"Best Of" Week: Photo Flashback! The Must-Do Food & Wine Fest Photo

If you've been to the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, I bet you've taken a shot like the ones below.  This planter is located on the main walkway from Future World to World Showcase.  The horticultural team does a great job of filling Epcot with beautiful plantings for the festival.

Ridge, Amy (Baby Tink on the way), and Cousin Jason 2008

Friend Ben, Ridge, and Andy 2006

Amy and Andy 2006

Pal Mickey 2004

Does your family have a traditional photo stop at Epcot? I'd love to hear about it.

A Walk Around The World With Ridge--Eat To The Beat!

During the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, in addition to the smattering of decadent delights dotting World Showcase there is also entertainment on select nights at the America Gardens Theatre. Acts from yesterday and today perform throughout the entire month of October and the early weeks of November.

In previous years we have gotten to hear Sister Hazel, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Taylor Hicks. These performers will be back this year along with seven new acts, including Sugar Ray and 38 Special. This year I'll be able to catch 38 special and Night Ranger October 20-21, 22-24 respectively.

Even in years when the performers haven't been anyone I would normally care to see, I have never been disappointed with the live shows. The American Gardens Theatre is a great venue for making every seat seem like a good one. Now if you are one of those people that just have to be down front and center then you need to be planning ahead. Depending on who is playing that evening, a line can start forming several hours in advance. The theatre has only bench seating and to me it isn't great but last two times I was there we stood the whole time anyway.

2010 Eat to the Beat! Concert Series Lineup:
10/1-10/3: Taylor Dayne, "Tell It to My Heart"

10/4-10/5: Kool & The Gang, "Celebration"

10/6-10/8: Sugar Ray, "Fly"

10/9-10/10: Taylor Hicks, "Do I Make You Proud "

10/11-10/12: Air Supply, "Lost in Love"

10/13-10/15: Sister Hazel, "All For You"

10/16-10/17: Howard Jones, "No One Is To Blame"

10/18-10/19: Expose, "Seasons Change"

10/20-10/21: 38 Special, "Hold on Loosely "

10/22-10/24: Night Ranger, "Sister Christian"

10/25-10/27: Billy Ocean, "Caribbean Queen"

10/28-10/31: Starship starring Mickey Thomas, "We Built This City"

11/1-11/3: Boyz II Men, "End of the Road"

11/4-11/5: Roger Hodgson formerly of Supertramp, "Give A Little Bit"

11/6-11/7: Jon Secada, "Just Another Day"

11/8-11/9: Hanson, "MMMBop"

11/10-11/11: Rick Springfield, "Jessie’s Girl"

11/12-11/14: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, "You & Me & the Bottle Makes Three"

Bottom line, the concert series is a tremendous addition to the Food and Wine Festival and great fun will be had by all. With good music, great food and flowing exotic imported beers, the atmosphere is electric. Live entertainment is available nightly during the festival and the bands play at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. Even the early birds among us can watch the entertainment. If you go, don't worry the good times are included in the admission price. Have fun; I hope to see you there.

Do you have a favorite band you want to hear at the Food and Wine Festival? Let us know who you are excited to see.

Walk Around The World With Ridge--F&W it's almost here!

Are you looking forward to the 15th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival? I know I am. As a veteran of six EIF&WF trips and an amateur foodie, I know this is a fantastic opportunity to try many new things, all possible because of Disney.

The tapas sized portions of food available at the festival are just right. Sometimes you will wish they are larger but remember there are lots of things to try. As I have said in a previous post, one thing that is a must-have is the fisherman's pie at the Ireland booth. It really is one of the most flavorful items I have ever tried. In fact when I went last year with my cousin, he and I each ate a fisherman’s pie and then looked at each other and got in line to buy another. The makeup of a fisherman's pie is scallops, shrimp and lobster in a creamy red stew that is topped with mashed potatoes not unlike a shepherd's pie. Another favorite is the Kerrygold cheese selection. Unique to Ireland is the Bunratty Meade which is a honey wine and something you just don't see every day.

With Ireland out of the way, a little info that I am sure has and will be covered, mentioned, alluded to, and possibly driven in to the ground, is there will be 27 individual booths representing countries and cuisines from around the world. However I do have a personal disappointment to report. There will be no seminar or tasting by Sam Adams this year. They are still bringing in nine selections including the 15th anniversary brew only available at the festival. *sigh* Can’t stay the same forever I guess.

