*NEW* Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 30 on the festival map below.

Food:

• 🆕 Spaceship Earth Tile Gingerbread Triangle – $10

Beverages:

• Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (Non-alcoholic) – $4
• Gingerbread Milk Shake (Non-alcoholic) – $4.75
• Gingerbread Milk Shake with whipped cream vodka – $12
• Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co. Gingerbread White Stout – $12 
• 81Bay Brewing Co. Gingerbread Coffee Porter – $12

*NEW* Spaceship Earth Tile Gingerbread Triangle – $10

This is worse than we expected. The chocolate on the bottom is of good quality, but our gingerbread tile was stale. Sure this is cute, but not for $10. We’d suggest you skip this, it’s not worth it.

Rating out of 7: 1

Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (Non-alcoholic) – $4

This is your standard Disney hot cocoa, similar to what you’d get at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. It’s good for a chilly night, but there are far more interesting options available at the festival this year.

Rating out of 7: 3

Gingerbread Milk Shake (Non-alcoholic) – $4.75

This has a potent flavor of gingerbread throughout. All of the spices of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and especially the nutmeg come through very well. On top of that, the milkshake is very creamy.

It’s very creamy and also nutmeg heavy. That said, we’re not sure we would recommend it.

Rating out of 7: 5

Gingerbread Milk Shake with whipped cream vodka – $12    

We were fans of the non-alcoholic version of the shake, but the addition of the whipped cream vodka brings this to another level. If you’re able to order the alcoholic version, we recommend it out of the two.

Rating out of 7: 6

*NEW* Favorites of Festivals Past

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 31 on the festival map below.

Food:

• 🆕Reuben Croquettes – $6
• 🆕Brown Sugar and Mustard-glazed Ham Sliders – $6
• 🆕Bauducco Panettone Holiday Trifle – $5.25

Beverages:

• 🆕Southern Tier Brewing Co. Tiramisu Imperial Stout – $5.75 for 6 oz. $9.75 for 12 oz.
• 🆕Keel Farms Pecan Pie Hard Cider – $5.75 for 6 oz. $9.75 for 12 oz.
• 🆕Point Snow Pilot Pistachio Nut Brown Ale – $5.75 for 6 oz. $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Beer Flight – $10.25

*NEW* Reuben Croquettes – $6

with Pastrami, Sauerkraut and Swiss Cheese with Thousand Island Dipping Sauce

We loved this. It shares some similarities with a pastrami sandwich, if you’re a fan of those. We’d definitely get this again on a repeat visit.

Rating out of 7: 7

*NEW* Brown Sugar and Mustard-Glazed Ham Sliders – $6

with Cranberry and Apple Coleslaw on a Hawaiian Roll

This is not at all a memorable dish. There is a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors, but it overall tastes like grocery store deli meat. It’s not worth your money, and you’re better off making something that tastes and looks similar at home.

Rating out of 7: 3

*NEW* Bauducco Panettone Holiday Trifle – $5.25

with Eggnog Custard and Cranberry Cherry Compote

While the eggnog custard here is good, we’re not fans of panettone. The more you eat, the worse it tastes. We don’t recommend it.

Rating out of 7: 2

Holiday Sweets & Treats

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 24 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Peppermint Sundae – $6.50

Beverages:

• Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (non-alcoholic) – $4
• Chocolate Peppermint Shake (non-alcoholic) – $4.75
• 🆕 Deschutes Brewery Jubelale, Bend, OR (6.7% ABV) – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• 🆕 Southern Tier Brewing Co. 2XMAS Ale, Lakewood, NY (8.0% ABV) – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• 🆕 Wicked Weed Brewing Hop Cocoa Porter, Asheville, NC (6.5% ABV) – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee – $12.50
• Chocolate Peppermint Shake – $15.50
• Beer Flight – $10.25

Peppermint Sundae – $6.50

Chocolate Ice Cream, Whipped Cream and Peppermint Candy

The sundae soft serve uses the typical Disney chocolate flavor, so if you were expecting peppermint to be infused into it like us, you would be disappointed. Instead, the peppermint flavoring comes from flakes added. When they’re mixed into the soft serve and whipped cream, it all works together, however, each individual item on its own is rather basic, making this a rather conventional sundae we’d recommend skipping.

Rating out of 7: 3

Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (non-alcoholic) – $4

This is your standard Disney hot cocoa, similar to what you’d get at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. It’s good for a chilly night, but there are far more interesting options available at the festival this year.

Rating out of 7: 3

Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee – $12.50

with Choice of Assorted Liqueur (Baileys Original Irish Cream, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream, or Grand Marnier)

All three of these alcoholic hot chocolates are delicious. The hot chocolate is thick and not watery and has a good amount of alcohol in each cup. However, you could easily replicate these at home for probably a cheaper price.

Rating out of 7: 5

Chocolate Peppermint Shake (non-alcoholic) – $4.75

featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea

The peppermint shake in the larger cup with the red straw is the non-alcoholic version of this beverage. Both of these shakes are made with a caffeine-free peppermint tea, giving you a perfect peppermint taste without the buzz!

