Walt Disney World has announced the dates for this year’s Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. It will run from Aug. 29 through Nov. 23, and while that’s nearly three months, it’s slightly shorter than last year’s, which started on July 27. I wonder if Epcotians got tired of dealing with people having heat stroke while drinking their way around the World Showcase.

Before you ask, no, they’re not bringing back cooking demonstrations, wine tasting seminars or Party for the Senses this year. All of those were dropped in 2020 when the pandemic forced the festival to go to an abbreviated schedule of events. So what’s the excuse now? 

Mother’s Day is May 12 – not far off! – so if you haven’t made dining plans, now’s the time to do it. Check out our Holiday Dining page for some tasty options.

This Mother’s Day, Jaleo Disney Springs will offer a special brunch experience to celebrate all the mother figures in one’s life. For $49 per person, guests will enjoy a four course menu, featuring classic tapas, Spanish-style brunch favorites and a variety of seasonal specials curated by Head Chef Kristoffer Anderson, like paella with artichokes and pork ribs. The meal is accompanied by live performances of classic rumba music by roaming guitar players and vocalists. To book this experience, click HERE

The last time I reviewed the Boheme, the restaurant in the Grand Bohemian Orlando, I called it “one of downtown Orlando’s best restaurants.” If I were to make that claim today – and I don’t intend to – it would be with an asterisk for how few restaurants there are in downtown.

At least restaurants of the calibre that Boheme wants to be – full service, yes, but a bit more upscale. It is that, though with a recent renovation and complete redo of the space’s decor, tablecloths that added a bit of upscalability have been removed. On the plus side, it no longer looks like a French cathouse, with flaming reds replaced by warmer blues. (The many works of art that adorned the walls have been replaced by decorative mirrors.)

It just seems like Boheme isn’t really trying. The food on a recent visit was fine, though at the prices it demands – $38 to $66, not counting the $225 Tomahawk Experience – it should have been better.