🏰🎸 Walt Disney World News Update - 9th July 2024

I’m recording this on 8th July 2024. Today, I’ll be letting you know about the lineup for the Eat to the beat concerts at Epcot along with an important update for UK guests about the changes to Genie+.

Let’s start with something musical. Every year, the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival brings food from around the world to the parks. Just like all the other EPCOT Festivals, Food & Wine has live shows every day on the America Gardens Theater stage. The concert series for the Food & Wine Festival is called Eat to the Beat and they have famous artists performing on the weekends and local acts during the week. Shows are at 5 30, 6 45 and 8pm daily.

This year, there's a mix of bands I like, some I've heard of and completely unknown. It all kicks off on 29th August with Finesse finishing on 18th November with 98 degrees. Big name include boys to men, Hanson, Billy Ocean, Aloe Blacc, The Wanted, Tiffany and the fray.

The only way to make sure you get a seat at one of the concerts is by getting a dining package. EPCOT has 8 restaurants where you can get an Eat to the Beat Dining Package. Most of them require a reservation in advance, except for one. Whether you book in advance or do a Same-Day package, you'll get a guaranteed seat at the concert on that day. The restaurant will give you a time for the show after you finish your meal. Just remember, you can't get dining packages on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays.

Prices start from $56 for an adult and $21 at Spice Road Table in the Morocco Pavilion. And go all the way up to $99 for an adult or $39 for a child at Le Cellier Steakhouse in Canada. I'd probably be most tempted with Garden Grill character dining at The Land Pavilion.

This year, the only place you can get a same-day dining package is at Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue in the American Adventure Pavilion. It'll cost you $36 for adults and $21 for kids.

I’m going to be in Orlando this September for 3 weeks so I’ll be checking out who’s performing.

Last week was 4th July and it wouldn’t be Independence day without fireworks. Epcot presented Luminous With the Heartbeat of Freedom. Over in Magic Kingdom, guests enjoyed Disney’s Celebrate America, along with DJs and dance parties. As always, it can be a really busy time to visit Florida. If you’re not sure when to visit next year, check out the YouTube video link in the show notes.

A lot of you have been in touch to ask about the changes to Genie +. At the moment, you need to be within the US to be able to buy it. So if you’re planning on buying it 7 or 3 days in advance, you’ll need to be in the US. This could change, but from what we’re hearing, it’s all to do with tax and VAT which could be a problem. Disney has now confirmed that people in Canada will be able to buy it, but so far no word about us in the UK.

We’re waiting until it launches as we should have a work around for guests who’ve booked with us. This should let you buy and book it before you arrive. We’ll have an update soon for our guests.