2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: August 30 to November 12, 2018

[Chisoxcollector]

Thanks you're the first person to say anything about it. I can't find a blog with a picture of it

 

[Chisoxcollector]

I was able to stop by the Festival for lunch yesterday. I was flying solo, so I was only able to try a few things. All items I had yesterday are noted with an asterisk. If there is more than one score listed for an item, that means I’ve had it more than once during this Festival.

Teriyaki-glazed Spam Hash - 9.5 (Hawai’i) - Portion was huge, it was piping hot, and it tasted great! Tons of “meat” and potatoes!

*Fritto Misto - 9.0 (Italy) - Biggest surprise of the Festival... something tasty from Italy! Not only tasty, but a huge serving!

Banana Almond Soft-serve Sundae - 9.0, 9.0, 9.0 (Almond Orchard) - Refreshing and delicious!

Ropa Vieja Empanada - 8.5, 8.5 (Islands of the Caribbean) - Best empanada they’ve ever done at this festival.

Short Rib Tostada - 9.0, 8.0 (Mexico) - First one was amazing, second needed more sauce.

Seared Scallops- 8.5 (Wine and Dine Studio) - Much better than the scallops at the Coastal Eats booth.

Xi’an Pancake with Beef - 8.5 (China) - This didn’t look like much but tasted really good.

Mango Bubble Tea - 8.5 (China) - Buy this at Joy of Tea next door, it’s a larger portion.

Maple Bourbon Boursin Cheesecake - 8.5 (Cheese Studio) - Sweet but not too sweet and really smooth. Could have been colder, but it was excellent.

Maple Bacon Funnel Cake - 8.0 (Funnel Cake) - The maple ice cream was really good.

*Schinkennudeln - 8.0 (Germany) - Best Mac and cheese on Disney property. Would have scored even higher, but mine had no ham whatsoever.

Baked Shrimp Scampi Dip - 8.0 (Coastal Eats) - I wish the bread was toasted.

*Hummus Fries - 7.5 (Morocco) - Two of the fries were completely mushy due to the toppings. Third was topping-free, and as a result it was crispy and delicious.

Charred Chimichurri Skirt Steak on a Smoked Corn Cake - 7.5 (Flavors From Fire) - Steak was great, corn cake was pasty and kind of gross.

Braised Beef Stroganoff - 7.5, 7.5 (Cheese Studio) - Good flavors, small portion.

Steakhouse Blended Burger - 7.5 (Earth Eats) - Good flavor, a bit dry.

*Frozen Mimosa - 7.5 (Shimmering Sips) - Tasty and refreshing, but it tasted like a non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri.

*Belgian Waffle w/ Berry Compote - 7.5 (Belgium) - Tasted Good as always, but the hot berries weren’t what I needed in a very hot day.

Pão de Queijo - 7.5 (Brazil) - Just your standard, tasty Brazilian cheese bread.

Quesito - 7.5 (Islands of the Caribbean) -

Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles - 7.0 (China) - Tasted Good, but wish it had more than 2 Shrimp.

Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle - 7.0 (Chocolate Studio) - Good, but basically tastes like chocolate ice cream.

Moqueca - 7.0 (Brazil) - A bit on the sweet side, but still pretty good.

Bougatsa - 7.0 (Greece) - Quite possibly the hottest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. Was surprisingly bland.

*Crispy Pork Belly - 7.0 (Brazil) - Lots of beans, but a small piece of pork belly. Tasted good, but it was a bit tough.

Spicy Roll - 7.0 (Japan) - This was almost warm, which was off putting.

Carbonade de Boeuf - 7.0 (France) - If this had a bit more (any?) sauce it would have been a lot better.

*Korma Chicken - 7.0 (India) - Tasted good, but the amount of chicken was sad. The naan was tasty.

Crème Brûlée à Confiture de Framboises - 7.0 (France) - Would have been better without the raspberry jam.

*Mango Lassi with Sōmrus Indian Cream Liqueur - 7.0 (India) - I’m not a big mango lassi fan, but the liqueur helped a bit. I wish I could it order the liqueur on its own.

Coconut Rice Pudding - 7.0 (Mexico) - Tasted Good, but the rice needed to be cooked longer.

Pancake Milkshake - 7.0 (Taste Track)

Seared Scallops - 6.5 (Coastal Eats) - These were ridiculously small, almost the size of bay scallops.

Croissant Donut with Chocolate Hazelnut Cream - 6.5 (Taste Track) - Tasted good, but texture was very chewy.

Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake - 6.5 (Thailand)

Shrimp Quesadilla- 6.5 (Mexico)

Guiness Baileys Shake - 6.0 (Ireland)

Phosphorescent Phreeze - 5.0 (Light Lab) - Way too syrupy and sweet for me... and I absolutely love ICEEs!

*New Brunswick Slider - 5.0 (Hops & Barley) - Bland and ridiculously dry.

Beef Brisket Poutine - 4.0 (Refreshment Port) - The “meat” was almost all fat, and the Cheese was a gelatinous mess.

Teriyaki Chicken Bun - 2.0 (Japan) - Yuck, the ginger flavor was way too strong. One bite and done!

 

[Dentam]

Mango Bubble Tea - 8.5 (China) - Buy this at Joy of Tea next door, it’s a larger portion.

I kept this in mind while I was there last week, but only saw a peach flavored one offered at Joy of Tea, and I can't stand peaches.

