The full menu is here for the 2024 Epcot International Festival of the Holidays and we will be updating this post LIVE as we try this year's festival items and share our picks.
Select a booth to jump to that section:
NEW! Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow
🍪 Spaceship Earth Tile Gingerbread Triangle (Naughty List) - $10.00
(New)
These are exactly like the famous gingerbread shingles you can get at the Grand Floridian this time of year, and though they are extremely popular, we've always found them to be very dry and a bit bland.
Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee - $4.00
(Non-alcoholic)
Gingerbread Milk Shake (Naughty List) - $4.75
(Non-alcoholic)
The gingerbread spices were a bit harsh and overpowering in this shake. It might be better with the whipped cream vodka, but by itself it was not one of our favorites. We'd recommend the Coquito shake at Connections or the frozen hot chocolate at Holiday Hearth if you're looking for a holiday frozen beverage.
Gingerbread Milk Shake - $12.00
With whipped cream vodka
Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co. Gingerbread White Stout - $12.00
81Bay Brewing Co. Gingerbread Coffee Porter - $12.00
NEW! Favorites of Festivals Past
Reuben Croquettes (Naughty List) - $6.00
With pastrami, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese with thousand island dipping sauce
While the corned beef had a nice texture and was not too fatty (which was a must since the whole thing is deep fried), we found the filling of the croquettes was lacking flavor. The most prominent taste was the sauerkraut, but even that was mild as sauerkraut goes. We enjoyed the dipping sauce and the crispy fried coating, but that was about it.
Brown Sugar and Mustard-glazed Ham Sliders (Nice List) - $6.00
With cranberry and apple coleslaw on a Hawaiian roll
The ham was wonderfully smoky and basted with Dijon mustard, which is a classic combination. The slaw brings fresh sweet flavors with apples and berries adding crunch and a burst of tartness. Also, the bun was lightly grilled, which was a nice touch.
Bauducco Panettone Holiday Trifle (Nice List) - $5.25
With eggnog custard and cranberry cherry compote
While we were a bit split on this, Rob really loved it and Erick thought it was just okay. There's a lot going on here: winter spices, tart sweet cranberry and cherry and moist panettone. The custard tastes like a pumpkin spice pudding even though it is advertised as eggnog. The cherry and cranberry compote is very sweet with pops of tartness from the berries and the panettone at the base was moist, fresh and studded with candied fruit. The sugar coated cranberries on top are delightful and add a tart freshness to the dish.
Southern Tier Brewing Co. Tiramisu Imperial Stout (Naughty List) - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
This one was a little too sweet for our taste. There was definitely a hint of amaretto and some coffee flavor in the finish, but it’s the sweetness kept us from loving it.
Keel Farms Pecan Pie Hard Cider (Nice List)- $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
This one was refreshing and flavorful, if a little artificial tasting. The base is sparkling apple cider, but then there’s a bready, nutty flavor that tastes almost like an extract of some kind. Overall, we really liked this one.
Point Snow Pilot Pistachio Nut Brown Ale (Nice List) - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
There's definitely a little nuttiness in the flavor, though we wouldn't have guessed pistachio if it weren't right there in the name. This is the most traditional beer flavor of the bunch - a nice mellow ale with just a hint of bitterness.
Beer Flight (Nice List) - $10.25
Connections Café & Eatery
🍪 Holiday Sugar Cookie (Naughty List) - $4.29
This is the only item from the cafe side (which is essentially Starbucks). We went back and forth on whether this belonged on the nice or naughty list. It's a fairly basic sugar cookie, but it was freshly prepared. It was actually a bit warm, which was a lovely surprise. The center was soft, the outer edges were a bit crispy and the cookie had a hint of lemon flavor. All that said, it's not a particularly remarkable cookie but there's also not a lot you can do with a sugar cookie.
Holiday Sweater Liege Waffle
Chocolate-coated brioche waffle with a flurry of blizzard themed sprinkles and white chocolate garnish
Coquito Milk Shake
(Non-alcoholic)
French vanilla gelato, cream of coconut, nutmeg, and cinnamon (Non-alcoholic beverage) (Spirited version available with Bacardí Superior Rum)
Coquito Milk Shake
With Bacardí Superior Rum
Holiday Hearth Desserts
Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake (Naughty List) - $5.00
With cream cheese icing
The red velvet cake is perfectly fine: it's moist and red and has a flavor vaguely reminiscent of chocolate. The problem is the icing. A great red velvet cake is all about the cream cheese frosting and there just isn't enough of it. There's a dollop in the center and the rest is a simple sugar icing that doesn't add much beyond lots of sweetness. It is cute, though - especially with the sugar snowman on top.
Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie (Nice List) - $5.50
This cookie got a massive upgrade last year and it is delicious again this year. There are two types of cookies: a darker cookie with a hint of cocoa on the bottom and a super delicate sugar cookie on top. In between is a layer of rich dulce de leche and the sugar crystal topping adds crunch and makes for a lovely cookie. Plus, it's shaped like Spaceship Earth, so what's not to love?
Mouse Crunch (Naughty List) - $6.50
Made with Red & Green M&M’S Milk Chocolate Candies
While this is a great grab-and-go snack item to take back to the hotel, there are much more interesting options at this booth, let alone the rest of the festival. This one reminds us of a snack mix your neighbor might have whipped up before a casual holiday get-together. The caramel corn tasted fresh and the chocolate covered pretzels were above average, but at the end of the day these are all grocery store items you could easily throw together yourself when you get back home.
Mint Chocolate Mousse Wreath (Nice List) - $5.25
While this definitely needs more chocolate, it's still a delicious holiday treat that is vaguely reminiscent of Andes mints. The mousse is light and minty with some small shavings of chocolate sprinkled here and there. The whole thing is very cute and if there was twice as much chocolate, it would be a home run. As it is, we'd say it's a solid base hit for mint lovers.
Apple Caramel Crumb Cake (Nice List) - $5.00
If you've always said the crust and the crumb topping is the best part of apple pie, this dessert is for you. It's sort of like an apple tart and a coffee cake were melded together and while it is good, it would need a bit more apple to be great. The caramel drizzle is a nice touch, but what we'd really like on top is a scoop of ice cream.
Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle (Nice List) - $4.50
Much like the Mouse Crunch, this is more of a grab-and-go snack item, though we like this one more because it has a homemade flavor that would be harder to replicate with off-the-shelf ingredients. If you're looking for a sweet snack for later and you enjoy your toffee on the chewy side, this is a good pick.
Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee - $4.00
(Non-alcoholic)
Frozen Caramel Hot Cocoa (Nice List) - $5.25
Hot cocoa with whipped cream and TWIX cookie bar pieces (Non-alcoholic)
We always enjoy frozen hot chocolate. While it sounds like it would just be a chocolate milkshake, somehow it has that distinctive hot cocoa flavor...only iced. The Twix on top adds some nice texture. Plus, who doesn't love a little Twix?
Wicked Weed Brewing Jack Frost IPA - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
BrewDog Winter Staycation Pecan & Toffee Stout - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Wicked Weed Brewing Milk & Cookies Imperial Milk Stout - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Cocoa Candy Cane - $12.50
Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee with Peppermint Schnapps
Beer Flight - $10.25
Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen
Empanada de Pollo (Nice List) - $8.00
Fried corn tortilla filled with chipotle chicken and potatoes topped with chile rojo salsa, crema Mexicana, and queso fresco (New)
This tasted like something you would find on the streets of Mexico City. The masa shell had lots of flavor and the chipotle chicken inside was creamy with lots of flavor. We also enjoyed the salsa, which was mildly spiced but flavorful.
Tamal de Puerco con Mole (Naughty List) - $9.00
Shredded pork in corn masa topped with mole negro, queso fresco, crema Mexicana, slivered almonds, and sesame seeds (New)
We really wanted to like this one because it looked so beautiful. Plus, we are suckers for a great mole. Unfortunately, the tamal was extremely dry, as was the shredded pork inside. The mole was somewhat bitter, though we did enjoy the added crunch from the almonds. Maybe we just got a bad batch, but we wouldn't likely try this one again to find out.
Dulce de Leche Churro (Naughty List) - $6.50
Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar
This tasted like a day-old convenience store churro, though Erick says he thinks convenience stores churros are better. The dulce de leche center was also very disappointing. There was a fair amount of filling inside but it was blandly sweet and tasted like it was made with canned evaporated milk rather than fresh cream.
Holiday Margarita (Nice List) - $14.00
Dos Hombres Mezcal, tequila, cranberry lime juice, allspice and orange blackcurrant liqueurs (New)
This delightfully smoky margarita tasted like a holiday cranberry punch spiked with mezcal. We loved that it wasn't overly sweet and will definitely order this one again before the festival ends.
