Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2022
One of the most anticipated events of the year is the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, back in full swing this year. Whatever you enjoy most, from the brightly-colored floral displays to the character topiaries to the Garden Rocks Concert Series, to the amazing food booths – it is all there in full glory for you to enjoy. Without delay, lets jump into the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2022!
As always, I met with one of Epcot’s amazing festival chefs at the start of the event. Chef Donald is always willing to take the time to sit with me and discuss all the available options so that I can share it with you. Because of all the questions I receive from all of you, each year the list of allergens seems to get bigger and bigger. You will find options here for people on paleo, keto, low-fodmap, vegan, and plant-based diets. I will also point out the many gluten-friendly, dairy-friendly, and allergy-friendly options. I also mention sugar substitutes whenever possible.
Please remember this IMPORTANT fact – ALWAYS ask them to call a chef at the food booth to double-check this information. Suppliers can change frequently, transforming a safe dish into one that you should not have if an allergen is now present.
CAUTION: the listing of ingredients below only contains those I inquired about for specific diets. Do not take them as complete listings of what the items contain. If you have other allergens or concerns, please check with a chef.
The festival passport highlights many of the gluten-friendly and plant-based options. The listings below provide information on items that were not marked but are GF, as well as those that can be altered to accommodate a gluten-free diet. Please note that due to cross-contamination risks, Disney cannot guarantee anything to be gluten-free. The term gluten-friendly is used to showcase items that do not contain gluten.
One thing I will say is that every booth I visited asked if my omitting an ingredient was due to an allergy or dietary preference. The allergy training at the booths this year has been the best yet. That is not to say that everyone knows everything. Please, check with a chef to ensure that an item is safe for you at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2022.
Flavor Full Kitchen Hosted by AdventHealth (Between Imagination! and Refreshment Port)
- Grilled Street Corn on the Cob with savory garlic spread (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (Plant-based) (Garden Graze)
The corn has added sugar. The savory garlic spread contains garlic, corn, canola, apple cider vinegar, soy protein, brown rice syrup, and onion. Vegan mayo contains canola, garlic, onion, and possibly soy. You can omit any of the components of this dish.
- Seared Salmon with farro risotto and micro herbs
The farro risotto contains gluten, onion, garlic, soy, and wheat and may be omitted. There is canola, salt, and pepper used for the salmon.
- Strawberry Mousse with chocolate-crisp pearls
Contains gluten, dairy, egg, and food dyes.
EPCOT Sunshine Griddle (Near Test Track presented by Chevrolet)
- Avocado Toast with marinated toybox tomatoes on toasted ciabatta (Plant-based) (Garden Graze)
While you can omit the bread for a gluten-friendly dish, it may not be worth it. The tomatoes contain garlic, onion, Meyer lemon, and olive oil. The avocado contains chives.
- Shrimp and Grits: Blackened shrimp and cheddar cheese grits with brown gravy and sweet corn salsa
This dish contains corn, chicken stock, onion, dairy, garlic, and canola.
- Corned Beef Brisket Hash with house-made potato barrels, onions, peppers, cheese curds, and a soft-poached egg with Tabasco hollandaise (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
The potatoes, which you can omit, contain onion and canola. The hollandaise has eggs and dairy. Chives are used as a garnish.
- Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites with cream cheese frosting and candied bacon
Contains gluten, dairy, egg, soy, coconut, sugar, corn!
The Honey Bee-stro Hosted by National Honey Board
- Tupelo Honey and Sweet Corn Spoon Bread with jalapeños, bacon, and house-made whipped honey butter (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Contains eggs, butter, corn flour, and heavy cream. The bacon has onion, and the honey butter included heavy cream, honey, and salt.
- Lavender Honey Mustard-marinated Chicken Flatbread with whipped honey-ricotta cheese, marinated vegetables, and goat cheese
This gluten-containing dish also has soy, canola, sugar, dairy, onion, and garlic.
- Local Wildflower Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake with orange blossom honey whipped cream, whipped honey, crystalized honey, honeycomb, dehydrated honey, and fennel pollen meringue kisses
There is gluten in the crust of this dessert, as well as dairy, egg, soy, and corn throughout. There is also a cross-contamination risk for peanut and tree nut.
The Citrus Blossom (Near Port of Entry)
- Crispy Mojo Marinated Pork Belly, with avocado cream, corn salsa, salsa verde, and plantain chips (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly) (New)
You will find canola in the plantain chips and pork (which also contains sugar, onion, and garlic). The avocado cream contains garlic, peppers, and white vinegar. There is corn and onion in the corn salsa, and shallots, garlic, and canola in the salsa verde.
