The 2010 website goes live by mid-July, but the culinary team has been working for months on this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – celebrating 15 years! We know some of you fans have never missed a single year.
What do you love most about the festival? Favorites never go away, and each year something new is added. Here’s a broad brush of what’s new for this fall:
Popular Marketplace kiosks around World Showcase Lagoon are refining menus for sipping and noshing – more than 26 this year, including new tastes from South Korea and Belgium. We’ve tried the bo ssam (lettuce wraps with slow-cooked pork and a kimchi-inspired slaw) from South Korea, and give it two thumbs up. From Belgium? Delicious waffles, of course.
It only happens once and tickets may be tough to snag for the new Delicious Discoveries First Bites ($195 plus tax and theme park admission) in the Festival Welcome Center. There will be plenty of food, wine and a sneak peek at the festival’s seminars, demos, celebs and entertainment.
Also new this year is “3D” Disney’s Dessert Discovery every Friday during the festival with sweets, cordials and wine with VIP viewing for IllumiNations. Tickets are $45 plus park admission. A wonderful way to end the day. More to come!
Comments
Pam, we know that the Food & Wine Festival will offically open on Friday, October 1st, wondering if some of the booths will do a “soft opening” on September 30th? Thanks!
We’re from Belgium and we’ll be visiting the Food & Wine festival this year. We’re so glad to hear that Belgium is in it too. We’re definitely going to see what they’re offering.
Will there be a Belgian chef?
I’m wondering, will there be a way to purchase event tickets without the specific guest name this year? We purchase tickets so far ahead and never know who our college-age son might want to invite… so we always end up with just the three of us instead of bringing along a friend. It would be great to be able to purchase at least one extra ticket for our group in the name “guest of…” so that we have the option to bring along a friend.
This will be my first year experiencing the Food and Wine Festival. I hope to try some great food and hear some good music.
Every day during May, I eagerly checked the website for updates. I trusted the comment at the bottom of the page that read, “It should be up-and-running before the end of May!” On June 2, the page still said that. Now I notice that the page has been updated to read, “It should be up-and-running before the end of June!” I sure hope that isn’t changed in June to say “July” instead. I’m ready to make our plans!
Really loved the Party for the Senses event! When will those be posted so we can make our reservations? Being Italian, we attended the Italian party and it was awesome. Told other friends about it and they are planning to come down from Chicago for it.
I love the food and wine festival, but it does seem to get less affordable each year. Please keep at least one ‘cheap eat’ on each menu!
Re Mike wanting more beer variety. I agree it would be *great* to see more craft beers, but I think it would be really difficult since almost by definition the supply of a craft beer is pretty limited and, well, I would guess rivers of it get sold at the F&W Fest! Compared to the rest of Orlando it’s a pretty good beer selection though!
We are planning a “Girls Only” trip for October. No husbands, no kids! We can’t wait to try all of the wonderful items available. We can take our time and shop all we want and try all the wines we want. Counting the days!
Hi, I love this Festival and love trying all the different foods! I have a request: is there any way to have nonalcoholic beer available at more than just the UNITED KINGDOM? Its a real down for those who are not able to drink alchohol to have go to this one spot. If its avaiable in one spot, why not a few more?
It would make my day(s)! Thanks
We will pass along your request!
Did anyone else notice the guy in the beret on the bike in the photo? Cute, considering Epcot’s France pavilion is the backdrop. He needs a baguette in a basket on the front of the bike and a little bell though to make it complete.
I’m confused – do you have to pay a separate price to participate in the Food & Wine Festival?
Pam,
This “Disney Mom” is so excited for the addition of Belgium! I hope that we get to see frites avec mayonnaise, some waterzooi, and now there can be an official home for Stella!
Doug
I’d heard the 3D Dessert Party would be on Thursdays, not Fridays. We already planned EPCOT for a Thursday – with a Le Cellier Reservation. Now Le Cellier is already completely booked for Friday. 🙁 NOOOOOOO!!!!! I want my “soup” & my “dessert” too!
I can’t wait! Loved the way the wine seminars were managed last year – getting advanced tickets saved us HOURS of vacation time. Hope it is the same again this year. Not spending my time waiting in line is so worth the small fee. Can’t wait to start planning in full.
Oh not to mention meeting Robert Irvine!
Can’t wait. one thing missing last year was Turkey! is there any plan to add them back in the future?
otherwise my favorite in 2009 was the lamb sliders!
Oooh the “3D” looks wonderful! We love the Wishes Dessert Party (gee, what is it going to be called now? Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular Dessert Party? What a mouthful)
Any idea when we can make reservations for this? Thanks!
Website will go live in mid-July, that is when you can make reservations.
Really looking forward to it. In addition to the great food, we really enjoy the great bands from your younger days. We hope you will have the musical acts every day of the festival rather than just on the weekends as you did for the Flower & Garden Festival.
While I love this event I have been dismayed they haven’t got the food right at the Spanish stand for the past 3 years. Last year they served churros, which are originally from Spain, but they should not be covered in sugar or cinnamon. This is a variation from other Hispanic countries. Same with the chorizo (a Spanish sausage) they have been serving. There are variations but Epcot hasn’t been serving chorizo you would find in Spain. These may seem like trivial points but it would be like serving fish and chips at the American Adventure as a traditional American meal. We may speak the same language as the British but we don’t have the same diets.
Here’s hoping for better comida y vino (food and wine) this year!
Why haven’t you updated the Eat to the Beat list? You are still showing 2009.
Thoma Smith posted the new Eat to the Beat for 2010 on April 22 — just search the Disney Park Blog and you’ll see the line-up!
Can’t wait for it this year! You guys need to bring back the watermelon juice at the Mexico booth. That was the best item ever at the Festival!!!
Sounds awesome. I love Food & Wine. I think you guys need to add more beer though! I’m a real beer geek and love the Sam Adams display at F&W, but would really love a couple unique craft/import beer selections at each country’s booth as well. A giant selection of American craft beers from all over the nation would also be amazing. Bring on the beer love, and upgrade this festival to the Epcot International Food, Wine & Beer Festival!
Can’t wait for Food & Wine Festival!! I’m looking forward to experiencing something I never have before… I hope the full list of available tastings and experiences will be up soon so my husband and I can choose what to do!
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