MASSIVE REVIEW: We Tried EVERY Booth at the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays!

We hope you’re hungry because we’re talking about ALL of the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays booths!

There is so much to see and do at the festival, but one of the biggest highlights is the food! The cookie stroll has returned, we have the full menus, and we’re ready to eat. Let’s dive into our reviews at every single booth at this year’s festival!

American Holiday Table — 4.5/5

Last year, this booth was one of our favorites, and it did not disappoint this year!

Here’s what we got from American Holiday Table

🦃 Slow-roasted Turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce — $6.25
🐟 Blackened Catfish with Hoppin’ John and comeback sauce — $6.75
⭐️ Gingerbread Cookie (⭐️ cookie stroll) — $3
🍺 Beer Flight — $10.25 pic.twitter.com/Na0ljW8kyU

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

We started with the Slow-roasted turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce. This is one of our favorites from the whole festival! It’s a fantastic Thanksgiving meal-style option with all the fixings. Everything works so well together, from the cranberry flavors to the turkey gravy. The turkey is so juicy and the stuffing is light and fluffy. If you prefer your plate of food doesn’t mix, then you might not enjoy this. But otherwise, we highly recommend this meal. This whole holiday meal is $6.25.

Then we had the Blackened Catfish with Hoppin’ John and comeback sauce for $6.75. This dish is even gluten/wheat friendly! Just like the turkey was juicy, this catfish was so tender. It had a nice cajun kick to the blackened seasoning and the rice and beans had great complimentary seasonings. This is definitely another one of our favorites from the festival.

The Gingerbread Cookie is part of the Holiday Cookie Stroll this year and can be purchased for $3. It’s also gluten/wheat friendly!

We would say if you’re doing the cookie stroll, you’ll enjoy this typical gingerbread cookie. But if you’re not participating in the annual cookie activity, it’s probably not a must-buy unless gingerbread cookies are your favorite.

We also purchased the beer flight which comes with three beer flavors– Playalinda Brewing Co. Peppermint Chocolate Stout, 3 Daughters Brewing Eggnog White Porter (both returning), and the Crooked Can Brewing Company Bah HOPbug IPA. This flight is $10.25. We really enjoyed the variety of flavors in this flight. The IPA was light and fresh with lots of hoppy flavor and a bit of sweetness. The Eggnog White Porter is quite heavy and probably our least favorite of the three. The eggnog flavor didn’t stand out to us all that much. However, the Peppermint Chocolate Stout had a great peppermint flavor inside its rich and hearty flavors.

We highly recommend this booth! There are great holiday flavors inside each of these items and it boasts TWO of our favorite meals from the whole festival. Stop by the American Adventure pavilion to try it.

Bavaria Holiday Kitchen — 5/5

This booth is usually a favorite for us, so we were excited to see our favorites returning.

Next up: Bavaria Holiday Kitchen!

🍖 Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce, Spätzle, and Braised Red Cabbage — $6.50
🫕 Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl with Steamed Baby Vegetables and Marble Potatoes — $8.25
⭐️ Linzer Cookie — $3.00
🍻 Beer Flight — $10.25
🍷 Glühwein — $9.50 pic.twitter.com/LtVtYM3hYJ

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

We started with the Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce, Spätzle, and Braised Red Cabbage for $6.50. The pork itself was tender and the breading had the right texture. The cabbage adds a crunchy, acidic flavor to the dish. If you are looking for a savory option at the festival to break up all of those sweets, this is a great choice. 

Next up, the Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl with Steamed Baby Vegetables and Marble Potatoes for $8.25. Guys, we may have dreams about this cheese! This cheese is phenomenal. It’s heavy and creamy. The vegetables are delicious and cooked perfectly. They are soft and pair so well with the cheese. The bread is moist and has a great crunch to it. 

Finally, the Linzer Cookie for $3 was still a favorite of ours. We appreciated the fruity flavors of the jam. The cookie itself has a lot of those traditional holiday spice flavors as well. But, be careful, the cookie does crumble easily. 

To drink we started with the Glühwein for $9.50. This is a house-made hot spiced wine. We love that this is served warm, especially since it’s getting cooler in Florida. It was like Christmas in a cup with all of those holiday spices. It was sweet but balanced. If you are looking for something to warm you up, grab a cup of this. 

Finally, we tried the Beer Flight for $10.25. The flight consisted of Possmann Pure Hard Apple Cider, The Tank Brewing Co. Prost! Festbier, and Kostritzer Schwarzbier. First, we tried the Festbier was similar to a light ale. It seemed like a classic lighter beer to help balance the flight. Next up, the Apple Cider was very light and refreshing. It is sweet and a great option to go with your pork schnitzel. Last, the Schwarzbier was a very heavy beer. If you enjoy dark beer, this is great to help warm you up, but we can also see it being filling so be careful if you are planning on eating a lot of festival food. 

Overall, this booth is still a top favorite of ours. We enjoy all of the food options available. While these items are heavy, save room and plan on hitting up this booth.

Bubbles & Brine — 4/5

There are four 100th anniversary booths that opened in September at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, but they have stuck around for the Festival of the Holidays! Here is our review from September as the menu has stayed the same.

We ordered a glass of Moët & Chandon Impérial champagne for $21. This was a smooth drink, with a hint of tartness, like boozy apple juice. It’s dry, but not TOO dry.

You can also get Veuve Clicquot Rosé for $38…

…or REALLY live it up with Dom Pérignon for $69.

Now on to the food. The Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with prosecco cocktail sauce and grilled lemon is $14. You get a briny shrimp that is bouncy when you chew it. We recommend eating it right off the tail as it’s hard to cut. The cocktail sauce adds a nice tanginess, thanks to the vinegar in it that combines well with the taste of the shrimp.

The Jonah Crab Claw Cocktail with stone-ground mustard sauce is $12. The crab is juicy and tender, and the meat falls off the claw with just a fork. The mustard sauce has a hint of sweetness. We’ll just tell you that this was our favorite thing we had at this booth.

