Park Journey
  • Home
  • Six Flags
  • Universal Studios
  • Disney Parks
  • Cedar Fair
  • SeaWorld Parks
  • Other Parks
  • Beyond The Parks
  • The Other Side of the Tracks
  • Industry News
  • Cruise Journey
  • Theme Park Art
  • Past Updates
    • 2021 Updates
    • 2020 Updates
    • 2019 Updates
    • 2018 Updates
    • 2017 Updates
    • 2016 Updates
    • 2015 Updates
    • 2013 and 2014 Updates
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Six Flags
  • Universal Studios
  • Disney Parks
  • Cedar Fair
  • SeaWorld Parks
  • Other Parks
  • Beyond The Parks
  • The Other Side of the Tracks
  • Industry News
  • Cruise Journey
  • Theme Park Art
  • Past Updates
    • 2021 Updates
    • 2020 Updates
    • 2019 Updates
    • 2018 Updates
    • 2017 Updates
    • 2016 Updates
    • 2015 Updates
    • 2013 and 2014 Updates
  • Contact Us
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Disney Parks

11/2/2022

Epcot 40th and International Food and Wine Festival 2022

During our epic trip to both Canada where we visited Canada's Wonderland Haunt and Orlando where we visited Halloween Horror Nights Orlando for the first time ever and Universal Orlando Resort for the first time since 2006, we also took the time out to visit Epcot for the first time since 2007. 

We will be doing a more comprehensive WDW visit next may before our cruise (first time at new Fantasyland, Pandora, Toy Story Land and much more) but for this trip we decided to just have a day at Epcot to hopefully ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and spend a day with some Orlando friends at the Food and Wine Festival. 

We had an amazing day and we can't wait to get back in a few short months. 

​Written by Gregg Condon 
Picture
Hello gorgeous, it's been a long time!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
We're tired, almost ready to go home, but not before an amazing day at one of our favorite theme parks ever!
Picture
Picture
While we were waiting for the rest of our crew to arrive (and our Guardians time) we had some fun in Future World (is it still called that?). I think we missed 2 versions of this, but we loved the current version.
Picture
Picture
For two special people! You know who you are.
Picture
I still freaking love this ride. Orange FTW!
Picture
Picture
Also, will make no apologies for loving this too!
Picture
Granted, our first trip to Epcot was in 2006 so we don't know any better. =)
Picture
Despite a lot of walls everywhere, the park still looks amazing!
Picture
Good Nemo! I will be taking no questions.
Picture
OMG it's happening!
Picture
Thought the queue was just ... ok.
Picture
Picture
Loved the model though! The pre-shows were fun although I will say it was obvious Rocket wasn't Bradley Cooper and it was a bit distracting. Anybody else feel that way?
Picture
This coaster currently sits at #5 on my list (out of 336 coasters). It's THAT good.
Picture
Only 50th statue we saw all day, granted, we weren't really looking. Lol.
Picture
Saturday + late October + Food and Wine = Crowds. But they were manageable and most of the lines moved very quickly.
Picture
This means you!!
Picture
Picture
I wonder how many of these they actually sell ...
Picture
Picture
This was empty when we boarded Gran Fiesta, and was packed when we got off.
Picture
I freaking love this ride
Picture
Alright, let's get some food in our belly's!!
Picture
Picture
Picture
I absolutely loved this!
Picture
Potatoes and Cheese and Bread, what's not to like?
Picture
Potatoes and Cheese and Ham, what's not to like
Picture
Apples and ... well, you know where I'm going.
Picture
Wonder what we could find in here?
Picture
I'm not even exaggerating when I say this was the best cookie I've ever had in my life.
Picture
This wasn't too bad either, but I only got one bite. Kristi wasn't sharing, I wasn't either. =)
Picture
We did Lightning Lane+ for the day, it definitely wasn't worth it. We essentially paid $22 to ride Frozen. We enjoyed it, but not THAT much.
Picture
Yes, we're the nerds who come from CA and buy hats and ears.
Picture
Really should have been called Olaf's Adventure, not that we have a problem with that.
Picture
Those barges aren't THAT bad
Picture
Gnocchi
Picture
And some frozen thing
Picture
After frozen we caught up with our crew for some beers in the UK
Picture
Take your pick!
Picture
This is why you wear a colorful shirt to Food and Wine, I didn't spill though!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Story Time ... there was some "influencer" type person trying to get the perfect phone booth pose for about 10 minutes, and yelling at either her BF or "Friendzone Friend" (most likely). Steve and I walked up and got this in 1 take.
Picture
At your service!
Picture
This was fantastic!
Picture
I thought the shrimp was just ok, the couscous was actually my favorite part
Picture
Oh Canada, why are you so yummy?
Picture
The most beautiful pavilion IMO
Picture
Lots of apple treats inside!
Picture
Wanted to see the show but this was ok too!
Picture
Some frozen vegan thing, not too shabby
Picture
Living with the Land!
Picture
Our crew, a lot of FL Team Park Journey!
Picture
You either love this ride, or you don't love awesome rides
Picture
Picture
Epcot's Mullet
Picture
Epcot NFT's > HHN NFT's
Picture
Time for some more food, the Mac and Cheese was just "ok"
Picture
The Fry Flight was a hit. I'm not usually a fan of sweet potato fries but I enjoyed these.
Picture
First time on Test Track 2.0!!
Picture
Or not. We got walked off right at the seatbelt check. Too bad, our vehicle was amazing!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Time to start saying our goodbye's to dear friends and to an amazing park
Picture
Picture
Picture
Until next May Epcot. We love you!

