Okay, friends, we’ve made it through dress rehearsal, and now it’s time for Opening Night… I mean, Opening Bites!

Opening Bites is one of 18 Food Studios (also known as Food Booths) at the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Arts. You’ll find it at an outdoor window on the side of CommuniCore Hall in World Celebration. And, if you step inside the Hall after visiting the booth, you can enjoy the Festival’s walk-through exhibit: Once Upon a Stage: The Magic of Disney on Broadway! But before you do that, please join us at Opening Bites as we bring you our full reviews of every single Food Studio at the Festival of the Arts!

Menu

Disney shares that the dishes and drinks at Opening Bites are “all about paying homage to the foods and drinks immortalized onstage.” The food menu features two returning items: the Soft Shell Crab Slider and the Enchanted Rose. 

Beer drinkers can try the Beer Flight featuring Crooked Can Brewing Company Fantasia Fusion IPA, von Trapp Brewing Bohemian Pilsner, and the Southern Tier Brewing Co. Caramel Cookie Bar Imperial Stout. Any of the beers can be ordered individually, as well. Or you can say “Cheers” with the Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve Champagne. 

Okay, let’s shine the spotlight on Opening Bites!

Eats

The Soft Shell Crab Slider is back on the menu at Opening Bites… claws and all! You might remember this vision from last year.

Topped with a green papaya slaw and mango ketchup, it’s served on a sweet roll for $7.49. 

So, we once again enjoyed the crab slider for the most part this year – in fact, the bread may be even better this year! – and the fresh and tangy slaw really brings out the flavor of the crabmeat. However, that’s where our one issue with the dish comes in. There’s simply not enough crabmeat. What’s here is very good, but we find ourselves wanting more.

The lovely Enchanted Rose has returned, as well, for $6.49. This dark chocolate mousse rose is an eligible item if you’re participating in the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine. 

It also happened to make our Best of the Fest list last year, so we were excited to try it again… and it was slightly different. This year’s version had no jam inside. However, this really wasn’t a discernible downgrade in our mind. The dish is still aesthetically adorable, capturing both the magic of Beauty and the Beast and the Festival of the Arts.

Flavor-wise, the treat has a nice chocolate taste – the menu specifies it as dark chocolate, though it seemed more like a mix of milk and dark chocolate to us – with the added crunch of the cookie balancing with the mousse. 

Drinks

Opening Bites is offering a Beer Flight for $12.75 again this year.

 

The new brew in the trio is Southern Tier Brewing Co. Caramel Cookie Bar Imperial Stout, and it joins the returning Crooked Can Brewing Company Fantasia Fusion IPA and von Trapp Brewing Bohemian Pilsner. Those wanting to try just one may order a 6-ounce pour for $6.00 or a 12-ounce pour for $9.75 for any individual brew.

Both the Crooked Can Brewing Company Fantasia Fusion IPA …

… and the von Trapp Brewing Bohemian Pilsner are returning from last year’s menu, and both should satisfy fans of pilsners and IPAs, respectively.

The most interesting element of the flight was the Southern Tier Brewing Co. Caramel Cookie Bar Imperial Stout. This beer had a sweet fragrance to it that really captured the cookie flavor in the name. In fact, it’s so sweet that even those who don’t generally enjoy heavy stouts would probably enjoy it! 

Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve Champagne is also available for $12.00 if you’re hoping to enjoy a little bubbly at the Festival!

OVERALL

Opening Bites is once again a solid booth. The crab slider, while a bit light on meat for our taste, is still a delicious bite thanks to its slaw. Meanwhile, the beer flight offers basics for pilsner and IPA fans, plus sweet stout is an interesting twist. It’s all capped off by the Enchanted Rose, which remains one of our favorite desserts at the fest even without the jam inside.

Thanks so much for joining us at Opening Bites! And remember, there’s a LOT more where this came from…

Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Arts!

Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Arts? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know:

• Find out how to participate in the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine
• Don’t miss the Festival’s Disney on Broadway Concert Series!
• See ALL of the menus for the Festival of the Arts Food Booths HERE

And don’t forget to pick up our 2026 Festival of the Arts Guide e-book! See more details about the book below.

Which items from Opening Bites would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments!