If you are reading this post while hungry, BE WARNED. Seriously, we’re not joking! You’re willing to keep reading? Okay, well then — we’ve got some DELICIOUS details to share with you!
The 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially begun, and there is a lot to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. But don’t let it overwhelm you. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to one spot in particular — the Favorites of Festival Past — to give you the FULL scoop! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out!
Menu
Over at the Favorites of Festival Past, you’ll find a variety of available items.
Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself!
Eats
First up, we grabbed Reuben Croquettes. These croquettes are made with pastrami, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese with thousand island dipping sauce. You can grab them for $6.
The Reuben Croquettes are a little weird at first, texture-wise. They want to look like croquettes or maybe even more so like hush puppies. But the inside of it gives a consistency similar to a corn dog nugget. Except that it’s pastrami and sauerkraut on the inside. Once you dip it into that Thousand Island dipping sauce it is a flavor explosion and everything comes together really nicely.
Next, let’s sink our teeth into the Brown Sugar & Maple Glazed Ham Sliders for $6. These sliders are filled with that titular Brown Sugar & Maple Glazed Ham, Cranberry, & Apple Coleslaw, all stacked up on a Hawaiian roll.
These were a HIT for us! The apple coleslaw added a nice crunch and tanginess that helped cut down the saltiness of the ham. The Hawaiian roll really brings the whole thing together, and the ham was cut well enough that it wasn’t super chewy or fatty. We’d grab these again for a quick lunch any day!
Still hungry? You’re in luck cuz we got one more snack in this lineup! Time for something sweet like the Bauducco Panettone Holiday Trifle for $5.25. This holiday dessert is layered with eggnog custard and cranberry cherry compote. And it’s guilt-free with the fruit because the fruit makes it healthy, right?
We’re nominating this for best dessert of the fest — it was SO good!! The trifle itself with that eggnog custard is delicious — it’s a really nice super holiday-reminiscent treat when you want something different for a holiday. The cranberry-cherry compote is sweet and tart, and when mixed with the eggnog custard it’s a fruity, creamy delight.
Now, something to wash it all down!
Drinks
In terms of drinks on this menu, we got three beers to test out, and luckily, there’s a flight, so we can taste them ALL. Let’s start sippin’! You can grab the Southern Tier Brewing Co. Tiramisu Imperial Stout, the Keel Farms Pecan Pie Hard Cider, and the Point Snow Pilot Pistachio Nut Brown Ale. You can grab these in a flight for $10.25, or individually for $5.75/6oz. or $9.75/12oz.
The Southern Tier Brewing Co. Tiramisu Imperial Stout definitely has that heartier flavor like you’d expect a stout to but it’s very coffee-forward thanks to those tiramisu vibes. There’s a strong espresso flavor and that’s mainly what we tasted with this one — so you’re really going to have to like dark, coffee beers to enjoy this one.
The Keel Farms Pecan Pie Hard Cider was delicious and was our reporter’s favorite beer in the flight. It tastes just like a really nice light hard cider. There’s a nice touch of that sweetness from the pecan pie, but we didn’t get any real nuttiness from the pecan flavor, just a hint of sweetness.
Finally, we tried the Point Snow Pilot Pistachio Nut Brown Ale. It’s got some of those heartier notes like the stout, but it’s much lighter with a richer more robust taste to it than the cider. We tasted a hint of nuttiness from the pistachio nut but overall this was just a smooth, malty brown ale.
So, are these still festival favorites?!
OVERALL
You can’t go wrong with those ham sliders, and fans of Reuben sandwiches definitely need to try this interesting take on them with the croquettes! The Holiday Trifle may end up being our favorite dessert of the entire festival, too! And, this isn’t a bad spot to stop if you’re looking for an interesting beer flight.
Favorites of Festivals Past is next!
🥪 Reuben Croquettes with pastrami, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese
🍖 Brown Sugar and Mustard-glazed Ham Sliders with cranberry apple coleslaw
🍫 Bauducco Panettone Holiday Trifle with eggnog custard and cranberry cherry compote
🍻 Beer Flight pic.twitter.com/zS4I70Kmwe— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 29, 2024
That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from!
Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays!
Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know:
- Check out all of the food booths getting NEW items this year!
- What you need to know about all of the Holiday Storytellers!
- The full line up of this year’s Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators
And don’t forget to pick up our 2024 Holiday Guide e-book! See more details about the book below.
DON'T MISS A MOMENT
OF HOLIDAY MAGIC
Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World.
It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including:
- The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season
- How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!)
- ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM.
- And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat!
Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT.
MORE Disney World Holiday INFO!
Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights
Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments!
Norma says
No plain old good food…every item has to add on weird or spicy creams, sauces, etc and WAY too much alcohol… kids need fun non-alcoholic drinks….and so do adults! After all, this is Disney!!!! We see very little to rave about at any of these booths….extremely disappointed….