Coconut Guavarita - $13.50
Tromba Blanco Tequila, coconut water, guava cream, hint of lime rum, and orange liqueur with a toasted coconut rim (New)
Holiday Cerveza $7.00 (6 oz), $13.00 (12 oz)
Mexican Artisanal Craft Lager with black currant liqueur
Shanghai Holiday Kitchen
XO Fried Rice (Nice List) - $9.75
Chinese sausage, onion, green onion, mushroom, egg, and house-made Hong Kong XO Chili Sauce (New)
While Rob didn’t enjoy this dish at all, Erick really loved it so we’re putting it on the nice list. The rice is a bit chewy and crunchy and there is a distinct fishiness to the flavor - all of which Rob found off putting and Erick loved. If you try this, you’ll have to let us know in the comments which one of us you agree with.
Beef Noodle Soup Bowl (Naughty List) - $9.50
With slow-braised beef shank, green onion, and house-made chili oil
It’s not often that one can quote Ralph Wiggum in a food review, but there’s no better way to describe the broth of these noodles than “it tastes like burning.” It really has no discernible flavor beyond being very spicy. It’s not salty or meaty or even flavored like whatever chilis were used to make it so spicy. It just tastes like burning. The noodles are overcooked to the point of mushiness and the meat is rather fatty. On the plus side, it’s a whole lot of food.
Vegetable Spring Rolls (Naughty List) - $6.00
With citrus sauce
The China pavilion always phones in their dumplings and spring rolls. They always taste like they came straight from the freezers as Costco. They’re not terrible, just terribly basic and likely not even as good as the ones at your neighborhood Chinese restaurant back home.
Taro Bubble Milk Tea (Nice List) - $8.75
Green tea and boba (New) (Non-alcoholic)
We were shocked by the size of this Taro Boba Tea. It was larger than any beverage we have gotten at any festival and would probably be classified as a medium drink at your favorite fast food spot. The taro flavor was good, if a bit too sweet for our taste. We were split on the boba pearls - they are the chewy tapioca kind, not the ones that burst open with flavors like you find in the Japan booth this year. As long as you are good with a super sweet and creamy tea, this is a great value.
Brew Hub Year of the Dragon - $5.75 (6 oz), $10.00 (12 oz)
Dragon Fruit Lager
Butterfly Lantern - $14.75
Butterfly pea blossom gin, vodka, prickly pear, lychee syrup, soda water, and white boba
Lychee Martini - $14.50
Vodka, lychee syrup, and vermouth (New)
Peach of Longevity - $14.00
Peach Schnapps, citrus vodka, piña colada mix, and orange juice (New)
Refreshment Outpost
Peanut Stew (Naughty List) - $5.25
With sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and roasted peanuts (Plant-based)
While we love spicy foods, this was just too spicy for us and we didn’t love the strong peanut butter flavor. This had more of a jarred peanut butter flavor than an Asian peanut sauce flavor, which was odd for us as the basis of a spicy stew. It’s a hearty meal with lots of rice and potatoes, but we didn’t enjoy this enough to finish it after the spice level got so intense that it was making our noses run.
DOLE Whip Raspberry - $6.50
(Plant-based)
Ciderboys Caramel Apple Hard Cider - $12.00
81Bay Brewing Co. Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Wheat Ale - $12.00
Pineapple-orange-guava juice, coconut soft-serve, and a spiced pineapple tree pop
Crooked Can Brewing Company Crème Brûlée Lager - $12.00
Bavaria Holiday Kitchen
Cheese Fondue (Nice List) - $8.50
In a bread bowl with steamed baby vegetables and marble potatoes
This is a favorite year-after-year and while ours wasn't quite as freshly prepared as usual, it was still delicious. The fondue itself is cheesy, creamy and very salty with a distinct gruyere flavor. The bread bowl was a bit dry and chewy this year, likely due to being less freshly baked than normal. The new potatoes are soft and pair perfectly with the cheese and the al dente zucchini and carrot add a healthier dipping option with a welcome crunch.
Pork Schnitzel (Nice List) - $6.75
With mushroom sauce, spätzle, and braised red cabbage
The star of the show here is the mushroom sauce - it's bursting with roasted mushroom flavor. The schnitzel itself was a tad bit overcooked, but still tasty and the spätzle adds some buttery, eggy noodles to complete this comfort food classic. Finally, there's the braised cabbage, which adds some sweetness and a touch of holiday spices along with a little crunch.
