We could argue that Fall is the best time to visit Walt Disney World. With the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Halloween decorations, and the excitement of cooler weather we’re happy to venture to Orlando. Even in what is sometimes the rainy season between August and November each year. The Walt Disney World EPCOT Food and Wine Festival runs from August 29- November 23, 2024. And with 25+ food booths, the Eat to the Beat concert series, and more, the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World is one of our favorite reasons to visit Disney World in the fall.
However, tackling the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World is something of an art. Especially if you want to make the most of your visit! If you’re traveling to Epcot with kids beware of the adults that are stumbling around the world and possibly right into your stroller or elderly grandmother! These are our best tips for enjoying the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World.
Contents
- 1 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival
- 2 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Planning
- 3 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Budget
- 4 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Menus and Marketplaces
- 5 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Entertainment
- 6 Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak Game
- 7 Emile’s Fromage Montage Challenge
- 8 Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Scavenger Hunt
- 9 Food and Wine Festival Merchandise
- 10 Food and Wine Festival Tips
- 11 Food and Wine Festival Crowds
EPCOT Food and Wine Festival
What is the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival?
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World features a variety of food and drink to try across the World Showcase. This festival takes place annually from late-August to mid-November. Featuring global marketplaces that include new foods and drinks, guests also get to experience live music, a scavenger hunt game, a cheese challenge, and more. In years past, part of this festival also includes seminars and classes about cooking, pairings, and tastings.
When is Disney’s Food and Wine Festival?
The Walt Disney World EPCOT Food and Wine Festival runs from August 29- November 23, 2024. So many weeks of food of fun! We absolutely LOVE this Festival as it’s one of our favorite things about visiting Walt Disney World in the fall months.
Do You Need a Separate Ticket for Epcot Food and Wine Festival?
NO. The Food and Wine Festival is included as part of your regular Disney ticket! Isn’t that exciting? The prices of ALL Epcot Festivals are included with your ticket to the park. This is seriously one of our favorite parts of visiting EPCOT. Because no matter when you go, there’s always some kind of awesome foodie party going on! Make the most of your Epcot visit to Walt Disney World by planning it during one of the many festivals! Here’s a list of all the festivals at Epcot every year.
When is the Best Time to Go to the Food and Wine Festival?
September is the best month to visit the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival because crowds are lower, weather begins to cool down, and kids are back in school. The best days to visit the Food and Wine Festival are between Monday-Thursday. If you’re going for the “Best Days”… then pick Tuesday and Wednesday.
With the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World running for several months we’ll see the crowds spread out a bit, which is no doubt Disney’s goal. Both Annual Passholders and Florida Residents are regular weekenders to the festival because of the eclectic food choices and the wide array of alcohol on hand. This leaves those weekdays when families are vacationing at Disney a little less crowded. Mind you, the evenings at Epcot will always be crowded during this time period simply because there are bands and extended hours that still draw out the locals.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival Planning
To get the most out of your trip you’ll want to do a little pre-planning. While you can definitely show up, get your foodie passport, and take to the countries without a plan, we like to be a little more intentional with our food choices! Not to mention daydreaming about all the options. A plan will also help out your wallet a bit. It is VERY EASY to drop hundreds of dollars on very small dishes of food that may not really fill you up. It’s even easier to drop hundreds if you’re drinking. Setting a Disney Budget and Planning for an EPCOT Festival Vacation is a must!
What Time do the Food and Wine Festival Booths Open?
Just like World Showcase, all outdoor kitchens open at 11 am. While you may find some openings a little earlier in the front of the park, we always recommend using those early morning hours at EPCOT to get in important rides, like Soarin’ and Test Track.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World Passport
Just like the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival you get a passport at the Festival Center and select retailers for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World. The passport includes menus for each kiosk, drink lists, and stickers you can use to mark off each country that you’ve visited. We love the passport as part of this experience. It’s a perfect free souvenir and makes the journey through the country super fun. If you’re looking for Kid-Friendly foods at Epcot just look for the pear in the passport, or the letters KF ( kid-friendly). You’ll also find gluten-free and vegetarian markers throughout the passport as well to help you make good food choices.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival Budget
There are actually tons of ways to pay for your food at the Food and Wine Festival. While the easiest, and potentially most budget-dangerous is paying with your MagicBand, there are other ways to pay that can help you track costs.
How Much Does Food Cost at an Epcot Festival?
The kiosk foods at the Food and Wine Festival generally cost between $4-$12 dollars each. Most of the foods are usually around that $6 mark. For the most part, these are single-serve dishes, and you may think this is pricey. While we don’t disagree, we are also big on sharing. So often we’ll grab several dishes and then share them all. It’s a great way to experience more for less money. For Disney adults, you can plan to pay about $3- $10 for beers and wines. Other alcoholic drinks can go up to $20 depending on what you get. If you’re buying the Clicquot Champagne, just plan on paying the highest price.
