Disney World’s top international Festival of the year is Epcot food and Wine. The annual event begins August 29, 2019, and runs until November 23. Epcot is a massive park that on its own is a 2-in-1 destination. When you incorporate one of the seasonal festivals, the park quickly becomes a multi-day experience. Grab a small tray to pack in your park bag and get ready for a culinary adventure full of delicious pairings and home cooking tips you’ll love. Before you head to the Epcot food and wine event, read this quick introduction.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2019 Season Details
Get Hungry
The first thing you should do before going to Epcot for the International Food and Wine Festival brings your appetite. Epcot is already known for the vast array of cuisines on offer around the World showcase. Add to that, unique event menus, and limited availability pairings, and you have barely scratched the surface. It will easily take several visits to the park to try all of the over 30 global marketplaces scattered around the park. Plan to eat all day and pace yourself accordingly.
The Global Marketplace Layout
As soon as you walk into the park for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, pick up a free passport. These little booklets are an excellent keepsake, and they help you track the places you’ve been. Each global marketplace has a page, and there are stickers included to place on all of the ones you visit.
The passport does not indicate where all of the global marketplaces are. To avoid confusion and keep from becoming overwhelmed, try to focus on specific zones where global marketplaces are set up. There is a small cluster of very modern kitchens arranged north of the Fountain of Nations on the way to the Imagination Pavilion. Here you will find Active Eats, Earth Eats, Coastal Eats and Flavors From Fire just outside the Light Lab.
Another trail of global marketplaces, including the Cheese Studio and the Chocolate Studio, line the Future World West walkway toward the Canada Pavilion. On the East Near the Odyssey building is Taste Track and inside the Odyssey building is a craft beer bar with select food pairings. The national cuisine, which includes countries like India, Brazil, Spain, Scotland, and many more line the path around the World Showcase, where each pavilion brings even more flavor to their existing food locations.
Demos, Workshops, and Seminars
As if it wasn’t enough to spend about a week eating and drinking your way around the Epcot Food and Wine Festival; there is a full schedule of events, including celebrity demos and book signings. Pairing courses lead by sommeliers, and specially selected chefs make an indulgent experience that treats your palate. You can choose from all kinds of food and beverage workshops as well. Learn tips of the trade and professional techniques that you can use at home.
Eat to the Beat and Party For the Senses
In addition to the festival offerings mentioned above, the Epcot Food and Wine Festival entertains. The Party for the Senses is a two-tiered seated live music event full of tantalizing bites to savor and pair with your favorite beverages. The party presides near the World Showcase next to the Canada Pavilion. In the American Gardens Theater, new artists take the stage nightly for an open-air concert. You can secure reserved viewing at select Epcot table service restaurants with the Eat to the Beat Dining Package.
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