Rating out of 7: 5

Chocolate Peppermint Shake – $12

featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea and Whipped Cream Vodka

While both versions of the shake are good, our pick has to go to the alcoholic version. The peppermint tea leaves behind a pleasant minty aftertaste, blending with the whipped cream vodka that makes you feel like you’re in a winter wonderland.

Rating out of 7: 6

Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Kitchen 

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 26 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Kalua Pork – $6
• Lomi Lomi Salmon – $6.50
• 🆕 Coffee Mocha Cookie – $3.25

Beverages:

• 🆕 The Bruery 5 Golden Rings, Placentia, CA – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Pineapple Wine, St. Petersburg, FL – $12.50
• Melon Breeze – $14

Kalua Pork – $6

with Okinawa Sweet Potatoes and Mango Salad

We loved this! The sweet potatoes were super creamy and the pork had a good, tropical flavor. The greens added a nice crunch. It was a light dish and easy to eat.

Rating out of 7: 6

Lomi Lomi Salmon – $6.50

with Tomatoes, Onions, Salmon Roe, Yuzu-Mayonnaise, and Yuca Chips

This had a very attractive presentation. The salmon is tasty. The yucca chips are sturdy for scooping, like a salmon poke bowl. There was a little too much lime juice, but it was fresh and not too fishy. Overall, this was good, but our least favorite of the dishes.

Rating out of 7: 4

*NEW* Coffee Mocha Cookie – $3.25

Topped with Coffee-infused Buttercream, Cocoa Nibs, and Chocolate-covered Espresso Beans

Unfortunately for us, the chocolate-covered coffee bean was one of the best things we ate during our Festival of the Holidays food-venture. Our cookie tasted fresh but also sported a chalky texture. The buttercream was also not quite right, which we theorized was due to the coffee.

Overall, this is a strange cookie that only got worse as we continued to eat it.

Rating out of 7: 3

Melon Breeze – $14

DOLE Pineapple Juice, Lime Juice, Melon Liqueur, and Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

The Melon Breeze was just all right. If you like Midori, you’ll like this. It’s a little sour, and ours was fairly strong. The melon taste comes purely from the Midori. We can taste the spiced rum and maybe some lemon. It’s a straightforward drink.

Rating out of 7: 4

Nochebuena Cocina

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 27 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Plant-based Chorizo Tamal – $5.50
• Pastelón – $5.75
• Cinnamon-spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookie – $3.25

Beverages:

• Ponche Navideno (Non-Alcoholic) – $4
• 🆕Left Hand Brewing Co. Mexican Hot Chocolate Milk Stout, Longmont, CO – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.

Plant-based Chorizo Tamal – $5.50

with Cotija and Spicy Red Chile Sauce (Plant-based)

Wow, this was spicy! The sauce packs a lot of heat. However, the dense texture of the tamale helps bring down the spiciness. The plant-based “meat” is slightly dry, but the sauce brings moisture to it. It’s extremely flavorful, hearty, and shareable. This is one hot tamale we would definitely get again!

Rating out of 7: 6

Pastelón – $5.75

Sofrito-marinated Beef with Sweet Plantains and Olives

Consisting of sofrito-marinated beef with sweet plantains and olives, this dish was certainly meaty and a good portion for the cost. Think of it as a high-end and better-tasting Hamburger Helper.

Rating out of 7: 5

Cinnamon-spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookie – $3.25

It tastes storebought. It’s soft-ish with a basic chocolate flavor and a little sweetness from the icing.

Rating out of 7: 3

Ponche Navideno (Non-Alcoholic) – $4

Christmas Punch with Apples, Pears, Guava, Oranges, Dried Hibiscus, Brown Sugar, Tamarind, Cinnamon Sticks, and Clove (Served Warm)

This punch lacks flavor and it doesn’t pack a punch. The ingredient list is huge, and we could see fruit and cinnamon floating in our cup, but this was still completely tasteless. We compared it to bathwater. We absolutely do not recommend it.

Rating out of 7: 1

Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 28 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Cinnamon-glazed Almonds – $6
• Cinnamon-glazed Pecans – $6
• Cinnamon-glazed Cashews – $6
• Fire-roasted Chestnuts – $6.25

Beverages:

• Eggnog (non-alcoholic) – $4
• Eggnog with Choice of Cordial – $11.50
• 🆕Southern Tier Brewing Co. Chestnut Praline Imperial Ale, Lakewood, NY – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.

Fire-roasted Chestnuts – $6.25

We’ve never had roasted chestnuts before and we probably won’t again. They were salty, mushy inside, and had an unpleasant earthy flavor. It wasn’t a great experience.

Rating out of 7: 2

Eggnog (non-alcoholic) – $4

This is just a basic eggnog, like you could get in your average grocery store this time of year. It’s nothing terribly special.

Rating out of 7: 2

Eggnog with Choice of Cordial – $11.50

Choice of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Mozart Chocolate Liqueur, or Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey

We tried the eggnog with both the Skrewball and the Fireball. The former simple but great. The peanut butter whiskey and eggnog together is a pleasant, milky diversion from the other drinks.