One of the greatest aspects of the food & wine festival is the fact that it gives adventurous eaters access to foods that might not normally be available to them, at least not without some difficulty. One example: ceviche. Ceviche is a seafood dish prepared without heat. The seafood used is usually some combination of shrimp, scallops, and fish. Then added are some fresh seasonal vegetables and everything is left to marinate. The citrus juice used chemically cooks the seafood. I can't even begin to describe how good it actually is. Another item I wouldn't have normally tried is Escargots Persillade en Brioche. Butter and garlic roasted escargot served up on a piece of French bread. MMMM. Yeah, these are good too.

While the food is great, don’t forget there are also some great wine and beer pairings for the menu items. Or you can always just enjoy a new beverage by itself. Sam Adams is bringing the 15th Anniversary Festival Beer Coastal Wheat Light, which is only sold in EPCOT during the festival. They also have Boston Lager, Octoberfest, Cherry Wheat (my favorite with a crab cake,) Cream Stout, Blackberry Witbier and Latitude 48 IPA. In other countries the wine selections take center stage. The Ice Wines of Canada and Rieslings of Germany are perfect dessert wines. Japan has warm and cold sake and new this year is Korea bringing Soju. Needless to say there is a plethora of gastronomic goodies out there this year.


What are you looking forward to most-- an old favorite or a new taste sensation? Let us know.

Celebrating 15 Years - EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

2010 EPCOT Food and Wine Map
(click on map for larger view)

We started going to the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival many years ago when our Daughter was in the College Program at WDW. She was working during the F&WF and told us about it. I don’t remember if we came that year or not, but once we started going it has become an annual family event. With both Amy and Ridge attending with us (this year her husband has to stay behind and work) it is fun to vacation at WDW with our adult children and now with our granddaughter. We have been to the F&WF so many times that it was almost strange to walk around the World Showcase this past April without the food booths being there. I told my son as we walked past where the Canadian booth normally sits that “I’m supposed to be able to get Cheddar Cheese Soup right there.” Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup is one of my favorite “don’t miss” food items at F&WF. (See our Team post on this years favorites here.)

While the F&WF offers so much in the way of dining events throughout the Festival, my favorite is the International Market places we call “food booths”. A stroll around the World Showcase takes you literally around the world in food. A salad course in Greece, a soup course in Canada, a cheese course in Ireland and dessert in Belgium with entrees thrown in from around the world and you have eaten your way around the world. It costs about $3 to $8 for each selection, but it is well worth it. After all, how much would it cost to fly to Greece for a salad and then to Canada for soup?

Each of the booths also has wine and beer representative of the county. I don’t know much about beer or wine, but I usually try the Sam Adam’s beer they create for the F&WF. This year it is called 15th Anniversary Festival Beer Coastal Wheat Light. Canada usually has an icewine. This year it is Vidal Icewine and of course they have Moosehead Beer. Ireland has Guinness and Meade.

Watch for posts from the F&WF from Amy & Ridge as we do research for the blog in October. Let us know if you are planning to attend this year and what is your favorite part of the F&WF.

Repost from Ridge—Lobster Rolls and Crab Cakes, Oh My!

The EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival always holds excitement in gastronomic pleasures. One combination I can never pass up is a lobster roll, crab cake and (in this picture) a 14th Anniversary Sam Adams. Sam Adams has been part of the EIF&WF since the beginning and every year brews a special mix just for EPCOT and it is the only place it is available. The food tastes every bit as good as it looks. On one trip my cousin and I bought one of each a piece on our first trip through the line then finished those and got right back in line. When my friend from college Ben (pictured here) and I went, it was one of his favorite things we did that day and you can see the look of joy on his face.

Originally posted on Growing Up Disney on May 21, 2010.

Team Post--2010 Food & Wine Festival Excitement

DisneyDad:  “This is GREAT!  Every few feet you can get a snack and a beer!”  These are words my wife, who loves to “people watch,” overheard a man tell his wife as they walked past several years ago while we were at the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival.  For the F&WF it is true.  This year there are 27 International Marketplaces for you to get a “snack and a beer.”  We have our favorite marketplaces we never miss and this year there are also 3 new locations.

