Fall is here and so is my all-time favorite Walt Disney World Resort event, the 21st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival! This year it’s longer and larger than ever before, with 62 days of fantastic food, drink, entertainment and fun happening all day at Epcot through November 14.
My husband and I ponder the question each year … do we bring our little one to this fabulous event? We know what we want to do but is there enough to keep our little girl engaged, too?
Well … now that our daughter is a tween, we have decided it’s not even a question. We must bring her! There are so many tween-centric things to do, she would certainly feel snubbed if we left her with a sitter.
For example, tweens can join in all the fun with Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak Scavenger Hunt. A map and stickers lead kids of all ages around the World Showcase to hunt for little statuettes of their favorite little French chef, Remy, and earn a surprise.
As parents peruse their Festival Passports in search of their favorite delicacies, picky eaters will find a little pear-shaped symbol identifying kid-friendly foods … just in case they aren’t interested in expanding their palette with some of the more exotic cuisine.
My tween loves to help me cook dinner each night at home and the new Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It! interactive events at the Festival Center offers adults and kids alike a chance to learn a variety of culinary skills from chefs, bakers and other pros. It’s a hands-on activity I know my tween will enjoy!
And don’t forget … all attractions are open and kids can ride Test Track, Frozen Ever After and Soarin’ Around the World in between noshes! Please don’t hesitate to bring that older child of yours, too! Let them join in the Festival fun!
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Last year our family went with my son who was 13. I wasn’t sure if he would be very interested and I wasn’t looking forward to him complaining about how boring it was so, before hand, we printed out the event map and the offerings from all the Global Market places, sat down with grandma and grandpa (who were also going) and we each picked out what we would like to try, might try, some things we would like to share and 1 thing we would never ever eat in a million years, but would eat it at the festival!
I had bought the Tasting Sampler lanyards, (which has 8 credential tabs you break off for each offering/drink you would like). Most of the portions were a good size and you can only eat so much (if you plan to try a lot, share!) We had to come back the next day to finish using them (we used them mostly for food and only a few alchoholic drinks). Our favorites were the buttered chicken in Africa, filet in Canada and strawberries in China.
My son enjoyed planning out our day before hand so he knew what we would be doing when we got there and was really looking forward to it, best of all, NO COMPLAINTS!
We all had fun with Remy’s Hide and Squeak Scavenger Hunt (you purchase this separately, but we were happy with the “surprise” when we finished).
I would suggest starting when it opens (I think 11) as there are quite a few groups who “drink around the world”. I didn’t notice any bad behavior but it did become a lot more crowded later in the day. There are interesting exhibits throughout. Don’t miss Ghirardelli, Bean to Bar!
Last year my daughter and I did a wine seminar which we enjoyed (the smaller the bubbles, the better the quality of wine!). This year I booked a culinary demonstration for all of us (they did have pumpkin carving and pastry demonstrations but not the days we were going) my son is looking forward to that as well.
I think planning ahead really made a difference for us and everyone had an incredible time!
Everyone is looking forward to going again this year!
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