4 Food Items to SKIP at this Year’s EPCOT Food & Wine Festival
I heard it said recently that you can’t trust a yes if you never hear a no. it was a perfect reminder to be as authentic as possible, especially when talking about something as expensive and important as a Walt Disney World vacation. It’s with this in mind that I approach today’s article. Today, I give you the four most skippable food items at this year‘s EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival.
Disney food money doesn’t grow on trees, and the last thing I would ever want you to do is to waste your precious Disney dollars on food that just isn’t up to par.
Our first most skippable Food and Wine Festival offering has us walking by Bramblewood Bites along the Rosewalk (between World Nature and World Showcase Plaza). The Cast Iron-roasted Brussel Sprouts and Root Vegetables ($5) held much promise. We’ve seen Brussels sprouts done beautifully at other Walt Disney World locations, so why couldn’t it be the same at this one? Unfortunately, what was served to me was more akin to what you and I had to choke down at the dinner table in 1983. These veggies left much to be desired as they were mushy and rather overcooked, with an unpleasant aftertaste to boot. Into the trash they went. Sigh.
Our second skippable festival food item can be found at the Belgium Global Marketplace, located between the France and Morocco pavilions. Traditionally, I’ve headed to this food booth for their mini Belgium waffles, but this year’s savory option caught my husband‘s eye as we were making our way around the World Showcase. We waited in a lengthy line to get our hands on the Beer-braised Beef served with smoked gouda mashed potatoes, but, in my book, the wait wasn’t warranted. Friends, when I tell you that this was a one bite and done moment, believe me. Keep in mind that I am not a beer drinker, so when I shared with my husband that I didn’t like the aftertaste, he said that it actually tasted quite good if you’re someone who enjoys beer. That being said, taste aside, there were only three small chunks of beef in the entire dish, and it was more like a stew than anything. It being a stew isn’t mentioned anywhere in the promotional description of the dish, and all in all, it was quite disappointing.
Our third stop (I should say nonstop, perhaps) is the Spain Global Marketplace. I have enjoyed the food items at this booth for years, so the fact that they’re even on this list is a little shocking. That being said, I have to be honest with you: they fixed something that wasn’t broken. This year‘s version of their paella features squid ink-infused rice in the dish. I don’t know about you, but too much of a good thing is still too much, and the Paella Negra: Squid ink rice with shrimp, Bay scallops, and octopus served with garlic aïoli ($8) tasted fishy from the word go. If you’re not a gigantic seafood fan, – I mean you love seafood more than anything else in this world, – don’t get this. It was so disappointing after years of delicious Spanish paella featuring chorizo, shrimp and Spanish rice. This was a one and done for me, much to my chagrin.
The last item that I advise you to pass right on by isn’t on the list because it didn’t taste good. On the contrary, the taste was great and it was definitely something that you could pick up and walk around with. This item is on the list because it’s way too expensive for the amount of food that you are given. Our last item can be found at the Mexico Global Marketplace. The Flauta de Barbacoa will set you back a whopping EIGHT DOLLARS. Friends, this is all of four inches of food in total. That’s $2 per inch for this flauta, and in my book, unless it’s covered in edible gold, that’s just way too expensive. This Global Marketplace has had a habit of overpricing dishes for the last three years. I think everything with the closure of the parks in 2020 and the initial supply chain issues threw them for a loop and they’ve just never come back down to earth price-wise. Believe it or not, the $8 for this flauta is a step in the right direction, but it’s not far enough for me. Please don’t be drawn in by the cuteness of this item; it’s diminutive and extremely overpriced.
I have yet to take my last trip to the festival for this year, so you can be sure that if I come across something else that needs to be added to this list, I’ll do a follow up article letting you know. I want your Walt Disney World vacation to be everything that you want it to be and more, and wasting money on food just isn’t fun. That being said, please try anything and everything that you want to while you’re here. And, of course, please let me know your list when you do!
If you’d like to follow along with my hubby and I as we traverse the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, be sure to click on the video below:
