The Best Way to Snack Around the World Showcase

It’s become quite popular to “drink around the world” in EPCOT’s World Showcase. Guests arrive to the Park on a mission, many wearing homemade t-shirts, some even help track their progress as they journey from Mexico to Canada. Don’t even get me started when the Wine Festival is in full swing. So while drinking around the world is an adventure in and of itself, you’ll certainly need a snack or two along the way to keep you going. Or if drinking around the world isn’t your thing, just focus on the snacks. Luckily we have some tips for the best way to tackle your snack adventure.

There are several things to consider in order to enjoy the best way to snack around the World Showcase. First, there are so many foods to pick from, it can make it really hard to choose. Second, there’s the cost, and it can really add up. And third, there’s so much to try, but only so much room in your stomach. When taking these three things into account, it certainly helps to plan ahead.

One more thing – you may want to consider if you want to start at the Mexico Pavilion or the Canada Pavilion.

Create a Snack Menu

As you’re planning for your Walt Disney World vacation, take some extra time to find out what all the different snacks are across the World Showcase. This will help you to get an idea of what is offered and what you want to try. Planning ahead will let you map out your snack plan so you’re not wasting time trying to decide on the spot, blankly staring at the menu. It’s also helpful to know ahead of time so you know what you’re planning to eat at each country so you don’t get too full to fast.

If you want to get really fancy, make an excel spreadsheet that includes a column for must tries and another for foods you’d like to try but you would be okay if you don’t get to them. Doing this will let you know ahead of time how many snacks you want to try and how much they cost (but more on that later).

On your spreadsheet, it’s also helpful to include what country each snack is in and where. Many of the pavilions have more than one spot to grab a drink or snack – many are quick service kiosks. By noting the location, you’ll save yourself even more time. The last thing to include is the cost of the item. This will also come in handy as you plan out your snacking financial budget.

Budget your Snacking Journey

There are so many tips and hacks out there when it comes to doing Disney World on a budget. When it comes to snacking around the World Showcase, the best one is to stock up on Disney gift cards throughout the year before you plan to be at Walt Disney World. There are many different strategies when it comes to the Disney gift card hack. In this case, why not slowly acquire Disney gift cards and use those toward (or for your entire) snacking budget?

There are two ways to go about your snack budget plan. The first one is to decide what your max monetary budget is, and fit the snacks into it. The second is to put all of your must-have snacks on your menu to get your total, and then start to eliminate the ones you feel like you can sacrifice from the list. Well, there is a third option, which is throw all caution to the wind and get ALL the foods – but your stomach and wallet may or may not be able to handle that. The method you go with it totally up to you!

Quick note – if you decide to use your Disney Dining Plan, be sure to spend your snack points on items that have a higher dollar value

Pace Yourself for the Sake of your Stomach

No one wants to nurse a tummy ache while enjoying a day at EPCOT. So while it is vacation, and you deserve to treat yo self, don’t forget to pace yourself as you snack around the World Showcase. A few tips here. The first one is to not plan to eat any “real meals” that day. You have so many interesting foods to try from all around the world that you don’t want to waste precious tummy space with a plain old ice cream cone or quick service chicken nuggets (not throwing shade here, just trying to stay focused on the mission).

The second tip is to share snacks with your party. If you’re with your own family, perhaps each person picks an item from a country (depending on your monetary budget) and then you all get the chance to take a bite of what everyone else got. If you’re with a party that’s outside of your family, do the same thing. Sometimes sharing with multiple parties is better because the spending comes from multiple households. Regardless, sharing snacks will allow you to try more than one food while not getting too full from eating multiple full portions at each stop. Also, it makes for a fun ongoing conversation as to what the best EPCOT snack is!

Recommended Snacks

We would be doing you a disservice if we didn’t include some of our favorite World Showcase snack items. So here you go, we think these are some of the best snacks from each country:

• Mexico Pavilion – Empanadas con Queso (savory); Churro (sweet)
• Norway Pavilion (Kringla Bakeri og Kafe)- Ham and Apple Sandwich (savory); School Bread (sweet)
• China Pavilion (Lotus Blossom Cafe)- Pork and Vegetable Egg Rolls (savory); Caramel Ginger Ice Cream (sweet)
• Germany Pavilion – Nudel Gratin (savory); Pretzel bread pudding (sweet)
• Italy Pavilion – Slice of Pizza (savory); Cannoli (sweet)
• American Adventure Pavilion (Regal Eagle) – Honestly, just skip this one unless you’re in the mood to pick up a hot dog or funnel cake
• Japan Pavilion (Katsura Grill) – Sushi (savory); Kaki Gori (sweet)
• Morocco Pavilion (Tangierine Cafe) – Kabobs (savory); Baklava (sweet)
• France Pavilion (Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie) – Croque Monsieur (savory); Napoleon (sweet)
• United Kingdom Pavilion (Crown Pub) – Fish and Chips (savory); not much in the line of sweets, so maybe grab a beer
• Canada Pavilion – Poutine (savory); Cronut (sweet) *(Le Cellier Steakhouse is amazing, but you may not have the stomach budget on a snack around the world day)

If you’re going to be snacking and/or drinking around the World Showcase, you’re likely having a pretty leisurely day in the beautiful Walt Disney World. So take your time and enjoy each country’s pavilion. They’re beautiful and have so much to offer. Beyond the food, the shops are fantastic and the architecture is beautiful with so much detail to admire. There are many great spots to take photos as well as sit and relax. If you happen to be there during the annual Garden Festival, then you’ll have even more to enjoy!

If you have kids with you, make sure you stop at each Pavilion for the Kidcot Fun Stop, there they can have fun making country-specific crafts. Also, be sure to grab a pamphlet when you enter the park so you have the entertainment schedule with you. Each country has multiple shows and performances, depending on the day, and you won’t want to miss them! Happy snacking!