It’s officially springtime at the Walt Disney World Resort! The EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival has begun and will run this year from February 28th to May 27th. This years festival seems to have some new options, some shift in serving locations, and some returning favorites.
This festival features absolutely stunning topiary displays around the park, unique merchandise for the plant lover in your life, live music with big names, and of course outdoor kitchens. Below you will find our quick reference checklist for everything vegan during this festival.
Just like previous years, the Garden Graze is completely vegan again, hooray!! To complete this you just need to grab a festival passport and have them mark off with a stamp each of the items you get. Once you have filled all the spots on your passport you can head to Pineapple Promenade where you can obtain your prize, which is also vegan! There are more locations for the Garden Graze items than there are spots to mark off, so you can pick and choose which ones you want to get.
Plant-based Buffalo Chicken Tender Poutine from Refreshment Port – Garden Graze Item
Hello new option!! This dish from Refreshment Port is one that got all of us vegans excited upon the menu release. The Plant-based tenders are Impossible covered in buffalo in a bowl with tater tots and topped with vegan ranch and blue cheese crumbles.
This was one of my favorite things I ate today. It was more of a buffalo chicken loaded tater tot and not poutine but it was so good! It was definitely similar to the buffalo tenders we had for Food & Wine, but they chopped them up making it easier to eat on the tots. There was a good heat to the buffalo and the ranch helped to cool it down. There wasn’t a ton of the vegan blue cheese on it, which was my preference, and it was enjoyable as a whole dish. The portion was very large and honestly could be a light lunch.
Avocado Toast from BRUNCHCOT – Garden Graze Item
This dish is a returning one from previous years. In the past it was relatively hit or miss for me. The Avocado Toast is topped with marinated tomatoes and plant-based cheese crumbles on a tasty ciabatta bread.
The toast with this dish is always great, it has a nice crunch and flavor. The avocado tasted like a bagged guacamole, it had that weird tang that they usually have. It was very lemon heavy. I do always love the marinated tomatoes on the toast though.
Grilled Street Corn on the Cob from EPCOT Farmers Feast – Garden Graze Item
This is another returning option, but in a new spot. The corn features a savory garlicky spread and plant-based cheese on it. The location for this option will have a rotating menu, but the corn will always be there.
This years corn was one of the best I’ve had. The spread on the corn was super buttery and very garlicky. The cheese was very salty but also very cheesy and enjoyable. It is a great fresh grilled option and loaded with flavor. It is super messy to eat, so be sure to grab those napkins!
Florida Strawberry Shortcake from Florida Fresh – Garden Graze Item
This new dish is a great new dessert addition. Something we often lack in festivals is dessert so this is a welcome newcomer.
I really loved this shortcake. The shortcake itself had a nice vanilla flavor and the vegan whipped cream on it was super light and fluffy. There was plenty of strawberries on the plate as well, I did have to cut them down enjoy them with each bite of the cake and whipped topping, but that was easy enough to manage. This is a dish I will be grabbing regularly this season.
Pan-Fried Vegetable Dumplings – Lotus House
In past years this option was vegan, but the China pavilion is not Disney owned so they don’t need to note that it’s plant-based on the menu. I checked the ingredient list, which they do have at the registers if you ask, and it looks to be safe once again.
They did change the portion size from three dumplings to two. The flavor of the sauce is what carries this dish. Otherwise it is very simple. It was enjoyable but a very small portion for what you get.
Potato Pancakes from Bauernmarkt: Farmers Market – Garden Graze Item
Another returning favorite over in Germany is the Potato Pancake with house-made applesauce. This year they only have the vegan version and got rid of the meat version which makes it easier to order. They did seem to adjust the size this year as they seemed way smaller in their shape but also way thicker than previously.
Mine had a great crispy edge on both the top and bottom and the inside was a nice creamy potato texture. I didn’t have any strong onion bites this time too, so they were more enjoyable for me than in the past.
Steam Bun Filled Vegetables & Plant-based Soy Meat from Hanami
This new item had me so excited when I saw it listed. Firstly because Japan never has a vegan option, and second this sounds so good! However, in a bit of confusion, this was not noted as plant-based on the menu or in the passport, but is noted as plant-based on the Disney site. I checked the ingredients and we seem good to go on it.
I have never had a steamed bun before so I had no idea what to expect. The flavor of the soy meat (which is textured vegetable protein) with the veggies had a nice soy taste and smokiness. The bun itself was sweeter and had a nice chew to it. Ours was stuck to the wrapper like it had been sitting, so I don’t know if that is a consistent issue or not, but it did make it harder to eat.
I do want to note; the Frushi here cannot be made vegan by omitting the whipped cream as the soy wrapper contains carmine (bugs).
Impossible Jamaican Beef Patty from La Isla Fresca
Another new option! The La Isla Fresca booth now has only vegan food options, hooray! The patty is topped with a spicy papaya sauce, which was super similar to last years lumpia (RIP).
The patty wasn’t much like any Jamaican patty I have had before. The dough is usually light and fluffy and this was thin and crispy. Princess (from Princess & the Bear) said it reminded her of a wonton wrapper, which I absolutely agree with. The flavor was nice with the Impossible and it had a good curry flavor, but the crispy patty shell was just a bit odd. The sweet sauce with it was good though.
Coconut Tres Leches from La Isla Fresca – Garden Graze Item
This is one I was nervous wasn’t going to return since we got a new dessert and I am so glad they kept this absolutely delicious dish! They didn’t change anything and it’s still soaked with coconut, almond, and oat milk and topped with coconut and completed in absolute perfection.
It was just as moist and delicious as previous years. The cake isn’t overly sweet and the toasted coconut add a nice crunchy texture to it. This is a must try for anyone who can eat this!
Impossible Farmhouse Meatball from Trowel & Trellis – Garden Graze Item
A returning fan favorite, however, this booth used to be fully vegan and is no longer. But at least we still have a delicious vegan meatball. The Farmhouse Meatball features marinated vegetables, an herbed aioli, and spinach in a lentil bread.
The lentil bread on this is always a bit dry for me, but the filling is always delicious. I would rather eat it with a fork and just eat the contents of the wrap. They were very generous with the herbed aioli on ours and it was very good. The flavors are a good mix together and the meatball was a generous size.
Dole Whip from Pineapple Promenade
Not super exciting, but we have a Dole Whip over at Pineapple Promenade again. I didn’t bother grabbing this as I wanted to get my Garden Graze completion Dole Whip instead.
This is where you’ll redeem your Garden Graze completion. The completion treat is a Lime Dole Whop, though the sign said it also had a smoothie mix? I had them call to double check it was vegan and it was confirmed by a chef for us. It also ended up just being a Lime Dole Whip, so this sign made no sense. You also get a packet of wildflowers to plant with your completion treat.
Strawberry Fruit Bar & Red Pepper Hummus from The Land Cart
I didn’t grab this option as it’s something you can get all the time at any park. But if you want to grab a light little snack stop here.
Seasonal Fruit Parfait from Refreshment Outpost – Garden Graze Item
This option sounded so refreshing and delicious, I was so excited to try it. This is a mango soft serve topped with watermelon and mango and a sweet chili sauce.
This lived up to my expectations and made me feel like I was in Disneyland, just missing my candied mango. The flavor of the mango dole whip with the tajin was absolutely perfect, sweet and heat. The fruit in it added a nice texture as well. This is the ultimate refreshing treat and I love this update from the pineapple spear.
This years options were really good. There were a few I won’t likely grab again as I didn’t love them, but plenty I will be sure to enjoy a few times before it ends in May.
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