Still one of my favorite festivals at Epcot. We came on the first day of the festival again this…read moreyear, but it's gotten so much busier. The first day is crammed with bloggers and vloggers, and they are still working out the kinks in the kitchens so the food lines were long and we did not end up getting to try as much as we wanted, so we made plans to come again before the festival ended. That was a great decision, as the food, especially the desserts have gotten even better over the years. We love the Animation Academy and make plans to attend both sessions. And enjoy looking at the art and occasionally bring home a piece. This year we got a piece called Cheeky Tiki with the Orange Bird. The only disappointment was this year's Festival Treat. The Figment Rice Crispy was way too sweet and not worth the effort.

A couple of years ago Max and I planned a trip and did not know it was the Food and Wine Festival…read more Imagine my surprise when I saw the signs for an Art Festival. Max and I stopped at a few booths to get some food. Lots of talented artists displaying their art.

The Festival of Fantasy Parade has the best floats ever! They're not only colorful, but there are…read moredancing performances by Disney characters on each float. It's the best opportunity to see your favorite Disney characters up close. Just take your seat along the curb in front of Cinderella Castle (the best view) along Main Street, or hang out further away on a bench in the shade on Main Street. It all depends on how close you want to get to the characters. This specific parade started in 2014. I originally thought it was the parade of my childhood. The one that I remember getting a nose kiss by one of the chipmunks as a teenager while standing by the curb. Was it Chip or Dale? I have no idea. It was cool how they all interacted with everyone on the street. I didn't see as much of that. It was mostly waving, blowing kisses, and singing. Yep, I was thinking of a totally different parade without the fancy floats. However, this one is way better. The floats actually perform. Peter Pan's galleon ship shoots cannons. Not real ones. Don't be silly. The Tangled boat was so cool with it's moving oars, and tools that swing up high with Flynn Rider onboard. But, the coolest float of all was the Maleficent dragon that's breathing fire throughout the route of the parade. Beauty and the Beast, as well as Mickey & Minnie provided some cute moments. Get to your parade location by 2:45 pm so that you get a good spot. The parade starts at 3 pm at Frontierland. It moves past Liberty Square, Cinderella Castle, and then on to Main Street. Everyone on Main Street will be the last to see it. It takes time for it to get there, but just be patient. Oh, and definitely be sure you have sunscreen because you'll be frying like an egg in a skillet (unless it's overcast). Most people aren't used to the intense afternoon sun in Florida. If you burn easily, you need to be protected. Other than that, enjoy the parade. It's absolutely magical!

WATCH THE FESTIVAL OF FANTASY PARADE FROM FRONTIERLAND…read more Instead of dealing with the crowds on Main Street, we watched the Festival of Fantasy Parade from Frontierland (where the parade begins). The light crowd day (it was a Mickey Christmas party day) coupled with watching the parade from the less popular Frontierland area may be why we easily found a curbside spot. We watched a young park guest experience a Disney Magical Moment during the parade - Alice walked up to the young girl, offered her an imaginary cup of tea and pretended to nibble on her gingerbread Minnie ears :o). Sometimes we see parade characters interact with park guests in the smaller Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade parade - it was an unexpected treat to see this happen during the Fantasy parade. Hopefully it was a tech malfunction that will be fixed - the steampunk Maleficent dragon was not spewing flames during the parade.

I made my way over to the Disney & Pixar Short Films at Epcot during my last visit to Epcot for the…read moreRunDisney Springtime Surprise, 2026. This was one of the best breaks we had for most of our trip. The attraction is very straightforward. Once inside the film theater, all you do is pickup your 3D glasses and watch a series of Disney/Pixar short films. Since there isn't simply one film presented. which is what I personally preferred, but rather a series of several shorts shown together, each with their own individual feel, they offer a good variety! The most impressive thing I found with these films was how well they tell a story. It's truly amazing how you can create a memory and enjoy something so much in less than five minutes! The 3D visuals added another layer of enjoyment which made it even easier to become immersed in the film rather than just simply watching on your TV! Another reason why I enjoyed seeing these films is we were able to take a nice break! Sitting in front of an air conditioned movie screen allowed us to take a break from being outside in the heat. Waiting wasn't long for each film, nor did we have to commit a lot of our day to see these shorts! If you've seen some of the other Pixar Shorts, then you may have limited options with this one. However, If you have never seen them or want something mellow, then it is a great choice! I enjoy all of the Pixar shorts and try to watch this each time I visit Epcot!