Char & Chop — 3/5

Next up is the Char & Chop booth which is another 100th anniversary booth that is still available. The menu has stayed the same from fest to fest.

Here, you can get the Roasted Porchetta with lemon-parsley salsa verde and shaved fennel salad for $6.25. We’ll warn you now, this is a super fatty piece of meat. The herbs add a touch of brightness, but we also liked the crunchy and sweet fennel, which worked great with the pork. It was a little salty, but the pork also had a nice peppery flavor.

Next up, we tried the Grilled Impossible Spicy Sausage with herbed polenta, puttanesca sauce, and ricotta for $6. This sausage tasted like a mild chorizo and would have fooled us into thinking it was meat. The buttery polenta, sauce, and cheese underneath it helps mellow out the flavor.

The Meat Assorti is a trio of shaved meats with baby arugula, pickled mustard seeds, truffle oil, and grilled ciabatta for $6.75. We loved that salty prosciutto, but the bread was a little disappointing — the char on it wasn’t appealing. We like that you get a nice selection of meat, but if you take too much time to eat it, it can get sweaty. We think this dish could’ve used some cheese to make all the elements more balanced.

The Bloody Mary with Seaside Grown Bloody Mary Mix and Kurvball Barbecue Whiskey for $11 was heavy on the tomato flavor, but you also get some of the celery flavor, too. It’s just a bit of a kick, but we thought it could’ve used more. The sausage on it was thick and juicy, but didn’t add anything to the drink.

Beer Flight for $10, which includes Krombacher Pilsner, North Coast Laguna Baja Vienna Lager, and Motorworks Brewing Midnight Espresso Coffee Porter. The Pilsner was crisp and yeasty. We thought it was light with fruit notes and hops. The Lager was crisp, but had more of a malt flavor than a typical American lager — there was also a bit of sweetness. The Coffee Porter was a little heavy for a hot Florida day, but it had a great deep flavor with a touch of sweet. We got some of the coffee flavor, but not much as we might have expected.

Holiday Hearth Desserts — 4/5

 We hope you’ve brought your appetite for sweets because that’s all you’ll find at this booth! There are seven desserts – some new and some returning – along with a few drinks.

Holiday Hearth Desserts!
🎄 Mint Chocolate Mousse Wreath
🍎 Apple Caramel Crumb Cake
🍫 Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle
🌐 Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie
🍿 Mouse Crunch made with M&M’S
🍰 Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
❤️ Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie pic.twitter.com/HJGWJomsBH

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

We grabbed the Mint Chocolate Mousse Wreath for $5. We hope you like mint because there was a LOT of it in this dessert. It reminded us of an Andes mint but with way more mint!

Next, we tried the NEW Apple Caramel Crumb Cake for $4.75. We have a lot of feelings about this dessert and they are all incredibly positive. This might be the BEST EPCOT festival dessert we’ve ever tried – and we’ve tried a lot of them. The center was soft with perfectly cooked apples that weren’t too mushy, and the butteriness of the crumble on top was just the icing – er, crumble on the cake.

We grabbed the Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle for $4.25. If you’ve ever tried eating a ceramic plate, this was kind of like that. We love toffee, but this was aggressively thick and hard to bite into. If you’re thinking about grabbing this one, you might want to pack a wooden mallet to smash it into bite-sized pieces.

The Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie is always a favorite of ours, and for $5.50 it’s hard to beat. It’s the perfect mix of salted caramel and a sugary cookie – really well-balanced without being overly sweet.

The Mouse Crunch made with M&M’S chocolate candies for $6.50 is a mix of popcorn, chocolate pretzels, and M&M’s. It’s good, but nothing you’ve probably never had before. It’s your typical sweet and salty mix and we do love that it comes in a package so you can take it home, but we don’t think you need to go out of your way to get this.

The Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing for $4.75 is just adorable. In terms of flavor, it’s a pretty basic red velvet cake. A bit chocolatey, but it’s not worth getting just for the taste here alone. It’s definitely something Instagrammable, though!

Finally, we grabbed the Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie, which is part of the Cookie Stroll! You can grab it for $3. It’s a basic sugar cookie with a slight peppermint flavor – but not nearly as overwhelming as the mint mousse. 

For drinks, we got the non-alcoholic Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate with TWIX cookie bar pieces and whipped cream. You can get this new drink for $5.25. This was INCREDIBLY sweet – overwhelmingly so. It would probably be great for kids but the caramel flavor was strong, and we didn’t get a whole lot of chocolate.

The Peppermint Cocoa is hot cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee with peppermint schnapps. It’s $12.50, and we think it’s worth it! We love the little cup it’s served in, and it’s hard to beat the flavors of chocolate and peppermint to get you in the holiday mood!

If you’re after sweets, this is definitely the booth you want to visit!

Holiday Sweets and Treats — 4/5

Now it’s time for Holiday Sweets and Treats!

Holiday Sweets and Treats is next!

🍦 Peppermint Sundae — $6.25
🍫 Chocolate Peppermint Shake — $12
☕️ Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (can come with assorted liqueurs) — $12.50
🍻 Beer Flight — $10.25 pic.twitter.com/qJSGJeRiBq

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

At this booth, we started with the Peppermint Sundae for $6.25, made with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, and peppermint candy. Here’s the thing, though, this doesn’t even seem much like a sundae to us. It reminds us more of a chocolate shake with whipped cream and bits of peppermint on top. There isn’t enough going on here for a sundae. It tastes good, but it’s nothing special.

We also grabbed the non-alcoholic Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea for $4.75. We’ve liked this drink in the past and it didn’t disappoint this year either. Honestly, though? This gave us Wendy’s Frosty vibes.

However, when we tried the Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea and whipped cream vodka for $12, things got way more interesting. The whipped cream vodka adds an extra bit of “oomph” to the drink that really takes it up a notch. 

The Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee for $4 is just a hot cocoa with tiny little marshmallows on top. There’s nothing super special about it, but it could hit the spot on those rare colder days. Note that this does come with a lid, making it easier to walk around with. You can also get it with Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream Liqueur, or Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey for $12.50.