South Korea, Belgium and Charcuterie & Cheese join the international selections of food, wine and beer.  South Korea’s menu will be Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw along with Barbecue Short Ribs with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi.  Belgium will have Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream and Freshly Baked Waffles with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream. Charcuterie & Cheese will have Cheese Fondue with Croutons and Roasted Potatoes along with Applewood Smoked Beef, Duck and Ham.  (I had to look up “Charcuterie”. Epicurious defines charcuterie as “taken from the term cuiseur de chair, meaning "cooker of meat," charcuterie has been considered a French culinary art at least since the 15th century. It refers to the products, particularly (but not limited to) pork specialties such as PÂTÉS, RILLETTES, GALANTINES, CRÉPINETTES, etc., which are made and sold in a delicatessen-style shop, also called a charcuterie.")  Along with their specialty foods, each booth will have drinks representing their county.

Some of the items on my “don’t miss” list this year are:

• 
  
  Canada: Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 
  
  Ireland: Kerrygold Cheese Selection
• 
  
  Hops and Barley" Boston-style Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw and Remoulade; New England Lobster Roll; Pecan Bread Pudding
• 
  
  Brazil: Shrimp Stew with Coconut and Lime
• 
  
  Poland: Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream
• 
  
  United States: Bison Chili with Wild Mushrooms, Cabernet and Pepper Jack Cheese

And I’m sure I’ll find more to add to my “don’t miss” list as I walk around the World Showcase.

Of course there are selections of beer and wine throughout. Sam Adams does a beer every year just for the F&WF. This year it is 15th Anniversary Festival Beer Costal Wheat. And for dessert, Canada offers Vidal Icewine.

Me & Stella.  Long story.
I'm sure Mom is horrified I published this.

Amy:  What am I most excited about in this year's festival?  Taking Tink!  She's a pretty good eater, well, other than meat.  I'm curious to see what she'll like.  For myself, two of the new marketplaces sound interesting, South Korea and Belgium.  South Korea-Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw.  I've heard of kimchi but never tried it.  I'm an adventurous eater and have yet to find anything truly challenging at the festival.  Everything at the Belgium marketplace sounds good: Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream; Freshly Baked Waffles with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream; Stella Artois; Godiva Chocolate Iced Coffee.  The Disney Vacation Club is sponsoring Marketplace Discovery Passports, available at the Festival Welcome Center and the DVC informational booths in Epcot.  This is new this year.  The Festival Guide says you can have it stamped with a unique design at each marketplace.  I am curious to see what this is all about.  Dad and I went to the Food and Wine Pairing at Morocco a few years ago.  It was delicious and fun but I don't think we're going to do any of the special events this time around.  I'm sure we'll catch a few demonstrations.  A couple of decent bands will be a part of the Eat to the Beat! Concert Series during our visit.  While I really enjoyed Sister Hazel in 2008, if I don't catch the acts performing this time, I am ok with that.  With a toddler, I have to keep my expectations low and my plans flexible.




Ridge:  There is a learning adventure of gastronomic proportions on the horizon.  The 15th Annual International Food and Wine Festival will soon be upon us and some old favorites are back as well as a few new entries.  What am I excited about?  Some old favorites.  Chile and the Shrimp Ceviche.  France and Escargots Persillade en Brioche.  Australia with Grilled Lamb Chop with Roasted Potato Salad and Red Wine reduction.  The Hops and Barley booth in America with the Crab Cake, Lobster Roll and Sam Adams Beers.  Also exciting is the Sam Adams seminar and tasting.  One fantastic item that is going to be back is the scallop and lobster fisherman's pie from Ireland.  Pair this up with a pint of Guinness and you have something special.  These are just a few of the classic dishes I am looking forward to.  New on the menu are South Korean roast pork and kimchi slaw and United States bison chili with cabernet and pepper jack cheese.  Belgium has steamed mussels with roasted garlic cream, which sounds outstanding to me.


What are you most excited about in this year's festival?  Are all your old favorites still on the menu?  Are you attending any of the special events associated with the festival?

2010 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Overview

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is one of the best events hosted by Walt Disney World.  The 2010 festival is appropriately titled, "Celebrating 15 Years of Delicious Discoveries."  The 2010 event begins on October 1 and ends on November 14.  The Growing Up Disney team adores this festival and we're dedicating this whole week to tips, stories, and photos of past festivals.  Be sure to check out the Food & Wine Festival page on this blog.  I'm compiling information on the festival for you so check back often.

