Skip to main content

Tag: epcot

Best Restaurant for Adults in Epcot

Best Restaurant for Adults in Epcot

dis/dom Leave a comment

Epcot is my favorite Disney theme park at Walt Disney World. Every trip that includes a hopper pass or annual pass for me means that I end the majority of my Disney theme park days in Epcot. There isn’t anything better than walking around the World Showcase in the evening. Plus, Epcot is home to a huge variety of high-quality restaurants that are aimed at adults rather than kids, which is a plus for me. Choose just one restaurant as the best restaurant for adults in Epcot is nearly impossible, there are so many!!!

You could literally spend a 2-week vacation in just Epcot and eat at a different table service restaurant each night and still have a few leftover. I count 17 options in all (assuming all are open, which is currently not the case). But which of the 17 Epcot restaurants is the best for adults?

I couldn’t narrow this down to just one, so here are my top two Best Restaurants for Adults in Epcot

This was a very difficult decision for me. Choosing a restaurant in Epcot is like going on a mini-vacation. Which country do you want to eat in tonight is typically a problem for extremely rich folks who own a private jet, not for the rest of us. I enjoy most of the Epcot restaurants, and just about all of them could have made the list, so narrowing it down to two was nearly impossible. To do so, I left of my two favorite places to eat, plus a few others that we hit every trip.

  1. Chefs de France – Not everyone can visit Paris just for dinner, but in Epcot, that is a possibility nightly. Chefs de France replicates a beautiful Parisian brasserie, complete with incredible views of the World Showcase walkway to complete the experience. Even the waiters are French (and a bit snobbish). Not sure what the menu items are? Your waiter will be happy to explain. Have a picky eater? No problem, the Filet de boeuf grillé is perfect (basically a tenderloin steak). Having personally lived in France for a few years, I love Chefs de France. It is hard to find a good Cassoulet or Boeuf Borgingon anyone outside of French, but it is possible at Chefs de France. Finish off your meal with a Crème Brûlée and spend some time enjoying the ambiance. If possible, ask for a window near the windows, there isn’t anything more French than people watching while you enjoy an incredible meal.
  2. Rose & Crown Dining Room – While I am not sure Rose & Crown has the best food in Epcot, it does have the best seating area. When you arrive, insist on an outside table, preferably waterfront. If you have to wait a while, it is totally worth it. Grab a pint and relax. The waterfront tables have a direct view of the World Showcase Lagoon and is the best view on property for dinner. Dining later at night, you may be lucky to catch the show that takes place in the lagoon each night. The Fish and Chips are excellent, but it is hard to pass up a good Shepherd’s Pie or the Bangers and Mash to complete the feeling of dining in an old English Pub. Do you want to complete the feeling, order yourself some Mushy Peas or Bubble and Squeak along with a pint of your favorite Ale, Cider or Stout and you will be speaking with a British accent in no time.

What is your favorite restaurants for adults in the Epcot?

5 disney things July 1

5 Disney Things You Should Know This Week – July 1, 2016

dis/dom Leave a comment

Each Friday, I provide 5 Disney things all Disney fans should know from this past week, just in case you missed them. This week, we feature news from Walt Disney World including information on the Candlelight Procesional packages, the Epcot Food & Wine Festival and other additional to Walt Disney World.

2016 Candlelight Processional Packages Now Available

If you are interested in booking a Candlelight Processional package at Epcot this year, bookings are now open for all restaurants. As a part of Holidays Around the World at Epcot, this favorite Walt Disney World Resort holiday tradition presents the story of Christmas in truly spectacular fashion – with a celebrity narrator, a 50-piece orchestra and a mass choir.

Celebrity narrators this year include some returning favorites like contemporary Christian music singer Steven Curtis Chapman, actors Whoopi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris and newcomers like legendary baseball player Cal Ripken, Jr. Here’s the list of confirmations we have so far:

  • 11/25-27 – Steven Curtis Chapman
  • 11/28-12/1 – Neil Patrick Harris
  • 12/2-12/3 – Whoopi Goldberg
  • 12/4-12/12 – TBA
  • 12/13-12/15 – Meredith Vieira
  • 12/16-12/18 – TBA
  • 12/19-12/21 – Joe Morton
  • 12/22-12/27 – TBA
  • 12/28-12/30 – Cal Ripken, Jr.

The processional is performed three times per night (5:00, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m.) during the holiday season at the American Gardens Theatre. These packages, available on select nights, include a delicious meal and a guaranteed seat for one of the Candlelight Processional performances. Availability is limited.

Magic Kingdom PinQuest

pinquest

Check it out, Walt Disney World has announced a new Disney pin trading scavenger hunt is coming to Magic Kingdom Park on June 30. 2016. The first step for this PinQuest is to purchase an adventure kit which contains a lanyard to showcase your pins; a decoder medal for use with PinQuest pins; and a lanyard pouch to hold the map included in the adventure kit. The lanyard pouch also holds PinQuest clue cards which are sold separately.

There are six different PinQuest clue cards. Each clue card has a question that needs answered and shared with a NavigatEAR Cast Member in a particular location. Once solved, you can redeem the clue card for a PinQuest pin using the perforated ticket on the bottom of the clue card.

