As the New Year looms it seems that most blogs, websites, etc have to have some sort of year-in-review post, and being the Internet Lemming that I am, I will follow suit? so here are some random things from this this past year around the World ? many, of course, food & drink related.
Let?s hop into our TARDIS and go way back in time ? all the way to January of 2012?
The first big event of the year at the Walt Disney World Resort is Marathon Weekend: thousands of runners, joggers, walkers and assorted hangers-on swamp the World to take part in the athletic endeavors that wind their way through property over the long weekend.
One of the first stops for the participants is at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex to pickup their bibs and other race paraphernalia and to browse and shop at the race expo.
And in case the runners need sustenance to make it up and down the crowded aisles of the expo, one can avail themselves of some fresh fruit, an energy drink, or, thank goodness, a glass of bubbly or a beer!
The Main Street Bakery in the Magic Kingdom was in the Marathon Mood during the weekend with some specially decorated cupcakes? can you say Carb-Loading?
Lots of things were going on in the brief month of February?
The new Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom interactive game was now in full swing in (of course) the Magic Kingdom.
Valentine?s is always a busy time at the World (what?s more romantic than a cozy ride for two through the Haunted Mansion?).
Miss Bonnie and I shared a nice dinner at Artist Point in the Wilderness Lodge to celebrate Valentine?s Day.
Another popular runDisney event. the Princess Half-Marathon, is held the end of February.
After the race instead of the usual ?grab-a-bannana-and-a-bagel? line at most running events, the finishing Princesses (and Princes) were handed a nice little box of post-race refueling items.
Also that month there was a debut at the Kidani Village:
Makemba (an African name for ?Goddess?) is a female Okapi calf that was born on October 1 of 2011 and was just making her first forays into public view for limited times at Kidani Village.
The rare and reclusive Okapi are kept on Pembe Savannah at the resort ? this is the smaller savannah near the pool area. Even if you aren?t staying at the resort you can always stop by and try to catch a glimpse of these gorgeous creatures.
In Epcot?s World Showcase the refurbishment in Italy continued as we eagerly kept checks on the soon to open wine bar?
A kiosk was set up on the promenade to help service guests Italian food needs while Tutto Italia was closed.
March saw the first part of the New Fantasyland expansion debut ? sections of the Storybook Circus area, including the refurbished train stop (and perhaps the nicest restrooms in the Magic Kingdom!) were opened to the public.
Also in March I had the opportunity to attend the Food Blog Forum event that was held on WDW property for the first time this year.
In addition to a day of great seminars and the opportunity to meet many food bloggers from all over the country (as well as re-connect with friends made before), the attendees got a couple of chances to see how the Disney chefs can really strut their stuff when given the chance! An opening reception was held the evening before the seminars at a lovely outside venue at the Grand Floridian resort.
Lunch on the seminar day was held in the Millennium Village in Epcot. Chefs from restaurants around property served a huge variety of great dishes that emphasized the healthier side of dining while still keeping the taste and style high.
March also saw the opening of the 2012 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.
This year?s festival featured an area devoted to Haiti.
And yes, there were cocktails!
April saw the continuation of the Flower & Garden Festival?
and the continued construction at the restaurant in Italy.
But the new signs were up and the refurb seemed near to an end!
While impatiently waiting for the wine bar in Italy to open, we took advantage of the Wine Walk in Epcot and sampled several wines in three countries.
The Wine Walk is available all year and makes a fun (and relatively economical) way to sample several varietals as you make your way around the World Showcase.
And of course the best way to end any day at Epcot (regardless of the time of year) is with a viewing of Illuminations!
Over at the Magic Kingdom an old friend returned?
The Sunshine Tree Terrace in Adventureland re-opened after a bit of a refurbishment?
and along with it came the return of the Orange Bird character to the park.
And at the very end of April in Epcot?
the walls were down in Italy!
But staff posted outside (along with signage) informed guests that the restaurant and adjacent wine bar weren?t quite ready to open to the public.
Which brings us to the merry month of May?.
The first weekend of the month we got to stick out heads into the much-anticipated wine bar (you can see some pics from that visit in the WDW Odds & Ends post from May 24, 2012)?
but it would still be a while before we got to eat and drink there? we?ll get to that later?
