EPCOT has several festivals throughout the year (and as you may know, we’re huge fans of them)!

2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts

You can try new foods, explore creative art, try tons of wine, shop exclusive merchandise, go on scavenger hunts, go to concerts, and so much more at the festivals. There is the Festival of the Arts, Flower and Garden Festival, Food and Wine Festival, and the Festival of the Holidays. Each of these offers unique experiences for park guests. While there are already four festivals, is it possible that we could be seeing a new, fifth festival making an appearance this year?

Disney has not made any suggestions, announcements, or indications that a fifth festival is officially coming to EPCOT, but there are a couple of things that might indicate its possibility. Here are two reasons why we think we could see a new festival debuting and one counterpoint against the idea.

The 2024 Festival of the Arts is currently ongoing. If you’re planning on visiting the festival be sure to get your FREE festival map!

It Would Fit in With the Other Festivals

As we said above, EPCOT currently has four festivals — one in the winter (Festival of the Arts), one in the spring (Flower and Garden Festival), one in the fall (Food and Wine Festival), and a winter holiday festival (Festival of the Holidays). If you look through that list, you may notice one festival clearly missing — a summer festival!

2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts

Disney has created a festival for three of the four seasons, and a summer festival could be a fun idea (see point 2)! Here’s why we think this is possible. The dates for the spring festival, the Flower and Garden Festival, were recently released. It will be running from February 28th through May 27th, which is ONLY 90 days! The next festival is usually the Food and Wine Festival. We don’t have dates for the Food and Wine Festival yet, but it is notoriously a fall festival. So what will Disney do with all the time between the spring and fall festival?

EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival

A summer festival would make sense in terms of getting the fourth and final season a festival and using the time between the Flower and Garden Festival and the Food and Wine Festival.

Summer Lovin’/Fun Would Make a Great Festival Idea!

There are so many great theme ideas that we could think of for a summer festival. They could take a page out of Grease‘s book with a “Summer Lovin’” theme or a simple “Summer Fun” theme could go over well. A “Fun in the Sun Festival” would be a hit for sure!

2023 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival

Imagine this: a festival with ice pops, ice cream, slushes, piña coladas, watermelon and pineapple everything, and a stroll through Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana. That sounds like a perfect way to spend a hot summer day! We can only imagine the creative snacks the Disney culinary chefs could come up with. Summer and the Florida sun lends itself beautifully to a new EPCOT festival.

Counterpoint: Food and Wine Has Been Starting in July

The Food and Wine Festival has been starting earlier and earlier each year. This “fall” festival has actually started in the middle of summer for the last couple of years.

The EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

In 2023, we saw the Food and Wine Festival begin on July 27th and it ran through November 18th. If it starts around the same time this year, that would be only 2 months for a new summer festival. It is also possible that they’ll move the Food and Wine Festival up even earlier and provide even more opportunities for people to enjoy it (it is potentially the most popular of EPCOT’s festivals).

Food and Wine Festival

Could Disney debut an all-new summer festival in 2024? Sure! Will they? We’ll be on the lookout to find out! We certainly won’t be mad if they did bring an all-new festival to EPCOT (the food booths are some of our favorite things!).

While we wait to hear any new announcements from Disney, be sure to keep following DFB!

MAKE THE MOST
OF YOUR FESTIVAL DAYS

---

DFB’s guide to the Festival of the Arts details everything you need to know to maximize your time, budget and stomach space! Know what’s worth it and what to skip with our full-photo menus of each booth, complete with DFB’s Best of the Fest.

It includes all the must-have information for navigating this colorful festival at Disney World, including:

• Booth & food photos, maps, and crawls with DFB’s exclusive recommendations!
• The COMPLETE schedule of events (so you don’t have to go hunting for all the dates!)
• All the details on special events, artist meet-n-greets, festival exclusive merchandise, and more!

GET YOUR GUIDE NOW

MORE Festival of the Arts INFO!

• See the FULL LIST of Food Booths, Menus, and Photos from the 2023 Festival of the Arts

• Read ALL of Our Food Booth Reviews for the 2023 Festival

• See Our Review of the 2023 Food Challenge at the Festival

• Get a Full Look at the FIGMENT Merchandise That Was Available at the 2023 Festival

• Learn More About the Disney on Broadway Concert Series and Dining Packages

Click HERE for All of the Latest News and Details About the Festival of the Arts!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Festival of the Arts news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Do you think we could see a new EPCOT festival? Let us know in the comments!

