit during Food & Wine, but I feel like a seasoned veteran after our weeklong 25th Anniversary celebration at F&W in 2014.  This year we’ll be a party of seven and our plans are really shaping up.  With only two-and-a-half months to go, it feels right around the corner.  It’s Friday today and that means a Friday Five is in order.  Dear Readers, I give to you…

WDW Vacation – Getting Psyched for Food & Wine

1. Pick a week and book it! – This is the first phase of excitement.  Thinking about going changes after you know exactly when you’ll be there and where you’ll be staying – makes it real and you can set your countdown calendar!  Because I’m a planner I’m also, in this very early stage of vacation prep, starting to think about where we’d like to eat when we’re not enjoying the Food & Wine offerings.  Which brings us to… 
2. Make some ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) 180 days out – “Some” being the important key here.  I think you can over-book dining reservations which may detract from the joy of strolling around World Showcase sampling all the excellent flavors that Food & Wine has to offer.  I like to ensure plenty of festival time, so I book just few carefully chosen reservations that will leave us a plenty of free afternoons and evenings for hopping from country to country on an international culinary tour.  Once those ADRs are booked, I feel more like I know what our touring plans will be each day and that makes me even more exited!
3. Wait impatiently for the booths and menus to be announced – I’ve searched everyday for weeks and finally the kiosk and menu info is available – This is a major factor in getting psyched for the trip!  Sure, it’s fun to see what musical groups will be playing during our visit, but that’s not (for us) the primary draw.  You can print out those menus and narrow down all the food and beverage choices to the all important Top-Ten-Must-Try list (yours could be whatever number you like).  I’m not too picky, so I’m leaving room to be flexible and spontaneous in food selection.  It’s not imperative to have a list, but it sure is fun to strategize a festival food plan.  Yes, more excitement!  Check out this year’s lineup here. 
4. Book those FastPasses ASAP – If you’re staying on property, this means there are only 60 days left before your vacation!  My strategy for Epcot is all about making sure we don’t have to come and go repeatedly from World Showcase once we start our feasting.  On this trip, we’ve got one whole day reserved for Animal Kingdom and I’m excited about having breakfast at Tusker House and dinner at Tiffins…while maximizing attraction enjoyment in between.  On most of the other days, we’ll be park-hopping to keep Epcot part of the action as often as possible.      
5. Reminisce or surf the web (or both) –  I like looking back at pictures and blog posts from our last trip to Food & Wine.  I also like reading about other people’s trips as well as food reviews, booth rankings, and touring tips.  This will keep me entertained and build excitement right up until the day we leave for vacation.    Are you headed to Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival this year?  What are you doing to get psyched for the trip?

The Disney Exchange- Episode 35-Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival

By Nick

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-The Disney Exchange is David Hodges, Lisa Green, and me, Nicholas Maglio   

-Main Topic: Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival

 Barbie and Me at the Festival in 2013

The show starts off with false accusations leveled at Lisa and me by Dave concerning the broadcast (is that the correct term) of the recording of the show live on Periscope. 

I refuse to leave the trailer because they don't take my suggestion to do a show based on "Nick's greatest moments from the first 34 episodes."

Lisa plays with a squeaky toy until Dave says more hurtful things.

We get into our main topic Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival, which runs September 25th - November 16th.

It's the 20th Anniversary of the festival, and the merchandise being offered is awesome. Lisa and I ask Dave to do shopping for us since neither of us will be making it this year!

We give tips for navigating the festival, such as picking up a passport at the Festival Center, or at many booths and shops around Epcot.

A listener (THE listener?) asks a question on Periscope about best times to go to the festival.

We discuss the new booths, returning booths, and past favorite menu items that are making a return.

Money saving tips are also discussed. Sharing is caring!

The Wheel of Distiny: Favorite Statue or Stationary Figure at Walt Disney World.

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange Podcast, where 2 halves make a whole.

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Throwback Thursday: Walt Disney World-September/October 2008 - Part 4

By Nick

Day 4, Tuesday September 30th 2008

Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 

Made the 8AM rope drop at Epcot, and went right to Soarin', which was walk on. Got a FP on the way out, and headed over to Spaceship Earth.

Rode it twice, once in English, and the second time in Portuguese. Why Portuguese? I have no idea! I pressed English. Weird.

Over to the Seas and rode Nemo then watched a Turtle Talk.



Went back to The Land and used our Soarin' FPs.

By now it was almost 11, so we made our way up to World Showcase to hit some (okay, a lot) of the Food & Wine kiosks.



Had some great and some not so great food, but all the wine was good. Even Barbie had some ice wine, and Barbie doesn't drink. She is such a non drinker, that by 12:30, she said that she was going back to the room for a nap, as I believed the ice wine/heat/sun had knocked her out.
Brave adventurer that I am, I continued on.
I did the free (yes, it was free at one time!) beer seminar at the American Adventure Pavilion, and enjoyed some samples of Samuel Adams.



After that I continued to eat and drink till I was full and feeling good, and decided to ride Test Track.
I went over to the F & W Welcome Center to check out the merchandise, and discovered I was only 10 minutes away from a free WIne Seminar, so I attended that.



Shirah Vs. Shiraz. Delicious.

So, now that I'd had even more wine, and was feeling even better, it was time to use my FP for Test Track. Got to TT, and the ride was down. Probably for the best.
I headed back to the Boardwalk for a swim.