The first weekend of May also included Cinco de Mayo?
and not surprisingly the lines were long at La Cava del Tequila in Mexico.
That weekend was also the weekend that the Flower & Garden Festival was highlighting the ?Fresh from Florida? agriculture in the Festival Center (aka the Wonders of Life Pavilion). With the ?Real Job? coming under the umbrella of Florida agriculture, and our company hosting a display at the Festival Center that weekend, Miss Bonnie and I were invited to a small private function ?after hours? upstairs in the Festival Center and once again, I got to see the Disney chefs stretch themselves (and we also found out how easy it would be to wander around backstage fairly unnoticed if one wished to do so? but that?s perhaps another post for another day?).
They tailored the food items to represent several of the groups and companies that were displaying during that weekend: a peanut farm (who knew we raised peanuts in Florida?); kumquat farmers; a couple of ornamental aquaculture suppliers; and of course strawberry farmers .
As we exited the event and took the tiny elevator down to the first floor, Bonnie & I (like the true Disney-nerds we are) took the chance to nose around a little in the closed building and found a fun room?
This is the room that became the Chase Lounge at this year?s Food and Wine Festival, so sadly it no longer exists in the cool decor we saw? but we were excited to see it and I?m glad to be able to share these pictures with my Dear Dedicated Readers.
There is another ?Carousel? room upstairs (see the post at Zannaland about this room) that Bonnie and I got to see after the Food and Wine Festival Preview last year ? hopefully the decor in that room will stay around for a while!
And yes, there was yet another runDisney event that weekend ? the Expedition Everest Challenge ? Miss Bonnie and I declined to run in that event, but we did volunteer and had a great amount of fun helping runners out with the scavenger hunt clues!
A couple of weeks later we once again made our way to Epcot for the final weekend of the Flower & Garden Festival. I specifically wanted to see the performance of Micky Dolenz who was taking the place of the late Davy Jones. It was a fun, nostalgic, and at times emotional show as Micky talked about his friend and band-mate who had just passed away in February.
After the concert we finally got the chance to have a nosh at Tutto Gusto?
and Miss Bonnie quickly fell in love with the place! For more details on the eats we had there (and lots of other eats from that weekend as well!) check out the WDW Weekend Eats post dated June 1, 2012.
Another popular event opened up that weekend: Star Wars Weekends at Disney?s Hollywood Studios.
And yes, there was food there as well!
The June fun started in Animal Kingdom?
with the Sundowner Celebration.
There was food?
beverages?
and dancing!
Even though they could have made more of it, it was a fun event ? you can see more in the post?Sundowner Celebration: A First?Look.
The publicity machine for the soon-to-open film ?Brave? was in full motion with huge billboards in the Studios?
a Merida meet-and-greet in the Magic Kingdom?
and the Highland Games going on in Epcot.
And already merchandise galore?
Another part of the Storybook Circus opened up in June?
with the very well-themed and very wet Casey Junior Splash ?n? Soak Station in the Magic Kingdom.
While nearby the seemingly ever-present construction walls could hardly hide the advancing work going on for the New Fantasyland expansion.
The middle of the month found the Harem at Animal Kingdom for another run at the Sundowner Celebration.
There were also things goings on over at Epcot?
We got to play-test the new Agent P?s World Showcase Adventure which replaced the Kim Possible Adventure.
Inside Mexico most of the entrance area had been cleared out?
to make way for a new exhibit.
And down in La Cava?
they had introduced a new high-end tequila flight!
And I finally got a chance to try a new beverage at the Joy of Tea kiosk in China.
Towards the end of June Miss Bonnie and I got our first look at the Art of Animation resort.
And to end up the month we stepped outside the World?
and onto the Disney Dream?
You can check out a few food & drink pics from that trip in the post ?Life could be a Dream??
Wow? it was quite a busy first half of the year! And since the second half wasn?t much less busy, let?s take a break for a cocktail? or two? or three?
So much for a short little post with some odds & ends?
See you soon for part two! Happy New Year!
Off to the bar?
Source: http://eatingaroundwdw.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/wdw-odds-ends-2012-year-end-edition-part-one/
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