2023 DISNEY ON BROADWAY Dining Packages on Sale Dec. 13

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 9, 2022

 

The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts runs from January 13th to February 20th, 2023, and brings with it a dozen Broadway stars, performing the best of 25 years of Disney’s award-winning Broadway shows during the 2023 DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series.

Taking the stage this year will be Kara Lindsay (Newsies); Kevin Massey (Tarzan); Arielle Jacobs (Aladdin); Adam Jacobs (Aladdin); Patti Murin (Frozen); Robert Creighton (Frozen); Mandy Gonzalez (AIDA); L. Steven Taylor (The Lion King); Kissy Simmons (The Lion King); Josh Strickland (Tarzan); Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins); and Michael James Scott (Aladdin).

The free Broadway concerts take place at EPCOT’s America Gardens Theatre three times each evening (5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8 p.m.), and stand-by lines can get long before concerts featuring the most popular performers.  Seating is on a first-in-line, first-seated basis as capacity allows, so stand-by guests will line up far in advance of concert time to see the shows.  (Check here for the schedule of dates and performers.)

If you don’t want to wait in the stand-by line, however, you can guarantee yourself a seat by making reservations for a DISNEY ON BROADWAY Dining Package at a number of EPCOT restaurants.  Dining packages go on sale December 13, and can be booked beginning 60 days in advance of your EPCOT visit. Dining packages include an appetizer, entree, and dessert, or one full buffet, as well as a non-alcoholic drink. They also include a seating badge that provides you with a guaranteed seat per person at a designated concert that same day. Packages are available for both lunch and dinner seatings.

  
This year’s participating restaurants include:

 

• Akershus Royal Banquet (Norway Pavilion)

$74.00 adults; $48.00 children

 

• Biergarten Restaurant (Germany Pavilion)

$60.00 adults; $34.00 children

 

• Coral Reef Restaurant (The Living Seas)

$69.00 adults; $27.00 children

 

• Garden Grill Restaurant (The Land Pavilion)

$66.00 adults; $43.00 children

• Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canada Pavilion)

$95.00 adults; $36.00 children 

 

• Rose and Crown Dining Room (United Kingdom Pavilion)

$59.00 adults; $25.00 children

• Spice Road Table (Morocco Pavilion) 

$47.00 adults; $20.00 children

A limited number of same day dining packages may also be available at Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue in the American Adventure pavilion ($35.00).

In addition to the spectacular music from the Broadway concerts, guests at the Festival of the Arts will be able to meet working artists and purchase their creations; participate in painting enormous murals on EPCOT’s walls; watch chalk artists fashion mesmerizing sidewalk art; step into life-size recreations of famous paintings; and nibble on artistic and tasty specialty dishes at a variety of food booths.

To participate in either the Broadway concert series, or the Festival of the Arts at EPCOT, both a theme park reservation and valid theme park admission are required. EPCOT admission is not included in the price of the dining package.

 

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

 

Dining at the Coral Reef at EPCOT… Not Just for the Kids Anymore

 by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

April 11, 2022

 

With so many festivals going on at EPCOT these days, it seems like there are only a handful of days out of the year that there aren’t dozens of enticing food booths beckoning park guests from the crowded walkways of World Showcase.  That being the case, it’s been a rare evening in the last few years that we’ve dined at an actual EPCOT restaurant, rather than snacking our way around the lagoon. That’s a pity because the EPCOT restaurants are among the best at Disney World.

 

One of my husband’s favorite EPCOT restaurants has always been the Coral Reef, in the now renamed World Nature section of the park.  I, on the other hand, not being much of a seafood lover, have at least half a dozen other EPCOT restaurants that I would rather get dining reservations for.  When our kids were small (and there were fewer festivals in sight), we would book Coral Reef to provide entertainment for them, so we were able to get a few quiet minutes to eat our food while it was still hot.  A floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall aquarium big enough to hold 54 Olympic-sized swimming pools provides quite the visual babysitter.

 

On a recent night when we had a limited number of hours in the park, we decided to forego the festival food booths and hit up a sit-down restaurant instead. The Coral Reef Restaurant had an opening that fit our time frame, and off we went. And it turned out to be a much more enjoyable experience than I remembered from our long ago child-centric dinners.

For starters, we had a very engaging cast member serving at our table. Vern was not only an attentive waiter, but a well-informed “tour guide” who shared lots of knowledge about the more than 2,000 creatures making the aquarium their home.  He even knew each of their names!  And if I didn’t know better, I would have thought he had “Tina,” the black splotched ray, trained to come when he mentioned her name.  We were seated in the first row of tables along the massive viewing windows, and when Vern mentioned Tina, she came and parked herself on the bottom of the tank, mere inches from our seats.  Honestly, the panoramic view of the great reef sharks, tarpon, sea turtles, and unicorn fish was just as big of a draw for the evening as was our meal.

 

Our dinner began with standard issue small rolls and butter, but we also opted for the shrimp cocktail ($16.00). The large, sweet shrimp with a traditional cocktail sauce and a charred lemon, served on an adorable skewer stand, didn’t disappoint. The only problem?  The appetizer came out at the exact same time as our entrées. Since it was the last seating of the night, and many of the tables were already cleaned up, the kitchen staff was likely a little anxious to wrap up for the evening.

