As a Floridian, I feel it is my duty to attend the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. I had never been before, and a group of my girl friends and I decided we needed to change that and get the most out of this awesome event as possible.
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival runs annually at Walt Disney World from September through November. It’s one of Disney’s most popular events for adults, but you will see plenty of kiddos frolicking through Epcot’s attractions, as well!
In addition to the usual 20-something countries that reside in Epcot’s territory, there are an extra 15 international kiosks added to provide extra flavor and variety for this famous fest. If you’re liking the idea of thinking internationally, check out my post on how much it really costs to travel to Europe, and what you need to know when considering certain countries, like traveling to China or Norway.
Where to begin, right?!
First, purchase your ticket. You can buy your pass (usually around $100) at the entrance of the park. You are essentially just purchasing the Epcot entry ticket. There is no special ticket for the festival.
I additionally recommend buying a “giftcard”, which is a little card you can put money on and use it throughout the day instead of having to dig out your wallet at every kiosk – not to mention you can manage your spending better!
You can get in early when it opens at 9am and do the rides if you’d like to make the most out of that $100. The actual event begins at 11am.
I only put $50 on mine and towards the end I had to try to spend the remainder. However, this was not difficult due to the delicious food and drink I was surrounded by!
Once you’re in, you can get a feel for where each kiosk is by looking at the signage. If you’re raring to go, the first stop to the left of the loop is Mexico, featuring delectable margaritas and chilaquiles, along other Mexican treats. If you go over the warmer months, this is a pretty awesome spot to cool down with a boozy frosted drink.
My must-sees were Poland, Greece, Morocco, Belgium (for the waffles, of course), Mexico, Germany, and the craft beer area. The food was all incredibly authentic.
Luckily, it comes in snack sizes, so what my group did was we would order 2-3 per item we agreed on it and would share everything, so we got to get a taste of almost every country.
The Polish sauerkraut-filled pierogis were mouth-watering!
This is truly the time to experience all types of international tastes. Go for things you normally wouldn’t! France even has escargot if you’re feeling brave.
The park was beautiful at night, with all of the big country landmarks lit up across the water. I highly suggest getting your whole day in and drifting through rather than racing against the clock. It’s a fun, relaxing day filled with yummy bites and great cocktails, even desserts.
-AB
