A Blog About Disney Stuff

Tomorrow kicks off, I think, my favorite festival that EPCOT does. The EPCOT Festival of the Arts returns. (Ok…technically it’s the Taste of EPCOT Festival of the Arts, but to-ma-to/to-mah-to).

This year the festival will run from January 8 through February 22. The EPCOT Festival of the Arts is not only a celebration of just the visual and performing arts. It is also an incredible celebration of the culinary arts. Guests will be able to purchase food and beverage that are almost too pretty to eat (and definitely Instagrammable) at one of over 15 Food Studios that year.  These Food Studios blend colorful ingredients, unique cooking techniques, and imaginative presentations. They truly are edible masterpieces.

This year’s EPCOT Festival of the Arts will not only include new options, but there are also some fan favorites that are returning. (Including my favorite – the Deconstructed BLT.) In addition, a brand new Food Studio will debut called Vibrante & Vívido Food Studio. This new studio will be located between Morocco & France.

Also returning for this year’s EPCOT Festival of the Arts is the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine. This is a fun food stroll that highlights five delicious offerings from the festival. To take part, grab a Festival Passport. Inside, you’ll see which items are included in the “walk.” When you purchase these items, you’ll receive a stamp for your Festival Passport. When you collect all five stamps, you can bring your Festival Passport to the Decadent Delights Food Studio, where you will receive a complimentary Artist Palette Cookie.

Ok….let’s get to the menus, shall we? Here’s what you can grab and where at this year’s EPCOT Festival of the Arts:

Refreshment Port (Showcase Plaza)

Food Items:

• Lobster Poutine: Lobster, Lobster Bisque Cheese Sauce, Pickled Jalapeños, and Citrus Cream (NEW)

Beverages:

• Barrel of Monks Brewing Raspberry Beret, Boca Raton, FL (NEW)
• Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, CA

Citrus Blossom (Showcase Plaza)

Beverages:

• Orange Cream Shake in a Souvenir Orange Bird Sipper Cup (non-alcoholic)
• Lost Coast Brewery Tangerine Wheat Ale, Eureka, CA
• Florida Orange Groves Winery Selections
• Key Limen
• Strawberry Blush
• Orange Sunshine
• Sparkling Key Lime
• Sparkling Cranberry
• Sparkling Blueberry

The Deconstructed Dish (Showcase Plaza)

Food Items:

• Deconstructed Reuben: Rye Popover, Corned Beef, Gryuère Panna Cotta, and Brined Brussels Sprouts with Broken Thousand Island Dressing
• Deconstructed BLT: Crispy Pork Belly, Soft-poached Egg, Brioche, Watercress Espuma, and Tomato Jam
• Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake: Whipped New York-style Cheesecake with Fresh Florida Strawberries and Sugar Cookies

Beverages:

• Rainboba: Fruit Bursting Boba with Sparkling Water (non-alcoholic)
• Deconstructed Breakfast: Twinings of London Chai Tea Shake with Maple Syrup garnished with a Waffle Crisp and Candied Bacon (Non-alcoholic)
• Deconstructed Breakfast: Twinings of London Chai Tea Shake with Cream Bourbon garnished with a Waffle Crisp and Candied Bacon

Decadent Delights (Promenade Refreshments)

Food Items:

• Raspberry Soft-serve Ice Cream (New)
• Lemon Soft-serve Ice Cream (New)
• Artist Palette Cookie

Beverages:

• North Coast Brewing Co. Scrimshaw Pilsner, Fort Bragg, CA
• M.I.A. Beer Company Deco IPA, Doral, FL
• Saugatuck Brewing Co. Peanut Butter Porter, Douglas, MI
• Beer Flight also available

Pop Eats (Showcase Plaza)

Food Items:

• Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese (New)
• Tomato Soup with French Onion and Bacon Grilled Cheese (New)
• Shrimp Ceviche with Lime Mint Foam (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
• Almond Frangipane Cake layered with Raspberry Jam and Belgian Chocolate
• Pop’t Art: Modern-designed Sugar Cookie with Strawberry Filling

Beverages:

