The EPCOT Food & Wine Festival is coming up soon — it officially begins on July 27th and runs through November 18th. We recently heard some new information about the Eat to the Beat dining packages, which will be returning this year with two MAJOR changes.

Throughout the Food & Wine Festival, you can attend the Eat to the Beat concerts, which take place most nights at the America Gardens Theatre. The concerts are free to attend, but if you want to reserve your spot and throw a nice meal into the mix, you can purchase a dining package. Disney recently released new details about the 2023 dining packages, and there are some pretty significant changes you’ll want to know about before you purchase yours!

The popular Eat to the Beat Dining Packages entitle guests to lunch or dinner at select EPCOT restaurants and include same-day reserved seating at the Eat to the Beat Concert that evening. Booking for Eat to the Beat Dining Packages will open on July 6th, 2023. You can make reservations online or by calling (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3378.

Dining Reservation start times must be at least 2.5 hours prior to the Eat to the Beat show time. Eat to the Beat concerts take place each night at 5:30PM, 6:45PM, and 8PM. Guests dining for breakfast or lunch can choose any of the three show times, while guests dining for dinner can choose between the latter two showtimes (or they may be stuck with just one option, depending upon restaurant dinner meal period start time). Guests should arrive at the America Gardens theater 15 minutes prior to the concert start time, entering through the designated package entrance.

All of this is old news. So what’s CHANGED in 2023? Let’s dig in.

Price Increases

First of all, this year’s dining packages are, for the most part, more expensive than last year’s. Here’s a look at the 2022 Eat to the Beat dining package pricing:

• Biergarten Restaurant: $57 per adult, $32 per child
• Coral Reef Restaurant: $69 per adult, $22 per child
• The Garden Grill Restaurant: $66 per adult, $43 per child
• Le Cellier: $79 per adult, $28 per child
• Regal Eagle: (same-day dining packages only — no reservations) $34.99 per adult, $16.99 per child
• Spice Road Table: (same-day dining packages only — no reservations) $44 per adult, $16 per child

Here’s a look at this year’s Eat to the Beat dining package pricing:

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall — Storybook Princess Dining: Breakfast — $64 per adult, $41 per child; Lunch and Dinner — $74 per adult, $48 per child
• Biergarten Restaurant: $60 per adult, $34 per child
• Coral Reef Restaurant: $69 per adult, $27 per child
• The Garden Grill Restaurant: Breakfast — $53 per adult, $34 per child; Lunch and Dinner — $66 per adult, $43 per child
• Le Cellier: $95 per adult, $36 per child
• Regal Eagle: (same-day dining packages only — no reservations) $35 per person (no separate price listed for children)
• Rose & Crown Dining Room: $59 per adult, $25 per child
• Spice Road Table: $47 per adult, $20 per child (note that dining packages for this restaurant do require reservations in 2023 — in 2022, Spice Road Table was a same-day dining package.)

And now here’s a breakdown of the pricing CHANGES from 2022 to 2023:

• Biergarten Restaurant: $3 price increase per adult, $2 price increase per child
• Coral Reef Restaurant: price stayed the same for adults, $5 price increase per child
• The Garden Grill Restaurant: dinner pricing stayed the same for both adults and children
• Le Cellier: $16 price increase (!!) per adult, $8 increase per adult
• Regal Eagle: price stayed the same for adults, $18 price increase per child (since the $35 price appears to apply to both adults and children now)
• Spice Road Table: $3 price increase per adult, $4 price increase per child

Although a couple of the prices stayed the same, almost every one increased by at least a few dollars. And Le Cellier had a MAJOR price increase of $16 per person! If these prices have you reconsidering your plan to buy a dining package, remember that you can always attend the concerts for free and just pay for dinner somewhere else separately.

And even if you don’t make it into the audience for a particular concert (sometimes they run out of room quickly!), you can hang out in the America pavilion of World Showcase and still hear the music!

More Restaurants Returning

You might have noticed in the above lists that the restaurant options for 2023 look a little different than the ones in 2022. That’s because a few more have been added to the list!