This year’s Beer Flight has two new beers on it, so we grabbed it to try those out. The flight includes returning Breckenridge Brewery Christmas Ale and the new Brew Hub Sugar Plum Red Ale, and Left Hand Brewing Co. Chai Milk Stout. Each beer costs $5.75 for 6oz. or $9.75 for 12 oz. or you can get the flight for $10.50.

We really liked the Breckinridge Brewery Christmas Ale last year. It’s a light drink with a warmth that stays in your mouth. Overall, this is what Christmas should taste like in a beer.

The Brew Hub Sugar Plum Red Ale has a strong sugar plum taste to it, so you’ll need to like that flavor to appreciate it. If we didn’t know this was beer, we would have sworn it was wine.

The Left Hand Brewing Co. Chai Milk Stout has a wonderful flavor complete with all those chai notes of cinnamon and spices.

L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen — 4/5

L’Chaim is one of those booths that we always look forward to, and this year didn’t disappoint.

Up next, L’CHAIM! Holiday Kitchen:

🥪 Pastrami on Rye with House-made Pickles and Deli Mustard — $5.75
🐟 Smoked Salmon Potato Latke — $6.00
🥔 Potato Latkes — $4.50
🥐 Rugalach: Pastry filled with Raspberry Jam, Walnuts, and Cinnamon — $4.25
⭐️ Black and White Cookie — $3.00 pic.twitter.com/kuO7igcroJ

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

However, we do have ONE minor criticism and that was with the first thing we tried. The Pastrami on Rye with house-made pickles and deli mustard for $5.75 has always been a winner with us, especially because it’s so hearty. It still had great flavors going for it, like the tanginess of the mustard and pickle with the pastrami, but the bread was a little dry this year. Unfortunately, we’ve got to dock a point off our score for this booth this year.

However, the returning Smoked Salmon Potato Latkes for $6 did NOT disappoint with its huge portion of salmon paired with the sour cream and dill sauce on top. The bite of the onion and the tanginess of the capers also mixes well. The latke was well-cooked, meaning it was soft on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside.

For those who don’t like salmon, though, you can still order Potato Latkes by themselves for $4.50. Honestly, that’s such a good deal for a hearty snack like this. These also have that delicious dill and sour cream topping, so they’re a great option.

There’s a new dessert at this booth this year that we were excited to try. The Rugelach for $4.25 is a pastry filled with raspberry jam, walnuts, and cinnamon. This turned out to be such a comfort food that is chewy, sweet, and loaded with cinnamon flavor. And it’s all wrapped around a flaky pie crust.

We also decided to get the Black and White Cookie for $3, which is a returning item that is also part of the Cookie Stroll. Although it looks pretty plain, it’s a tasty cookie with a shortbread-like texture that works great with the two icings on top. The white part of the cookie is powdered sugar icing, while the black is very similar to a chocolate fondant.

For our drink, we ordered the Frozen New York Whiskey Sour featuring Manifest Whiskey and Manischewitz Blackberry Wine for $12.50. This drink debuted last year and we loved it then – and we love it now. It’s got a great sweet and tart blackberry flavor that just works.

You can also get Brooklyn Brewery Winter IPA here for $5.75 for 6oz. and $9.75 for 12 oz. if you’re not in the mood for a cocktail.

Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen — 5/5

This booth didn’t impress us much in previous years, but this year, it totally blew us away. 

Here’s the spread from Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen:

🌮 Giant Tostada de Chorizo — $11.50
🫔 Tamale de Barbacoa — $8.50
🥮 Dulce de Leche Churro sprinkled with Cinnamon-Sugar — $6.50 pic.twitter.com/X9XV4EY0rj

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

First up, we grabbed the Giant Tostada de Chorizo for $11.50 which is a giant tostada with chipotle black bean purée, ground chorizo, salsa verde, queso cotija, crema Mexicana, and pickled onions. This one was a best-of-the-fest item for us, with a crispy-crunchy tostada that’s been topped with delicious, savory meat. The meat is so tender that it almost melts in our mouth, but then the crunch from the tostada itself adds some complexity and texture. It’s so good! 

Next up, we grabbed the Tamal de Barbacoa for $8.50! This dish is made of shredded barbacoa beef in a corn masa topped with mole negro, queso cotija, crema Mexicana, and pickled onions. Last year, this dish wasn’t our favorite because we feel like they kind of skimped us on filling. This year, it was AMAZING. The breading was delicious and filling, and it paired nicely with the meat, which had a smoky, barbecue flavor that we enjoyed. The ratio of bread to meat this year was definitely much better. 

Next, we got the Dulce de Leche Churro sprinkled with Cinnamon Sugar for $6.50. Last year, this was just OK. This year, however, we found it to be a pretty solid dessert option! The filling is nice, smooth, and creamy – it definitely has a bit of a festive flavor to it. 

For drinks, we got the Apple Margarita for $14. This cocktail blends Centinela Blanco Tequila, apple purée, black tea-cinnamon cordial, and Nixta Corn Liqueur topped with whipped cream and holiday salt.

We actually really enjoyed this one! The margarita itself is STRONG – so be careful. However, the toppings are the perfect combination of sweet and salty goodness, and they pair so super well with the drink itself. 

Next, we had the Horchata Margarita for $13.25, which is a drink with Cinnamon-infused Ilegal Mezcal, Abasolo Corn Whiskey, Agua de Horchata, and cinnamon-horchata rum. This was our favorite drink that we had! It’s the only one that we grabbed from this spot that had that festive, Christmassy flavor. It’s definitely spice-forward and has that cinnamony horchata flavor. For a tequila drink, it’s so smooth and creamy you wouldn’t ever know.

Next up is the Holiday Cerveza. It’s a Mexican Artisanal Craft Lager with black currant liqueur for $7 for the 6oz, and $13 for the 12oz. We were surprised to find that we enjoyed this one. It’s light and refreshing and almost reminded us of a blonde ale. Even if you don’t typically go for a cider, lager, or beer, you might enjoy this one. 