• #RainbowSherbetGlitterDreamAle by Playalinda Brewing Co., Titusville, FL
• Popping Bubbles Cocktail
• Tomato Soup Can Bloody Mary

Refreshment Outpost

Food Items:

• Plant-based Bratwurst with Spicy Turmeric Aïoli, Coffee Barbecue Jackfruit, and Slaw
• Warm Brown Sugar-stuffed Pretzel with Banana Soft-serve Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Beverages:

• Frozen Slushy Coca-Cola or Minute Maid Lemonade in a Souvenir Spike The Bee Sipper Cup (non-alcoholic)
• Playalinda Brewing Co. Blue Raspberry Blonde, Titusville, FL (New)

Cuisine Classique

Food Items:

• Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with Parsnip Purée, Broccolini, Baby Tomatoes, and Aged Balsamic
• Coq au Vin: Chicken Roulade with Violet Mustard, Candied Carrots, Pancetta Crisp, Marble Potatoes, and Beurre Rouge Sauce (New)
• Opera Cake: Almond Joconde, Coffee Buttercream, and Chocolate Ganache (New)
• Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate-Chip Cookie

Beverages:

• 3 Daughters Brewing Rosé Hard Cider, St. Petersburg, FL
• 81Bay Brewing Rosé Blonde Ale, Tampa, FL
• Frozen Rosé
• Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva Art Series, Logrono, Spain
• Domaine Savary Chablis, Burgundy
• A Play on Rosé Flight

The Artist’s Table

Food Items:

• Beef Wellington: Mushroom Duxelle, Prosciutto, and Puff Pastry with Red Wine Demi-Glace and Fennel Cream
• Pan-Seared Scallop with Chorizo, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Parmesan Crisp (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
• Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate-Chip Cookie

Beverages:

• Sipping Chocolate Flight: White, Milk, and Dark Chocolate (non-alcoholic)
• Saugatuck Brewing Co. Neapolitan Milk Stout, Douglas, MI
• Lexington Brewing Company Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale, Lexington, KY
• Lindemans Framboise Lambic, Belgium
• Âme du Vin Côtes de Provence Rosé
• Writer’s Block Pinot Noir, Lake County, CA
• Symphony in Chocolate Flight: Mozart Cream Liqueurs paired with Sipping Chocolates
• Beer Flight also available

Mosaic Canteen (Morocco)

Food Items:

• Mediterranean Flatbread with Zaatar Pesto, Artichokes, Roasted Peppers, Sundried Tomatoes, and Fennel Cream (New)
• Harissa-roasted Rack of Lamb with Baba Ganoush, Picholine Olives, Toybox Tomatoes, Preserved Lemons, and Pomegranate (New)
• Mouskoutchou: Orange Cake with Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Orange) (New)

Beverages:

• 1906 Reserva Especial Dark Amber Lager (New)
• Maeloc Blackberry Hard Cider (New)

Vibrante & Vívido Food Studio (Between Morocco & France)

Food Items:

• Chilled Seafood Cocktail with Octopus, Scallops, Shrimp, Black Garlic Aïoli, Tomato-Coconut Sauce, and Serrano-Lime Oil (New)
• Blue Corn Pupusa stuffed with Cheese and topped with Shredded Pork, Guajillo and Árbol Chile Sauce, Cabbage Slaw, and Aji Amarillo Crema (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)(Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Blue) (New)
• Passion Fruit Mousse with Dragon Fruit Jam (New)

Beverages:

• Coconut and Passion Fruit Smoothie (non-alcoholic) (New)
• Frozen Piña Colada (New)
• Passion Fruit Daiquiri (New)

Festival Favorites (World Showplace)

Food Items:

• Remy’s Ratatouille with Eggplant, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomatoes, and Red Pepper Piperade (Plant-based) (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Red) (New)
• Charcuterie with Meats and Cheeses featuring Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Beef
• Lemon Blood-Orange Tart
• Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate-Chip Cookie

Beverages:

