After our recent cruise, we found ourselves with several hours before our flight home. Since we all have current Walt Disney World annual passes, it was an easy choice for us to hit the parks for a little while. It was almost unanimous that we start in visit Epcot, so we had a chance to check out the 2017 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival.
As in years past, my kids loved putting stickers in their “Garden Passport”, even though we weren’t actually able to check all that much off. Cheaters. 🙂 The passport also has a handful of checklists, which was basically as good as any attraction for my achievement oriented family. We could check off topiaries as we passed them, or “Garden Destinations” we visited such as the Floating Gardens, Bonsai Collection, or Butterly Haven. And of course, no Epcot festival is complete with out the outdoor kitchens.
Every year, one of our favorite things to do is a sort of “scavenger hunt” with a list of topiaries that can be found throughout the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.
We adore the Food & Wine Festival, and I love that it has become a tradition for us to visit each Fall. However, in the short time we had this visit, we found it difficult to know at a glance what items on the menu at this year’s Flower & Garden Festival were different from those we may have sampled in 2016 (at either food-heavy festival). Lucky for you, I have handy the passports from the current festival as well as last year’s events. I’m going to make it super simple for you to make sure you don’t miss a thing if you’re returning for a second year.
What’s at the Flower & Garden Festival Outdoor Kitchens that WASN’T at the one of the 2016 festivals?
As it turns out, quite a few of the menu items are new this year. There are a number of things that are similar, such as the Hibiscus Margarita on the menu this year versus last year’s Rose Margarita. The following items are unique to this festival, when compared to both the 2016 Flower & Garden Festival and the 2016 Food & Wine Festival.
URBAN FARM EATS
- Crabless Cake
- Wildflower Pale Ale, Forbidden Root Brewery
- Urban Fairy Cocktail
PINEAPPLE PROMEADE
- Maui Brewing Co. Pineapple Mana
THE BERRY BAKSET (new booth!)
- Lamb Chop
- Warm Wild Berry Buckle
- Founders Rubaeus Pure Raspberry Ale
- Island Grove Blueberry Moscato
- Twinings Green Tea Berry Mint Julep
LA ISLA FRESCA
- Sugar Cane Shrimp Skewer
- Caribbean Conch Salad
- FlanCocho
JARDINE DE FIESTAS
- Chile Relleno de Picadillo
- Brocheta de Pollo con Salsa Morita
- Hibiscus Margarita
- Elderflower Pineapple Margarita
- Watermelon White Sangria
- Pacifico Draft Beer
LOTUS HOUSE
- Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wrap
- M.S.G.
BAUERNMARKT FARMER’S MARKET
- Warm Cheese Strudel
PRIMAVERA KITCHEN
- Antipasto Misto
- Meatball Parmigiana
- Strawberry Tiramisu
THE SMOKEHOUSE: BARBECUE AND BREWS
- Zen of Zin Old Vine Zinfandel
- Orange Blossom Pilsner
- 3 Daughters Phantasmas Spicy DIPA
HANAMI
- Ahi Tuna Poke Sesame Ginger
- Matcha (Green Tea) Sake Cocktail
- Amabuki Ginno Junmai Sake
- Ozeki Shin Junmai Sake
TASTE OF MARRAKESH
- Merguez “Hot Dog” Sausage
FLORIDA FRESH
- Carne Asada
- Key Lime Tart
- Tampa Bay Brewing Company Quat Seasonal Fruit Ale
- Barley Mow Brewing Company Mirth and Merriment Golden Ale
FLEUR DE LYS
- Poulet auc écrevisses, Riz Pilaf
- Kir Pomegranate
- Brut de Peche
- C’est La Vie
CIDER HOUSE
- Florida Beer Company Caribe Blood Orange Tropical Hard Cider
- Ciderboys Strawberry Magic Hard Cider
NORTHERN BLOOM (new booth!)
- Seared Scallops
- Beef Tenderloin Tips, Mushroom Bordelaise Sauce, Whipped Potatoes
- Nanaimo Bar Trifle
- Maple Popcorn Shake (with or without whisky)
- Unibroue Maudite Amber Ale
- Unibroue A Tout le Monde Saison
- Unibroue Ephemere White Ale
If you’re attending this year’s Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot, you can find more information about each of these dishes or drinks – as well as the location of each of the kitchens – in the festival passport upon arrival. You can also check out the Disney Food Blog’s incredible dining guides for the festival, and for the parks at large. We never travel to Disney parks destinations without a pdf of at least one of these awesome guides on our phones for easy access.
The Festival Passport also has information on food or gardening seminars, bands scheduled for the Garden Rocks concerts in the American Adventure Pavilion each weekend, and dates for upcoming festivals at the park.
Happy Eating!
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