🍪 Hazelnut Linzer Cookie (Nice List) - $3.25
This is pretty much always our favorite cookie on the stroll. While most of the cookies are fairly standard-issue, this one is special. The hazelnut cookie is light, delicate and not overly sweet, while the berry jam in the center and the powdered sugar on the top bring the sweetness. This is a must-try and definitely belongs on your list if you're doing the Cookie Stroll.
Possmann Pure Hard Cider - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
von Trapp Brewing Trösten Smoked Dark Lager - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Köstritzer Schwarzbier - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Regional Riesling - $6.75
Glühwein (Nice List) - $9.50
House-made hot spiced wine (Served warm)
We've gone back and forth on this mulled wine over the past few years. First, we loved it, then we thought it tasted very odd and medicinal last year. This year we are pleased to report that it is back to being a delightfully warming holiday beverage that is filled with the flavors of Christmas: cinnamon, spice and everything nice.
Beer Flight - $10.25
Tuscany Holiday Kitchen
Montanara (Naughty List) - $9.00
Fried house-made pizza dough with pomodoro sauce, parmesan, and fresh basil
This one isn't terrible, but none of the components are all that remarkable, either. The pizza dough starts our crispy on the outside and very chewy on the inside, but the pomodoro makes it a bit gummy. The sauce and parmesan taste like they could have come from a supermarket shelf, so we'd say you could skip this one unless you're really hankering for some chewy fried dough.
Dolce Pizza (Naughty List) - $7.50
Fried house-made pizza dough with sugar and cinnamon
This is the exact same fried dough as the Montanara, only here it is coated with cinnamon and sugar like a churro. It's like a churro and a chewy pizza crust had a baby and the problem is, we wish we were just eating a good churro with its superior texture and flavor.
Panettone (Nice List) - $7.00
Panettone bread pudding and vanilla cream (New)
Italy often stumbles with their main dishes, but then knocks dessert out of the park and that was the case again this year. The pannetone is on the dense and chewy side, which helps it to hold up under the generous layer of rich vanilla cream. Best of all, there are lots of candied fruits throughout that bring a fruitcake vibe, but this is way better than your average fruitcake.
Bombardino Freddo (Nice List) - $16.00
Creamy eggnog and Italian brandy
This is a lighter eggnog than most with just a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. The brandy is well balanced with the egg nog so that it enhances the flavor of the drink rather than overpowering it.
Prosecco - $11.75
Moscato - $12.00
Chianti - $11.00
Italian Red Sangria - $12.00
Italian-inspired Margarita - $12.00
Tequila, triple sec, and limoncello
Peroni Pilsner - $6.50 (6 oz), $11.00 (12 oz)
American Holiday Table
Slow-roasted Turkey (Nice List) - $6.25
With stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce
If you're ready for Christmas dinner, this is the perfect miniature version. The turkey is juicy and brined to salty perfection. We also loved the savory and moist stuffing and the cranberry sauce brightened up the heavier flavors. The mashed potatoes were simple, but tasted freshly made and the green beans were cooked southern style (which means soft and salty to folks from other parts of the world).
Blackened Catfish (Nice List) - $6.75
With Hoppin’ John and Comeback Sauce
While the turkey is like a lovely Christmas dinner, this one brings the traditional flavors of the new years celebration here in the south. Even Rob enjoyed this one despite his aversion to fish. The catfish has a very mild flavor that plays second fiddle to the spicy "comeback sauce," which is similar to a spicy remoulade sauce. The hoppin' john is well seasoned with pork and there's collard greens mixed in for some extra good luck in the new year.
🍪 SNICKERS-Doodle Cookie (Naughty List) - $3.25
Made with SNICKERS bar pieces
For starters, this is NOT a snickerdoodle. We get that they are going for a play on words with "Snickers," but this is closer to a peanut butter cookie than a snickerdoodle, which is typically a cinnamon-flavored treat. What's even more odd is that it doesn't taste much like a Snickers bar either, though there is a light sprinkling candy bar bits on top along with a chocolate drizzle. Overall, this is simliar to a supermarket bakery cookie and not a highlight of the Cookie Stroll.
Crooked Can Brewing Company Bah HOPbug IPA (Nice List) - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Hoppy and bright, this is an easy-drinking IPA and is lighter than the other offerings, which are all from local Florida breweries. We get notes of citrus and a flavor that reminded us of a Christmas tree.
