Disney has released more details about the new land coming to Disney World & Disneyland – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!
This is what we have known for a short while. There will be two main attractions in the land – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run (What is the obsession with the “:” all about?). They have also told us about one of the eateries – Oga’s Cantina. Overnight, Disney released more information about a section of the land called Batuu. This is the home of the “Black Spire Outpost” and is the section you will first come into when you enter Galaxy’s Edge. They have also revealed that the Play Disney Parks App will play a big role in guest’s interaction with the land. Sounds fun!
So first things first- FOOD!! Here is what they have informed us about:
Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo – Exotic and unusual dishes will be served by Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs. He has cruised the galaxy with his traveling diner “Tugg’s Grub”.
Ronto Roasters – This looks pretty amazing. They cook various kinds of exotic meats using an old podracing engine as the heat source.
Milk Stand – Here you can purchase blue or green milk from the Bubo Wamba Family farm.
Kat Saka’s Kettle – This street merchant will sell a popular Outpost Mix. This mix is made up of different types of popcorn.
Next – Merchandise! There is no shortage of places to get all your Star Wars needs – from costume attire to sweet cuddly friends that you can take home with you.
Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities – Here, travelers can find unique items from all across the universe.
Savi’s Workshop – Handbuild Lightsabers – At this shop, travelers can find a group known as the Gatherers. This group passes on their knowledge of Jedi Lore and tries to keep the balance in the universe. You will also find a Master Guide that can assist you in building the Lightsaber that will best suit you.
Droid Depot – At Mubo’s Workshop, you will find various parts of droids. Travelers can build a droid to bring home with them.
First Order Cargo – This temporary landing base is the current location of the first order. They have brought containers and crates of attire, supplies, and gear to share to win the hearts of travelers and guests that come to the Black Spire Outpost
Resistance Supply – Here, followers of the resistance can find supplies, gear, food, and different types of attire.
Now that we know several attractions & merchants that will be a part of Galaxy’s Edge, we need to answer the biggest question – When will it be open to visit?!!? More to come! I know there are a lot of you holding out on booking your trip until the dates are released. Once they are, those resorts will book up faster that you can imagine! Follow me to be one of the first to know when it will open!!
The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is just around the corner. This year, it will run March 6th through June 3rd. This Limited Time Magic is not something you want to miss. The flowers are stunning and we love walking through all of the gardens, but now let’s talk about the food offerings!
This year, 17 Outdoor Kitchens will be serving as well as other areas for tastings throughout Epcot. The food will all be inspired by fresh ingredients that you can find in gardens. They do have vegetarian and gluten free options if that is something someone in your party prefers or requires. Don’t miss out on all the delicious offerings and fun beverages!
2019 Menu’s:
ARBOR (Located at The Gardeners Terrace in The Odyssey Center) Food:
Fried Green Tomatoes with Blue Crab-Fennel Salad, Remoulade, and Smoked Paprika Oil
Smoked Salmon Stack with Avocados, Tomatoes, Sour Cream, Caviar, and Focaccia Crostino
Mixed Berry Buttermilk Cake with Apple Cider Sorbet (GF, V)
Beverages:
Original Sin Brewery Black Widow Hard Cider, New York, NY
Florida Beer Company Caribé Strawberry Rose Hard Cider, Cape Canaveral, FL
3 Daughters Brewing Key Lime Apple Hard Cider, St. Petersburg, FL
Karbach Brewing Lemon and Ginger Radler Houston, TX
Seadog Brewing Company Sunfish Ale, Clearwater, FL
Shipyard Brewing Company Grind the Rind Watermelon IPA, Portland, ME
