As a culinary Cast Member, I was thrilled when Epcot Flower & Garden became more Food & Winesque. I am not into flowers…or gardens for that matter; I’m a cook and, like most cooks, I’m into food. In fact, prior to last year’s festival, I had never even bothered with F&G. If the focus was on vegetable gardens rather than scenic gardens maybe I would have visited…at least once.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m sure it was a lovely festival with lots of flowers and gardens and things that people who are “flower and garden people” enjoy looking at and, you know, growing but not my cup of tea or pot of soil or…well, you get the point.
Last year was the introduction of food kiosks at F&G. My wife and I visited several times; so much so that she became addicted to the watermelon salad. In fact, I think it was because of the watermelon salad that we visited several times! Have to tell you, the future wasn’t predictable for “Flower & Garden & Food ,” at least to me: it was never “Food & Wine busy” and, I thought, “Maybe ‘flower & garden people’ are as much into food as I am into gardening.”
Having never visited F&G, maybe the crowds were always fairly low (to Disney standards) which was the reason for the introduction of the food to begin with. Regardless of my doubts, I found out on the first day of this year’s festival that the introduction of the food kiosks (and an emphasis on the same) has definitely had an impact!
This year, Watermelon Salad was back which meant so were my wife and I. Pulling into the parking lot, we were both just shocked at how busy Epcot was that day! But my wife’s beloved watermelon salad was just beyond the great big golf ball in the sky and we were at the point of no return! There was no going back! We were in it to win it! Gosh darn those torpedoes; full speed ahead!
Okay, so you get the picture: the crowds did not dissuade us from our mission of getting my wife one of those watermelon salads she loves so much. Did I say “mission?” Did I say “…one of those watermelon salads?” I meant “missions” (with an “s”) because she ended up tallying up four of them! Which is fine by me, btw, because at Florida Fresh, where Watermelon Salad is featured, so is Shrimp and Grits which I LOVE!
Since we were there anyway, we visited many other kiosks to enjoy the tasty treats. Last year, we skipped “Smokehouse” but not this year! My wife had the pulled pork and I the brisket! Both were AMAZING!
And of course a lovely beverage is in order to wash it all down!
So “Epcot Flower & Garden Festival” has become “Epcot Flower & Garden & Food Festival” and to great delight to this cook! But I still think something’s missing. I think there should be more! But what?
*Thinking….*
GOT IT!
“Epcot Flower & Garden & Food & Beer Festival!”
Of course, flowers and gardens will always be the stars of the show…to “flower and garden people” anyway.
