EPCOT’s Massive Holiday Menu Announced Following Portion Size Controversy - Inside the Magic

Opening November 26, 2021, EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays brings the globe together this merry season via traditions, music, and of course, food.  Karen McClintock, Food and Beverage Manager for the Disney Parks, visited with all the chefs and mixologists to present the vast array of treats available to Disney Guests.

EPCOT 2021 Festival of the Holidays Foodie Guide

The Disney chefs have outdone themselves with the incredible number of new and returning dishes to the outdoor kitchens. Presented by AdventHealth, Disney’s EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays will run from November 26 to December 30, 2021, with a “variety of yuletide decorations, family-friendly activities, and the return of the beloved long-standing tradition of Candlelight Processional.”

However, amid the latest portion size controversy, EPCOT has announced a menu with over 39 new treats and a heavy dose of returning favorites. Amid soaring prices of tickets, Resorts, and more, the fourth-quarter earnings call threw red flags as Walt Disney Company CFO Christine McCarthy addressed the situation, noting that Disney has no plans to outright raise prices within Josh D’Amaro’s Parks, Experiences and Products division.

She did, however, indicate that Disney is looking at a number of ways to cut costs behind the scenes, including “reducing portions” at Disney Parks restaurants. McCarthy noted that this would be “good for some people’s waistlines” when they visit Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. This threw the Disney community into a tizzy, wondering what this new plan would look like on tables and at outdoor kitchens. While Disney has not announced pricing for this EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays dishes, you must admit the menu is vast.

If you’re already a fan of the Christmas Tree Trail at Disney Springs, you’ll want to join in the fun with the Holiday Cookie Stroll with a sweet cookie scavenger hunt. The Festival Passport lists the five official Holiday Cookie Stroll locations, and each stop will offer a delicious cookie for purchase and a stamp for your Festival Passport. Once you’ve collected all five stamps, bring your Festival Passport to the Holiday Sweets & Treats Holiday Kitchen to receive a 50th-anniversary celebration cookie! Complete your Holiday Cookie Stroll at your leisure – you can even bring back your stamped Festival Passport to EPCOT at any time during the festival to complete your stroll.

Pro tip: Go ahead and get your cookie treat before you leave for the stroll… and eat it when you’ve completed your journey, saving a lot of walking!

The World Showcase’s Port of Entry will have some tropical Christmas offerings, including a Kālua Pork with Okinawa Purple Sweet Potatoes and Mango Salad and Haupia from Mele Kalikimaka or a Haupia, which is a Hawaiian Coconut Pudding with Candied Macadamia Nuts and Coconut.

Next up is the nutty Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen (Near Disney Traders), which will sell you all sorts of  Cinnamon-glazed Almonds, Cashews, and Pecans. A perfect sweet treat for those sticking with a gluten-free or low-carb lifestyle.  Also, from this same stand is the AMERICAN HERITAGE Gourmet Hot Cocoa (Non-alcoholic), the T.G. Lee Eggnog (Non-alcoholic)
and the new Sweet Nutty Stout, Orlando. Grab a gourmet Hot Cocoa with Peanut Butter Whiskey, Whipped Cream, and Candied Nuts as a new item from Disney Chefs.

Holiday Hearth Desserts (Near Port of Entry) will offer the perfect holiday Instagram treats including the classic Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing, a Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie, or Snowball Cookies to share. Still hungry? Try the Peppermint Bark (Gluten/Wheat Friendly), Mouse Crunch, or a Gingerbread Cookie.

Refreshment Port (towards Canada) will have an amazing Thanksgiving Poutine and a Coquito Soft-Serve Waffle Cone (a new item inspired by Puerto Rico) as well as Cranberry Hard Cider (New Item) and a Coquito Soft-serve with Spiced Rum (New Item). You’ve got to try the Coquito, and if you want to make it at home, try this Coquito Recipe! 

The Yukon Holiday Kitchen (Canada) will share plates of Seared Scallops, Beef Bourguignon with Crushed Potatoes, or the traditional  Maple Bûche de Noël, a Maple mousse and cranberry rolled in gingerbread chiffon cake.

L’Chaim! The L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen (between France and Morocco) brings a touch of Hannukah with Pastrami on Rye, a Smoked Salmon Potato Latkes, or traditional Potato Latkes, Sufganiyot: Mini jelly-filled donuts, or amazing Black and White Cookies.

Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina’s menu reads with Grilled Kebabs with Carrot-Chickpea Salad and Garlic Aïoli (New Item), a Lamb Kefta (Gluten/Wheat Friendly), Harissa Chicken (Gluten/Wheat Friendly), Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with Hummus, Fig Tapenade, and Zhoug Dip, and for dessert, an Almond-spiced Cake with Ginger Mousse

The American Holiday Table outside of the American Pavilion will share our favorite classic Thanksgiving and Holiday foods like a Slow-roasted Turkey with Stuffing, a Holiday Pot Pie with Jackfruit, yummy Pumpkin Gingerbread Cheesecake with Cranberry Whipped Cream, and a chocolate lover’s Crinkle Cookie made with DOVE Dark Chocolate.

The German kitchen, Bavaria Holiday Kitchen, will be offering Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce, a bone warming Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl, and the Holiday Cookie Stroll’s snowflake Linzer Cookie!

Our beloved stop for rummy Dole Whips goes Christmas with a Coconut-Pineapple Cake with DOLE Whip, which is a new, must-try item at EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays.

The Donut Box (Near Test Track presented by Chevrolet), which has not been a traditional favorite of Disney Guests, offers a wider, softer variety of donuts like a Pumpkin Cake Donut with Pumpkin Spice Icing (New Item), a Holiday Donut with Coconut and Crisp Pearls (New Item), a Chocolate Peppermint Donut (New Item) and another new item, the Eggnog-Cream-filled Donut with Cinnamon Icing and Crumbled Gingersnap Cookies. Hopefully, they pan out better than the crusty cronut.

The France Pavilion welcomes Disney foodies with the Le Marché de Noël Holiday Kitchen. Here, you will find a Napoleon de Saumon Fumé en Brioche (New Item), a Dinde Forestière, Patates Douces Rôties: Turkey with bacon, mushrooms, and onions in a mustard cream sauce served with roasted sweet potatoes (New Item), and a Bûche de Noël Chocolat Blanc, Framboise: Chocolate Christmas logs with chocolate biscuit, making France full of new tastes!

Be sure to pick up a glass of the  Cranberry Mimosa, which is a bit more flavorful than the southern Poinsettia mimosa twist, as this one is flavored with Sparkling wine with orange juice and cranberry syrup.

Italy takes a page from the Holiday book at the Tuscany Holiday Kitchen. Here, you can order a Mezzelune Croccanti: Crispy half-moon breaded mozzarella-filled ravioli with pomodoro sauce, or perhaps a Ravioli plate with Shrimp Ravioli in scampi sauce with white wine, garlic, lemon zest, and parsley (New Item). Top it off with an Italian donut with Nutella, called the Bomboloni alla Cioccolato-Nocciola.

China is also in on the Festival of the Holidays, welcoming back the Lotus Blossom Café’s items, including House-made Cheesy Crab Wontons and the Fireworks beverage: Tequila gold, vodka, orange juice, and mango syrup.

The Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen in the Japan Pavilion has old favorites for sale, such as Chirashi Sushi Tree (photo at the top of this article), the New Year Celebration Soba, and the Mont Blanc Tart: Matcha mousse tart.

Over at the Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen (Mexico), you will find the returning Giant Tostada de Chorizo, the Tamal de Barbacoa, and the sweet Dulce de Leche Churros. You should also be trying the Mistletoe Cerveza: Lager with blackcurrant liqueur.

In the mood for a theme park Funnel Cake? Funnel Cake takes a twist with a Mini Pumpkin Pie version. Topped with ice cream, whipped cream, and graham cracker crumbles, it’s a new look at a holiday favorite.

Lastly, Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company brings another freak-shake style coffee to the table with the Caroler’s Cold Brew. Joffrey’s French Roast Cold Brew is mixed with brown butter toffee, swiss chocolate syrup, and sweet cream topped with whipped cream and TWIX bar pieces.

You van visit EPCOTHoliday.com for more details on the upcoming Festival and by request of the Disney Parks Blog, don’t forget to share your favorite festival dishes on social media using #EPCOTHoliday or #DisneyWorld50!

What dish will you be tasting this holiday season? Leave us a comment below!