3 Daughters Brewing Eggnog White Porter (Nice List) - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
While we didn't get a strong eggnog flavor, there was a nice sweetness that balanced out the naturally bitter flavor of the porter.
Playalinda Brewing Co. Peppermint Chocolate Stout (Nice List) - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Who knew peppermint and beer was such a delicious combination? Stouts can be a bit heavy and naturally have a bit of a chocolate note, but the peppermint brings a lighter, fresher flavor that makes this one of our favorite holiday brews.
Beer Flight (Nice List) - $10.25
Funnel Cake
Gingerbread Funnel Cake (Nice List) - $12.00
Vanilla ice cream, gingerbread crumbs, whipped cream, and red and green sprinkles (New)
This is simple and delightful. The funnel cake itself has a mild gingerbread flavor that pairs beautifully with the ice cream and whipped cream. Though the festival funnel cakes are often much more elaborate, we really enjoyed this classic flavor combo and it was served hot and fresh like always.
Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen
Sushi Tree Roll (Nice List) - $7.50
Christmas tree-shaped sushi roll with krab meat and cream cheese topped with ikura salmon roe and spicy mayo
Erick looks forward to this adorable treat every year and he thought this year's version was the best one yet. Everything tasted very fresh and the rich crab and cream cheese core made this taste like a decadent holiday treat. We love the little caviar ornaments and the star made from a carrot slice. The "garland" of spicy mayo adds a little extra richness and a subtly spicy kick.
Toshikoshi Soba (Nice List) - $8.50
Buckwheat soba noodle in hot dashi (fish-based) soup topped with shrimp tempura and chopped green onion
This soup was warm and comforting and loaded with hearty buckwheat noodles. Although the broth is advertised as being fish-based, it did not have a fishy flavor. The shrimp on top was crisp and freshly fried, though the shrimp itself was likely frozen.
Mochi Donut Wrap (Nice List) - $6.50
A soft, chewy fusion pastry served with strawberry, whipped cream, strawberry sauce, and sweet red beans wrapped with “gyuhi” rice cake sheet (New)
We liked this, but didn't love it. The weak link here is the donut, which is chewy as described in the menu, but also a bit bland. Our favorite parts were the strawberry sauce and sweet red beans and the mochi layer, which had a wonderfully soft and gooey texture.
Ichigo Boba (Nice List) - $7.00
Cranberry and yuzu cream drink with calpico and popping strawberry boba pearls (Non-alcoholic)
This sweet, tart and refreshing drink reminded us of candy. The yuzu cream adds a touch of milkiness, but the overall flavor is similar to Sweetarts candy. The strawberry boba pearls add fun pops of strawberry to the mix.
Japanese Punch - $8.25
Shochu, plum wine, cranberry, and lemon juice
Chocolate Nigori - $10.00
Creamy texture of Nigori Sake and rich sweetness and gentle bitterness from chocolate (New)
Sapporo Premium Black Beer - $5.50 (6 oz), $9.50 (12 oz)
Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina
Grilled Chermoula Chicken Kebabs
With carrot-chickpea salad and garlic aïoli
Moroccan-spiced Lamb Kebabs
With carrot-chickpea salad and garlic aïoli
Stone-baked Moroccan bread
With dips (Plant-based)
Ciderboys Cranberry Razz Hard Cider
(New)
Bold Rock Apple Crumble Hard Cider
Gulf Stream Brewing Holiday Snakebite
Holiday Fig Cocktail
Kleiner Feigling fig liqueur and white cranberry juice
Hard Cider Flight
L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen
Pastrami on Rye (Naughty List) - $6.00
With house-made pickles and deli mustard
This sandwich needs a little something. The pastrami is on the fatty side and the bread is a bit dry. The mustard isn't enough to gussy this one up. We'd much rather see a reuben on the menu instead, but if you like plain pastrami on rye with a dash of mustard, you may enjoy this one. We did not, unfortunately. The pickle is good, though.
Smoked Salmon Potato Latkes (Nice List) - $6.25
The latke is perfectly seasoned (more on that below) and the salmon is pleasantly smoky without a strong fishy flavor. While we actually preferred the latkes without the salmon, this is still quite good if you'd like a little smoky fish with your fried potatoes.