• Blue Sky Black Cherry Boba Freeze (non-alcoholic)
• 3 Daughters Brewing Strawberry Blonde Nitro, St. Petersburg, FL
• Breckenridge Brewery Nitro Vanilla Porter, Breckenridge, CO
• M.I.A. Beer Company Milk Stout Nitro, Doral, FL
• Cold Fashioned Coffee Cocktail
• Neapolitan Beer Flight

The Painter’s Palate (World Showplace)

Food Items:

• Prime Steak Tartare with Pickled Vegetables, Parsley Salad, Béarnaise Anglaise, and Sous Vide Quail Egg (New)
• Salt-roasted Beet Tartare with Pickled Vegetables, Parsley Salad, and Béarnaise Aïoli (Plant-based) (New)
• Pistachio Cake with Cherry Mousse and Morello Cherries (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Green) (New)

Beverages:

• Kalimotxo: Red Wine Cocktail with Pibb® Xtra (New)
• Frozen Rusty Nail Cocktail (New)
• Pinord La Dama Reserva Familiar Brut Rosé, Spain

Masterpiece Kitchen

Food Items:

• Wild Mushroom Risotto, Aged Parmesan, Truffle Shavings, and Zinfandel Reduction
• Salmon and Cream Gâteau with Egg Yolk Cream, Paddlefish Caviar, and Micro-Herbs
• Vanilla, Rose Water, and Pistachio Panna Cotta (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Pink)

Beverages:

• Weihenstephaner Original Lager, Freising, Germany
• Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque Brut Champagne
• The Meeker Vineyard Winemakers’ Handprint Merlot, Sonoma County, CA
• Pinord La Dama Reserva Familiar Brut, Spain
• Classic Sidecar with a Chocolate Twist

L’Art de la Cuisine Française (France)

Food Items:

• Crème de Brie en Petit Pain: Warm Creamy Brie in a House-made Bread Bowl
• Croissant à la Truffle Noir d’Hiver: Black Winter Truffle Croissant (New)
• Moelleux à la Framboise et aux Chocolats Valrhona: Molten Chocolate and Raspberry Cake with Pure Origin Valrhona Chocolates (New)
• Trio de Macarons: Assortment of Three House-made Macarons in a Gift Box

Beverages:

• Frozen French Martini: Grey Goose, Vodka, Chambord Liqueur, Pineapple, Orange, and Grape Juice with Lemon-Lime Foam
• Charles Lafite, Brut Méthode Traditionnelle Champenoise, French Sparkling Wine
• Château La Gordonne, Vérité du Terroir, Côtes de Provence Rosé (New)
• Bordeaux Merlot and Cabernet Blend, Baron des Chartrons, 2015 (New)

El Artista Hambriento (Mexico)

Food Items:

• Chile Relleno: Fried Poblano Pepper filled with Flank Steak, Black Beans, and Tomatoes drizzled with a Poblano Cream Sauce (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)(New)
• Pork Belly Pastor: Pastor-marinated Pork Belly atop Boniato Purée with Charred Pineapple and Crispy Cilantro (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)(New)
• Taco de Chocolate: Chocolate Candy Shell filled with Mexican Chocolate Mousse with a touch of Chile topped with Tropical Fruit (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)(New)

Beverages:

• Mexican Craft Beer: Tulum Artisanal Lager crafted with Citrus notes and made with Mexican Caribbean Seawater
• Diego Pomegranate Margarita: Ojo de Tigre Mezcal, Pomegranate-Prickly Pear Juice, Blackcurrant Liqueur, and Rose Petal Liqueur with a Hibiscus Salt Rim
• Frida Carrot Margarita: Casa Noble Blanco Tequila, Carrot Juice, Ginger Cordial, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar

Goshiki (Japan)

Food Items:

• Stone Garden: Red Bean Mousse with Chocolate Rocks and Arare Rice Cracker Pebbles (New)
• Sushi Donut: Donut-shaped Sushi featuring Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp, Cucumber, and Sesame Seed over a decorated plate of Wasabi Aïoli, Sriracha, and Eel Sauce
• Vegetable Gyoza: Vegetable-filled Spinach Gyoza with Tofu atop Mashed Potatoes with a Kamaboko Fish Cake, Pepper Strings and Tonkatsu Teriyaki Sauce

