Epcot’s Festival of the Arts features a BRAND NEW food station celebrating South American cuisine and the artistry of Mary Blair. Inspired by the color schemes and native styles of the continent, Blair was a Disney legend who created concept art for multiple films, such as Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. Introducing Vibrante & Vívido – Located between France and Morocco in the World Showcase!
Vibrante & Vívido Menu
The menu features a variety of culinary samples, including a Chilled Seafood Cocktail, warm and savory Blue Corn Pupusa, and a sweet Passion Fruit Mousse. Beverage offerings include a non-alcoholic Coconut and Passion Fruit Smoothie as well as a more traditional Piña Colada and Passion Fruit Daiquiri.
To get a good sense of the available food, I tried the Chilled Seafood Cocktail and Blue Corn Pupusa.
Blue Corn Pupusa
From the menu:
Blue Corn Pupusa – Stuffed with cheese and topped with shredded pork, Guajillo and Árbol chili sauce, cabbage slaw, and Aji Amarillo crema.
I’m not usually much of a pork fan, so I didn’t have high hopes for this dish. But I LOVED it! The sauce had just enough kick to be interesting (but not too spicy for those preferring mild seasonings), and the cabbage slaw brightened up the heavy pork flavor. The pupusa is well-stuffed with cheese. You can definitely taste it throughout most bites. Additionally, Disney provides a fairly heavy portion for the price – giving this dish an amazing value AND taste!
Chilled Seafood Cocktail
From the menu:
Chilled Seafood Cocktail – with octopus, scallops, shrimp, black garlic aioli, tomato-coconut sauce and Serrano-lime oil
Seafood (particularly shellfish) is one of my favorite things, but I was really disappointed with this dish. The octopus and scallops were too chewy for me, and the aioli had a sticky texture with zero flavor. I’m not sure I received any tomato-coconut sauce or Serrano-lime oil on my plate. If it was there, I didn’t notice it. Your money is better spent on a different seafood dish – such as the sushi doughnut at Goshiki near Japan.
Final Thoughts
While I had differing opinions on the tastes and values of these samples, they were both absolutely beautiful dishes! I almost didn’t want to eat them as the plated colors and presentation were so captivating. Vibrante and Vívido is an awesome addition to the Festival of the Arts and well worth a visit!
