What is the Epcot Food and Wine Festival?
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is an annual event at the Walt Disney World Resort Epcot Theme Park. It is a celebration of cultures, cuisines, and music. There is so much to see, do, and EAT during the festival! There are over 40 Global Marketplace featuring food and wine from around the world. Each Global Marketplace offers a small plate of traditional cuisine from either a country or food genre (chocolate, cheese, nuts, etc,) for a price range of $4.00-$8.00. I love Wikipedia’s definition of a FOODIE. “A person who has an ardent or refined interest in food and seeks new food experiences as a hobby rather than simply eating out of convenience or hunger.” A dream came true for us last week when we were able to attend the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World Resort. It is definitely a new food experience like no other and every foodie should seek it out! In the tradition of Disney magic, it brings out the “foodie” in all who attend – even those with the pickiest of palates. It is an “Amazing Culinary Adventure!” For more information on the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, including how to get tickets, go to disneyworld.disney.com.
When is the Epcot Food and Wine Festival?
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival traditionally starts at the end of August and runs through mid-November. Check the Walt Disney World Resort website for exact dates.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival – A Food Bloggers Dream!
We attended the Epcot Food and Wine Festival with some AMAZING food bloggers: Picky Palate, Disney Hungry, Kevin & Amanda, The Novice Chef, Lil’ Luna, I Heart Naptime, Dine and Dish, Cookies and Cups, and Confessions of a Cookbook Queen As you can see by our food photos, we were eager to experience everything the Epcot Food and Wine Festival has to offer! It was so much fun! Some of the photos below are shared from these awesome food blogs (you will see a photo credit with a link to their blog). We set out on our culinary adventure with high hopes of finding dishes we would all enjoy. With over 40 marketplaces from around the world offering several menu options, we were not disappointed. There were foods we all loved, and we each found new loves we will seek out again.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival – Global Marketplaces
The Global Marketplaces offer traditional and innovative entrees and desserts that represent the food and flavors of different countries and regions of the world. In addition to the marketplaces offering international cuisine, there were marketplaces focused on certain types of foods and cooking techniques. I loved the booths Flavors from Fire, The Chocolate Studio, and Coastal Eats. See all of our favorites below and don’t miss our tips on visiting the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival Menus and Favorites
AFRICA – Berbere-style Beef Tenderloin Tips
AUSTRALIA – Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp
BELGIUM – Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote
BELGIUM – Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache
BRAZIL – Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
CANADA – Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon
CANADA – Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup with a Pretzel Roll
CHINA – Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles
FRANCE – Creme Brûlée with House-made Raspberry Jam
GREECE – Bougatsa (Strudel with Vanilla Custard, Honey Lemon Syrup, and Cinnamon)
HAWAII – Kalua Pork Slider
INDIA – Warm Indian Bread with Pickled Garlic, Mango Salsa, and Coriander Pesto Dips and Madras Red Curry with Cauliflower, Carrots, Chickpeas, and Rice
IRELAND – Warm Chocolate Pudding
ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN – Quesito (Puff Pastry) with Sweetened Cream Cheese
JAPAN – Salmon BLT Sushi Roll topped with Yuzo Miso Salmon, Tomato, and Bacon
MEXICO – Coconut Rice Pudding
MOROCCO – Hummus Fries with Cucumber, Tomato, Onions, and Tzatziki Sauce
NEW ZEALAND – Seared Venison Loin with Mushroom Marsala and Kumara Puree
THAILAND – Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake with Cold Noodle Salad
MARKETPLACE CUISINE
THE ALMOND ORCHARD – Banana Almond Soft-serve Sundae
HOPS AND BARLEY – Freshly Baked Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
REFRESHMENT PORT – Sweet Potato Poutine with Caramel, Marshmallows, and Pecans
ACTIVE EATS – Loaded Mac ‘n Cheese with Bacon, Cheddar, Peppers, and Green Onions
ACTIVE EATS – Spice Crusted Verlasso Salmon with Lentil Salad and Avocado
COASTAL EATS – Lump Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw and Avocado Lemongrass Cream
COASTAL EATS – Baked Shrimp Scampi Dip with Sourdough Baguette
FLAVORS FROM FIRE – Charred Chimichurri Skirt Steak
FLAVORS FROM FIRE – Smoked Corned Beef with Warm Crispy Potatoes
CHOCOLATE STUDIO – Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Caramel Sauce
Inside the LIGHT LAB
TASTE TRACK – Croissant Doughnuts Variety
TASTE TRACK – Croissant Doughnut topped with Gelato
Epcot Food and Wine Festival Entertainment and Special Events
There are so many events happening during the Food and Wine Festival that you don’t want to miss! We had the opportunity to try out a few and it made me love the Food and Wine Festival even more. Party for the Senses was definitely my favorite! But the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and Food and Wine tastings were great options during the day to get off your feet and enjoy some yummy food and fun entertainment!
Party for the Senses
Party for the Senses was an incredible dining opportunity I will never forget! There are 5 Saturdays during Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival that they hold this event and tickets sell out fast! We were at the first so there are still 4 nights left! Gourmet Chef’s from around the globe come and prepare signature dishes and you can go to each of the Chef’s stations to try them. On top of that there is incredible live entertainment. If you ever get the opportunity- Party for the Senses is something I highly recommend! The food was out of this world amazing! I couldn’t even begin to pick a favorite, but I loved everything I tried in the image above. So much delicious food packed into one memorable night. Just take a look at this menu from Party for the Senses, I still can’t get over haw many Chef Stations there were. This menu was front and back (click to view larger).
Eat to the Beat Concert Series
The Eat to the Beat Concert series has live performances from popular music artists EVERY NIGHT during the Food and Wine Festival. It’s in the American Gardens Outdoor Theatre so everyone can enjoy the music, but you do need a ticket to sit in the actual theatre. Here is a list of the musicians performing this year:
Food and Wine Pairing Classes
Throughout the festival there are dining and pairing events where you get to watch the chef prepare the food in person and then you get to try it yourself! Everyone has a recipe to follow along with and keep to try the recipe at home. I’ve included the menu from the class we attended.
Illuminations Reflections of Earth
Be sure to catch the Nighttime Fireworks – Illuminations Reflections of Earth – at Epcot while you are there. The fireworks, music, and images displayed on the rotating globe in the water are stunning. This nighttime spectacular will be ending summer of 2019 and will be replaced by a new show! So go see it while you still can!
Tips for Visiting the Epcot Food and Wine Festival
This was our second time visiting the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Both this year and last were everything we hoped and dreamed it would be! Here are a few “glad we did” and “wish we had” tips for the next visit.
