How to Get the Most out of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival
Since 1995 Disney World guests have been enjoying food and drink from around the world at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. This year’s epicurean celebration is the longest one yet, from August 29 through November 23. Your Epcot park ticket is all you need to enjoy this popular event.
Where is the festival?
The Food and Wine Festival takes place at more than thirty Global Marketplace booths set up throughout the park. Guests can enjoy interesting and unique cuisines from around the world. The food and drinks come in small sizes, so you can sample many tasty treats, and most are between $4 and $9. Menus from all the marketplace booths are available online, and with more than 200 items available, it makes sense to make a list before your visit of items you most want to try.
How do I know what’s available?
In addition to finding the menu offerings online, festival passports are available all over Epcot. The passports are free and list detailed menus for all the festival booths, as well as stickers to help keep track of the booths you’ve visited. It’s fun to take the passport home as a souvenir when you leave.
Booths for the 2019 festival include: Active Eats, Africa, The Alps (NEW), Appleseed Orchard (NEW), Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brewer’s Collection, Canada, The Cheese Studio, China, The Chocolate Studio, Coastal Eats, Earth Eats, Flavors from Fire, France, Germany, Greece, Hawaii, Hops & Barley, India, Ireland, Islands of the Caribbean, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Shimmering Sips Mimosa Bar, Spain, Thailand, and Wine & Dine Studio.
Can I use the dining plan?
Guests who have purchased the dining plan can use a snack credit on most items, even those that are $8 or more. Using snack credits at the festival really helps maximize the value of the credit. You can also swap one quick-service dining credit for three snack credits
What else is there to do?
Want to improve as a chef or sommelier? Enjoy cooking demonstrations, mixology lectures, cheese seminars, and lessons in food and wine pairings. Some of these do require reservations and may require an additional charge. Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It offers hands-on lessons from experts. Learn how to make your own sushi, create party-worthy appetizers, take your cocktails to the next level, how to paint with chocolate, and more!
Food and Beverage Pairings allow guests to learn from a featured chef and beverage presenter as well as taste the goodies. Sunday brunch with the chef brings in experts like Jamie Deen, Carla Hall, Buddy Valastro, and Fabio Viviani. New this year is Tailgate Tastings. Football fans can enjoy food and drink from the cities of the teams that will be playing in that week’s Monday Night Football game.
Is there anything special for kids?
This is Disneyworld, so of course the kids aren’t left out! Younger guests will enjoy Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak Scavenger Hunt, searching for statues of Remy “hidden” through the World Showcase. Children can learn to make candy sushi from a Disney chef. And the Disney du Jour Dance Party will feature either a DJ or a Radio Disney star for the musical fun.
What about entertainment?
The Eat to the Beat Concert series brings a classic American band or artist to the festival each night. Guests can enjoy a variety of performers, from pop, rock, country, Christian, R&B, swing, and Latin artists. This year’s performers include Lauren Daigle, Kenny G, Billy Ocean, and Boyz II Men.
Anything else?
The Food and Wine Festival is a great group trip – girls trip, couples trip, empty-nester trip, or any group of friends. Matching tshirts are very popular. If you search for “Epcot Food and Wine Festival” on etsy, you’ll see everything from “Eat, Drink, and See the World” to “Snacking Around the World” and “Food, Wine, and Mickey.”
If you’re interested in visiting the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, contact Vacations by Shannon for free Disney vacation planning.