For those of you who have not yet enjoyed Food & Wine, it is held each fall at Epcot.  The majority of the food marketplaces and demonstrations are found around World Showcase Lagoon.  This year there will be 27 International Marketplaces selling beverages of all types and small plates of all sorts of food.  Click here for the Festival Map which includes menus.  There is not a separate admission fee for the festival; it is included with your Epcot park admission.  There are some seminars and demonstrations for free and others at an additional cost.  There are a phenomenal number of events held during the 7 week festival.  I encourage you to browse through the Festival Guide to see what is offered during your visit.  The Special Culinary & Beverage Programs are already taking reservations so if you are interested in any of those call very soon as most of those fill quite quickly.  However, there is plenty to enjoy in the main festival and if this is your first visit, just enjoy strolling the promenade and trying some new foods.  It's a wonderful opportunity to sample a cuisine that may not be readily available to you at home.

My husband enjoying the Ireland Marketplace

New to the festival this year are Belgium and South Korea.  Returning favorite dishes include the crab cakes at the Hops & Barley Marketplace, the cheese plate at Ireland, and the cheddar cheese soup at the Canada Marketplace.  Click here for Ridge's review of the Hops & Barley Marketplace.  I vow to never again be fooled by the chocolate creme brulee in France or the salmon in Canada.  I don't see the delicious chorizo quesadilla on the menu for Mexico this year, but I thank the chefs for providing us with new taste treats.

The wine portion of the festival allows you to try wines, beers, and specialty drinks that have been expertly paired with the food.  You might find a new favorite, but if not, at least you aren't out the cost of a whole bottle.  And don't worry if you don't drink alcohol, some of the booths offer teas.  My last visit to F&W was while I was pregnant with Tink and my mom doesn't drink at all and we both had a great time.

TIP: If you can, try to go during the week.  This event is very popular and the locals will be there in larger numbers on the weekend.

The Jammin' Chefs

In addition to great food, the festival features the Eat to the Beat! Concert Series.  This year's schedule includes artists such as Rick Springfield, Sugar Ray, Sister Hazel, Air Supply and Boyz II Men.  The musical acts perform three shows nightly at the American Gardens Theatre.  The Jammitors become the Jammin' Chefs during the festival.  Check the daily guide for exact times but don't miss their lively percussion act.  Everyone's favorite Celtic rock band, Off Kilter, is playing their normal schedule during the festival.

The Festival Welcome Center is located in the former Wonders of Life Pavilion in Future World, which sits between Universe of Energy and Mission Space.  The welcome center is home to book and bottle signings and both free and paid seminars.  Oh, and of course, there is shopping and a cafe.

Off Kilter

On their site, Disney is pushing the use of a Disney gift card at the festival.  I do have to admit this is a handy option.  We used one a couple of years ago that was a gift from my parents and it was easier than getting out the whole wallet over and over.  I bought Ridge a gift card for his college graduation at the Festival Welcome Center.  They sell cards themed to the festival that are smaller and attached to a stretchy bracelet.  Super convenient!  Check the Festival Map for the gift card location nearest you within Epcot.  If you are a Disney Visa cardholder, this is a fun way to spend your rewards dollars.

TIP: If you are on the Disney Dining Plan, you are able to use your snack credits for most of the food items at the festival.  Just look for the DDP logo on the menu board.  Be sure to check the one in the booth and not the one on the sidewalk.  For some reason, they don't normally put the logo on the sidewalk signs.

I feel like I could talk about the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival for hours, but I'll keep this to a brief overview.  In the coming months, I'll share more favorites, tips and photos related to the festival.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks!

Food & Wine Festival Research Center

I have added a new page to the blog.  Here I will provide a starting point for your 2010 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival research or the beginnings of some delicious daydreams. 

I've started the page with links to Disney's official site for the festival.  I'll be combing the web and reaching out to other bloggers to compile a one-stop shop for your EIF&WF information needs.

This page will be available throughout the festival, so check back regularly for the addition of new articles and, once the festival begins in October, reviews and photos from this year's event.

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If you are a blogger writing about the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, I'd love to hear from you.  Email me at growingupdisney@gmail.com to have a link to your article included in the festival research center.  Thanks!