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall — Storybook Princess Dining and Rose & Crown Dining Room are returning to the options for Eat to the Beat dining packages after having been missing for a while, and breakfast at The Garden Grill Restaurant (which only recently reopened!) is also returning.

In addition, Spice Road Table is now available as a pre-booked dining package instead of same-day-only since the restaurant is now accepting advanced dining reservations once again. So if you’re hoping to eat at Spice Road Table before your concert, you’ll want to book that in advance. Now, Regal Eagle is the only option for same-day dining packages.

Eat to the Beat is a really fun concert series, with iconic bands and artists performed Fridays through Mondays, while local bands performed Tuesday through Thursday evenings. However, you DON’T have to buy a dining package to enjoy the concert. It might make your experience a little bit more relaxing, as you won’t have to wait in line to get into the concert and you can enjoy a nice meal beforehand, but if it’s not in the budget, don’t stress! You can always go to the concert for free (with EPCOT admission) or just hang out in World Showcase and enjoy the music.

Here are a few more Eat to the Beat dining package details in case you’re considering purchasing one:

Each package includes (1) an appetizer, entrée, and dessert OR one full buffet (where applicable), (2) a non-alcoholic beverage, and (3) one guaranteed seat per person to an Eat to the Beat concert held on the same day. To check availability for same-day dining packages, visit Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue during the Festival. Packages are subject to availability and may not be available on peak dates.

If you’re visiting the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival this year, make sure you’re dressed for the occasion with our DFB festival tees and tank tops!

Click here to shop our online DFB store.

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on all the EPCOT Food & Wine news!

Learn more about the Eat to the Beat dining packages and concerts here!

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Are you going to the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival this year? Let us know in the comments!

The post 2 Huge CHANGES Made to Dining Packages in EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog.

Got an appetite for adventure? A new Indiana Jones Petit Cake has journeyed to Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs, just as Harrison Ford’s final cinematic outing as the titular character hits cinemas today with “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”

Indiana Jones Petit Cake – $22

An inspiration of Moroccan flavors with Vanilla Chiffon, Dates, Candied Almonds, Almond Mousse, and Spiced Simple Syrup

This Moroccan-inspired cake is available at Amorette’s Patisserie, at the edge of the Town Center area of Disney Springs, between the Levi’s store and World of Disney.

It’s on display inside as a featured item today, and we couldn’t resist giving it a try.

Goodness, this cake was amazing! It tastes like apple pie, with a sense of cinnamon and apple both involved. The slices of candied almonds give the dish a great texture, and the vanilla chiffon was moist, not too sweet, and perfect.

This cake is on point. The fondant is about the same as usual for Amorette’s — sweet and heavy. We felt we one person could eat the whole thing alone simply because of how delicious it is.

While it’s pricey, we highly recommend the Indiana Jones Petit Cake and consider it one of the best ones we’ve tried in the last couple of years.

Indiana Jones in the Spotlight Across Disney Parks

So much has been happening across the universe of Disney to promote this film’s release.

The Den of Destiny opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, featuring iconic movie props, specialty cocktails we had a chance to review, CIA profiles, and an appearance of the Anubis head from the former Great Movie Ride. Tons of new merchandise related to the franchise has also been popping up all over Walt Disney World.

Over at the Disneyland Resort, some special effects were restored to the Indiana Jones Adventure, and a limited time appearance for Indy himself has been announced.

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, and officially has its wide release today, June 30.

The MPAA rates this new film as PG-13. According to their classification, the rating is due to “sequences of violence and action, language and smoking.” While this classification itself doesn’t add much to what can be expected in the fifth and final film, it is an interesting reminder that the second film of the franchise, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” was a main catalyst (alongside “Gremlins”) that led the MPAA to create a PG-13 classification in the first place.

“Dial of Destiny” will take place in 1969, amid the peak of the space race. Dr. Jones will encounter his old enemy (the Nazis) again, through Voller — a villain inspired by real-life Nazi Wernher von Braun, who became a NASA engineer.