 

[jerseygal]

I was able to stop by the Festival for lunch yesterday. I was flying solo, so I was only able to try a few things. All items I had yesterday are noted with an asterisk. If there is more than one score listed for an item, that means I’ve had it more than once !

Thanks for posting your food ratings, appreciated!

 

[Chisoxcollector]

I kept this in mind while I was there last week, but only saw a peach flavored one offered at Joy of Tea, and I can't stand peaches.

Ah, I didn’t realize they were different flavors. I won’t lie, I couldn’t tell the difference! Both were amazing, but then I like mango and peach flavors lol.

Thanks for posting your food ratings, appreciated!

My pleasure!

 

[Cece_Kay]

Just got back Sunday morning and tried about 75% of the offerings. Some of my favorites were...
Coastal Eats: crab cake
Flavors from Fire: piggy wings, corned beef, skirt steak
Joffrey's: Fire and Ice
Morocco: Kefta pocket, hummus fries
Simmering Sips: Fromosa
Spain: Paella

 

[Texan]

Our group of 5 planned a Sunday for Epcot F&W; one day is better than nothing. So many questions, but main question if you are just a regular ticketholder, not AP, what is the best way to get a seat at the Eat to the Beat concerts? My two 20-something old sons really want to see the group while we are there and it looks like you can't get seats unless you are an AP holder? Please enlighten me on this works. I know nothing and any tips are appreciated.

 

[billyjobobb]

you can stand in line. They cue up early for some of the bands.

I find that the sound system works really well and you really don't need a seat. You can hear them all over that part of the park.

 

[Pdollar88]

I only spent $53.50 at F&W! I feel good about that, and the food was ALL so good. Didn’t have a bad dish.

Tried:
France - croissant aux escargots
Islands of Caribbean- empanada
Hawaii - slider and Spam hash
Coastal Eats - scallops and crab cake
Flavors from Fire - skirt steak and corned beef
India - Korma chicken
Chocolate Studio - liquid nitro truffle

 

[Abbey1]

My husband and I are planning on sharing as much as we can during the festival to allow us to try as many different offerings as we possibly can. Are there any items that are so delicious that we should order two so we don’t have to share?

 

[gillep]

My husband and I are planning on sharing as much as we can during the festival to allow us to try as many different offerings as we possibly can. Are there any items that are so delicious that we should order two so we don’t have to share?

There are quite a few things that I really enjoy, but especially the first time around I try to share everything with my husband, there is just too much and I would rather try a bit of everything than fill up and not be able to fit something in. That said, we have very different tastes in drinks so those we can't usually share. If I didn't put these constraints on myself I would likely fill up on cheese bread (Brazil), waffles (Belgium), and the cake from the Ireland booth (anyone noticing a carb-centric theme here) I basically need to be saved from myself. I find this especially important when it is really hot as my appetite tanks in the heat. You can always get back in line for another if you are really enjoying something.

 

[elgerber]

There are quite a few things that I really enjoy, but especially the first time around I try to share everything with my husband, there is just too much and I would rather try a bit of everything than fill up and not be able to fit something in. That said, we have very different tastes in drinks so those we can't usually share. If I didn't put these constraints on myself I would likely fill up on cheese bread (Brazil), waffles (Belgium), and the cake from the Ireland booth (anyone noticing a carb-centric theme here) I basically need to be saved from myself. I find this especially important when it is really hot as my appetite tanks in the heat. You can always get back in line for another if you are really enjoying something.

Lol we are a party of 4 and those are most of my faves too ( didn’t get back to Spam hash yet) and I did share the bread, and the waffle, but in Ireland we ordered 4 of the warm chocolate pudding

 

[2xcited2sleep]

From the news thread - Festival Center hosting “Monday Night Football Tailgate Party” through 10/15. It doesn’t mention a fee - could it be complimentary?

https://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2018/09/epcots-festival-center-hosting-monday.html

 

[Dis_Yoda]

From the news thread - Festival Center hosting “Monday Night Football Tailgate Party” through 10/15. It doesn’t mention a fee - could it be complimentary?

https://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2018/09/epcots-festival-center-hosting-monday.html

I'm guessing you would have to pay for it but guess we'll find out once the first person attends!

 

[dachsie]

It looks like you have to register for it the day of at the festival center

 

[paopiru]

Apparently the beaker is no longer available at Light Lab and new "experiment" is on the board.

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2018/...ted-at-the-2018-epcot-food-and-wine-festival/

 

[billyjobobb]

what was the point of putting that out when they seem to have had a 2 day supply of the beaker?

 

[Haley R]

Apparently the beaker is no longer available at Light Lab and new "experiment" is on the board.

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2018/...ted-at-the-2018-epcot-food-and-wine-festival/

Tim tracker tried the flight and it said it was supposed to come with a magnifying glass and they were out of them... I think I’ll just take it off my list unless they come up with something better.

 

[paopiru]

Tim tracker tried the flight and it said it was supposed to come with a magnifying glass and they were out of them... I think I’ll just take it off my list unless they come up with something better.

Agree. My boys want to have the beaker. No magic for the drinks alone and if they ran out of magnifying glasses too what is the point?

 

[Haley R]

Agree. My boys want to have the beaker. No magic for the drinks alone and if they ran out of magnifying glasses too what is the point?

I have no idea what they were thinking getting enough beakers for 2 days of the festival lol. Pretty poor planning, but it seems like that is the trend whenever they introduce new merch like that. I'll watch and see if they change it to something new, but I most likely will end up skipping it.