Sweets & Treats Review: Epcot Holidays Festival

Sweets & Treats is our next food booth at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, located in World Showcase Plaza. In this Walt Disney World dining review, we’ll share menu info, plus photos of the snacks and desserts, and tasting notes.

Really, Holiday Sweets & Treats is more the location for the completer cookie than it is a standalone food booth. Accordingly, let’s start with a discussion of the Holiday Cookie Stroll.

It was not my idea to do this holiday cookie stroll. Others in our group were really into it, though. Someone even suggested buying a jar for them…I guess to save as a memento, or something? (I kindly advised them that I didn’t think cookies, even collectible Epcot ones, appreciate in value.)

I have to admit that I felt slightly vindicated, if not annoyed, when we returned to the Holiday Sweets & Treats completer cookie window with our completed cookie stroll paperwork, all properly in order, only to find that the completer cookie was also “sold out.” For those keeping score at home, that’s the third cookie of the day that was sold out. (I guess they weren’t making enough Publix runs to replenish the stash.)

Upon returning 15 minutes later, we were awarded a Mickey Mouse shaped sugar cookie and a bottle of milk. I guess it was nice to get something “free” from Walt Disney World, but the downside is that we bought several cookies that we could’ve just as easily gotten at the grocery store for a lot less.

In fairness, $2 per cookie is not bad by Walt Disney World standards. In fact, these might just be the cheapest food items you can purchase at Epcot. On the other hand, if you’re paying a premium for food in the parks, why not at least go for something more ambitious or unique?

Instead of viewing this as $2 individual cookies, think of it as a set of 6 for $10. The cookies are all so small that it’s pointless to eat just one, anyway. At the $10 mark, there are countless items we’d recommend over this set of cookies. The poutine, fondue, cronuts, or pretzel all would be cheaper–and better.

If your kids are really into scavenger hunts, we’d suggest doing Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree instead. At $7 for a map, you’ll spend less, have a more satisfying experience, and receive a better prize.

Anyway…here’s what’s on the food menu at the Sweets & Treats Holiday Kitchen:

  • Peppermint Sundae: Chocolate Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, and Peppermint Candy (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (Kid-Approved)
  • Holiday Tree Sugar Cookie (Vegetarian)
  • Holiday Cookie Stroll Completer Cookie — Red and Green Mickey Sugar Cookie (Vegetarian)

Now our photos and reviews of each item…

Peppermint Sundae – I was hoping for a bit more here, as this is simply chocolate soft serve topped with regular whipped cream and peppermint so finely grounded that it’s essentially powder. If you brought the peppermint candy from home, this is the type of thing you could get any day at Walt Disney World.

With that said, I love this. I’m a sucker for soft serve. It’s my guilty pleasure. It may be difficult to tell from the photo, but this was a fairly generous portion of ice cream, and the peppermint topping went surprisingly far in giving this a festive flair.

Holiday Tree Sugar Cookie – This was sold out the first time we stopped here, but I suspect you can summon the powers of your imagination and paint an accurate picture of what a Christmas tree-shaped cookie looks like.

Here’s the Sweets & Treats Holiday Kitchen drink menu:

  • Hot Cocoa
  • TG Lee Eggnog (non-alcoholic)
  • Chocolate Apple Shake featuring Twinings Winter Spice Tea (non-alcoholic)
  • Shipyard Eggnog White Porter, Clearwater, FL
  • Hot Cocoa with Assorted Cordials (Baileys Irish Cream, Frangelico Liqueur or Fireball Cinnamon Whisky)
  • Firenog: T.G. Lee Eggnog with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
  • Chocolate Apple Shake featuring Twinings® Winter Spice Tea and Butterscotch Schnapps

Overall, the only good reason to go to Holiday Sweets & Treats is if you’re looking for the familiar comfort of chocolate soft serve ice cream, or one of the various alcoholic drinks. For the reasons we’ve set forth, we’d discourage most people from doing the Holiday Cookie Stroll–unless you really enjoy cookie quests–and instead do Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree, if you’re looking for a scavenger hunt kind of experience.

Check out our Food Guide to the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays if you want to see and read more about every Holiday Marketplace this year, what to eat & avoid, and other tips for making the most of the culinary side of the event. As this event isn’t just about the cuisine, you’ll also want to read our full Epcot International Festival of the Holidays Tips & Tricks post for info about the non-culinary side of the festivities. That covers Candlelight Processional, the Illuminations: Peace on Earth tag, Holiday Storytellers, and more!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think of the Holiday Sweets & Treats? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of the Holiday Cookie Stroll? Think we’re being too hard on this fun and inexpensive activity? Have you tried any of the food items at this booth? What did you think of them? Questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

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