2009 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Details

We have spotted a few details coming out of Disney for 2009 Epcot Food & Wine Festival:

To book any and all activities and events, reservations open on August 11 at 7:00AM. Call 407-WDW-FEST (939-3378). Theme park admission is usually required, along with a reservation and extra payment for the event.

Check out the Disney Food and Wine Festival Page for info and more updates.

Culinary Adventures — Signature Dining Experiences
Celebrity chefs pair up with Walt Disney World restaurant big cheeses to develop a 5-course meal. Schedule and celebrity chefs include:

10/1 6:30 p.m. Jiko–The Cooking Place — Suvir Saran
10/1 7:00 p.m. Portobello Italian Trattoria — Tony Mantuano
10/13 6:15 p.m. Ragland Road — Kevin Dundon
10/15 5:30 p.m. Flying Fish Café — Tim Keating
10/16 6:30 p.m. bluezoo — Todd English
10/22 6:30 p.m. The Wave — Frank Brough
10/25 6:30 p.m. Victoria & Albert’s — Scott Hunnel
10/29 6:30 p.m. California Grill — Brian Piasecki
10/30 6:30 p.m. Wonders Retreat — Jean Claude Boisset vs. Jean Charles Boisset Wines
11/5 6:30 p.m. Cítricos — Phillip Ponticelli

Price: $100.00-$375.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is not required.

Food and Wine Pairing Meals
An old favorite returns.

Saturdays, 2:30–4:00 p.m. — Tutto Italia Ristorante
Mondays, 3:30–5:00 p.m. — Tokyo Dining
Tuesdays, 3:30–5:00 p.m. — Restaurant Marrakesh

Price: $55.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is required.

Mexico Tequila Tastings
A NEW addition!
La Cava del Tequila, Mexico Pavilion

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

Price: $35.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is required.

French Regional Lunches
Bistro de Paris chefs will prepare specialty lunches highlighting a specific region in France.
Select Sundays, 12:00 p.m. at the Bistro de Paris, France Pavilion at Epcot

10/4 — Bordeaux
10/11 — Cotes du Rhone
10/18 — Alsace
10/25 — Champagne
11/1 — Burgundy

Price: $95.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is required.

Party for the Senses
Every Saturday during the Festival; 6:30 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

9/26 — Celebrating Spanish Cuisine
10/3 — Celebrating Comfort Foods with a Twist
10/10 — Celebrating South American Cuisine
10/17 — Celebrating Classical Cuisine
10/24 — Celebrating Asian Cuisine
10/31 — Celebrating the Fall Harvest
11/7 — Celebrating Italian Cuisine

Price: $135 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is required.

Wine View Lounge access is $75 per person, plus tax (in addition to admission for Party for the Senses.). Gratuity included.

Sweet Sundays
Brunch every Sunday morning. All-star Chefs will prepare three desserts. The program will be hosted at the Welcome Center.
Sundays from 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

9/27 — Andrew Shotts
10/4 — Warren Brown & Mary Meyers
10/11 — David Guas
10/18 — Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
10/25 — Claire Clark
11/1 — Geraldine Randalsome
11/8 — Jacque Torres

Price: $80 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is required.

Celebrating Friends and Family
September 26, then every Friday. Chefs will walk the audience through how to prepare a 3-course lunch. Events will take place at the Welcome Center (Wonders of Life pavilion) Fridays from 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

9/26 — The Deen Brothers
10/2 — Suvir Saran
10/9 — Patti LaBelle
10/16 — Dean Max and Paula DaSilva
10/23 — Alan Wong
10/30 — Cat Cora and Virginia Cora
11/6 — Andrea and John Robinson

Price: $110.00-130.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is required.

Wine and Cheese Seminars
Adventures in Varietals
Grapes into wine–experts show you how! Saturdays, 1:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m. in Wonders Retreat.

10/10 — Celebrating the Zinfandel Grape
10/24 — Celebrating the Pinot Noir Grape
11/7 — Celebrating the Cabernet Sauvignon Grape

Price: $80 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is not required.

Epcot Wine Schools
Wine experts teach you the basics of winemaking (along with some tasting!).
Select Weekend dates 1:00 — 4:00 p.m. at the Festival Welcome Center Retreat.

10/3 — Taste Wine Like a Master
10/17 — Wines from Monterey, California
10/24 — Exploring the Burgundy Varietal’s Chardonnay & Pinot Noir Around the World
11/8 — Wines from South Africa

Price: $125.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is not required.