The teaser trailer and artwork for the film debuted in December. A second teaser for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” premiered during Super Bowl LVII.

Harrison Ford, now 80 years old, stated this will be the last “Indiana Jones” movie he takes part in.

It’s full of adventure, full of laughs, full of real emotion. And it’s complex and it’s sneaky. The shooting of it was tough and long and arduous. But I’m very happy with the film that we have.

It’s rumored that an Indiana Jones TV series could be in development for Disney+. It remains unclear if the story of this series would be a prequel to the films, set somewhere inside the franchise narrative, or follow a totally new character. If this series is developed, it would not be the first TV show about Indiana Jones. In 1992-1993, “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” aired on ABC. Harrison Ford made a cameo appearance in one episode.

Are you seeing “Dial of Destiny” this weekend? Have you already seen it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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The post REVIEW: Discover the New Indiana Jones Petit Cake, Complete With Hat and Whip, at Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs appeared first on WDW News Today.

Imagineers have shared more updates about the refurbishment of Les Mystères du Nautilus at Disneyland Paris, which will reopen on July 1 after a two-year closure.

As we learned previously, the walkthrough attraction’s organ has been refreshed based on the original organ from the “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” film, which is currently at the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland in California.

In addition to refurbishing all the Les Mystères du Nautilus props and sets, Imagineers updated the Grand Salon Scene with new technology that wasn’t available 30 years ago when the attraction first opened. The oculus has a new 3D look thanks to a technique inspired by the multiplane camera.

Imagineers also wanted to ensure the attraction told a relevant conservation story, so they consulted the animal program team at EPCOT. Les Mystères du Nautilus has a new narration and unique soundtrack.

Read more in the press release from Disneyland Paris below.

New Extraordinary Voyages Await Guests At Les Mystères Du Nautilus, Beginning July 1st

Since its debut in 1872 in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, the Nautilus has captured the imagination of readers across the world. Walt Disney was one of them, so in 1954, he decided to adapt this epic adventure for the big screen, thus popularizing the iconic design of his artist, Harper Goff. Docked here at Discoveryland, Les Mystères du Nautilus is a unique opportunity for everyone curious about underwater exploration to see first-hand the marvelous innovative spirit of Captain Nemo and his crew to achieve this very same dream.  

As the iconic vessel is almost ready to welcome explorers to embark on new adventures, we sat down with Louise Doré, show producer, and Daniel Joseph, principal illusion integrator, for a dive into the works that happened behind the oculus. 

What it was like to work on the Nautilus?  

Daniel: As a kid, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was one of my favorite movies. At the time, the former Submarine Voyage attraction at Walt Disney World was always something I looked forward to. And when I visited Disneyland Paris for the first time, I was really excited because the first attraction I wanted to see was Les Mystères du Nautilus. It’s so unique to the resort and it lived up to the expectation.  

Louise: Everybody knows the story of Captain Nemo, even though I must admit that when the project started, I hadn’t seen the Disney adaptation! Of course, now I have and even though it’s still very based on the classic Disney movie, today we’ve introduced a new story, celebrating the wonders of marine life in our oceans. 

What was your role on this project?

Daniel: Within the Illusion Development Group here at Imagineering, my role starts with thinking about how we can make something as magical and realistic as possible without actually doing that. And so, for the Nautilus, we discussed the show and how to ‘plus’ the Grand Salon Scene with new technology and techniques that weren’t available when the attraction first opened 30 years ago. We brainstormed and came up with a technique that has a 3D look, inspired by one of our oldest tricks at the company: the multiplane camera. We did some tests and mock-ups and proved out that when we look through the oculus, we could achieve the illusion of a very deep, mysterious, and distant underwater vista.

Louise: As show producer, my role was to support this new project with all the different teams. We started almost two years ago now, first by searching reference footage of underwater wonders. On the technical side, we changed the show control, the lighting into LED technology, as well as upgrading all the special effects. There was also a complete refurbishment of all our props and accessories throughout the attraction by our Disneyland Paris Central Shop teams. For example, the organ was entirely refurbished based on the real prop from the movie. There was also a great deal of work done on the iris itself to ensure fast and fluid opening and closing to match our new show.

