Felipe shares stories of the band’s success, performing at Walt Disney World, the creation of Y.M.C.A. and the phenomenon that followed, their fans and band updates.

For more information, visit the official Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival web site and the official Village People web site

The post Interview with The Village People – Performing at Epcot During the 2013 Flower & Garden Festival appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

- Epcot Flower and Garden Festival 2013
- New Walt Disney World Maps 2013
- Annual Passholder Discounts
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort Refurb
- Walt Disney World iPod Touch MyMagic+ RFID turnstiles
- And more!

QUESTION OF THE WEEK – Will you be attending the Flower and Garden Festival this year? What’s your favorite part? – Leave your answers in the Comments below!

My apologies for the audio issues on this week’s show. It was a faulty setting and has been corrected. I appreciate your patience and understanding

Thanks for watching! Be sure to tune in next week!

- Lou Mongello

The post WDW Radio LIVE – Epcot Flower and Garden Festival 2013 – March 6, 2013 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

This year’s Flower and Garden Festival takes place from March 6-May 19, 2013. If you listened to the WDWRadio Newscast show from 1/30/13, you’d already know that this year Disney is introducing something new to the festival:they are adding food and drink around the 12 World Showcase promenade marketplace kiosks!

This is a vegan food blog, not a flower one, so I’m here to tell you about details of a new vegan item being introduced to the festival’s menu! It’s called “frushi” and it’s basically the idea of sushi, but instead it’s sweet, because it’s made with fresh fruits and coconut rice and it’s being served at Hanami in the Japan Pavilion. Of course, in traditional Japanese restaurants there are sushi rolls which are already vegan, or “accidentally vegan,” like cucumber rolls, avocado rolls, and sweet potato rolls. (Tokyo Dining in the Japan Pavilion in Epcot’s World showcase actually offers both sweet potato rolls and cucumber rolls!) It’s great to see this option, in addition to the other vegan sushi options, menu-ready available for us during the upcoming festival! Just make sure you ask for no whipped cream!!

It is tough to know what exactly is and isn’t vegan because of hidden ingredients you may not expect to find in a seemingly innocent food item. For example, sometimes things are cooked in butter, or milk is added as some minute ingredient.  I tried contacting Disney Special Diets, but they are unable to provide allergen information since with these food carts there is a possibility for cross-contamination.With that said, here are some other options that seem as though they might be made vegan, but please note that these are just guesses on my part.  Since I can’t get any real information on it, you still will have to ask the chef at the kiosk to be sure!:

Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market- Germany- Potato Pancakes with Housemade Applesauce

Florida Fresh- Watermelon Salad with pickled Red Onions, BW Baby Arugula, and Balsamic Reduction (ask for no Feta Cheese if they can do that)

Lotus House- China- Pan Fried Vegetable bun (there isn’t much of a description on this, so I’m not sure what it is. Make sure you check with the chef before ordering)

Lotus House- China- Beijing style candied Strawberries

L’Orangerie- France- Verrine charlotte au péches- Caramalized peaches and rosemary (ask for no creme if they can do that)

Pineapple Promenade- Canada- Dole Pineapple Fruit Cup

Hanami- Japan- YakiSoba Pan - Fresh grilled carrots, onions and cabbage with Japanese noodles and teriyaki sauce served on a bun with Beni (ask for no Mayonnaise if they can do that)

and, of course-

Hanami- Japan- Frushi - fresh strawberries, pineapple and cantaloupe, rolled with coconut rice, atop a raspberry sauce sprinkled with toasted coconut (ask for no whipped cream)

<< Here’s a printable pocket guide for you to bring along! The guide is an abbreviated version of the above information, so make sure you read the disclaimer above, which is: “here are some other options that seem as though they might be made vegan, but please note that these are just guesses on my part, since I can’t get any real information on it, so you will have to ask the chef at the kiosk to be sure!:”

If you read my post about the exciting addition to Tamu Tamu Refreshments in Animal Kingdom, you would know how excited I am to hear the news about a vegan-izable items being added to a menu, ready to order, during the Flower and Garden Festival. This is a big deal. As readers of this weekly blog would know, most of my instructions on how to order vegan meals at WDW involve special request items and working with a chef to make a meal that fits your taste preferences or modifying a meal that is already on the menu. Disney is really making sure they are catering to guests’ needs, which seem to be trending towards the vegetarian and vegan meal choices. It’s easier to order these options when they are featured on the menu, ready to order, instead of per special request only. You’d agree that this might be a trend, especially if you read my post this past fall about the vegan kiosk, Terra Marketplace, during the Food and Wine Festival of 2012. If you haven’t seen the post, it’s worth checking out even if it’s just to see Lou affectionately spoon feeding Tony!

The great thing about these new vegan options, and really about all vegan options, is that everyone can eat it, it’s not just for vegans!

Are you excited about trying the “frushi” and other vegan options this year at Flower and Garden?  Please leave your answers in the comments below!

Angie has been a WDW addict since her first visit at age 8, and since then her life has never been the same! She lives in southeastern MA with her boyfriend, Kevin (fellow Disney lover), and their 3 dogs, Flip, Josie, and Hildy, where she is currently training to become a professional dog trainer.  Please join Angie every week in “Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Eating Vegan in WDW!” Angie believes that WDW is the most magical place for people with special diets, so, should you have any special diet questions (especially about vegan and gluten-free dining) she’d be happy to help! Angie is also an artist, and you can see her work at www.angiecarreiro.com!

Disclaimer: This blog post, and all past and future Fish Are Friends, Not Food blog posts, are written with my most recent knowledge of the food in WDW parks. Please note that things are constantly changing, so this information might not always be up to date. Also note that I do not take into consideration refined sugar, cross contamination, or impure food items. With that said, always ask a chef before ordering if you are unsure about something, because the recipe may have changed or you may have a different way of defining your vegan lifestyle.

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: 2013 Flower and Garden Festival Vegan Items appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

At least 25 different plants, grasses and mosses of various colors, including pink and red begonias, dusty miller, palm fiber, palm seeds, ficus and lichen, are used to create and define features of the festival topiaries. More color has been added to the topiaries than in any previous topiary presentation. Here are just a few of those amazing topiaries.

 

The post Character Topiaries at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.