Cheese Seminars
Learn the art of cheese making (and wine pairing).
Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. — 11:45 a.m. in the Festival Welcome Center

9/26 — Spain — Waldemar Albrecht–Luna
10/3 — France — Max McCalman
10/10 — Italy — Erin Hedley
10/17 — United Kingdom — Waldemar Albrecht–Luna
10/24 — United States — Max McCalman
10/31 — France — Waldemar Albrecht–Luna
11/7 — Italy — Max McCalman

Price: $75 per person, plus tax. Gratuity included. Theme park admission is required.

Heart Felt Sympathy

We would like to take the time to say how sorry we are for the loss of a Disney cast member, we wouldn't what to impose on the family by naming him - But we do want you to know you are in our thoughts - This includes ALL members of the Disney Family

Black Day for Disney World

At around 2am on Sunday July 5, Monorail Pink and Monorail Purple collided at the TTC. At this stage it appears that both monorails had been operating on the Epcot line. The driver of Monorail Purple was killed at the scene. Approximately 6 guests were on the monorail, and no guests were injured.

Disney have released the following statement.

"Today, we mourn the loss of our fellow cast member. Our hearts go out to his family and those who have lost a friend and coworker. The safety of our guests and cast members is always our top priority. The monorail is out of service and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement to determine what happened and the appropriate next steps."

Our thoughts are with the family of the driver at this time

The details of the Hong Kong Disneyland Expansion are starting to leak out.

The park which has been criticized for being too small will receive three new lands and approximately 30 new attractions with spacing remaining for possible additional expansion. The new lands will be "Grizzly Trail" (similar to Frontier Land), "Mystic Point" (a unique concept) and "Toy Story Land".

Expansion Map

Highlights of the expansion are below:

Grizzly Trail
Grizzly Gulch, Frontier Gold-Mining Town

The path along Grizzly Trail offers high-spirited frontier fun in an abandoned mining town called Grizzly Gulch, set amidst mountains and woods. The town was founded August 8, 1888 – the luckiest day of the luckiest month of the luckiest year – by prospectors looking to discover gold. Bears have now started causing havoc at the Big Grizzly Mountain Mining Company.

Key Technology and Creative Elements:

* Guests visiting Grizzly Gulch are part of the action, experiencing hands-on water features, massive geysers and various leaking structures in the abandoned town.
* Life-size Audio-Animatronic® bears set the story in motion on Big Grizzly Mountain Coaster, an adventure aboard a runaway mine train through town. Guests careen backward down an incline that propels them through twists and turns, before a launch sequence “blasts” the mine train out of the mountain.
* A Wild West stagecoach, an old time Jail House, and the world’s largest nugget of gold provide fun photo opportunities.
* Guests can relax with a Wild West refreshment at the old Saloon or shop for mining supplies and souvenirs at the Bear Necessities merchandise stand.

Mystic Point

Mystic Point is the site of mysterious forces and supernatural events in the heart of a dense, uncharted rain forest.

In Mystic Manor, home to an eccentric world traveler and adventurer and his collection of exotic international artifacts, strange things are afoot as an enchanted music box releases its magical powers, thanks to a mischievous monkey.

Key Technology and Creative Elements:

* Inside Mystic Manor, a trackless ride system enables vehicles to move “freely” about the attraction as the story unfolds. Audio-Animatronic® figures and special visual and audio effects help tell the story of mystical phenomena.
* Within Mystic Point lies a beautiful garden full of relics and mythological figures, where guests discover a hidden world of illusions and mysteries that trick the eye.
* Guests can dine at the Adventurer’s Club amid a vast collection of unusual artifacts from around the world or purchase exclusive curiosities and collectibles at the Archive Shop.

Toy Story Land
Disney·Pixar-themed Play Area for Kids of All Ages

Andy, the young boy from the Disney·Pixar Toy Story films, has left his toys unattended in this immersive and highly themed environment, based on one of Disney·Pixar’s most popular film series. While Andy is away, the toys come to life and play...and Guests are invited to join!

Key Technology and Creative Elements:

* Oversized outdoor rides and photo opportunities allow Guests to experience the different perceptions of scale, and shrink to the size of a toy.
* One attraction includes a shuttle coaster which propels Guests along a U-shaped style track.
* A drop-style parachute attraction lets Guests join a “training mission,” plunging from a 25m tall tower.
* Guests will enjoy fun, immersive and interactive environments with life-size toys.
* A themed food kiosk provides a barrel of fun snacks and refreshments and Guests can shop for Toy Story inspired collectibles at the merchandise location.

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