The Misanthrope's Guide to the 2014 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

 Part of the Misanthrope's Guide to Disney World, a series of posts on surviving the theme parks for people who hate people. The main guide page can be found here, with links to previous posts.

Spring is a wonderful time in Florida. The weather is the perfect temperature, the summer storms have yet to arrive, and tourists only appear in sporadic bursts rather than a constant torrent. The birds are chirping, the rabbits are multiplying like rabbits, and Epcot's annual Flower and Garden Festival returns for yet another year. Like Spring itself, it's pretty much the same as last year, but it's definitely a welcome return.

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, for those who haven't read my previous articles on it, is a two month long celebration of flora and vegetation, along with the occasional sniff of industrial strength fertilizer. Traditionally, it's been the less attended of Epcot's major festivals, since staring at vibrant flowers has less general appeal than getting plastered on wine or seeing a dizzying array of international Santas. For a nature loving misanthrope, however, it's always been wonderful, as the non-Spring Break crowds were dead and the park came alive with vibrant colors.

Meet Lil' Joe, Epcot's New Manatee

The zoos and aquatic attractions of Florida work together to aid and preserve manatee, gentle giants often injured by pollution and boat propellers. Epcot's Living Seas pavilion is no exception, housing a small manatee rehabilitation facility inside the larger aquariums. By law, manatees are cared for as wild creatures, with care focused on the eventual release of the animals

For the last couple years, Disney has housed two manatees that survived boat strikes, named Lou and Vail. Both suffered serious injuries that left their tails in tatters, which made release difficult. It seems Vail has either been transferred to another facility or been released, as he's no longer at Epcot.

The Misanthrope's Guide to Epcot's Gran Fiesta Tour

Part of the Misanthrope's Guide to Disney World, a series of posts on surviving the theme parks for people who hate people. The main guide page can be found here, with links to previous posts.

World Showcase is the true heart of Epcot, and the Mexico Pavilion is one of World Showcase's most stunning countries. Fronted by a giant facade that resembles an Aztec temple, the entire experience is housed inside. A small museum of Mexican culture and history provides the entry into the greater pavilion, a perpetually moonlit courtyard buzzing with life. Street vendors sell numerous wares, nearby stores entice customers with pricier goods, and a tequila bar tempts the thirsty. A romantic restaurant sits along the water that flows past another ancient temple, with a volcano looming in the distance.

Hidden in the back of the pavilion is one of World Showcase's only two rides, three if you count transportation boats. The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros has one of the longest names of any Disney attraction, but that's not the only thing that makes it unique. This is a dark ride, tourism film, and animated adventure all viewed from a slow moving boat. It's not the best or most exciting ride, but it's one of the most random.

Vinylmation Trading Dash 2: 5th Anniversary Edition

Five years ago, Disney launched the Vinylmation line of collectibles. Inspired by urban vinyl and art toys, the series was created to replicate the success of Disney pin trading. The official launch was at Festival of the Masters, a yearly art exhibition that takes over Downtown Disney.

To mark the 5 year anniversary, Disney released multiple new Vinylmations, including event exclusives, and had a signing with several of the artists behind the vinyls. I was there to cover the new releases and events, so I decided to mark the anniversary in my own way. Yesterday was the second attempt at the Vinylmation Trading Dash, and it was both a success and a failure.

40 Pounds to Disneyland: The Vinylmation Trading Dash

 

The continuing tales of one chunky Disney fan's personal quest to lose 80 pounds and visit Disneyland, in that order.  

See my first 80 Pounds to Disneyland post for all the details.

Previous Post: 41 Pounds to Disneyland: It Could Have Been Worse

There are days where you wake up and have an idea so amazing, you know you have to try it immediately. Something that achieves multiple goals at once, and gives you an excuse to go to Disney World. I woke up this particular morning envisioning a way to exercise, get coverage for my writing on Vinylmation World, and hopefully wear myself out enough to sleep better than I had in days.

I was going to try something new, the Vinylmation Trading Dash. For those who don't understand the strange world of Vinylmation, the plastic figures are often sold in blind boxes, making it mostly random chance what figure you receive. To alleviate some of this randomness, Disney has provided one to two locations at each theme park where you can trade for either one of a few visible figures, or take a couple chances trading from a mystery box. This mostly results in receiving Vinylmation being clearanced at the outlet stores, but occasionally there's a hidden gem or two inside.