When the eggnog with Fireball was last at the festival, it was known as the Firenog. Drinking this, the alcohol hits you almost immediately. The eggnog is smooth and creamy, but it warms up fast with the Florida weather. The Fireball pairs well with the spice of the eggnog, but on a warm day, this can be a little heavy. Overall, this is a good beverage, especially if you like Fireball. Just maybe save it for the cooler evenings to come.

Rating out of 7: 5

Refreshment Port

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 23 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Turkey Poutine – $9.50

Beverages:

• Keel Farms Pumpkin Hard Cider, Plant City, FL (5.3% ABV) – $12
• Pasek Cellars Cranberry Wine, Mount Vernon, WA ($14/bottle) – $7.50

Turkey Poutine – $9.50

Sweet Potato Fries with Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Relish and Crispy Onions

While we prefer the regular poutine, we enjoyed the sweet potato fries. It’s basically a Thanksgiving dinner in a dish- with turkey, cranberries, and onions. The description didn’t mention cheese curds, so we were excited to find them hiding at the bottom! We recommend this.

Rating out of 7: 5

Swirled Showcase

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 25 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Holiday Mickey-Shaped Liquid Nitrogen Pop – $4.75
• Soft Serve in a Cone – $6.50
  • Vanilla
  • Apple-Cinnamon
  • 🆕 Dark Chocolate

Beverages:

• Floats (non-alcoholic)
  • Barq’s Red Crème Soda with Vanilla Soft-Serve – $6.75
  • Barq’s Root Beer with Vanilla Soft-Serve – $6.75
• Floats:
  • 🆕 Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. Bourbonola with Dark Chocolate Soft-Serve – $12.50
  • 🆕 Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and Barq’s Red Crème Soda with Apple-Cinnamon Soft-Serve – $12.50
  • 🆕 Coffee Float: Dark chocolate Soft-Serve with Iced Coffee and Choice of Mozart Liqueur – $12.50
• 🆕Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. Bourbonola and Cherry Cola – $12

Holiday Mickey-Shaped Liquid Nitrogen Pop – $4.75

Chocolate Cake Dipped in Ganache Made with Red & Green M&M’s Milk Chocolate Minis

It’s good but basic. The process is more interesting than the actual dish. The cake was soft and moist with a standard chocolate flavor.

Rating out of 7: 5

*NEW* Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. Bourbonola Float – $ 12.50

with Dark Chocolate Soft-Serve

For those asking, a Bourbonola is a premixed cocktail containing bourbon and cola. The dark chocolate ice cream is fantastic, and we’d love to get it separately. This drink isn’t as good as the Fireball and Red Creme Soda we also tried, but we have to give kudos to Swirled Showcase for trying something unique.

Rating out of 7: 4

*NEW* Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and Barq’s Red Crème Soda Float – $12.50

with Apple-Cinnamon Soft-Serve

For the cinnamon fans out there, this is a must-get. It’s unique, refreshing, and tastes just like Christmas, thanks to the apple cinnamon soft-serve. We think this is a perfect drink to enjoy during the holidays while out in Florida weather.

Rating out of 7: 6

*NEW* Coffee Float – $12.50

Dark chocolate Soft-Serve with Iced Coffee and Choice of Mozart Liqueur

For this float, you can choose from milk chocolate, white chocolate, or dark chocolate Mozart Liqueur; we picked the white chocolate. To us, this comes across like an adults-only chocolate milk, but in the best way. You don’t get overwhelmed by the taste of alcohol, though, and it goes down nice and smooth.

Rating out of 7: 6

Yukon Holiday Kitchen 

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 22 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Seared Salmon – $7.25
• Beef Bourguignon – $7
• Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie – $3.25

Beverages:

• Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee™ (non-alcoholic) – $4.75
• 81Bay Brewing Co. Peanut Butter Banana Porter – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Playalinda Brewing Co. Maple Cookie Blonde Ale  – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Collective Arts Coffee Maple Porter  – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Regional Icewine: Chateau des Charmes 2023 Vidal – $ 14.50
• Regional Red Wine: Lievland Vineyards Bushvine Pinotage 2022 – $8.50  
• Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee with Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky – $12.50   
• Beer Flight  – $10.25  

While the salmon was cooked a bit on the well-done side, making it a tad dry, it was still delicious. The butternut squash puree added a layer of creaminess to the dish and paired well with the fish. Honestly, this is a knockout dish that we would recommend.

Rating out of 7: 7

The potatoes are really creamy, but there are some potato skins left in for a heartier taste. The sauce is very wine-forward but has a good balance of sweetness. The beef is incredibly tender and fell apart, which we wanted, and to top if off, there are carrots in it too! We loved this dish.

Rating out of 7: 6

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie – $3.25

This is a very thick cookie and is incredibly bland. We didn’t get any flavor of peppermint — we didn’t really get any flavor of anything! It’s basically just a tasteless sugar cookie. It’s pretty but not worth the money.

Rating out of 7: 1

Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee (non-alcoholic) – $4.75

The frozen coffee offering here was good. It has a smooth and creamy consistency, but nothing about it really stands out or makes it a must-try item.