HEART WARMING FILMS THAT THE ENTIRE FAMILY WILL ENJOY…read more We visited the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival attraction at EPCOT (World Celebration near Figment Journey into Imagination). We really enjoyed the three 3D animated features. The total time for the three films is around 20 minutes. The first BW and color Mickey Mouse film, Get a Horse, is one of the better 3D movies at Disney World with its high def super sharp images. The 4D effects were few including a bumpy seat. The other two animated movies, Feast and Piper, are heart-warming movies that earned applause from our audience that day. I later learned that each film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. The films are shown in a large theatre - the attraction was a walk on (Spring Break weekend - late morning).

A great nighttime offering that (usually) happens twice a night. This show illuminates the park…read morewith custom floats and animated characters. I don't always watch nighttime parades, but the second showing usually isn't as busy and makes it nice to walk up and enjoy. The show itself is only 10~ minutes long, so not a massive parade.

I was so excited when I was there Tuesday with a large group of family members. I knew this was…read moresomething new that not even I had seen yet. The reactions of my nephews when they say the parade was so precious but even I was just amazed. The floats looked so beautiful. It truly was a little touch of magic to end a day. We had just gotten done on HM and then went right down for the parade. I highly recommend adding this to your list of things to do if you are going to close out the day at MK.

I got to participate in Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival for 2025. This year's festival…read moreran from August 28 to November 22. There is a full 90 day celebration! There are over 35 global marketplaces spread throughout the park. Each marketplace offers a wide variety of foods and beverages! This year, I picked up the festival passport at Epcot, and then tried to find Emile's Fromage Montage menu items. If you purchase 5 of the feature dishes and collect stamps for each, you could bring your festival passport to the Shimmering sips marketplace to receive a festival treat! Some of those options included the Fall Fruit Cheesecake and the Pumpkin Mascarpone Ravioli. Also, each year there is Eat to the Beat concerts. I ended up watching Hansen and the M-80s on different evenings. Both concerts were fantastic! You could bring food and drinks while watching the concerts! If you're looking for guaranteed seats to the concerts, there are Concert Series Dining Packages at specific restaurants like Biergarten Restaurant, Chefs De France, Garden Grill and more. You'll want to check the Disney World website to explore participating restaurants and dining package pricing. During the festival, I ended up trying out some of the following food options Potato and Pea Samosa - with Plant-based Coriander-Lime Cream (plant-based) Schinkennudeln - Pasta Gratin with Ham, Onions, and Cheese (Emile's Fromage Montage Offering) Apple Strudel - with Vanilla Sauce Frozen Apple Pie - Apple Pie Filling, Apple-Cinnamon Soft-serve, and Apple-Cinnamon Cider topped with Streusel (non-alcoholic) Pickle Milk Shake Fried Pickle Spears with Dill Ranch S'mores Milkshake drink. All of the food was fantastic. My favorites were the Frozen Apple Pie drink. The Apple Cinnamon Cider was a sparkling carbonated drink with the apple cinnamon soft serve at the bottom. It was such a unique drink and refreshing! The S'mores milkshake was delicious! There were chocolate pieces and marshmallow on top of the chocolate milkshake. It was near the Connections Eatery. The fried pickle spears were yummy too! It would be difficult to try everything at the International Food & Wine festival in just one day. Luckily, I had a few nights to try out a few of the booths. This is such a fun festival and highly recommend trying this out if you're visiting Epcot during the August - November months!

I finally got a chance to visit this year's Food and Wine Festival this past Friday. I arrived…read morearound 1pm and it was quite crowded. Luckily, the crowd thinned out around 3pm and it was much easier to maneuver around the park. It seems lines were longer this year, and many kiosks had only minimal working staff. The Canada, Mexico and France sections were particularly crowded most of the afternoon. My favorite dishes were Canada's Filet Mignon with mushrooms and mashed potatoes (though the filet was cooked quite well done this year), Australia's Grilled Blueberry-spiced Shrimp Skewer (the coconut-chili sauce set this dish apart and the line was nonexistent, which surprised me) and the Forest Field Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli (with tasty pomegranate seeds as a cool twist). If you are looking for a break from the crowds, take the path to the Harvest Hallow area which is off the main circle of the Epcot Wine and Food Festival. It has more plant-based meals here, but they are quite good (especially the Ravioli!!). In addition, the lines are short if you are looking for some excellent wines. There is also plenty of covered seating and tables in this area compared to the rest of the park (see pictures). This is the last week for the 2025 Festival for 2025, so I plan to go one final time on Thursday where I am expecting a less crowded environment. (Tuesday thru Thursday do not require a reservation for passholders so I anticipate less guests.)

