Tink in the Parks: The 2016 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Well hello there, Tinkers!

As you probably know, Flower and Garden Festival officially kicked off Wednesday and I was lucky enough to be there to check it all out. Me and about a zillion of my closest friends. It was packed, right from the time the gate opened. Flower and Garden has grown to have a cult following, especially now that Disney has incorporated elements of everyone’s favorite Epcot event, Food and Wine Festival. In fact, Disney may have found the PERFECT recipe to make Flower and Garden a fan favorite. Take a gorgeous park, which already has a bit of a more adult feel to it, add in a rainbow of gorgeous blooms, stir in some fun, old school concerts, pack in the Outdoor Kitchen food and drink booths, and top it all off with a dollop of heavenly Florida spring weather, and you really can’t mess it up.

So, what are we waiting for? Let me take you through my day in the park, including reviews of the food and drink items that I sampled. Buckle up. It’s gonna be a tasty post!

So my 3 year old, K, and I arrived at Epcot with our friend, “A”, around 10:30 am, and found ourselves parked in the back of the parking lot, and then standing in massively long lines at the entrance gate. Now, Food and Wine was like, wildly popular this past year, and crowded to an unprecedented level, so I was not shocked by this. It was opening day, and many people, myself included, had been just itching for the Festival to open. After getting through the gate, there was a huge bottle-neck of Guests waiting to photograph this year’s entry topiary, which features Donald, Daisy and Huey, Dewey and Louie.

After stopping for some pics there, (and of course, stopping to smell the flowers), and catching a glimpse of the Zootopia themed monorail gliding by, we headed up into Future World, where we found a huge line of Guests waiting to buy the Limited Edition Flower and Garden pins, and where the Easter Egg Hunt maps were available for purchase. “A” had never done the hunt before, so she bought a map. (SPOILER ALERT: There are some pictures of the eggs, in their hidden locations, in this post!)

While K and I were waiting for her to check out, we wandered around Future World, and caught glimpses of some of this year’s incredible floral topiaries and displays. Over toward Imagination, there are several Fantasia themed topiaries. (NOTE: This set of pics was taken last week, before the Festival opened, hence the lack of crowd.)

On the other side, on the walkway to Universe of Energy, there’s an area called The Waterwise Garden, showcasing planet friendly gardening techniques.

Over by Test Track, there are Cars topiaries, along with the Cactus Road Rally walking path and the Radiator Springs themed playground area. This play area is designed with the smaller kids in mind, and the covered play structures are surrounded by comfy chairs, so parents can relax. K played for a little while, but got bored pretty quickly and wanted to move on.

Once “A” met back up with us, we hit the area behind Spaceship Earth, where we grabbed some pictures of the cool new topiaries, (one Chip and Dale scene and one with Mickey dressed as a park ranger), checked out the massively long line to buy Limited Edition Flower and garden merchandise, and looked at the beautiful butterfly topiaries.

Next, because we are Annual Passholders, we went into the area behind Club Cool, and by showing our photo IDs and Annual Passes, we were able to each get a limited edition sketch print of Donald Duck, drawn by Don “Ducky” Williams! Pretty cool gift! And we must have hit it just right, because there was almost no one in line when we were in there, so we got through in less than 5 minutes.

We took a stroll through the butterfly tent. Because the Festival is just starting, there aren’t many butterflies yet. We did find some though, and K was super excited to get up close and personal with them,. In fact, he meandered up to this little guy and yelled at it, “Are you Tinkerbell?” I guess he thought Tink might have transformed herself into a butterfly for the event. K was VERY disappointed to hear that though they will be handing out free packets of squeezable applesauce at the tent again this year, they will only be doing it on the weekends, so no applesauce today. (Nearby Guests might have assumed that someone was trying to murder K when he found out there was no applesauce, but clearly he just needed to make everyone aware of the upsetting lack of applesauce, which was ruining his day, and maybe even his year.)

Next we headed toward World Showcase and snapped some more pics along the way, before hitting up our very first Outdoor Kitchen. For those of you that haven’t been to Flower and Garden recently, you may not be familiar with these booths. Epcot has combined the most popular element of the very popular Food and Wine Festival, into the spring festival, opening about a dozen booths around World Showcase. Each location sells smaller, sample sized food items, as well as regional alcoholic beverages. For Food and Wine, the booths are themed to various countries around the world, and Flower and Garden’s booths are similar, but they also incorporate the element of farm or garden fresh items, as well. But what it boils down to is this: YUM!

Our first Outdoor Kitchen stop was at La Isla Fresca. It was not even noon and the booth was already hopping! Here is the booth’s menu: 

And here’s my mini-review of the items that we sampled:

• What did I try?: Tres Leches
• How would I describe it?: A light vanilla cake, soaked in milk and topped with whipped cream and coconut shavings. There was a light coconut flavor and I believe there was some rum in it as well. There was a guava puree on the plate, which you can ask to skip, if you so choose.
• How was the portion?: Good sized piece of cake for the $3.75. We easily shared it between two adults.
• What letter grade would I give it?: B   I enjoyed the cake, and it immediately transported me to an island vacation or, even better, a cruise. But, with that being said, it didn’t “wow” me.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Probably not. Too many other options.

AND

• What did I try?: Frozen Simply Tropical Fruit Drink with and without Cruzan Mango Rum
• How would I describe it?: This was pretty much straight-up frozen mango juice. Since I am allergic, K got this one. He loves anything slushy, so he was a fan. Our friend, “A”, got the alcoholic version and said it was tasty. The shot of rum pooled at the bottom of the cup, making for a potent final sip.
• How was the portion?: To me, for $4.25, ($9.25 for the alcoholic version), I should get a full 8 oz. glass, not a little 4 oz. (I’m just guessing here) one.
• What letter grade would I give it?: N/A   This one was all K and “A”.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: I do not wish to die of mango poisoning, so, no, I will not.
  

  Non-alcoholic Tropical Slush and Tres Leches

  

  Simply Tropical Slush With Rum

   

We enjoyed those treats at one of the many tall tables that are set up around World Showcase just for the Festival. Though, if you ask me, (and Disney never seems to!), they could use more tables. I saw many people trying to cut and dig into their food while sitting on the ground, with a plate in their lap. This is particularly challenging when you’re working with paper plates and plastic knives!

Up next was Jardin de Fiestas, outside of the Mexico Pavilion. This booth fortunately has queues set up on BOTH sides of the building, which many Guests didn’t realize and they instead gathered in one line. Several of the booths this year have two queues, so always check!!!

See, can you spot that Cast Member behind the bushes, waiting for a Guest? But all of the Guests are waiting in line on the other side! (Well, they were. I don’t see any in this picture.) Here’s the booth’s menu:

And my review:

• What did I try?: Tacos de Camaron
• How would I describe it?: A small, warm tortilla, filled with three small battered and fried shrimp, pickled hibiscus flower, and caramelized onions. It’s supposed to be topped with a habanero sauce, but since I don’t like heat, I opted for no sauce.
• How was the portion?: One small taco for $5.75. Seems pretty fair for shrimp.
• What letter grade would I give it?: C   Though it tasted fine, there was nothing really special about this taco. No real flavor. Yes, I realize the habanero sauce probably is where the flavor comes from, but in general, I found all of the rest of the elements of the taco to be very bland.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Nope. On a side note,”A” tried the Elderflower and Watermelon Sangria here too and though she liked the flavor a lot, she said it was a little too strong for her. Sounds like the kind of drink The Hubs would love! 

Moving on… We wandered through the Mexico pavilion, seeking out our first hidden character egg for the Eggstraviganza Egg Hunt. Found it! This one was Chip.

We passed through Norway, to check out the construction on the meet and greet for those chilly sisters, Anna and Elsa, and of course, to spot the next egg, Daisy!

And we said a quick hello to the sisters themselves, in topiary form.

In China, the Lotus House booth was hoppin’, with a large line. Here’s why:

Lots of yummy choices! I wanted to try one of everything, but I settled for the spring rolls, the strawberries and a bubble tea. (So, almost everything.) I wanted to see what K could eat and we always have to be careful with his egg allergy, so I asked the cashier about allergy information. I was disappointed to find out that once again, just like at Food and Wine, every time we want to give K something, we would have to have the cashier call a coordinator, to review allergens. I understand the safety aspect of this, however, WHAT A GIANT PAIN IN THE BUTT! We waited, as other Guests continued to step around us and order their food, for a coordinator to come over. In about ten minutes, he showed up and confirmed that K could have the strawberries and the tea. Here’s what we thought:

• What did I try?: Vegetable Spring Roll
• How would I describe it?: Standard Chinese spring rolls, served with a creamy orange sauce.
• How was the portion?: $4.50 for two spring rolls was ok by me.
• What letter grade would I give it?: B   The rolls were tasty and not overly greasy. I was expecting the orange sauce to be sweet like a duck sauce, but it was more savory, and I was not a fan.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Maybe. Definitely not a bad snack, and a really good sized portion.

AND

• What did I try?: Beijing-Style Candied Strawberries
• How would I describe it?: Just like a candied apple, but with a skewer of strawberries, and topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
• How was the portion?: You get 3-4 strawberries per skewer, depending on size. $4.95 may seem like a high price, but I honestly love these so much, that I’d pay it any time.
• What letter grade would I give it?: A   I LOVE these! I have come to get them every year now since they were introduced. The strawberries are always super high quality, so they are juicy and fresh, and the candy coating adds just enough sweetness. The light sesame flavor is a nice touch. The Hubs doesn’t even like strawberries and he’ll usually steal one of these from me.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: I plan to get them several more times before the festival is over. 

AND

• What did I try?: Oolong Peach Bubble Tea
• How would I describe it?: A milky iced tea, with a very light peach flavor, (in fact, I didn’t taste peach at all!), and a whole bunch of blackish-green tapioca “bubbles” in it.
• How was the portion?: This one wa
• s a full 20 oz. cup, but rightfully so, since it was $6.50. I think that price tag is too high.
• What letter grade would I give it?: C   First of all, I wasn’t expecting this tea to be milky, so that was a surprise, and not exactly en enjoyable one on a hot day. As I said, the peach flavor was barely detectable. Now, I know people who go nuts for bubble tea, but for me, these flavorless tapioca balls made me feel like my drink was full of eyeballs. Ew. It manages to pull off a C because overall, the sweetness and creaminess of the tea was enjoyable, just not my cup of tea. (See what I did there?)
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: That’s a “no”. For $6.50, I could get two other things elsewhere.

After stopping to enjoy our Chinese treats, we found the Goofy egg and moved on to the African Outpost. K decided to take a break and play some drums for a bit. He also requested lunch, since all he had been able to have so far was the strawberries, so I grabbed him a hot dog. At that point, we got a call from The Hubs that D was out of school and they had just arrived at the park, so we stayed seated for a bit, and let them catch up. We also managed to spot the African Outpost egg, which was Donald, and grabbed some pictures of some of my favorite topiaries, the Lion King ones! 

In Germany, D found the Perry the Platypus egg before we hit up the Bauermarkt booth for some German grub.

