What to Look Forward to at This Year’s Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

What to Look Forward to at This Year’s Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
I think we all know that my favorite time of year is the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, but a very close second in my heart is the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. And there are some great things coming up this year!

First, in case you didnā€™t know, pineapples are my spirit fruit because they are sweet on the inside and wear crowns. Ha! Dole Whips are my favorite treat at Magic Kingdom, and I loved getting it with the coconut rum topper at the Food and Wine Festival. But what Iā€™m really excited about is an entire area dedicated to pineapples at this yearā€™s Flower and Garden Festivalā€”the Pineapple Promenade. Champagne is usually my go-to drink, so I seriously canā€™t wait for the Florida Orange Groves Winery Sparkline Pineapple Wine. And itā€™s from my hometown of St. Petersburg, FL!

I love fruit. I love sushi. But have you ever heard of frushi? Yes, itā€™s sushi made out of fruit! How cute is that? You can find it at the Japan pavilion. It has pineapples, strawberries and melons rolled up with raspberry-coconut rice and sprinkled with toasted coconut. Plus, thereā€™s whipped cream on the side.

My all-time favorite drink at Epcot is the Grand Marnier slushy at the France pavilion. But they have a twist for the Flower and Garden Festival this yearā€”La Vie en Rose Frozen slushy with Grey Goose Orange, St. Germain Liqueur and cranberry juices. Yum!

Of all the places Iā€™ve traveled in the world (the real world, not just Epcotā€™s world showcaseā€”ha!), Morocco had some of the best food. I just adore all the spices, so I canā€™t wait to try the homemade falafel with pickled beets and turnips, tomato salad and tahini sauce at the Morocco pavilion. Now if only I can talk them into adding some harissa sauce on the sideā€¦.
Itā€™s no secret that I love spicy food, so when I saw the beef brisket burnt ends hash with white cheddar fondue and pickled jalapenos on the menu at The Smokehouse at this yearā€™s Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, my mouth watered at the idea of it. Definitely a must!
What are you looking forward to the most? Let me know in the comments!