Our entrées were the seared Mahi Mahi ($32.00), and the seared salmon ($29.00).  The Mahi Mahi was served with jasmine rice, Caribbean shrimp salsa made with cute little teeny tiny shrimp, and a yummy coconut and cilantro-lime sauce.  The Mahi Mahi was tender, done perfectly, and the shrimp and sauce, with a small kick, were ideal accompaniments. 

The seared salmon got an excited response from our waiter, who raved about the corn risotto that was served with the salmon. And he was right. The risotto was creamy and full of flavor.  (I would encourage the chefs to add that risotto to the menu as its own entrée in the fall, especially for those of us looking for something less “seafood”!) The salmon was also plated with a mixed greens salad in a light citrus dressing, and the salmon itself was flaky and tender.  It wasn’t overcooked, just prepared to the perfect edge of doneness, with a slight, nicely seasoned crust on top.

 

Appetizers at the restaurant also include a lobster bisque ($12.00); smoked wild mushroom cioppino ($13.00); or a Caesar salad ($11.00).  Additional entrée choices include shrimp and grits ($32.00); oven roasted citrus-marinated half chicken ($28.00); grilled vegetable skewers with Impossible kefta ($24.00); or a 10 oz prime rib ($36.00).  We didn’t have room for dessert, but there were key lime tarts ($9.00); mixed berry mousse ($8.50); the chocolate wave, a warm flourless chocolate cake ($10.00); or a Baileys Almande and Jack Daniels mousse ($9.50) available. Assorted specialty and themed cocktails were also on the menu.

 

By the way, the pomegranate lemonade was quite refreshing.

More than 60 different species call this beautifully crafted coral reef habitat home.  Some days, diners may even be able to see scuba divers caring for the coral reef and its inhabitants. This is one of those restaurants that you will dine in as much for the ambiance (and learning opportunities) as for the meal.  Even if you are dining sans kiddos, this was a lovely evening out, with lots of credit to our cast member, Vern!

 

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

 

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Dining Packages for EPCOT Garden Rocks Concert Series Go On Sale January 19

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

January 17, 2022

 

The list of performers for the 2022 EPCOT Garden Rocks Concert Series at the America Gardens Theatre has been set, and there are a number of first-time appearances, as well as a plethora of returning bands. There may even be a few much-loved artists from your youth (ahem…). The Garden Rocks Concert Series takes place during the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival from March 2 to July 4, 2022.

 

If you want to guarantee yourself a great seat to hear your favorites, or even discover a new talent, you might want to consider booking a dining package for the evening.  Packages are available at four EPCOT restaurants, ranging from $57-$69 for adults.  Guests may begin booking reservations online starting January 19, 2022. 

 

While seating at the concert is free, the dining package guarantees you a first come-first served seat in the theatre.  Dining package guests enter through a separate queue than guests waiting for stand-by seats.  (You will also need EPCOT tickets and a park reservation for that day to attend the concert. EPCOT tickets are not included in your dining package price.) Seating is based on availability, due to limited capacity in the theatre.

 

Dining Packages are not offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, and are only available Friday to Monday.  Packages can be booked for either lunch or dinner, and each package includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert or one (1) full buffet (depending on the restaurant), along with a non-alcoholic beverage. After dining, guests will be given a concert badge that will admit them to one Garden Rocks concert performance on the same day. The date and time of the concert will be listed on your badge.

 

Dining Packages are available at:

	Adult (ages 10 and up)	Child (ages 3 to 9)
Biergarten Restaurant Germany Pavilion	$57.00	$32.00
Coral Reef Restaurant The Living Seas	$69.00	$22.00
Garden Grill Restaurant The Land Pavilion	$66.00	$43.00
Rose & Crown Dining Room United Kingdom Pavilion	$58.00	$22.00

 

 

Scheduled performers for 2022 include:

 

• The Guess Who (March 4 & 5)
• Rick Springfield (March 6 & 7)
• Melina León – NEW to Garden Rocks! (March 11 & 12)
• TBD (March 13 & 14)
• Mike DelGuidice, currently on tour with Billy Joel – NEW! (March 18 & 19)
• Kool & The Gang – NEW to Garden Rocks! (March 20 & 21)
• The Orchestra starring former members of ELO (March 25 to 28)
• The Spinners (April 1 & 2)
• The Pointer Sisters (April 3 & 4)
• Blue October – NEW to Garden Rocks! (April 8 & 9)
• TBD (April 10 & 11)
• TBD (April 15 & 16)
• Don Felder, formerly of The Eagles (April 17 & 18)
• STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas (April 22 & 23)
• Claudia Leitte – NEW! (April 24 & 25)
• Berlin (April 29 & 30)
• TobyMac (May 1 & 2)
• Blood, Sweat & Tears (May 6 & 7)
• The Commodores – NEW to Garden Rocks!  (May 8 & 9)
• Ambrosia with Peter Beckett – NEW! (May 13 & 14)
• TBD (May 15 & 16)
• A Flock of Seagulls (May 20 & 21)
• Collin Raye – NEW!  (May 22 & 23)
• Thelma Houston – NEW!  (May 27 & 28)
• Little River Band (May 29 & 30)
• Simple Plan (June 3 to 6)
• Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone (June 10 to 13)
• Plain White T’s (June 17 to 20)
• TBD (June 24 & 25)
• TBD (June 26 & 27)

 

Obviously, Disney still has a few holes to fill before March, so keep an eye out for concert updates. (Performers are also subject to change.)

 

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

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