It’s time to pay some homage to the little kiosk that could. The Margarita stand in Epcot’s Mexico pavilion has been churning out frozen drinks for years and years. The location and menu have changed, but the delivery is still the same — a plastic cup filled with a strong, cold, kind of…bad…margarita.
Epcot Margarita Stand
OK, now before you start to argue, let’s look at the facts: since La Cava del Tequila moved in next store, the difference between the fiesta margarita from the Epcot kiosk and an aguacate, pineapple, or even jalapeno margarita from La Cava is pretty stark, right? The flavors and depth of the drinks from La Cava just blow that little frozen margarita out of the water.
jalapeno margarita at la cava del tequila
But I will admit, the Margarita stand does have its plusses:
- It’s convenient. You might have to wait in line, but you’ll rarely have to battle the crowds that can form in La Cava del Tequila inside the Mexican pavilion.
- Those suckers are strong! If you just got to Epcot and would like to “feel the burn” by the time you’re in China, a Margarita stand drink will do it for you.
- And my favorite reason — from DFB contributor Sarah Holodick — “Margarita stand margaritas are like the plastic cheese of cheeses. Yeah, they’re not high quality and are loaded with chemicals, but are they not a fun guilty pleasure?” That, they are.
Eats
Speaking of Sarah, we were touring Epcot back in January when we decided (after a zip through the Mission:Space Orange Line) that it was time for a margarita kiosk drink. I’ll admit, I hadn’t been there for a while and was expecting the margaritas to have taken a page out of the La Cava book and become more high-quality. But, for better or for worse, while the menu had expanded, the drinks were much the same quality as my last visit several years back.
But before we get to the drinks, let’s take a look at the menu. On our visit, this was the menu, which I also saw on a recent blog post by my friend, Andy:
And when Sarah returned this past week, this was the menu:
I know that it’s gone through multiple “refurbs” in recent history, so I can’t promise it’s going to look anything like either of these when you next visit! As Sarah said,
I’ll have to keep a chart of how often changes occur to the stand menu. The blue margarita used to be made with Patron when it was first intro’d, hence the high price; but that didn’t last long (although they still had a bottle of Patron sitting out last night). And they’ve used different flavors of salt. The last time I ordered the blue, they only had plain salt, which I only found out after the fact. The other margs, last I heard, are made with Sauza.
So Sarah and I quickly made our choices — classic strawberry for her, and the Midnight Blue Margarita (a new and different choice!) for me. And…. drumroll please…. they were pretty standard. The moral of the story with margaritas from the margarita kiosk is: they may not taste like the best drinks in the World, but if drinking around the World is your goal, they’ve always been a staple and they serve their purpose well.
Strawberry Margarita with Salt
Midnight Blue Margarita -- no salt by choice
I welcome your opinions and thoughts about the taste of these margaritas, but don’t let your nostalgia for the margarita kiosk get in the way. Taste. We’re talking about taste. 😉
Now, interestingly, we also saw several bags of Churritos sitting on the counter at the margarita kiosk. Neither of us had ever tried a Churrito, so we figured now was as good a time as any!
Churritos
For those who haven’t seen these spicy snacks, they basically look like little red worms. They’re puffed corn flavored with Guajillo chili pepper.
Churritos
These ones happened to have a little lime flavoring to them as well. I think we both had an open mind when we tried them, but neither of us fell in love with the taste. The Churritos went home with Sarah, but I don’t think they got too much use over there.
Overall
All in all, the visit to the Mexico margarita stand was good for the soul (it is a nostalgic stop for many of us), but not outstanding by taste-standards. But I’m OK with that. As Sarah says, it’s a great guilty pleasure to stop by the stand, grab a drink, and wander through the beautiful countries of Epcot. A joy indeed.
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I love the margaritas at Cavo. I also love the margaritas at the stand, but for a different reason–Illuminations. We park ourselves at the fence opposite the margarita stand with Cavo margaritas, but while we’re waiting for Illuminations we go to the stand for “refills” I mean really, after the first one, who cares about what the second one actually tastes like. I boycotted the Fiesta margarita for awhile after they changed the flavors, but honestly I like the margarita stand for it’s ease of use while waiting to see Illuminations!
I have to agree. The viewing spot between Mexico and Norway is great and we typically find ourselves there for the July 4th fireworks for several hours beforehand. With the margarita stand right behind us, it makes the three hours standing with the masses tolerable.
Definitely a nostalgic stop for me…it was the first alcoholic drink I had with my Mom at WDW. We grabbed margaritas and a table by the lagoon. She let out with “I’m so glad I don’t have to push a stroller around anymore, this is by far the best way to do Disney!” …so yeah, nostalgic definitely, but I head inside now 🙂
Hahaha oh man the frozen margarita stand…I’ll admit I’ve moved on to across the lake to the French squishees, but these do always have a special place amongst my Disney memories. Fun times…
I think the margarita stand is one of the best deals in WS. For less than you would pay at your local Chili’s, you get a comparable frozen beverage that can either hit the spot on a warm Florida afternoon just as the crowds are starting to build, or can be the perfect accompaniment for a pre-Illuminations World Showcase stroll. The taste has never been much of a deciding factor for me since I’m usually buzzed halfway through the drink…
I have to agree there really is no flavor to the drink….but needless to say I visit the stand every year!