Here’s the enticing menu:

We decided to try out the Armer Ritter. Here’s what we thought:

• What did I try?: Armer Ritter
• How would I describe it?: Pretty much a piece of French toast, with cherry pie filling and powdered sugar
• How was the portion?: $3.75 for one triangle of toast. Not too bad.
• What letter grade would I give it?: B-   Nothing too exciting here. French toast with cherries. The flavor was good and D liked it a lot. I added the minus because it was served at room temperature, which made it seem like, well… cold French toast. If it was served warm, it would have been better.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Glad I tried it, but no, I don’t need it again.

While we taste tested, we let the kiddos watch the toy trains for a bit and paused for some of the best Flower and Garden photo ops in the whole park. 

I mean, come on! How cute is that?

And just a couple of steps away was the Primavera Kitchen Italian booth, where again, EVERYTHING looked good!:

Our crew picked the chicken parm and the pistachio cream. We did ask about egg allergies, and were told by the nearby coordinator that poor K couldn’t have anything on the menu here. Bummer. Luckily, he was happy with an orange from his backpack.

• What did I try?: Pollo Alla Parmigiana
• How would I describe it?: One breaded chicken breast, with a light coating of tomato sauce and topped with melted cheese.
• How was the portion?: It was a decent sized piece of chicken, (I’d guess about 4 oz.), so $6 seemed ok, though it would have been better it was served on a little bed of pasta.
• What letter grade would I give it?: C+   Meh. The chicken was of good quality, but the sauce was barely there and what was there was pretty bland. The “plus” is for the quality, but the “C” is for the meh-ness.    
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Nope. I’ve had much better chicken parm elsewhere.

AND

• What did I try?: Cremoso al Pistacchio
• How would I describe it?: A little parfait cup of pistachio cream, a layer of strawberries and a bottom of sweet mascarpone cream, all topped with a chocolate swirl.
• How was the portion?: This was a pretty itty bitty cup for $5, but sooooo worth it!
• What letter grade would I give it?: A+   One of my very favorite things this year. Oh my goodness! If you like the silky creaminess of creme brulee, that’s what this pistachio cream is like. There just a hint of strawberry, and the mascarpone cream balances the sweetness of the pistachio cream perfectly. Fantastic! It needs to be a regular dessert somewhere.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Though $5 is steep for one little shot glass, I’ll pay it again. Yum-yum-yum! Bellissima!

Yes, we were getting full at this point. But the good news is, there were now 4-5 mouths sharing each item, so that kept us from feeling like we were going to bust. That, and we totally took our time. Two hours had passed since we were at the African Outpost and here we were, still in Italy! We found our egg, and said “Ciao!” to Lady and the Tramp, and made our way to the American Adventure pavilion.

Back in the good ol’ US of A, it was time for some BBQ. The Smokehouse booth was one of the most popular last year, and with this year’s menu, it’s bound to be a winner again!:

Right next to the booth, the huge smoker is there, and the chefs were happily chatting with Guests about the best BBQ methods. Pretty impressive!

The Hubs got in line for our eats, and the Littles and I grabbed some pics with the awesome Woody topiary. 

We went a little hog-wild at The Smokehouse. (Ha-ha-ha! “Hog-wild!” I got jokes!) Even K got in on the action here, as he could eat the meats and even had a sip of my sweet tea. Here’s how it all went down:

• What did I try?: Pulled Pig Slider
• How would I describe it?: Pulled pork on a fresh bun, with light coleslaw veggies and fried onion straws.
• How was the portion?: So it’s priced at $6.25, which I think is completely reasonable, however, the girl sitting behind us got a sandwich heaped with meat and veggies. Ours was more like a $4.50 sandwich. But it was Day One of the festival, so I’m sure portioning wasn’t 100% up to snuff yet.
• What letter grade would I give it?: B   In all fairness, I do believe The Hubs would rank it higher. He was swooning over it. Though I liked the sandwich and knew the meat quality was fantastic, I found this one to be dry. I also happen to greatly dislike coleslaw, so that didn’t help. Personally, I prefer the regular pulled pork sandwich that Disney serves in the Liberty Inn quick service.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: I won’t, but I bet The Hubs will.

AND

• What did I try?: Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash
• How would I describe it?: A hash mix of smoked beef brisket, cubed potatoes, peppers and onions, all held together with a cheese cheddar fondue and topped with pickled jalapenos.
• How was the portion?: Plenty for the $5.75 price.
• What letter grade would I give it?: A   Another one of my festival favorites! This was like heaven in a paper basket! The smokiness of the burnt ends matched so nicely with the creamy, sharp cheese fondue. I want a whole plate of this stuff!
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Yes! It’ll be my lunch next time, minus the jalapenos!

AND

• What did I try?: Warm Chocolate Cake
• How would I describe it?: A plain chocolate cupcake, served warm and topped with caramel sauce and candied pecans that have a little kick to ’em.
• How was the portion?: $3.75 is pretty fair for a small cupcake, so I think this one is priced well.
• What letter grade would I give it?: B+   Ok, so warm… chocolate…cake. Can’t really go wrong there. And the cake was warm, moist and tasty. (Though the cake itself tasted like it was made from a packaged mix.) The caramel sauce was flavorful, but I didn’t get any saltiness from it and I think if it were truly salty, it really would have made this one stand out. The pecans with a kick were a fun surprise. (I gave it the “+” for the warmth. Warm desserts rock! Can’t beat the fresh-out-of-the-oven quality!)
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Nah. Again, not bad, but not something I feel the need to repeat.

AND (Yes, AND! Don’t judge.)

