The Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros

You enter the Mexican Pavilion at Epcot through a replica of a pyramid shaped  Aztec temple. The first thing you encounter upon entering the pavilion is a beautiful exhibit of Animales Fantasticos or The Spirits in Wood. These beautiful wood carvings are a folk art found in the villages surrounding Oaxaca, Mexico. As you go further into the pavilion you feel like you have stepped into a Mexican village marketplace and there are plenty of wares for sale. Keep walking and you will come to San Angel Inn, the pavilion’s restaurant and to your left is “Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros!” A leisurely boat ride featuring Donald Duck, José Carioca , and Panchito  from the Disney film “The Three Caballeros.” This ride seldom has a line and it is a great way to relax and escape from the Florida heat.

The Mexico pavilion at Epcot is a loud, dimly lit peek into Mexican culture and cuisine and should not be skipped on your tour of World Showcase.

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Overlooking World Showcase Lagoon, the lakeside house or “La Hacienda” is a 250-seat table service restaurant, while La Cantina” is a 150-seat quick service restaurant.

The event started at La Cantina where we were greeted by a lively mariachi band and servers with trays full of food and beverages to sample. We don’t drink alcohol to the endless supply of Margaritas didn’t interest but we did enjoy the fruity agua fresco. We spent about an hour mingling and sampling Mexican delicacies like the Empanadas de Queso, Chiles toreados y chorizitos, Tacos de Camarones, Pedcado a la Talla and Tacos de carne.

My favorites were the Tacos de Camarones (shrimp tacos) pictured above and the Empanadas de Queso which were creamy and cheesy…with a kick. My least favorite was the Tacos de Carne, which were tasy but too dry for my palatte.

We were later led into La Hacienda which is beautifully decorated with a perfect balance of relaxing muted walls and festive accents and lighting fixtures. I love the fact that each room in La Hacienda had a different style of lighting fixture and each was beautiful in its own way.

La Cantina de San Angel, the counter service restaurant, opens daily at 11am and will serve both lunch and dinner. The menu features many traditional favorites including chicken and beef tacos on fresh, handmade corn tortillas, nachos, cheese empanadas, guacamole and chips, with warm churros and Mexican popsicles. La Cantina offers a selection of Margaritas, sodas, agua fresco, jarritos, pink lemonade, water and iced trea to cool you off on a hoy Florida day.

La Hacienda, the table service restaurant, opens daily for dinner at 4pm and accepts Advanced Dining Reservations. The menu features a mixed grill for two with flank steak, chicken, chorizo and vegetables or a seafood version with grouper, shrimp and scallops as well as Tacos de Camarones, Arrachera and more.

Perched on World Showcase Lagoon, the patio of La Cantina is the perfect place to watch Illuminations Reflections of Earth we were able to grab a table and watch the evening’s extravaganza in comfort.

We will definitely return to La Cantina and La Hacienda de San Angel on future trips to Epcot.  I can’t wait to share these traditional Mexican delicacies with the rest of my family.

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This week’s criteria for the Random Picture Challenge at 4 little men & girly twins was:

February 2008 or 17th Folder

33 Picture

This picture was taken October 12, 2007 at Epcot in the Mexican Pavillion. It was the first time we had ridden the newly renovated “Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros”. We were at Epcot with my mother for Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival.

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