EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Offers Months of Interesting Dining

 by Beth Keating and Ray Keating

(Photos by Jonathan Keating)

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 23, 2023

 

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is one of Disney’s longest festivals, with the greatest number of food booths. There are nearly three dozen booths to choose from this year, with some new ones opening on September 22. Multiply that by 3 or 4 dishes per booth, and you have… a lot of food to try! But we’re up to the challenge. 

That being said, it does take more than one visit to get the most out of all these dining opportunities. No matter how much training one might have in eating large amounts of food around the Disney parks and resorts, it’s just too much food to enjoy in one day.  

Because we’re big Muppet fans, we had to head to the Odyssey building first to hit up the Brew-Wing Lab at the Odyssey, home during this festival to the Muppets Lab hosted by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his erstwhile assistant Beaker.  (Thank you, Disney, for giving us more Muppets!)

The combination of Florida heat and humidity, and a long day meant that we opted not to try the Muppets’ “Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings with Cool Cucumber Yogurt,” as we heard that they are, well, unnecessarily spicy. The expected heat of the wings just didn’t seem ideal with the heat of the day. So, those wings will wait for another day. 

However, we did pick the “Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Wings” and the “Garlic-Parmesan Wings.”  The PB&J wings were … well … a bit weird, at first. It was a little disconcerting at first bite, with the overwhelming flavor being that of the warm peanut butter rather than chicken.   There were six nice-sized wings in the order, and the flavor did grow on us after getting past the initially unexpected taste. We eventually decided that the PB&J wings were good… we think.

The Garlic-Parmesan wings, on the other hand, were excellent.  They, too, had a set of six, and struck a just-right balance between the garlic and the parmesan.  They weren’t too garlicky, and the creamy coating brought solid parmesan flavor to the wings.

Again, since it was a blazing hot day in Florida (more than the usual Florida sunshine), we also ordered up a cold drink to go with our wings – and no, we didn’t go for the non-alcoholic pickle milkshake that everyone else seemed to be buzzing about. We’d heard from a few guests that it tasted a bit like a McDonald’s shamrock shake, and since none of the day’s diners were overly fond of that springtime cult favorite, we chose the non-alcoholic “Frozen Fusion” instead.  Made with Twinings Pomegranate and Raspberry Herbal Tea, the drink is also fused with orange ice cream “molecules.”  It was perfect for a 100°plus day.  Strong pomegranate and raspberry flavors were frosty and thick, and the orange “molecules” on top were tasty little surprises.

Since we were already on the left side of the World Showcase after leaving the Odyssey, we headed next to the China Pavilion, always one of our favorites during a festival because we like to grab a bubble tea on our journey.  Today, though, we chose the new “Crispy Duck Bao Bun with Hoisin Sauce.” It was a good combination flavor-wise, but the first bite of duck was a bit chewier than expected.  Perhaps the bun had been too close to the heat lamps. Later bites were not as chewy.  The bao bun itself was nicely “pillow-y,” fluffy and light.  The accompanying sauce was sweet, adding to an overall enjoyable dish.

We had sorted through the Global Marketplace menus at home to try to narrow down our food hunt before we arrived, and were especially looking forward to the Australia booth for some out of the ordinary samples.  Unfortunately, our main reason for coming to this booth, the “Roasted Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies,” was uneven.  We weren’t crazy about the seasoning on the lamb, and the meat wasn’t nearly as tender as it should have been.  On the other hand, the “Sweet-and-Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with Pepper, Onion, Snap Peas and Sweet Chili Sauce” was delicious.  Definitely both sweet and spicy (as advertised!), and though the shrimp were just average-sized, the dish was a standout.

Next up was the Japan booth, where we again sampled a delightful bun.  The returning  “Teriyaki Chicken Bun” was a sizeable treat, with a pillow-soft steamed bun filled with a sweet chicken and vegetable combination.  Our second choice at this booth was the new offering, the “Fire Taiko Roll,” a sushi roll with spicy tuna in a spicy sauce. And it was indeed spicy, at least by Disney-spice standards, but not unbearably so.  The sushi was fresh, and you could taste the cucumber, pickled Daikon radish and tuna as separate, crisp flavors.  

We had intended to try a few more dishes on this particular evening, but the outdoor heat was so overwhelming that we just weren’t hungry enough to stuff ourselves.  We made a final stop at the Ireland booth for an icy cold and very welcome “Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale.”  The light brew was cool and creamy, and made walking around the park a bit more tolerable.

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival runs through November 18, 2023, and yes, we’ll be back … numerous times. After all, this is our kind of challenge.

 

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

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are their own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right? 

 

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Stay Calm & Enjoy The Muppets

 by Chris Lucas

Guest Column

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 22, 2021

 

Already this morning, two reporters have contacted me for a comment on this non-story about Disney and The Muppets (a franchise they’ve owned since 2004.)

 

Despite the click bait headlines you’re seeing reposted by people who fail to find the actual details of the story - and the comments of overheated TV and radio pundits - Disney has NOT declared The Muppets or The Muppet Show (1976-1981) racist or offensive as a whole. 

Disney has simply put a twelve second disclaimer in front of 18 out of the 115 or so episodes now available for everyone to watch on their Disney+ streaming service, due to short segments on those shows that contain outdated cultural depictions. 

 

Rather than cutting/censoring those segments, or just burying those 18 episodes forever, Disney has allowed any viewers to watch them, but they also put the short disclaimer in front of them to let folks know up front that there might be some things that shock viewers in 2021. 

 

Yellow Muppets with buck teeth and slanted eyes in a chorus singing “Ring Ting, Ching Chong,” red skinned Muppets in war paint speaking in “ugga wugga, how!” broken English, and bearded Muppets with turbans blowing things up might not offend you, and that’s fine, but for those sensitive to depictions like that, the disclaimer gives them the opportunity to avoid it, at no loss to you. 