Potato Latkes (Nice List) - $4.75
(Plant-based)
We really loved this comfort food classic - it was our favorite treat at the booth. The potatoes are well seasoned and fried to crispy perfection. The creamy sauce had just enough dill to add some freshness, but not so much that it overpowered the other flavors.
Rugelach (Nice List) - $4.25
Pastry filled with raspberry jam, walnuts, and cinnamon
Although our rugelach had almost no raspberry jam, we enjoyed the cinnamon walnut filling - it tasted similar to baklava. The flaky pastry tasted fresher than in previous years.
🍪 Black and White Cookie (Nice List) - $3.25
(Plant-based)
This is much improved over the one we reviewed last year, which was very stale and dry with an odd lemon flavor. This year, it tasted like the classic we are used to with a cakelike cookie and good chocolate in the glaze on the black half. If you love traditional Black and White cookies (or have never tried one), put this on your cookie stroll list.
Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
(New)
Frozen New York Whiskey Sour - $12.50
Manifest Whiskey and Manischewitz Blackberry Wine
Le Marché de Noël Holiday Kitchen
Crème De Saumon Fumé en Brioche aux Grains de Sesames, Concombre Et Radis (Naughty List) - $8.75
Smoked salmon spread on a sesame brioche roll with cucumber and radishes
The biggest problem with this sandwich is that the entire thing is prepared and then chilled. Not only does it lead to the roll getting dried out, it gives the whole thing a convenience store sandwich vibe. This was also the fishiest tasting salmon at the festival.
Rôti de Jambon Sauce Moutarde à l’Ancienne, Pommes Darphin (Naughty List) - $7.95
Roasted ham with mushrooms, pearl onions, bacon, white wine mustard sauce, and darphin roasted herb potatoes (New)
This dish is overwhelmingly salty. The problem may have been that ours had almost no potatoes, which would have cut the salt a bit. There was a lot of ham and lots of onions, both of which were heavily seasoned. Although the menu described the sauce as mustard-based, it didn’t have a strong mustard flavor which would have been a welcome addition.
Bûche de Noël au Chocolat et Caramel (Nice List) - $6.95
Chocolate fudge Christmas log with a caramel cream center (New)
This is the best chocolate dessert of the festival. While last year’s Bûche de Noël was a crime against French log-shaped desserts everywhere (it wasn’t even log shaped - you can imagine the horror), this one is a triumph. The cake is moist, the chocolate in the ganache is very high quality and the creamy caramel center is very mildly flavored, which is the perfect counterpoint to the richness of the dark chocolate flavors that surround it. For chocoholics, this is a no-brainer: put it on your must-try list.
Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini - $13.95
Vodka, chocolate milk, and whipped cream
Spiced Cranberry Punch - $9.95
Pol Rémy Sparkling Wine, cranberry juice, orange juice, and spiced brown sugar (New)
Chateau Haut Beaumard Cabernet Sauvignon - $5.95
(New)
UK Beer Cart
Frozen Chocolate Orange Cocktail
Hot chocolate, orange syrup, and blood orange liqueur
Canada Popcorn Cart
Canadian Hot Toddy (Naughty List) - $10.00
Maple syrup, honey, black tea, lemon juice, cinnamon, and Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky served warm
We really wanted to like this one because we are big fans of hot, boozy drinks. Unfortunately, the combination of honey and maple made this too cloyingly sweet for our taste. It is VERY boozy, so if you're looking for a strong whiskey drink and don't mind it being overly sweet, you might enjoy this. Not for us, though.
Yukon Holiday Kitchen
Seared Salmon (Nice List) - $7.25
with butternut squash purée, maple-bourbon glaze, and fennel-arugula salad
Yukon Holiday Kitchen boasts two of our favorite dishes of the whole festival. While Rob's is the Beef Bourguignon, this salmon dish was Erick's. He thought the salmon was fresh and perfectly prepared, but it was the combination with the rich squash puree, the sweet glaze and the crunchy and fresh salad that made it one of his favorites. He especially liked the bits of pear in the salad, which brought an extra touch of sweetness.
Beef Bourguignon (Nice List) - $7.00
with crushed potatoes
This beef Bourguignon is perfection. The beef is fall-apart tender and the gravy has rich beefy flavors accentuated with mushroom and black pepper. The mashed potatoes are chunky and buttery. Put it all together and it is exactly what we want for the holidays: hearty, comforting and delicious.
