Disney4me Posted January 16 Report Posted January 16 Okay, friends, we’ve made it through dress rehearsal, and now it’s time for Opening Night… I mean, Opening Bites! Opening Bites Opening Bites is one of 18 Food Studios (also known as Food Booths) at the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Arts. You’ll find it at an outdoor window on the side of CommuniCore Hall in World Celebration. And, if you step inside the Hall after visiting the booth, you can enjoy the Festival’s walk-through exhibit: Once Upon a Stage: The Magic of Disney on Broadway! But before you do that, please join us at Opening Bites as we bring you our full reviews of every single Food Studio at the Festival of the Arts! Menu Disney shares that the dishes and drinks at Opening Bites are “all about paying homage to the foods and drinks immortalized onstage.” The food menu features two returning items: the Soft Shell Crab Slider and the Enchanted Rose. 2026 Opening Bites Menu Beer drinkers can try the Beer Flight featuring Crooked Can Brewing Company Fantasia Fusion IPA, von Trapp Brewing Bohemian Pilsner, and the Southern Tier Brewing Co. Caramel Cookie Bar Imperial Stout. Any of the beers can be ordered individually, as well. Or you can say “Cheers” with the Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve Champagne. Okay, let’s shine the spotlight on Opening Bites! Eats The Soft Shell Crab Slider is back on the menu at Opening Bites… claws and all! You might remember this vision from last year. Soft Shell Crab Slider Topped with a green papaya slaw and mango ketchup, it’s served on a sweet roll for $7.49. Soft Shell Crab Slider So, we once again enjoyed the crab slider for the most part this year – in fact, the bread may be even better this year! – and the fresh and tangy slaw really brings out the flavor of the crabmeat. However, that’s where our one issue with the dish comes in. There’s simply not enough crabmeat. What’s here is very good, but we find ourselves wanting more. The lovely Enchanted Rose has returned, as well, for $6.49. This dark chocolate mousse rose is an eligible item if you’re participating in the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine. Enchanted Rose It also happened to make our Best of the Fest list last year, so we were excited to try it again… and it was slightly different. This year’s version had no jam inside. However, this really wasn’t a discernible downgrade in our mind. The dish is still aesthetically adorable, capturing both the magic of Beauty and the Beast and the Festival of the Arts. It’s pretty darn cute Flavor-wise, the treat has a nice chocolate taste – the menu specifies it as dark chocolate, though it seemed more like a mix of milk and dark chocolate to us – with the added crunch of the cookie balancing with the mousse. Drinks Opening Bites is offering a Beer Flight for $12.75 again this year. Opening Bites Beer Flight The new brew in the trio is Southern Tier Brewing Co. Caramel Cookie Bar Imperial Stout, and it joins the returning Crooked Can Brewing Company Fantasia Fusion IPA and von Trapp Brewing Bohemian Pilsner. Those wanting to try just one may order a 6-ounce pour for $6.00 or a 12-ounce pour for $9.75 for any individual brew. Both the Crooked Can Brewing Company Fantasia Fusion IPA … Crooked Can Brewing Company Fantasia Fusion IPA … and the von Trapp Brewing Bohemian Pilsner are returning from last year’s menu, and both should satisfy fans of pilsners and IPAs, respectively. von Trapp Brewing Bohemian Pilsner The most interesting element of the flight was the Southern Tier Brewing Co. Caramel Cookie Bar Imperial Stout. This beer had a sweet fragrance to it that really captured the cookie flavor in the name. In fact, it’s so sweet that even those who don’t generally enjoy heavy stouts would probably enjoy it! Southern Tier Brewing Co. Caramel Cookie Bar Imperial Stout Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve Champagne is also available for $12.00 if you’re hoping to enjoy a little bubbly at the Festival! OVERALL Opening Bites is once again a solid booth. The crab slider, while a bit light on meat for our taste, is still a delicious bite thanks to its slaw. Meanwhile, the beer flight offers basics for pilsner and IPA fans, plus sweet stout is an interesting twist. It’s all capped off by the Enchanted Rose, which remains one of our favorite desserts at the fest even without the jam inside. Opening Bites Full Spread Thanks so much for joining us at Opening Bites! And remember, there’s a LOT more where this came from… Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Arts! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Arts? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Find out how to participate in the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Don’t miss the Festival’s Disney on Broadway Concert Series! See ALL of the menus for the Festival of the Arts Food Booths HERE And don’t forget to pick up our 2026 Festival of the Arts Guide e-book! See more details about the book below. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FESTIVAL DAYS DFB's guide to the Festival of the Arts details everything you need to know to maximize your time, budget, and stomach space! Know what's worth it and what to skip with our full-photo menus of each booth, complete with DFB's Best of the Fest. It includes all the must-have information for navigating this colorful festival at Disney World, including: Booth & food photos, maps, and crawls with DFB's exclusive recommendations! The COMPLETE schedule of events (so you don't have to go hunting for all the dates!) All the details on special events, artist meet-n-greets, festival-exclusive merchandise, and more! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Festival of the Arts INFO! See the FULL LIST of Food Booths, Menus, and Photos from the Festival of the Arts Read ALL of Our Food Booth Reviews for the Festival Learn More About the Disney on Broadway Concert Series and Dining Packages Click HERE for All of the Latest News and Details About the Festival of the Arts! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Festival of the Arts news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which items from Opening Bites would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article Quote
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