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2015 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Booth Menus Announced

If you're making plans to attend this 2015 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival you can now check out all the menus for the marketplace booths! New booths this year include Sustainable Chew, the Chew Lab, the Wine Studio, and the Cheese Studio. The Dominican Republic booth is returning after a multi-year hiatus.

Paul Candland Named President of The Walt Disney Company Asia

The Walt Disney Company recently announced that Paul Candland was named to the newly created position of president, The Walt Disney Company Asia.

In this position, Candland will have oversight of Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Greater China and will be responsible for driving the company's strategy and business efforts in Asia. Candland, a 16-year Disney veteran, was president of Walt Disney Japan.

Epcot’s Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure Now Using New Smartphones

Agent P's World Showcase Adventure in Epcot is now using new Nokia smartphones from AT&T.

The interactive game had been using Verizon Samsung flip-phones for the last two years. AT&T became the official wireless provider for the Walt Disney World Resort in August 2013.

The new smartphones have a much larger screen than the old flip phones and reportedly the quality of the audio is improved. And since it's a smartphone, it also features a touch screen.

Frozen Draft Beer Invades the U.S. - At Epcot's Japan Pavilion

It's a hit across the ocean in Tokyo, Japan , and now it's hit the mainland U.S. We're talking, of course, about frozen draft beer; guests heading out to the Japan Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase can now sample one of these frosty beverages.

As you can see in the picture, the beer looks like it's topped with a whipped topping of some sort, or even ice cream. Rest assured, it's truly a cold beer, Kirin brand, topped by frozen beer. The frozen topping helps the beer retain its refreshing coldness quite a bit longer than its regular counterparts.

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Preview

While this year's International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot has just ended, already plans are in the works for the upcoming 2012 Flower and Garden Festival. Here is a preview of what guests can expect when that festival gears up in March.

This year's centerpiece will be based on the classic Disney film "Fantasia" and will feature a larger-than-life Mickey Mouse topiary on top of a twelve-foot floral mountain. Below Mickey will be flower versions of buckets and broomsticks, elephants, alligators and hippos.

Tokyo Disneyland Reopens Today

It has been closed since the devestating tsunami and earthquake hit Japan, but now Tokyo Disneyland is reopening its doors.

Starting today, Tokyo Disneyland will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The shorter-than-normal hours are part of an effort by Disney to conserve energy and power consumption.

Tokyo Disneyland will also be donating a certain amount per guest entering the parks to the Japanese Red Cross. Also, starting April 22, charity wrist bands will be available for sale with proceeds also going to the Red Cross to aid its relief efforts.

Tokyo Disneyland Update

The Tokyo Disneyland Resort is still closed in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan earlier this month and will remain closed until further notice.

Thorough inspections were conducted in Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySEA and found that structures and guest areas inside both parks were safe and sound. The same cannot be said, however, for the outside of the parks. More specifically, the parking lots of the parks have sustained damage from soil liquefaction which occurred when the earthquake's tremors caused the soil under the parking lots to act like liquid.

Disney Donates $2.5 Million to Red Cross

As all eyes continue to watch Japan in the aftermath of last week's devestating earthquake and tsunami, the Walt Disney Company is making a $2.5 million contribution to the Red Cross to aid efforts in that country. Disney also has set up a charitable giving program for all its employees and will match each dollar donated with a dollar up to an additional $1 million.

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Epcot's Lucky Owl

Japan's Mitsukoshi department store in Epcot's World Showcase is one of our favorite places to wander, and every once in a while I find something I can't help but show you here on WDWFG. Today -- it's the lucky owls.