After our swim, we went down to Spoodles (Which was were Trattoria al Forno is now.) to see if they had a table available, and they did. I cancelled our ADRs there for the next night, and we sat down to a really good dinner. I had the grilled beef kabobs, Barbie the rigatoni.

After dinner, we hopped a bus to Downtown Disney. It was a mad house. I realized too late, that Magic Kingdom had closed at 7, for the MNSSHP, and that most of the people
were apparently now at DD. So, after picking up just one T-shirt, we got out of there. At least Barbie made some good pin trades.

We got off the boat at the Swan and or Dolphin, and made our way to the bridge connecting Boardwalk to Yacht & Beach, and watched Illuminations.



Then we watched some Boardwalk entertainment, as Hallowishes went off in the distance.

 Please come back next Thursday for Part 5.

Trip Report: October 11th-October 17th 2014 - Part 6

by Nick

Up early, after not having the best night's sleep. A cold was coming on. Not completely there yet, but inevitable.

We showered and made our way to Cabanas, where I was expecting a continental breakfast, but was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a wide assortment of breakfast items.

We headed downstairs to disembark, which went very smoothly. When we went outside for our Magical Express bus, we were offered a van instead, which left almost immediately. By 8:30am we were at the Boardwalk Resort checking in.

We checked in, dropped off our luggage, grabbed a coffee at the Belle Vue Lounge, and headed off to Epcot. We walked slowly through World Showcase, taking photos and enjoying the absolutely beautiful weather, sunny and not nearly as hot as it had been on the previous Saturday.

We spent most of the morning in the Seas with Nemo & Friends, watching the fish get fed, something we'd never seen. We also caught the tail end of the eels being fed, but I wasn't quick enough for a photo.

By now, it was closing in on 11:00am, so we headed for World Showcase, with our first stop being the Puerto Rico booth. This is easily the nicest food booth at the Festival, with a nice area to relax.

Unfortunately, the food offerings I sampled didn't impress as much as the surroundings. The Ensalada de Corrucho, or Conch salad, was good, but the onion was overwhelming. The Carne Quisado, or slow braised beef, was rather dry.

Next, we got the griddled cheese at the Greece booth, which was not as good as in previous years, Barbie even stating she thought the cheese had a hint of "goateness," and, as she isn't a goat cheese fan, that was not a compliment.

Our next stop was the France booth, which had been absolutely jammed on the previous Saturday, and for good reason, the food here is terrific. The Escargot Tart, which was not as tasty as the old way it was served, in tiny little brioche, was still very good. The Boeuf Bourguignon and the Creme Brulee were excellent, among my favorite items at the Festival.

While enjoying these offerings,  around 11:45am we were texted our room was ready. We went to our room, both laid down, and both fell asleep!

We didn't head back to the park until after 2:00pm. We stopped at the Patagonia booth, which used to be Argentina. Last year, our perennial favorite, the Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce was dry, but this year it was back to it's former glory, and moved back to being a favorite.

 The Roasted Verlasso Salmon was very good, but a bit dry.

While eating at a table in a nice shady spot, we were joined by another couple who had the Grilled Lamb Chop from the Australia booth. As it looked really good, I walked over and picked one up for myself. Yep, it was as good as it looked. Sorry, the photo below doesn't do it justice.

By now, it was nearing 3:00, so we headed to the Craft Beer pavilion where we were meeting our friends Lisa and Raymond. For the first time this year, this pavilion is housed in the Odyssey Center.

I had a Wild Hare Pale Ale by Spoetzle, meh, a Rye Pale Ale by Terrapin, again, meh, and a Punkin Ale by Dogfish Head which is a favorite.

Lisa and Raymond got there around 3:45, and we could've spent hours talking, but they had to leave to get ready for the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
 
We walked with them to the front of the park, as we had FastPasses for Spaceship Earth.

photo courtesy of Lisa

We then walked back to World Showcase, where we got the dessert trio from Desserts & Champagne.
Barbie's favorite was the Passion Fruit Coconut Creamsicle, mine was the Chocolate Expresso Opera Cake. We both thought the Blueberry Lime Cheesecake Roll was bland.

Next, I decided to give the Seared Sea Scallop at Scotland a try. Last year, their Salmon dish was a let down, and perhaps I wasn't the only one who felt that way, as it hasn't returned this year. I'm really glad I got the scallop, as it was one of the best selections at the Festival. Moist and tender, and the spinach-Cheddar Gratin and Crispy Bacon was amazing.

I was so impressed with this offering, I went and got another, and while I was there decided to try the Potato Pancake with Smoked Scottish Salmon, and it was almost as good! I paired this with Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer.

By now, I was feeling rather run down, so we headed back to the Boardwalk. I started watching Illuminations from our room, but headed to bed before it finished.

Links to the first 5 parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.

Disney Visa Chase Lounge at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival

By Nick

Like last year, this years Epcot International Food & Wine Fests Chase Lounge, which is exclusively for cardmembers, is located on the third floor in the American Adventure pavilion in World Showcase.

Present your card, and either take an elevator or climb the 3 flights. Space is limited, so they admit only a certain amount of people at a time. We only waited a few moments before going up.

 

There are machines dispensing free Coke products, as well as coffee or tea.

You can also purchase alcoholic beverages.

 

 

I highly recommend the Einstok Icelandic White Ale.

Seating is limited, but it is a welcome break from the heat regardless. You can also charge your cell phone here.

The Lounge is open from 11am-9pm on Sunday through Thursday and 11am-10pm on Friday and Saturday during the festival.