REVIEW: We're Trying the NEW Festival Favorites Booth at EPCOT's CommuniCore Plaza

If you are reading this post while hungry, BE WARNED. Seriously, we’re not joking! But if you are willing to go on — we’ve got some DELICIOUS updates to share with you!

CommuniCore Hall

CommuniCore Hall & Plaza are officially OPEN at EPCOT! The new spaces include stages for live music, gardens, and other decorations. Inside the Hall, you can check out a new Encanto show, gallery space, demonstration kitchens, and a mixology bar. Not only that, but there is a permanent festival booth that will feature iconic dishes from EPCOT festivals — and we’re checking it out for the first time!

Atmosphere

You’ll find the Festival Favorites booth outside CommuniCore Hall, in CommuniCore Plaza near World Celebration Gardens. It’s a counter-service style pick-up window, and as of now, it’s not available on Mobile Order or the Disney Dining Plan. The idea behind this booth is that it will be a place to pick up some of your favorite festival eats year-round.

Festival Favorites!

So, what can we expect from the debut menu at this new spot? Let’s find out!

Disney has been doing a pretty good job of keeping the details of this “permanent festival booth” a secret, but now that it’s officially open we know a bit more about what we can expect! You’ll find a few savory items, a dessert, a cocktail, plus beer and wine and more drinks at this new spot.

The menu!

We’ve seen similar snack items at past festival booths, so we’re excited to check these out and see just what a year-round festival booth is like at EPCOT!

Eats

First up, we tried the Cheese-stuffed Arepa with Chicken and Avocado for $6.50. We enjoyed the flavors going on here — the chicken wasn’t too dry and the avocado added a bright freshness that helped counteract the sweetness of the corn arepa. But, texturally this thing was a nightmare. It got quite mushy — especially outside in that Florida heat and the avocado got a little bit slimy. We were really hoping for some sort of herby punch to elevate this dish, but it was just missing something.

Chicken and avocado arepa

Next, we grabbed the Cheese-stuffed Arepa with Cilantro-Lime Crema and Cotija for $5.25. This one was definitely our favorite! The cotija cheese they put on top is so wonderfully salty, and it’s the perfect pairing for the sweetness you get from the corn arepa itself. The cilantro-lime crema is another lovely addition to the dish, adding a tangy, herby creaminess that really ties the whole thing together. Plus, who can beat all that melty cheese?! This would make for a great light lunch or snack!

YUM

And of course, for dessert, we rounded things out with the Coconut Tres Leches Cake, which we’ve seen in the past like at the 2024 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival. You can grab this snack for $5. This is a vanilla cake soaked with oat, almond, and coconut milk topped with toasted coconut.

We were expecting this cake to be extremely saturated and moist — as most tres leches cakes are — but this one was surprisingly dry. We’re not sure if it just had too much time to soak up the three milks or what, but it wasn’t quite what we’re used to. The flavors itself were fine, but overall nothing to write home about.

Coconut Tres Leches

So, what’s the verdict on EPCOT’s first permanent festival booth?

OVERALL

If you want to stop by this booth, we definitely recommend the cheese-stuffed arepa with cilantro-lime crema and cotija! We’re pretty darn excited that there will be a permanent festival booth at EPCOT year-round now! When we asked Disney officials about the booth, we were told it IS a festival booth that will be open during festival days — which doesn’t sound like it will be open year-round, but we’ll keep you updated.

Back in EPCOT, we’ve got EATS from Festival Favorites in CommuniCore Hall! 😋

🫓 Cheese-stuffed Arepa with Cilantro-Lime Crema and Cotija
🥥 Coconut Tres Leches
🥑 Cheese-stuffed Arepa with Chicken and Avocado pic.twitter.com/aqKrMKJOdY

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 10, 2024

While there may not be a festival happening in EPCOT right now, we’re getting closer and closer to the opening of the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival kicking off on August 29th and running through November 23rd. We’ll be on the lookout for all the latest updates and more that you need to know about the EPCOT transformation, so stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more updates!