La Crêperie de Paris Offers More Casual French Cuisine at EPCOT

 by Beth Keating

Disney, France & the Olympics

August 4, 2024

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With the summer Olympics upon us, maybe you are celebrating the spirit of international competition, and getting a peek at the City of Light has inspired you to think about dining on French cuisine.  If you find yourself in Florida instead of France, you have your pick of three different table service eateries and three other counter service gems to nosh your way through EPCOT’s miniaturized version of Paris.

Disney’s three table service locations showcase the cuisine of chef Jérôme Bocuse, son of the famed restauranteur/chef Paul Bocuse, who brought fine French dining to EPCOT from his homebase in France.  Chefs de France is the glass-fronted cafe-style location facing the EPCOT promenade (see our recent review), and Monsieur Paul is the elegant second floor signature dining spot formerly known as Bistro de Paris.  “Monsieur Paul” was actually chef Paul Bocuse’s nickname - he’s also rumored to have been the inspiration for Chef Gusteau in the Disney animated film Ratatouille. Fitting that his restaurants are just steps from Remy’s ride!  The third restaurant, La Crêperie de Paris, is more casual fare, and one of the newest additions to the France pavilion. Tucked away in the back of the pavilion near Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, La Crêperie serves – yes, you guessed it – a variety of crêpes...

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The French Origin of Disney’s Fairy Tale Films

 by Beth Keating

Disney, France & the Olympics

July 31, 2024

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With the Summer Olympics in full swing in Paris, France, we started talking the other evening of the French origin of many of Disney’s films, particularly some of their animated classics. Actually, the conversation began with Disney’s use of IP, rather than original stories for their movies and rides, and the acknowledgement that from the very early days, Disney wasn’t shy about “repurposing” ideas from other places.  But I digress…

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Is It A Breakfast Stop? Or an After-Dinner Treat?

 by Beth Keating

Disney, France & the Olympics

July 29, 2024

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In the early days of visiting EPCOT, when we’d rope drop with the kids to get to the best rides before everyone else, we’d hit up a ride or two, and then grab breakfast, just as the bigger crowds were streaming into the park.  Usually it was grab-and-go at a quick-serve location, so we could get back to it.  If we were at EPCOT, that sometimes meant Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in the France Pavilion...

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Two Very Different Shows Take Place in EPCOT’s France Pavilion

 by Beth Keating

Disney, France & the Olympics

July 27, 2024

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Athletes from all over the world have touched down in Paris, France, for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Our family has always invested [inordinate] amounts of time watching the Olympics, and while some of us typically prefer the Winter Games to the summer ones, cheering for our favorite athletes is nonetheless a fun time.  We have, in the past, even set up snacks and meals to match the country hosting the challenges, and have a giant Olympic flag (which we actually purchased in Lake Placid, host to the 1980 games) that graced the living room when the kids were younger.

In the warm-up leading to the Olympics, we headed to the France Pavilion in EPCOT, since an actual trip to France wasn’t in the cards.  We wanted to see the Impressions de France film that has been at the pavilion forever, giving ourselves a preview of the country hosting the athletes.  We hadn’t seen the short movie in a while, and we were surprised to learn that it is now one of two films showing in the theater...

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Disney Food Review: Fatburger for Lower Cost Dinner Near Disney World

 by Beth Keating

Review

July 25, 2024

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We all know how pricey a dinner at Disney can be, especially if you’re toting a passel of young Jedi along with you (who may, or may not, eat the entrée anyway).  While there are all sorts of “cheats” to try to lower those costs, some folks choose to eat offsite before or after they hit up the parks to keep costs in check.  If you are staying offsite, renting a local Air BnB, and/or have access to a car, there are loads of options within a stone’s throw of Disney that can satisfy for a less expensive meal.

One of the newest additions to the neighborhood is California-based Fatburger, and if you are looking for a quick dinner offsite, but still want something you can’t get at home, you might want to pay the nearby Fatburger a visit...