🍪 Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie (Naughty List) - $3.25
This crunchy cookie is a tiny bit buttery, but the main flavor is the peppermint extract, which ends up overwhelming everything else. It's very cute and very minty, but we wish the flavors were more balanced.
Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee - $4.75
(Non-alcoholic beverage)
81Bay Brewing Co. Peanut Butter Banana Porter - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Playalinda Brewing Co. Maple Cookie Blonde Ale - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Collective Arts Coffee Maple Porter - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee with Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky (Nice List) - $12.50
Who knew the addition of Maple Rye Whiskey would make Joffrey's frozen coffee into such a wonderfully complex drink. In addition to the maple, we tasted notes of chocolate and caramel and the coffee flavor was bold and strong. While we wish it was a bit bigger, it was a delicious way to get your daily allowance of caffeine.
Beer Flight - $10.25
Refreshment Port
Turkey Poutine (Nice List) - $9.50
Sweet potato fries with turkey gravy, cranberry relish, and crispy onions
Do you think Thanksgiving dinner would be better in French fry form? Then I have a treat for you. The sweet potato fries are the perfect choice to balance the salty turkey, gravy, cheese curds and fried onions. Plus, it brings that classic sweet potato casserole vibe to the mix. The dash of cranberry sauce on top adds a little sour sweetness that plays well with all the salty richness of everything under it.
Keel Farms Pumpkin Hard Cider - $12.00
Pasek Cellars Cranberry Wine - $7.50
Swirled Showcase
Holiday Mickey-shaped Liquid Nitrogen Pop (Nice List) - $4.75
Chocolate cake dipped in ganache made with Red & Green M&M’S Milk Chocolate Minis
We always enjoy the liquid nitrogen treats at Swirled Showcase and they are also fun to watch being made. This one is perfect for chocolate lovers. It tastes like a chewy brownie dipped in chocolate and covered in M&Ms. Plus, it's very cute.
Soft-serve in a Cone:
Vanilla - $6.50
Apple-cinnamon - $6.50
Dark chocolate - $6.50
Floats - $6.75
Barq’s Red Crème Soda or Barq’s Root Beer with Vanilla Soft-serve (Non-alcoholic)
Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. Bourbonola and Cherry Cola - $12.00
Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. Bourbonola Float - $12.50
With dark chocolate soft-serve
Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and Barq’s Red Crème Soda Float - $12.50
With apple cinnamon soft-serve
Coffee Float - $12.50
Dark chocolate soft-serve with iced coffee and choice of Mozart Liqueur
Holiday Sweets & Treats
Peppermint Sundae
Chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, and peppermint candy
Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee
(Non-alcoholic beverage)
Chocolate Peppermint Shake
With Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea (Non-alcoholic)
Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee
With Choice of Liqueur: Baileys Original Irish Cream
Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Cream, or Grand Mariner
Chocolate Peppermint Shake
Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea and whipped cream vodka
Deschutes Brewery Jubelale
(New)
Southern Tier Brewing Co. 2XMAS Ale
Wicked Weed Brewing Hop Cocoa Porter
Beer Flight
Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Kitchen
Kālua Pork (Nice List) - $6.00
With Okinawa sweet potatoes and mango salad
This has been one of our favorites in years past, and while we still liked it this year, it's gone a bit downhill. The Kālua pork is still tender, juicy and delicious and it is well paired with the sweet mango salsa. Unfortunately, the Okinawa sweet potato is on the bland side this year and it used to be infused with a Ruch coconut oil flavor that was our favorite part of the dish. It's still good and hopefully we just caught it on an off day.
Lomi Lomi Salmon (Nice List) - $6.50
With tomatoes, onions, salmon roe, yuzu-mayonnaise, and yuca chips
The flavors here are bright, citrusy and fresh. The chips add a nice crunch and the yuzu mayonnaise adds some richness. Erick loved how fresh the salmon tasted and said the dish reminded him of a Mexican ceviche.
🍪 Coffee Mocha Cookie (Naughty List) - $3.25
Topped with coffee-infused buttercream, cocoa nibs, and chocolate-covered espresso beans (New)
We love the flavor of the cookie itself, but it's very dry. While the buttercream helps, it tastes like frosting mixed with instant coffee, which - to be fair - is probably exactly what it is. More chocolate would have helped to mask the instant coffee flavor. While it wasn't terrible, it wasn't a favorite of this year's cookie stroll.
