Friday night was a wonderful evening to see the Candlelight Processinal at Epcot. It is an established holiday tradition for the guests visiting the Walt Disney World Resort and a highlight of the season at Epcot.

Friday evening’s celebrity narrator was none other than Isabella Rossellini; the star of fashion, film, stage and television as well as a writer, director and producer for television and film.

I have been a fan of hers for years and was excited to see her narrate the show. Interspersed between the musical performances, Ms. Rossellini told the story of the birth of Jesus. The full musical program for the show was:

• Processional
• Shout for Joy
• O Come All Ye Faithful
• Il Est Né
• O Holy Night
• Angels from the Realms of Glory
• Away In A Manger
• Rejoice With Exceeding Great Joy
• What Child Is This
• Do You Hear What I Hear
• Silent Night
• Joy To The World
• The Hallelujah Chorus
• Recessional

The chorus and orchestra were amazing as directed by Dr. William Powell who is the Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities at Auburn University.

Ms. Rossellini had a smile on her face throughout the entire performance and really seemed to enjoy the show immensely. The remaining performances for the Candlelight Processional are nightly at 5:00, 6:45 and 8:00 p.m. with celebrity narrators:

• December 11 – 12, Neal Patrick Harris
• December 13 – 15, Lorraine Bracco
• December 16 – 18, Chita Rivera
• December 19 – 21, Trace Adkins
• December 22 – 24, Susan Lucci
• December 25 – 27, Blair Underwood
• December 28 – 30, Marlee Matlin

Wrapping it Up

If you have not been to the show before and will be in town during the holidays, I recommend visiting Epcot to catch a show. Be prepared, however, for crowds. As we left the 6:45 show the line stretched from the American Gardens Theater all the way down to the French Pavilion. So, if you are planning on attending, make sure you get there early and find a place in line for a great show.

Disclosure: I was an invited guest to Friday evening’s Candlelight Processinal at Epcot. As a guest, the Walt Disney Co. provided tickets into Epcot and seating for the show. I am under no obligations to the Walt Disney Co. from this media invitation ad write about my experiences so guests to etckt.com can learn more about the holiday shows offered throughout the Walt Disney World Resort.

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Candelight Processional – An inspirational retelling of the Christmas story accompanied by a mass choir and 50-piece live orchestra punctuates the reason for the season during this time-honored Epcot tradition. Each evening Nov. 25-Dec. 30, 2011, a celebrity narrator (from a lineup that includes Steven Curtis Chapman, Marlee Matlin and Neil Patrick Harris) takes to the America Gardens Theatre stage and shares the story of Christ’s birth. Guests can sing along as the trumpeters and full orchestra offer a riveting performance featuring seasonal melodies. Shows are at 5, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m.

To ensure a seat for this memorable performance, Candlelight Dinner packages are available at select Epcot restaurants. They include a special fireworks viewing area and guaranteed seating for Candlelight Processional. For bookings call 407-WDW-DINE.

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Holidays around the World - Throughout World Showcase, international storytellers share traditions and tales from their homeland. Strolling along the promenade during the Holidays around the World celebration may put you face-to-face with the good-hearted witch La Befana, known in Italy for filling children’s shoes with treats, or the jolly gift-bearer Father Christmas in the United Kingdom. There are meet and greets with Santa and Mrs. Claus in the American Adventure, plus other legendary icons who share messages of goodwill. The celebrations of Kwanzaa and Hanukkah are celebrated as well.

The evening is capped by “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” the mesmerizing Epcot spectacular on World Showcase lagoon featuring fireworks, laser lights and water choreographed to a musical soundtrack – with a holiday finale.

Well, we finally made it to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival! The first weekend we had conflicts and last weekend was a complete washout, but by golly, this weekend was the day.

Judging by the crowds, a lot of other people were making their way to the park as well. The weather was nice with a little cloud cover to keep the heat down as we made our way into the park.

One of the big features this year is the cranberry bog as you make your way into World Showcase. It is pretty cool for someone who has never seen a bog before, but having grown up not too far from them, it leaves a little to be desired. Aesthetically, they could have plussed it up a bit, but as a conversation starter it seemed to do the trick with the guests we saw today.

The first stop for us today was a new entry at the Epcot International Food + Wine Festival, Hawaii. The offerings were a Kalue Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and a spicy mayonnaise as well as a Tuna Poke with seaweed salad and lotus root chips (although it really was lotus root chip – there was only one decorative accent to the dish). To wash it dow, we also tried a Seven Tiki Mai Tai.

The pork slider was cooked perfectly and the spicy mayonnaise added a cumulative zing to the dish. The tuna poke (poke is the Hawaiian verb for “section” or “to slice or cut” and is a raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine) was excellent sushi grade tuna sliced into cubes and rolled with sesame seeds; that combined with a wonderful seaweed salad, that also had a bit of a zing to the dish, made for a great start to our wandering lunch. Both offerings were excellent and presented a nice initial showing for one of the newest pavilions to the festival.

Next on our world tour was a perennial favorite, Greece. Much to our dismay, there was no Spanakopita but we did try a new dish, the Griddle Greek Cheese with pistachios and honey as well as the Chicken Souvlakiwith Tzatziki sauce.

The griddled cheese was lukewarm, and since I have never had it before am not sure if that is the usual presentation for the dish. Despite that, the cheese was very tasty and the combination of the pistachios and honey added some nice texture to the cheese. The souvlaki was cooked very well and the tzatziki sauce (strained yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, usually olive oil, pepper, sometimes lemon juice and parsley, and dill), on a warm pita was very good and made up for the lack of our beloved spanakopita.

Making our way past France, whose line was exceptionally long, we proceeded onto Belgium for waffles and a larger crowd of people. The line moved fairly quickly and the Belgium Waffles with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream was even better than I recall from last year. The compote was nice and sweet, but not overly saccharine, when combined with the warm waffle and cold whipped cream it created a delightful “dessert.”

As we finished up the waffles, we made our way to Morocco for some: Kefta Pockets, Harissa Chicken Roll and some wonderful Baklava. The kefta pocket is essentially a Moroccan burger – ground beef in a pita style roll; it was quite tasty and well done. The chicken roll, was very much like an egg roll, only a little mushy; it was served cold, so I am sure it had been sitting out a bit so it was not one of my favorite samples from the day. The baklava, however, made up for the lagging chicken roll. The layers of dough were light and tasty and the combination of flavors made it my favorite item of the day.

With filled bellies we made our way towards the front of the park, bypassing much of the rest of the food available. The pavilions were filled with people and all seemed to be doing a brisk business. As we neared Argentina we decided to have one last nosh to tide us over on the ride home. I was not initially keen to this idea since last year I thought their samples fell way short of expectations. I am glad to say that we did give the Beef Empanadas another chance and they proved much better than last years. Despite no sauce, the crust was cooked well, flaky and tasty and the filling was ample in its offering with enough flavor to win us back as fans.

Wrapping it up

For the day and dishes to sample we spent a total of $71.40; a larger amount than we normally spend on a nice meal in the park, but that is to be expected at this festival. I imagine our next visit to the festival will be equal to the amount since we only ate a few of the booths. Though few booths, however, were quite good with their samples. If you are in town for the Epcot International Food + Wine Festival (it runs through November 13) plan on stopping in and sampling the flavors of the world.

So, wandering around Epcot this past weekend it was clear to see what time of year it was – Epcot International Food & Wine Festival time. All the booths were in place, areas were cordoned off with shrubbery and we were getting excited for this upcoming weekend.

Wandering around World Showcase, we happened upon the Japan booth, and it was open offering there dishes for the food and wine festival. Lucky for me, it was lunch-ish time so I queued up but was pretty shocked at the price for the Spicy Tuna – $8.50. Normally, the prices for dishes at the festival are $5 max, so I was a little upset at the hike. That was until I received the order. There were 8 pieces of healthy-sized Spicy Tuna Rolls in the container.

Now, the container looked like any other one you see at Publix so I was skeptical on the dish. Normally, dishes are served up freshly prepared at the festival so I am going to dock a few points for the deli-case delivery of the food. The tuna, however, was rather tasty – not the best I have had but nice for wandering around the park.

My main concern, however, stems back to the delivery of the food. The park always touts the freshly prepared aspect of the festival with great chefs and custom dishes. The preview with this offering would lead me to think otherwise; that the dishes are mass prepared offsite somewhere and delivered to the festival. I will reserve that final judgement until the festival opens this weekend and we have a chance to sample all of the dishes they have advertised in the media. Hope to see you there!