 

It’s the same as going to the movies or flipping channels and seeing an R rating for sexual situations and saying, “Yeah, my family’s going to skip this one.” 

 

That’s your prerogative, but that R rating still allows the movie to be shown for others who choose to see that film, even with younger family members in tow.

 

It’s also similar to peanut allergy warnings on products. If you’re not sensitive, you can ignore the warning and enjoy the product, but for those who are, the “made with peanuts” disclaimer gives them a welcome chance to pass the product by without taking it away from you. They are not “soft” or “weak” because something affects them and not you. 

 

Disney and other companies have been adding disclaimers as a sensible alternative to banning or removing films/shows entirely.

 

It’s the mature way to handle it. 

 

Nothing has been “canceled.” 

 

It’s the exact opposite of that. Over 50 hours of shows that haven’t been seen in years by most of the general public are there to delight in, which is in no way close to cancellation.

 

Disney is actually trying to make The Muppets culturally relevant again, and this is a step in the right direction.

 

Kermit and Mickey are just fine with each other in this particular instance. They’re both part of one big happy corporate family.

 

__________

 

Chris Lucas is the author of Top Disney: 100 Top Ten Lists of the Best of Disney, from the Man to the Mouse and Beyond.

 

On the PRESS CLUB C Podcast, enjoy Ray’s discussion with Chris Lucas about his career as an actor, author and Disney expert. Tune in right here!

“Muppets Now” Brings Sadness, “Psych 2” Serves Up Joy

by Ray Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 13, 2020

Like many others during a pandemic and period of economic woes (toss in a looming presidential election), I need a break now and then. While I enjoy all kinds of storytelling, sharp wit and general silliness tends to fit the bill during troubled times. Therefore, I was excited to see that two of my favorite founts of fun – The Muppets and the television show Psych – were returning via the Disney+ and Peacock streaming services, respectively.

While the Psych 2: Lassie Come Home movie provided joy, I came away from the first two episodes of Muppets Now actually kind of sad.

Let’s go to the good news first. Psych, which ran for eight seasons on the USA network (from 2006 to 2014) and followed by Psych: The Movie in December 2017, is a comedy-detective show focused on Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez), a fake psychic with acute observational skills, and his close friend since childhood, Burton Guster (Dule Hill). Via their “Psych” business, the two work with the Santa Barbara Police Department to solve murders. The humorous, silly, pop-culture-filled (with stuff from the 80s to present day) banter and interplay between Shawn and Gus stand out as the treasure at the center of this show. The two never fail to make me smile and laugh out loud.

But there’s more, including a wonderful cast of supporting characters. They are Detective Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), Detective Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), Henry Spencer, Shawn’s dad and a retired cop (Corbin Bernsen), Police Chief Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson), Woody, the funny and creepy coroner (Kurt Fuller), and Officer Buzz McNab (Sage Brocklebank). 

Psych 2 manages to hit all the right notes, as Shawn, Gus and Company try to help Lassiter and along the way get involved in a case perhaps involving the supernatural. The movie overflows with quips, wordplay and refreshing humor. Plus, at its best, Psych made clear the love and friendships shared by the characters, and that comes through in various touching ways in Psych 2. This is 5-star fun for all.

Now for the bad news. Muppets Now misses nearly every note. 

One of the great things about The Muppets – from their original television show to the various movies, as well as Muppet Vision 3D in Walt Disney World – has been that they accomplished what only a few other vehicles have over the years. That is, something on the surface meant for children manages to also provide humor that clearly flies over the heads of little tots but lands sweetly for adults. In this way, The Muppets stand side by side with such wonders as Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, Phineas and Ferb, and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends.

Alas, though, Muppets Now comes up woefully short – for the young ones and for adults. To me, The Muppets worked thanks to an odd mix inspired by comedy classics, such the Marx Brothers and the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby “Road” movies, brought up to date. And the fact that all of this was being delivered by puppets that many of us have come to know and love as their own characters, simply adds to the zaniness and warmth of The Muppets.

Unfortunately, little of this can be found in Muppets Now. The humor is flat, and sometimes even painful. And the core of the characters has been lost. It’s all rather bewildering as to how this poor rendition of the beloved Muppets came to be. It seems like someone at Disney+ was snoozing during the pitch meeting.

If you want a reminder of just how good The Muppets were and could be, you can, of course, watch the old show and the movies. Interestingly, though, you also can catch an episode from another Disney+ streaming show – Prop Culture (read our review of this excellent show). In the eighth episode, host Dan Lanigan takes us on a hunt for props from The Muppet Movie. Along the way, we get glimpses of just how delightful The Muppets have been – with a few clips from the movie – and can be, as Dan has an amusing chat with Gonzo the Great.

Alas, though, none of that delight can be found in Muppets Now.

By the way, is a Psych 3 movie coming? Some interviews indicate that it just might. For example, Decider.com reported:

“I definitely think that there’s a better chance that we do a third movie than that we don’t,” Roday Rodriguez told Collider in a recent interview. “The reason I say that is because I think our fans are still very much with us.”

Added Hill, “In the midst of all the crazy stuff that goes on in the world, and with all of the drama and pandemics and issues that are out there, as long as we can keep delivering a moment of levity for families, I think there’ll be more stories to tell. When we stop delivering the laughter, that will be time for us to pack it on up.”

Count me in! I want to see more of Shawn, Gus and the rest of the Psych gang. As for more Muppets, my heart says “yes,” but my head tells me that after seeing Muppets Now, Kermit and Company need someone at the helm that actually understands or recalls what The Muppets are about in the end.

__________

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Also, get the paperback or Kindle edition of Ray Keating’s new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York.