Beverages:

• Haiku Draft Lager (New)
• Masu Sake in a Traditional Personalized Wooden Cup
• Pink Snow: Sake, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry Juice, and Calpico dusted with Snowflake Confetti (New)

The Painted Panda (China)

Food Items:

• Old Shanghai Shi Zi Tou: Pork and Water Chestnut Meatballs served with Taro Root (New)
• Sichuan Red Hot Mala Shrimp (New)

Beverages:

• “Panda” Bubble Tea: Classic Milk Tea with Black and White Boba Pearls (non-alcoholic)
• Jasmine Draft Beer
• Fortune Cookie: ByeJoe Spirit, Amaretto, and Piña Colada Mix
• Kung Fu Punch: Vodka and Triple Sec
• Sea Butterfly: Butterfly Pea Flower infused Cocktail with Lychee Syrup, Vodka, Light Rum, and Magic Boba Pearls

L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy)

Food Items:

• Arancini: Sweet Sausage fried Risotto Balls with Pomodoro Sauce (New)
• L’Aragosta: Lobster Ravioli with Vanilla-Saffron Cream Sauce and Shredded Chili Peppers (New)
• Bomboloni: Cream-filled Italian Doughnut with Raspberry Sauce and Powdered Sugar (New)

Beverages:

• Peroni Pilsner
• Pinot Grigio
• Chianti
• Prosecco
• Rosa Regale
• Moscato
• Italian White Sangria with Prosecco
• Italian Red Sangria with Cabernet Sauvignon
• Italian Margarita with Tequila and Limoncello
• AmarettoBellini: Amaretto, White Peach Purée, and Prosecco
• Bergamotto: Italicus Rosolio Di Bergamotto, Prosecco, and Cerignola Olive

Funnel Cake

• Red Velvet Funnel Cake topped with Cream Cheese Icing and Pixie Dust (New)

Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company

• Showcase Plaza – Caramel Canvas Latte: Artisan Latte with Peanut Butter Syrup, Caramel, and Dark Chocolate Sauce topped with SNICKERS® Original Candy Pieces paired with a doughnut
• The American Adventure – Color-Me-Latte: Made for a true artiste with Espresso, Swiss Chocolate Syrup, and Dark Chocolate Sauce sprinkled with M&M’s® Candies paired with a doughnut
• Future World East – Starry Night Latte: Paint the sky with this Espresso beverage with Dulce de Leche, White Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate Sauce topped with MILKY WAY® Bar Pieces paired with a doughnut
• Canada – Creative Twist Latte: Stretch your imagination with this Latte with Brown Butter Toffee Syrup and Swiss Chocolate Syrup topped with TWIX® Bar Pieces paired with a doughnut

The post What Can You Eat at This Year’s EPCOT Festival of the Arts? appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Epcot, Festivals, News, Epcot Festival of the Arts

Communal hibachi dining doesn’t sound too appealing right now does it? Teppan Edo at EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion has made some adjustments to continue its tradition of entertaining dining, with safety in mind. This table service restaurant is one of the highest rated on Disney property and Chrissy on our team visited this week to see how they are doing things differently with a focus on safety.

Now, it is true that many neighborhoods around the country may have their own hibachi style restaurant. But what makes Teppan Edo special and different than the average hibachi restaurant is the authentic atmosphere and the caring Cast Members. And the safety precautions that are implemented fall in line with the stringent standard that Disney has set.

COVID-19 Safety Precautions at Teppan Edo

Check-in has been moved to the greeter stand right when you come up the stairs or elevator. Previously, guests would walk inside to the left and check in at the Teppan Edo desk, but that usually meant a cluster of people. Your phone number is verified and a text is sent to you when your table is ready. This eliminates the usual gathering near the check-in area.

Parties are seated separately. Formerly, different parties would be seated together to fill up a table and seated at once. Chrissy dined on her own and was seated first. Then the Cast Member walked back to the check-in area and came back with two additional guests. Each table seats up to eight people. There is one divider at each table.