The Misanthrope's Guide to Disney World: The Best Parks for Avoiding People

Part of the Misanthrope's Guide to Disney World, a series of posts on surviving the theme parks for people who hate people. The guide page can be found here.

All Disney World theme parks are not created equal. They were all formed under different circumstances, shaped with different goals, and have received varying levels of care and neglect over the years. Most rankings of the four theme parks focus on aspects like the amount of rides offered, the number of attractions that qualify as "E-Tickets" (world famous rides, essentially), or just generally how busy you can remain.

These qualifications are generally useless for my purposes. From a misanthrope's point of view, more attractions designed to attract the masses is a negative. For our purposes, the most important factor is how easy is it to enjoy and explore a theme park while also being able to escape from other people. When the tourists, tour groups, and terrors grow to strong, there has to be somewhere to find peace, quiet, and harmony. At the very least, whatever passes for peace, quiet, and harmony in Disney World. Here are the theme parks ranked from best to worst for avoiding people.

Reflections on 13 Reflections of Evil

  
Note: If some of the photos from this article look familiar, it's probably because I'm a writer for VinylmationWorld.com. My series of articles reviewing the 13 Reflections of Evil Trading Event in a more straightforward manner can be viewed on that site. This is a more personal view of a unique spectacle.

Nothing will make you appreciate villainy more than the Florida interstate. After the third driver tailgates my vehicle or cuts me off, swear words begin to flow from under my breath without thought. I begin to curse those poor unfortunate souls, wish for friends on the other side, and feel a little bit of Cruella de Vil in my heart. I know the unrighteous fury that comes with being a Disney villain, and so I am now ready for the day's events.

On this particular Sunday morning, I'm on my way to the 13 Reflections of Evil Trading Event. This is Disney's annual showcase event for pins and Vinylmations, their two main collectibles that generate a steady income from a devoted fan base. The annual events are not some tribute to dedicated fans, however, but big business in themselves, with admission prices starting at $65 per person and lots of expensive merchandise for sale as well. Every year features a different theme, and Reflections of Evil is devoted to Disney's animated villains, a popular and lucrative part of the empire.

Savvy collectors are willing to pay the price because the events are a unique opportunity. The items given to all attendees sell online for as much as the price of admission or more, and some items for sale will only rise in value over the years. Not everyone comes for profit, of course, with many taking the chance to expand their collections with items only available once or year, or by expert trading with other dedicated fans.

I have a duel purpose of my own for attending the event. I am an obsessive collector at heart, and the random nature of blind boxed Vinylmation figures calls to a particularly addictive part of my psyche. However, I'm also attending to experience this unique exhibition to give an outsider's impressions. I've been writing about Vinylmation for nearly a year now, but I still feel outside most of the collecting community and its idiosyncrasies. This event is a chance to see the culmination of a year's worth of collecting activity, in the center of the kind of spectacle Disney makes a specialty.

Patrick Warburton Secretly Rules Disney World

Patrick Warburton is everywhere. This is a natural law of our universe. The amazingly talented and intimidatingly tall actor shows up in more movies and television shows than seems humanly possible. There's a good chance that, somewhere, there's footage of Warburton making a cameo appearance in a movie produced before he was born.

Disney World is not exempt from this universal truth. Patrick Warburton can be found all over the resort, in different times, places, and guises. In the past, he is Incan lunkhead Kronk from the Emperor's New Groove. Kronk hosts a painting tutorial at Hollywood Studio's Magic of Disney Animation.

Tourist Parenting 101: Ducks Shouldn't Eat Rice

 

Last year I posted a couple articles recounting terrible tales of bad parenting at Theme Parks. While I continue to find many negative examples to share, I also see parents giving their kids some magical moments the right way. This is one of those stories.

Lesson 3- Let Your Children Play with the Ducks (Not Kick Them)

I've mentioned before, and I'm sure I'll mention many more times, that Disney World is often an unexpected haven for nature. Many animals, especially birds, that are less frightened of humans find the theme parks a great place to rest, raise their young, and steal some french fries. You can spot a wide array of unsuspecting visitors if you walk the parks slowly. Spotting a group of rabbits or some ducklings can often be as magic a moment as meeting a favorite character or watching a show.