This booth was a BEST OF THE FEST for us. You absolutely cannot skip it. Definitely give the Horchata Margarita and the Tostada a try. You won’t be disappointed!

Le Marche De Noel Holiday Kitchen — 5/5

At Le Marche de Noel, we’re trying some NEW and returning eats. And we have to warn you – what this booth lacks in presentation, it sure makes up for with the flavors! 

Le Marche de Noel:

🐟 Crème de Saumon Fumé en Brioche à l’Aneth
🥐Bûche de Noël au Pain D’Épices, Ganache Chocolat au Lait et Noisettes
🍖 Rôti de Jambon Sauce Moutarde à l’Ancienne, Patate Douce Rôties
☕️ Le Joyeux de Noël
🍊 Blood Orange Mimosa
🍸 Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini pic.twitter.com/37pdf8z2wL

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

We grabbed the Crème de Saumon Fumé en Brioche à l’Aneth, Concombre — Cream of smoked salmon in house-made dill brioche bread with cucumber for $8.50. We know, it’s a mouthful. And also, it’s GREEN?! We were caught by surprise, but it looked like an ornament!

This might be a new contender for Best of the Fest for us – we know, you wouldn’t think that just looking at this dish. It was packed with flavor – the cold salmon salad was well-seasoned and not too fishy, and the cucumber added a nice crunch that was just as refreshing. We loved this and would definitely get it again.

Another dish that isn’t winning in the presentation category is the Rôti de Jambon Sauce Moutarde à l’Ancienne, Patate Douce Rôties. This is Roasted ham with mushrooms, pearl onions, bacon, mustard sauce, and roasted sweet potatoes for $7.75. We enjoyed this when we had it last year, and this year was no different! When you get a bite of everything altogether — the potatoes, the chunky mushrooms, onions, ham, and that mustard sauce — this dish really comes alive. 

The NEW Bûche de Noël au Pain D’Épices, Ganache Chocolat au Lait et Noisettes is a Gingerbread Christmas log with milk chocolate and hazelnut ganache. You can grab it for $6.75. It’s more like a sweet bread than a cake like we had anticipated, but it was still delicious. It was a bit on the dry side, but we thought the chocolate hazelnut ganache helped on that front.

For drinks at this festival, we had the returning favorite Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini for $13.95. It’s been on our Best of the Fest list multiple times, and this year we thought it was just as good! There wasn’t much of a strong alcohol flavor, so be cautious when drinking this one! It’s a Florida-friendly version of hot cocoa.

The new Le Joyeux de Noël cocktail is made with Vodka, Grey Goose Vodka, cold brew coffee, sea salt caramel toffee, and peppermint for $11.75. We may have liked this one more than the frozen hot chocolate martini this year! It reminded us of a peppermint mocha latte from Starbucks but cold and with alcohol – so what’s there to complain about? The peppermint was subtle, but you could tell it was there and it helped it to feel a little more Christmassy.

We also tried the new Blood Orange Mimosa. It’s made with Pol Remy Sparkling Wine, orange juice, and blood orange for $9.95. If you’re looking for something refreshing that’s a bit different than a regular mimosa, this might be it! The blood orange is a bit sweeter than regular OJ, and while this isn’t super interesting, it was refreshing and something we’d try again.

Stop by the France booth for some sweet cocktails and savory eats!

Nochebuena Cocina — 2/5

We’re welcoming Nochebuena Cocina back for its sophomore year at the Festival of the Holidays! Last year, it was a favorite of ours, but does it live up to the hype again in 2023?

Nocebuena Cocina time!

🫔 Tamale with Plant-based Chorizo: — $5.50
🍖 Pernil: Mojo Pork with Tostones and Ketchup-Mayonnaise — $5.50
⭐️ Spiced Chocolate Cookie — $3.00
🍷 Ponche Navideño (non alcoholic) — $4.00
🍺 81Bay Brewing Co. Horchata Beer. — $5.75 (6 oz) or $9.75 (12 oz) pic.twitter.com/5IAC2NbGrf

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

First up, we tried the Pernil, which is Mojo pork with tostones and ketchup-mayonnaise for $5.50. Like last year, this was probably our FAVORITE thing at this booth, and we’d totally order it again. The pork was moist and tender, and the salty tostones helped balance out the flavor. 

Also on our list of eats to try was the Tamale with Plant-based Chorizo. It’s topped with plant-based cotija cheese, and spicy red chile sauce for $5.50. This was a bit on the disappointing side, as there wasn’t much chorizo and the sauce really overwhelmed everything else. The ratios of ingredients just weren’t quite right.

The brand-new menu item is the Spiced Chocolate Cookie for $3. It wasn’t very spiced at all, and tasted a little bitter, like it was made with a very dark chocolate. We were hoping for more of a “holiday spice” flavor underneath. 

For drinks, we got the Ponche Navideño for $4, which is brand-new as well. It’s a Mexican Christmas punch with apples, pears, guava, oranges, dried hibiscus, brown sugar, tamarind, cinnamon sticks, and clove. It tastes a lot like fruitcake if fruitcake was a warm liquid. If that’s your vibe, you might really love it, but it wasn’t our favorite thing ever.

And finally, we had the 81Bay Brewing Co. Horchata Beer. It’s $5.75 for 6oz or $9.75 for 12oz and mostly just tastes like a regular light beer. Not a lot of Horchata flavor here. 

Ultimately, Nochebuena Cocina is not as exciting as it was last year. Here’s to hoping for improvement throughout the festival!

Shanghai Holiday Kitchen — 4/5

In the China Pavilion, you’ll find the Shanghai Holiday Kitchen! 

We’ve got more Festival of the Holiday eats from Shanghai Holiday Kitchen!

🍗 Chicken Skewer with peanut sauce
🍜 Beef and Noodle Soup Bowl with braised beef shank, green onion, and chili oil
🥕 Vegetable Spring Rolls with citrus sauce
🦋 Butterfly Lantern
🧋 Bubble Tea pic.twitter.com/fErYpCFuLq

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

 

First up, we grabbed the Chicken Skewer with Creamy Peanut Sauce for $6.75. This is a tender, juicy serving of chicken that’s been coated in creamy, delicious peanut sauce that has a perfect balance of sweet HEAT. Some of the pieces we had were just a bit fatty, but it varies from person to person whether this is a good or bad thing.