Chrissy had one side to herself, and the other party, of two people, were on the other side of the divider. The Cast Member held a basket with the usual hand wipes and encouraged each of us to take several. Forks were also delivered on a covered basket. Each fork was under the napkin and was spaced out so that we could get our own and not touch anything else. There was a lot of thought and care put into this process. The star of the show, the Chef, had on a mask and protective goggles.

Food and Beverage at Teppan Edo

Come hungry when you dine here. The menu at Teppan Edo is pretty standard for a hibachi restaurant. You can start with some fresh sushi; Chrissy went with the Sushi Sampler. This is a great way to satisfy your craving for sushi with 2 pieces of spicy tuna and salmon roll, 2 pieces of California roll, and 3 pieces of nigiri.

The cocktail Chrissy ordered is a must for anyone wanting to make an impression, like on a date night, or just wanting something fun and different. The Shochu Squeeze is simple and crisp. What makes it unique is that you select either grapefruit, lemon, or orange juice, but you’re not given the juice – you make it! A tall glass of Shochu liquor and ice is presented to you with the fruit of your choosing sliced in half, and a juicer. Time to go to work and squeeze your own juice. The juicer was made of silicone which made for easy pouring. Shochu is usually distilled from Japanese sweet potatoes, barley, rice, and / or buckwheat. It is often compared to vodka. This fun drink is just $12.00 which is on the lower end of most Disney cocktails.

Now onto the first course. When you order your entrée you’re getting quite a lot of food. To start a pickled cucumber and seaweed salad, known as a Sunomono Salad is presented. This is different from previous visits at which a garden salad was offered. It was refreshing and crisp, though the texture of the seaweed may not appeal to everyone.

White rice accompanies your protein choice, such as chicken, steak, shrimp, or scallops. Some hibachi places offer fried rice, and Chrissy’s table mates asked if they could have fried rice. The Chef jokingly said they should go to the China pavilion for fried rice.

In addition to the white rice, you can carb up with the noodles and veggies that come standard with any meal. This included spinach, onions, carrots, and zucchini, again a variation from most American hibachi-style restaurants.

The chicken and steak were seasoned and cooked perfectly, in lovely bite-site morsels. The Chef was very concerned about cooking the steak at the correct temperature for each guest.

Of course a meal at a hibachi restaurant would not be the same without the sauces. The standard ginger sauce and “yummy” white sauce are offered to each guest. You can also request hot sauce and extra wasabi if you like to heat things up.

The Entertaining Experience at Teppan Edo

Having your food cooked fresh in front of you on the hibachi grill is just one part of the experience. The other is that your Chef will entertain you.  Each Chef is going to be different, but there is usually some traditional and a bit of Disney presented at each table. Chrissy reports she could hear the wooden salt and pepper grinders bopping at other tables, and lots of laughing. If you’re celebrating a special occasion and the staff are aware chances are you’ll get a least some recognition from the Chef as part of the show.

Chrissy was able to use her 10% Annual Passholder discount for lunch here, and dined at 3:30 p.m. making it a good time for a late lunch or early dinner. With that discount in mind, the overall service, and the specialness of the drink and the venue, it was a great value.

We have over 500,000 surveys from our readers in recent years at Teppan Edo has a 93% thumbs up rating. It is ranked number 11 out of 106 table service restaurants at Walt Disney World.

Do you agree with this ranking of Teppan Edo? Let us know in the comments!

The post REVIEW – Teppan Edo at EPCOT Brings Entertainment and Taste Together, Safely appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Dos and Don’ts, Epcot, Trip Planning, disney covid, disney dining, epcot dining, Epcot Restaurants, Teppan Edo

If you want Star Wars-themed food that isn’t given the otherwordly treatment found at Star War Galaxy’s Edge, then head to Backlot Express. Here we found the return of a scrumptious sweet that any Star Wars fan will love. The Wookie Cookie is back!

The name is a little misleading because it’s not just one cookie, The Wookie Cookie is Two Oatmeal Cookies with Vanilla Cream Filling garnished with a Milk Chocolate Sash on top. Some guests may be familiar with the Oatmeal Cream Pies from Little Debbie. This is reminiscent of that, with a similar flavor combination.

