*Reposted and updated for 2018
One of my favorite times of the year to visit Disney World is during Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival. Why? Because Disney sets up an additional 30+ marketplaces featuring tapas-sized portions of food, wine, beer, and cocktails. One of my family’s favorite things to do at Disney World is to eat, so of course, the festival fits right into that. This year’s International Food and Wine Festival runs from August 30-November 12, 2018. You can find the full food booth menus for this year’s festival here.
The festival also hosts various seminars, tasting events and dinners, book signings and Eat to the Beat Concert series. Below are some tips to help you experience the festival.
Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival Tips
- DO NOT plan to attend the festival on a Saturday, unless you have no other option. Epcot is extremely busy on Saturdays during the festival because locals and annual pass holders tend to frequent the event on that day. This means long lines at the marketplace booths, nowhere to sit and wall to wall people on the walkways. The best days to visit the festival are Monday-Thursday.
- Plan to attend the event over several afternoons, so that you are able to sample a large variety of food and beverages. My family usually spends the morning at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom and then heads to Epcot around lunchtime to start eating our way around the world. The marketplace booths and the World Showcase at Epcot do not open until 11:00am.
- If you are planning to visit Hollywood Studios before visiting Epcot, plan to take the boat or walk (it is about a 20 minute walk). This brings you in the back door of Epcot, letting you arrive between France and the United Kingdom in the World Showcase.
- Review the marketplace menus ahead of time. This not only builds excitement about your upcoming trip but also allows you to pre-plan. You can find the complete menus for the 2018 food booths here.
- If you are attending the festival over several days, instead of hitting every booth as you work your way through the World Showcase try to skip some and then on the next day hit the booths that you had previously skipped.
- The marketplace booths are not just for adults. There are many food options that will appeal to children and several non-alcoholic drinks for them to try. It is also a great time for children to sample foods that are new to them or outside their comfort zone as the portion sizes are small. When my daughter was 22 months, she enjoyed the Festival and sampled many options with the shrimp taco in Mexico being her favorite. On our most recent trip in 2013, she was almost 4 and tried all of the food that we purchased including escargot.
- Consider sharing! We all want to try all the things at the festival, so consider sharing with family and friends. By sharing you can try a larger sampling of all the dishes and drinks that are offered.
- Pick up a complimentary Festival Passport at the Festival Center or at registers throughout Epcot (especially in World Showcase). The passports now have stickers included so you can place it as a “stamp” when you visit each booth and check off which items you tasted. It makes a great free souvenir from your trip!
- Plan to attend one of the free Eat to the Beat concerts held at the America Gardens Theaters on select nights at 5:30pm, 6:45pm and 8:00pm. Since the theater is outside, even if it is full, you can still enjoy the music in the area around the theater. We have heard a variety of performers including Sugar Ray, Boys 2 Men, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
- Consider picking up Disney gift cards to pay for your purchases at the marketplace booths. Disney even sells small gift cards on a bracelet so that you can wear the gift card to make it more convenient to pay. Another option is to pay using your MagicBand. We found using our MagicBands for payment very convenient because we did not have to dig in a purse or wallet for money or credit cards.
Bonus: Unfortunately, Chase is no longer a sponsor for the International Food and Wine Festival. If you have a Disney Chase Visa card, take advantage of the Chase VIP Lounge located on the third floor of the American Adventure pavilion by using the elevator between the attraction and the gift shop. At the Lounge, you will be able to relax in the air conditioning, recharge your cell phone, enjoy complimentary soft drinks, play board games and purchase wine and beer.
While many of the Festival events are included with admission to the park there are some experiences that require a separate purchase or admission fee including the marketplace booths, culinary events, signature meals, seminars/demonstrations and tasting events.
I hope these tips help you and your family enjoy Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival!
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