Spring Has Sprung at Disney!

Hi everyone! Its been quite awhile since my last post, but things have been busy, busy, busy. I started a new job about a month ago (yay!) so things have been crazy, but going really well. About a month ago, I got to check out the annual Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT, which is a must-see event that happens every spring. I always enjoy the beautiful topiary and the warmer weather that comes along this time of year, but this year the festival was extra special!



Some of my favorite topiaries

Due to the popularity of the Food and Wine Festival (my favorite Disney event), this year the Flower and Garden festival featured Garden Marketplaces throughout the World Showcases! These Garden Marketplaces include "culinary creations and special libations inspired by the gardens around World Showcase." I was super excited to try some of these great items!

My first beverage was the Watermelon Passion Fruit Cocktail, which was ABSOLUTELY delicious. Super sweet and tangy at the same time. Plus I'm just a sucker for frozen drinks. Next up was the Dole Whip...one of my most favorite Disney World treats of all time. But this was no ordinary Dole Whip, this was a Dole Whip with Siesta Key Spiced Rum! I was easily most excited to try this item. As usual, the Dole Whip was delicious...but the rum...WOW did it give that sucker a kick. It was almost too much for me. I'm not a huge spiced rum fan so I just downed the shot and enjoyed the rest of my Dole Whip sans liquor.

Next on my list was the Potato, Chive and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with Smoked Salmon Tartare and Sour Cream from the England Pavillion. This just sounded downright decadent and it was. Filling too! George and I's favorite item that we tried at the festival had to be the Frushi, found in the Japan showcase. Frushi= fruit sushi and it was super duper yummy! The only complaint I had was that you only got two small pieces for $4. Not really worth the price, but still a favorite.

We also tried the German Meatloaf Sandwhich with Sweet Mustard and Fried Shallots, which was good. I really wanted the Potato Pancakes, but growing up in a German household, I've had many potato pancakes, so I decided to try something new instead. George kept commenting on how the meatloaf looked like a flattened hot dog...which it kind of did. Didn't look much like your typical meatloaf. Next was the Spring Pancake with Grilled Chicken and Green Apple from the China pavillion. This was not my favorite item. Although the pancake used to hold up the chicken was good, the rest of the veggies in there were kind of blech. Lastly, I had to have the Tostada de Jaiba from Mexico (Crab Tostada served with Chipotle Mayo and Valentina Sauce). This was also good, but nothing amazing. I definitely want to go back and try some more food, but especially more drinks (both alcoholic and non). They had TONS of frozen non-alcoholic slushie drinks that looked tasty.

The Flower and Garden Festival also had a fun little walk-through area called the Land of Oz, based on the new movie Oz: The Great and Powerful, that recently came out. George and I had seen the movie the previous week and really enjoyed it, so we were happy to get a couple of photo ops.

We also got to enjoy another fantatsic Disney day last Saturday. We went to Hollywood Studios on a whim because we woke up early and wanted to ride some rollercoasters. It turned out to be a nearly perfect day with amazing Florida weather. After getting in a couple rounds of Rock'n Rollercoaster (front and back seat!), we headed over to the Animation Building for some meet and greets with Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz. We just watched Wreck-It Ralph a few weeks ago and I LOVED it, so I was super excited that they had a nice little meet and greet section set up.

After getting some pictures taken with the Wreck-It Ralph gang, George finally talked me into riding Tower of Terror for the first time. I've tried to ride this several times, but have never gone through with it. As a kid, I was insanely claustrophobic, so I flipped out when they hold you in the waiting room and didn't ride the ride after that. Then as I got older, I just feared the big dropping feeling. But George wouldn't let me go another time without just trying it, so I sucked it up and I DID IT! And it was FUN! I really had nothing to be afraid of. It was a cool ride with great theming and I can't wait to ride it again.

To end a great day, we had a late lunch at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre, which neither of us had ever been to. What a great concept for a restaurant! Once you enter the restaurant, you are seated in a big room filled with about 30-40 1950's style convertible cars. The room resembles a drive-in theatre, and at the front of the room is a big movie screen playing old 50s and 60s B-horror movies...we couldn't resist! Your server then seats you in the convertible car, which has a small tabletop in the center, so you can dine-in, watch awesome old horror movies, and eat some yummy diner food. George and I split a delicious vanilla milkshake and Angus cheeseburger. The burger was good...nothing amazing, but definitely better than the standard burgers they sell at the quick-service stops in the park. I would definitely recommend the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre simply for the experience (and an escape from the hot Florida sun) and the fairly inexpensive food. Although we did split a meal, our bill was only $20 (plus tip) and we were full. Check it out next time you are at Hollywood Studios!

Sorry for my crazy demon eyes. My baby blues don't like flash.