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DOLE Whip Day Comes to Disney World This Week

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 17, 2024

 

If DOLE Whip Day isn’t a national holiday, maybe it should be – and I’m NOT including the fake hard-frozen DOLE Whip desserts you can get in your supermarket freezer.  Those just aren’t real DOLE Whip.

Thursday, July 18, marks the fourth annual celebration, which apparently takes place the third Thursday of July each year (who knew?), and this year the dessert-fest runs through July 21. Disney Parks Blog has released a rather extensive Foodie Guide for the DOLE Whip, and it includes the location not only of all the existing offerings, but of a few new treats for this year’s commemoration.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Back in the early days of our vacationing at Disney World, you could only get one flavor of DOLE Whip (pineapple), and it was only available at one location (Aloha Aisle) in the Adventureland section of Magic Kingdom.  So important to our Disney vacations was it that I actually used to carve out space for DOLE Whips in my printed-paper-spreadsheets of our visit for the day, just to make sure we didn’t accidentally miss it.  (Those were the days before phone apps kept track of all these things for you!).

 
Fast forward a few decades, and DOLE Whips have multiplied across the Disney-sphere, with myriad flavors and locations. (We are kind of partial to the coconut flavor as well.). There’s even a newer cherry flavor mixing it up with a pineapple swirl in the far corner of EPCOT at Refreshment Outpost.  We tried it, and found the strong cherry-flavored portion a touch “artificial” tasting, but the pineapple smoothed it out enough that it was a cool and welcoming treat in the middle of a sweltering Florida evening. The cherry was definitely the dominant flavor, though, so if you like cherry, this is the choice for you.  If not, maybe stick with the OG whip.

These days, instead of just a cone or a cup, your DOLE Whip can be served as a more artistic novelty, with colored cones, real flowers, chocolate medallions and embellishments, and cute names like The Lost Princess Cone or the Tropical Serenade. The I Lava You Float, the Orange Bird Float, and the Bathtub Float add in your favorite sodas for the thirst-quenching ride (and yup, it’s actually served in a plastic bathtub dish!)  There are now some DOLE Whip concoctions available in certain table-service restaurants, and you can get your DOLE Whip in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of some creations. A few confectionary counters even have adorable  “DOLE Whip” cupcakes on the menu.

However you prefer your DOLE Whip (and did you really go to Disney if you didn’t get one?), here is the Foodie Guide for DOLE Whip Day 2024 for the Disney World Resort in Florida. If you find yourself in Disneyland instead, Disney Parks Blog has a section in the Dole Whip Foodie Guide for the west coast, too, as well as for those of you sailing the high seas on the Disney Cruise Line. Just imagine yourself watching the sunset over the ocean while spooning up a scoop of frozen heaven...

Walt Disney World Resort  

Magic Kingdom Park 

Aloha Isle Refreshments (Currently available)  

• DOLE Whip 

• DOLE Whip Float: DOLE Pineapple Juice served with a choice of DOLE Whip, vanilla soft-serve, or swirl (Non-alcoholic) 

• Pineapple Upside-Down Cake served with choice of DOLE Whip, vanilla soft-serve, or swirl  

• DOLE Whip Raspberry Swirl  

• DOLE Whip Raspberry Swirl Float (Non-alcoholic)  

Sunshine Tree Terrace (Currently available, mobile order available)  

• DOLE Whip Orange (Available with vanilla soft-serve swirl)  

• DOLE Whip Strawberry 

• I Lava You Float: Fanta Strawberry and passion fruit flavor served with DOLE Whip orange and topped with popping candy 

• DOLE Whip Float: DOLE Whip or vanilla soft-serve with your choice of assorted beverages (Non-alcoholic)  

Jungle Skipper Navigation Co LTD Skipper Canteen (Currently available)  

• Enchanted Orange Dream: DOLE Whip Orange blended with vanilla soft-serve and served with an orange candy rim (Non-alcoholic)  

Storybook Treats (Currently available)   

• Rapunzel Sundae: Shortcake with DOLE Whip lemon and wild berry soft-serve topped with berry compote and sugar flowers  

• Aurora Cone: DOLE Whip strawberry and blue soft-serve topped with white chocolate crisp pearls in a sugar cone