I agree with Betsy. You get (quite literally) a great bang for your buck. It def. won’t be the best drink you have… but it is cool, refreshing and it makes pre-illuminations much more enjoyable.
And I think you hit the nail on the head. Comparing these margaritas to Cava is like comparing plastic cheese to a lovely brie… both are cheeses but not really even comparable.
Note the price increase of the Margaritas and Dos Equis in just a few short weeks. And if anyone wants to try to Churritos, they’re about half the price at Publix (yes, I’m well aware it’s Disney and you pay Disney prices, just saying). 🙂
My girlfriend loves the margarita stand. While we wait until official Food and Wine fest., we often do our own festival, and it all begins with that margarita stand. I opt in for the dos equis, but my girl always starts our mini festival with a margarita.
I love the marg stand! Compared to frozen margaritas at some restaurants that cost more, taste worse, and aren’t nearly as strong, they’re fantastic. There’s also something weirdly satisfying about taking in the sounds, sights, and smells of Norway while enjoying a marg. Though I do have to say I very much miss the kiwi flavor. It really added something to the Fiesta.
I might be rare, and it may just be due to living in Dallas, but I am not a fan of margaritas in any location in Epcot or anywhere in Disney World. It also might be the fact that I love the Grey Goose slush which has a similiar flavour palate but is more refreshing with less chemical/foodcolouring aftertaste.
Heather — Refills! Yeah!
Pat — Nothing like some nice, icy medicine to make the crowd control seem tolerable!
Kelly — Great quote from your mom!
Sara — Squishees?! 🙂 I love that!
Betsy — Chili’s puts some serious sweet and sour in their margaritas, so I do love those more better 😉 Good point on the Margarita stand being a good deal. That it is.
Shannon — See? We’re not margarita snobs.
Ashley — Yep! Sometimes ya just gotta hit the margarita stand, regardless of the quality. 🙂
Sarah — Why would anyone want to try Churritos? 😉
David — I’m goin’ to Epcot with YOU guys in September!
Jen — Wow! I’m not sure I ever had the kiwi flavor! Thanks for the info! And, yes, there’s just something about the mingling tastes of Margarita stand margaritas and Laila perfume… 😉
Alex — I hear ya. I’d much rather have a Strawberry margarita at Gloria’s than one from the Margarita stand. That said, I think some of those Cava del Tequila margaritas compare favorably to anything we can get around the Big D.
I’m not a big margarita fan but on a really hot summer day these are just the ticket. And if you walk fast the brain freeze will last until you get to France and renew the freeze with a couple of those Grey Goose slushies.
We rated the Midnight Blue as the worst drink on property. Bland, flavorless and $13! Take that $13 and go to La Cava for a perfectly prepared margarita.
The other basic slushie margaritas are pretty decent for what they are and I always grab one if the line’s short!
I have only had a margarita a few times from this stand. I’m not a big drinker, but I didn’t think there was a lot of alcohol in my drink. If I need a cool down, yes, I’ll get one if the line isn’t too long, but a snow cone from Japan will do me quite well if I’m in that area.
Alan — Great strategy for strolling the showcase (how’s that for alliteration?)
Jeni — Yep! Good to hear the experts agree with our assessment!
Virginia — Great point, but I’m surprised to hear that there wasn’t a lot of alcohol. These babies usually knock me on my bum after a few sips! You should demand your money back 🙂
you can still get the fiesta margarita even though it’s not on the menu! i did it a couple weeks ago! i love the fiesta margarita! yeah, ok, i get that it’s not the best margarita around. BUT, my husband and i go to EPCOT as soon as we arrive at WDW and we walk right to the margarita stand. so, for me, it means i’m finally at disney!!
i am running the princess half marathon on sunday. the one thing that will get me through it is the fact that i’ve been telling myself during all this training that as soon as i get that medal i’m treating myself to a fiesta margarita!!
That was actually the first place I drank and enjoyed a margarita! I loved that Fiesta Marg.. but I haven’t had it in a few years… Maybe it’s because I discovered it in college and anything was better than what I was drinking there…..
I hate blended margaritas, so I would never even think to stop at this stand! Tequila is sort of my drink … I’m all about La Cava!!
clockwise/counterclockwise. Hello do you really want to go thru all those countries w/o a marg!? In Dec we sat and watched Illuminations bundled up in 40 degrees wearing 3 sweatshirts to keep warm BUT still had my marg in hand! Some things just need to be done!
I’ve always hated the margaritas from there. They’re just blah. It’s hard to explain. I’m so glad la Cava came around to have real yummy ones!
As for the Curritos, ditto at getting them at walmart or publix for cheaper. =D Also AJ, Can I send you some TAKIS? http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3664/3384986569_14461f7c3c.jpg
My boyfriend’s obsessed with them and makes me buy the giant pack every time I head back home to visit in Texas. He’s more Mexican then I am seriously. He likes spicy foods and I don’t.
Also a request! I’m sorry and forgot. Right across the margarita stand, there’s a coffee margarita. I’d like to know what you’d think of that.