In the Star Wars universe it is best to let the Wookie win. This massive cookie creation will win over your appetite and could be too much for one person. At $5.99 it is priced on par with other specialty desserts and is enough for two people if you’re up for sharing.

Backlot Express is located near Star Tours and serves burgers and a few Star Wars-themed items. Mobile ordering is available and there is a nice shaded outdoor dining area.

Have you tried any of the Star Wars-themed food at Backlot Express? What’s been your favorite?

The post REVIEW – The Wookie Cookie Always Wins at Backlot Express appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Hollywood Studios, Snacks, Star Wars, disney desserts, disney star wars, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, hollywood studios dining

Now that my kids are young adults, it has become increasing difficult to find times when we can all travel together. Our default whole-family trip over the past few years has been a Disney Cruise Line voyage to celebrate the New Year. Keeping with tradition, a year ago this week we booked a 2021 New Year cruise on the Disney Wonder sailing out of Galveston. Needless to say, that didn’t happen.

Though my family has been extremely fortunate and avoided illness this year, like everyone else, we’ve had our share of disappointment and frustration with the 2020 pandemic. The upheaval has weighed particularly hard on my twins, Josie and Louisa, who have had their senior year of college drastically altered. I wanted to give everyone a much-needed emotional boost, so unbeknownst to the rest of the family (including my husband Jeff), I plotted to recreate much of what would have been our relaxing getaway cruise experience.

Prior to the “no-cruise cruise to nowhere” the only thing my crew knew was that they were not allowed to schedule anything personal on December 31 and that they were supposed to arrive downstairs hungry at an appointed hour in the morning. In addition to Josie, Louisa, and Jeff, the participants also included the other members of our pod, my older daughter Charlie and her boyfriend Jack.

As instructed, they all rolled into our living room in the morning. I greeted them wearing my “Bon Voyage” sweater that I had purchased for our 2016 Baltic DCL cruise. I then clued everyone into the surprise by handing them a “Personal Navigator.”

A few of the items on the Navigator took just a minute or so to complete. The longest item, New Disney Movie, took about two hours. Most fell into the 30-60 minute range.

“Wake Up and Wash” was just me handing everyone H2O Brand soaps and shampoos. Scent can evoke such strong sense memories that I knew smelling these products so associated with Disney would put them right in the mood.

“Shopping in Port Canaveral” was giving everyone a hyper-kitschy “Florida” mug, personalized with their names, such as you might find at a random beach stand, which is exactly where I got them. (We love hunting for the most iconically touristy souvenirs we can find in port.)

Because time and space do not exist during an imaginary cruise, we then teleported from Port Canaveral to our intended departure port, Galveston. When we last sailed out of Galveston (the real one), we had a truly fantastic pre-embarkation breakfast at El Jardin Mexican Cafe. My improvised approximation was a bar of fixins’ to make breakfast burritos or huevos rancheros.

“Shopping in Galveston” was distribution of the first of many sweet treats. I sent away to our other favorite Galveston spot, LaKing’s Confectionary for some of their stellar housemade salt water taffy. If you go, be sure to ask what time they’re pulling the taffy. As you watch, they toss pieces into the crowd that they’ve just crafted.

We then played several rousing rounds of bingo. We play a lot of bingo when we cruise (truly, a disturbing amount), so of course we threw in loads of DCL bingo references like “Shake it up, Betty” and the B-11 dance. All were required to stand up when they were one number away from winning. The bingo “prizes” were scratch-off bingo-themed lottery tickets. We didn’t win any money, just like at real bingo on the ships. We did; however, have a blast, just like at real bingo on the ships.

To relax, as one does on a sea day, we took a break to play some light family board games in the “Promenade Lounge.” The most common games we’ve found floating around in the lounges on DCL ships are Connect Four and Uno, so that’s what we played. Oh, and my husband is Diet Pepsi addict, but for the “sailing” I only allowed him to drink Coke Zero because that’s what’s available on the Disney ships. I’m so mean.