- Tuna Tataki Bowl with spicy yuzu glaze, mango, avocado, and pappadam crisp
The pappadam crisp is gluten-friendly, containing bean and rice flour. Omit the black tobiko which contains soy, lactose, rice vinegar, and gluten. Both the sauce and the tuna contain garlic, as well as sugar in the sauce.
- Grapefruit Tart: Grapefruit curd, lychee jam, ginger mousse, and yuzu cream (New)
Contains wheat, dairy, egg, sugar, gelatin, almond extract, soy, corn, coconut, and artificial flavor.
Refreshment Port (Near Canada)
- House-made Italian Sausage and Peppers Poutine (Plant-based) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
Contains coconut, onion, garlic in the sausage. The “cheese” sauce contains canola, rice, coconut oil, garlic, and onion. The potatoes contain rice flour.
Pineapple Promenade (Near Port of Entry)
- Spicy Hot Dog with pineapple chutney and plantain chips
The hot dog contains dextrose, which could be corn-based. Omit the bun (gluten, corn, potato, soy) for gluten-friendly version. The pineapple chutney contains onion, rice vinegar, sugar, and garlic. The plantain chips contain rice bran oil and corn oil. Siracha mayo contains soy, egg, garlic, onion, and sugar.
Trowel & Trellis Hosted by Impossible™ (Near Disney Traders)
- Grilled Baby Vegetables with hummus cream and red pepper coulis (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly) (Plant-based) (Garden Graze)
The vegetables are marinated in shallots, garlic, and canola oil, with the eggplant separate, not on the skewer. The hummus contains sesame, chickpea, canola, and coconut cream. The red pepper coulis contains garlic.
- Impossible Sausage and Kale Soup (Plant-based)
Impossible sausage contains soy protein, coconut, potato, food starch, garlic, onion, rice, and corn. There is no gluten in the soup – you can omit the flatbread (soy, wheat, sugar, canola). The basil pesto contains garlic, canola, and pine nuts.
- Boneless Impossible Korean Short Rib with cilantro-lime rice, Danmuji slaw, and Kimchee Mayonnaise (Plant-based)
The impossible short rib itself contains soy, coconut, potato, food starch, corn syrup, garlic, onion, canola, and sesame – this item contains gluten. The rice contains garlic and canola. Danmuji slaw contains rice wine vinegar and garlic. The plant-based mayo includes corn, garlic, onion, rice, soy, canola, and apple cider vinegar.
- Chocolate Cake with whipped cassis mousse, raspberry gelato, and fresh raspberries (New) (Plant-based)
This dish contains gluten, sugar, egg replacer, soy protein, corn starch, stevia, and sucrose esters.
Refreshment Outpost
- Pineapple Skewer with tajin seasoning (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly) (Plant-based)
Just pineapple and tajin seasoning.
- Tangerine soft-serve
This is not Dole Whip! It contains dairy, sugar, red food coloring. The cone contains gluten, sugar, soybean oil, and soy lecithin.
Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market (Germany)
- Potato Pancakes with house-made applesauce (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly) (Plant-based) (Garden Graze)
Potatoes, onion, canola, soy lecithin.
- Potato Pancake with caramelized ham, onions, and herb sour cream (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
Potatoes, onion, canola, soy lecithin in the pancakes. Corn syrup solids, onion, garlic, and canola in the ham. Coconut and onion in the herb sour cream, which can be omitted.
- Toasted Pretzel Bread topped with black forest ham and melted Gruyère cheese
Gluten, rice flour, soybean oil in the bread; corn syrup and garlic in the ham, dairy, onion, in the cheese
- Warm Cheese Strudel with mixed berries
Gluten, dairy, corn starch, egg wash, sugar, soybean oil, corn.
Magnolia Terrace (American Adventure)
- Southern Seafood Boil: Shrimp, mussels, crawfish, potatoes, corn, and Andouille sausage
No modifications possible – gluten in beer boil, onion, garlic. For dairy-friendly only omit the Cajun butter which also contains onion and garlic.
- Spicy Chicken Gumbo with Andouille sausage and BEN’S ORIGINAL Long Grain & Wild Rice (New)
Cannot omit gluten- contains flour, butter, onion, garlic, Worcestershire, and soy. The rice (which you can omit) contains onion and garlic.
- Grilled Oysters with Cajun butter (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
One of my favorites, uses a Cajun butter which contains dairy, onion, garlic, green onions. The panko crumbs should be gluten-friendly, but you can omit them. They do contain garlic. If they are not busy, you may be able to get the oysters plain without the butter.
