Family, travel, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

Spring is in the air in Central Florida, and that means the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival is in full swing. While this event is a delight for gardeners, flower lovers and just about anyone who likes to be outside, it is also one of the most fun times of the year to bring kids to EPCOT.

Here are my top 5 tips for taking kids to the festival:

1. Don’t miss the topiaries. There are two dozen of them sprinkled around EPCOT, and while your kids may not be patient enough for a walking tour of all of them, be sure to pick out a few favorite characters and go take a look. Our favorites this year are the “American Gothic” Mickey and Minnie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Bambi and friends. Older kids can take a close look and try to figure out how EPCOT’s horticulturists make them happen.

2. Playgrounds, playgrounds, playgrounds. Part of the magic of the Flower and Garden Festival are the children’s playsets sprinkled around the park for kids. There’s one on the walkway between the Canada Pavilion and Future World (behind the Fantasia topiaries), on in the Living Green area near the France Pavilion and one near the Fairy Garden in Future World. Truth be told, I think the EPCOT experience for kids would be improved if one or more of these play areas became a permanent fixture.

3. Speaking of the Fairy Garden, be sure to see the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden! I love, love, loved the colorful, tiny Tink and friends topiaries here. And there’s an interactive art project – kids can pick up a sheet and move around the garden doing rubbings to complete a picture. Also in this area is the butterfly house, where you can see butterflies flutter by, and Princess Tiana’s Wedding Showcase, which is a great area for pictures.

4. By the way, take pictures with your kids at the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival. Ask them to pose like the characters they are standing in front of or just be silly. And it’s never too early to be thinking about that Christmas card photo. So much for Santa, Christmas sweaters and snow — when it’s cold outside at Christmas, you can send everyone a picture of the Florida sunshine. I met a mom with six kids at EPCOT last week, she was lining them all up in front of Mrs. Potts and the Beauty and the Beast topiaries. The six little stair-steps were all doing their best “I’m a little teapot” pose, and the mom told me that was definitely going to be her Christmas card picture this year.

5. Take time to sing and dance. Don’t forget to take your kids to one of the Flower Power concerts held on weekend evenings during the festival. Sure, they may not know who David Cassidy is, but that doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy the music. Do an Internet search and stream a Partridge Family episode or a little “I Think I Love You” audio to get your kids familiar with who they will be watching.

The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival continues at Walt Disney World through May 16.

If you want to see more of what’s in store, check out this story and photo gallery.

A day at EPCOT is fun for all ages, with plenty of sights, sounds, shows and international food to sample. And while EPCOT is really known for these things over the many rides in Fantasyland, there are still a couple of “must-see” rides here for younger children.

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros: This gentle boat ride takes families through a tour of many Mexican landmarks. Riders are accompanied by a cartoon Donald Duck, who is trying to catch up with his two Spanish-speaking friends Jose Carioca and Panchito. There’s nothing to fear here, and preschoolers will delight in the indoor “fireworks” at the end of the cruise.

Journey Into Imagination with Figment: The mischievous purple dragon Figment takes over a ride-through tour of the Imagination Institute. This slow-moving ride shows children how all the senses influence imagination. A portion at the end where Figment takes you through his upside-down world uses neon colors, bright lights and loud music, which could momentarily frighten sensitive youngsters.

Living with the Land: This boat-ride shows you how food is grown in the many ecosystems on earth. The real treat is at the end of the ride, when you journey through laboratories where scientists are experimenting with new ways to grow food.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends: Ride in a clamshell under the sea, where you’ll join the hunt for the loveable clown fish Nemo. This is a gentle, ride-through attraction, and it ends with an amazing sight – many characters from Finding Nemo swimming with real fish inside a giant aqaurium.

This post is part of “Under 5 Friday,” a series of posts designed to give advice on taking children ages 5 and under to theme parks.

Beef empanadas are served at the Rio de Janeiro kiosk during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Sing it with me: It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

The EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival begins today at Walt Disney World. Themed food kiosks ring the World Showcase, where you can buy a small plate of everything from sushi to arepas to exotic ice cream. Many of the foods are paired with international wines.

The items at the International Food and Wine Festival cost an average of $4 to $5.

All this good eating and merriment continues through Nov. 8.

And while it would make a fabulous date night, many of us will be bringing our kids with us to Disney World’s annual food fest. So what is there for a kid to do (and eat)?

My 6-year-old daughter and I checked out Epcot’s soft opening last night. Here are my tips for enjoying the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival with children:

1. 

   The acrobats perform several times a day outside Epcot's China Pavilion.

   Prepare the kids for a food adventure. Talk about the special event that will be going on at Epcot before you reach the gates. Tell your kids about the great opportunity to eat around the world, and discuss how fun it will be to try all the different flavors. If your kids are young enough that they may not know the concept of ethnic foods, talk about the ethnic foods (or Americanized versions of ethnic foods) you already eat (tacos, lasagna, stir fry) and what countries they come from.

2. Adopt a laissez faire attitude about what they are eating. For this one day, I try not to care what my child is eating, as long as she’s willing to try new things. So what if she chooses more dessert items than entree items during the course of one day? Isn’t that what a food adventure is all about?
3. Make it a game. Bring along notebooks for tasting journals – older kids can photograph the food they are eating and make notes about it; younger kids can draw pictures of the food and note (with your help) how it smells or tastes. Of you could mark all the countries you’ve sampled on a small world map you’re carrying with you.
4. Don’t forget to stop for diversions along the way. As interested as you may be in reading all the wine tasting notes posted outside various kiosks, your kids’ interest in the food and wine festival will have its limits. Don’t forget all the other Disney magic available around you. Pose for a picture with Donald Duck in Mexico. Carry your plates over to watch the acrobats in China or the Taiko drummers in Japan. Pause for 15 minutes to watch the trains in Germany.
5. Get your groove on at Eat to the Beat concerts. My daughter loves the idea that she’s going to a concert – don’t forget to schedule time to watch the performer of the day at America Gardens Theater.