Rating out of 7: 4

Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee with Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky – $12.50

The whiskey coffee found here in Canada has a strong taste, but it’s super smooth. For someone who usually doesn’t like whiskey, it surprisingly tasted great with the coffee. A definite winner at this booth.

Rating out of 7:   6

Le Marché de Noël Holiday Kitchen

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 18 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Crème de Saumon Fumé en Brioche aux Grains de Sesames, Concombre Et Radis – $8.75
• 🆕Rôti de Jambon Sauce Moutarde à l’Ancienne, Pommes Darphin – $7.95
• 🆕 Bûche de Noël au Chocolat et Caramel – $6.95

Beverages:

• Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini – $13.95
• 🆕 Spiced Cranberry Punch – $9.95
• 🆕 Chateau Haut Beaumard Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux – $5.95

This is an unremarkable, acceptable sandwich. The salmon is fine, the brioche is fine. There’s nothing special about it, though.

Rating out of 7: 3

While the salty ham here is overpowering, it’s not terrible. The dish has a nice smoky flavor, if you enjoy that.

Rating out of 7: 3

If you’re a fan of traditional Christmas desserts, you might like this one. The cake itself is moist, and the fudge flavor is subtle. It’s a lighter dessert than you would expect.

Rating out of 7: 5

This martini looks stunning and is perfect for a festive and elegant Instagram post. However, the martini is just fine at best. It just tastes like frozen chocolate milk served in a fancy glass. We couldn’t taste any of the vodka in this drink. Even down in the bottom of the glass, it lacked any trace of alcohol.

Rating out of 7: 4

For those wondering, this cocktail is not pre-mixed, our bartender made it right in front of us. The sparkling wine is very prominent, and supported well by the fruit flavors from the juice. It’s a light, well-balanced drink that offers a nice combination of seasonal flavors.

Rating out of 7: 5

L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 17 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Pastrami on Rye – $6
• Smoked Salmon Potato Latke – $6.25
• Potato Latkes – $4.75
• Rugelach – $4.25
• Black and White Cookie – $3.25

Beverages:

• 🆕Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout, Brooklyn, NY – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Frozen New York Whiskey Sour – $12.50

With well-seasoned pastrami and a lovely mustard, this was one of the best sandwiches at the festival. It came with a great pickle as well. This is highly recommended.

Rating out of 7: 6

Smoked Salmon Potato Latke – $6.25

The Salmon Latke is a really great deal for the price, considering how much salmon is provided. This latke also has plenty of capers, which surprised us due it being a higher-price ingredient. The dill sour cream on top adds a nice flavor to the potato and salmon mix. Creamy, salty, and with a slight herby kick from the dill, this is a great latke and a great option from the festival overall. Our only complaint about the latkes is that we wish they were a little bit crispier, but it’s still really good.

Rating out of 7: 6

Potato Latkes – $4.75

A salmon-less version for the vegetarians, these latkes are are delicious, even though they seem to be made out of mashed potatoes, rather than the traditional shredded potatoes. This is the same dill sour cream that was used in the salmon latke. If you’re not a fan of dill flavoring, we recommend you pass on these, but we couldn’t get enough of them.

Rating out of 7: 6

A traditional Rugalach uses a flaky pastry dough, making it a crunchy, sweet treat. Unfortunately, the ones served at this Holiday Kitchen use a very dense, thick dough, making them non-traditional and also not very good. The walnut-raspberry filling was just okay, and we needed way more to balance out the thick dough. Overall, this wasn’t that great, and we’d recommend skipping this item.

Rating out of 7: 2

Black and White Cookie – $3.25

This is a dense cookie that’s somehow still very dry. The base of the cookie is vanilla, with a thick frosting on top. In fact, the frosting was so thick, we had trouble getting the cookie off the plate. We can get better cookies at Publix, and we’d recommend skipping this cookie if you’re doing the cookie stroll. In fact, skip all of the desserts at this booth and stick to the savory dishes.

Rating out of 7: 2

This is light on alcohol, and very forward on the sour flavors. The Manischewitz is poured on top, almost like a floater. It’s refreshing and great for the hotter weather. All in all, this is a great drink. We’d get it again… maybe one for each night of Hanukkah!

Rating out of 7: 6

Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 16 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Grilled Kebabs – $6.25
• Stone-baked Moroccan Bread – $5

Beverages:

• 🆕 Ciderboys Cranberry Razz Hard Cider, Stevens Point, WI – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• 🆕 Bold Rock Apple Crumble Hard Cider, Nellysford, VA – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Gulf Stream Brewing Company Holiday Snakebite, Fort Lauderdale, FL – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Holiday Fig Cocktail – $11.50
• Hard Cider Flight – $10.25

This is thigh meat chicken, nicely seasoned and tender. The salad is raisin, chickpea, and shredded carrots, topped with garlic aioli. The slaw is the perfect complement to its sweetness.

The lamb has quite a kick to it. It’s a tender and well-cooked, hearty kebab. Both options are great.

Rating out of 7: 6

The orange sauce is the zhoug. It’s tangy and spiced at the same time, slightly reminiscent of a tomato sauce. The chermoula is green, and contains herbs and aioli. The cream-colored one is the hummus. It’s tangy, but still pretty good. If you want a really superb hummus, go to Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, but this one is still good all the same. We enjoyed this, but wish there was more bread to go with the dips.

Rating out of 7: 5

There’s probably not a lot of alcohol in this one, but it was really well-balanced. It’s not syrupy like other festival drinks, which was nice. It’s quite refreshing, and takes a pretty picture for the budding food photographers out there. We highly recommend this one.

Rating out of 7: 6

Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen 

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 15 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Sushi Tree – $7.50
• Toshikoshi Soba – $8.50
• 🆕 Mochi Donut Wrap – $6.50

Beverages:

• Ichigo Boba (Non-Alcoholic) – $7
• Japanese Punch – $8.25
• 🆕 Chocolate Nigori – $10
• 🆕 Sapporo Premium Black Beer – $5.50 for 6 oz., $9.50 for 12 oz.

This was delicious! The tree shape gives it a very Christmassy feel. The cream cheese balances out the sushi, while the boba tastes like soy sauce. They explode in your month. It’s a basic sushi roll, but it’s elevated with the spicy mayo and the presentation is adorable. This one’s a winner.

Rating out of 7: 7

Our resident Japanese reporter had a lot to say about this dish, including the fact that there was too much flour used in the tempura. The noodles also weren’t up to par and were overcooked. Our American reporter didn’t mind the dish, but noted it was nothing special.

Rating out of 7: 4

We will just come out and say it: This is bad. It has a very odd texture and is difficult to swallow. Mochi doughnuts are normally a bit chewy, but this is awful. The only flavor that comes across, unfortunately, is powdered sugar. This isn’t an authentic or tasty dessert.

Rank out of 7: 1

This is a very cranberry-forward drink that mixes well with the yuzu. The popping bobas are a nice touch. It’s light, fruity, and very sweet. The whipped cream on top didn’t even melt, somehow—it stayed intact the entire time. The only drawback is that it’s small, but this would be great for kids.

Rating out of 7: 5

This is a very plum wine-forward drink. It has a light lemon flavoring in the background, which helps make it very easy to drink. It tastes more like a refresher, and we would like to get it over ice if the opportunity arises. There’s not a ton of alcohol taste in it, but we would get this again.

Rating out of 7: 5

This tastes like you combined sake with Hershey’s syrup. While, again, it’s not authentic, at least the flavor is decent. The whipped topping is a nice, sweet touch.

Rating out of 7: 6

Funnel Cake

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 14 on the festival map below.

Food:

• 🆕 Gingerbread Funnel Cake – $12

This funnel cake is perfect. The gingerbread flavors here are more accurate than the Spaceship Earth gingerbread tile. Disney always hits the mark with their seasonal funnel cakes.

Rating out of 7: 7

American Holiday Table 

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 13 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Slow-roasted Turkey – $6.25
• Blackened Catfish – $6.75
• SNICKERS-Doodle Cookie – $3.25

Beverages:

• Crooked Can Brewing Company Bah HOPbug IPA, Winter Garden, FL – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• 3 Daughters Brewing Eggnog White Porter, St. Petersburg, FL – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Playalinda Brewing Co. Peppermint Chocolate Stout, Titusville, FL – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Beer Flight – $10.25

Served with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce, this is classic American holiday food and tastes great when combined into a single bite. The cranberry was especially prominent without being overpowering.

Rating out of 7: 5

This was almost like a play on white beans and rice. The beans are smaller and didn’t taste like they were cooked thoroughly as they were slightly tough. The Cajun flavors are there and the catfish was cooked just fine. The comeback sauce is a Cajun-spiced sauce with a lot of butter, or at least it tastes like it uses a lot. It’s a decent, hearty dish, and very flavorful.

Rating out of 7: 5

The trend with the Holiday Cookie Stroll cookies is that they are dry. But this is by far the driest of them all. We get a little bit of the SNICKERS flavor, but not enough to make this cookie worth it.

Rating out of 7: 2

Tuscany Holiday Kitchen

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 11 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Montanara – $9
• Dolce Pizza – $7.50
• 🆕 Panettone – $7

Beverages:

• 🆕 Bombardino Freddo – $16
• Prosecco – $11.75
• Moscato – $12
• Chianti – $11
• Italian Red Sangria – $12
• Italian-inspired Margarita – $12
• Peroni Pilsner – $6.50 for 6 oz., $11 for 12 oz.

This is a ball of dough covered in a red sauce with parmesan and basil. Honestly, we’ve had WAY worse items from this booth before. While this is on the basic side, and we’ve definitely had better red sauce before, this isn’t a terrible dish. If you have a picky eater in your group, this may be a good dish for them.

Rating out of 7: 5

Dolce Pizza – $7.50

Fried House-made Pizza Dough with Sugar and Cinnamon

While the dough balls work for the savory dish, they fail here. The portion sizes of the dough balls are larger for this dessert, and we wish they were smaller because they are so chewy. The cinnamon sugar topping isn’t bad, but if we wanted that, we’d rather just eat a churro.

Rating out of 7: 4

Panettone is usually the gift you give when you don’t know what to get someone for the holidays, and we don’t usually like it. However, this bread pudding take on the dessert is delicious. The vanilla cream is sweet and rich.