I was extremely excited to see that Epcot’s Food and Wine page has added much more detail as well as the full map and menus for all of the pavilions for this year’s 2011 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Festival highlights include:

• The Festival Welcome Center, with a Wine Bar, Authentic Taste Seminars, Authors Without Borders weekend conversations and more.
• More than 270 chefs including Disney chefs and culinary stars from across the country conducting culinary demonstrations and hosting dinners and tasting events.
• A complimentary Marketplace Discovery Passport to be stamped at each international marketplace visited for the perfect scrapbook souvenir.
• Popular returning events that include First Bites Opening Reception on Sept. 29; Kitchen Memories (formerly Celebrating Family and Friends in the Kitchen); Mixology Seminar; and “3D” Disney Dessert Discovery.
• The weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting event beginning Oct. 8 and with a new Saturday evening time of 7:30-10 p.m. featuring tempting bites from eminent chefs, more than 50 wines and beers and live entertainment presented by Cirque du Soleil.

There is a host of new delights for us to enjoy and many of our old favorites will be returning as well. I am in the midst of the 2011 Food and Wine app for the iPhones, Androids and other mobile devices and will post as soon as it goes live. Hopefully, this year’s web-app will be an Apple Staff favorite like last year’s was.

During the six-week festival, guests will discover:

• Three new tasting marketplaces — Hawaii, Caribbean Islands and Portugal — plus new menu offerings at popular returning marketplaces
• Celebrity chef appearances starring top culinarians like Jeff Henderson, Cat Cora, Alan Wong, Gale Gand, Suvir Saran, Jamie Deen, Rock Harper, Celina Tio, Robert Irvine, Andrew Zimmern, Buddy Valastro, Warren Brown, Art Smith, Keegan Gerhard and more.
• First-ever HGTV home entertaining seminars each Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• The Cranberry Bog display by Craisins telling the story behind the venerable cranberry’s rich agricultural heritage.
• Daily wine seminars, bottle signings, author events and culinary demonstrations at the Festival Welcome Center.
• Eat to the Beat! concerts three times nightly at America Gardens Theatre.

Can you spot the difference?

Just an aside, while looking over the homepage for the festival, I noticed a few things awry with the header image. Take a look above or head over to their page to see what I am talking about. First off, there is no walkway, promenade or structure for those folks to be toasting above the bridge to France. I get it though, Photoshop is a wonderful thing that can make magic with the right photographic combinations.

Second, and more glaring, however, is the location of the Moroccan minaret over the man’s shoulder; the Morocco pavilion is on the other side of France and nowhere near its location in this photo. From this angle, you would be looking out towards the hotels with the Swan and Dolphin hotels most likely visible. I wonder why the folks at Disney would composite an image in a way that is entirely inconsistent with the actual layout of the park.

Wrapping it up

Regardless of the snafu, it is great to learn more about this great festival and I cannot wait to head over and sample the wonderful dishes the great chefs at Disney have cooked up for us this year. What are you most excited about for this year’s festival?

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The 18th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is revving up for a dash to the finish line with Pixar’s 25th Anniversary Weekend celebrating “Cars 2.” The May 13-15, 2011 event at Walt  Disney World Resort will bring this year’s flowerfest to a checkered-flag conclusion with:

• Pixar character meet-and-greets throughout Future World and World Showcase.
• “Race Around World Showcase” kids activity that, when completed, earns a collectible button.
• Informal discussions (May 14 and May 15) featuring Oscar®-winning composer Michael Giacchino, Oscar®-nominated Pixar producer Jonas Rivera, and “Cars” franchise guardian Jay Ward. Ward is currently involved with Disney-Pixar’s “Cars 2,” scheduled for release on June 24, 2011.

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Entertainment is subject to change without notice. The special experiences are included with Epcot admission. More information about the special weekend is available at pixarweekend.com.

The bouquet of spring is in the air… come visit Guerlain!  March 3 – 6th National Director of Fragrance and Beauty, Marie Line Patry will introduce you to the scents of spring at the Guerlain perfume garden.  Several times daily at the France pavilion, Marie Line will discuss Guerlain’s rich and fragrant history and the sensual connection between flowers and perfumes.