The post Could Disney Add a FIFTH Festival to EPCOT? first appeared on the disney food blog.

We have a lot of questions about the world, and we’re sure you do too.

Ba Da Ba Ba Bah…

A lot of questions we have are about Disney, Disney’s history, and how to plan the best trip when everything keeps changing, but do you know what one of our other burning questions is? It’s the same one that haunts a lot of you — why does Coca-Cola taste SO good at McDonald’s? We know it’s silly, but prepare yourselves — we have an ANSWER!

That’s right, friends, McDonald’s has finally OFFICIALLY answered why Coke tastes so good at their restaurants. According to their website, it’s simple, they “follow the guidelines set by Coca-Cola® and take steps to ensure that we serve a high-quality fountain beverage.”

McDonald’s Drink

What does that include though? McDonald’s says that one of the keys to proper preparation is that the “water and Coca-Cola® syrup are pre-chilled before entering our fountain dispensers with the ratio of syrup set to allow for ice to melt.” They also keep their fountain beverage machine cold so your drink is always refreshing.

Fountain Drinks

Additionally, they “filter all the water before it enters fountain dispensers,” and their straws play a part in it too! It’s wider than the typical straw, so it allows more of the drink to hit your tastebuds.

McDonald’s

Well, there’s a part of us that’s bummed it’s not some sort of magic spell that makes it special, but it’s nice to have an answer to the question! Disney and McDonald’s have quite the history together and continue to partner on lots of Happy Meal toys, so we keep up with all their latest news.

Happy Meal

If you want to keep up with all that Disney news, be sure to stay tuned to DFB!

See what super popular menu item is coming back to select McDonald’s restaurants right here!

What do you think about this answer? Do you think that’s all there is to it? Tell us in the comments!

The post WHY Does McDonald’s Coke Just Taste BETTER? The Fast Food Giant Finally Spilled Their Secret. first appeared on the disney food blog.

One of the best parts about visiting Disneyland has nothing to do with visiting the actual theme parks.

Downtown Disney

Well, the theme parks are pretty cool, too. But do you know what else is cool? Grubbing on delicious food in Downtown Disney. Many Disney fans believe that Disneyland has superior food when it comes to the Disney Parks, and a lot of that food can be found in Downtown Disney.. Whether you’re a frequent visitor, or you’ve never even been and you’re just planning a visit, we have some big news that you should know. 

In 2023, we heard about the all-new Parkside Market that would arrive to Downtown Disney. Parkside Market will house four different restaurants all under the same roof, and will bring, according to Disney, “diverse culinary creations” to the west end of Downtown Disney.The four restaurants will include Seoul Sister, Sip&Sonder, GG’s Chicken Shop, and a rooftop bar.

We didn’t have much more information regarding construction or what we can expect from the area, but now we DO! Check out this first look of artists’ concepts for Parkside Market. This is what we can expect the outside to look like…

©Disney

…and this is what we can expect from the inside!

©Disney

So… how about a deeper dive into those restaurants that can be found inside?

First up, Seoul Sister will deliver a Korean-forward menu with a California twist! This restaurant will have Asian-inspired meals primarily focused on variations of bibimbap (Korean rice bowls).

©Disney

Next, we’ll be getting Sip & Sonder, a black women-owned eatery that specializes in, “signature lattes, as well as fresh treats, frozen drinks and Caribbean-inspired bites.”

©Disney

We’ll also be seeing a new chicken place, GG’s Chicken Shop! They’ll be serving up family-style chicken, salads, and classic dinner sides. This will be the first GG’s on the West Coast after the first brick-and-mortar was opened in Chicago earlier this year.

©Disney

The last location coming to Parkside Market is set to be a second-story bar that’s said to bring us excellent views and delicious cocktails! There will be a wide variety of options made with local ingredients by mixologists.

Well, now we can’t wait for more details. We’ll let you know as soon as we have ’em, so make sure to follow along so that you never miss a thing.

Looking for more Disneyland news? Click here! 

What do you think of Parkside Market so far? Let us know in the comments!

The post FIRST LOOK at a NEW Restaurant Coming to Downtown Disney — Parkside Market first appeared on the disney food blog.

Have you heard of the new restaurants coming to Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort?

Downtown Disney

We’ve seen quite a few changes at Downtown Disney recently: A new table-service Earl of Sandwich location has opened, some new treats arrived, and one restaurant announced that it will permanently close soon. Disney also recently announced that a couple of NEW restaurants are coming this year, and now we finally have a first look at them!

