One of my favorite times to visit the Walt Disney World Resort is during the annual Epcot Internation Food & Wine Festival. This fall festival is full of global cuisines, concert series, and exclusive merchandise that you're going to love. Here are my tips for getting out there to #TasteEpcot. Special thanks to Disney for inviting my family to this event!
The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is a fan favorite each year for good reason. You can truly eat, drink, and be merry at the happiest place on Earth. With over 40 destinations with curated global menus with wine and cocktail pairings, you simply shouldn't miss this annual event. This year, the Food & Wine Festival runs from August 29th to November 23, 2019. Unlike Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, no special ticket is needed for this event. General admission to the park is all you need.
Know the crowds and weather and dress accordingly
In case this is your first visit to the festival, just know that the Food & Wine Festival is one of the busiest times of the year at Epcot. It's crowded for good reason since there is so much to taste and experience. Guests can eat and drink their way around the World Showcase with special food offerings created just for this event.
I took my two little ones to the festival on a Saturday and the crowds were to be expected. It was definitely busy and most of the food stands had a line of some sort but most people seemed to be a happy mood while navigating the park. It was hot outside, as to be expected in September in Florida, but October and November should be cooler.
Grab your passport
Be sure to grab your passport upon entry to the park. It's a great little pocket-size resource to all of the things you can do and experience at the Food & Wine Festival. The passport includes matching stickers so you can keep track of all the things you've done throughout the festival. It also details all of the fabulous food and beverage choices throughout the park so you can plan your trip around the World Showcase accordingly.
We tasted quite a few food items and cocktails and had quite a few favorites:
If you're feeling really adventurous, you can partake in even more regional cuisines with Epcot Specialty Dining and Pairings. This will be a bit of a splurge so plan accordingly. There's also the Party for the Senses on select Saturdays during the festival (this is a specially ticketed event with an additional cost).
Check out the special events on the day of your visit
You can also learn a lot during the Food & Wine Festival. Throughout the festival, there are special events in the World Showplace Events Pavillion, including culinary demos, beverage seminars, pairing suggestions, cheese seminars, and so much more. There's also a slew of celebrity chefs slated to attend the event. They'll be creating signature dishes, offering tips and tricks, performing live demonstrations and more.
Pick up your favorite festival merchandise
According to my kids, their favorite part of the Food & Wine Festival was the merchandise. We spent quite a while shopping for the exclusive festival merchandise at the Festival Markets. There were so many cute items and I could hardly decide what to get. This year, there are 5 different collections to shop from: Taste Your Way Around the World, Chef Mickey & Minnie, Recipe For a Figment, Brews Around the World, and Chef Remy.
The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Minnie Ears are always a favorite. They're so adorable this year!
I also loved these pie plates and all of the kitchen goodies.
Plan to attend the events just for kids
My kids also loved the special festival activities that were designed just for little ones. Their favorite was Remy's Ratatouille Hide & Squeak. This fun scavenger hunt brought us throughout the park collecting ingredients for Remy's signature dish. For $6.99 you can play along and then return your map to Disney Traders or World Traveler at International Gateway for a surprise.
Eat to the Beat!
Another fan favorite is the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. This year, the series runs through November 19th and features dozens of musicians. You can expect artists and bands like Plain White T's, MercyMe, Lauren Daigle, Boyz II Men, and Zach Williams, just to name a few.
Make multiple visits if you can
Lastly, if you're local or if you're visiting Walt Disney World Resort for more than a few days, plan to visit at least a few times during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Just one day is likely not enough to experience all of the flavors and dishes you'll want to try.
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