Unfortunately, most tourists visit the parks with an "all or nothing" mentality. Every attraction must be visited, every moment must be filled with manufactured wonder, or the entire trip is a waste. These are the same people, and specifically parents, who visit Animal Kingdom, rush their children away from the animals that fascinate them, then bemoan that the park has "nothing to do." When the children do get a brief moment to explore, they expel pent up energy in destructive ways, like kicking at the wildlife or trying to destroy theming.

Epcot Update: April 18th, 2013

 

On April 18th, my wife and I enjoyed one of the first after Spring Break days at the parks, at least one of the first we've had time to get there.   We decided to spend our day at Epcot, which was still surprisingly busy.  Even with some breakdowns, I was able to finally experience the new Test Track, which was quite enjoyable.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of that attraction, but I have plenty of others.

 

I'm continuing to photograph dark rides and provide pictures whenever they appear clear and don't look like I was completely smashed while operating the camera.  This robot rooster is from Living with the Land, an Epcot attraction that is often overlooked because it's actually educational.  The first part is a journey through semi-elaborate sets depicting different climates on Earth.

 

The second half of the experience is a ride through a functioning experimental greenhouse.   This includes aquaculture, or fish farming.  One of the oddest hidden mickeys is here, where you can find a shrimp house with a familiar shape.

Food Finds: 2013 Flower and Garden Festival

As I mentioned in my first impressions of the 2013 Flower and Garden Festival,  Disney has added the "Garden Marketplace" this year.  Simply stated, it's a series of food booths featuring recipes that focus on fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  Although there are less locations than the Food and Wine Festival, the quality and variety of choices is still strong.  Although I've only tried a couple of the booths so far, I can report that everything is delightful so far.

46 Pounds to Disneyland: The Disney World Crawl

The continuing tales of one chunky Disney fan's personal quest to lose 80 pounds and visit Disneyland, in that order.  

See my first 80 Pounds to Disneyland post for all the details.

Previous Post: 55 Pounds to Disneyland: An Apology to the Manatees

Next Post: 42 Pounds to Disneyland: The Wall

One of the problems with working from home is that it's hard to stay active.  Trapped inside all day with little reason to leave the house, it's extremely easy to get into a pattern of sloth.  I've been using Wii Fit to get a daily dose of exercise, but even that grows tedious after a while.  There comes a day where you just have to leave the house before you go mad or sink into a listless, coma-like state. Those are the days where I do the Disney World crawl.

This is not visiting the parks in any kind of sane sense.  When I performed this ritual yesterday, I rode zero attractions, watched no shows, and barely stopped moving for more than a minute at a time.  While I usually do have some reason for these bouts of madness, such as taking photos to go with my writing, the greater purpose is to keep moving and keep up the heart rate.

2013 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival: First Photos

Wednesday kicked off the 20th Annual Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot, one of my favorite times of the year at the parks.  I spent my first day at the event Friday, and was impressed as always at the beautiful flowers and creative topiaries.  Since this was only my second year attending the festival, it was my first experience with the re-use of some of the garden designs.  I love seeing some of the best return, but it does mean that many of my pictures and views from last year are still relevant.

What is different this year is the addition of food and beverage booths located around World Showcase.  Slightly re-theming food locations from the Food & Wine Festival, these booths feature foods that feature fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  While I'll write more about my food experiences later, I will say that the offerings are delicious and feature a nice variety.  My wife was not a fan of most food offered for Food & Wine, but found more than enough cuisine to love at Flower & Garden this year.

Inside Spaceship Earth: March 1st, 2013

I've been fascinated with Disney's dark rides since the first time I rode Pirates of the Caribbean.  They're giant, mixed media showcases, featuring little bits of about every art form.  Unfortunately, they are especially finicky to catalogue, as the low lights and constant movement make it nearly impossible to get a clear picture.  Even those inconsiderate individuals who use flash on these rides still only manage washed out photos that destroy the composition of the scenes.

