If you’ve ever been to the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World, then you know it can get busy! Really busy. As EPCOT’s most popular festival, this event covers the park, and features a variety of unique things you can’t experience any other time of year. From new booths to new performers, the Food and Wine Festival promises to bring delicious food, top-notch entertainment, and a delicious selection of beverages from around the world. With so much to see, do, eat and drink how ever will you fit it all in? Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Tips to help you manage the crowds, costs, and unpredictable Florida weather. Let’s dive into our top tips for this fall Epcot Festival.
One of the most fun festivals at Walt Disney World, the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival includes outdoor kitchens across the park, that offers up foods and drinks themed to each pavilion. In addition to food you can also see new performances at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, take classes about wine, play the Emile’s Fromage Montage cheese challenge and Remy’s Hide and Squeak Game. If you’re heading to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival be sure to check out our Disney EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Guide, to help get you started. When it comes to any festival at Walt Disney World, there are always a few tried and true tips to help get you through the day, stress-free. From when to visit to what to do while you’re there, here’s our round-up of tips for your Food and Wine Festival Day at EPCOT Park.
Contents
Grab a Festival Passport
By far the most important tool in your EPCOT Festival toolkit is the Festival Passport. This little book includes a list of each booth and menus, performers, kid friendly items, and the Emile’s Fromage Montage Challenge. You can navigate the festival like a pro with your passport in hand, marking things off as you go. You can find kiosks of the Festival Passports at the entrance of the park, at the gift shops and at each booth. These are available everywhere, and although it may seem like a no-brainer, you’ll definitely want to pick one of these up on your first day at the festival. Yes, even if you have your phone. They’ll help you recall what you ate where, what you still wanted to try, and are small enough to fit in your back pocket.
We most love grabbing these festival passports first thing, so that we can sit down, maybe with a pastry from Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie and chart out our day. We typically mark the foods and drinks we’ll want to try, and then make our way around the park as we can, fitting in rides in between.
Avoid the Weekends
EPCOT Park is generally busiest in the evenings, from Thursday- Sunday. And all day on the weekends. While this may sound like common sense, know that it’s also the EASIEST Tip to follow! Just don’t visit any EPCOT festival on the weekends. If there is one tried and true tip we can share, this is it. Not only do the weekends get super crowded with locals and vacationers alike, but they can also get a bit on the wild side. If you must attend the festival on the weekend, we recommend early on Saturday or a bit later on Sunday. This will keep you out of the crowds of locals stopping by for a drink, or the groups of people “stumbling around the world” with drinking challenges. Check out the Best Times to Visit Disney World for finding the best days to visit Walt Disney World parks.
Start Early
While a good tip to make the most of your Disney World day is to start early, at EPCOT, there are several ways to make this work to your advantage. Since EPCOT Festival booths don’t open until 11 AM, you can technically head to the park a little earlier at 9 AM and get rides checked off your list. This will also help you be ready for all those food and wine samplings when the booths open. Remember since you’ll most likely spend the majority of the day trying food at Epcot, this will not only cut down the time you spend in line. Plus, it will also get you ahead of the brutal Florida heat. Our best strategy? Head to rides between 9-11 AM, grab your first round of food when the booths open at 11 AM, take an afternoon break between 2-4 and head back to the festival a little later in the evening. And of course, Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays are your best days to visit an Epcot Festival.
Review the Festival Food Menus Before You Go
While you may not have your Festival Passport before you get to Walt Disney World, you always have access to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Menus on this blog! Take some time on your lunch break or even at the airport, and skim the festival menus ahead of time. This is IMPORTANT! Because there will be some outdoor kitchens you may want to skip completely. And others where you may want to eat everything. Go through the list of booths, and circle what you want to try! This will save time and indecision. That way on your day at EPCOT you can simply head to the booths that have the foods you want to try most, and simply skip the rest!
This has been such a time saver for us in the past. It prevents us from having to check the food at each booth, and helps us know which countries to just keep walking past. Plus, it can also help you plan impromptu lunch options too. For instance once year the India booth had like 4 things we wanted, so we just got them all and made a lunch out of it! Easy, and more budget friendly than heading to a restaurant.
Plan 2 Days at EPCOT Food and Wine Festival
How many days should you plan for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival? We highly recommend you plan at least two days at EPCOT. Why? Because it’s difficult to get the best dishes from 20+ booths of food in one day. At least not without having a stomach ache! Two days at the Food and the Wine Festival will help you get through your favorite foods, maybe experience the Eat to the Beat concert series, and still allow you time to experience some rides and the nighttime show. 2 Days at EPCOT during the festival also means you can feel better about the foods you’re trying, since you won’t need to fit them all in one day.
Drink Plenty of Water
Ahhhh, water. By far one of our biggest tips for a Disney Vacation is to have a water bottle. Although you should always drink plenty of water at Walt Disney World, this is especially true if you plan to drink at the Festival. Alcohol and the Florida sun don’t make the best combination. And no one likes having their fun ruined by dehydration. If you’re planning to grab a drink, yes even a frozen one, make sure to have an equal amount of water on hand. Disney is equipped with filtered water stations, and you can always order water from Starbucks as well. So, bring your water bottle, drink lots of water and thank us later.
Take Breaks
You may be thinking, why would I take breaks! I’ve paid all this money to be in the park and do all the things! Yes, but it’s Florida, so you can add heat, humidity, sporadic rains, and walking 10 miles a day to your day. Can you see why a break may be a good idea? It can be easy to want to try to get in all the things during the festival. But, make sure you take breaks! Between the heat, the constant desire to try new food and drinks, and walking thousands of steps around the World Showcase, you’re going to need a break.
Whether you leave Epcot entirely, take a ride on Living With the Land, or attend a Festival demo, your body will appreciate a break. We like our afternoon breaks at the Disney Boardwalk, through the International Gateway Entrance, located between the France and UK pavilions. And don’t worry, the festival will still be there for you when you’re ready to come back! There are plenty of places to take breaks in Walt Disney World, and really, nothing quite helps you re-center like a good old fashioned sit down.
The Best Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival
There you have it! Everything you need to know to make the most of your next visit to EPCOT Park’s Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World. Hopefully these tips can give you a little insight as to what your festival day may look like, and all the ways you can make the most of it! As one of the most popular festivals at Epcot, the food and wine festival is also the busiest. Offered during one of the least busy times of year at Disney, the still stifling summer heat, and last of the summer crowds can take it’s toll. Following these tips for your 2 days at EPCOT during the festival will help you to have the best vacation! Happy feasting!
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .
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