Welcome to The Painted Panda at the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Arts!

Located in the China Pavilion, The Painted Panda is one of the 18 Food Studios (also known as Food Booths) at the Festival. And if you’ve got a craving for Bao Buns, Bubble Milk Tea, or one of the prettiest cocktail you’ve ever seen, then this is your place. We hope you’ll join us at The Painted Panda as we bring you our full reviews of every single Food Studio at the Festival of the Arts!

Menu

The Painted Panda has brought back two dishes to the Festival with General Tso’s Chicken Shumai and the Egg Tart. Joining them is the new Char Siu Pork Bun. 

The Strawberry Bubble Milk Tea is a non-alcoholic option. But if you care to imbibe, two cocktails are up for grabs: Silk River Hard Lemonade and Butterfly Blue. Beer drinkers can try the Dragonfruit Lager. 

Let’s dig in and see what The Painted Panda has for us!

Eats

General Tso’s Chicken Shumai is back on the menu for $10.75. This trio of dumplings is filled with chicken, asparagus, onion, and water chestnut, then topped with General Tso’s sauce. 

We were expecting a thick, meatier dumpling here, which is what you get, but we were also surprised by how much we love the infusion of vegetables. They give a brightness and a crunch to the dumplings overall, and then there’s a salty flavor from the soy. This is a really solid dish!

The new Char Siu Pork Bun is here for the steamed bun fans! For $8.75, the bun is filled with sweet-and-savory Cantonese-style BBQ pork.

The main word that came to mind when eating this bun was “balance.” There’s a delicious, meaty, fatty flavor from the filling, but then the bun itself is soft with a little bit of chew. The sauce offers just enough coverage that it enhances instead of distracts. A truly spectacular menu addition!

The Hong Kong-style Egg Tart makes a return, too! This egg custard-filled tart is $5.50.

Unfortunately, there’s just not much that wows us about this dish. We find the mix of flavors and textures to be a bit off-putting.

It has a consistency similar to flan, but a taste reminiscent of eggs whipped into gelatin form. It’s not one we would go back for again when there are so many delightful dishes at the Festival.

Drinks

At The Painted Panda, the beverages are given the artistic treatment as much as the food, starting with the Strawberry Bubble Milk Tea. This non-alcoholic drink is $8.75.

It must have been a hit for The Painted Panda last year, because it’s one of the few featured Bubble Milk Teas that has returned to the booth for the second year in a row. And we understand why! The brightness of the strawberry so nicely complements the creaminess of the Milk Tea, while the popping boba pearls lend an element of fun.

The Silk River Hard Lemonade cocktail costs $14.50. This sweet sip is made with vodka, lavender-coconut syrup, and Minute Maid Premium Lemonade.

It’s like an alcoholic pink lemonade without the strong, bitter taste. The presentation is absolutely beautiful, and it has a lovely sweetness.

The Butterfly Blue is a returning favorite, and is known for being one of the prettiest sips at the Festival of the Arts! For $14.50, this Butterfly pea flower-infused cocktail features vodka, light rum, lychee syrup, and crystal boba pearls.

But this one comes with a warning from us…it will hit HARD. That vodka is STRONG, y’all, and it’s pretty alcohol-forward. We don’t recommend ordering this on an empty stomach or if you’re averse to the taste of vodka in general. If you’re a fan of that liqueur and a slight butterfly pea taste, you’ll love it!

The Dragonfruit Lager is also available at $6.00 for a 6-ounce pour or $11.00 for a 12-ounce pour. 

OVERALL

Ultimately, The Painted Panda is a strong contender at the Festival of the Arts, though it’s not quite up there with our top picks. If you’re a fan of dumplings and buns or drinks that’ll stun on your TikTok feed, this is a great stop. But if you skip it, are you missing out on a lot? Well, not really. Solid menu that probably won’t disappoint, but probably mid-tier.

Thanks so much for joining us at The Painted Panda! 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.

Which items from The Painted Panda would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments!