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Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts

Details Announced for The 6th Annual Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival

11 February 2020 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

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Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival

Earlier this week we got some exciting new details for the upcoming Food & Wine Festival at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay coming this spring.  From concert dates to fun new food items, here’s what we know so far!

DATES!

The fun begins with a Passholder exclusive event!

Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival

Feb. 28:                Pass Member Exclusive Preview with “Eaglemania: The World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute Band!”

This exclusive event is available ONLY for Pass Members to preview the all-new menu of sips and samples at the 6th Annual Food & Wine Festival.

Be sure to visit Busch Gardens’ website to learn more or purchase your Annual Pass to gain access to this VIP opportunity!

Additionally, we’ve received information with more concert dates during the festival!

Feb 29:                Collective Soul
March 1:              The Commodores

March 7:              Chase Bryant & Danielle Bradbery
March 8:              Rachel Platten

March 14:            Ezra Ray Hart
March 15:            THREE DOG NIGHT

March 21:            LOCASH 
March 22:            Fitz & The Tantrums

March 28:            Home Free
March 29:            Taking Back Sunday

April 4:                 Third Eye Blind
April 5:                 KC & The Sunshine Band

April 11:               38 Special
April 12:               Micah Tyler & Austin French

April 18:               Lee Brice
April 19:               Clint Black

April 25:               El Gran Combo
April 26:               Toad the Wet Sprocket & The Verve Pipe

Fans of these groups will be excited to know that there are VIP packages available for each act “including reserved concert seating and a 5-item Food & Wine Festival Sampler Lanyard.” And new for 2020, you can upgrade to the Unlimited Food & Wine Festival VIP Seating Package for the ultimate concert-going experience. This new opportunity includes VIP seating for EVERY concert of the 2020 festival!

NEW TREATS!

Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival This year’s event highlights a tasty new dining lineup too! Designed by the award-winning new Executive Chef of Busch Gardens Ernie Reyes, the festival’s menu features 25 NEW food items, and over 80 wines, beers, and cocktails. Here are just a couple of the new dishes to expect:

·        The ALL-NEW Chef’s Corner cabin: featuring three signature dishes carefully crafted by the park’s head chefs – arroz con pollo, pork belly taco with kimchi slaw, and pork tenderloin with champagne watercress sauce.

·        NEW Iconic Coaster Cocktails: including Iron Gwazi Gimlet, Falcon’s Fury Lemon Drop, and Tigris Tea

·        NEW Pick-A-Barrel tasting: create your own flight of liquors and wines from around the world

Guests can also already view the entire remaining menu online, and decide ahead of time what their must-eats are. From there, guests can also upgrade or purchase their Food & Wine Festival Sampler Lanyard. Busch Gardens writes that “Guests can purchase a 5, 8 or 12-item sampler lanyard to use at each festival cabin to explore sample-sized dishes and drink offerings with ease, starting at just $32. Pass Members can purchase an exclusive 15-item sampler for the same price as a 12-item sampler and SAVE 20%!”

COMING THIS SPRING!

Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival The 2020 Food & Wine festival at Busch Gardens begins this spring, running every weekend from February 29-April 26. While you’re there, be sure to check out the incredible new IRON GWAZI attraction opening Spring 2020.

Best Way to Play:

Visit Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival and year-round events is with an Annual Pass that includes 12 months of unlimited visits, FREE parking, FREE Serengeti Safari, merchandise and dining discounts¹, and special limited-time perks throughout the year. Or for a limited time, buy a Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 2020 Fun Card and an Adventure Island 2020 Fun Card FREE – Florida families can take advantage of this limited time buy-one-get-one FREE offer and get unlimited year-round park admission to TWO until December 31, 2020².

¹All events and attractions listed are included with park admission. Upgrades, specialty food and beverage items are sold separately.

²Some restrictions apply; Blackout dates may apply

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Filed Under: Busch Gardens, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Latest News, Parks, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts Tagged With: busch gardens, Busch Gardens annual pass, Busch Gardens concerts, Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival, busch gardens tampa, Busch Gardens Tampa food

VLOG: Building Christmas at LEGOLAND Florida Resort!

3 December 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

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We have a brick-tacular time during the Christmas season at LEGOLAND Florida, and in the process try some weird fries, build an ornament, and roll down a hill into the sea. Never to be seen again.

Disclosure: LEGOLAND hosted us for this event, but these opinions are our own!