Marie Line will also offer complimentary fragrance and beauty consultations throughout the weekend.  March 4 – 6th have your Guerlain fragrance purchase personalized by our engraver.  Guests who purchase $150 or more in Guerlain products during this special event will receive a complimentary gift with purchase.

Marie Line Patry has made it her personal goal to educate people throughout the United States about the rich history and quality of Guerlain.  With an incredible knowledge and passion for perfumery and all things beauty, Marie Line Patry brings Guerlain’s remarkable 180 year history to life during in-store events and public appearances.

Prior to working with Guerlain, Marie Line Patry owned and operated a luxurious Salon de Beauty and Spa in Montreal, Canada.  It is there she developed her one-on-one consultation style of service, which is so effective today.  She first emerged on the beauty scene as Boucheron’s National Event & Training Director, traveling to Paris and working with perfumers.  She gained years of experience and immeasurable knowledge there while working with the best “noses” in the industry.

As Guerlain’s National Director of Fragrance and Beauty, Marie Line Patry’s unique service style has revolutionized the fragrance and beauty industries.  She is famous for her ability to guide and educate customers in order for them to find their own signature scent.  And with her spa background, she is able to provide customers with a complete personalized skin care consultation.

Marie Line Patry is currently traveling the country representing Guerlain and applying her years of expertise to match customers with products that suit their style and desire.

A constellation of HGTV design stars lights up the 18^th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2 through May 15, while “Toy Story 3” heroes Woody and Buzz take Disney topiary magic “to infinity and beyond!”

Genevieve Gorder, Vern Yip and nine other HGTV design gurus appear for the first time at the Walt Disney World Resort festival during weekend presentations that cover topics ranging from “Life, Love and Landscaping” (Yard Crashers’ Ahmed Hassan, April 8-10) to “Curb Appeal Projects from Concept to Construction” (Curb Appeal: The Block’s John Gidding, April 29-May 1).

Disney’s topiary craftsmen pack powerful curb appeal into the festival’s Future World front-entrance garden where the lead toys of Disney’s Oscar-nominated film “Toy Story 3” meet arch-enemy Lotso (a.k.a. Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear) in a larger-than-life floral spectacle. The popular Disney-Pixar characters hit the sandbox as seven- and eight-foot-tall topiaries surrounded by a sand castle, strawberry-scented field and playground toys featured in the film.  With bold strokes of seasonal color, the topiary display marks the first time that “Toy Story” characters have been featured at the festival. It’s also the first time in seven years that the front-entrance floral display showcases all-new topiary characters, says festival horticulture manager Eric Darden.

It created unique challenges, and it’s meticulous work. Woody is skinny, and it was a challenge to create his legs. The detail on Buzz is pretty daunting
Eric Darden, horticultural manger, Walt Disney World Resort

And the buzz on the pink-floral Lotso (a.k.a. Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear) is that he will smell like strawberries, just like his big-screen character, when guests stroll by.

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This year’s 75-day festival showcases more than 100 expertly crafted topiaries, and another show-stopper will be the brand-new “Cars 2” display at the World Showcase plaza, Darden says. Large floral topiaries of “Cars” characters Mater and Lightning McQueen will park their colorful chassis beneath a black-and-white checkered arch. To complete the scene, gardeners will create floral flags representing Japan, France, Italy and the United Kingdom – destinations of the car characters in the sequel due in theaters June 24.

And Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and pals appear in topiary splendor among a Hundred Acre Wood wildflower display between Future World and World Showcase. They’re just in time to spread the happy news about the “Winnie the Pooh Movie” debuting Summer 2011.

New in the Park!

HGTV’s festival sponsorship adds fresh excitement to an event that has expanded and endured through the years. Festival Center presentations showcase HGTV and HGTV.com celebrities on weekends and other experts seven days a week. Located next to Mission: Space in Future World, the center presents workshops and talks by a solid lineup of master gardeners, Walt Disney World horticulturists and a mix of TV and radio personalities, authors and educators.