Can you use Dining Plan Snack Credits for the Food?
YES! Seriously one of our favorite things is being able to use Disney Dining Plan (DDP) snack credits for a full day’s worth of food. Disney Pro Tip: If you’re traveling during a festival at EPCOT and have a dining plan, we recommend stockpiling your snack credits. How do you do this? You plan for your Epcot festival day closer to the end of your trip, say when you have about 4 days under your belt. At that point, you would have at least 1 snack credit per day, per person accumulated. So that when you visit the festival on day 5, you have 4 dishes per person ( 4 snack credits each) you can get that day. It’s a great way to save money and experience more Disney foodie options.
Pay with Disney Dining Plan Credits
If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) and have stockpiled your snack credits, you’re in luck. A neat trick we use to get the most bang for our buck is to seek out the snack with the DDP symbol that costs the most. These are usually slightly larger portions and stretch your credits a little farther. That way if you want a few things from a kiosk you end up spending the actual cash on cheaper things.
Grab a Gift Card
Our absolute best advice is to pay for Food and Wine treats with a festival gift card. You can load the gift card with whatever amount you would like and it allows you to stick to a budget. We’ve tried all of these ways of budgeting the festival into our trips and the gift card method is our favorite. Giving each person in your family or party a 50-dollar gift card could easily satisfy about 10 goodies that could double your meals for a day. And if you’re being super budget savvy, grab discounted Disney Gift Cards ahead of time at Target, or with your Cash Back Credit Card.
Pay Cash
If you’re not on the Dining Plan and you’re ready and able to pay cash then plan around 5 bucks for each sample. Know that these are tasting-size portions. And while some do cost a little less than 5 dollars, the ones that cost more will help you stay on track with your spending. Keep in mind there are 25+ kiosks throughout EPCOT. Even if you only try things from half of them and pay 5 bucks each at 15 kiosks you’ll be at 75 dollars per person. So budget accordingly.
Pay Up Front with the Entitlement Plan
Another option if you’re not on the dining plan, and one we often see lines out the door for, is to grab the Food and Wine Entitlement plan. Since the Food and Wine Festival is one of our top things to do at Disney World for Adults, for those drinkers out there, the entitlement plan will save you the most money. This is a plan you can purchase at the main port giftshops. You can choose an 8 Food and Beverage entitlement or a 16 Food and Beverage Entitlement usually around 70 and 120 dollars a guest respectively. These amounts are above the regular Epcot ticket price and are ONLY worth it if you’re at Disney to drink. The entitlement tabs usually pay off if you’re spending about 8 dollars per entitlement. And as drinks can be as much as 15 each and higher, could be a good way to save money. However, since so much of the food is less than 8 dollars, it doesn’t really make this option worth it for foodies.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival Menus and Marketplaces
One of the most important things to do before you go to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World is to check out the Food and Wine Festival Menus. Depending on the menus or picky eaters in your travel party, there may be some countries you don’t want to visit. Planning this ahead of time allowed us the time to visit the countries and kiosks in order of location without losing a lot of time and wasting foot traffic. Decide ahead of time what your Must-Have food and drinks are going to be and then plan the budget so that the bulk of your food kiosk visits come around mealtimes.
What Kinds of Foods are there at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival?
A wide variety of foods are available at the festival every year. Plus you can always count on returning favorites. Here are some dishes that have been confirmed to be returning in 2024. Be sure to check the Food and Wine Festival Menus for 2024 here on the blog for all the options.
- Belgian Waffles with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream
- Warm Chocolate Ganache at the Belgium Global Marketplace
- Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce in Germany
- Passionfruit Cheesecake with Toasted Macadamia Nuts in the Hawai’i Marketplace.
How many Food and Wine Festival Marketplaces at Disney are there?
This year we’ll see 25+ outdoor kitchens. Every year it varies a little. But one thing that never changes is variety. From healthy kitchens to BBQ kitchens to a cultural kitchens for each world showcase country. All the kitchens come with their own theme and foods to match.
How Much Food do you Get at the Food and Wine Festival?
The dishes served are equivalent to a single serving. We love using the festivals as a way to not only manage our Disney Budget by not paying full price for lunch but also as a way to get more variety for our money. Know that there are options to help you manage this too. You can load limited edition Food and Wine Festival gift cards with your food budget for the day, or by the allotment card at the gift shop. The allotment card allows you a certain number of purchases, regardless of price. We find it to be most money-saving if you’re using it to buy drinks. Because drinks can be close to 15 bucks in some places. And an allotment card breaks down to about 8 dollars per token.
