Meet members of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, Saturday, October 2, 2010, at 2:30 at the Odyssey in Epcot.

To request attendance for you and up to 5 additional friends or family, please RSVP here for yourself and up to 5 people. Space is limited. Not all requests will be accommodated. If we can accommodate your request we will send you a confirmation email by the week of September 17, 2010.

THEME PARK ADMISSION IS NOT INCLUDED. VALID EPCOT THEME PARK ADMISSION IS REQUIRED.

Park and attraction hours subject to change without notice and event may be cancelled without notice. This event is not open to Cast Members of The Walt Disney Company or any of its affiliates or their immediate family members.

The new restaurant at Epcot's Mexico pavilion, La Hacienda de San Angel, will begin taking reservations for after October 15th.  The restaurant will begin a soft opening phase in mid-September, but no reservations until after October 15th.

The restaurant will also begin utilizing "Flex Space" Disney Dining with the La Cantina de San Angel.  During the day, La Cantina will act as any other counter-service restaurant.  In the evening (after 4PM), it will become a full-service restaurant.  Both will move towards a more authentic Mexican menu and away from the old Tex-Mex style menu.

Additionally, margarita's will now play a feature role in the restaurant with many different flavors and a tequila ambassador on duty, every day.

Both venues will take one credit for the Disney Dining Plan -- one counter service for La Cantina and one table service for La Hacienda.

To make your reservations, contact our friends at Destinations in Florida Travel at info @ destinationsinflorida.com

The concert series that coincides with the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, Eat to the Beat, has recently announced the schedule of entertainers for the event.

I know my wife will want to see .38 Special and I would love to see Sister Hazel (a couple of them graduated from University of Florida's School of Building Construction, like me).  Who's on your list?

All performances are at America Gardens Theatre, with shows at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. each day. The opportunity to enjoy Eat to the Beat! is included with Epcot admission on the days of scheduled shows.

Ever wonder how Disney Cast Members get one of those topiary gardens built, overnight?  Well, the Disney Parks Blog has put up a video showing a time-lapse of the Cast Members getting just one topiary garden ready for the Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot.  To get the whole park ready for the Festival, it took more than 24,000 Cast Member hours (that's 10,000 8 hour days, just as a quick reference) and 80,000 plants.

Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival runs from March 3, 2010 to May 16, 2010.  The earliest start to Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival in Disney history.  Check out All Ears for more information about the Festival.

Epcot Illuminations is one of the top fireworks shows at the Disney World Resort.  In various ways, you can tie your dining into VIP seating for Illuminations.  This means reserved seating with unobstructed views of the Illuminations show at Epcot.

We had the opportunity with a wedding reception to have the VIP seating experience at Epcot for Illuminations in early January and took some video of the experience.  It's just a quick preview and hits the highlights of the Illuminations show.  Call it a teaser for booking your own trip to Disney's Epcot park.

Just as an added bit of trivia we'd thought we'd share, the Epcot Illuminations show breaks down into three distinct sections.  Many people actually start to leave at the end of either the first or second section of Illuminations.  The fireworks show tells a story that's broken down into three parts -- before the Earth is formed, the formation of the Earth, and the culmination of communities coming together on Earth.

Not just for Illuminations, but for all Disney World shows, a little key to when the finale occurs -- bright, white fireworks.  These bright white fireworks signify the actual end to Epcot's Illuminations, as well as fireworks shows throughout Disney World.

Illuminations at Epcot is one of our favorite night-time shows at the Disney World Resort, what's yours?

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At Disney World, you seldom see anything "behind the scenes." Disney does a fantastic job of keeping the magic alive by doing as much as possible outside the view of the guests.

Every now and then, though, you catch the magic being made, which is what happened recently, when we "caught" some Cast Members moving a barge for Illuminations at Epcot and shot a quick video.

I know, I know, it's a boat in a canal, but it's Disney! You're not supposed to see these things, so it makes it just a little more interesting.

Travel to Mexico on one of our favorite Disney World rides; the Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros at Epcot's Mexico pavilion in the World Showcase.  It's a fun little boat ride through the Mexico pavilion with scenes from throughout Mexico, including a little adventure story with the Three Caballeros.

We love this ride because it's fun for the kids, relaxing for adults, and almost never has a line!  You just walk right on!  In the summer, this serves as a great respite from the Florida heat.

We took a little video of the ride, so you can see a preview of what it's like for your next Disney vacation.

We attended the Food & Wine Festival opening day at Epcot, on Friday.  Lots of our friends were asking how long it lasts -- sounds like a great Monday Mouse Mail question.

The Epcot Food & Wine Festival provides lots of opportunity to try lots of different foods and wines from all over the world.  You can also attend different seminars on wine tasting, cooking, and so on.  You can learn more about the Food & Wine Festival at the Disney site.

The festival lasts for 45 days from Friday, September 25, 2009.  Plenty of opportunity to get down to Florida and enjoy the wine and food!

While I had some free time, without the family, on a recent Epcot trip, I decided to do some searching for Hidden Mickeys.  I've never really been that into searching for Hidden Mickeys until recently.  It's something I can really appreciate, having come from a building background and hiding my own things in all my projects.  Needless to say, I'm still new to the hobby and not real "dialed-in" to finding them, just yet.

The one I did find, I nearly stepped on before noticing it.  I was admiring a bonsai tree on the far right of the Japan pavilion (as you face the complex).

I turned around to head back down to the main walkway and noticed a small rock-bed to my left.  Literally, at my feet was the hidden Mickey that I nearly missed, had it not been for my keen peripheral vision.

I looked the hidden Mickey up on the Hidden Mickeys Guide site and found one that is most probably the one, but surrounded by bushes and flowers.  Apparently, this is a Cast Member created HM that may change location, within the same rock bed.  Either way, it was fun to find my own hidden Mickey without help from the guide!

What is that clicking noise I hear as I enter the World Showcase at EPCOT?

You may have noticed a subtle clicking noise as you walked into the World Showcase at EPCOT, before.  Many people often wonder where it's coming from and what it may be doing -- other than disturbing the Magical music playing in the background at EPCOT.

Well, simply put, the noise comes from bird deterrants.  The little speakers play noises that are supposed to mimic distress and predator calls and keep birds from landing and roosting in outdoor locations.

At the World Showcase, they are installed on both of the retail locations, just as you enter the area.  So, it may sound like the clicking noise is welcoming you to the World Showcase, when, in fact, it is chasing off unwanted visitors to the area.