Paseo and Céntrico are two new restaurant areas coming to Downtown Disney. They’ll take over the location where Catal & Uva Bar were previously located.

Paseo and Centrico Construction

Disney just shared a first look at this new spot! Disney said that Paseo is the upstairs dining room (on the right in this concept art) and Céntrico is a courtyard bar and restaurant (on the left).

©Disney

Both restaurants have menus created by Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán. These menus will feature “upscale Mexican cuisine and tequila-based cocktails.” The Orange County Register previously reported that the bar area will have a “high-end Mexican-inspired small plate menu.”

Paseo Concept Art ©Disney

But there’s another addition coming to this area! Tiendita will be a quick-service restaurant with a menu also created by Chef Gaytán. This spot will serve “Chef Gaytán’s Mexican heritage flavors on-the-go, with quick-service Mexican street-food staples.”

©Disney

In the announcement with the new concept art, Disney also announced that Paseo and Céntrico will be opening “later this spring.” That’s soon! Previously, we just knew that they’d open this year, in 2024.

Paseo and Centrico construction

We’ll keep watching for more updates from Disney, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest news.

Click here for more updates about Downtown Disney!

Are you excited to try these new restaurants? Let us know in the comments.

The post Disney Shares OPENING TIMELINE and SNEAK PEEK of NEW Restaurants Coming to Downtown Disney first appeared on the disney food blog.

Who doesn’t love a hot, cheesy, and delicious sandwich?

Earl of Sandwich

Earl of Sandwich has some fantastic sandwiches (I guess that’s why they’re the Earl of them). You can’t go wrong with one of their tasty sandwiches such as the 1762 Original, Montagu, or Cannonballs. They have variety and flavor. And now we have a big announcement for the fans of Earl’s!

Downtown Disney in California at Disneyland Resort currently has an Earl of Sandwich in a temporary location. This location opened in February of 2023 and continues to serve the district.

Earl of Sandwich

But soon, the great Earl of Sandwiches will be relocating! Downtown Disney is getting some remodeling and new additions. A new market and restaurants will be appearing with new places to enjoy a meal AND a new two-story location will also be built to house an all-new Earl of Sandwich (but not just one, but TWO!). 

Earl of Sandwich

On the main level of the new building, you’ll find a quick-service shop, and on the second story, you can grab a seat at the table-service gastropub version of Earl of Sandwich. Disney has mentioned that more details for this new location are still to come!

Earl of Sandwich Tavern

Since the current location of the sandwich shop has been known to be a temporary location since it opened, you’ll soon find a pop-up shop opening near the Star Wars Trading Post. You’ll be able to grab and go with your favorite sandwiches from here. The current location will soon be re-designed and re-constructed into an all-new Porto’s Bakery.

Porto’s Bakery & Cafe concept art

We are certainly excited for all the changes coming to Downtown Disney! There are lots of new offerings to come in the near future.

Until then, keep following DFB for more updates!

We’ve Eaten at Every Restaurant in Downtown Disney. These Are the Best

Are you an Earl of Sandwich fan? Let us know in the comments!

The post Disney Announces a NEW 2-Story Earl of Sandwich Restaurant Is Coming to Downtown Disney first appeared on the disney food blog.

A new Walt Disney World Park Icons Popcorn Bucket featuring iconic attractions and characters is now available.

New Walt Disney World Park Icons Popcorn Bucket – $13

The new Walt Disney World Park Icons popcorn bucket is white with a green lid, complete with a removable handle. It features a wrap-around art piece. From left to right, the mural-style art starts with EPCOT, represented by Spaceship Earth and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana. The large entrance rockwork, giant Te Fiti, and Moana herself are pictured.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios gets a small section at the top, with the Hollywood Tower Hotel on the left and Alien Swirling Saucers on the right.

Mickey stands front and center with a splash of colors stemming from his open palm. In the background is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

On the top half of the right is Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Tree of Life is beside a rising sun, with a large baby Simba beside it.

Continuing the Magic Kingdom portion is Cinderella Castle with the Walt Disney World logo across the bottom. Princess Tiana is in the foreground, with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure coming sometime this year.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post NEW Walt Disney World Park Icons Popcorn Bucket is First Item to Feature Tiana’s Bayou Adventure appeared first on WDW News Today.