Latest Disney News: 2024 Food & Wine Dates, Pixar Fest & MORE!

we've got dates for the 2024 epot International Food and Wine Festival Pixar Fest has begun over in California and a big change now affects the way you're going to pay for two very popular souvenir experiences in Hollywood Studios all latest theme park news is coming up right now here on dfb guide hey everybody it's AJ for Disney food blog we got no time to waste today let's talk about food and wine we have dates for the 2024 Food and Wine Festival y'all the time has come okay the 2024 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival will officially begin on August 29th I know right and run through November 23rd so that is fantastic it is starting a little later than we would have expected this is when the festival usually started back preco so pre 2020 period so they're kind of going back to the OG there which is interesting and sets us up with a lot of questions because what does that mean they've got like three months in the middle of summer that they're not going to have any food booths or they're not going to have any festivals that can't be right right they wouldn't give up that kind of income so are they going to have a new Festival I don't know anyway I'm just speculating this isn't part of the news I'm just speculating with all of you okay all right back to the news this year you're going to be able to explore food booths as always that capture the flavors of countries across six different continents now so far we know that Belgium Germany the Alps and Hawaii are all returning probably with very similar menus to what they've had for the past like 74 years now the eat to the beat concert series will be back as well bringing popular bands to the America Gardens theater the eat to the beat dining packages are also expected to return in 2024 though details have not yet been released subscribe to our newsletter so you get the latest updates once we get all that info and don't miss out on our incredible food and wine guide which includes food Booth details pictures maps and our top picks from the Fest these userfriendly guides are going to help you make the most of your budget your time and your appetite use code YouTube to get an exclusive discount you go check them out over at dfv store.com now this next little bit of news is super super fun Pixar Fest is happening now through August 4th at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure and each day there's some Pixar themed fun to be found at both parks we've been at a media event this week for Pixar Fest and it has been so much fun I didn't realize it would be that fun but the characters that they're bringing into the parks are so good oh my goodness you've got Luca and Alberto you've got Ember and Wade are there there it's just so good so I'm very very very very very happy that Pixar Fest is happening even though it seems like a small thing it's not it's really fun and it'll make your heart just very very happy anyway included in Pixar Fest we've got special parades Fireworks shows meet and greets food booths are coming and some of the characters we met included like I said some very rare appearances folks you don't ever see we've got barley and Ian from onward with their van gvir that is really cool so you definitely want to go and check out the list of characters that are going to be out and about when you are in Disneyland and DCA if you're going this summer because you're going to find some folks that you are definitely not going to get autographs from any other time oh and I forgot to mention one of my favorite ones is Doug from up and I know you can meet Doug in Disney World but this is talking Doug yeah he actually talks he has so many cute phrases and I love him anyway for full coverage on Pixar Fest head to our website at disneyfoodblog tocom one of epcot's opening day attractions has gotten an update living with the land has been part of the Epcot attraction roster since 1982 and has become beloved by many fans including yours truly as one of the few remaining vestages of opening day Epcot as the park of all we took a ride recently and we're impressed to see the ride had gotten some TLC the forest portion of the Dark Ride section features a really nice new lighting package that adds an Ambiance to the area that was lacking previously during the flower and garden festival which is currently running through May 27th decorations and floral arrangements from various Disney adopted fairy tales have been added to the lab portion too giving the ride a very Whimsical quality and we loved sort of spotting all the different story book elements you can find references to Snow White the Little Mermaid Alice and Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh this update especially the lighting package has refreshed a classic opening day upcut attraction reminding us why we love lwtl in the first place if you're heading to ECOT soon be sure to show this attraction some love Disney World annual passholders are going to get access to some exclusive photo pass offerings from May 1st to June 26th and for one of those perks you'll need to visit World celebration gardens near dreamers point in Epcot there a photo pass photographer is going to be standing by to take a special photo with with a special prop and an exclusive magic shot here's what's going to be available May 1st to May 30th a giant Mickey Mouse ice cream bar photo prop and a stitch magic shot that giant ice cream bar is very very cool June 1st to June 26th an oversized Mickey Mouse dut photo prop and Stitch magic shot and you're going to need to show your annual pass card your linked magic band or Disney Magic Mobile pass as well as a governmen issued photo ID to get these special photo ops your annual pass must also have the Disney photo pass downloads add-on option or you can purchase the Magic shot directly through the My Disney Experience app for an additional cost the Disney World fire department has had a name change the former REI Creek fire department will now be called the District Fire Department officials revealed the new logo design in January which received official approval on Wednesday April 24th now that the fire department has been renamed little branding