Grand Changes Coming to France Pavilion's Cuisine

DisneyParks Blog today announced big changes to almost all restaurants in the France Pavilion at Epcot.  The full interview with Jerome Bocuse, president of the company that runs all eateries in the pavilion, revealed many changes and some additions as well.  These new projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of December.

Bistro de Paris- This restaurant, relatively unmodified in 25 years, is now gone in spirit.  Everything is being changed, including the decor, server outfits, the menu, and even the name, which is yet to be announced.  The overall goal is to reduce the stuffiness of the restaurant and attract more families.  Bocuse also announced that they are bringing in a new chef who previously worked at a Michelin 3-Star restaurant.  Les Chefs de France downstairs will not be receiving changes, however.

Boulangerie Patisserie- The popular bakery is being moved from it's current tiny location to a new building currently being built behind the pavilion.  The expanded spot will feature a show bakery, expanded menu with more sandwiches and salads, and best of all, about 90 seats.  The current location is extremely popular, but its packed design and lack of seating can lead to definite frustration during busy times.

Glacier Ice Cream Parlor- Finally, the former location of Boulangerie Patisserie will be transformed into a new ice cream parlor.

2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Menu Posted

Out of all the annual events at Disney World, the Epcot Food and Wine Festival has to be the best for anyone 21 or older.  Featuring cooking demonstrations, celebrity chef appearances, and free concerts, the heart and soul of the event is the multitude of booths all featuring different foods and drinks from across the planet. Even as a child, I have great memories of exploring the fest with my father, getting to try small portions of food that helped introduce me to a new world of flavors.

The 2012 Food and Wine Festival starts next month on September 28th, and Disney has posted the full menu for all the booths.  New this year are booths devoted to all vegan cuisine, called "Terra," as well as one devoted to local Florida food.  As usual, it's a spectacular variety of options, and the wide array of cheese alone makes me excited.  By the time the festival ends on November 12th, I'll probably need to take out a bank loan and join a gym after twelve too many visits.  The full menu can be viewed below.

Food Finds: Boardwalk Pizza Window and Boardwalk Bakery

Out of all the Disney Parks, Epcot undoubtedly has the widest variety of food options and definitely the best.  Sometimes, though, you don't want an elaborate dinner, international delight, or healthy meal.  Sometimes you just want something quick, tasty, and bad for you.  Disney's Boardwalk offers two places for that quick fix, and it's just a short walk from World Showcase's International Gateway entrance.

Disney World Update: Week of July 23-29

It's the middle of the summer break season in Orlando, and Main Street USA, as well as the rest of the parks, is packed full of sweaty tourists.  Now is the time of year to get a cool drink, find a quiet spot to sit, and watch the oddest human tapestry on Earth march by to the next attraction.

Even with the summer heat, construction continues at a rapid pace on New Fantasyland.  More and more detail work is visible on the new castle walls.

2012 Olympics Merchandise Available at Epcot

With the Olympic Games kicked off in London, it should come as no surprise that a wide array of 2012 Olympics merchandise is available in Epcot's United Kingdom Pavilion.  Available at the Sportsman's Shoppe, products range from t-shirts and posters to toys and mugs.   Many of these items feature Wenlock, the official mascot of the 2012 Olympic Games.  My personal favorite item is the Wenlock plush dressed as a Royal Guard.

Review: Agent P's World Showcase Adventure

This month, Disney officially opened the mostly-complete conversion of World Showcase's former Kim Possible interactive attraction.  Now dubbed "Agent P's World Showcase Adventure," the conversion attempts to leverage the much more relevant and popular Phineas and Ferb animated show to refresh the existing attraction.  Although more changes are obviously on the way, the current attraction rather effectively re-purposes existing scenery and props, to the point where the uninformed will probably find no evidence that this is the second version of the experience.

Just like Kim Possible, the experience starts at one of several cast member manned stations near and around the World Showcase lagoon.  The plotline is that you're joining the O.W.C.A. (Organization Without a Cool Acronym) as an intern to help foil the ineffectually evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz, who is doing something ludicrously convoluted in one of 7 countries.  You receive your fancy video communication device, craftily disguised as a low-end Verizon phone, and traverse a World Showcase country following the plot and aiding Agent P, aka Perry the Platypus.  Most of your mission entails finding designated spots and either activating special effects or finding answers to scavenger hunt style questions.