DVC - "a Better Way to Vacation"

Disclaimer: I do not work for Disney, Disney Vacation Club, nor am I involved any real estate sales. I am simply a long time Disney Vacation Club member.

I put the disclaimer at the beginning of this post as when I talk about the Disney Vacation Club I often sound like a sales person. My children have repeatedly told me I should go to work for them. I have, while talking to the cast members manning the DVC booths scattered throughout Walt Disney World, talked to guests and encouraged them to visit and check out DVC. More than once they have visited and become members.

The Disney Vacation Club is a “vacation ownership” plan started in 1991 with the opening of the first DVC property at Walt Disney World, now called Disney’s Old Key West Resort (OKW). For a one time purchase price and annual membership fees, you can experience the “magic” that is Disney throughout the years. The real estate interest you purchase is represented by a number of “vacation points.” You use the vacation points to book your reservations when and where you want depending on your need on a particular vacation. We did an initial purchase of 190 points (the minimum in 1993) and have purchased two add-ons for a total of 300 points all at OKW. This gives us 300 points per year to make reservations. The point value for a stay varies with the accommodations (deluxe studio, one, two, or three bedroom villas) and with the resort. Points used for a stay can vary from 9 points per night at OKW during low season for a Deluxe Studio up to 71 points per night for a Grand Villa (Sunday- Thursday with Friday and Saturday slightly higher.) You may make reservations at your “Home Resort” (the resort where you purchased your DVC membership points) beginning 11 months out or at other DVC resorts 7 months out from your vacation. This gives you a four month priority to make reservations at your Home resort. If you are like us, I rarely make vacation plans 11 months out. We are usually flexible in our vacation dates and at which DVC property we will stay so we have always been able to get reservations without any difficulty.

Originally DVC only had one resort at Walt Disney World. Then came Vero Beach… more resorts at WDW…. Hilton Head Island… Disneyland California and next year on Oahu, Hawaii. Vacations are not limited to these DVC properties. You can vacation on the Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, or exchanges to almost unlimited places around the world.

How we use DVC. Flexible is the key word. While our vacations are usually at WDW, we have used points for 3 cruises on DCL and have stayed at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort and Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort. Our daughter was married at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion at WDW. For her wedding we booked rooms for the bride’s family and the groom’s family as well as giving the couple a cruise on DCL as a wedding present. (I’m sure she will devote a post to her wedding at some point.) It has become a family tradition to go to the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival each year. Our children even vacationed together prior to our granddaughter coming along. DVC has given us the flexibility to do all of this.

The Disney Vacation Club web site ( http://www.disneyvacationclub.com ) explains all about membership and has examples of how you can use your membership with a minimum of 160 points. You can also order a DVD about the Vacation Club. -- I told you I sound like a salesman!!

If you have any questions or comments about DVC, take time to leave us a comment.

Trip Advisor Ridge—Planning a First Trip to Walt Disney World

I have been to Walt Disney World roughly 40 times in the last 20 years; I was 9 on my first trip. Now I am helping my cousin Jeff and his wife Windy plan their first trip to the “World.” They have two adorable little girls ages 9 and 11. Jeff and Windy took appropriate measures and found themselves an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner locally. They also wanted to run the Planner’s information through me to compare it to what my family has been doing.

Here is some of the important information. Their trip is planned for November 1st though November 5th, 4 nights and 5 days, they will have their car, and they’ll be staying at Pop Century. They have the standard dining plan so they’ll have 4 credits per person for each of the following: snacks, quick service meals, and table service meals.

My mission recently was to take some of the mystery out of planning. I wanted to make sure they had access to all of the same websites I like to read in order to stay informed. We also did some restaurant planning.
They are not buying the park hopper feature so we need to plan only one park per day. This is where a little planning know how comes in. I took them to www.touringplans.com (*DING*) and showed them how the crowd calendar works and also how to generate the touring plan for each park.

