Updated for 2020!
This year the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will begin when Epcot reopens on July 15, 2020! Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will be modified. It will be known as “A Taste of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.” The Festival will still feature more than 20 food booths but the “Eat to the Beat” Concert Series has been cancelled.
Few events at Walt Disney World are as anticipated or as celebrated as the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Here are some of the highlights from previous Festivals and some tips for first-timers or seasoned pros.
Pick up a Festival Passport
The first thing to do is pick up a Festival Passport. It’s a fun guide to every item on each menu! You can put a sticker on the page after you eat there, and there are plenty of places to make other notes if you wish. You can pick up a Passport at any of the booths in the Festival, at Guest Services, or next to the maps and times guides at the two entrances to the park.
For Kids
Disney has gone above and beyond in recent years to make the Food and Wine Festival fun for the whole family. Remy’s Ratatouille Hide ‘n’ Squeak Scavenger Hunt is back as well (the maps are $5.99 each)- it’s fun to find Remy around the different booths whether you purchase the map or not.
Eat to the Beat Concert Series – CANCELLED FOR 2020
Every night the Food and Wine Festival offers three shows (5:30 pm, 6:45 pm, 8:30 pm) with singers or bands you know and love. Each singer goes for 2-3 nights so you can have the opportunity to see a few different ones if you have a week long trip. The concerts are included in your Epcot admission. If you’d like to assure you get a seat you can make a dining reservation for the concert of your choice. Most of the World Showcase restaurants are included and you can eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner and go to the show later in the day.
While the Eat to the Beat series is cancelled for 2020, other popular Epcot performers such as Mariachi Cobre and the Jammitors will be performing in the American Gardens Theatre throughout the day!
Festival Merchandise
If you want just about anything for your home with the Food and Wine Festival logo on it, then you’re in luck! You can stop by the Festival Center or many of the other shops around the park and get towels, plates, aprons, pie plates, salt and pepper shakers, and wine stoppers, just to name a few. There is also a wine shop filled with wines from around the world. Minnie Mouse ears and a variety of Figment items are also available. If you have an annual pass there is usually exclusive merchandise just for you as well.
A Few Epcot Food & Wine Festival Tips
Pace yourself- you don’t have to eat it all in one day (and probably shouldn’t!). The bites are small but still sharable. Though some you won’t want to share, like the Cheese Soup in Canada or the Crispy Pork Belly in Brazil.
The Festival is much less crowded during the week than on the weekend, so try and visit Sunday evening through Friday afternoon.
Social distancing measures will be in place at Walt Disney World. Face masks will be required, except when eating or drinking.
My Favorite Foods
While we don’t know the menus for the 2020 Food Booths just yet, here are a few of our favorites from past years! We recommend checking out Disney Food Blog for the menus when they are released.
A Taste of The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival begins July 15, 2020, and continue through the Fall. (No end date has been announced at this time.
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