remains of the former REI Creek improvement district during the April 24th meeting board members also voted to appoint a new District administrator who was desantis's legislative affairs director before working on his presidential campaign prior to that she served as Clay County manager and Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation we'll be keeping an eye out for any more changes coming up to the central Florida tourism oversight district and how it could impact your next trip to Disney World spikes pollination exploration is a super fun scavenger hunt in Epcot during the flower and garden festival to compete with your family and friends but just a heads up it has changed again but for the better the original prize for this scavenger hunt was that miniature cornhole set you remember there were four to choose from and we loved it however they got so popular that the park ran out and so the prize was changed well the prize then became a collectible orange bird magnet and it's cute but not nearly as cool as a mini cornhole so uh we were sad when they ran out but we have great news the many cornhole sets have finally returned to abcot we spotted them wrapped up in their bags at Port of Entry near the Skyliner and the scavenger hunt is $9.99 to purchase at World traveler or creation shop or Port of Entry or Disney Traders you can return your completed or incomplete map to any of these to get your prize or just pick up your cornhole set when you pay for the scavenger hunt in the first place Blue Ribbon corn dog certainly has our attention on the west coast where they are famous for their pickle corn dog and limited time dogs like a holiday version served with cranberry dipping sauce and now they're coming to the Disney World Boardwalk soon and this week we spotted a huge update signs are up on the stand there are even smaller Banner signs up advertising offerings like cotton candy and that Mexican street corn dog which is going to be an all the time offering in the Disney World version of this kiosk it's a limited time offering over in Disneyland now we don't have an opening date for this snack stand just yet but we expect to see those plants removed and the corn Dogs Frying soon fingers crossed if you've ever browsed the dining options in Disney's Hollywood Studios you probably scrolled right past mama melro resturante at taliano it's not a restaurant you'll easily spot as you're strolling the park but you'll find it if you're willing to wander toward the backside of Grand Avenue you might just be pleasantly surprised we knew Mama Mel roses was gaining a few new additions to their menu so we wanted to be some of the first to try them out tell you about it embrace yourself we got a lot of food let's start this whole review off with the appetizer we ordered the fried mozzarella sticks which cost $15 these crispy bites of cheesy goodness are served with marinara sauce and lemon aoli we were served five in our serving and they were served warm and crisp to the touch as we pulled them apart we were greeted by the smell of the mozzarella cheese and herbs that were mixed into the coating of the sticks the lemon aoli had a nice zesty yet creamy taste and was a different take to pair with the sticks aside from the standard marinara sauce we could easily see this as a sharable appetizer between two people or even a smaller family but $15 for five mozzarella sticks kind of steep we also ordered the new mushroom artichoke and cheese dip for $14 this appetizer was served with goat cheese tomatoes and toasted Christini our reporter who went to review this meal isn't a huge fan of mushrooms but said they would totally order this again the Christini are thin and buttery but super crisp with a nice audible crunch when you bite into them the dip itself is a bit salty almost Savory and you can really taste the artichoke and the Tomato in it so this is probably the better appetizer over those cheese sticks because cheese sticks are so kind of ubiquitous and you've had them before then it was time to start putting a dent in our entree selections we started with ratoni Banes this is ground beef Italian sausage and parmesan cheese and it cost $26 the sauce combination of meats and thin slices of Parmesan cheese work in harmony to bring this dish to life for 26 bucks it's a pretty large portion and the pasta was cooked to Perfection it's very tomatoey with a bit of low spice to it when you get bites with the Italian sausage this definitely set the bar for what was to come with the other Entre and very easily stole the whole show of the entire meal next up for us was the brazed pork asabuko this dish is made of creamy palenta roasted chiellini onions sweet peppers and lemon Gala with that pork asabuko for $30 the brazed pork was cooked very very tender and it peeled off the bone with one swipe of your fork we wouldn't have minded a few more spices added to the pork to give it a little more flavor though the sauce was thick and savory but we found that most of the main flavor of the dish came from the sauce and the palenta however if you're on the fence about whether this prici your dish would be enough to fill you up this dish is huge with minimal fat on the meat so we would recommend you plan to share this one with someone or order it with the expectation that you'll probably be taking some of it to go if we weren't already stuffed enough we still add one more entree to make it through we also ordered the new fetuccini Alfredo with shrimp for $32 $2 this dish is made of pasta cheese sauce and fresh basil with that fetuccini and of course the shrimp we were most excited to try this one for the fetuccini Alfredo alone and it didn't disappoint the sauce was very parmesan forward and we would have loved to have had a bit more of it on the pasta but there was plenty of shrimp to go around here the fresh basil was a nice touch but we could only taste it when we really searched for it in our bites of food we wrapped up our meal with a latest dessert selection to hit the menu the goat cheese mousse tart this tart comes topped with honeycomb and an edible flour and served the blackberries in a ciss compost for $10 it was so so creamy and we're still dreaming about it however to fully appreciate the