Cider Flight
Beer Flight
LA ISLA FRESCA (Located in Showcase Plaza East) Food:
Jamaican-braised Beef with Pigeon Pea Rice and Micro Cilantro
Sugar Cane Shrimp Skewer with Steamed Rice and Coconut-Lime Sauc
Tropical Mousse Cake: Layers of Passion Fruit Cake, Coconut Mousse, and a Tropical Fruit Glaze with Fresh Pineapple
Beverages:
Tropical Freeze (non-alcoholic)
Golden Road Brewing Tart Mango Cart Wheat Ale, Los Angeles, CA
Tropical Freeze with Mango Rum
THE CITRUS BLOSSOM (Located near Refreshment Port) Food:
Lobster Tail with Meyer Lemon Emulsion and Grilled Lemon (GF)
Tuna Tataki with Spicy Yuzu Glaze, Mango, Avocado, and Pappadam Crisp
Crispy Citrus Chicken with Orange Aïoli and Baby Greens (GF)
Orange Cream Slushy in a Souvenir Orange Bird Sipper (sipper only available while supplies last) (non-alcoholic)
Islamorada Beer Company Coconut Key Lime Ale, Fort Pierce, FL
First Magnitude Brewing Lemon Hefeweizen, Gainesville, FL
Heavy Seas Brewery TropiCannon Citrus IPA, Halethorpe, MD
Orange Sunshine Wine Slushy
Beer Flight
PINEAPPLE PROMENADE (Located near Refreshment Port) Food:
Spicy Hot Dog with Pineapple Chutney and Plantain Chips
Pineapple Soft-serve Ice Cream (V)
Beverages:
Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
Pineapple Soft-serve Ice Cream with Fanta (non-alcoholic)
Coastal Empire Beer Co. Coco Piña Gose, Savannah, GA
Maui Brewing Co. Pineapple Mana Wheat, Kihei, HI
SweetWater Brewing Company Goin’ Coastal IPA with Pineapple, Atlanta, GA
Playalinda Brewing Company Violet Lemonade Ale, Titusville, FL
Florida Orange Groves Winery Sparkling Pineapple Wine, St. Petersburg, FL
Pineapple Soft-serve Ice Cream with Coconut Rum
Pineapple Beer Flight
THE HONEY BEE-STRO Hosted by National Honey Board (Located near Refreshment Port) Food:
Roasted Cauliflower with Buckwheat Honey Carrot Purée, Wild Rice
Pilaf, Asparagus, Honey-blistered Grapes, Sunflower Brittle, and
Coriander Flowers (GF, V)
Honey Tandoori Chicken Flatbread with White Cheddar Cheese, Charred Vegetables, Clover Honey Sour Cream, and Micro Citrus Greens
Local Wildflower Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake with Orange Blossom
Honey Ice Cream garnished with Fennel Pollen Meringue Kisses and Petite
Lavender Shoots (V)
Beverages:
Honey-Peach Cobbler Freeze (non-alcoholic)
Goodwood Brewing Company Brandy Barrel Honey Ale, Louisville, KY
TASTE OF MARRAKESH (Located in the Morocco Pavilion) Food:
Harissa Chicken Kebab with Dried Fruit Couscous Salad
Fried Cauliflower with Capers, Garlic Parsley, and Chili-Ranch Sauce
Walnut Honey Baklava
Beverages:
Casa Beer
Larroque Chardonnay, Meknes
White Sangria
Desert Rose: Sparkling Wine topped with Pomegranate Liqueur
HANAMI (Located in the Japan Pavilion) Food:
Frushi: Fresh Pineapple, Strawberry, and Melon rolled with Coconut
Rice, sprinkled with Toasted Coconut, Whipped Cream with Raspberry Sauce
on the side (V)
Chilled Soba Noodle Salad with Pan-seared Tuna and Wasabi Dressing
Chicken Karaage with Nanban Sauce: Japanese-style Fried Chicken
served on a bed of Shredded Cabbage and topped with a Soy and
Vinegar-based Dressing
Beverages:
Kirin Draft Beer
Sayuri “Little Lilly” Nigori Sake
“Ichigo Sun” Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail with Sake, Strawberry Purée, and Lemonade
FUNNEL CAKES (Located in The American Adventure)
Key Lime Funnel Cake topped with Crumbled Graham Cracker and Whipped Cream
Lexington Brewing Company Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale, Lexington, KY
Short’s Brewing Company Local’s Light Lager, Bellaire, MI
Dogfish Head Brewery American Beauty Pale Ale, Milton, DE
Brooklyn Brewery Defender IPA, Brooklyn, NY
Golden Road Brewing Pineapple Cart Wheat Ale, Los Angeles, CA
3 Daughters Brewing Hard Rosé Cider, St. Petersburg, FL
Beer Flight
THE SMOKEHOUSE: BARBECUE AND BREWS (Located in The American Adventure) Food:
Pulled Pig Slider with Coleslaw
Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider with Garlic Sausage, Chorizo, Cheddar Fondue, and House-made Pickle
Shredded Beef Brisket with Smoked Potato, Chorizo Fondue, and Green Tomato Relish
Warm Chocolate Cake with Bourbon-salted Caramel Sauce and Spiced Pecans (V)
Beverages:
Frozen Simply Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
Central 28 Brewing Company Sunshine Greetings Orange Hibiscus Wheat Ale, DeBary, FL
3 Daughters Brewing Phantasmas Spicy Double IPA, St. Petersburg, FL
Shipyard Maple Bacon Stout, Clearwater, FL
Boneshaker Zinfandel, Lodi, CA
Frozen Simply Lemonade with Blackberry Moonshine
Beer Flight
FIFE & DRUM (Located in The American Adventure)
Short’s Brewing Company Soft Parade Shandy, Bellaire, MI
PRIMAVERA KITCHEN (Located in the Italy Pavilion) Food:
Pizza Toscana: Rustic Italian Flatbread with Sweet Sausage, Caramelized Onion, Mozzarella, Asiago, and Parmesan Cheeses
Pomodori Verdi e Mozzarella: Fried Green Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese, and Balsamic Reduction
Tri-colored Cheese Tortellini, Sage Butter, and Chicken Veloute
If you would like to escape to Epcot in the next few months to experience all the Food & Garden Festival has to offer, contact me and we will get you on your way!
Disney’s H2O Glow Nights are back this summer at Typhoon Lagoon!
Partysaurus Rex has outdone himself this year! With the popularity of this limited-time offering of magic, he wanted to bring it back in a big way. On select nights starting May 30th, guests can enter Typhoon Lagoon for an evening of music, dancing, Toy Story Characters, yummy limited-time food offerings inspired by Toy Story, and best of all – some of your favorite water rides in the dark! Like other Extra Magic Events, a limited number of tickets are sold for each party so the lines will be shorter for your favorite attractions.
There will even be an adult only section for party-goers that have no little skippers with them. “The Wharf” will have its own entertainment, a private bar area, and refreshing beverages!
The party is from 8-11pm but guests can enter as early as 6 with their ticket. Party Nights are Thursday and Saturday and this runs through August 24th. (no party June 20th). Get your tickets now for your Disney Summer Vacation and come join Partysaurus Rex and the gang!
Little girls everywhere are going to be super excited when they hear about the magic going on over at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Cinderella Castle. They are adding more chairs and fairy godmothers so that they can help more little girls live out their princess dreams. Along with expanding the castle, they are adding a very special magical mirror!
In addition, a brand new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will be opening up at Disney’s Grand Floridian! Starting this summer, guests will be able to visit the Boutique and receive the full princess experience. It will be as easy as hopping on a monorail to get to the boutique and then you can head right back to the Magic Kingdom to continue the day dressed as a Disney Princess. I like to make dinner reservations at Cinderella’s Royal Table, Be Our Guest, or 1900 Park Fare the same day we do Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique so we can get pictures with the princesses. What a wonderful addition this will be! Stay tuned for opening details.
This new interactive Play Pavilion is coming to Epcot! Not many details have been given yet but we do know that it will be in the old Wonders of Life Pavilion. I am so glad they are finally re-purposing that area with new content. It looks like it will be a great place for families to interact and play. I got very excited when I saw the word “Wedway” (what Tomorrow Transit Authority used to be called) up above the 3 glass windows in mid-upper right quadrant. I have no idea what it means yet but I am super excited! More details to come so stay tuned!
Disney is also re-imagining the entry to Epcot. The Leave a Legacy monuments will be moved just outside the park’s gateway and can still be admired.
They are adding greenery and will update the existing fountain to closer resemble the original. It looks beautiful!
Check back for more information on all the other exciting things coming to Epcot including Guardians of the Galaxy Coaster and the space themed restaurant next to it, a limited-time night time show over the World Showcase Lagoon featuring classic Epcot music, and coming soon in 2020 a brand new nighttime spectacular.
