Saturday, February 20, 2016

2016 Flower and Garden Festival Menus!



The 2016 Garden Passport is now available for download here.

The passport gives you all the information from the festival including topiaries, Garden Rocks concerts, weekend events, merchandise and more. It also give a full list of Outdoor Kitchens and what they will be serving.

Here is a rundown of the food being served this year:


URBAN FARM EATS (Near Pineapple Promenade)
  • Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions, B&W Gourmet Farms Baby Arugula, Feta and Balsamic Reduction
  • Vegetable and White Bean “Naanwich” with Arugula Pesto and Oven-dried Tomatoes featuring Seeds of Change® Quinoa, Brown & Red Rice
  • Seared Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Ragoût, Spring Vegetables and Marble Potatoes
PINEAPPLE PROMENADE (World Showcase Promenade)
  • Spicy Hot Dog with Pineapple Chutney and Taro Chips
  • Pineapple Soft-serve
LA ISLA FRESCA (World Showcase Promenade)
  • Jerk-spice Grouper or Chicken with Mango Salsa, Chayote and Green Papaya Slaw with Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
  • Jamaican-braised Beef with Pigeon Pea Rice and Micro Cilantro
  • Tres Leches with Guava Purée
JARDIN DE FIESTAS (Mexico)
  • Tacos de Camarón – Tempura Shrimp Tacos served with Hibiscus Flower, Caramelized Onions and Habanero Sauce
  • Corn Tortilla Quesadilla served with Roasted Mushrooms and Zucchini Blossom topped with Green Tomatillo Sauce
  • Flan de Rosas served with Hibiscus Reduction
LOTUS HOUSE (China)
  • Gaoli Beef Bun
  • Beijing-style Candied Strawberries
  • Vegetable Spring Roll with Orange Sauce
BAUERNMARKT: FARMER’S MARKET (Germany)
  • Chicken Fricassee with Green Asparagus and Peas served with Uncle Ben’s® Rice Pilaf
  • Currywurst with Paprika Chips – Roasted Bratwurst with Curry Ketchup and Paprika-spiced Chips
  • “Armer Ritter” – Egg Battered Toast with Cherry Compote and Powdered Sugar
PRIMAVERA KITCHEN (Italy)
  • Pollo alla Parmigiana – Breaded Breast of Chicken Parmigiana, Tomato, Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese
  • Mezze Lune Primavera – Egg Pasta stuffed with Ricotta and Spinach in a Creamy Sauce with Spring Vegetables and Pecorino Cheese
  • Cremoso al Pistacchio – Pistacchio Cream, Strawberries and Mascarpone Cream
THE SMOKEHOUSE: BARBECUE AND BREWS (The American Adventure)
  • Pulled Pig Slider with Crispy Onions and Coleslaw
  • Smoked Pork Ribs with Roasted Corn Salad
  • Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash with White Cheddar Fondue and Pickled Jalapeños
  • Warm Chocolate Cake with Bourbon-Salted Caramel Sauce and Spiced Pecans
HANAMI (Japan)
  • Frushi – Fresh Pineapple, Strawberry and Melon Rolled with Raspberry Coconut Rice, sprinkled with Toasted Coconut and Whipped Cream on the side
  • Chicken Edamame Bun – Steamed Bun filled with Chicken and Edamame and topped with Curry Sauce
  • Beef Teriyaki Udon – Thin-sliced Beef, Onions and Noodles tossed on the grill with Soy and Ginger
TASTE OF MARRAKESH (Morocco)
  • Harissa Chicken Kebab with Sweet Couscous Salad
  • Falafel Pocket with Cucumber-Tomato Salad and Tahini Sauce
  • Baklava
FLORIDA FRESH (Between Morocco and France)
  • Kale Salad with Dried Cherries, Almonds, Goat Cheese and White Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Shrimp and Stone-ground Grits with Andouille Sausage, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes and Cilantro
  • Florida Larder Board – Orlando-made Ricotta Cheese, Cahaba Farms Micro Onions, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic, Country Pâté and House-made Pickles
FLEUR DE LYS (France)
  • Tarte à l’Onion Alsacienne – Alsatian Onion Tart with Sautéed Onions, Fresh Thyme and Rosemary on a Flaky Puff Pastry Crust
  • Cassoulet au Confit de Canard – Pulled Duck Confit with Braised Flageolet Beans
  • Macaron Chocolat Framboise – Large Raspberry Macaron with Chocolate Fudge and Raspberry Jam
CIDER HOUSE (United Kingdom) 
Land-harvested Field Greens with Apples, Dried Blueberries, Stilton Cheese and Apple Cider Vinaigrette
  • Pear Cider-brined Shredded Corned Beef with Braised Cabbage and Pears and Branston Dressing
  • House-made Potato and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with Smoked Salmon Tartare
  • Freshly Baked Lemon Scone with Crème Fraîche and Mixed Berries
You can also try these tasty treats at Sunshine Seasons in the Land pavilion:

  • Oak-grilled Vegetable Flatbread
  • Tomato and Cucumber Salad


For more on this and ALL Disney news, join 1,000,000 Disney SUPER Fans  on Facebook!

Friday, February 12, 2016

Updated Garden Rocks Concert Series



This year's EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival runs from March 2 to May 30, 2016.

Here is an updated list of the Garden Rocks Concert Series:


  • 3/04 - 3/06: The Orchestra starring former members of ELO
  • 3/11 - 3/13: Starship starring Mickey Thomas
  • 3/18 - 3/20: Little River Band
  • 3/25 - 3/27: Village People
  • 4/01 - 4/03: Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone
  • 4/08 - 4/10: The Guess Who
  • 4/15 - 4/17: Blood, Sweat & Tears featuring Bo Bice  
  • 4/22 - 4/24: Brian Howe, former lead singer of Bad Company  
  • 4/29 - 5/01: Georgia Satellites  
  • 5/06 - 5/08: Gin Blossoms
  • 5/13 - 5/15: Darlene Love  
  • 5/20 - 5/22: Night Ranger
  • 5/27 - 5/30 (Monday): The Spinners
 Note: The concert schedule is subject to change without notice.

For all the latest Disney news and fun, join 1,000,000 Disney SUPER Fans on Facebook!

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

How to Stop Facebook Scams!



Free trips, free tickets, free prizes! Facebook is certainly full of them. However, before you jump on that next great offer, pull back that itchy clicking finger and take a minute to really LOOK at what you are sharing. If it looks to good to be true, it usually is. Many of these "offers" floating around Facebook are scams and some can be VERY harmful. In many cases, a quick Google search or a look at Snopes.com will instantly tell you the ad you're seeing is a fake. When deciding what to click on Facebook, a little common sense goes a long way!! Here are some common things you should be looking at before sharing:

This is the latest offer to come through my groups. This particular scam has been circulating since last year and can cause major problems for you! Let's examine it.
1. READ THE CAPTION! Every Disney fan in the world knows that Disneyland has been celebrating their 60TH anniversary all year long. We also know that Walt Disney World is in it's 45th year. So, there is your first red flag.
2. The "ticket" say Walt Disney World and the caption reads "Disneyland". This is NOT an error the company makes.
3. Look at the "website" listed at the bottom. Dot "xyz" is not a valid domain! This is your next tip-off that clicking this link is leading you to a place you do NOT want to go. Most, BUT NOT ALL, of these offers are using the .xyz extension. So even if you see one that doesn't, you still need to be careful.

Now, I've already mentioned this scam has been around since last year and I'm sure you have seen it without even knowing! That's because they have used McDonald's, Burger King, Walmart, Aldi, Target, Rolex, Netflix and just about EVERY major company name in the country to draw you in. But the results of trying to claim these "free" prizes is all the same and it is NOT good. Aside from not giving you anything, they can cause big problems for you. Let's take a look at how:

When you click on these offers, it will take you to a page that leads you believe you are still getting what you want. All you need to do is send this ad to 5 groups. Well, that's your first problem. Many group admins, like myself, who are tired of combating this onslaught of spam have decided that it's much easier to just ban members who share this junk in their groups. You can find yourself losing membership to some of your favorite FB groups by posting these. But that's the least of your problems. Clicking these links also is giving them access to your profile. Soon, you will find out that unbeknownst to you they are posting their spam, phishing and sometimes PORNOGRAPHIC ads to all your groups from YOUR profile! This will definitely get you thrown out of a lot of groups and can also get you locked out of your entire Facebook profile. But what's worse is these hackers are now gaining access to your computers and devices where they can access valuable personal information that could end up costing you BIG financial problems.

Aside from the trouble you are causing for yourself, you are also putting your friends and family at risk by sharing these phony links. Another popular scam is the free Disney trips. You will see a free trip being offered by Walt Disney World or Disney Cruise Line or some other major company. You click to enter and find a page like the one shown here. BEFORE you share that link, let's think about a few things:
1. Any legitimate contest by Disney will be listed on their official website, such as disneyworld.com or disneycruise.com. Check their website first to see if it's real.
2. Walt Disney World is the number one vacation destination in the world! This FB page has 14,000 likes. Seriously? The real Disney Facebook pages have followers in the tens of millions!
3. See that period at the end of the name? That's a dead giveaway. Copycat pages will have a random period, hyphen, comma or some other punctuation that will tip you off. Also, you can see that the rest of the page has no real Disney posts or news other than the "giveaways".

Also, official Facebook pages will have the checkmark in the circle at the end of their name to let you know they are verified as real.





These are just some of the ways scammers can draw you in. Sadly, they will always come up with new ideas. The only way to stop the harm they cause is by not helping them!! Whether it's Disney, or an "abused" animal, or a "sick" child, or an amazing free offer, ALWAYS take a few minutes to verify that what you are sharing is authentic. Keep yourself and your friends safe by REPORTING these fake links to Facebook. Do NOT share them on your wall or in groups. If you want to post a warning to people, do NOT share the link. Take a screenshot instead to show others. Always THINK before you CLICK!

To keep up on all the latest and talk Disney all day long, join 1,000,000 Disney SUPER Fans on Facebook!

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Crime Wave hits Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa



The Orlando Sentinel reported today that the Orange County Sheriff's Office has been investigating a rash of burglaries at the resort in recent weeks.

They have received reports of more than 20 thefts since late December. Several arrests have already been made, but investigations are still open.

To read the full article, click here.

To keep up on ALL Disney news, join 1,000,000 Disney SUPER Fans on Facebook!

Beware of fraudulent credit card charges if you dined at Yak & Yeti


If you dined at Yak & Yeti in Disney's Animal Kingdom or any other restaurant owned by Landry's, Inc or Golden Nugget Hotels and Casinos during certain time frames last year, you may want to pay close attention to the charges on your credit card statement.

Landry's launched an investigation in December after receiving reports of suspicious activity on credit cards used in several of their locations. That investigation has been concluded. Apparently, the Landry's-owned locations of Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex Cafe in Walt Disney World were not affected by this breach, but Yak & Yeti was.

To read the full report, click here.

To see a detailed list of affected locations, click here.

Keep up on all the latest Disney news! Join 1,000,000 Disney SUPER Fans on Facebook!