Next, we grabbed the Beef and Noodle Soup Bowl with slow-braised beef shank, green onion, and house-made chili oil for $9.50. Y’all, this is so YUM. It’s a very spicy broth for sure, but it’s been loaded with delicious hunks of beef, thick noodles, and veggies that have been cooked to perfection. If you love some spice, this is the dish for you.

For the last of the food, we got the Vegetable Spring Rolls with citrus sauce for $5.50. These have a perfectly cooked, crunchy exterior, and a soft, bright interior. They’re super flavorful for spring rolls, and we really enjoyed these.

For the first drink, we got the NEW Butterfly Lantern with butterfly pea blossom gin, vodka, prickly pear, lychee, soda water, and boba for $14.50. This one tasted like medicine, but if you’re into that, go off! We wouldn’t get this again. The pear and lychee combo is not for us. 

The last drink we tried was our FAVORITE. It’s the Bubble Tea for $8.25, which is a classic milk tea with black and white boba pearls. Y’all, it tastes just like a liquid sugar cookie. PERFECT for the holidays, if you ask us. 

You can also get the Kung Fu Master here, which is a Tito’s Vodka, Triple Sec, mango, orange juice, and soda water for $14.50. It’s a solid option if you’re looking for a refreshing alcoholic beverage on a hot day.

Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen — 5/5

Ready to celebrate the holiday season with some SUSHI? Yep, that’s right – it’s time to head to Shi Wasu in the Japan Pavilion!

Next up: Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen!

🍣 Sushi Tree — $7.50
🍜 New Year Celebration Soba — $8.50
🍠 Sweet Potato Mochi Cake — $6.50
🍷 Choya Sparkling Plum Wine — $8.25
🧋 Ichigo Milk Boba — $7.00
🫖 Japanese Christmas Punch — 8.25 pic.twitter.com/ODJMtu0Q8B

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

First up on our list was obviously the iconic Sushi Tree for $7.50. It’s a sushi roll with krab meat and cream cheese topped with Aonori seaweed, Ikura salmon roe, and spicy mayonnaise. Like always, this was a WINNER – heavy on the cream cheese flavor with lots of spicy mayo (that’s not actually spicy). And there’s a nice fish flavor from the salmon roe too.

The ​​New Year Celebration Soba is back again for $8.50. It’s ​​buckwheat soba noodles in a hot dashi soup with yuzu, shrimp tempura, and chopped green onion. We keep coming back for this year after year because it’s like a warm hug in a cup – the shrimp tempura adds a nice crunch and the soup itself is savory and salty. So delicious!

For dessert, they’ve got a brand-new Sweet Potato Mochi Cake for $6.50. This gooey sweet potato mochi cake is served with purple sweet potato cream, strawberry, black sugary syrup, and sesame seeds. The texture of the cake is chewy, but there’s a nice sweet flavor behind it all. The sesame seeds add a good crunch, and all the flavors and textures mix well to make this one unique – and yummy – dessert.

Thirsty after all that food? For a non-alcoholic beverage, get the Ichigo Milk Boba for $7. It’s a cranberry and yuzu cream drink featuring Japanese calpico soft drink and popping strawberry boba pearls. It’s very tart and pretty smooth – actually quite different than the milk teas you might be used to drinking in the US. Nice and fruity!

The Japanese Christmas Punch is $8.25 and made with Shōchū, plum wine, cranberry, and lemon. It’s strong on the alcohol but also very fruity and surprisingly light. 

And finally, we had the Choya Sparkling Plum Wine which is $8.25 and brand new. It’s ALSO fruity, but much more sparkly than the other beverages. If you’re a fruity drink lover, this is your BOOTH!

All in all, Japan knocked it out of the PARK with festival eats this time around! This was one of our top booths of the day for sure.

Swirled Showcase — 3/5

Swirled Showcase is another booth that was introduced for the 100th anniversary!

We started with the Mickey-shaped Liquid Nitro Cake for $4.95. The cake is very rich, but it’s also moist and dense with chocolate. The liquid nitro coating on the outside helps hold it together in the Florida heat, so it didn’t melt as fast as we expected!

The three soft-serve flavors here are $6, and you can get it in either a cup or cone for the same price. The Apple-Cinnamon Soft Serve was very refreshing. The cinnamon and apple flavors weren’t too heavy — it kind of reminded us of cinnamon gum but lighter in flavor. The ice cream itself is creamy and thick.

The other ice cream flavor we tried is the Salted Caramel Soft Serve. Even though it is soft serve, it felt like we were biting into a piece of caramel when it comes to flavor. The “salt” part didn’t slap us in the face, which we liked.

There are a couple of non-alcoholic floats for $6.25 each. First, we tried the Cream Soda Float with vanilla soft-serve. We loved this one! The portions of ice cream and cream soda were great and the strawberry flavor went well with the vanilla. We think this is the crowd pleaser of this booth.

This also includes the Fanta Grape Float with vanilla soft-serve! You have to really be a grape fan to like this one, but if you enjoy Fanta Grape, this may be your new favorite way to drink it. We didn’t think the vanilla and grape went together very well, but you’ll have to see for yourself!

The Frozen Apple Pie is a drink at this booth for $6.25. This one used to be at the Appleseed Orchard booth, but it has moved to this brand-new booth for the 2023 festival. There is no mistaking that this drink is supposed to taste like apple pie — the pieces at the bottom feel like they were taken right from the inside of an apple pie. We have to warn you that there are chunks of apple, so you may want to use a spoon to eat instead of drinking this one.

Next is the non-alcoholic Cinnamon Apple Cider for $3.75. We thought the cinnamon flavor was stronger than the apple. It is served cold which is perfect for Florida. While this is refreshing, we aren’t sure we’d get this one again.

