Neither dreaming, nor pretending

Chances are that the majority of us remember the 15 Years of Magic, the celebration that included displays, parades, performances, and giveaways that were part of the yearlong party for Walt Disney World’s 15th birthday. Putting on festive events to celebrate milestones for parks and the resort as a whole were a part of the very fabric of Walt Disney World’s first two and a half decades, many times these occasions would be the uniting theme throughout the resort for an entire year.

Since that time, however, Walt Disney World has been fine with what amounts to sending their parks a birthday card in the mail and moving on with the day to day routines of operating the resort. There may have been a button, but the party atmosphere for the parks was, quite literally, wiped off of the maps. It was in this environment, as we approached Epcot’s 25th anniversary five years ago, when no word had come down from Disney of how they would mark the occasion, that the community of Disney park goers decided to design their own festivities. From small forum get-togethers to larger, conference-like events, everyone ramp up the level of excitement for the anniversary.

That is when the pendulum swung again. Realizing that as a community we were doing more to celebrate the park than Walt Disney World was prepared to do itself, Epcot was given a rededication ceremony, commemorative merchandise, special IllumiNations tag, show-and-tell with Marty Sklar, and a gallery that showcased the history of the park. Disney’s Animal Kingdom followed suit the next year, for its 10th anniversary, by bringing in Jane Goodall and Joe Rohde.

As D23 has continued to develop itself as the keeper of milestones and park histories, other events, some not directly tied to a specific date or anniversary, have begun to pepper the calendars of Disney enthusiasts who make pilgrimages to California and Florida. Imagineers and the work of Imagineering has been brought back to its proper place as the forefront of theme park design and insight, with the ability to share their stories with all who are willing to listen. But we have not yet come full circle.

With Epcot’s 30th this past weekend there were no giveaways or contests, no resort-wide celebration, and certainly no element that lasted beyond the park’s official birthday on Monday, October 1. I wouldn’t expect that sort of celebration for Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s 15th anniversary in 2013 or the 25th anniversary of Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2014 (although I’d be happy to be proven wrong on either point). No, if there is to be another party that encompasses the entirety of Walt Disney World for more than just a long weekend, I wouldn’t look for it to show up until 2021 when Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom turn 50.

To be honest, I think this past weekend’s celebration of Epcot was a brilliant model of how to put on a party for the parks going forward. There were wildly successful and energetic fan events, D23 put on college level history classes taught with that perfect blend of edutainment, and on the actual anniversary the park released collectibles and had a few special events that were open to all. If I’m being fair, I would like to see a few more events taking place for all guests, particularly for those who just happen to be in the right place at the right time, to really hammer home what a magical place Walt Disney World is.

As the resort and parks continue to grow and change, the thinking behind how best to honor them appropriately is sure to evolve as well. We have shown that as a community we are willing to pick up the slack that Walt Disney World may leave hanging, but I’m not sure that it will ever come to that again, at least not for major milestones. There are so many voices both internally and externally driving the charge to give the parks the respect they are due, that it is a great time to celebrate with your favorite park!

Delicious Discoveries - Jerk-Spiced Chicken Drumettes with Mango Chutney

It’s that time of year again, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival has descended upon the park, bringing with it a bevy of foodies and novice, but hungry, hordes. While many of us won’t be able to make it down for the event, that doesn’t mean we can’t cook up a few of the dishes in our own kitchens. For the month of October, the Main Street Gazette will have you covered as we serve up some recipes and walk-throughs from festivals past, current dishes, and fan favorites!

To kick things off, especially since we are firmly entrenched in the college and NFL football seasons, we’re going to start with a dish that is sure to spice up your viewing or tailgating party! Jerk-Spiced Chicken Drumettes with Mango Chutney from the Caribbean kiosk.

JERK-SPICED DRUMMETTES

Ingredients

20 Chicken Drumettes

2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

2 ½ Tsp. Thyme (dried)

2 Tsp. Ground Allspice

2 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper

½ Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

½ Tsp. Cayenne Pepper

½ Tsp. Salt

Directions

Rub drumettes with vegetable oil, place in gallon zip lock bag and set aside.

Mix together garlic powder, thyme, allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small bowl.

Add to bag with drumettes, seal, and massage until all drumettes are covered in jerk spice.

Marinate in refrigerator for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, preheat oven to 350°F.

Line 15x10 baking sheet with foil.

Place marinated drumettes on baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until fully cooked.

Serve with Mango Chutney.

MANGO CHUTNEY

Ingredients

1 ¼ Cups Mangos (diced – approximately 2 small mangos)

2 Small Hot Chile Peppers (minced – membrane and seeds removed)

1 Clove Garlic

½ Red Bell Pepper (diced – membrane and seeds removed)

½ Onion (diced)

2 Tbsp. Light Brown Sugar (firmly packed)

2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar

¼ Cup White Distilled Vinegar

½ Tbsp. Fresh Ginger (peeled and minced)

¼ Tsp. Allspice

1/8 Tsp. Coarse Salt

1/8 Tsp. Cinnamon

1/8 Tsp. Ground Cloves

1/8 Tsp. Nutmeg

Directions

Stir together all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or until mixture thickens, stir frequently.

