I Ate EVERYTHING From Epcot’s Cheese Stroll So You Don’t Have To
With over 30 food booths to enjoy at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, there is certainly a LOT to eat, but did you know that you can get a prize just by eating certain items?
Emile’s Fromage Montage
Or as I lovingly call it: The Cheese Stroll. There are 14 dishes that are a part of the cheese stroll that you can try and once you try at least five, you get a completer prize treat!
You can do any combination of dishes, so five different items or a few of the same, just so long as you get a total of five! When you purchase a dish, you’ll get a stamp in the back of your festival passport so that you can show it as proof for your completer treat.
We tried EVERY dish on the cheese stroll so that we can help you decide what is worth trying and what can be a skip. Let’s dig in!
Check out our FULL VIDEO where we tried all these items!
Macatizers
There are FOUR items from this booth that are eligible for the cheese stroll, so you can choose one or get all four! Each one that you get does count for a separate stamp, so if you do get more than one, you will get more than one stamp.
First up the Traditional Mac & Cheese. This one is the least expensive option coming in at $5.50 and features a delicious cheddar cheese mac with a herb and panko breading on top. We enjoyed this one alot! It was very cheesy and simple and the herb’s gave it a little extra flavor. If you have a picky eater, you can also ask them to skip the panko.
Next is the Truffle Mac & Cheese. This one was a personal fav of ours! You definitely need to like truffle - the truffle taste isn’t super strong, but it is prominent. We also noticed that the actual mac & cheese was more of a white cheddar giving it a little bit different flavor. This as well as the other two mac & cheese dishes all come in at $6.50 each.
The Cheesesteak Mac & Cheese has been pretty popular, but unless you are a BIG fan of peppers and onions, we were not fans. The flavor of those overwhelm the dish and although the mac & cheese is yummy, it’s the same one as the traditional, so we personally would opt for that. This one does give you a pretty good portion and if you are a cheesesteak fan, you may really like this.
And finally the IMPOSSIBLE Chili Mac & Cheese. This one took us by surprise! This is a plant based option so very different from the rest, but the flavor was amazing! The chili was similar to a beef and bean style chili (minus actual beef of course) and it also has sour cream and Fritos for some extra crunch. This one was a VERY close second to the truffle and is absolutely a must try!
Festival Favorites
I was really excited to try the BBQ Pork Rinds and Pimento Cheese from this booth, but was left… unimpressed. The pimento was ok, but very heavy on the mayo. The pork rinds had a great flavor, but were hard as a rock! Coming in at $5.00 the portion was decent on this, but this one overall was just meh.
Germany
The Schinkennudeln took us by surprise! We had this several years ago and it was AWFUL. It seemed like it had been sitting awhile and the cheese had congealed while the onions were super overpowering. However, people always RAVE about this one, so we finally decided to give it another try! We got a much more fresh serving and it was probably the cheesiest thing we had all day! It was giving a very breakfast casserole taste but in the best way. The bits of ham gave it a nice flavor and the onions were not nearly as noticeable, so I would definitely consider this one! It’s a great option for picky eaters or kiddos as the flavors are very friendly. Coming in at $5.25, it’s not a bad price for the portion either.
The Alps
Now a dish that did NOT redeem itself is the Raclette Cheese. This is a serving of potatoes, bread, and cornichons with a big glob of melty swiss that they scrape right off the block. Sounds great… but the cheese hardens up WAY too fast and it makes the entire area around that pavilion smell so gross. There are two options for this dish, one with ‘alpine ham’ (aka a slice of deli meat) and one without, but honestly of anything these are a huge skip for me. The option with ham runs you $5.75 and the one without is $5.25.
Spain
The Spanish Charcuterie from this booth was a dish I was really excited about, but I think we might have gotten a bad batch that had been sitting out awhile. I would definitely get this one again as the flavor of the cheese mixed with the tomate on toast was so yummy! The prosciutto was a little on the dry side, but again, I think we may have just gotten a bad batch. This one is on the ‘pricier’ end of $6.50, but if you are a charcuterie fan, definitely get this one!
Greece
The Griddled Cheese here is a classic, but an absolutely MUST get! This is a slab of cheese that has been griddled to give it a crispy caramelized crust. Topped with pistachios and honey, this one is a great one to get if you want to be a little adventurous but still like familiar flavors. This gives a great balance of sweet and savory and it’s a favorite of ours for sure. This one is priced at $5.00 so that’s not bad either!
Brazil
The Pao de Queijo is a fan favorite and an excellent option for picky eaters! This is Brazillian Cheese Bread and when you get it fresh, it’s pretty tasty! I will say that the ones that we got this year were piping hot, so much better than usual. These aren’t our personal favorite as they are pretty bland, but they are a picky eater’s dream. Also priced at $5.00 you get two little cheese bread balls, so it’s a great dish for sharing too.
Hawaii
The Passion Fruit Cheesecake is another classic that they’ve had for a few years and for good reason! This is light and refreshing and an excellent option on a warm day. The flavors of the passion fruit aren’t too overwhelming, and the macadamia nuts are served on the side, so it’s easy to skip those if you aren’t a fan of nuts. There are two cheesecake options on this stroll (I’ll get to the second in a moment) but coming in at $5.00 I think this is an excellent one to choose!
Milled & Mulled
There are a few new booths this year and they include items for the cheese stroll too! The Boursin Fig and Balsamic Cheesecake is the perfect autumnal take on a cheesecake. You really get a great spice cake type flavor while not being an overly rich or heavy desert. I will say that if you aren’t super into fall spices or flavors, you may opt for the passion fruit cheesecake, but if you want a little more unique flavors, we loved this one! This dish comes in a $5.25.
Forest & Field
And last but not least, we have the brand new Pumpkin Mascarpone Ravioli! This was another tasty fall treat that had kind of a surprising flavor. There was a great blend of savory from the ravioli and a little bit of sweet from the hazelnut praline. My only complaint was that for $5.25 the serving was way too small. BUT I would absolutely get it again in a heartbeat!
Completer Prize
Wow… That was a lot of cheese, but it was WORTH IT for the completer prize! This year it is a blueberry cheesecake soft serve and it is SO delicious! It comes swirled in a souvenir plastic cup and is topped with - you guessed it - another little piece of cheesecake! The best part is that you get this item FREE when you complete your cheese stroll. Simply show your stamped book to a cast member at the Shimmering Sips booth and they’ll get you your treat.
A Few Tips
Pace yourself! We did this over the course of two days and it was A LOT of dairy. Granted we ate every item (I don’t recommend doing that) but even with just five, it’s a good idea to pace yourself and don’t try to do it all too fast.
Sharing is caring! If you do want to try more items, consider sharing! You’ll save room in your stomach and also your wallet if you aren’t buying the same item for each person in your party. Although, no judgement if you don’t want to share!
Budget is your best friend. It can be really easy to get carried away with the spending when dishes are only around five bucks! Plan what items you want to try beforehand so that you have a plan and don’t go overboard!
Want a little more help with this? In my Ultimate Guide to Food & Wine Festival, you’ll get a list of all the booth menus with pricing, a budget worksheet, PLUS lots of tips and tricks to planning your festival day and more.