For more information: New Disney PinQuest Coming to Magic Kingdom

2016 Epcot Food & Wine Festival

epcot food wine festival

Information and dates have finally been released for the 2016 Epcot Food & Wine Festival. This year includes additonal food booths, more classes and celebrity chefs and of course teh Eat to the Beat concert series. Did I mention it is the longest Food & Wine Festival in the history of Epcot? 62 days!

For more information: 2016 Epcot Food & Wine Festival

Frontera Cocina now open at Disney Springs

frontera cocina

More Disney World restaurants are always welcome. This week, Frontera Cocina, the newest dining experience to join the lineup at Disney Springs, is now open! Located in Town Center, Frontera Cocina features exciting flavors and a contemporary Mexican experience developed by renowned Chef Rick Bayless.

Chef Bayless offers his award-winning taste of dishes such as Oaxacan Red Chile Chicken, Salsa Verde Shrimp Enchiladas Suizas and freshly made salsas and guacamole. There’s also a quick-service taco counter.

Chef Bayless created his Frontera franchise in Chicago in 1981. His other notable restaurants include Xoco, Frontera Grill, Toplobampo, Leña Brava and Cruz Blanca. He may be best known for winning the title of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef Masters,” but his national Public Television Series, “Mexico–One Plate at a Time,” is in its 10th season. He’s won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, including the foundation’s highest award, Outstanding Restaurant, for Frontera Grill in 2007. He also won two for his cookbooks, Midwest Chef of the Year, National Chef of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year and Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.

‘Inside Disney Parks’ Newscast #4

Episode 4 of the Inside Disney Parks newscast is now available, and includes all the information you need to enjoy the 4th of July at Walt Disney World. Enjoy!

Did I miss any Disney news this week that should have been included?

Epcot FastPass

Epcot FastPass Recommendations

dis/dom Leave a comment

For many, the new Walt Disney World FastPass system takes a while to get used to. The old system at Walt Disney World (and the current system at Disneyland) did not involve a lot of pre-planning, you just grabbed a FastPass at the ride and returned when the ticket said you could return. The new Walt Disney World FastPass+ system takes planning, reservations can be made as early as 60 days before your trip. It is hard to know which ride I am going to want to ride in 2 months, but you have to make a guess, the FastPasses go quickly. Epcot has a unique system in that they have FastPass tiers, you can’t just choose between all the available attractions, you can choose one attraction from tier 1, and then 2 additional FastPasses from tier 2. Making Epcot FastPass reservations can be frustrating, but we are here to help.

Epcot FastPass Tiers

  • Tier 1 – Illuminations, Test Track, Frozen Ever After and Soarin’
  • Tier 2 – Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, Living with the Land, Journey Into Imagination, Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot, Mission:Space, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Spaceship Earth and Turtle Talk with Crush

Of course, it would be awesome to chose all three from tier 1, but that is why Disney has to limit you, there just are not that many attractions at Epcot. Remember, once you use up your first three FastPasses, you can get more by visiting a FastPass kiosk or on the My Disney Experience app on your smartphone. Plus, any addition FastPasses can be from any of the tiers, you are no longer limited.

Epcot FastPass Recommendations

Here are my recommendations for your FastPasses in Epcot

  1. Tier 1 – Soarin’ or Test Track – Sure, Frozen Ever After currently has crazy lines, but that is because it is brand new. Yesterday, I saw a live photo that showed 2 people in the actual line for the ride and several hundred that had FastPasses. Illuminations is a waste as there are fantastic viewing areas all around the World Showcase. Living with the Land is my favorite Epcot attraction, but you can walk on it just about anytime after lunch, there is rarely a line once the World Showcase opens. I would suggest either Soarin’ or Test Track, both tend to have very long lines all day. Get a FastPass for the 9:30 – 10:30 slot, and head to the other one as soon as the park opens. You should be able to ride both within the first hour the park is open.
  2. Tier 2 – Mission: Space – Epcot’s third big boy ride is not nearly as popular as Test Track or Soarin’. I think that has to do with the fact that very few people want to ride it more than once, it does tend to cause motion sickness. However, lines can be long, especially early in the day, and it is a great FastPass option.
  3. Tier 2 – Turtle Talk with Crush or The Seas with Nemo & Friends – Now, you would think I would suggest Spaceship Earth here, as it is a MUST DO in Epcot, and the lines get really long in the morning. Since the ride is right near the entrance, most people stop here first so the lines first thing are LONG. Silly people. If you watch the wait times, Spaceship early rarely has much of a line after lunchtime, and I will never wait more than 5 minutes for it. Most of the other attractions in Tier 2 you can catch during the day with little to no lines. I do suggest looking at Turtle Talk, mostly because the capacity of this attraction is very low, so lines can get long, especially with the popularity of Finding Dory. Same goes for The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Lines can be very long early in the day. Really for Tier 2, this is a personal thing. If you have kids (or adults) that must do one of the attractions or else, they do it. There isn’t a huge difference between the tier 2 options, plus it is always easy to get additional FastPasses for tier 2 rides later in the day.

As with most FastPasses, there really isn’t a wrong choice, but at Epcot, there are a few bad choices. Remember to choose your times as early in the day as possible, and be at the parks at opening, that first hour in the parks, especially Epcot, is nearly dead and a great time to get in a lot of popular rides in a short time.