fbpx
Skip to content

WDW Radio Newswire: Epcot Readies For 2018 Edition of Food and Wine Festival

Plus…. TRON construction set to temporarily impact operations of two attractions, name confirmed for new restaurant at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and more!

We begin the August 2018 Edition of the WDW Radio Newswire at Epcot, where preparations are well underway for the 2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. The kiosks are in place, and the menus, events, and concert line-ups have been announced. The countdown is officially on, as the big event is set to kickoff this Thursday, August 30. The Food and Wine Festival is scheduled for a massive 75-day run, with things set to wrap up on Monday, November 12. There will be nearly 40 kiosks set up around the park, with the majority nestled around World Showcase. However there will be a dozen snack spots found in Future World this year, including three inside the Wonders of Life Pavilion, which will once again be reprising its role as the Festival Center. In addition, the seasonal Taste Track kiosk will be joining in the mix for this year’s Food and Wine as an official Festival Booth. Here you’ll find  a delicious array of specialty croissant doughnuts, which you can personalize with various toppings such as chocolate, marshmallows, hazelnut, sprinkles, white chocolate raspberry, or vanilla bean gelato. There will also be several new menu items to indulge your taste palette this year, including Butternut Squash Ravioli at the Wine & Dine Studio, Charred Chimichurri Skirt Steak at Flavors of Fire, and the New Brunswick Pot Roast Slider at Hops & Barley. In addition to the festival booths, you’ll also find a wide variety of culinary demonstrations and seminars held daily inside the Festival Center, including special cheese seminars on select Saturdays. There’s also going to be a Ratatouille-inspired scavenger hunt for the whole family to enjoy again this year. The Eat to the Beat Concert Series will be back in action each day as well, with the America Gardens Theatre playing host to a staggering 225 performances throughout the duration of the Festival. Acts scheduled to appear this year include Sugar Ray (Sept. 24-26), 98 Degrees (Oct. 15-16), .38 Special (Oct. 17-18), Billy Ocean (Oct. 24-25), Hanson (Oct. 29-31), Boys II Men (Nov. 5-7), and many more.

 

For more news out of Epcot, let’s venture over to the American Adventure Pavilion. A new exhibit recently opened inside the American Heritage Gallery. Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art is a combination of contemporary Native artwork and centuries-old artifacts. The 89-piece exhibit features contributions from 40 different American Indian Tribes, each one telling a unique story. The exhibit was produced in cooperation with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. and the Museum of Indian Arts and Cultures in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The exhibit is scheduled to be on display inside the American Heritage Gallery for the next five years, with new artwork, artifacts, and displays to be incorporated into the mix to keep the exhibit fresh and new each time you visit.

 

Tron Light Cycle Concept Art at D23Time to venture over to Magic Kingdom Park now, as the permits have officially been filed for construction of the show building for the TRON Coaster in Tomorrowland. The attraction will be nestled between Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Speedway, and ground clearing work has been ongoing at the site for about eight months now. With the filing of these new permits, vertical construction can now officially begin. As a result of the upcoming construction project, two attractions will have their operations impacted. The Walt Disney World Railroad will be parked at Main Street Station beginning in December 2018. During this time, Guests will be able to get closer then ever to the steam engines, providing for some memorable and unique photo opportunities. In addition, the Tomorrowland Speedway will be temporarily shutting down services in January 2019. During this closure, the Speedway’s Track will be re-configured to allow proper space for the TRON Coaster. There’s no official timetable for the re-opening of the WDW Railroad yet, but the Tomorrowland Speedway is expected to be back up and running with its new track configuration by “Summer 2019.”

 

For more news out of MK, let’s follow the hub over to Liberty Square. The refurbishment of the Liberty Square Riverboat has been extended. Ongoing since January 8 of this year and slated to re-open last month on July 19, the closure has now been extended to “Fall 2018.”

 

Our final bit of news takes us out of the parks and over to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. A major overhaul has been ongoing at the resort for sometime now, and the pieces are rapidly falling into place. The name of the new table service restaurant has finally been announced, as Sebastian’s Bistro and is set to welcome in hungry Guests later this year. The restaurant will be located right on the waterfront, and is named after Ariel’s loyal crustacean sidekick. The menu will be comprised of a savory mix of Latin and Caribbean-inspired dishes, with the design of the restaurant resembling that of a welcoming beachfront home. Sebastian’s Bistro replaces Shutter’s as Caribbean Beach Resort’s premiere table service restaurant.

 

Well, that’s gonna do it for the August 2018 Edition of the WDW Radio Newswire. But I’ll be back again next month with lots more news, notes, and happenings from Walt’s beloved Florida Project!

 

(Photos copyright Disney)

 

To learn more about Don and read his recent posts for the WDW Radio Blog, visit his author page by clicking the link on his name at the top of this post. 

Comments

About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

Related Posts