Also adding fresh fun to the festival:

• A roomier-than-ever Bambi’s Butterfly House more than doubles in size this year in its new location along the Imagination Walkway by Innoventions West in Future World. It’s the first time the popular garden has expanded since its 2005 debut, and guests will see more butterflies than ever, Darden says.
• For the first time at Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden, favorite Disney Fairies will pose for photos and sign autographs throughout the day. Young fans who enter this whimsical garden also discover play structures for children ages 2-5.
• HGTV presents a Sustainable Beauty Garden with ideas for your own home garden.
• Rapunzel lets down her hair at Rapunzel’s Tower in theTangled Magical Garden inspired by Walt Disney Pictures’ animated film, “Tangled,” located between the Germany and Italy pavilions.
• Flower Power grows with new-to-the-festival pop acts. Melissa Manchester, March 25-27 (Don’t Cry Out Loud) and Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., April 8-10 (You Don’t Have to Be a Star) are set to light up America Gardens Theatre with their timeless tunes.
• A new Festival Special Weekend is slated for May when Disney*Pixar presents a Pixar Animation Studios celebration in conjunction with the upcoming “Cars 2” big-screen debut set for June 24.

Throughout the festival, elaborate floral beds and entertaining exhibits will decorate the park landscape and showcase the extraordinary talents of Disney gardeners.  A blooming Guerlain Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion returns with its never-ending “love story” of the relationship between plants and perfume. At the Japan showcase, the art of bonsai will mesmerize guests who stop at the pavilion’s vermilion torii gate.

Don’t miss:

• Flower Power concerts – Popular bands will rock the open-air America Gardens Theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. Jose Feliciano is scheduled to kick off the concert series March 4-6. The Flower Power lineup also will feature pop favorites like Davy Jones and Chubby Checker & The Wildcats.
• The Festival Center – Guests can shop for festival merchandise, attend workshops and demonstrations and get ideas and tips from master gardeners.
• Disney Gardening at Home presentations – Disney horticulturists will share gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity.
• Special Festival Weekend Celebrations – Art in the Garden celebration of plein air artists March 25-27; Fresh from Florida Farmer’s Market salute April 29-May 1; Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and Guerlain’s Enchanted Gardens events May 6-8; and the Disney*Pixar weekend celebration May 13-15.

More information about the 18th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639) or by visiting disneyworld.com/flower. The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.

The holidays at the Walt Disney World Resort are always a special time. The parks and resorts are decked out in all their Christmas splendor and their are special events throughout the property.

At Epcot you can tour the holiday through the experiences at each of the pavilions and their traditional storytellers recounting the traditions particular to their country.

We discovered a treat in the Germany Pavilion last year, Glühwein. Glüwhein is a popular mulled wine that is typically served at Christmas time. It is usually, though not always, a red wine that has been spiced with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, citrus and sugar then served heated.

The version they serve at Epcot is served in this fashion, although tradition holds for a mit Schuss version which might have rum or other liquer(s) added to the beverage.

I am usually not fond of such drinks, but during the cold snaps we have been having lately, it is a wonderful treat while wandering World Showcase at Epcot. Stop by the Weinkeller and try it for yourself – but hurry, it is not available all year long.

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Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Lucci, Brad Garrett and Isabella Rossellini are all part of a lineup of 12 celebrity narrators who retell the joyous story of Christmas during Candlelight Processional Nov. 26-Dec. 30, 2010, at Epcot.

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Joined by a mass choir and 50-piece live orchestra, this renowned holiday tradition takes place at America Gardens Theatre nightly at 5, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m.

Scheduled celebrity narrators include (subject to change without notice):

• Nov. 26-28: Isabella Rossellini
• Nov. 29-Dec. 1: TBD
• Dec. 2-4: Corbin Bernsen
• Dec. 5-6: Susan Lucci
• Dec. 7-9: Jodi Benson
• Dec. 10-11: Whoopi Goldberg
• Dec. 12-15: Steven Curtis Chapman
• Dec. 16-18: Thomas Gibson
• Dec. 19-21: Trace Adkins
• Dec. 22-23: Brad Garrett
• Dec. 24-27: Edward James Olmos
• Dec. 28-30: Marlee Matlin/Jack Jason

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Performances are included with Epcot admission, and guests are advised to arrive early. To ensure a seat for this joyous favorite, Candlelight dinner packages are available at select Epcot restaurants and include guaranteed seating for Candlelight Processional and a special viewing location for “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.” Dinner packages can be booked by calling 407/WDW-DINE. More info: disneyworld.com/holidays.

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