Non-Alcoholic Drinks at Epcot Food and Wine Festival
Finding fun non-alcoholic drinks is not as hard as it sounds! They are labeled non-alcoholic in the passport and there are quite a few! Check out some of our favorite non-alcoholic drinks across the parks for a head start. There will be special ones in the passport though, so be sure to do your homework and choose which ones to try ahead of time. We love the availability of Disney Mocktails, as a great way to include Kids at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, with specialty drinks too.
Joffrey’s Food and Wine Festival Specialty Coffees and Teas
Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Carts are filled with wonderful flavors all year round but during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World, they have specialty drinks at each cart throughout EPCOT!
Epcot Food and Wine Festival Entertainment
Entertainment at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is shown throughout the day. You can expect to see the JAMMin’ Chefs, Mariachi Cobre, Voices of Liberty, and more just by walking around the park. However, if you’re up for staying for an evening concert, then the Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Series is something to see!
- Location: America Gardens Theatre – American Adventure Pavilion
- Dates: Fridays through Mondays from August 30 through November 18, 2024
- Showtimes: 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:00 PM
- Special Seating: For a guaranteed seat, check out the Dining Package.
Eat to the Beat Concert Series Performers 2024
- Aug. 30-31 – The Fray
- Sept. 1-2 – Sugar Ray
- Sept. 6-7 – Hoobastank
- Sept. 8-9 – Yellowcard (NEW)
- Sept. 13-14 – Tiffany
- Sept. 15-16 – MercyMe
- Sept. 20-21 – Sheila E.
- Sept. 22-23 – The Wanted (NEW)
- Sept. 27 – Luis Figueroa
- Sept. 28-29 – Mau Y Ricky (NEW)
- Sept. 30 – Jesse & Joy (NEW)
- Oct. 4-5 – Aloe Blacc (NEW)
- Oct. 6-7 – Joey Fatone & Friends
- Oct. 11-12 – We The Kings
- Oct. 13-14 – Switchfoot
- Oct. 18-19 – David Archuleta (NEW)
- Oct. 20-21 – Billy Ocean
- Oct. 25-28 – Hanson
- Nov. 1-2 – Haley Reinhart featuring Emily Estefan, Casey Abrams and Janel Parrish (NEW)
- Nov. 3-4 – Boyz II Men
- Nov. 8-9 – Magic! (NEW)
- Nov. 10-11 – Parmalee (NEW)
- Nov. 15-16 – Smash Mouth
- Nov. 17-18 – 98 Degrees
Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak Game
As part of the Food and Wine Festival, you can play the Remy Ratatouille Hide and Squeak Game on your own or with the kids. This scavenger hunt game has small Remy statues hidden in each World Showcase country, just waiting to be found! Simply make your way around the World Showcase and match the correct Remy and Food sticker to the country where you find him. Once completed you can bring the completed gameboard back to the Port Traders gift shop to redeem your prize. Games are typically $9.99 each and the prize you receive is usually worth about that. So it’s a great way to get a souvenir and have fun too.
Emile’s Fromage Montage Challenge
Love cheese? Purchase any 5 cheese dishes from select outdoor kitchens across the World Showcase. The select dishes are listed in the Festival Passport and you simply collect a stamp at each kitchen. Once completed you can head to Shimmering Sips to collect your special prize!
Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Scavenger Hunt
As part of the Food and Wine festivities you can celebrate Halloween at EPCOT with Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Scavenger Hunt. Partake in this game from September 29- October 31.
Food and Wine Festival Merchandise
One of the most things about any Festival at EPCOT Park is seeing all the newest merchandise! Featuring food, wine, beer, and Figment! And of course other Disney characters usually also make an appearance! Mickey and Minnie are usually cooking up a storm, and Tiana too, and of course you can usually find Remy on tons of Food and Wine Festival Merchandise. Check out all the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Merchandise in the post.
Food and Wine Festival Tips
We’ve written about our top 7 tips for EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival, before, but here are a few more to consider as you tackle one of the busiest festivals of the year.
Make a Plan Before You Go!
We have so any resources in this post and on the blog here, that you have ample opportunities at your fingertips to make a surefire plan! EPCOT is typically a 2-day Park when you’re trying to fit in a festival and rides. As such, we highly recommend a game plan. So be sure to Circle all the foods you want to try on the Food and Wine Festival Menus. We typically print this out, or save the pdf of the menu on our phone, to highlight ahead of time. Here’s our recommended Day at EPCOT during a festival.