We did not go to Epcot knowing it was the flower and garden festival- that was completely on…read moreaccident. That being said, I would strongly recommend checking out Epcot during this festival! All of the flowers and topiaries are BEAUTIFUL! There's tons to see and you could just stare at the topiaries all day. We loved seeing so many characters (my favorite was the lion king one). The other part of this festival was all the food! We loved the poke and frushi...and I think about that frushi even now. We did the whole food challenge and got the dole whip at the end which was so yummy and BIG. Definitely enjoyed this!

The Epcot Flower and Garden Festival was a beautiful and fun experience. The gardens were colorful…read moreand well designed and amazing to see. There were many additional tasty food options to try (that's not available year round), and there was something for everyone. The atmosphere was relaxing with live music! I felt It was a great event for families, couples, or anyone who enjoys flowers, food, and of course Disney magic! Pro tip: use the pocket sized pamphlet to see what food and drink options are available and plan ahead.

While I'm not a person that camps out for the parades, I do love when I bump into one. The…read moreelectrical parade was cruising the streets as we began making our way back to Main Street and it was so easy to get close for pictures. There were so many characters out that I couldn't pinpoint who wasn't there! The lights are beautiful under the stars and this is a fun way to end the night.

MAGICAL ! We were in AWE watching the Starlight Parade last night. It was truly breathtaking. If…read moreyou are looking for a nighttime experience this one is the best - fireworks follow right after the parade ends.

Come for the A/C, stay because Ty Burrell just made climate change sound like a sitcom plot…read more Awesome Planet is EPCOT's way of saying, "We're still educational, dammit." Nestled inside The Land Pavilion, this 10-minute film opened on January 17, 2020, replacing the long-running Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable (1995-2018). You remember that one -- Timon and Pumbaa lecturing you about recycling while you tried not to fall asleep in the air conditioning. Disney retired it after two decades, deciding it was time to update the message and the visuals (and, let's be honest, cut the fart jokes). History check: before Circle of Life, the theater housed Symbiosis (1982-1994), which was pure 1980s EPCOT -- equal parts earnest science lesson and school field-trip snoozefest. Awesome Planet continues that tradition but with a 21st-century facelift: gorgeous IMAX-style cinematography, sweeping time-lapse shots, and narration by Ty Burrell (yes, Phil Dunphy from Modern Family, which somehow makes saving the planet sound both funny and slightly neurotic). The show is a mix of jaw-dropping aerial shots, underwater footage, and computer graphics that make you realize just how insane Earth really is. It hits the big notes: oceans, forests, deserts, storms, climate change. There's a section where you're basically watching Earth flex its muscles while you're sitting there with a churro wondering what you've done with your life. Is it a thrill ride? Nope. But it's pure EPCOT DNA -- infotainment with enough Disney polish to keep you from checking your phone. And the air conditioning? Let's be real, that's the real five-star feature in Florida summers. "It's a commercial for Planet Earth, but at least it's a good commercial."-- it's slick, beautiful, and makes you want to go recycle something immediately... or at least feel guilty about your plastic poncho. Bottom line: Awesome Planet is short, smart, and surprisingly moving. It's the quiet conscience of EPCOT -- reminding you that the most impressive attraction here isn't a ride, it's the rock we're all spinning on.

Awesome Planet is a show located in World Nature at the Land Pavilion. It's right next to the…read moreGarden Grill restaurant, and you'll see the show off to your right as soon as you enter the Land Pavilion. It's been a few years since I watched the show. It's a 10-minute film featuring the earth and the environment from across the globe! This show is for all ages. The film does use in-theater effects such as wind, scents, and water. It tells the story of life on our planet! If you're looking to take a break from the summer heat, this is a great spot to stop at. It's in a air conditioned building. The images are stunning! There usually aren't many people that queue up for this attraction. The theater is relatively large though with lots of seating! If you haven't watched this film yet, you should check it out while you're visiting Epcot!