Rounding out this booth, there are two alcoholic floats. Starting with the 3 Daughters Toasted Coconut Porter Float with vanilla soft-serve for $13, the coconut flavor here was overpowering. However, we loved how it mixed with the salted caramel ice cream here and the coconut flakes on top added some texture. It reminded us a lot of the Samoa Girl Scout Cookies!

Finally, we got our hands on the Berry Fizz Fragolino Red Sparkling Wine Float with vanilla soft-serve also for $13. We really enjoyed this float, especially with the muddled raspberries on top. The wine is sweet but not too sweet, so it mixes well with the ice cream.

Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina — 2/5

Oh, Tangierine Cafe. You’ve been by our side for a few years now, being ever-consistent. But, this year we aren’t singing the praises of this booth!

Tangerine Cafe – Flavors of the Medina:

🍡 Grilled Kebabs with carrot-chickpea salad and garlic aïoli
🥙 Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with hummus, chermoula, and Zhoug dips
🍻 Hard Cider Flight pic.twitter.com/n7OG2FSoys

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

We started off with the Grilled Kebabs with carrot chickpea salad and garlic aioli for $6.25. 

We much preferred the chicken this time around – it was well-seasoned with a warm spice flavor, but it’s not spicy. The grilled flavor helped to elevate the dish and we appreciated that it was made fresh in front of us. The garlic aioli is SO GOOD. It’s fresh and light, and while we enjoyed this dish, we’re not in a hurry to go get it again. 

The Lamb Kefta was fine, but it had an odd sweetness to it we weren’t really expecting – and didn’t really like, either. We were hoping for a savory, spiced lamb situation and that’s not what we got. 

The Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with hummus, chermoula, and Zhoug for $5 is a great option for vegetarians or folks who don’t eat meat. The hummus is nothing to write home about, but the chermoula and Zhoug dips are both packed with flavor!

For drinks, we got the Hard Cider Flight for $10.25. This comes with Bold Rock Orchard Frost Hard Cider (New), Gulf Stream Brewing Company Holiday Snakebite (New), and Woodchuck Winter Chill Hard Cider. Each of these beers is available for $5.75/6oz. and $9.25/12oz.

The Woodchuck Winter Chill Hard Cider was light and fruity with holiday spices for some extra cheer. The Bold Rock Orchard Frost Cider was also fruity, but a bit less so than the Woodchuck. The Gulf Stream Brewing Company Holiday Snakebite was the most bitter of the three – definitely on the dry side. 

The  Fig Cocktail with fig vodka and white cranberry juice is another option for $11.50. We’ve tried this in the past and haven’t always been a fan. It’s sweet and medicinal to us!

Tuscany Holiday Kitchen — 3/5

The Tuscany food booth has earned a confusing reputation over time. Some years, we find some real winners here, while other years, the food is a total miss.

NEW items from Tuscan Holiday Kitchen!

🍕 Montanara: Fried pizza dough with pomodoro sauce, parmesan, and basil
🍝 Farfalle Salmone Affumicato: pasta with salmon and cream sauce
🍫 Torta Caprese: flourless chocolate torta
🥮 Dolce Pizza: Fried pizza dough with cinnamon sugar pic.twitter.com/wEeYIbP9KE

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

For instance, we tried the new Montanara. This dish is made with fried house-made pizza dough with Pomodoro sauce, parmesan, and fresh basil for $9. 

These had a nice flavor and texture, and the fried dough was soft yet slightly crunchy. The marinara was flavorful and bright and went nicely with the fried pizza dough. No complaints about the parmesan; it was slightly sharp and complemented the sauce. Our main problem with this snack is the price. These are pretty expensive, especially considering you only get four pieces of fried dough. 

The Farfalle Salmone Affumicato is new for 2023, too! It’s Farfalle pasta with smoked salmon and cream sauce, available for $10. Honestly, this was a plain, simple pasta dish with a mild salmon flavor. The sauce started to thicken the longer it sat out, which kinda ruined the texture of the al dente pasta. 

OK, time for some good news! We tried the new Torta Caprese for $8.50. This dessert is a flourless chocolate torta with chocolate sauce and vanilla cream. This one goes out to all you chocolate lovers. It’s dense, rich and creamy. This was a luxurious dessert! Even that simple vanilla cream made us smile; it was such a lovely addition to this decadent treat. It’s not too sweet, and not too bitter. YUM!

Finally, we tried the Dolce Pizza — a dessert made with fried house-made pizza dough with sugar and cinnamon. This one is $7.50. If you’ve ever tried Zeppole, this may taste familiar. It’s warm, full of sweet cinnamon flavor, and perfectly-fried. 

To drink, you can find a variety of alcoholic beverages, though there aren’t any new drinks here in 2023. They’ve got basics like Prosecco for $11.50, and Moscato for $12. They also serve a Chianti for $11, and Italian Sangria Red or White for $12, plus an Italian Margarita with tequila and limoncello for $12. You can also buy a Peroni Pilsner here for $6.50.

Admittedly, this wasn’t the BEST booth we’ve ever seen, as the prices sort of scared us away from recommending those savory snacks. But that said, those desserts were quite good and worth a try if you don’t mind splurging for a small serving size.

Wine & Wedge — 4/5

The Wine and Wedge booth is the final 100th anniversary booth that stuck around from the Food & Wine Festival. The food has stayed the same, so here’s our original review from the booth below!

The Southern Pimento Cheese with bread-and-butter pickled vegetables and grilled bread for $5.25 is 100% pimento cheese from the first bite. It has just enough spiciness to it. The vegetables were soft but still had a good crunch to them. The flavors reminded us of bread and butter pickles.

We also had the Boursin Fig & Balsamic Soufflé with fig tapenade for $5.75, which is also an Emile’s Fromage Montage item. The souffle’s texture was more like a bread pudding, but the fig flavor comes through strongest. It also had a bit of a thin sugar glaze that crackled when you bit into it.

