April 23rd, 2024
Dear Readers,
It’s been a while but I’m here with a very exciting announcement: I decided to take the leap and live in Orlando for a year while I am a part of the Disney College Program! The program has been an amazing experience, with one of those things being that I get to visit the magical Disney parks every week.
One of my favorite festivals that happen during the year is the International Flower and Garden festival which takes place in Epcot. This year the festival is active from February 28th- May 27th. Something that every festival features in a festival passport. It includes information about pop-up booths with foods around the world showcase and it includes a place for stamps, just like a real passport. At the very back of the passport there are specific food items that if you purchase, you get a stamp, and if you eat at least five of the items listed you get a festival treat at the end.
There were eight food items to choose from to get stamps. The eight options were:
- Florida Strawberry Shortcake at Florida Fresh
- Plant-Based Buffalo Chicken Tender Poutine at Refreshment Port
- Coconut Tres Leches at La Isla Fresca
- Potato Pancakes at Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market
- Seasonal Fruit Parfait at Refreshment Outpost
- Impossible Farmhouse Meatball at Trowel & Trelles
- Avocado Toast at BRUCHCOT
- Grilled Street Corn on the Cob at EPCOT Farmers Feast
These eight items were very inclusive with all of them being plant-based so most people would be able to eat them and get the full food festival experience.
There were a few meal options that I really wanted to try, so off I went into Epcot ready to try some food options from the festival.
My first stop was in Germany for the Potato Pancake. When I first read that I was going to eat a Potato Pancake with house-made apple sauce I was very skeptical because when I think of potato, I definitely do not think of apples.
After giving it a try I would rate it a 6.5/10. I was very neutral about it. I don’t think I wouldn’t get it again, but it was a good way to start off the passport. It was kind of sweet which I didn’t expect but the overall combination was way better than I expected. Also, now I can say that potato and apple can sometimes go together.
I got a little potato stamp on the stamping page of the passport and now that I had tried one item was excited to see what other food items I could try. The day was still young and I was still hungry.
My second stop was at the Refreshment Port, right next to Canada for the Plant-based Buffalo Chicken Tender Poutine. If I’m being honest, I had high hopes for this meal. Based on just the picture, I was excited to try it.
Before I say my rating let me just state that I can handle a little spice, but this buffalo sauce had quite a kick to it. Because of the sauce, unfortunately, I did not enjoy it. If you like spice, go for it, but it was overwhelmingly spicy for me. I had to give it a 5.5/10.
But, after cooling off, I remembered I got my little chicken poutine stamp and headed on my way. There were still three more food items that I had to get before getting my prize, so I had to think about my next choices carefully.
My third stop was at the EPCOT Farmers Feast next to Test Track for the grilled street corn on the cob. The description says that it is grilled corn on the cob with a savory garlic spread and plant-based cheese.
That first bite was like heaven. It was amazing. I come from a Mexican culture where corn on the cob with lots of toppings is very popular and this food item reminded me of it. I rated it a 9/10. Besides the fact that I wanted even more toppings on it, it was amazing! I would 100% get it again and recommend it to anyone going to Epcot for the festival.
I happily got my little corn stamp and got on test track and started thinking about my next festival meal. After the corn on the cob, I had a renewed sense of hope for the next food item.
The fourth food item was at Trowel & Trelis near the entrance of the World Showcase, next to Mexico, where I got The Impossible Farmhouse Meatball. The meatball came with lentil spread, spinach, marinated vegetables, and creamy herb aioli.
When I first tasted it, the spices resembled those from Moroccan food. It reminded me of a kebab. The meatball was really good, I could not tell that it was plant-based and with it being a wrap, it was a great snack item to eat while walking through the park. I gave it a 7.5/10 overall. It was good and I would get it again if I was looking for a savory snack.
I got my meatball stamp, and I was excited that I only had to get one more food item to get my festival treat!
My fifth and final item was at Florida Fresh, near Journey into Imagination with Figment, where I was served Florida Strawberry Shortcake, a classic.
The strawberry shortcake was good, but nothing out of this world. The cake was a little dry but other than that, it was a good sweet treat. I gave it a 7/10. I probably wouldn’t get it again because it is quite sweet, but it was a good treat to get my last stamp!
I got my little strawberry stamp, and I finally got the end where I would get my festival treat! I found out that it was the famous pineapple dole whip. It was kind of a chilly day so I held off on the dole whip, but the amazing thing is that you can complete the passport over multiple days and get the festival treat any day afterwards until the festival ends on May 27th.
After getting my five festival food stamps this is how it looked like with my festival treat still blank while I wait for a hot Florida day to enjoy my refreshing pineapple dole whip. So, my final ratings for the food items are (from first place to last):
- Grilled street corn 9/10
- Impossible Farmhouse Meatball 7.5/10
- Florida Strawberry Shortcake 7/10
- Potato Pancakes 6.5/10
- Plant-Based Buffalo Chicken Tender Poutine 5.5/10
If you have a chance to swing by Epcot and try the festival items and see what you would rate them, I definitely encourage you to do it! Comment below what food item you would like to try while visiting the festival. Keep an eye out for more Disney blog articles coming your away, but until then, hope you have a wonderful spring season!
Sincerely,
The Eternal Traveler
I agree with you that the Grilled street corn is very good! Thank you for the recomendation!