So what is there for kids to eat at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival? Plenty. I asked my daughter to rank her five favorite tastes from the 2009 edition of the festival:

Maple sugar candy is a kid-friendly favorite available at the Montreal, Canada kiosk during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

1. Chocolate Milk Creme Brulee at Paris, France
2. Mango Lassi at New Delhi, India
3. Kielbasa and Potato Pierogi at Krakow, Poland
4. Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup at Montreal, Canada
5. Maple Sugar Candy at Montreal, Canada

So bring the kids this year! And let me know what they liked to eat best.

The kielbasa and pierogi were my daughter's favorite savory taste at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

The Greek food kiosk at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival.

Editor’s Note: Please welcome guest blogger Zanna of Zannaland, and go check out her awesome blog!

EPCOT's International Food and Wine Festival is held each fall at Walt Disney World.

When you head to Epcot’s World Showcase and its 11 represented countries, one thing you will not do is go home hungry. Add to that over 25 additional international marketplace kiosks at the 14th Annual Food & Wine Festival, and you’ll be in gastronomical Utopia.  My family has been attending the Festival since its opening in 1995, so we’ve cultivated some favorites over the years – our “must-eats”.

5. Wellington, New Zealand – Location: United Kingdom Pavilion

This is a favorite with my husband and mother, both fans of the Lamb Slider with Tomato Chutney, while I enjoy the delicious Seared Sea Scallop with Vegetable Slaw and Lemon Oil. If you are a fan of lamb, you can also save room for the Lamb Chop in the Australian kiosk, over in the African Outpost area.

The beverages offered in New Zealand are: Villa Maria Wines: Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Private Bin Unoaked Chardonnay, Private Bin Riesling, and Private Bin Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon.

4. Paris, France – Location: France Pavilion
Now you can’t think French cuisine without thinking Escargot, right? The France kiosk will not disappoint. For fans of the dish, or daring first-timers, this is the perfect offering to try. The snails are prepared “en brioche” or baked in bread. So it’s really just like eating a delicious little garlic bread with a surprise inside. Believe it or not, the Escargot Persillade en Brioche is what my 10 year-old son looks forward to each year.

If snails aren’t your thing, there is also Cabernet Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes and heavenly Chocolate Mile Crème Brûlée. Fans of the France Pavilion’s Grand Manier Slush and Grey Goose Citron Slush can enjoy a new treat: Parisien Cosmo Slush. Other beverage selections: Chardonnay (Bouchard Ainee & Fils, 2007), Merlot (Chateau Mezain, Bordeaux, 2007), and Sparkling Pomegranate Kir.

3. Hops & Barley – Location: Between the Morocco and France Pavilions
This is new location for this kiosk this year so New England fans make note! Our family is originally from Boston, so we are pretty much required by law to stop here. Luckily – it’s worth it! Here you can enjoy a Boston-style Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw and Remoulade and a New England Lobster Roll – a must-have for “Lobstah” fans and newcomers alike.  This is also where you can imbibe the special Samuel Adams 14th Anniversary Festival Beer on draft.

Other Sam Adams selections include: Samuel Adams Boston Ale (draft), Samuel Adams Boston Lager (draft), Samuel Adams Octoberfest (draft), Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat (draft), Samuel Adams Light, Samuel Adams Cream Stout, Samuel Adams Pale Ale, Samuel Adams Honey Porter, and Samuel Adams Black Lager.

2. Montreal, Canada – Location: Canada Pavilion
Those familiar with the Canada Pavilion’s Le Cellier restaurant know how difficult a reservation is to come by. Now you need no reservation to enjoy the delicious Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup. You can also indulge in Maple Glazed Salmon with Lentil Salad, Spicy Chicken Sausage with Sweet Corn Polenta and Maple Sugar Candy – mmmm! Because of its offerings and location, the line for this kiosk gets long quickly so plan accordingly!

The beverage offered in Canada include: Moosehead Beer, Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, Château des Charmes Riesling, Château des Charmes Vidal Icewine, and St. David’s Bench Vineyard Merlot.

1. Athens, Greece – Location: Canada Pavilion
Like the Canada kiosk, the queue for Greece sometimes looks like it could use a Fast Pass – but with good reason. For those just venturing into new culinary tastes, Greece is a perfect place to start. Greek Salad with Pita Bread, Spanakopita (Savory Spinach and Cheese Pastry) and Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki are pleasing to most all palates. Our family can find something everyone likes here, including the sweet and crunchy Baklava dessert.

Beverages offered in Greece include: Boutari Moschofilero, Boutari Santorini, Kourtaki Mavrodaphne of Patras, and Tsantali Rapsani.

There are endless choices from savory to spicy to sweet and a drink to pair with them all. Be adventurous, try a dish you’d never serve at home and see if your kids make it a new favorite. The Food and Wine Festival is a wonderful place to teach your children about other cultures and traditions. No matter what your tastes, your family will surely come up with its own “Top 5 Must-Eats” in no time.

The EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival runs Sept. 25 through Nov. 8, 2009, at Walt Disney World.