Related Videos

Related Updates 
  • HalloweenTime 2022 at Disneyland Resort - October 11, 2022
  • Disneyland Update - Main Street Electrical Parade, Subs, Lamplight Lounge and More - August 25, 2022
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom Using Disney Genie - July 20, 2022
  • Disneyland Visit Thoughts - May 24, 2022
  • Disneyland Update: HalloweenTime, Jungle Cruise and Spooky Food - September 24, 2021


​If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

3/5/2018

Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival 2018

Picture
This past weekend we headed out to The Disneyland Resort for a day of fun at the 2018 Disney Food and Wine Festival. 

We hadn't actually attended this event since it came back after the DCA re-do so we were quite excited to check it out. Needless to say we had an amazing time. 

Written by Gregg Condon
I want to start off with saying what an absolutely fabulous time we had on Saturday. The rain must have kept some people away because the parks never really got busy. 

We got the MaxPass as we did on our last visit, and it was amazing and worth every penny. 

But more than that, it was just a totally stress free day in the parks. It really made us remember why we love Disney so much. 

We arrived early enough for rope drop, but couldn't head to the parks without a quick look at Star Wars Land. Wow!! 
Picture
Picture
Picture
The new parking structure is being built, so there is a new temporary tram loading area. It was kind of fun going the opposite direction on the tram. 

​It's the little things 
Picture
Do we look excited? =) 
Picture
Hi there California Adventure, we'll be back to you in a bit. 
Picture
Can't even remember the last time we "rope dropped" Disneyland. It's just as amazing as we remembered it. 
Picture
It was a beautiful morning
Picture
We hadn't done "non holiday" Haunted Mansion since probably 2011. So this was our first chance to see the Hatbox Ghost in his natural habitat. And it was amazing. 

Thanks to the MaxPass we rode this a few times throughout the day. 
Picture
After doing a few more rides we decided to head over to DCA, but not before checking out some of the amazing music on Main Street. 
Picture
It's food and wine time!!! 
Picture
Well, turns out we were a bit early, so we decided to use our MaxPass for Radiator Springs Racers we had secured while we were still at Disneyland. Love how that works. =) ​

Love the decorations for Food and Wine
Picture
Picture
Picture
We also hadn't done Soarin' Over The World, we absolutely LOVED it. Don't understand at all why some people don't like this. 
Picture
Our first stop
Picture
Picture
Both were delicious, think we both preferred the slider though 
Picture
Not even sure where to start with the Brie Toast with Fig, Mint and Almond Crumble. 

On the surface, it wasn't anything we were particularly gung-ho about. But we are always ready to try new things. And just like all of the Toast Surprises on this season of Top Chef, we loved it. It was one of our favorite things. 

(Our top 5's are posted below) 
Picture
Next up was the White Cheddar Lager Soup, Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese with Bacon, Watermelon Lemonade (so good) and the Light and Refreshing flight. 
Picture
How about some "Frushi", Strawbery Pie, Strawberry Fros'e, Avocado and Pepper Guacamole Burger and Spiced Oumph!!

