Review: Refreshment Outpost 2018 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

While Refreshment Outpost is open all year, it adds a couple of Festival-exclusive offerings.

One other thing to potentially keep in mind is that Disney reduces the size of the beers at most of the Epcot kiosks and quick services and eliminates virtually all of the larger souvenir cup options. Thus, Bud Light is “only” $5.50 compared to the usual $7.50 price. I think you also have to question the choice of font on a menu that’s already kind of hard to read. “What if we just sort of obscure 25% of it.”

Spicy Hot Dog with Kimchi and Mustard Sauce — $6.75

The hot dog itself has a nice spicy kick to it with a little bit of a snap to each bite, but the overwhelming amount of toppings made for a pretty serious mess. The bun in particular failed to keep everything together and the heavy amount of sauce quickly created a scene so soggy that even your intrepid blogger had difficulty managing it. But underneath the sourness of the cabbage and the creaminess of the sauce, we still enjoyed the overall spicy flavor. It’s just much more of a fork and knife situation than you might be expecting, particularly if you’re planning on eating on the go. Still, you’re looking at a pretty good value and there’s typically a short wait to order. Unlike the Marketplaces, the Outpost also serves free cups of ice water.

Taste: 6/10

Value: 7/10

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky & Frozen Coke – $11

On one hand, this is exactly what it sounds like, but on the other hand, the fact that Bain’s is a real life African whiskey is kind of cool. The nuance of the spirit is of course lost when mixed with the Coke, but this is a refreshing drink with a real whiskey presence. Ours was nicely mixed with a heavy pour and ended up being one of my favorite drinks of the Festival. It should last a while too as it’s not poured into those sad 4-ounce cups.

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Here we are with the perfect pairing – a Bain’s up front and the Brown Elephant in back, which is the same Frozen Coke mixed with creamy, fruity Amarula Liqueur. It’s Erin’s favorite drink at Epcot and one that’s worth seeking out during the Festival.

Overall, a stop at the Refreshment Outpost probably isn’t a Food and Wine Festival requirement, but there are several good options here and lines are typically short, even when Epcot is busy. If you’re after a frozen drink, this is a better bet than a lot of the Festival offerings that are much smaller portions for similar money.

Africa is up next with the review here.