- House-made Boudin Bites featuring BEN’S ORIGINAL Long Grain White Rice
Not a GF dish, the rice contains gluten, egg, onion, garlic, and canola. The sauce contains onion, garlic, soy, egg, canola, and sugar. The creole mustard contains vinegar, mustard seed, and xanthan gum.
- Pecan Praline (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
Sugar, butter, heavy cream, pecans.
Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco)
- Mediterranean Flatbread with za’atar, artichokes, olives, mozzarella, and feta cheese (New)
Gluten, dairy, fennel.
- Lamb Kefta and Harissa Chicken kabobs
See our 2021 Holiday blog.
- Vanilla, Rose Water, and Pistachio Panna Cotta
My favorite dessert at the festival, although not marked, it is gluten-friendly. This year, they made the pistachio crumbs with Bob 1 for 1 mix, containing soy, potato starch, rice flour, sugar, and butter. The panna cotta contains milk, egg, sugar, gelatin, corn starch, red 40 and red 3. The glaze contains sugar, raspberry, corn, and artificial flavor.
La Isla Fresca (Between Morocco and France)
- Arepas topped with melted queso fresco (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
Corn, dairy.
- Arepa topped with shrimp, crushed avocado ají, and tomato sauce (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
Corn, dairy; shrimp contains salt, pepper, and oil; sauce contains onion, garlic.
- Arepa topped with chorizo (New)
Corn, dairy, onion, flour. Not GF!
- Coconut Tres Leches: Vanilla cake soaked in oat milk, almond milk, and coconut milk with toasted coconut (New) (Plant-based) (Garden Graze)
For those without allergies, but GF for other reasons, this is the cheat-worthy dessert to try. It contains gluten (flour), corn, potato possibly in food starch, and canola, along with almond, oat, and coconut. I do wish they would make it with a gluten-friendly cake next year.
EPCOT Farmers Feast (Near Test Track presented by Chevrolet)
Early Bloom Menu (available March 2 through April 9)
- Chilled Potato and Leek Soup “Vichyssoise” with chive oil and crispy leeks (New) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
Potato, onion, chicken stock, heavy cream, butter, canola. I’m not usually a lover of Vichyssoise, but this was amazing and refreshing.
- Char-grilled Bison Ribe-Eye with creamy leek fondue, roasted carnival cauliflower, Romanesco and port wine-goat cheese butter (New) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
Bison: canola, salt, pepper, onion, garlic; Leek fondue: heavy cream, goat cheese; Romanesco: roasted and salted; port wine-goat cheese butter: butter, shallots, port wine.
- Goat Cheese Creamsicle Pop: Goat cheese Crémeux, orange cream, olive oil cake, cranberry sauce, and praline (New)
Omit the cake for GF – it contains flour, corn, egg, sugar, dairy, almond extract. The pop contains goat cheese, heavy cream, gelatin, sugar, yogurt, and in the orange part, orange compound and food starch. Cranberry sauce contains corn and sugar; praline contains sugar, nuts, possibly dairy.
Springtime Menu (available April 10 through May 21)
- Grilled Vegetable Bruschetta with marinated peppers, zucchini, squash, artichokes, goat cheese, and balsamic glaze on grilled ciabatta (New)
- Herb-crusted Spring Lamb with marble potatoes, spring vegetables, and red wine butter sauce
- Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-down Cake with crème fraîche whipped cream
Summer Solstice Menu (available May 22 through July 4)
- Tomato and Cornbread Panzanella with burrata cheese and fresh basil
- Barbecue Seared Pork Tenderloin with summer succotash, herb butter, and grapefruit vinaigrette (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- A Whole Lotta Melon: Feta cheesecake with watermelon curd, pickled watermelon rind, watermelon caramel, and compressed watermelon (New) (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Cider House (United Kingdom)
- BLT Scone with Nueske’s applewood-smoked bacon, sundried tomato, and basil (New)
Gluten, dairy, sugar. Marmalade has onion, garlic, sugar, apple cider vinegar.
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart with whipped cream
Gluten, dairy, soy, egg, sugar, gelatin, red flood color, corn.
Northern Bloom (Canada)
- Seared Scallops with French green beans, butter potatoes, brown butter vinaigrette, and applewood-smoked bacon (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
The scallops contain only salt, pepper, and canola. There is dairy in the vinaigrette.
- Beef Tenderloin Tips, Mushroom Bordelaise Sauce, and Whipped Potatoes with garden vegetables
The gluten here is in the sauce, which you may be able to omit at the booth – ask. The beef has onion and canola. The sauce also contains gluten, shallots, garlic, corn, and soy. The potatoes contain dairy. The demi-glace contains corn. There are micro chives on top.