- 9 AM Park Open: Head to your must do rides and grab your coffee before the festival begins.
- 11 AM Booths Open: You can start anywhere. But, we highly recommend referring to your list, and starting from the beginning- typically in Mexico or Canada.
- 4 PM Take Break: This could be a late lunch, or early dinner and a chance to get out of the park by visiting the Disney Boardwalk.
- 6 PM: This part of the day is typically more crowded as locals arrive. But, you can get your last few booths in, and a ride or two before heading back to your resort for the night.
Get into Epcot Before it Opens
While many of the kiosks won’t open until 11 am you can get closer to the action by booking an early breakfast in the World Showcase or heading straight to rides that may open earlier. If you’re looking for a character breakfast try Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and head to the Frozen Ever After line right after.
Stay at Epcot Until 4pm
Epcot is a big place and there’s a lot of walking. Don’t waste time going back to the resort or another park to escape the crowds just aim to get it all done by 4 pm before the hoards arrive. Take breaks instead with rides, shows, or on the Disney BoardWalk. There are several shows throughout Epcot that are inside, perfect to escape the heat or rain. Check out our Best Rides for the Heat at Walt Disney World to get a list.
Make a Budget and put it on a Disney Giftcard!
By far one of the most important things to figure out, in addition to what you want to eat, is the money! How much per person are you planning for. And are you eating actual meals throughout the day too that will require more money?
We like to load about $100 per person onto a Food and Wine Gift Card. These little gift cards come on wristlet chains, and can keep you on track. $100 will typically get you 10 dishes or drinks. As such, it’s a good amount for a full day at EPCOT, eating around the world.
There will be Lines at the Booths
It comes as no surprise that there will be lines at the Marketplaces. And they only get longer as the day goes on, typically after 4pm. For this reason we recommend knowing what food you want ahead of time, and making a plan for working your way around the park. Keep in mind there are always chances to send someone to the line in one booth, while another family member grabs food from another. We also recommend sending someone to grab a table! While EPCOT’s table shortage is well known, the struggle is a real one. Finding a table to fit your group, or one that’s in the shade or not overtaken by ducks is important.
You will be eating all day!
Believe it or not one of the biggest challenges is that even with a plan, you will be eating all day. Who wants to be eating all day long? Especially in the hot Florida sun? That said, be sure to take breaks in between. Head to the gift shops, jump on a ride, walk through Journey of Water, or take a break on the Boardwalk. At one point, you will have eaten 6 things and may need to just stop eating. That’s okay! Walk it off! You can always head to another booth later.
Play the Games
In addition to all the eating, be sure to take time and play the scavenger hunt game. Remy can be found hidden throughout the World Showcase, and even if you don’t have a game board, he’s still fun to search for. Additionally, you can let the kids to the KidCot game in each country, play Ducktales World Showcase Adventure, and take a break to see the concert too!
Dress the Part!
We also love getting dressed in our favorite Disney Food and Wine Festival shirts for the whole family. And have loads of designs in the shop for both kids and grown ups. While you can always find shirts at the Disney Parks, if you grab them ahead of time, you can plan to match ( or not) and grab tees for the whole family. We have Remy shirts, Drinking shirts, Snacking shirts and more at Polka Dot Pixie Shop.
Visit the Disney BoardWalk
The Disney Boardwalk can be accessed via the International Gateway and is a great way to take a break from Food and Wine if you need it. Little beaches, shops, Beaches and Cream (yum), cupcakes, and a ferry can all provide respite if your kids are ready to call it a day. This is also a great place to escape to at night if you ended up going to the Food and Wine Festival during the weekend and need to get away from the crowds. They have magic shows, arcade games and lots of other fun little activities like a real boardwalk would have to keep the kids entertained.
Food and Wine Festival Crowds
Leaving the Park can be a nightmare at the end of the day if you’re using Walt Disney World’s bus system. The time the park closes is important to consider if you have kids in tow. Long lines waiting for the bus can mean cranky kids, especially after a long day. And with long lines, your chance of scoring a seat on the bus decreases, by a lot. Generally, we notice the buses seem to be the most packed from about 30-45 mins before closing to about 30-45 mins after closing. If you’re staying at a Boardwalk Resort, Monorail Resort, the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, or even a Skyliner Resort your ride home is less harried. If you’re taking bus transportation, then the top tip to keep in mind is to either leave around dinner time or expect to stay right up until the park closes.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World
Hopefully, this Food and Wine Festival Guide has given you many of the answers to your questions. While there is so much to do, it helps to have a list of what to know before you go. We love the EPCOT festivals and hope you do too. Happy snacking!
Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer with an MLIS in Information Science and a B.S. in Arch and Design. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.
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