Next up was the “Diaper Dash.” The DCL Diaper Dash is my family’s number one must-do activity during every sailing. We bet real money on the outcome of the races. (Only $1 per race, but still…) For the uninitiated, the Diaper Dash involves racing actual human babies in the ship’s lobby atrium.

Our Diaper Dash was built around a product I saw on the novelty product site Archie McPhee called “racing babies.” The materials for the race mat can be found at any craft store: red foamcore, washi tape, and star and alphabet stickers. Fittingly, in our races, Jack won. His prize was the Jack-Jack plush toy similar to those that appear at every DCL Diaper Dash.

We attend several rounds of trivia contests on every DCL sea day, so we had to have trivia on our no-cruise “sea day.” Despite being DCL Platinum, my family did shockingly poorly on questions that I thought were basic. Good thing they’ve outsourced their Disney Cruise Line planning to me.

Then, character photos. There are dozens of different stand-up cardboard cutouts of Disney characters available from Amazon and party supply sources. I ended up choosing Anna & Elsa because they were among the tallest characters I saw, approximating actual human scale.

The tasting seminars on Disney Cruise Line are an educational affair, with the several varieties of the same liquor described along with their history and distinguishing features.

I don’t have any particular expertise in this area, but I wanted to include a tasting because the twins had been looking forward to this activity since our cancelled trip was to have been our first cruise after they turned 21. The version I came up with was a blind pouring of five non-traditional wines that I bought from a roadside stand in Florida. (Only the finest for my crew!) Their task was to guess what the prevailing fruit was supposed to be.

The overall success rate in guessing the flavors was low. In general, they agreed that the “whites” tasted like turpentine and that #5 (the melon) tasted like “sorority.”

“Brunch at Palo” was really a mash-up of offerings at Palo brunch, Palo dinner, and Cabanas lunch. There is no practical way to replicate the absurd array of offerings at Palo – the bounty and variety of deliciousness astounds every time. My attempt homage was a giant charcuterie assortment, plus some peel-and-eat shrimp.

The signature dessert at Palo dinner is their chocolate souffle, served with chocolate and vanilla sauces. A must have every time!

My first attempt at making my own souffles turned out quite well if I do say so myself. I used a Food Network recipe for the souffle and coopted a vanilla sauce from a bread pudding recipe on AllRecipes.

“Shopping in Sint Maarten” was the only one of the day’s activities that did not directly correlate with a true DCL event. A my daughters’ summer camp, a beloved rainy day game was “Dutch Auction.” I knew they’d have fun playing this at home, so I included this game with a name nod to DCL port with Dutch heritage.

The “trip to the spa” was a break, with everyone receiving their own scalp massage tool.

No DCL sailing is complete without towel animals, so we made our own.

I used the book How to Make a Towel Monkey for instructions. I accidentally bought the wrong sizes of towels, but we made a decent stab at it given the circumstances.

My girls are singers and love the talent show and karaoke performing opportunities on the Disney ships, so we had to include some of that on our “cruise.”

We watched the newest Pixar film, Soul, as our movie in the “Walt Disney Theater.” (A lovely movie, by the way.)

“Dinner on the Pool Deck” included a snacky supper of chicken nuggets and several varieties of fries served with several varieties of dipping sauces, just like we’d eat while hanging out on the DCL pool deck.

“Shopping in Nassau” was dinner dessert of Tortuga Rum Cake, my own number one cruise treat and the only thing I ever buy in Nassau.

For New Year’s Eve, we counted down the end of 2020 (Huzzah!) with a champagne toast and Mickey Mouse ziplining across the upper deck.

For “turndown” I left individually wrapped Ghirardelli chocolates on everyone’s pillows.

One activity that I meant to have, but simply forgot about until it was too late to execute, was creating an “AquaDuck” out of a marble run toy. I had made myself a note on my phone to brainstorm ways to make it look like we were going down the slide (put stickers of our faces onto marbles? Something else?), but I didn’t have time to follow up.

In addition to everything shown here, there were a few extra surprises that I don’t have photos of. For example, during a cruise on the Magic when Josie was about 10, she had her first Shirley Temple. Our server asked her how she liked it and she said she loved the cherries. Every night after that, at dinner he brought her a big dish of just maraschino cherries. So we had a big dish of cherries for her after every meal on our “cruise.”