• What did I try?: Sweet Tea
• How would I describe it?: Fresh brewed, iced sweet tea.
• How was the portion?: It was only $2.50, so the cup only being about 8 oz. didn’t bother me, though it was so good, I would have gladly bought a larger size.
• What letter grade would I give it?: B+   I mean, it’s only iced tea, so I can’t very well give it an “A”, but it was pretty perfect when it comes to sweet tea. Not overly sweet, not watered down, and there were even some loose leaves floating in the cup, bearing witness to the freshness of the tea. Super refreshing.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Sure.

We enjoyed all these amazing treats sitting at a wooden picnic table, under the covered area next to the American Adventure pavilion. The weather was so incredibly gorgeous, and out bellies so happy, it would have been easy to sit there all day, but we had more countries to cover and we were running out of time. Onward! (Oh, and we did find the egg, hiding near the queue to The Smokehouse, but I didn’t manage to grab a picture of this one. In fact, I got pretty bad about taking pictures of them for the rest of World Showcase. Sorry! You’ll just have to find them yourself!)

Up next, Japan, and the Hanami booth!:

For years now I have heard about how awesome “Frushi” is, so I had already known what I wanted to get at this booth. Unlike the other booths, the Japanese one had a little pre-printed allergy card, so I was able to quickly glance at that and see that there was no egg in the Frushi, so K could enjoy it. Oh man, was it WAY more convenient to have an allergy menu available, rather than have to wait while a coordinator is radioed. I praised the system and told the Cast Member to please, please recommend that the other booths do it to, if possible!

Since I knew both of the kids would be into the idea of fruit rolled up, with whipped cream and raspberry sauce on top, I got two orders to share.

• What did I try?: Frushi
• How would I describe it?: A sushi-like roll-up, with pineapple, strawberries and cantaloupe int he middle, coconut rice around it, and topped with coconut flakes, canned whipped cream and raspberry puree.
• How was the portion?: Three pieces in the roll, for $5.25. Ok. A little on the high side.
• What letter grade would I give it?: D-   Guys, I am so sorry if you are a Frushi fanatic, but I just don’t get it! The coconut rice was chilled and gummy. The fruit wasn’t particularly sweet, and the toppings tasted artificial. Both of my kids spit this out and they love fruit. I tried one bite and hated it. I ended up throwing out 4 whole pieces of the roll. The only reason I gave it a D- and not an F is because it looks cool.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Um, no. Never. 

We couldn’t find the Easter egg in Japan and decided to give up and just figure out which egg it was by process of elimination. Yes, we were getting lazy. After the Frushi debacle, I needed a minute to recover. Nothing at the Taste of Marrakesh booth in Morocco was standing out to me anyway, so we passed it by. Here’s the menu though:

We did find the egg in Morocco, and checked out the Urban Spice Garden.

The Florida Fresh booth had me at watermelon. I LOVE watermelon juice. Like, LOVE it. Back in the day, (probably about 15 years back), La Cantina de San Angel used to serve it as an everyday drink and it was bomb! So refreshing and delicious! It was really unique and I loved getting it every time I was in Epcot. They broke my heart and stopped selling it, but they do occasionally resurrect it for Food and Wine or Flower and Garden, so I was very excited to see it on the menu at Florida Fresh:

We tried both the watermelon juice and the watermelon cucumber slushy.

• What did I try?: Fresh-Squeezed Watermelon Juice
• How would I describe it?: Pretty straight forward… a liquefied watermelon in a glass.
• How was the portion?: Well, it was $3.25 for a small, 4ish oz. cup. Considering that the large, 32 oz. cup used to be $3.50, it is a little hard to pay the same for a much smaller portion, but since I love it, I do it.
• What letter grade would I give it?: B   As much as I adore this refreshing and naturally sweet juice, the glass I got was room temperature at best, making it not nearly as enjoyable as it usually is, hence the “B”.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Yes, but I hope it’s cold! The colder, the better!

  

  Watermelon Juice on the left, Watermelon Cucumber Slushy on the right

AND

• What did I try?: Watermelon Cucumber Slushy
• How would I describe it?: This was more of an artificial watermelon flavored slush. Very sweet.
• How was the portion?: $4.25 for a small cup of slush is too much.

  

  Key Lime wine

• What letter grade would I give it?: B-   It tasted good, but compared to the
  watermelon juice, it was just too sweet for me. The cucumber flavor was pretty minimal. It was more like a Jolly Rancher watermelon flavored slush.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Probably not. I’ll stick with the juice and hope that it’s cold.

“A” also tried the Key Lime Sparkling Wine, which both she and The Hubs really liked,  but I didn’t try it.

Next up was France and the Fleur de Lys booth, and oh, God bless the French. Seriously. I mean, they can do things with food that no one else can do. Not to mention, their alcohol is pretty incredible too! Here’s this year’s menu:

Duck isn’t my thing, so I tried the onion tart and the macaron. Oh my.

• What did I try?: Tarte a l’Onion Alsacienne
• How would I describe it?: A flaky, buttery crust, covered in oniony goodness.
• How was the portion?: $4.50 for this pastry was totally reasonable, considering it was about the same size as a pastry you’d get at Starbucks for the same price. I’d guess it was about a 3″ x 4″ square.
• What letter grade would I give it?: A+   Oh lordy. Butter. Sauteed onions. Flaky pastry. Fresh French herbs. What about this could possibly be bad? (Well, unless you don;t like onions.) This pasty was as delicious as it sounds, and more. Served warm and fresh, it was heaven-sent. One of my very favorite things from this year’s festival.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Oh yeah. For sure. Can I have one NOW?

AND

• What did I try?: Macaron Chocolat Framboise
• How would I describe it?: A raspberry flavored French macaron cookie, filled with a fudgy ganache and raspberry jam.
• How was the portion?: Everyone who has had a French macaron knows that those little suckers are expensive. You can expect to pay a couple of bucks for one small macaron, so $4.75 for one large one doesn’t seem that bad. I’d say the macaron was about 3″ across.
• What letter grade would I give it?: A-   Loved this one too. The cookie part was perfectly crisp on the outside, and chewy on the inside. The fudge filling was plentiful and so smooth. The raspberry jam was only directly in the middle, (which The Hubs thought was great, because he doesn’t like raspberry jam, and he was able to nibble the macaron, enjoy the chocolate, and avoid the raspberry), and a good balance of tart and sweet. The only reason I added the “-” to the grade is because it was served out of a fridge, making it cold and a little on the hard side. Buuuut, I get that it’s Florida and they HAVE to keep them in the fridge. Had I waited a few minutes more to enjoy it, it probably would have softened up, but it was irresistible. So it’s their fault for making it irresistible. Yeah.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Oui. Oui, very much. 

I can always spend time in the France pavilion. Since visiting the real thing a few years bad, I have been a total Francophile. I love the music, the sights, the smells, and of course, the food! France always looks gorgeous for Flower and Garden, filled with topiaries of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and Prince Charming, and beautifully landscaped. 

At this point, we were loosing steam. The sun was starting to go down, the kids were getting restless, and I was sunburned and tired. We crossed the bridge into UK pavilion, and while the kiddos and The Hubs looked for the egg, I took some topiary pics.

The Cider House is the new UK booth, and it was super popular with the Guests. Here’s the menu:

Since the Littles love sparkling cider, I got them some of that, and I had to try the lemon scone. I mean, we couldn’t be in the UK pavilion and not have a scone, right?

• What did I try?: Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider
• How would I describe it?: Your typical, sugary, sparkling apple cider that you were likely served as a kid, on New Year’s Eve.
• How was the portion?: A small glass for $4.75? I can buy a bottle for $2 at any grocery store. Perhaps one of the most overpriced things a bought all day.
• What letter grade would I give it?: B   Yeah, it tasted good and was served cold, but this is not in any way something special.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Not a chance I’m paying almost $5 for this again.

AND

• What did I try?: Freshly Baked Lemon Scone
• How would I describe it?: A warm lemon scone, lightly iced, and topped with mixed berries and fresh whipped cream.
• How was the portion?: Bigger than a mini-scone from Starbucks, but smaller than a full sized one. Does that help? I thought $3.75 was a fair price.
• What letter grade would I give it?: A+   Also one of my very favorites from the festival! What a delightful surprised to be served an oven-warm scone! The flavor was lemony, but not overwhelmingly so. The berry topping was not sugary, and more like fresh berry compote. The cream gave it a nice contrast. I loved this and it might be my top pick.
• Will I get it again, when I return to the Festival?: Absolutely. 

Ok, I didn’t think that I could top that scone perfection, so I called it quits on our taste testing. Everyone was full and ready to head out, so we got some pictures of the beautiful flowers in the Canada pavilion, found our last egg, and moved on. 

We didn’t get anything from the last two booths. We will save those for the next visit, but here are the menus:

We had promised the Littles some time in the newly themed musical playground, and I was able to grab some gorgeous pictures as the sun was setting.

After playing for a bit, the kiddos were finally worn out too, and we left Epcot, full, tired, but SO impressed with this year’s festival. I can’t wait to come back and do it all again! 

 

 

Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: Flower & Garden Festival Menus and Details!!!

Hiya, Tinkers!

Hope you’re all having an awesome weekend! Unfortunately, in my house, we are dealing with a toddler with a 104° fever, so it hasn’t been pretty.  The good news is, he thinks he has a “Frozen fever”, and so he keeps sleepily quoting Elsa and saying, “I haff a cold.” It’s adorable and heartbreaking, all at the same time.

Anyway, I come to you with exciting news!!! The official passport for the 2016 International Flower and Garden Festival has been released, so we have tons of new information about this year’s Flower and Garden Festival, including all of the menus for the Outdoor Kitchens!!! So what will we see, (and taste), this year?

Well, for starters, incredible topiaries will fill the park. The two new displays this year are Fresh Food, Fun and Flowers at the Main Entrance, which features Donald, Daisy and Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Ranger Mickey and Friends will be in Future World East. Favorites from last year and previous years will return, including:

• Buzz Lightyear in Future World East
• Fantastia in Future World West
• Phineas and Ferb in Future World East
• Minnie Mouse and Pluto in Showcase Plaza
• Anna and Elsa in Norway
• Bromeliad Dragon in China
• Simba and Friends in The Outpost
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Germany
• Lady and the Tramp in Italy
• Woody in The American Adventure
• Beauty and the Beast in France
• Cinderella and Prince Charming in France
• Winnie the Pooh and Friends in the United Kingdom
• Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tic-Toc Croc in the United Kingdom
• Bambi and Friends in Canada

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Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays will be “Fun, Fresh Weekends” with special presentations and learning areas, including:

• Garden Theater where you can learn what goes into making Flower and Garden Festival happen.
• Garden Information Desk where you can talk to horticulture experts from University of Florida about all of your gardening needs.
• Horticulture Heritage where you can learn how horticulture played a role in Walt’s vision for the parks.
• And four different stages where you can catch presentations by horticulture experts on a variety of topics.