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Filed Under: Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, LEGOLAND Florida, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts, Videos, Vlogs

VLOG: Riding the Polar Express at Gaylord Palms ICE!

25 November 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

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We freeze ourselves while trying to board the Polar Express, but it’s all worth it to see those sculpted Tom Hanks figures! And we get to check out the shows at ‘Christmas at Gaylord Palms’, including a HASHTAG LIT Christmas Tree Lighting! Be sure to like and subscribe for more Orlando fun!

Disclosure: Gaylord Palms hosted us for this event, but these opinions are our own!

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Filed Under: Central Florida Family Entertainment, Orlando Area Attractions, Places to Stay, Videos, Vlogs Tagged With: Christmas at Gaylord Palms, Gaylord hotels, Gaylord Palms, Gaylord Palms Christmas, Gaylord Palms ICE 2019, Gaylord Palms ICE!, Holidays at Gaylord Palms, ICE!, Polar Express, Polar Express ICE!, SNOW!, vlogs

VLOG: Searching for Weird Things at IAAPA 2019

22 November 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

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We end our time at IAAPA by just walking the show floor and looking for the weirdest things we can find. Like finding a third hand, getting a riddle from the Temple Guardian, and seeing things we probably shouldn’t have seen.

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Filed Under: Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Latest News, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts, Videos, Vlogs

VLOG: A Very Successful Food Review of IAAPA 2019

21 November 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

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We continue IAAPA week by checking out all of the food options at IAAPA, of which there are definitely not way less than we thought, and everything doesn’t go completely wrong.

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Filed Under: Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Latest News, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts, Videos, Vlogs

VLOG: Checking Out Exciting New Things at IAAPA 2019!

20 November 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

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We start off our IAAPA experience right by seeing some new announcements about new rides and coasters coming soon. And of course, we get the Dippin Dots. You gotta get the Dippin Dots.

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Filed Under: Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Latest News, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts, Videos, Vlogs

Food and Wine Weekends at Hilton Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria

9 October 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Hilton Bonnet Creek I’ve written before about the wonderful hotel options at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria Orlando. We stayed there back in 2015 for their Race Weekends package, and I’d been there before with my friend Amanda, on a girls weekend getaway, full of fun, food, and sunburn in my case. Back then, I called these hotels the “best kept secret in Walt Disney World,“ and while I think that word has gotten out, there are still many people that don’t even know where these resorts are located. Food and Wine Weekends may just change that.

A great way to get introduced to these beautiful properties is one of the many event weekends they have going on throughout the year. The aforementioned Race Weekends are a great option for runDisney races; they really give you extra fun for your races, with all sorts of great amenities to enjoy. They also have Florida Resident rates, breakfast included packages, and more. Last night we were invited to experience a taste of their Food and Wine Weekends. These weekend menu options extend the “Magical Dining” menus that happen all over Orlando in September, with proceeds going to various charities, and are a perfect complement to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

Food And Wine Weekends Breakdown:

The Food and Wine Weekends offer special tasting menus at 3 of the restaurants throughout the Hilton Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria. The best part (for me and many of my friends) is that they also offer full vegan menu options at each of these locations.

A couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed the vegan Magical Dining menu at Zeta Asia, and it was truly amazing. I was very happy Amanda made that reservation because I didn’t know it existed and I’m still thinking about the menu items we had (I am officially in love with the vegan Bao Buns and the Bibimbap)!

Vegan Bao Zeta Asia

You can find ALL of the Food and Wine Weekends menu options, including Peacock Alley’s “Bar du Chocolat and Champagne tasting” and the Myth Bar’s “Pop Culture” with house made fresh fruit popsicles, organic ice pops, and “poptails” for the adults, in this guide from Hilton Bonnet Creek.

 

Vegan Options:

Last night, we were treated to the vegan Cauliflower Salad from La Luce, the Vegetable Fricassee from Bull & Bear, and the Impossible Bibimbap from Zeta Asia. These were all wonderful choices, and honestly, I was full after the first option, and absolutely stuffed by the 3rd. I somehow made room for the two vegan desserts we were offered, a dark chocolate and passion fruit dessert from Bull & Bear, and the special request dessert available in the hotels when you request a vegan dessert: fresh fruit sauce over a coconut tart, with fresh berries and whipped non-dairy cream. They were both SO wonderful, it definitely didn’t feel like a thrown-together vegan option, which is often the case with desserts. Check out photos in the gallery below from the evening and some of the hotel properties. Just click to enlarge any photo:

Cauliflower Salad La Luce
Vegetable Fricassee Bull and Bear
Impossible Bibimbap
vegan desserts Waldorf Astoria
Peacock Alley botanicals
Peacock Alley Creations
Bee's Knees Peacock Alley
Nitrogen chocolate Waldorf Astoria
Peacock Alley Cocktail Creations
Vegan Tasting Menu Hilton Bonnet Creek Waldorf
Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Waldorf Astoria Orlando front desk
Waldorf Astoria Orlando front desk
Hilton Bonnet Creek Myth Bar

 

We were also treated to a vegan cocktail, since the one they were serving that night had sheep’s milk in it. We were given a modified “Bee’s Knees” with agave instead of honey. It was very floral and lovely. You can order this at Peacock Alley any time! You can watch the bartender create this drink for us, as well as chefs creating the amazing nitrogen-cooled chocolate pictured above, any time on my Food and Wine Weekends Instagram story highlight.

Bee's Knees vegan cocktail Peacock Alley

I hope I’ve tempted you a bit to head over to the Waldorf Astoria Orlando or Hilton Bonnet Creek and experience their Food and Wine Weekends for yourselves. It really is a wonderful experience, and such a nice, relaxing, crowd-and-line-free way to enjoy some culinary delights. I was hosted for our tasting experience, but I truly do love these properties and think they are such a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the nearby Disney hotels. Did I mention the lazy river? 

Hilton Bonnet Creek lazy river

If you’ve never been, enjoying a Food and Wine Weekends tasting menu is a great way to get over and explore the properties before staying the night (but staying the night is also a great way to end your Food and Wine Weekends evening!).

Have you stayed at either of these properties, or enjoyed their Food and Wine Weekends, or their stellar dining options?

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you plan to check it out. Let me know in the comments below or drop me a line on social media, I’d love to chat about it! Thanks for reading.

Disclosure: As mentioned, I was hosted by Hilton for this tasting event, but my thoughts and opinions are, as always, my own. 

WANT TO REMEMBER THIS INFO? SAVE THE HILTON BONNET CREEK AND WALDORF ASTORIA FOOD AND WINE WEEKENDS PIN TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD! 

 

Food and Wine Weekends Hilton Bonnet Creek Waldorf Astoria
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Filed Under: Orlando Area Resorts, Top Stories, Travel, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts Tagged With: #FoodAndWineWeekends, Bonnet Creek Resort, Bull & Bear, Disney Resorts, Harvest Bistro, Hilton Bonnet Creek, Hilton Bonnet Creek Food and Wine Weekends, Hilton Bonnet Creek review, La Luce, Magical Dining, Orlando area hotels, Orlando area resorts, Orlando Staycation, Vegan dining, Vegan Dining Orlando, Waldorf Astoria, Waldorf Astoria Food and Wine Weekends, Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Zeta Asia

What You Must See Before Visiting Disney’s Gran Destino Tower

16 July 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Gran Destino Tower

Walt Disney World’s Newest Resort Option – Gran Destino Tower

As I’m sure you’ve heard and seen by now, Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs is now open. We shared video and photos over on our social channels and Christian and I discussed our thoughts on the highlights of this amazing new resort in our latest resort video. But there is something else you must see before you visit or check-in to Gran Destino Tower…

Two Artists Combine Their Vision

Salvador Dalí first met Walt Disney at a Warner Brothers studio party in 1945. He had come to Hollywood to work on a dream sequence in Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound. The pair struck up what may seem to some as an unlikely friendship, but in reality made perfect sense. Disney had already been pushing the boundaries of art and animation for years. Pink elephants on parade from Dumbo, and the frightening forest scene from Snow White to name a few. Of course, Fantasia itself was a lesson in taking feature animation to a higher plane. So a common bond of creative envelope-pushing, combined with boundless self-promotion, naturally brought these two men together. The next logical step was to collaborate on a project combining Dalí’s surreal vision and Walt Disney’s gift for animation.

Here is an excerpt from Salvador-Dali.org about the origin of the Destino project: 

On January 14, 1946, Salvador Dalí signed a contract with Walt Disney to make a short animated film entitled Destino. To work on the project, the painter installed himself in the Disney Studios in Burbank, California, where he set about drafting the screenplay and creating a series of drawings and oil paintings. The main characters, a dancer and a baseball player who is also the god Chronos, develop Dalí’s original concept, which revolves around the importance of time when we are waiting for destiny to enter into our lives. The song chosen for the soundtrack of the film, ‘Destino’, by the Mexican Armando Domínguez, was a major inspiration for Dalí in the development of his work.