Note: We had no idea what Oumph! was and had even less of an idea it was vegan ... we actually enjoyed it. So yay for our Vegetarian/Vegan friends. Good food for you too! =) 

But back to the burger, can we get this full sized and on a permanent menu? It was that good. 
Picture
Meyer Lemon Macaron was heavenly as was the Crispy Orange Chicken and Rice with a Garlic Cracker.
Picture
Both paired very nicely with the Meyer Lemon Ginger Mule. Very refreshing even on a not warm and sometimes rainy day. 
Picture
And then there was the Popcorn Lemonade Cocktail with Tequila. 

It was "interesting" to say the least. It wasn't awful, we are glad we tried it. But it essentially is just as advertised, it tasted like popcorn. 
Picture
Here are our top Five favorites, and more importantly, what booth you can find them at!! 
Kristi's Top Five: 
  • ​Brie Toast with Fig, Mint and Almond Crumble (Nuts About Cheese)
  • Meyer Lemon Macaron (Citrus Grove)
  • Avocado & Pepper Jack Petite Guacamole Burger (Avocado Time)
  • Watsonville Strawberry Pie              (Strawberry Patch) 
  • White Cheddar Lager Soup in Bread Bowl (California Craft Brews) 
Gregg's Top Five: 
  • Avocado & Pepper Jack Petite Guacamole Burger (Avocado Time)
  • ​Brie Toast with Fig, Mint and Almond Crumble (Nuts About Cheese)
  • Jalapeno Pepper Mac & Cheese with Bacon (Peppers Cali-Ente)
  • Pineapple, Raspberry & Strawberry Mimosa Flight (Nuts About Cheese)
  • Chicken Teriyaki Slider with Pineapple Jam (LA Style) 
After all that food and wine you'd think we were done with our day, but it was just getting started!! 

Oh yeah, they are doing work on Pixar Pier!! We are very excited for it and hope we can make it back after it opens. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Still one of my absolute favorite spots in any Disney park. It's just perfect. 
Picture
We also got to do Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout for the first time. LOVED IT!! 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
After another spin on Racers, Soarin' and a few more snacks it was time to head back over to Disneyland for the evening. 

First stop, a trip on the Railroad. A must do every trip!! Oh, and to get some Star Wars pics!! 
Picture
Star Wars Land pics aside, we absolutely LOVE the changes to the railroad. 
Picture
While we were hanging out in Critter Country getting some pics we met a friend 
Picture
Picture
Picture
We spent the late afternoon riding Mansion again, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room (another must see every visit), as well as Buzz, a yummy dinner and then of course, Space Mountain!! ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
We joined the dark side 
Picture
Selfies in front of the castle (we kept forgetting that we have Photopass with the MaxPass) 
Picture
And of course, the awesome nighttime balloons!! 
Picture
Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoyed our little report.

Be sure to check out the Food and Wine Festival this year, it's amazing. You can find out more information about this years event here. 

If you've visited be sure to share your favorite foods in the comments below. We'd love to hear about the things we missed, because lets be honest, you need at least 3 days to try everything.

​Oh hey, there are 3 days on the Southern California Resident Ticket Offer. =) 

Related Updates: 
  • 10th Anniversary Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World
  • Epcot's International Festival of the Arts 2018
  • Trip Report: HalloweenTime 2017 at Disneyland Resort
  • Sneak Peek of the World of Pandora at Disney's Animal Kingdom (Part Two) 
  • Sneak Peek of the World of Pandora at Disney's Animal Kingdom


If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

If you have any comments, please share them below

12/5/2016

Holidays Around The (Walt Disney) World - Part 1 

Picture
What's the best part of living in Central Florida or Southern California in the Theme Park "offseason"? That's right, our theme parks don't close. While some go to weekend only operation those of us in CA and FL can literally visit a theme park every day of the year. 
And when you're incredibly local that means you can visit a few times over the span of a couple of weeks and experience a plethora of different experiences. And that's just what Renée has been doing over the past few weeks, so we have great stuff from so many of the great Holiday happenings at Walt Disney World that we couldn't dream of fitting it into one update.
​And we still have a few weeks until the Holidays are over so who knows where our adventure is going to take us next. 

​Written by Renée Girard
Cast previews for Disney's Rivers of Light begins tonight. No photos or video allowed but we'll be there! Hoping for a great show!
Picture
Getting ready for Rivers of Light to start in 30 minutes! ​
Picture
Got our seats and beer, let's do this. ​
Picture
Picture
​No photos tonight. Excited to see this much anticipated show! 10 minutes till it starts.
Picture
​We loved Rivers of Light! Beautiful show, amazing technology, and a million times better than Jungle Book.

