Epcot Flower & Garden Festival 2017

Festival fever is a real thing, and Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival (F&G) definitely delivered on the hype! We were so excited to visit in May because it was Patrick's first F&G experience and I just knew he would love it. You may recall my touring plan from this post and I am happy to report that it worked perfectly!! The map came in really handy when we were in a hurry and we were able to try sooo many more foods than expected.

The Epcot F&G Festival is full of culinary and horticulture delights, with lots of interactive adventures for the family. We enjoyed a full three day tour of Epcot on this trip and still didn't see everything on the agenda. It's definitely worth visiting every year because the food kiosks and displays are always changing.

It's no secret that Patrick and I love food; we usually stay awake for hours at the end of each vacation day just talking about the meals we had that day and the snacks we enjoyed. We like to rank our options so we know what we "must" order again someday and what can wait. This year's F&G Festival had a lot of winners! There were so many great options that we had to divide our options between *sweet* and *savory*. So here we go:

Sweet

Lacey's pick goes to the Freshly Baked Lemon Scone from Cider House. There were many dessert options that claimed to be "fresh" or "warm" but this is the only option that actually delivered on that promise. The powdered sugar melted into the scone and the berries were the perfect complement.

Patrick chose the Warm Wild Berry Buckle from The Berry Basket. It wasn't very warm but the flavor was unbelievably vibrant and the gelato had a wonderful creamy texture. It was a great option for a warm summer day!

Savory

Our final day at Epcot was the real winner because we tried a few things we really wish we had picked up sooner. The Beef Tenderloin Tips from Northern Bloom was a steal because at only $6.50 it ate like a meal and tasted like it came straight from a five-star kitchen! We had trouble sharing because we both wanted more of that amazing Bordelaise sauce.

The runner-up completely surprised us both. We had moved this option to the bottom of the list because we just weren't sure how much we would like it but I wish we had been more adventurous sooner! Tarte a l'Onion-Alsacienne is unlike anything else you'll find at any Disney park. It has a crispy onion top with a gooey caramelized onion filling on top of a puff pastry. Divine!

And you can't go to F&G without admiring the topiaries. They certainly are beautiful! We loved grabbing a snack and walking between the displays.

The PhotoPass lines weren't too long but we found that the best time to get pictures was between 9am and 11am before World Showcase opened. Grab breakfast at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in France and enjoy the peace and quiet before the crowds rush in!

Key takeaways from this year's festival: have a plan, schedule more than one day to enjoy the fun, and beat the crowd with early morning photo ops! Did you make it to F&G this year? Let me know your tips and tricks!