Rating out of 7: 7

This is an easy win, thanks to the mixture of eggnog and brandy. This might be the first time we’ve ever given a perfect score to the Italy booth on their new items. This may not be a treat for everyone due to the strong brandy aftertaste, but we really enjoyed it.

Rating out of 7: 7

Italian Red Sangria – $12

Have you ever put red wine in the microwave? That’s what this is. We thought sangria came with ice and fruit, but this was just a room-temperature liquid. The flavor was fruity, so it could have been really good, but as it got hotter, it was just too warm to drink.

Rating out of 7: 1

The margarita was quite good as it tasted almost like a melting lemon ice dessert. However, there didn’t seem to be much liquor in the drink, as we didn’t taste much besides the faint hint of tequila. Overall, this is a tasty drink, but don’t expect to get much alcohol for your money here.

Rating out of 7: 4

Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 10 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Pork Schnitzel – $6.75
• Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl – $8.50
• Hazelnut Linzer Cookie – $3.25

Beverages:

• Possmann Pure Hard Apple Cider, Frankfurt, Germany – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• 🆕von Trapp Brewing Trösten Smoked Dark Lager, Stowe, VT – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Köstritzer Schwarzbier, Bad Köstritz – $5.75 for 6 oz., $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Regional Riesling – $6.75
• Glühwein – $9.50
• Beer Flight – $10.25

The schnitzel is a big thumbs up from us. Great noodles and awesome gravy on top really add to this dish. However, the pork actually tasted like a chicken patty to us. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but when you’re expecting pork and taste something similar to chicken, it’s a little unexpected. Although the schnitzel may taste a bit like chicken, the gravy alone is enough to give this dish a really good review.

Rating out of 7: 5

Served in a bread bowl with steamed baby vegetables and marble potatoes, this is the most amount of bread you’re going to get at the festival and it’s a great dish to share. The cheese was good, but perhaps another half-ladle more would have helped finish off all the bread.

Rating out of 7: 6

Hazelnut Linzer Cookie – $3.25

It was strangely reminiscent of an Uncrustable. It’s an average cookie but when you want a traditional Christmas cookie (not of the sugar frosted variety), this is a good choice.

Rating out of 7: 6

This wine is absolutely horrible. We managed to get a few sips down but it was one of the worst drinks we’ve tried. It tastes like really cheap wine that was warmed up, and possibly, even worse than the cheapest liquor you could find at your grocery store.

Rating out of 7: 1

Refreshment Outpost 

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 9 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Peanut Stew (Plant-Based) – $5.25
• DOLE Whip Raspberry (Plant-Based) – $6.50

Beverages:

• Ciderboys Caramel Apple Hard Cider, Stevens Point, WI – $12
• 81Bay Brewing Co. Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Wheat Ale, Tampa, FL – $12
• 🆕 Crooked Can Brewing Company Crème Brûlée Lager, Winter Garden, FL – $12

We were really impressed with this dish. It’s good and hearty, perfect as the days get colder. As the name suggests, you definitely get a lot of peanuts. Stewed greens and spices make this a really wonderful option. This will definitely fill you up in one go. There are a lot of flavors happening here, but you still get the taste of each layer. It’s great! We loved this and would highly recommend trying it for yourself.

Rating out of 7: 6

DOLE Whip Raspberry (Plant-Based) – $6.50

This is a standard raspberry Dole Whip. We’ve enjoyed this at the Magic Kingdom many times, but this festival is the only time we’ve seen it offered at EPCOT on its own. It’s sweet, slightly tart, and great for refreshment. We love Dole Whip, but the tangerine flavor will always have our hearts.

Rating out of 7: 5

Shanghai Holiday Kitchen

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 8 on the festival map below.

Food:

• 🆕XO Fried Rice – $9.75
• Beef and Noodle Soup Bowl – $9.50
• Vegetable Spring Rolls with Citrus Sauce – $6

Beverages:

• 🆕Taro Bubble Milk Tea – $8.75
• Butterfly Lantern – $14.75
• 🆕Lychee Martini – $14.50
• 🆕Peach of Longevity – $14
• Brew Hub Year of the Dragon: Dragon Fruit Lager, Lakeland, FL – $5.75 for 6 oz./$10 for 12 oz.

This dish smells great and the sauce is perfection. This fried rice has a spicy enough mouthfeel, but it’s not overwhelming. If you’ve had a couple of drinks and need something starch-heavy, this is a good option.

Rating out of 7: 7

The meat lacks some flavor and is bland on its own. There is also cilantro, but it doesn’t add much of anything to the flavor profile. It’s a good dish, but there isn’t a lot of spice. There’s a small kick you get as an aftertaste, but it’s not a spicy dish by any means. It almost tastes like you’re eating spicy miso noodles with some peppers.

Rating out of 7: 5

Vegetable Spring Rolls with Citrus Sauce – $6

This is your classic spring roll. There’s nothing special about it, but it’s nice and crispy. The citrus sauce is pleasant here, we almost got some tangerine flavor from it that we found enticing. Overall, it was a good spring roll.