  

EPCOT 

Refreshment Outpost  

• DOLE Whip (Currently available)  

• DOLE Whip Cherry-Pineapple Swirl (New) (Available July 14 through 21)  

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park  

Tamu Tamu Refreshments (Currently available)  

• DOLE Whip  

• DOLE Whip Float: DOLE Pineapple Juice topped with DOLE Whip (Non-alcoholic) 

• DOLE Whip Pineapple-Orange Soda Float: DOLE Whip with Fanta Orange and strawberry syrup (Non-alcoholic)  

• DOLE Whip with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum  

• DOLE Whip Float: DOLE Whip Pineapple Juice and Parrot Bay Coconut Rum topped with DOLE Whip 

• DOLE Whip Pineapple Hard Cider Float served with ACE Pineapple Hard Cider  

Trilo-Bites (Available now through Sep. 9)   

• Zazu DOLE Whip Lime and Coconut Float: DOLE Whip Lime swirled into Sprite with coconut and blue curaçao syrup and topped with a white chocolate medallion  

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Disney Resorts Collection 

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort  

Pineapple Lanai (Currently available) 

• DOLE Whip: DOLE Whip, vanilla soft-serve, or swirl  

• Pineapple Float: DOLE Pineapple juice served with choice of DOLE Whip, vanilla, or swirl (Non-alcoholic)   

• DOLE Whip with Rum Floater: DOLE Whip with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum 

Barefoot Pool Bar and Oasis Bar & Grill (Currently available)  

• Frozen Margarita with DOLE Whip Lime: Corazón Blanco Tequila blended with DOLE Whip lime and chili-lime seasoning 

• Frosty Pineapple: DOLE Whip with Captain Morgan Private Stock Rum 

Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto (Currently available)  

• Spikey Pineapple: Cruzan Mango Rum blended with DOLE Whip 

Capt. Cook’s (Currently available; mobile order available)  

• Pineapple Cupcake: Vanilla cupcake, DOLE Whip pineapple cheesecake, and pineapple buttercream with white chocolate décor

 
Disney’s BoardWalk  

BoardWalk Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas (Currently available)  

• DOLE Whip Smoothie (Non-alcoholic)  

• Captain’s Seaside Sensation with DOLE Whip

 
Disney’s Contemporary Resort  

Contempo Café (Currently available; mobile order available)  

• DOLE Whip Cupcake: Yellow cupcake filled with DOLE Whip pineapple mousse garnished with a cherry 

Disney Springs  

Swirls on the Water  

• DOLE Whip (Currently available)  

• DOLE Whip Sampler: DOLE Whip swirled with vanilla soft-serve garnished with a pineapple wedge, DOLE Whip Strawberry swirled with coconut soft-serve topped with strawberry sauce and coconut flakes, and DOLE Whip Mango swirled with DOLE Whip Lime topped with chili-lime seasoning and diced mango (Currently available)  

• Key Lime Sundae: DOLE Whip Lime in a waffle bowl topped with whipped cream and a lime garnish (New) (Available through Aug. 11)  

• Orange Bird Cone: DOLE Whip Orange in an orange cone with sprinkles and a chocolate piece (New) (Available through Aug. 11) 

• Orange Bird Float: DOLE Whip Orange and watermelon swirl with Fanta Orange in a souvenir cup (Non-alcoholic) (New) (Available through Aug. 11) 

Wine Bar George (Currently available)  

• Frozen Old Fashioned made with DOLE Whip Orange  

• Frozcato made with DOLE Whip  

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park  

Snack Shack (Currently available) 

• DOLE Whip Soft-serve in a Cone: DOLE Whip, DOLE Whip Strawberry, green matcha tea soft-serve, or vanilla soft-serve served in a cone  

• DOLE Whip Soft-serve in a Cup: DOLE Whip, DOLE Whip Strawberry, green matcha tea soft-serve, or vanilla soft-serve served in a cup 

• DOLE Whip Bathtub Sundae: DOLE Whip Pineapple, DOLE Whip Strawberry, and green matcha tea soft-serve 

