In this edition of Theme Park Bits:

  • Go behind the scenes of the new Epcot nighttime show.
  • The Disney Skyliner is closed after a nighttime incident.
  • Take a look at some Epcot holiday menus.
  • And more!

‘Epcot Forever’

The month of October ushered in a big new change at Epcot. The previous nighttime show, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, was sent off into the sunset and replaced with a new show entitled Epcot Forever. (One imagines that does not tip to the length of the show itself, because that would be awfully long.) If you’re curious to know how some of Epcot’s history has informed the show musically, you can take a look at a behind-the-scenes video about the show and its music, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Really.

After you check that out, you might get a little bit of FOMO, if only because you might not be headed over to Epcot anytime soon. (This may or may not be a reflection of this writer’s headspace at the moment.) So good news: even though Epcot Forever has already started, you can watch a video of the first night’s performance. Initial reviews have been a bit mixed, but if you’re curious to know what might be in store, there’s only one way – this way – to find out.

Theme Park Bits Disney Skyliner

If you’ve been paying attention to recent Theme Park Bits columns lately, first of all, bless your heart. Second of all, you may know that one of our recurring stories has focused on the Disney Skyliner. It’s a new transportation system! It’s going to change how people travel to and from Epcot! It’s…closed after a major incident! Yes, things aren’t going so well anymore for the Skyliner after guests were left stranded in the vehicles for hours. Disney is now investigating the incident, which means the Skyliner is grounded until further notice. Be glad if you weren’t stuck in the vehicles – better for Disney to fix it now as opposed to leave people hanging.

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Oga's Cantina

Timing and scheduling being what they are, when I visited Disneyland at the end of September, I unfortunately didn’t have time to visit Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. (I did experience Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, an exceptional achievement of physical design that also happens to be a motion simulator in a very similar vein to Star Tours.) But I’m almost a little happy I didn’t, because the menu prices at Disneyland’s version of the cantina have gone up even higher than they were before. Now, a single beer costs $14.25, which seems more than excessive. I did, though, try the blue milk, which I thought was fine. (My wife and son…did not.)

Speaking of food and drink, that’s the theme for our last two stories today. As mentioned recently, the Grand Floridian Resort in Walt Disney World is getting a new lounge themed to Beauty and the Beast. (It’s suggested that the new lounge, the Enchanted Rose, is inspired by the live-action/CG film from 2017, which is quite a good laugh.) The full menu for the Enchanted Rose has been revealed, and it’s got everything from beer and wine, to cocktails (lots of them), and even caviar. Yes, you can get nearly 100 dollars’ worth of caviar, if you really want to live the high life.

Illuminations Reflections of Earth Epcot

Epcot has many wonderful elements to recommend it, not least of which is its embrace of world foods. This year, they’ve got their International Festival of the Holidays going from November 29 to December 30, and the menus make everything sound quite delectable. In World Showcase, you can get everything from Black Forest cake in Germany to a turkey dinner in America to – my favorite – a Canadian peppermint pinwheel cookie. Remember how I mentioned having a bit of FOMO earlier in the column? It’s all coming back to me now.

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