Sunshine Seasons in The Land Pavilion at EPCOT is serving up two Figment-inspired Passholder-exclusive treats for V.I.PASSHOLDER Days.
Sunshine Seasons is currently home to a temporary Annual Passholder lounge beside the Living with the Land attraction, and we recently had the opportunity to try some of their new, exclusive offerings.
Raspberry Lemonade Tart – $6.99
Shortbread tart filled with lemon mousse, raspberry jam and raspberry mousse
This tart is excellent. It’s not too sweet and has just a bit of a sour taste.
The tart is crunchy, giving the treat a good texture.
The orange Figment wings are white chocolate.
There are white chocolate flakes in the dome, which are a nice extra touch.
A Spark of Grape Shake – $8.99
Grape, guava, passionfruit, orange and lime
If you like grape-flavored Hi-Chew, then this is the shake for you. It’s thick and sweet. It felt less like a milkshake and more like a sugar drink.
The whipped cream had a citrus flavor that, if mixed in with the shake, resulted in a very sour treat. The same white chocolate wings don’t add anything except decoration.
If you only choose one of these treats, go for the tart.
Passholders can also get a complimentary Figment magnet at EPCOT over in the Creations shop. V.I.PASSHOLDER Days are running through June 30, 2023.
Walt Disney World Annual Pass Program
Walt Disney World Annual Passes were sold continuously from September 1982 until March 2020. Since then, the price had increased dramatically, and multiple tiers were introduced with various blackout dates and benefits to match. At times, the resort even encouraged guests to become Passholders through advertising at the parks, around Central Florida, and through benefits like discounts on merchandise and food.
Of course, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, that all changed. Walt Disney World did not go the route of Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort by canceling every Annual Pass and issuing refunds, nor did they resume sales immediately as the Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai resorts did upon reopening. Passes remained valid and renewable after the COVID-19 closure concluded in July 2020, although new sales were halted almost immediately upon reopening. At the time, Disney assured guests it was a “temporary” measure due to capacity restrictions at Walt Disney World.
In August 2021, Walt Disney World announced an overhaul of their pass system, replacing the four tiers introduced in 2015 with a more intricate character-based system. New passes then went on sale in September 2021, and remained on sale for nearly three months before being suspended in late November. The two middle tiers were briefly on sale last June for a single day before halting again. All four Walt Disney World Annual Passes went on sale again this year.
Beginning in April 2023, Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can visit the theme parks after 2:00 p.m. on most days without a park pass reservation. This perk does not include Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays, when a reservation will still be required.
Beginning next year, Walt Disney World Annual Passholders will no longer need park pass reservations for select “good-to-go” dates.
Will you be visiting the new lounge at EPCOT soon? Interested in returning as an Annual Passholder or becoming one for the first time now that they are available once again? Let us know in the comments.
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