​This week we're spending some time at the Epcot area resorts. The Boardwalk is great all year round but it's perfect for the holidays!
Picture
Picture
​Right next door at the Boardwalk, the Flying Fish restaurant has recently been renovated. It looks beautiful!
Picture
​Everything was delicious! I enjoyed the frittata with a caffe latte. Everyone else had egg dishes as well, and pancakes, all equally yummy.
Picture
Picture
Picture
​One of Disney's newest themed bars, Abracadabar, on the Boardwalk. It's a small space packed with lots of unique detail. Open 4pm-midnight.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​It wouldn't be Disney without a hidden Mickey! The one in Abracadabar isn't so hidden but still very cool.
Picture
​Looking around at some of the holiday decorations at the Epcot resorts too. Over at the Beach Club, there is the gingerbread carousel.
Picture
Picture
Christmas tree in the lobby of Disney's Yacht Club resort. 
Picture
​Having some drinks at the Crew's Cup Lounge at Disney's Yacht Club resort. What a cool, cozy little bar this place is!
Picture
Picture
​Dinner tonight is at the Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Had an amazing meal at Yachtsman Steakhouse! Definitely highly recommended by everyone in our party! ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
And of course, any dinner near EPCOT would be incomplete without the "Peace on Earth" finale of IllumiNations 
Picture
Picture
Goodnight from Disney's Yacht Club resort!
Picture

​We are starting our day with breakfast at the Captain's Grille at Disney's Yacht Club resort.
Picture
Picture
​You can order regular breakfast menu items at Captain's Grille but we're going with the buffet.
Picture
​New this year, Captain's Grille is offering the Candlelight Processional dining package. It's a great deal and guaranteed seat for the show!
Picture
Tonight we will be celebrating the Holidays Around the World at Epcot! ​
Picture
One of the best ways to get in the holiday spirit is to see the Voices of Liberty sing. ​
Picture
Picture
​There are a lot more Food & Wine-ish offerings for the holidays at Epcot. Looking forward to trying some later!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
But first we will be attending the Candlelight Processional narrated by ​
Picture
Picture
​Some of us are attending the show, with one performing in it. Nerves are starting to set in, even tho this is my third year doing it! Eek!!
Picture
Showtime in 30 minutes! Always a joy to share the stage with the legend....ary Neil Patrick Harris! ​
Picture
And we'll leave you waiting for part two to see what happens at the Candlelight processional. Did Renée ​fall off the stage? Run off with Neil Patrick Harris to raise babies in the Haunted Mansion? 

You may never know ... or you know, just find out on Thursday in part II of our epic adventure. =) 

Related Updates: 
  • Disneyland Resort Update - Avengers Half Marathon, Star Wars Land and Tower of Terror
  • The Disney California Adventure that could have been 
  • Fun at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival 2016
  • Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
  • Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Part One and Part Two


​If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

If you have any comments, please share them below
<<Previous

    Categories

    All 2016 Attractions 2017 Attractions 2018 Attractions 2019 Attractions 2020 Attractions 2021 Attractions Avatar Avengers Avengers Campus Avengers Half Marathon Candlelight Processional Disney100 Disney California Adventure Disney Hollywood Studios Disney Interactive Disneyland Disneyland 60th Disneyland Half Marathon Disneyland Paris Disney Parks Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Blizzard Beach Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney Springs Downtown Disney DVC EPCOT Fantasmic! Festival Of Holidays Festival Of The Lion King Flower And Garden Festival Food And Wine Festival Frozen Frozen Ever After Frozen Village Future World Galaxy's Edge Guardians Of The Galaxy Cosmic Rewind Guardians Of The Galaxy Mission Breakout Guardians Of The Galaxy - Mission Breakout HalloweenTime Haunted Mansion Holiday Holidays Around The World Hong Kong Disneyland International Festival Of The Arts Iron Man Experience Jungle Cruise Lunar New Year Magic Kingdom Mickey And Minnie's Runaway Railway Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Monsters After Dark New Fantasyland Pandora Phantom Manor Pixar Pier Pixar Place Princess Half Marathon Rise Of The Resistance Rivers Of America Rivers Of Light RunDisney Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Shanghai Disneyland Star Wars Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Star Wars Half Marathon Star Wars Land Star Wars Launch Bay Star Wars Weekends Tokyo Disneyland Tokyo DisneySea Toy Story Land Walt Disney Studios Paris Walt Disney World WDW 50th World Of Pandora World Showcase

    RSS Feed