Rating out of 7: 5

Fans of taro will no doubt enjoy this. It’s earthy and milky in flavor and texture. The boba is tricky is get out of the bottom of the cup without a proper boba straw, which isn’t included. This is a decent milk tea, and comes served in a massive portion.

Rating out of 7: 6

This doesn’t taste strong at all, which makes it dangerous considering there’s vodka and gin in this drink. Some of us liked this, some of us didn’t. The divisive ingredient is the lychee. It’s a rather unique flavor and if you’re a fan, you’ll like this drink. The bobas on the bottom of the drink are also lychee but they aren’t the popping bobas that are typically found at these festivals. They’re chewy. Overall, the drink has floral notes and isn’t overly sweet. 

Rating out of 7: 5

This martini is a little medicinal on the front end. Somehow, though, it gets better in the middle before becoming bad again on the back end, with the return of the medicine flavor. It’s certainly unique.

Rating out of 7: 3

This cocktail is almost like a drink you’d find at Trader Sam’s, if Trader Sam opted for bottom shelf liquor. Ours was incredibly watered down with a weird aftertaste.

Rating out of 7: 3

Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen 

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 7 on the festival map below.

Food:

• 🆕Empanada de Pollo – $8
• 🆕Tamal de Puerco con Mole – $9
• Dulce de Leche Churro – $6.50

Beverages:

• 🆕Holiday Margarita – $14
• 🆕Coconut Guavarita – $13.50
• Holiday Cerveza – $7 for 6 oz./$13 for 12 oz.

This is boring and disappointing. The chicken is juicy, but we don’t get much chipotle flavor. The potato is overwhelmingly bad. The chile rojo salsa is just fine, but not enough to save the dish.

Rating out of 7: 3

We loved this! This is a huge portion that packs plenty of flavor. The mole in particular is great, and the interior is nice and hot.

Rating out of 7: 6

This was an okay churro. The Dulce de Leche filling was hard to pin down a taste for. It was just creamy and sweet, almost apple-tasting. It was decent, but not any more exciting than a regular churro.

Rating out of 7: 4

The Mezcal-based cocktails from Las Posadas always taste like Chloraseptic to us, and burn like it too. We wouldn’t recommend you suffer through this drink.

Rating out of 7: 2

This drink gave us immediate heartburn. It’s your average watered-down festival beverage, and no amount of toasted coconut rim can save it. We wouldn’t waste our money on this again.

Rating out of 7: 2

Holiday Hearth Desserts

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 5 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing – $5
• Mouse Crunch – $6.50
• Apple Caramel Crumb Cake – $5
• Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie – $5.50
• Mint Chocolate Mousse Wreath – $5.25
• Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle – $4.50

Beverages:

• Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (non-alcoholic) – $4
• Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate (non-alcoholic) – $5.25
• Wicked Weed Brewing Jack Frost IPA, Asheville, NC – $5.75 for 6 oz. $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Wicked Weed Brewing Milk & Cookies Imperial Milk Stout, Asheville, NC – $5.75 for 6 oz. $9.75 for 12 oz.
• 🆕BrewDog Winter Staycation Pecan & Toffee Stout, Columbus, OH – $5.75 for 6 oz. $9.75 for 12 oz.
• Cocoa Candy Cane – $12.50
• Beer Flight – $10.25

Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing – $5

This was very tasty and moist. It wasn’t too heavy on the red velvet and had plenty of sweet cream cheese icing. The Christmas sprinkles add a nice crunch that complements the texture well.

Rating out of 7: 5

This was not worth it. It’s just a mix of caramel popcorn and chocolate-covered pretzels. The popcorn reminds us of the one served at Appleseed Orchard in 2020.

Rating out of 7: 2

Apple Caramel Crumb Cake – $5

This has to be one of the best deals at the festival. Not only is it cheaper than many desserts, but this cake is huge AND it comes in a themed box! Along with the dessert being cost-effective, we found it to be completely delicious. It’s moist and sweet and the apple isn’t overpowering. Absolutely get this.

Rating out of 7: 7

Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie – $5.50

For the price, this isn’t bad, but you would buy it more for the novelty of eating a Spaceship Earth-shaped cookie more than anything else. The salted caramel filling was good, but the cookie itself was kind of dry. The glitter sprinkles go everywhere, and the caramel will stick to your teeth.

Rating out of 7: 4

Mint Chocolate Mousse Wreath – $5.25

This dessert is a little on the smaller side, but affordable at the price. The outside of the cake has a thick shell, and the inside is a mint mousse. While the dessert is cute, we found the mint to be completely overpowering and similar to a toothpaste flavor rather than actual peppermint. Sprinkled throughout the mousse are chocolate chips that help break up the texture, which we liked.

Rating out of 7: 4

Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle – $4.50

While this may look like a cookie, it’s not. As the name suggests, this is toffee covered completely in chocolate, with some festive sprinkles on top. The closest thing we can compare it to is a HEATH Bar. Toffee fans will love this, but if toffee isn’t your thing, this may be an item to skip.