The Artist Palette of Wine and Cheese includes Assorted Artisanal Cheeses and Accoutrements paired with Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Hartley Apple Brandy, and Florida Orange Groves Winery Black and Blue Port for $18. We’re giving the presentation an A+

The pimento cheese (left) was the same that we’d just had. The middle cheese tasted and crumbled like Parmesan, although it was thicker. The blue cheese (right) was mild but left a lot of sharp flavor on the tongue.

The bread was crusty and crunched when we bit into it. It had a buttery flavor, but also a hint of sweetness.

The Riesling was very smooth, but a bit heartier than other Rieslings we’ve tasted. We found it seemed closer to a drier white wine.

The apple brandy was our favorite. It had a nice cinnamon apple flavor that was just sweeter than a fireball without that fiery aftertaste. It goes down smoothly.

The Black and Blue Port was strong and thick with a sweet taste that stays on your tongue. However, it also reminded us of a thick cough syrup.

Yukon Holiday Kitchen — 3.5/5

Yukon Holiday Kitchen is a returning festival booth this year– and just like last year, we feel like we didn’t get that wow factor we were hoping for. Everything on the menu was good and we enjoyed it, but we feel like it just could be better.

Yukon Holiday Kitchen!

🐟 Seared Salmon with butternut squash purée, and fennel-arugula salad
🍖 Beef Bourguignon with crushed potatoes
⭐️ Snickerdoodle Cookie made with SNICKERS bar pieces
🍻 Beer Flight: Peanut Butter Banana Porter, Maple Cookie Blonde Ale, Coffee Maple Porter pic.twitter.com/PzbuPfEqiL

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

We started off with something NEW on the menu this year, the Seared Salmon with butternut squash purée, maple-bourbon glaze, and fennel-arugula salad for $7.

We enjoyed this dish! The best part was the butternut maple sauce, and we would buy this dish again just for that alone. The arugula salad felt more like a garnish to us since there was such a small portion of it in the dish. We noticed a briny flavor to the dish, but the butternut sauce helped even it out and added a sweet maple sugar flavor to it. 

The Beef Bourguignon with crushed potatoes is $6.50 and is a returning dish that we enjoyed a lot last year, and this year is no different. Our portion was a bit salty, but a lot of the other flavors helped even that out. The potatoes were creamy and buttery, and the sauce added a nice depth of warmth and flavor. The Beef was tender and was a delicious compliment to the crushed potatoes. 

Next, we got to try a cookie stroll item! You can get the Snickerdoodle Cookie made with SNICKERS bar pieces for $3. Honestly, we thought this cookie was kind of overwhelming. It has a lot of chocolate on it, and we felt it took away from the cookie itself. It felt more like we were eating a sugar cookie than a snickerdoodle. It was still a good cookie overall, just not what we expected. 

Now that we’ve had a 3-course meal, it’s time to get something to drink to top it all off. This year, we got the Beer Flight which comes with 81Bay Brewing Co. Peanut Butter Banana Porter, Playalinda Brewing Co. Maple Cookie Blonde Ale, and the Collective Arts Coffee Maple Porter. This flight is priced at $10.25.

Starting with the 81Bay Brewing Co. Peanut Butter Banana Porter, we weren’t too impressed. It was very smooth, but we didn’t get any of that banana flavor. We did get some notes of peanut butter, which helped brighten it up a bit. We thought it was the weakest of the flight overall.

Next, we tried the Playalinda Brewing Co. Maple Cookie Blonde Ale! We really enjoyed this one. It was on the sweeter side, which we liked.  We got a lot of the maple cookie flavor in the aftertaste and it worked well for this beer. It was super smooth as well, so we were pleased with this one!

To top it all off, we tried the Collective Arts Coffee Maple Porter. This beer is very coffee-forward– but we’re not complaining! We also got a good maple flavor from it which mixed nicely with the coffee flavors. It has a nice espresso aftertaste as well and was the perfect finish. 

Overall, we enjoyed the offerings this booth has this year. The standout item was the Beer Flight, which we would recommend time and time again. While the Peanut Butter Banana Porter wasn’t our favorite, it was still good and worth a try.  If you’re looking for savory eats with some sweet drinks, you may enjoy it here!

Additional Locations

Refreshment Station — 2.5/5

The Frostbite Slushy is served exclusively over at Refreshment Station, and it’s a frozen Fanta blue raspberry slushy with candy snowflakes on top. This Passholder-exclusive treat is served in a cute little souvenir cup for $6.25. 

We’ll be honest. This is pretty much the same classic Blue Raspberry Fanta slushy you know and love with some sprinkles of powdered sugar and hard candy snowflake sprinkles. Really, we’re buying this one for the free souvenir cup, not the slushy. 

That said, this is a sweet dessert that looks fun and festive for the holidays. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but if you like Fanta blue raspberry slushies, you’ll enjoy this treat.

Funnel Cake — 1/5

We hate to say it, but the Holiday Celebration Funnel Cake for $12 is anything BUT a celebration. It’s a funnel cake topped with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon cookie crunch, cream cheese whipped cream, and gold dust inspired by Disney’s new animated movie, Wish.

Funnel cake time! This is the Holiday Cinnamon Celebration Funnel Cake and it’s NEW to the Festival of the Holidays this year! pic.twitter.com/6C9KJeS5xu

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

This snack has a lot of potential. First, you’ve got a delicious funnel cake that’s fried to perfection: soft and doughy, but with that outside crunch. It’s also got a cinnamon flavor coming through that pairs really well with the vanilla ice cream on top. 

But the cream cheese whipped cream tastes like really that cheap frosting you buy out of a can. It’s too thick and WAY too sweet and takes away everything else that’s good about this funnel cake. It would have been PERFECT without that addition, so take note, Disney: less is more.

Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Company — 5/5

There’s only one specialty festival drink available at Joffrey’s this year, but you can snag it at all the locations! You’ll find the returning Horchata Cold Brew at:

• EPCOT Park Entrance
• World Discovery
• World Showcase Promenade
• Between United Kingdom/Canada Pavilions
• American Adventure Pavilion

It’s available for $6.49, but you can get a boozy version with Creamy Spiced Rum for $14.99 as well. When we tried this drink last year, we thought there was too much cinnamon that didn’t get mixed in well with the rest of the drink, making it a rather unpleasant texture. 