flavor of this one you are going to have to like the taste of goat cheese if you've never had it before we would liken it to a sharper cheese flavor kind of like in a New York style cheesecake our tart wasn't served with the honeycomb because the restaurant didn't have them in just yet but instead they drizzled honey over the top of it in its place the honey served well enough to add to the rich sweet flavor and the fresh blackberries were just the right fruit to complement this treat at the end of our multi-course meal we were stuffed to say the very least we really enjoyed how fresh several of the new options were and we were able to speak to our server in depth about the new items and ask their opinions on them all right let's talk about what you need to know if you're heading to Disney World soon and I mean like in a few days soon we got some bad news about the weather in May it's going to start getting hot y'all but not just hot it's also going to get very humid which means you'll step outside and immediately start sweating so please come prepared and don't overexert yourself take bre breaks go watch an indoor show take a midday nap at your hotel if you have to please hydrate and listen to your body and take care of it you need to be aware things like cheerleading and dance competitions in Disney World why well cuz those competitions bring a lot of extra people to the parks and we expect a little Genie plus price hike too not much but if Disney knows the parks are going to be more crowded they're going to up the price a little bit also if you're staying at one of Disney's All-Star Resorts you might suddenly find yourself surrounded by dance teams who get up real early to practice their routines outside your hotel room these events are scheduled to take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports May 2nd through 5th and May 10th through 12th so be prepared for those next let's talk about Hollywood Studios vacation fun and original animated short with Mickey and Minnie has stopped showing times on the Disney World website as of April 29th the attraction is not showing hours for some time after that at least until May 25th so if you were planning on checking it out and getting some nice indoor AC you'll need to know that it will be closed during these dates now there could be a chance the opening date changes which often happens so you want to keep an eye on the Disney World website to see if and when that happens and this is just for a little bit of refurb I believe secondly May 1st is the 35th Anniversary for Hollywood Studios which we will talk about in just a second and May 4th is a big Star Wars holiday you know you know may the fource be with you May the 4th Etc If You're a Star Wars fan you understand so just in general expect bigger crowds in Hollywood Studios maybe a few extra Darth faders walking around on those two days if you don't really care about the anniversary or Star Wars day maybe go to a different Disney World Park on those two days or at least Park hop to Studios a little bit later in the day so we've got a new virtual queue in Disney World but it's for merchandise Disney's Hollywood Studios is one of our favorite Disney parks and is home to several beloved rides and attractions and of course snacks and Disney's getting ready to celebrate All Things Hollywood in honor of the Park's 35th Anniversary Disney shared that you can celebrate the park 35th by snagging some exclusive souvenirs there's a catch though you'll just need to join a virtual queue on May 1st can join the virtual queue starting at 7:00 a.m. eastern to hop in line to score this exclusive merchandise you don't have to be in the park when you request to join the queue but you'll shop in person at stage one company store which hasn't been open since before covid-19 anyway it was open for a Star Wars merch event in 2024 but hasn't been open as an actual store this is the gift shop that's near Mama melrose's available merchandise includes adult and youth apparel Collectibles even limited edition pins but from what I can see there isn't anything with mg M on it which I wish there was I feel like that's a missed opportunity but I guess they probably aren't allowed to use that anymore if you visited Star Wars Galaxy's Edge in Disney's Hollywood Studios you may have discovered that you can be a part of a custom lightsaber building experience at savi's Workshop or build your own Droid at Droid Depot we talk about it a lot here on the channel to do so you would make a reservation online before you arrive in the park you make that reservation with a credit card but your card would not be charged until you checked in for the experience well that's changed you will now have to to prepay for the experiences at both savi's workshop and Droid Depot when you make your reservation through the Disney World website or My Disney Experience app we spoke with a cast member at droy Depot who explained that if you choose to add any accessories during the experience you can pay for that at the time of your reservation the pre payment would just be for the build itself also you can only use annual passholder and Disney Vacation Club member discounts at these locations on accessories if you need to cancel your reservation you must do so at least 24 hours before your reservation if you don't you will forfeit that prepayment that you made the same also goes if you're an no-show if you do cancel your reservation at least 24 hours before your credit card will be refunded the amount you prepaid so that's the news we've got for you this week y'all if you want news in your inbox every single day from Disney we've got our Disney food blog newsletter that you can join totally free the link to sign up is in the description below thanks for listening everyone and thanks for watching as always this is AJ for Disney food blog and we'll see you real soon [Music]

Channel: DFBGuide

Views: 74,578

Keywords: disneyfood, disney, disney world, disneyland, disneyvideo, disneyvacation, food, disney parks, disney travel, disney tips, disney guides, disney planning, disney trip, disney how to, disney vlog, disney vlogger

Id: c01wFeqsKYQ

Length: 16min 3sec (963 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 27 2024