Rating out of 7: 4

Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (non-alcoholic) – $4

This is your standard Disney hot cocoa, similar to what you’d get at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. It’s good for a chilly night, but there are far more interesting options available at the festival this year.

Rating out of 7: 3

While this is advertised as having caramel in it, we couldn’t find any. That said, we liked this drink. For fans of (frozen) hot chocolate, this is exactly what you would imagine it tastes like, and we liked it! The crushed pieces of Twix were a nice addition to break up the hot chocolate flavor.

Rating out of 7: 5

This had a generous amount of alcohol, which we can appreciate. However, at the end of the day, it’s just a regular peppermint hot chocolate with some liquor in it. There are more inventive options at the festival that we’d recommend over this.

Rating out of 7: 3

Connections Eatery

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 1 on the festival map below.

Food:

• 🆕Holiday Sweater Liege Waffle – $4.49

Beverages:

• Coquito Milk Shake (non-alcoholic) – $7.49
• Coquito Milk Shake – $15.50

*NEW* Holiday Sweater Liege Waffle – $4.49

Chocolate-Coated Brioche Waffle with a Flurry of Blizzard Themed Sprinkles and White Chocolate Garnish

We were so excited to see a food item celebrating an original EPCOT pavilion logo… until we tried it. It was incredibly hard and very stale. Liege waffles from Connections Eatery are normally good, but this one was awful.

It also doesn’t make sense that it was stale, as we ordered ours early in the day on the very first day it was available. In theory, it should’ve been fresh. We were disappointed.

Rating out of 7: 1

It’s a cinnamon-y vanilla milkshake with coconut on top. It’s a decent milkshake, but it’s nothing to write home about. The flavor definitely has holiday spice.

Rating out of 7: 3

We got the milkshake with rum and absolutely loved it. It was packed with flavor that the rum only enhanced the flavor without overpowering. We enjoyed this more than an eggnog as it didn’t feel as dairy-heavy.

Rating out of 7: 6

Connections Café

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 2 on the festival map below.

Food:

• Holiday Sugar Cookie – $4.29

Holiday Sugar Cookie – $4.29

It’s your basic sugar cookie. It’s fun and soft. You get vanilla with a hint of cinnamon, and the sprinkles add a good crunch. (Though, to be honest, we hoped that at this price point, they would’ve used Mickey sprinkles instead of the plain red circles.) We’d compare it to a soft chocolate chip cookie minus the chips. It’s fine, but there are other options more worthy of your money.

Rating out of 7: 4

Sunshine Seasons

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 29 on the festival map below.

Food:

• 🆕Peanut Butter Cookie – $3.25

This reminded us visually of the Peanut Butter Cookie from the Main Street Confectionery, which we love. This is super soft, and the whipped topping is delicious. The cookie, unfortunately, was terribly stale and dry, and the peanut butter flavor was weak.

Rating out of 7: 1

United Kingdom Beer Cart

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 19 on the festival map below.

Beverages:

• 🆕 Frozen Chocolate Orange Cocktail – $16.50

This is definitely a strange drink. The foam on top is like a coffee foam, and comes across very strong on the front end, but the drink itself takes a while to come through. It’s certainly got a citrus flavor to it, but it’s not distinctly blood orange. We would suggest sharing this one, as it’s a lot to drink on your own. There’s also a non-alcoholic version available for $5.79.

Rating out of 7: 4

Canada Popcorn Cart

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at number 21 on the festival map below.

Beverages:

• 🆕 Canadian Hot Toddy – $10

This is exactly what you’d want out of a hot toddy, and it does not skimp out on the alcohol. The portion is barely half full in the cup we were given, but it was only $10. The whiskey hits you first but the drink finishes well with the lemon and tea to round everything off. It’s a nice, warm, boozy drink on a chilly day.

Rating out of 7: 7

Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company

You can find this Holiday Kitchen at numbers 3, 6, 12, & 20 on the festival map below.

Beverages:

• 🆕 Merry Mint Cookie Latte (non-alcoholic) – $6.49
• 🆕 Merry Mint Cookie Latte – $14.99

This is good! This offers a nice and strong espresso flavor, with the syrups coming across more subtly. We think the peppermint whipped cream with dark chocolate drizzle is a nice touch.

Rating out of 7: 5

Map of Holiday Kitchen Locations

Holiday Kitchens by Map Location:

1. Connections Eatery
2. Connections Café
3. Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company – World Discovery
4. Refreshement Station
5. Holiday Hearth Desserts
6. Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company – Showcase Plaza
7. Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen
8. Shanghai Holiday Kitchen
9. Refreshment Outpost
10. Bavaria Holiday Kitchen
11. Tuscany Holiday Kitchen
12. Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company – American Adventure
13. American Holiday Table
14. Funnel Cake
15. Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen
16. Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina
17. L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen
18. Le Marché de Noël Holiday Kitchen
19. United Kingdom Beer Cart
20. Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company – Canada
21. Canada Popcorn Cart
22. Yukon Holiday Kitchen
23. Refreshment Port
24. Holiday Sweets & Treats
25. Swirled Showcase
26. Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Kitchen
27. Nochebuena Cocina
28. Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen
29. Sunshine Seasons
30. Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow
31. Favorites of Festivals Past