If you’ve been to Epcot many times – you regularly sail the river in Mexico, you can quote every Circle-Vision 360° movie, and you’ve spent tons of money and time in the Mitsukoshi department store – you might think there’s nothing new to do in the World Showcase.
But just as “drinking around the world” (spending an evening trying cocktails from the countries) is a popular pastime for some, there are lots of other ways to experience Epcot’s delicious offerings besides the “pub crawl.” You could challenge yourself to see how many similar items you could try in one day! Here are 6 other ways to eat (and drink) around the World Showcase:
1. Cheese crawl
Cheese pleases people all around the globe, and it’s not in short supply at the World Showcase either. You can make a meal out of the Trio of United Kingdom Cheese at the Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, and try the Fromages (imported cheese plate) at France’s Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles as well as the Queso con Jalapeno at Mexico’s La Cava del Tequila. If you’re still hungry after that, you can indulge in Nudel Gratin (baked macaroni and cheese custard) from Sommerfest in Germany, a jalapeno cheese or cream cheese stuffed pretzel from Block & Hans at the American Adventure, or Cheddar Cheese Soup from Canada’s Le Cellier. And for dessert? Try a cannoli filled with sweet ricotta cheese from the Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar in Italy.
2. Candy crawl
Image: Disney
Have a sweet tooth? The World Showcase has you covered. Your cruise through Epcot’s confection selection can start at Germany’s Karamell-Küche, where gourmet caramels abound. Each of the other shops in the pavilions sell their own native candies, including German Hachez Chocolate bars, Baci chocolates (which come wrapped in a note with a message of love and friendship) from Italy, and lots of fun, fruit-flavored concoctions from Japan. There are also a variety of Cadbury bars in the United Kingdom pavilion and hot chili-flavored lollipops in Mexico. And the best part about a candy crawl is that these pre-packaged treats can make great souvenirs – if you have any candy left!
3. Cake crawl
Cakes at the World Showcase come in many forms – from cup to funnel to chocolate mousse. There are a variety of yummy cupcakes to choose from at Karamell-Küche, including Yellow Caramel, Chocolate Caramel and Caramel Corn, and there’s also a Caramel Cheesecake with Chocolate. After that, you can try funnel cakes with toppings from the American Adventure and Citrus-Olive Oil Cake at Canada’s Le Cellier. Duo au Chocolate, a white and dark chocolate mousse cake, can be found at Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles, Black Forest Cake at Sommerfest, Chinese Ginger Cake (shown above) at Nine Dragons in the China pavilion, and Victoria Sponge Cake – filled with buttercream and jam – at the United Kingdom’s Yorkshire County Fish Shop.
4. Coffee crawl
Image: Disney
After days of delicious around-the-world dining, you’d probably be getting a little thirsty. The World Showcase has plenty of brews to try, such as the café, cappuccino (iced and regular) and espresso at Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles; espresso, cappuccino, Caffe Latte and Caffe Americano at the Italian Gelato Kiosk; coffees at the Juice Bar at the Morocco pavilion; and Freshly Brewed Joffrey’s Coffee at the Rose & Crown.
5. Tea crawl
Since reservations for the Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian’s Garden View Tea Room can be hard to come by, why not take a day to sample the different teas from the World Showcase? You can start at the China pavilion’s Joy of Tea, where several types of hot tea – such as Dragon Well and Ginseng Oolong – are available, along with tea slushes. Lemon or peach tea can be found at the Italian Gelato Kiosk, and Iced Mint Tea or Iced Tea is available at Spice Road Table in Morocco.
6. Ice cream crawl
Yes, ice cream can be found all over Walt Disney World, but some of the really fun concoctions are in the World Showcase. At France’s L’Artisan des Glaces, you can partake in an Ice Cream Martini – complete with Grand Marnier, Whipped Cream Vodka or Rum in a martini glass with two scoops of ice cream or sorbet. L’Artisan des Glaces also has ice cream macaron sandwiches and a Croque Glace (a warm brioche ice cream sandwich). At China’s Lotus Blossom Café, you can get Caramel Ginger Ice Cream or Lychee Ice Cream (shown above). There’s a variety of gelato (including one dish where it’s “drowned” in espresso) at the Italian Gelato Kiosk, and Green Tea (Matcha) and Strawberry Azuki Ice Cream are on the menu at the Kabuki Café in Japan. Finally, Chef-Created Ice Cream is available at Morocco’s Juice Bar, and the flavors include Chocolate and Cinnamon, Green Tea, Pistachio with Orange Blossom Water, Toasted Almond with Rosewater and Strawberry and Red Bean.
There are so many ways to take your taste buds on a trip around the globe – all without leaving Florida! So the next time you find yourself wanting something different to do at Epcot, make sure your appetite’s ready for a fun challenge!