• Bathtub Float: DOLE Whip, DOLE Whip Strawberry, and green matcha soft serve served with Sprite, liquid blueberry candy, whipped cream, popping boba, and cherries (Available exclusively at Disney H20 Glow After Hours at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon)  

• DOLE Whip Strawberry and Green Matcha Soft-serve Swirl Cone (Available exclusively at Disney H20 Glow After Hours at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon)  

Leaning Palms (Currently available) 

• DOLE Whip Floats: DOLE Whip or DOLE Whip Orange with Fanta Orange or DOLE Pineapple Juice 

 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. More information at

https://raykeatingbooksandmore.com/shop/ols/products/disneyplanner.  A PDF version is available here.  And please listen to the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast. 

 

Culinary Series Underway At Disney Springs

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 11, 2024

 

Until August 11, 2024, Disney Springs is playing host to “Flavors of Florida,” with dozens of dishes and beverages at the Disney Springs restaurants and kiosks saluting some of the best local flavors the area has to offer – from seafood and citrus, to Key Lime creations, twists on Cuban sandwiches, and unique desserts.

To accompany the menu selections, Disney Springs is also offering a Culinary Series hosted by Kroger Delivery, where guests can attend free demonstrations from a variety of Disney chefs, highlighting some of the plates you can order during “Flavors of Florida” at the Disney Springs restaurants.

All the demonstrations take place at Waterview Park (near The BOATHOUSE), and pre-registration is required.  Registration will be available via the Disney Springs Instagram page.

There are five demo days remaining in this summer’s series.

• From Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill

 

Chef Mike Tiva, who has more than 19 years of experience with the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group to Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Disney Springs, will be cooking up Mushroom Gnocchi, a ricotta gnocchi topped with roasted Fungi Jon mushrooms, balsamic glazed shallots, wild arugula and shaved pecorino cheese. 

   

Date: July 12, 2024, at 9:30 AM

• From eet by Maneet Chauhan

 

Celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan will be demonstrating Sloppy Joe Rock Shrimp, a Florida rock shrimp seasoned with ginger, garlic and cilantro, served with kachumber salad.

  
You may already know Maneet Chauhan as an award-winning chef, author, and television personality, including from Food Network’s Chopped and Iron Chef.  She is the first-ever two-time champ of Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions (2021 and 2024).  The new “eet by Maneet Chauhan” opened at Disney Springs in the fall of 2023. 

 

Date: July 19, 2024, at 9:30 AM

• From the Disney Springs Culinary team

 

Chef Georg Paulussen will be making two menu items featuring the new Sunshine Stroll Orange Pilsner that will be available during “Flavors of Florida” at a number of Springs locations. This locally brewed orange pilsner is a Disney Springs exclusive item, and comes with a “hint of citrus.”

Chef Paulussen will be demonstrating an Orange Pilsner Goat Cheese Dip, a goat cheese whipped with beer and peppadew peppers; and the St. Augustine Pepper Frites, crispy pork with datil pepper sauce, complemented by beer cheese sauce, Florida hearts of palm and chayote squash.

Chef Paulussen has been featured in documentaries on the Discovery and Travel channels, and serves as a regional executive chef at Walt Disney World Resort.

 
Date: July 26, 2024, at 9:30 AM

• From Summer House on the Lake

 

Executive Chef Josh Williams will be teaching guests how to make Key West Shrimp Tostones, a dish with Key West shrimp with tostones, chile verde, Florida citrus salsa and black beans.

 
Date: August 2, 2024, at 9:30 AM

• From The BOATHOUSE

 

The BOATHOUSE’S Executive Chef, Tampa born Bradley Warner, will be demonstrating Roasted Golden Tilefish, paired with coconut ginger rice, topped with citrus escabeche and served with a cilantro aïoli.

 
Date: August 9, 2024, at 9:30 AM

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. More information at

https://raykeatingbooksandmore.com/shop/ols/products/disneyplanner.  A PDF version is available here.  And please listen to the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast. 