Melon Breeze - $14.00
DOLE Pineapple Juice, lime juice, melon liqueur, and Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
The Bruery 5 Golden Rings - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
(New)
Florida Orange Groves Winery Pineapple Sparkling Wine - $12.50
Nochebuena Cocina
Plant-based Chorizo Tamal with cotija and spicy red chile sauce (Nice List) - $5.50
(Plant-based)
This returning tamal was one of our favorites last year and we loved it again this year. If you didn't know it was plant-based, you probably wouldn't guess it. Our favorite is the zippy, slightly spicy sauce on top. Our only gripe this year was that the masa was a bit undercooked, but it was still delicious.
Pastelón (Nice List) - $5.75
Sofrito-marinated beef with sweet plantains and olives
We were prepared to not like this because it looked like it had been sitting under a heat lamp since Halloween, but it surprised us. Even though it clearly wasn't fresh, it was still delicious. The first flavor is the sweetness of the plantain, followed by the richly seasoned ground beef and olives. Salty, sweet, a little spice and a little briny from the olives, this has all of our favorite flavor combos.
🍪 Cinnamon-spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookie (Nice List) - $3.25
We love how soft and chewy the center of this cookie was this year. The cinnamon is very subtle and the chocolate is more of a cocoa powder flavor. While we wish it had more actual chocolate flavor, we still enjoyed it with our morning cup of coffee.
Ponche Navideño (Nice List) - $4.00
Christmas punch with apple, pears, guava, oranges, dried hibiscus, brown sugar, tamarind, cinnamon sticks, and cloves served warm (Non-alcoholic beverage)
Left Hand Brewing Co. Mexican Hot Chocolate Milk Stout - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
(New)
If you've never had ponche, it is quite similar to apple cider, though it tends to be a bit sweeter and takes on the flavors of the other fruits that are added in - in this case, orange and pear were the most prominent. There's a little cinnamon and the whole thing is sweetened with sugar cane which makes it sweet, but not cloying like a punch made with granulated white sugar.
Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen
Cinnamon-glazed Almonds (Nice List) - $6.00
These are the same cinnamon-sugar coated nuts that are served warm all-year-round in the parks, though you are typically limited to almonds so it is a nice treat to have pecans and cashews added to the mix. We eat these all the time in the parks and they are definitely among our favorite Disney World treats, though we think we like the pecans best of all.
Cinnamon-glazed Cashews (Nice List) - $6.00
See review for almonds above.
Cinnamon-glazed Pecans (Nice List) - $6.00
See review for almonds above.
Fire-roasted Chestnuts (Nice List) - $6.25
The main event at Chestnuts & Good Cheer is - of course - chestnuts roasting on an open fire. You can see them roasting these fresh to order and they are delicious this year. They are coated with a buttery cinnamon, salt and sugar coating, so you'll want to give them a taste before you even crack the shell. Inside you're rewarded with a warm, soft and subtly sweet nut that tastes like Christmas.
Eggnog - $4.00
(Non-alcoholic beverage)
Eggnog with Cordial (Nice List) - $11.50
With choice of cordial: Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Mozart Chocolate Liqueur, or Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey
It never occurred to us to add chocolate to eggnog, but we should have known this would be delicious because chocolate makes pretty much everything delicious. The eggnog is thick and rich and would hold up well to any of the liqueurs on offer, but we can vouch for the Mozart chocolate. It's like a cocktail mashup of chocolate milk and eggnog and it's as good as it sounds.
Southern Tier Brewing Co. Chestnut Praline Imperial Ale - $5.75 (6 oz), $9.75 (12 oz)
Sunshine Seasons
🍪 Peanut Butter Cookie
Made with Red & Green M&M’S Milk Chocolate Minis
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
Merry Mint Cookie Latte (Nice List) - $6.49
A festive blend of espresso, toasted marshmallow syrup, peppermint syrup, dark chocolate sauce, and milk topped with peppermint whipped cream and chocolate cookie crumbs (Non-alcoholic) (New)
Since this was pictured as an iced coffee drink, we went with that - but we think it would be even better hot. The mint in this one is not as harsh as the traditional peppermint mocha – it's more like a butter mint flavor. There are even little meltaway butter mint candies mixed in. We'll definitely be getting this again (and trying it hot).
Merry Mint Cookie Latte
Spirited version available with Baileys Original Irish Cream
We'll have a brand new video coming soon all about this year's Festival of the Holidays, but you can watch our video from last year right now, including our full reviews of some of these food items:
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