I also served surprise Mickey Bars while we waited for the midnight countdown.

About half way through the day, my husband remarked, “This really feels like we’re on a cruise,” which I took to be an affirmation of the success of the day. If I had to do this again, I would tweak a few things, but overall our no-cruise cruise to nowhere did exactly what I wanted – taking us out of our pandemic heads and providing a full break from our regular stresses.

There was clearly more (much, much more) food involved here than six people needed in one day. We’ve been chipping away at it for lunches and snacks after the “cruise” ended, so it’s not going to waste. The Anna & Elsa cutout is on its way to our Frozen-addicted five-year-old niece.

This experience obviously reflected my family’s DCL preferences. If someone wanted to replicate it for their own group, some personalization would be in order. Don’t play bingo? Drop that and create a mini golf course in the back yard. Choose your favorite foods. “Sail” to different ports. Bring your family “room service” breakfast. Reenact your favorite DCL main stage show. Whatever floats your boat.

How would you recreate a day at sea? Or a day at Walt Disney World or Disneyland? What are your favorite parts of vacation? Let us know in the comments?

The post Fun Stuff: Our No-Cruise Cruise to Nowhere appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), Day at Sea, disney cruise line

This Crowd Calendar update is a bit different from our normal monthly updates. Since the Florida Disney parks re-opened in July 2020, we assumed that Disney’s “enhanced health and safety measures” would stay in effect. Now that COVID-19 vaccines are approved and started being administered we can start looking at Disney returning to “normal.” We are making the assumption that vaccines will be widely available by April and that “normal” will start to return to Walt Disney World in the summer of 2021. We have no inside information about Disney’s plans for the return to “normal.”

Ever Changing Conditions

Disney’s “enhanced health and safety measures” have been evolving since the parks reopened. Park capacity has slowly increased. Currently, the parks are at 35% capacity. By the summer we expect capacity will be closer to 50%, which is close to the average capacity on an average day. As time has gone on, more Disney hotels have opened; by the fall all hotels should be open. With more people returning to Walt Disney World, more restaurants and experiences will return. Disney keeps finding ways to increase attractions’ capacity. With increased capacity expect to see FastPass+ return. The increased capacity will also foster extended park hours and the return of Extra Magic Hours. Face masks and hand sanitizer will likely be around for most of 2021. Dr. Fauci believes that large gatherings will return in the fall. Only time will tell how long it takes for Disney to return to normal.

Park Schedules

Starting on June 1, 2021, the TouringPlans website and TouringPlans Crowd Calendar are showing Park Hours, Extra Magic Hours, Show Times, Parties, and Events. These are all estimates based on 2018 and 2019 data. As Disney releases its plans and schedules, we will update our website.

Pent-Up Demand

Vacations have been put on hold for many people during the pandemic. Once travel restrictions are lifted it is expected that travel will come back strong. People are sick of being trapped in their homes.

The Economy

The recovery from the recession caused by COVID-19 will impact who will travel to Walt Disney World and how Walt Disney World will operate. New resorts, attractions, and events have been postponed, canceled, or modified. It is expected that there will be a K-Shape Recovery. Some people and industries will recover faster than others. Expect Disney to be minimizing expenses even after the pandemic is over.

Pent-Up Demand vs. The Economy

It will be interesting to see how pent-up demand and the economy work with each other. Disney will likely be stingy with discounts if the demand for travel is high. If bookings are strong for the fall, don’t be surprised if free dining does not return. Do expect that add-on experiences to be offered as Disney will be aggressive about increasing revenue.

Crowd Levels

Dates before June 1, 2021, have crowd levels assuming the current social distancing and other health and safety measures are in place. Starting on June 1, the crowd level predictions are based on pre-pandemic data. As the year progresses, we will have a better idea of how the economy is shaping up and see people’s travel habits. Expect that Crowd Levels will change.

 

The post Post COVID-19 Crowd Calendar Update appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Crowd Calendar, Walt Disney World (FL)