What guests will be able to enjoy on board?

Louise: Our guests are going to experience the wonders of the oceans, while learning some fun facts on the marine world. To deliver that message, we recorded a new soundtrack specially orchestrated for the attraction as well as a new narration written by our show writers. It was an exciting project for me, I learned a lot and I hope that our guests will find the attraction equally wonderful!

Daniel: We wanted to tell a conservation story that would be more relevant today to our guests and so now as Louise mentioned, new encounters are happening in the Grand Salon. The cool thing was that with that project, we worked with our animal program at EPCOT — marine biologists, animal keepers. all kinds of talented and amazing people we have within the Walt Disney Company who work everyday with marine life. Having these scientific resources helped give the sense of realism in the Nautilus attraction that wasn’t possible before. I’m hoping the new show will live up to the classic and guests will continue to fall in love with this attraction.

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The post Imagineers Share New Story and Effect Details About Les Mystères du Nautilus Refurbishment in Disneyland Paris appeared first on WDW News Today.

Well, the end of the month is here. Soon, June will be but a distant memory.

It’s been a memorable month, though, hasn’t it? We’ve seen ticket sales begin for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nites. We watched the water tower go up at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. We’ve also been enjoying V.I.Passholder Days, which gave Disney World Annual Passholders a lot of GREAT perks. Well, those days will also soon be behind us.

That’s right, today is the LAST day to take advantage of the EXTRA benefits that Disney World Annual Passholders have been enjoying all month long as part of the V.I.Passholder event. That includes the temporary increases on discounts offered to Passholders for food and merchandise. Just for the month of June, Annual Passholders got 30% off merchandise at most Disney World gift shops instead of the usual 20%. And they got 20% off at select Disney dining locations instead of the usual 10%.

However, Annual Passholders will still receive their regular perks, including exclusive Passholder merchandise (and we’re sure to see some for the upcoming EPCOT Food & Wine Festival), regular discounts on food (10%) and merchandise (20%), discounts on tickets to some Disney events (like the holiday parties), and more.

But if you want to take advantage of those extra V.I.Passholder perks, head to the parks TODAY to grab them, because as of tomorrow, those will be gone. We’ll let you know if Disney World announces any additional Passholder perks or news, though, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

Learn all about the Disney World Annual Passholder program here.

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Did you have a chance to enjoy the V.I.Passholder event in Disney World? What did you enjoy the most about it? Let us know in the comments!

The post WARNING: Today Is the LAST DAY for This Exclusive Discount in Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog.

We see filming quite a bit at Disney World.

Sometimes we even get to see CELEBRITIES filming specials and other things in the parks. Sometimes we spot commercials being filmed for future advertisements. It’s always a little exciting, so we want to share some filming we spotted recently in Magic Kingdom at an ICONIC dining spot.

We know how much y’all love Casey’s Corner on Main Street, U.S.A. Disney fans like it so much that they even voted it the BEST quick service restaurant in Disney World. Well, Casey’s Corner just got a little extra love and attention, thanks to some filming we spotted there yesterday.

It looks like Cast Members at Casey’s will be part of whatever this filming is for (we’re assuming some kind of promotion or commercial). One Cast Member was speaking to the camera surrounded by others, all in their classic Casey’s Corner uniforms.

This filming was happening during the “first pitch” that takes place each morning when Casey’s Corner opens, where a guest is invited to throw out the first pitch and officially open the restaurant for the day.

Pretty exciting, right? So now when this turns up on TV or elsewhere, if you see it, you’ll be like “Oh, so THAT’S what they were doing in Magic Kingdom.” We spot filming like this fairly frequently, but it’s still pretty fun to be able to watch the whole process.

We’ll let you know if we spot any other filming in Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB for more. In the meantime, have you checked out the latest Disney-themed t-shirts in our store? Click here – you’ll want to pick some up before your next Disney trip!