Disney Cruise Line To Offer New Japan-Based Ship

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 9, 2024

 

Disney Cruise Line has been a very busy arm of the Disney company of late, between launching new ships and opening a new private island - Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point - for cruisers to the Bahamas.  Today (July 9), Disney Cruise Line announced a partnership with Japan’s Oriental Land Co., Ltd. for a new Japan-based ship that will offer year-round service from Tokyo.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

This ship will be in addition to the Disney Adventure, the Singapore-based ship which is expected to set sail in 2025.

Oriental Land Company (OLC) is also the owner/operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, so they, too, have had a busy run, with the new Fantasy Springs port opening at Tokyo DisneySea in the past few weeks, with new Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan areas for guests.  In Disney fan circles, Tokyo Disney is often considered the dream trip, because of the high quality and state-of-the-art inventiveness of the Tokyo rides and attractions.  (Plus, we really are jealous of their much-coveted merchandise…)

The yet-to-be-named ship will be the ninth vessel in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, and is anticipating its maiden voyage in early 2029.  OLC will be responsible for the construction of the ship, and will operate the vessel under a licensing agreement with Disney.  (The Tokyo Disneyland park agreement works much the same way, with OLC maintaining ownership of the resort.)  Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983, and its sister park, Tokyo DisneySea, opened in 2001.

“I am sincerely proud that Disney and Oriental Land will be able to work together to create a world-class cruise business in Japan,” said Yumiko Takano, representative director, chairperson and CEO, Oriental Land, in a press release today.  “Oriental Land will use their knowhow from the theme park business to continue pushing boundaries and provide family entertainment cruise experiences filled with inspiration and surprise.”

The new Japan-based ship will be the fourth DCL ship in the “Wish Class”, with about 1,250 staterooms; a 4,000-guest capacity; and 1,500 crew members.  It will be constructed at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany (where other recent Disney ships have also been born). The 140,000 gross tons ship will be powered by liquified natural gas.

Disney Cruise Line is currently sailing the Disney Magic; the Disney Wonder; the Disney Dream; the Disney Fantasy; and the Disney Wish; with the Disney Treasure hitting the high seas in December 2024.  The Disney Destiny is still to launch, with expected delivery in 2025.

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. More information at

https://raykeatingbooksandmore.com/shop/ols/products/disneyplanner.  A PDF version is available here.  And please listen to the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast. 

Limited Time Dining Discounts at Three Disney Springs Restaurants

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 8, 2024

 

Florida residents heading to Disney Springs this summer have a choice of two different restaurants providing Florida resident dining discounts.  Paddlefish and Terralina Crafted Italian are offering discounts to draw in the locals for a meal at the Springs, while Morimoto Asia is posting a lunchtime discount for Annual Passholders.  If you are heading over for the new Disney Springs drone show, consider this a chance to try a restaurant that may still be on your “haven’t been there yet” list.

Courtesy of the Paddlefish website

At Paddlefish, you can enjoy a 25% Summer discount on food and non-alcoholic beverages at lunch or dinner until the end of August.  Paddlefish is the restaurant in The Landing section of Disney Springs that is located onboard the iconic docked steamboat, with spectacular 360 degree views of the waterfront of Lake Buena Vista.  The heavily seafood-themed menu is served along with rooftop dining that also provides live entertainment some evenings.

At Terralina Crafted Italian, also in The Landing area of Disney Springs just a stone’s throw from Paddlefish, a 25% Summer discount on food and non-alcoholic beverages for Florida residents is available all summer long. Wood burning ovens bake up hand-tossed pizzas among the other Italian dishes at this location, where there are also some waterfront views and an outdoor veranda bar for dining.

You’ll have to show proof of residency to get the discounts at both restaurants.

Courtesy of Morimoto Asia website

Meanwhile, Morimoto Asia is sending up a 20% discount on food and beverage offerings during weekday lunch service, Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. until September 1, for Annual Passholders.  The inventive Pan-Asian menu at this popular dining spot was designed by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, and reservations are sometimes difficult to get at this celebrity-chef’s dining room. The two-story restaurant is visually impressive, with an exhibition kitchen, soaring ceilings, and 20 foot chandeliers.  Morimoto’s is also located in The Landing section of Disney Springs.