Once we had a good general plan regarding which park they are visiting on each day, it was time to think about where to book advance dining reservations (ADRs) for the table service meals. I gave my suggestions for each park then showed them the dining choices with menus from www.allears.net . I suggested that they pick two or more restaurants from each park just in case they couldn’t get an ADR at the first choice. We looked through my suggestions, checked the menus and made decisions for each park. For Magic Kingdom, Crystal Palace; for EPCOT, Le Cellier (unlikely) or Coral Reef; for Hollywood Studios, Brown Derby or Sci-Fi Drive-in, and for Animal Kingdom, Tusker House. They’d also like to have breakfast at Chef Mickey’s. Jeff and Windy will end up paying for one of these meals out of pocket. I explained the Food and Wine Festival and they are getting geared up for that as well.

As we plan more and get closer to their trip, I’ll post updates on what they are hoping to do and share some of the suggestions I have on making the trip even more magical for the girls.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions, we would love to hear them. It would be great if we could help Jeff and Windy make this as special as possible. Add a comment below or email us at growingupdisney@gmail.com.

A Walk Around the World with Ridge--Oh, Canada…Off Kilter?

As a frequent visitor to Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, I am a lover of the music and performers of World Showcase. MoRockin’ in Morocco, Japan’s Matsuriza, the Taiko Drummers and Mariachi Cobre in Mexico and the list goes on. But one group in particular that captures my full attention is Canada’s Off Kilter. For those of you not in the loop, Off Kilter is a Celtic Progressive Rock Band. What does that mean exactly? They take old Celtic standards, i.e. Danny Boy, Fields of Athenry, Follow me up to Carlow, and make rock and roll out of them. I love these guys and am not afraid to tell you why.

I, being the person that I am, have some strange affinity for anything Celtic (Scottish, Irish and remember Patrick Stewart on SNL, “If it’s not Scottish, it’s CRAP!!!”). I even tried to talk my sister into letting me wear a kilt to her wedding (it was at Disney. You can see her posts and pictures about that) and I was told unequivocally NO! As a matter of fact I think I remember her saying it was her day and the only one in a dress would be her. That stung a little because it’s a KILT! However, my kilted exploits are of no concern here. I have been a fan of traditional Irish and Scottish standards for a long time since I was listening to my Edinburgh Military Tattoo tape (Yes I said tape. I got my first car in 1996 and it was an 1989 Jeep Cherokee.) Later I found out about other groups like the Rouges, the Pogues, Planxty, Dubliners, the Chieftains, Damian Dempsey, Luke Kelly, Paul Brady, The Murphys, the Drop Kick Murphys…and Off Kilter.

Now why does Off Kilter play in Canada? Canada is just as culturally diverse as the United States. Canada is also home to Nova Scotia. Since we all know Latin the answer is obvious. Oh, what’s that? We don’t speak Latin….OK then to GOOGLE….Nova Scotia means New Scotland in Latin. You should be able to find their flag for sale in the gift shop, the Trading Post and Northwest Mercantile. They have also some really good maple syrup; however, please resist the temptation to chug it….

The band performs in the Canada pavilion and is made up of an extremely talented group of musicians. The front man is Jamie Holton, the bagpiper and lead singer. He has been playing since he was 11 and is really amazing. You just rarely see anyone playing bagpipes, much less playing them in a rock band, unless you are into that sort of thing and then it is… still awesome. On guitar is Randy Holbrook, on bass is Mark Weldon, who hails from Cork Ireland, on the piano is Tony “Miracle Fingers” Escapa, who studied at the Burklee College of Music in Boston and on the skins is Scott Zymowski, who has been associated with some big names in rock. As I understand the story, Jamie pitched his idea of a high energy rock band with a Celtic influence. Disney went for it and the band was formed and look at the awesomeness that has followed. I want to say the first time I saw them was on a family trip in 1997. I was hooked after the first song. Since then I have seen them at least once every trip. During my travels for EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival (forever called F&W around our homes,) I think I have seen them at least 2 or 3 times a day. So I guess you can tell they are entertaining because I play “short attention span theatre” and they can keep me entertained.

Off Kilter has a level of energy you don’t always see in performers--Disney’s or otherwise. These guys have a good thing and they know it and most importantly are appreciative of it. They will pose for pictures, sign autographs, shake hands, kiss babies…. They put on a 30 minute concert several times a day, several days a week. Check the park guide when you get to EPCOT to see when they are playing. You definitely do not want to go to EPCOT and miss them. Even if the thought of bagpipes makes you cringe, put that aside for a moment and go watch them. I promise it will be like nothing else you have ever seen and will make you a fan of Off Kilter for life.