Top Reasons Why I Love EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival

Each year I wait in anticipation to see what’s coming to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival-- one of the amazing special events at Walt Disney World every year. Starting on August 30 and running through November 12 this year, you can sample appetizer sized entrees and wine/beer from around the world. So why do I love it so much?

The Food
The food is amazing! With over 30 food and wine booths, there is sure to be something for everyone to try. Grab a little food guide when you enter EPCOT. It will list all the booths and what they are selling. While you might expect only to sample dishes from the countries around the world, that is true, but they also have booths for lots of other countries and regions like Korea, Ireland, India, Spain, and many more. To add to that, they have booths with different cuisines, like Flavors from Fire or Dine Studio. If you aren’t too sure, each booth has a sample you can look at before buying, usually around where you would pick up your food.
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Most dishes are $8 and under. You can pay with your Magic Band if you have charging permissions, but they also take Apple Pay, credit cards and cash. And if you forget to pick up the guide, each booth also has a menu posted nearby with everything they offer and the price.
Some of my favorites from last year include piggie wings, liquid nitro chocolate-almond truffle, beef skewer with a salad, sweet pancake with chipotle chicken sausage, and too many to list them all!

The Wine
It wouldn’t be a festival without a sample of the wine, beer and other liquors from around the world. Each booth has wines from their region that pair well with the food they are offering. Some even have beer that you can order in a flight, which is a sampling of several beers on a tray. Oh, and if you are like me, there are some mix drinks like margaritas from both Mexico and Italy! Or even an adult’s only milkshake.

A good way to get with this and not spill wine is to bring or buy an appetizer plate from the Festival Center that has a cut out for your beverage cup and a flat area for your food. This way you don’t have to juggle things because we don’t have enough hands!

The Entertainment
Eat to the Beat lets you get your groove on in the America Gardens Theatre. Enjoy music major recording artists or groups on rotation every 2-3 nights. Come back multiple nights to see different artist or each night to relive the concert again!
Want more? We can help you sign up for an Eat to the Beat Dining Package where you can enjoy a meal at select EPCOT restaurants and receive guaranteed seating at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series.

Showtimes are 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm and 8:00 pm each evening. Grab a drink and some eats and rock the night away!

Seminars and Demos
The Food and Wine Festival offers seminars and demos to fit everyone’s budget! From Cheese Seminars to Culinary Demonstrations to Wine Pairings, you can’t go wrong. There are even Celebrity Chefs that offer unique seminars like a Sunday brunch. It is recommended that you have a reservation in advance for these, but it never hurts to try the Festival Center to see if anything is available.

What about the kids?
Kids aren’t left out! Besides kid friendly foods and shakes, but they also offer events and activities geared just for them.

• Playground – there is a special playground put together just for kids to run around in. Take a break and let them have some fun while burning off that extra energy.
• Junior Chef Kitchen presented by Krusteaz where your little chef can make and eat their own creations. It’s complimentary every Sunday at the Festival Center
• Remy’s Ratatouille Hide ‘n’ Squeak Scavenger Hunt – explore the world in search of Remy hiding in savory places.
• Disney Du Jour Dance Party – on Friday and Saturday night, kids get to have a dance party to Radio Disney, while showing Disney Characters their own dance moves.

Light Lab
The Light Lab is a fun lab where everything glows in the dark! Last year they even had a Glownut, which was a glow in the dark donut. The lab features beverages that both kids and adults will love while offering a groovy theme that my kids really loved!

Running Off the Calories!
November 1-4, 2018 is the time to burn all those calories by running in the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend. Several races are available, but only one of them gets you into the Post Race Party at EPCOT with special entertainment, select attractions and all the 30+ food booths! Start in the Magic Kingdom Parking Lot and finish at EPCOT.  And don’t forget, you get a medal at the end of the race!

There’s still time!
The festival doesn’t open until August 30 and runs through November 12, 2018. There is still time to book a trip or weekend to sample all that EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival has to offer. Contact Whitney World Travel to start your trip around the world of EPCOT!

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​About the Author:

​Shari Jung, Travel Advisor
Shari grew up where vacations were a mix of local venues and big city tours. When she met the love of her life, he introduced her to Disney World for their honeymoon and she was instantly hooked. More than 30 Disney trips later, Shari has made it her mission to plan great family vacations where the magic last long after returning home. No matter what Disney Destination you are interested in, she brings her personal experience to bear to help plan the perfect trip. Shari has lived her entire life in southern Indiana, where she resides with her husband of 22 years and three children. She is a graduate from the University of Southern Indiana.