And as a friendly public service announcement for this summer, leave yourself plenty of extra time to get to your dining reservations – parking has been particularly challenging with the crowds flocking to Disney Springs each evening for the new “Disney Dreams That Soar” drone show, which is scheduled to run through September 2.  (Parking garages have been full on a number of evenings, and traffic tie-ups have been frequent on the roads leading to the Springs – give yourself plenty of wiggle room!)

  
The 800 unit state-of-the-art drone show typically takes place at 9:00 and 10:45 p.m. most nights, weather permitting. Check the showtime calendar for performance times if you plan on attending.  While the show is only ten minutes or so long, the 400 foot tall pictures in the sky are impressive, and crowds are loving this one-of-a-kind show.  The entrance to the waterfront viewing area is located behind the House of Blues on the West Side at Disney Springs.

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. More information at

https://raykeatingbooksandmore.com/shop/ols/products/disneyplanner.  A PDF version is available here.  And please listen to the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast. 

Bonsai at EPCOT Continues to Intrigue

 by Beth Keating

Theme Park Life

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 2, 2024

 

For many, many years, our youngest son has been intrigued by bonsai trees.  Maybe it was the steady diet of Japanese anime and Pokémon as a small child that influenced his fascination with the miniature works of art.  It surely wasn’t a love of gardening, because he had no use for poking around the vegetable garden with me, pulling weeds or deadheading flowers.  But every year at the EPCOT festivals, he would peruse the marketplace booths at length, deciding which tiny tree he wanted to bring home.  

Alas, no amount of begging was going to help.  Back then we were flying home, and there was no way of getting those little treasures onto a plane.

Fast forward to today, and the little boy fascinated by bonsai trees is now grown up, and doesn’t need my permission to buy things anymore, nor is he flying home on a plane.  On a recent shopping trip at the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Japan pavilion, he came across a kit that allows you to grow your own bonsai tree from seeds.  Did he buy it?  Yes, yes, he did.  And there is now a small gardening dish on our windowsill with a hopefully soon-to-emerge miniature tree that needs daily tending. 

The kit was $15.95, and came with the seeds, special bonsai potting soil, a cute little growing container to start your seeds, pebbles, and an instruction booklet. The set comes in your choice of Black Pine, Red Maple, Dwarf Juniper, or Miniature Elm.  Sonny boy selected the Miniature Elm.  The kit comes with multiple seeds, which, down the road a bit, will be sorted out once they reach a certain size to allow the extra seeds to be transplanted into their own pots, with the healthiest single sprout remaining in its original pot to begin its horticultural journey.

Bonsai, for those whose talents don’t bend toward gardening and nature, is an ancient Japanese art that cultivates trees with enormous patience and care, training the tree into miniature forms that not only mimic their full grown cousins, but also reflect Japanese concepts, such as balance and harmony.  Because it takes so long to grow these specimens, the trees are often prized possessions that are passed down from generation to generation in a family.  These are slow-growing plants that take time to reach their final forms, and enormous fortitude to painstakingly train the tiny leaves and needles over the decades!

If you aren’t visually familiar with bonsai, the Japan Pavilion is filled with stellar examples of the artform during the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival each year, thanks to the Bonsai Societies of Florida.  Several dozen small trees are displayed throughout the Japan Pavilion, both along the waterfront, and along the koi ponds on the terraced area.  Next to each plant is a small sign, crediting the patient gardener who cultivated and presented the specific tree, and listing the type of cultivar, the age of the plant, and how long the plant had been “in training.”  (Many trees were in the 20 year old range or more!)

It requires much serenity to grow these delicate masterpieces, and if you are looking for some serenity yourself in the midst of a crowded festival day, the Japan pavilion offers a chance for a little peace and quiet.  At the risk of giving away one of our favorite hideaways, there are shaded tables at the top of the Japan terraces, and you’ll be looking out over the ponds while you rest up.  Along the way, you’ll pass these amazing bonsai creations, but only during the Flower & Garden Festival. They are, after all, on loan for a limited time.

Here are just a few of the gifted gardeners who brought their trees to this year’s Flower & Garden festival, and what they were working with:

• Reggie Perdue, with an Informal Upright style Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), tree in training 20 years. 

 

• Joshua Brown, with a Hollow Trunk style Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia), tree in training 20 years. 

 

• John King, with an Informal Upright style Dwarf Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria ‘Schilling’s Dwarf’), tree in training 18 years. 

 

• Robert Kempinski, with a Raft style Headache Tree (Premna obtusifolia), tree in training 16 years. 

 

• Mike Blom, with a Cascade style Brazilian Rain Tree (Pithecellobium tortum), tree in training 11 years; and a Slant style Water Jasmine (Wrightia religiosa), tree in training 10 years.

 

• Jesus A. Brito, with a Slant style Bottlebrush Tree (Callistemon), tree in training 7 years. 

 

Kudos to these gardeners, and thanks for sharing your skill with the guests of the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival.  Just hope my son’s bonsai seeds can go that distance!  Wish him sunny days, and much perseverance.

 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. More information at

https://raykeatingbooksandmore.com/shop/ols/products/disneyplanner.  A PDF version is available here.  And please listen to the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast. 

Pizza is Back!

 by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 1, 2024

 

My family thinks it’s ridiculous that every time I pass the Italy pavilion at EPCOT, I check to see if the pizza window at Pizza al Taglio, next to Via Napoli, is open.

“Why,” you may ask, “with all the upscale and unique foods in EPCOT, are you looking for a paper plate of pizza-window pizza?”

Because the thick squares of pizza there remind me of the Sicilian-style pan pizzas back home in New York, and I haven’t yet found adequate substitute pizza here in Florida to replace my old favorites.  Pizza Ponte in Disney Springs comes the closest, but it’s a little far to go when I just want a slice for lunch!

Pizza al Taglio isn’t open often.  In fact, I’ve never actually seen it open during any of the festivals.  I suppose that with the plethora of food booths ringing the World Showcase, it just doesn’t pay for Disney to open the window while all the other goodies and seasonal specialties are available.

  
But this summer, with a nearly three month downtime between festivals, the pizza window has been open twice while I’ve been at EPCOT!  So regardless of what else we are eating for the trip, I’ve acquired a square for myself, even if the rest of the family is rolling their eyes at me.

For those of you who have been to Via Napoli before, the Pizza al Taglio portions are not the same artisanal pizza slices coming out of Via Napoli’s sculpted giant wood-burning pizza ovens (named after the 3 active volcanoes in Italy—Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli), despite the proximity to sharing a wall.  Via Napoli has fancy (but very delicious!) pies, with prosciutto, cantaloupe and lots of other toppings available to jazz them up.  Via Napoli imports their flour from Southern Italy, and sources their water for the dough from a spring with similar components to that of Italy's Campania region.  On the other hand, the Pizza al Taglio slices are just your average, utilitarian, feed-the-family quick slices, ridiculously simple, but tasty all the same.

So, here’s the very short food review: Pizza al Taglio serves both pepperoni slices ($9.00) and Margherita slices  ($8.50).  You can also grab some Tiramisu ($8.00), or some wine or beer to accompany your slice.  The square slice itself is pretty large, covering the whole plate, and the dough is not heavily sauced.  The tomato-based sauce is not a particularly sweet sauce, but neither is it overtly acidic.  There’s a perfect amount of melty cheese capped on top, thick and stretchy. The bottom of the slice is lightly crisped, but the inner dough is light, pillowy, and about an inch thick.  Air bubbles along the crust sides remind me of Friday night pizza night back home!  The pepperoni slices also had the really good pepperoni on them - you know the kind – the pepperoni that curls up around the edges and forms a little cup to catch the oils and bring lots of spicy flavor to the pizza.

Alas, I know that the days of grabbing a slice from this window are limited, and that once the festivals return, the Italy pavilion won’t need this grab-and-go anymore – at least until the high-traffic holiday weeks when the crowds swell a little more. When that happens, I’ll go back to checking for an open window.

 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

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