Beginning March 6, 2019 Coco will be joining us in the Mexico Pavilion! With the help of Mariachi Cobre and Folklórico dancers, Coco’s story will be shared in a way it never has been before. The artists will tell the story of Miguel and his journey to find his family through song and dance. The Mariachi Cobre will play music and get everyone participating in this great story. Miguel will be with us through the Flower & Garden Festival.
While Ralph and Vanellope have been meeting with guests for a while now over at innoventions, it was time for a change. The imagineers at Imageworks have invited them through a portal from their dimension into ours! Guests can continue to meet with Ralph and Vanellope in the Imageworks section of Journey Into Imagination. Say hi to my friend Figment while you are there!
Animal Kingdom is going to be a special place to visit in 2019! New things are being added and limited time magic is happening at a few locations as well. This year, the Disney animated film “The Lion King” turns 25. “The Lion King” has always been a huge part of Animal Kingdom and now we are celebrating it even more!
Now through September 30th, guests can party with Lion King’s Timon & Rafiki as well as other jungle friends, Meeko, Turk, Koda, & Baloo. Guests can sing, dance, and jump around with all of the “party animals”. Also, a new Tree of Life Awakenings will take place each night at dusk. The tree will light up to scores from the move “The Lion King” and will showcase Simba’s journey through the movie.
You just never know what creatures you are going to run into while in Animal Kingdom. Recently, a familiar face was seen migrating right through the park! Kevin! Krababble! This sweet snipe from Up has made it right to the park’s Discovery Island! The castmembers at Disney are using this opportunity to teach us all about bird migration. Because of Disney’s location, several birds use the park as a stop over during their trip. Learn about Kevin and many other birds and their migration patterns. Oh – and be careful if you are traveling with any chocolate in your pockets.
There is something special about walking up Main Street USA. Whether it’s the first time ever or the first time of your 100th trip. I still get tingles after walking through the tunnels under the train station. There is magic around every corner and the adventure begins.
I cannot say enough about what Disney has done for my life and my relationships. Growing up with Disney in my life has left an everlasting impression of magic & happiness on my heart. I am hoping to do that with my children and with each child I am lucky enough to plan a trip for going forward.
Regardless of what is going on in our lives when we leave for a Disney trip, the only thing that matters when we cross through those gates is the love we have for each other and the memories we are about to make We always grow as a family when we are on vacation but the closeness we feel when we leave from a Disney vacation is different. It’s laughing at Goofy, it’s holding hands in the crowd, it’s cuddling during fireworks, it’s sharing a Mickey Head Ice Cream, it’s posing with Belle, it’s squeezing a little tighter on The Haunted Mansion. It’s It’s the Magic of Disney.
My love for Disney and Planning has brought a new role into my life. After a conversation with the wonderful Agent who I had assist us in turning our Disney Dreams into memories, I decided this would be a lot of fun! I have been told (more than I care to admit) that I over plan. Sometimes, I even get a little blue that the planning part is over once our Disney Trip Countdown gets to zero. Even though I plan for families & friends, I am always looking for another trip to plan. To fill that planning void, I decided to become a Vacation Specialist for Disney Destinations.
If you want to visit Walt Disney World, Disneyland, A Disney Cruise, Aulani or a Disney Adventure, let me plan it for you! I can take all of the stress off of you and your family by performing all the different tasks associated with planning a trip.
Love to plan your own trips obsessing over each second like I do? Using a Disney Vacation Specialist like myself is still a great idea. I can monitor the rates at Disney once you are reserved in case any discounts arise and then can apply them to your reservation! I can also make some of those phone calls that are harder to make for Magical Experiences.
I can be as hands on or hands off as you would like with your reservation, but I will take care of it as if it were my own.
Also, with qualifying reservations, we send out our Minnie Box! It is our gift to you and will arrive at your home prior to you leaving, wrapped up in a big yellow bow! Each is different and tailored to your particular family.
I also can assist you with reservations and packages for Universal!!
Let me work with you to turn Dreams into Memories.
Turning Dreams Into Memories 