- Griddled Maple Pound Cake with warm peach compote and sweet corn gelato
This dessert contains gluten, egg, dairy, corn, sugar, and, in the gelato, corn, sugar, dairy, dextrose, and food coloring.
Jardin de Fiestas (Mexico)
- Enchilada de Mole Negro: Chipotle chicken in a corn tortilla with mole negro, avocado mousse, crema Mexicana, and queso fresco (New) (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
We all know this to be my favorite booth at the festivals for all their yummy GF offerings. You cannot omit the dairy in this dish. It contains onion, garlic, corn, dairy, chocolate, tomato, tomatillo, sesame, almond, cinnamon, cumin, agave, chicken stock, pepper. The avocado mousse contains cilantro, lime, serrano peppers, almonds, tree nuts, and sesame.
- Taco Vampiro: Barbacoa beef in a corn tortilla with crispy grilled Monterey jack cheese, salsa ranchera, and esquites (New) (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
The beef contains ancho peppers, onion, and garlic. The esquites use mayo that contains chipotle and egg. The only corn is in the torilla. There is also tomato, onion, serrano pepper, and cilantro.
- Tostada de Chorizo: Plant-based Chorizo and black beans on a crispy corn tortilla with avocado mousse and queso fresco (New) (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Surprisingly my favorite of the three items (although I loved them all), you will find corn, vegan chorizo, and the same items from the avocado mousse.
Hanami (Japan)
- Frushi: Strawberry, pineapple, and cantaloupe wrapped in sweet rice and pink soy wrap served with whipped cream, berry sauce, and toasted coconut
Rice, coconut, sugar, lots of chemicals, dextrose, corn starch, cochineal extract (color), artificial flavors and colors.
- Chicken Yakitori: Grilled chicken with scallions, red pepper-shoyu emulsion, and pickled onions
Did not get info, but not GF.
- Beef Tataki: Seared sirloin with red shiso sauce, watermelon radish, and sprouts
Soy, wheat, MSG, egg, corn, preservatives, food colors – just way too much to list.
Fleur de Lys (France)
- Croissant au Fromage de Chèvre, Herbes et Ail Rôtie: Croissant with goat cheese, herbs, and roasted garlic (New)
The croissant contains gluten (flour), sugar, yeast, dairy, eggs. The cheese filling contains goat cheese, cream, sour cream, cornstarch, garlic, pepper, salt, and herbs.
- Pan Bagnat Classique: The Niçoise Sandwich with house-made bread, albacore tuna mayonnaise, tomato, black olives, lettuce, and celery (New)
The bread contains flour. The sauce contains garlic, herbs, pepper, mustard, and lemon juice. The mayonnaise contains soy, egg, corn syrup, vinegar, and spices. The tuna is in olive oil.
- Beignet Caramélisé, Fourré Crème Vanille, Glacé au Caramel Fleur de Sel: Caramelized Beignet filled with vanilla cream and glazed with caramel fleur de sel
Contains gluten, dairy, sugar, and more!
- Salade de Lentilles à la Lyonnaise: French Green Lentil Salad with bacon and garlic sausage (New)
It turns out that this dish (at the time of tasting) did not contain gluten. It does contain olive oil, onions, garlic, cumin, mustard, red vinegar, bacon, bay leaves, salt, pepper, carrots, celery, lentils. The sausage contains pork, salt, dairy, garlic, sugar, pepper, caraway, allspice, garlic, nutmeg, coriander, and sodium nitrate. I loved the lentils – not the sausage. Because of being made on shared equipment, it is not labeled gluten-friendly.
Gluten-Friendly Beverages at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2022
Here are some gluten-friendly beverages from the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2022 to try:
Flavor Full Kitchen – Blood Orange Aqua Fresca
Sunshine Griddle – Joffrey’s Coffee Cold Brew Cocktail with milk, rum and coffee liqueur, and vanilla vodka
Honey Bee-stro – Honey-Peach Freeze
Citrus Blossom – Orange-Lemon Smoothie, Orange Sunshine Wine Slushy
Pineapple Promenade – Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade
Trowel & Trellis – Twinings Energizing Matcha Cranberry & Lime Green Tea
Magnolia Terrace – Bayou Cocktail
Tangierine Café – Pomegranate Mimosa
La Isla Fresca – Tropical Breeze
Farmer’s Feast – Hibiscus Lemonade Cocktail
Northern Bloom – Maple Popcorn Shake (NOT with maple rye whiskey!!!)
There you have it, our review of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2022. Enjoy!