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There are also specialty themed weekends:

• April 1st-3rd: Art in the Garden Weekend
• April 8th-10th: Outdoor Family Fun Weekend, featuring experts from Animal Kingdom who will share what an important role insects play in our environment
• April 22nd-24th: Earth Day Weekend, featuring experts from The Seas with Nemo and Friends who will share the conservation efforts that go on at The Seas on a daily basis
• April 29th-May 1st: Florida Fresh Weekend
• May 6th-8th: Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Weekend

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This year, for the little ones, there are several specially designed areas for frolicking:

• Cactus Road Rally Playground near Test Track
• NEW! Music Garden Melodies Playground between Imagination and the Canada Pavilion
• Discover Purple Martins where you can learn about the Brazilian migratory songbirds
• Butterflies on the Go near Club Cool
• Ranger Mickey and Friends Interactive Area in Future World East
• Backyard Habitat
• Nature Works Everywhere

 

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And of course there’s the Garden Rocks concerts! Here’s this year’s line-up:

• March 4th-6th – The Orchestra with members of ELO (“Evil Woman” and “Comin’ Home Baby”)
• March 11th-13th – Starship with Mickey Thomas (“We Built This City” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”)
• March 18th-20th – Little River Band (“Reminiscing” and “Lady”)
• March 25th-27th – The Village People (“Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man”)
• April 1st-3rd – Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone (“Henry the VIII, I Am” and “There’s a King of Hush”)
• April 8th-10th – The Guess Who (“American Woman” and “These Eyes”)
• April 15th-17th – Blood, Sweat & Tears with Bo Bice from American Idol (“Spinning Wheel” and “You Make Me So Very Happy”) NEW THIS YEAR!
• April 22nd-24th – Bad Company with Brian Howe (“Can’t Get Enough” and “Shooting Star”) NEW THIS YEAR!
• April 29th-May 1st – Georgia Satellites (“Keep Your Hands to Yourself” and “Hippy Hippy Shake”) NEW THIS YEAR!
• May 6th-8th – Gin Blossoms (“Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You”)
• May 13th-15th – Darlene Love (“Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home” and “He’s a Rebel”) NEW THIS YEAR!
• May 20th-22nd – Night Ranger (“Sister Christian” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me”)
• May 27th-30th – The Spinners (“Working My Way Back to You” and “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”)

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The Outdoor Garden Destinations include lots of beautiful and amazing plants:
Waterwise Garden

• Pre-Historic Plants
• Purple Martins
• Cactus Road Rally
• Festival Blooms
• Pollinator Paradise
• Butterflies on the Go
• Health and Healing Garden
• Backyard Habitat
• Music Garden Melodies
• Nature Works Everywhere
• Fire Garden
• Extraordinary Orchids
• Tuscan Cuchina Garden
• Japanese Mini-Garden
• Bonsai Collection
• Urban Spice
• English Tea Garden
• Shakespeare Garden

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There are 13 Outdoor Kitchens, with two brand new ones! Let’s all salivate over their menus. Green marks food items and Pink marks drinks:

• Urban Farm Eats (Walkway near Imagination)
  • Watermelon Salad with pickled onions, B&W Gourmet Farms baby arugula, feta and balsamic reduction
  • Vegetable and White Bean “Naanwhich” with arugula pesto and oven-dried tomatoes, featuring Seeds of Change quinoa and brown and red rice
  • Seared Pork Tenderloin with mushroom ragout, spring vegetables and marble potatoes
  • Avive Natural Peach Sparkling Wine
  • King Estate Acrobat Pinot Noir
  • Sierra Nevada Otra Vez
  • Urban Mary
• Pineapple Promenade (World Showcase Promenade)
  • Spicy Hot Dog with pineapple chutney and Taro chips
  • Pineapple Soft-Serve (aka “Dole Whip”)
  • Sparkling Pineapple Wine
  • Ocean Tropical Pineapple Hard Cider
  • Pineapple Soft Serve with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum
  • Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
• NEW! La Isla Fresca (World Showcase Promenade)
  • Jerk-Spiced Grouper or Chicken with mango salsa, chayote and green papaya slaw, with lime-cilantro vinaigrette
  • Jamaican Braised Beef with pigeon pea rice and micro-cilantro
  • Tres Leches with guava puree
  • Red Stripe Jamaican Style Lager
  • Frozen Simply Tropical juice drink with Cruzan Mango Rum
  • Frozen Simply Tropical juice drink (non-alcoholic)
• Jardin de Fiestas (Mexico)
  • Tacos de Camaron – Tempura shrimp served with hibiscus flower, caramelized onions and habanero sauce
  • Corn Tortilla Quesadilla served with roasted mushroom and zucchini blossom, topped with green tomatillo sauce
  • Flan de Rosas with hibiscus reduction
  • Tecate Light Beer
  • Rose Margarita
  • Elderflower Watermelon Sangria
• Lotus House (China)
  • Gaoli Beef Bun
  • Beijing-style Candied Strawberries
  • Vegetable Spring Roll with orange sauce
  • Oolong Peach Bubble Tea (non-alcoholic)
  • Kung Fu Punch – Vodka, Triple Sec, mango and orange juice
  • Plum Wine
  • Honey Mango Wine Cooler
  • Dragon Pearl – Beer, honey, cream and tapioca pearls
  • Tsingtao Beer
• Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market (Germany)
  • Chicken Fricassee with green asparagus and peas, served with Uncle Ben’s rice pilaf
  • Currywurst with paprika chips (Roasted bratwurst with curry ketchup and paprika-spiced chips)
  • “Armer Ritter” – Egg-battered toast with cherry compote and powdered sugar
  • Hugo-Charles de Fere Organic Brut with elderflower and mint
  • Paulaner Original Munich Lager
  • Schofferhofer Hefeweizen
  • Warsteiner Dunkel
  • Kostritzer Schwartzbier Black Lager
• Primavera Kitchen (Italy)
  • Pollo alla Parigiana – Breaded breast of chicken, tomato, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese
  • Mezze Luna Primavera – Egg pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinach, in a creamy sauce, with spring vegetables and Pecorino cheese
  • Cremoso al Pistaccchio – Pistacchio cream, strawberries and mascarpone cream
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Chianti
  • Prosecco
  • Corbinello
  • Moscato
  • Bellini – Sparkling wine and peach puree
  • Rossini – Sparkling wine and marinated strawberries
  • Frozen Italian Primavera – Fruit slushy, Limoncello and Vodka
  • Moretti Lager
  • Moretti La Rossa
  • Italian Seasonal Selection
• THE SMOKEHOUSE: Barbecue and Brews (The American Adventure)
  • Pulled Pig Slider with crispy onions and coleslaw
  • Smoked Pork Ribs with corn salad
  • Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash with white cheddar fondue and pickled jalapenos
  • Warm Chocolate Cake with Bourbon-salted caramel sauce and spiced pecans
  • The Great American Wine Company Red Blend
  • Funky Buddah Floridian Hefeweizen
  • Orlando Brewing company Uncle Matt’s Organic Grapefruit Pale Ale
  • 3 Daughters Rod Bender Red Ale
  • Shipyard Maple Bacon Stout
  • Frozen Lemonade with Firefly Blackberry Moonshine
  • Frozen Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
  • Sweet Tea (non-alcoholic)
• Hanami (Japan)
  • Frushi – Fresh pineapple, strawberry and melon, rolled with raspberry-coconut rice, sprinkled with toasted coconut and with whipped cream on the side
  • Chicken Edamame Bun – Steamed bun, filled with chicken and edamame and topped with curry sauce
  • Beef Teriyaki Udon – Thin-sliced beef, onions and noodles, tossed on the grill with soy and ginger
  • Sapporo Draft Beer
  • Yuzu Plum Wine Slushy
  • Suigei Sake
• Taste of Marrakesh (Morocco)
  • Harissa Chicken Kebab with sweet couscous salad
  • Falafel Pocket with cucumber-tomato salad and tahini sauce
  • Baklava
  • Desert Rose – Sparkling wine topped with pomegranate liqueur
  • White Sangria
  • Guerrouane Red Wine
  • Casa Beer
• Florida Fresh (Between Morocco and France)
  • Kale Salad with dried cranberries, almonds, goat cheese and white balsamic vinaigrette
  • Shrimp and Stone-Ground Grits with andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes and cilantro
  • Florida Larder Board – Orlando-made ricotta cheese, Cahaba Farms micro-onions, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic, country pate and house-made pickles
  • Key Lime Sparkling Wine
  • Sea Dog Acai Berry Hefeweizen
  • Feast of Flowers Farmhouse Ale
  • Watermelon Cucumber Slush with Hendrick’s Gin
  • Watermelon Cucumber Slush (non-alcoholic)
  • Fresh-Squeezed Watermelon Juice
• Fleur de Lys (France)
  • Tarte a l’Onion Alsacienne – Alsatian onion tart with sauteed onions, fresh thyme and rosemary, on a flaky puff-pastry crust
  • Cassoulet au Confit de Canard – Pulled duck confit with braised Flageolet beans
  • Macaron Chocolat Framboise – Large raspberry macaron with chocolate fudge and raspberry jam
  • Ice Pop Gran Marnier Peach Cocktail – Gran Marnier Peach Raspberry, Vodke, iced tea
  • La Vie en Rose Frozen Slush – Grey Goose Vodka Orange, St. Germain, white and red cranberry juice
  • Merlot Bordeaux
  • Kir Imperial – Sparkling wine with Chambord Black Raspberry liquor
  • Kronenbourg Blanc 1664
• NEW! Cider House (United Kingdom)
  • Land-Harvested Field Greens with apples, dried blueberries, Stilton cheese and apple cider vinaigrette
  • Pear Cider-Brined Shredded Corned Beef with braised cabbage and pears and Branston dressing
  • House-made Potato and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with smoked salmon tartare
  • Freshly Baked Lemon Scone with creme fraiche and mixed berries
  • Sonoma ‘The Pitchfork’ Organic Pear Hard Cider
  • McKenzie’s Black Cherry Hard Cider
  • Keel and Curley Mad Man Blueberry Hard Cider
  • Cigar City Brewing Tampa-Style Lager
  • Snakebite – Cigar City Tampa-Style Lager, mixed with McKenzie’s Black Cherry Hard Cider
  • Mertinelli’s Sparkling Cider (non-alcoholic)

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Also, Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Company has enhanced their menus around the park, especially for the festival! Here are the fun new drinkable treats and where to find them!:

• LemonRita (Future World East) – Frozen lemon-lime drink, with 1800 Silver Tequila or Grey Goose Vodka
• Tiki Torch (Disney Traders) – Frozen passion fruit drink, with Grey Goose Vodka
• Frozen Strawberry-Lemon Sunset (American Adventure) – Layered Frozen Strawberry and Lemonade drinks, with Grey Goose Vodka
• Spiked Chai Latte (Canada) – iced, frozen or hot chai tea latte, with Bailey’s Irish Creme or Grey Goose Vodka

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Just for the Festival, Sunshine Seasons food court, inside the Land pavilion, will be adding two new menu items to check out:

• Oak-Grilled Vegetable Flatbread
• Tomato and Cucumber Salad

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And, of course, there’s special merchandise all over the park, including these unique options:

• Rinse bath and body products
• EyeCatchers reflective wind spinners
• Jortra Boutique jewelry made from cantaloupe seeds, orange peel and coffee beans (March 2nd-23rd only)
• Boiled Books stationary, stained with real plants and flowers (March 24th-April 13th and May 5th-15th)
• Growmanji soil-free growing systems (April 14th-May 4th only)
• Petal Pushers giftable plants (May 16th-30th only)
• Just Plumerias plumeria cuttings
• Elemental Nursery ornamental plants
• Swaying in the Breeze garden flags
• HAF2Paint floral artwork
• And Flower and Garden exclusive merchandise!