Cool and serve with Jerk-Spiced Chicken Drumettes.

Leftover chutney will keep in a refrigerated, air-tight container for 3 – 4 days.

The drumettes and chutney require a bit of planning and prepping, considering the drumettes require 24 hours to marinate, but overall this is a really simple way to make a unique part dish that is great for die-hard tailgaters and foodies who have come along to your event (or, if you’re like me, a die-hard football foodie!).

The drumettes don’t seem to have a lot of heat to them right off of the bat, but it builds as you go through the drumette and subsequent drumettes. I like a bit more crunchy bits to my wings, and as these were baked not fried, I did turn up the heat to broil for the last few minutes and kept a close eye on them to be certain they didn’t burn.

The chutney was super simple and super delicious. My wife refused to let me use the chile peppers I had picked out and relegated me to jalapenos. There was some heat here, but with the acidic and sweet nature of the chutney, a hotter pepper would have provided a great balancing point for the condiment. This can be a bit deceiving to those who expect this cold accompaniment to help relieve the heat of the drumettes, so make sure your guests know this chutney may bite them back!

What are you waiting for? Get out to your grocery store and get ready to cheer on your team this weekend with a drumette from the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival clutched in your raised fist!

Yours to explore

EPCOT Center, 1986. This is where the park truly came alive for me. I was beginning to grasp some of the more intangible ideas being presented, I was in the early stages of understanding that there was a great big world out there that I knew little to nothing about, and art was everywhere I looked!

For the park, it was not yet fully complete, but it was well on its way. Wonders of Life hadn’t been constructed in Future World yet, but Horizons and The Living Seas had been actualized. In World Showcase, the signs for pavilions like Equatorial Africa and Israel had come down without the areas being constructed, Norway was but a dream, but there were a set of Danish inspired restrooms and Morocco had been added to the promenade’s skyline. These were also the days in EPCOT Center’s history when World Showcase and Future World shared the same hours. If the park was open to guests, every area was open and awaiting adventure!

The EPCOT Center Guide Book was a way of remembering the worlds I had visited only yesterday, they were my introduction to map/blueprint design (something I still like to fiddle with today), and, between the text and abundance of pictures, they were the perfect way to get excited on the incredible long hour drive from my house to the park.

So, today, let’s pretend we’re walking in on the morning of October 2, 1986. Where should we head to first? Where should we have lunch and dinner? We only have one roll of 24 exposure film, should we utilize the Photo Spots or wing it and take our own pictures? If we’re winging it, what do we want pictures of? Most importantly, let’s have a fantastic day today, as we dream of tomorrow!

 

 

Shaping a world that will last

Five years ago when Epcot turned 25, I wrote an article how I had grown up with the park. Our arrivals on the earth were separated by 10 months and quite a bit of fanfare (though my family probably celebrated by birth a bit more than the opening of EPCOT Center), but Epcot and I have grown up together and have experienced many of the same milestones and bumps in the road. Today, I still feel that connection to Epcot, but I’ve realized that Epcot is something more, something special. Epcot is something different to each and every one of us.

Epcot can be a model World’s Fair, filled with the hopes and dreams of tomorrow’s industry and the belief that no matter what corner of the world we live in we can all work and live together.

Epcot can be a world of food and cultural glimpses that satisfy the hunger of our bodies and our souls.

Epcot can be the memories of a golden age of theme park design, filled with innovative concepts, plans, and attractions.

Epcot can be a symphony of music that we turn to in order to lift ourselves up even in our deepest despair.

While Epcot can be whatever we need it to be, we each also have our favorite corner of Epcot. Whether it is pretending to people watch from along the street with a pastry in France, being enthralled by the use of technology in agriculture in Living with the Land, the awe of seemingly living and breathing dinosaurs, blasting off to Mars, descending from the top of Spaceship Earth, the tug at the patriotic heartstrings that comes from The American Adventure, the selection of beverages at La Cava del Tequila, spending time with a loveable fellow from our childhood, marveling at the creatures of the deep, or admiring the detail in every nook and cranny of Morocco, we each have a place that feels like our very own when we are visiting Epcot.

30 years ago today, on October 1, 1982, EPCOT Center welcomed the world through its gates and into a world filled with the promise of tomorrow. Some of those tomorrows have come to pass, while others are still waiting for us to reach out and take hold of them, but there is still hope and promise that pours out of Epcot every day. And every day the world of today brings smiles to all those who step into Epcot. May Epcot be here for 30 more years, and many years beyond, as we move through the 21st century and look with anticipation to the 22nd century!