First treat SECURED! This is the Horchata Cold Brew from Joffrey’s. It’s a holly jolly blend of Joffrey's Shakin' Jamaican Cold Brew and Horchata topped with Whipped Cream and Cinnamon available for $6.49! ☕️ pic.twitter.com/DTrsv9HB3Q

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

This year, though, we’re happy to report the Horchata Cold Brew has improved greatly! It was still cinnamon-dominant, but it was mixed in well with the rest of the drink so we didn’t notice any graininess like last year. The coffee flavor was present but subtle and had notes of vanilla and nuttiness that helped to bring everything together. 

We think this may be a new winner for drinks at this festival! Our only complaint is that the cup it was served in was rather flimsy, so keep that in mind if you’re grabbing this drink.

Refreshment Outpost — 4/5

This booth has been a favorite of ours in the past, but did it live up to our expectations? Well, we started with the returning Peanut Stew, made with sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and roasted peanuts for $5.25. Oh, and it’s plant-based!

OK, the Peanut Stew here rivals some of our favorite menu items from Boma! Yes, it’s that good. Really. The stew has a creamy peanut flavor and a healthy helping of potatoes. Beware — it is SPICY! You can still take a few bites in a row without needing to pause for a drink, but that said, they brought the heat with this dish. And we loved every moment of it. In fact, it’s a festival favorite this year! 

Up next, we ordered a cup of Raspberry Dole Whip! It’s available for $6.50. This one is made for raspberry lovers. You may need to have an appreciation for artificial raspberry flavors, but if you like tart treats, this is a great option! 

Overall, we highly recommend paying a visit to this unassuming little snack spot. It’s got some serious hidden gems you NEED to try!

Refreshment Port — 2/5

Refreshment Port is a snack stand you can visit at EPCOT all the time, but for the Festival of the Holidays, they’ve got some special treats!

The one festival-exclusive snack is the Turkey Poutine, which is made with sweet potato fries and turkey gravy, cranberry relish, and crispy onions for $9. The sweet potato fries themselves were delicious, but this got to be a little too sweet with the fries and the cranberry relish…even with the gravy balancing it out. You’d probably like this, however, if you’re a big fan of Thanksgiving-inspired sandwiches.

For beverages, there are several options. First, we had the Gingerbread Milk Shake for $4.75, which is also available in an alcoholic version for $12. This one was a letdown because in the past we’ve loved its ginger-forward flavor, but this year it just came out medicinal-tasting. It was also a massive mess because the whipped cream melted everywhere. 

Another option is to try the Eggnog for $4.25 (alcoholic version for $11.50). This one also had a strong medicinal vibe, so it was not our favorite. The texture was nice and smooth, though. 

Ultimately, we didn’t really get any big hits at Refreshment Port this year, so this might be a spot you could skip during your trip to the festival!

Connections Cafe — 4/5

Connections Cafe is open year-round (it’s where Starbucks is) and provides some quick snacks and beverages that are easy to eat while walking around the park. 

At Connections Cafe, you’ll have the opportunity to grab a fun and festive holiday cookie that ALSO counts toward your Cookie Stroll completion! The Holiday Sugar Cookie is $3.99 and is your typical sugar cookie – but it’s been topped with some crunchy, sugary hard candies – red and green, of course. 

This cookie is delicious. It’s a soft, chewy, super-sweet sugar cookie. The candies on top add a fun crunch and some extra texture, but they don’t really enhance the flavor. Is this treat delicious? Yes, of course. Is it worth waiting in that long line? Nope. It IS worth that cookie stamp, though!

Connections Eatery — 4/5

Connections Eatery is a year-round food and drink location that also participates in the Festival of the Holidays! This year, they are offering two drinks – So Many Wishes and the Coquito Milkshake.

Over at Connections Eatery we grabbed the ‘So Many Wishes’ drink! It’s Pomegranate-green tea, hibiscus, lemon, and a dash of stardust AND it’s a non-alcoholic beverage that everyone can enjoy! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/60vKK6Q3ub

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 24, 2023

We opted to just try the So Many Wishes drink this year since it is new. (The Coquito Milkshake is a returning drink from last year!) The So Many Wishes drink is a promotion for the new movie Wish and you can get it for $6.29. The drink is pomegranate-green tea with hibiscus, lemon, and a dash of stardust

This new drink is a sugar lover’s dream. It is very sweet with a big flavor profile of pomegranate. We didn’t really notice much of a green tea flavor, but we noticed a hint of lemon. It’s a shimmery drink with the added stardust for a fun effect. 

If you have a sweet tooth or want a cold holiday beverage, you’ll enjoy stopping by this location! We really liked the drinks here and you can swing by the other side to Connections Cafe for a festive sugar cookie that’s part of the cookie stroll.

Sunshine Seasons –1/5

We took a quick trip over to Sunshine Seasons to check out their cookie stroll item! Here, they have the Jingle Sugar Cookie for $3.99. This is a returning item and we have liked it in the past, so we were looking forward to being able to have it again this year. However, we were unpleasantly surprised, to say the least.

This cookie took us a solid minute to bite into because it was so hard. It had a normal sugar cookie flavor, but the M&M’s were truly the star of the show here. This could be a good cookie to share, but we wouldn’t recommend spending your money on this one since there are so many other delicious cookies at the park for the cookie stroll. 

Overall, we were super disappointed in this cookie. The flavors were good and we love the amount of M&Ms it has, but that isn’t enough to win us over. We’re hopeful that we just got a bad cookie and that they generally aren’t this hard.

Whew! Those are ALL of the booths available at this year’s Festival of the Holidays. Use this as a guide to decide what you should and shouldn’t buy at the fest — stay tuned to AllEars for more!

 MENUS Announced for the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays in Disney World

Which booth are you most excited about at this year’s EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? Tell us in the comments!

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