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This year, there’s even an Annual Passholder Exclusive gift!!! Three, in fact! Bring your annual pass and a photo ID to the area behind Club Cool on the following dates, to receive a special edition print, drawn by legendary Disney artist, Don “Ducky” Williams:

• March 2nd-31st: Donald Duck
• April 1st-30th: Goofy
• May 1st-30th: Mickey Mouse

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And if ALL of this just isn’t enough for you and you want to learn even MORE about the Festival and horticulture, in general, check out these three tours:

• English Tea Garden Tour – The only one of the three tours that is totally complimentary, this guided tour in the United Kingdom pavilion is presented by Twinings and will take tea-lovers inside the history and background of tea, as well as talk about brewing techniques and flavor options. Sign up day-of, at the Tea Caddy shop. (If you can’t get a spot, or would rather not wait, you can also do this as a self-guided tour.) The tour runs 20 minutes.

• Behind the Seeds Tour at The Land – This tour takes you behind the scenes and up close to the amazing plants, (and fish and alligators), in the Living with the Land attraction. You can sign up for it day-of, at the tour desk near Soarin’. The tour is about an hour long and is $20 per adult and $16 per child. It is offered daily, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.
• Epcot Gardens of the World Tour – This is a 3 hour tour, guided by a Disney horticulturist. It is about $64 per person, and no children under the age of 16 are permitted. For this in-depth tour, you will want to book in advance, by calling 407 WDW- TOUR.

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Is your head spinning yet with all of the amazing Flower and Garden food and fun that you’re going to enjoy??? I know I can’t wait to hit the park! Remember, the Flower and Garden Festival starts on March 2nd and runs through May 30th!

 

Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: Flower and Garden Festival Details Revealed!

Good morning, Tinkers!

Well, it’s one of my very FAVORITE times of year again! Time for Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival! Along with the Food and Wine Festival and Holidays Around the World, Flower and Garden is one of the top highlights on the Walt Disney World calendar and one event that I personally am SO excited to attend! It’s undeniably a gorgeous event to see, as all of Epcot is filled with rainbows of flowers and plants, fantastic topiary Disney characters, and even a butterfly garden, but that’s not ALL Flower and Garden is about! Did you know that you can catch some of the most fun concerts from famous artists of days gone by, AND taste some incredible bites and sips of market inspired dishes and drinks? Well, you can! And this year is set to be better than EVER! Here’s why…

First of all, this year’s Flower and Garden Festival will be the longest running yet, with three full months to enjoy the festivities. The festival officially opens on March 2nd and will run through May 30th.

Secondly, this year’s festival will help celebrate the centennial anniversary of the National Parks Service, with a Ranger Mickey topiary paying homage in Future World. For the first time ever, Donald and his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, along with Miss Daisy, will be the featured topiary at the park entrance! And I’m sure we will see all of our other favorite topiaries around the park, like Anna and Elsa, Lightning McQueen and Mater, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Belle and the Beast and so many more!

The third reason this year’s festival is going to ROCK is because the concert lineup for the Garden Rocks concerts was just announced and there are some pretty awesome acts to see, including a few brand new ones! Check it out:

• March 4th-6th – The Orchestra with members of ELO (“Evil Woman” and “Comin’ Home Baby”)
• March 11th-13th – Starship with Mickey Thomas (“We Built This City” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”)
• March 18th-20th – Little River Band (“Reminiscing” and “Lady”)
• March 25th-27th – The Village People (“Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man”)
• April 1st-3rd – Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone (“Henry the VIII, I Am” and “There’s a King of Hush”)
• April 8th-10th – The Guess Who (“American Woman” and “These Eyes”)
• April 15th-17th – Blood, Sweat & Tears with Bo Bice from American Idol “Spinning Wheel” and “You Make Me So Very Happy”) NEW THIS YEAR!
• April 22nd-24th – Bad Company with Brian Howe (“Can’t Get Enough” and “Shooting Star”) NEW THIS YEAR!
• April 29th-May 1st – Georgia Satellites (“Keep Your Hands to Yourself” and “Hippy Hippy Shake”) NEW THIS YEAR!
• May 6th-8th – Gin Blossoms (“Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You”)
• May 13th-15th – Darlene Love (“Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home” and “He’s a Rebel”) NEW THIS YEAR!
• May 20th-22nd – Night Ranger (“Sister Christian” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me”)
• May 27th-30th – The Spinners (“Working My Way Back to You” and “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”)

 

Awesome, right??? Keep in mind, of course, that all entertainment is subject to change, but typically the shows stay pretty much as is. Each concert night, three shows are performed, one at 5:30pm, one at 6:45pm and one at 8pm. And the best part about these concerts? They are included with park admission!

And if you needed another reason to attend the festival, (though I am SURE you’re already convinced that you NEED to be there), don’t forget about the Outdoor Kitchens! (It’s like Food and Wine Festival meets Flower and Garden Festival!) About a dozen booths line the World Showcase Promenade and at each one you can find snack sized food items and sample sized drinks, alcoholic and non, for sale. Each booth has either a cultural theme, (like the Fleur de Lys booth in France), or a Flower and Garden theme, (like the Urban Eats booth in Future World). This year’s menus have not yet been announced, but I’ll be sure and update you as soon as they are!

I’ve just told you about the highlights of Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival, but there’s even more to enjoy, like three different playgrounds for kids, demonstrations on gardening and home needs, as well as appearances by HGTV celebrities!

SO??? What are you waiting for? Get your flight and resort booked and get your butt down here for some springtime fun!!! I’ll get the sunshine ready for you!