The short, intended as part of a package film, was to have a running time of between 6 and 8 minutes, but only 15 seconds were made and it was not until 2003 that Disney resumed and completed the project on the basis of Dalí’s first ideas and original sketches.

A Found Treasure

Despite having 135 storyboards and 22 paintings from Dalí’s eight months in the studio, the project was abandoned when the Disney Studios could not continue funding it. The project was shelved and forgotten until Roy E. Disney, Walt’s nephew, discovered the artwork while working on Fantasia 2000. He secretly sent the project to be completed in France by a team of animators and a director, Dominique Monféry, who attempted and succeeded in continuing the story that Dalí and Disney (and Imagineer John Hench, who is credited as a writer as well) set out to tell. It was released in 2003, and nominated for an Oscar that year for Best Animated Short.  If you haven’t seen it before, here it is below in its (2003) entirety: 

If you happen to own the Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 Blu-Ray + DVD Movie Collection set, there’s a bonus. Destino is actually on the Fantasia 2000 disc! Also included is an 82-minute documentary, Dalí & Disney: A Date with Destino. There you’ll hear more about the collaboration between these two artistic geniuses.

Additionally, the always-impressive Taschen has published a few books on his elaborate dinner parties. Taschen Diners de Gala and the Wines de Gala, if you want to delve deeper. And of course, The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida is an amazing place to explore Dalí ‘s life and work. It’s also not too far from Walt Disney World, if you want to extend a vacation and see something new.

Inspiration for Gran Destino Tower

Getting back to Gran Destino Tower, when you first approach the tower from either the parking lot or the Lago Dorado side, the inspiration of Destino is more than apparent. The shapes and designs throughout the resort come straight from the art in the short. Dahlia, and her morphing into a bell shape in the film, is directly represented in the lamps in guest rooms, and the designs in the Dahlia lounge on the 16th floor. The Dahlia lounge in particular is entirely inspired by the film, with Dahlia’s hair represented in waves on the ceiling, the dandelion images in a painting on the wall, and the seed heads floating away and becoming the light fixtures on the ceiling. 

So before you head to this gorgeous new resort, watch the 6 minute short, and then see how many representations you can see as you explore and discover. Whether Surrealist art is your thing or not, the artistic vision and creativity is undeniably impressive. Gran Destino is enjoyable and breathtaking even without viewing Destino, but seeing it and the inspiration, is, in my opinion, worth your time. I’m sure Disney history buffs, animation and art fans will agree. Kudos to the Disney team for transforming art into function and honoring the work of Salvador Dalí as well as Walt Disney. I’m so excited that Destino has been brought to life for all to see and enjoy in a new way. 

 

Have you visited Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort? What was your favorite part of this newest area of Walt Disney World? 

Walt Disney and Dahlia

*Disclosure: some links above are affiliate links.

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Disney Resorts, Family Travel, Top Stories, Travel Tagged With: Gran Destino, Gran Destino Tower, Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney World resorts

VIDEO: Island H2O Live! Grand Opening

21 June 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

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Today was the grand opening of the brand new Island H2O Live! water park at Margaritaville Resort Orlando, and they invited me down to check it out, so let’s see what they have to offer!

For more info, and to book tickets, visit: https://www.islandh2olive.com/

This video was filmed on June 21st, at Island H2O Live!, for their grand opening. Check it out below!

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Filed Under: Central Florida Family Entertainment, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Orlando Area Attractions, Orlando Area Resorts, Videos

Mermaids in Orlando!

3 June 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Mermaids Sea Life Orlando
Mermaids LIVE at SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando!

Roving reviewer and videographer Christian recently visited SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando to experience their newest sensation – Mermaids! Every Friday through Sunday starting May 31 through June 23, visitors can come face to fin with real-life mermaids as they dive into the ocean habitats alongside rays, sharks and all their fishy friends.

Mermaid dive times: 

  • 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
  • 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
  • 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
  • 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Check out Christian’s video of the Mermaids at SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando and get your tickets today!

Thanks to SEA LIFE Orlando for having us out to share the Mermaids with you!

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Filed Under: Central Florida Family Entertainment, Family Travel, Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Travel, Travel, Theme Parks, and Resorts Tagged With: SEA LIFE Orlando, SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, Weeki Watchee mermaids

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