I Found Some Secret Stairs in Magic Kingdom That Can Get You in the Park Faster

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Have you ever spotted filming in the parks? Let us know in the comments!

The post We Spotted FILMING in Magic Kingdom first appeared on the disney food blog.

The rumor that Apple would buy Disney has been around for quite some time.

Bob Iger and Steve Jobs were close, and ever since Disney bought Pixar in 2006, people have been speculating that a merger with Apple could happen. While Iger has said that this is “nothing more than speculation,” we can’t help but wonder what would happen if the two companies did seal the deal.

Earlier this year, Apple and Disney shared that they would be partnering on a new futuristic project — the Apple Vision Pro. This new device, a mixed-reality headset that will allow users to “overlay virtual images on live video of the real world,” will incorporate Disney content starting on day one of the rollout. Scott Gustin shared a teaser video of the new project on Twitter.

NEW: Full video showing Disney+ on Apple Vision Pro. Disney+ will be available on Day 1.

pic.twitter.com/7ccAWFLelR

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) June 5, 2023

Looks impressive, right? With this $3,499 device, users will be able to experience Disney+ content in an exciting new way. And, because of the partnership on this new project, the rumor that Apple will buy Disney has started to resurge. So, why do people want this to happen so badly?

Well, currently there aren’t many specifics about how Disney content will be incorporated. We do know that Disney+ will be involved, but a merger would allow Apple to use more Disney content on the new device. In the promotional video for Apple Vision Pro, scenes from The Mandalorian were displayed on the screen and Mickey Mouse jumped off of a picture on the wall and into a living room.

But, so far, the details are limited, and not much is guaranteed. With a merger, Apple could potentially drive more Disney content for the device than a partnership would provide alone. For Disney fans, the purchase of a $3,499 headset would be easier to stomach if they knew their favorite content would be incorporated.

But more content on the Apple Vision Pro isn’t the only thing that could come from Apple buying Disney. If there was a merger, there could potentially be crossovers and bundles between Apple TV+ and Disney+. Apple Music could also benefit by adding more Disney songs.

While an Apple and Disney merger would be an interesting turn of events, for now, it’s only a rumor — and probably very unlikely. We’ll keep an eye on this and any new updates about the Apple Vision Pro, so stay tuned to DFB for more!

Click here to read about the Toy Story 3 lawsuit against Disney

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The post The One Reason People Want Apple to Buy Disney first appeared on the disney food blog.

If you’re planning on doing any big shopping soon, JULY is the month to do it!

That’s because a TON of great deals will be coming in July. Not only do we have Target Circle Week coming up on July 9th-15th, but Amazon Prime Day is happening on July 11th through the 12th. But wait, ANOTHER big shopping event will also be happening in July: Walmart is going to give us a whole WEEK of great deals. 

According to NBC News, Walmart+ Week will be from July 11th through the 13th. However, Walmart+ members will get early access to Walmart+ Week deals on July 10th with exclusive discounts. Walmart+ Week is similar to Amazon Prime Day, where a LOT of merchandise is offered at a discount. And, yes, this year’s Walmart+ Week coincides with Amazon Prime Day, so we’re going to have some tough choices to make!

Members of Walmart+ will get access to exclusive deals as well as six months of unlimited Sip Club with Panera Bread for $5 per month plus a monthly $5 MyPanera reward. Members will also get 30 credits with Rover to spend towards pet sitting or dog walking services plus 30 percent off SpaFinder gift cards.

If you’re not a Walmart+ member, you can sign up at Walmart.com — membership is $12.95 per month, but you can get 30 days free. Membership will also get you free delivery, video streaming with Paramount+, fuel savings, and more.

We’ll be keeping an eye out for those Walmart+ Week deals, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

Need a new graphic tee (uh, when don’t you need a new graphic tee!)? We’re dropping new Disney-themed designs! Click here to see ‘em!

8 Early Amazon Prime Day Deals You Can Shop NOW

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The post Walmart Is Bringing Us A Whole WEEK of NEW Deals first appeared on the disney food blog.