EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival

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Every fall guests flock to Walt Disney World for the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival. This festival offers an amazing and fun experience that spans far beyond the taste buds.

EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival

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EPCOT first held an International Food & Wine event back in the fall of 1996. Since then it has only continued to grow in popularity and size.

One of the big draws of World Showcase is the ability to experience the countries represented, and one of the best ways is through authentic flavors of different dishes and beverages. The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival allows you to experience it on a whole different level.

The Food & Wine Festival creates a global marketplace that offers authentic cuisine and beverages. The marketplace stands offer smaller portions of these offerings to allow the ability for you to taste many different options before becoming too full to eat or drink anything else!

With the growth of the popularity of the festival, Disney has expanded its length to offer more time for anyone that wants to experience it to get the chance to visit and enjoy it.

Global Marketplaces

Disney has been well known for its focus on culinary arts for a long time now. This comes from their focus on both flavor and presentation. While the portions offered at the global marketplace stations might be on the smaller size that doesn’t mean that Disney has skimped on what makes their culinary dishes shine.

During the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival you can stroll across 6 continents – and beyond – to sample amazing dishes and beverages from across the globe. At the global marketplace stands you can experience the culture, cuisine, and cooking techniques of chefs worldwide.

In 2021 there are 32 different global marketplace stands. Each one offers a flavorful paradise served through dishes, fine wine, craft beer, spirits, and other beverages.

For your convince, some menu items are indicated as being plant-based or gluten/wheat friendly. Be sure to consult with the chef, or a special-diets-trained cast member, if you have any other food allergens that you are concerned about to avoid any allergic reactions.

Want to know what food options there are to choose from? Check out the Food and Wine Global Market Places Menu here.

While you might feel for a moment like you’ve traveled around the globe the regular ID requirements are still required for all alcoholic purchases. So it’s important to come prepared so you don’t miss out.

Guests must be 21 years old or older to purchase alcoholic beverages. Alcohol will not be served to anyone who does not present valid identification. The following forms of ID are accepted:

• U.S. state driver’s license (includes U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa)
• U.S. state ID (includes U.S. territories)
• U.S. military ID
• Original passport
• Copy of passport (either on paper or captured on a mobile device), along with a government-issued photo ID that verifies the person and birth date shown on the copy
• NEXUS card issued by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (Canadian guests only)
• Please Note: visitors from outside the United States are required to present both a valid passport and another form of government-issued photo identification from their country of origin

Live Entertainment

One of the best ways to enjoy your food and drink is with some great entertainment. During the Food and Wine Festival there are different entertainment offerings throughout the day around EPCOT. Be sure to check out the Entertainment section of your My Disney Experience app at the start of the day so you don’t miss any of the ones that you want to see.

Here is a list of the amazing entertainment that you can find during the Festival:

• America Gardens Bandstand: Live on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays you can watch live bands from across Central Florida as they play popular songs from both yesterday and today.
• Jammin’ Chefs: Only at Disney can you listen to foot-tapping fun beats from a band that uses pots, pans, and other unlikely instruments at the Mill Stage at the Canada Pavilion.
• Mariachi Cobre: Enjoy an exuberant performance of world-famous, traditional folk music.
• Voices of Liberty: During the festival, you can find the voices of liberty giving one of their inspiring vocal performances celebrating America’s spirit and beauty on the American Gardens Theater stage.
• Epcot Pianist: Relax while listening to a selection of soothing tunes.

Fun for Kids of All Ages

Who says you can’t have fun playing with your food? Alright, maybe not literally playing with your food. Still, there is food-related fun to be had for all ages during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival!

Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak

There isn’t a better character to help add some fun to the festival than Remy from Ratatouille. For the Food and Wine festival, Remy has created a Ratatouille-inspired adventure by hiding ingredients all around World Showcase!

If you want to get in on the fun of finding Remy and his ingredients head to either Port of Entry, Pin Traders, or World Traveler at the International Gateway. At any of these locations, you can purchase a scavenger hunt map

Once you have your map head around World Showcase to find where Remy is hiding with all of his ingredients. Some of them aren’t so easy to find, so be sure to look all over. I’ll also give you a little hint. Don’t just look at your eye level. Be sure to look high and low!

If you’re really stuck finding Remy ask some of the cast members around. They’ll give you a hint of where to look. If nothing else you’ll find you’ve spent a lot of time exploring all of the different countries in World Showcase while you hunt.

Once you’ve found Remy be sure to place the sticker of the ingredient you found on the correct spot for each country. When you’re all done head back to one of the three map purchase locations to get a special surprise!

Emile’s Fromage Montage

Does your family love cheese as much as Remy’s brother Emile? If so you might want to join him for a stroll around EPCOT to sample some delicious cheeses served in a variety of inventive ways.

To take part in Emile’s Fromage Montage all you need to do is purchase five items from the specific menu of cheese-themed dishes that Emile has chosen (you can purchase all five, or you can purchase your favorite more than once). When you purchase the item make sure to collect the matching stamp for each item you buy. The stamps can be spread out over time as well. They do not need to all be obtained in a single day.

Once you have collected five stamps take your stamped passport to Shimmering Sips (near Port of Entry) for a fun and unique prize!

Here are Emile’s Fromage Montage menu selections along with the stand where each one can be purchased:

• Griddled Cheese – Greece (between Morocco and Japan)
• Schinkennudeln – Germany (World Showcase Germany pavilion)
• Crispy Barbecue Pork Rinds – The Swanky Saucy Swine (near Disney Traders)
• Passion Fruit Cheesecake – Hawai’i (near Disney Traders)
• The Corned Beef Corner Route – Flavors from Fire: Hosted by the NFL on ESPN (near Test Track)

EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival Merchandise

To truly take part in the Food and Wine Festival you’ll likely be purchasing (and enjoying) a lot of yummy food and drink. The problem is you can’t take those things home with you as a memory of your fun vacation! Well, Disney has you covered with official event merchandise!

You can visit Port of Entry to find select Festival merchandise, CORKCICLE offerings, adult apparel, home decor, as well as Park souvenirs. You can also explore the Festival Markets to shop these collections:

• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Collection: Celebrate the festival with the CORKCICLE water bottle and stemless wine glass, commemorative apparel, and kitchen essentials!
• Belle, Be Our Guest: Plan the perfect dinner party and outfit with a Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” inspired collection of themed apparel, measuring cups, and more.
• Remy Shakes Things Up: Add a touch of spice to your home with this collection featuring apparel from Her Universe, kitchen essentials including a CORKCICLE tumbler, and an ornament.
• Minnie’s Apple Orchard: Find Mickey and Minnie perfecting their apple pie baking on new merchandise including a headband, spirit jersey, pie dish, Her Universe Shirt Jacket, and so much more.

For 2021 the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival starts on July 14, 2022. It will continue to run daily through November 19, 2022. Valid admission to a Walt Disney World theme park as well as an EPCOT park reservation are required to attend the festival. Certain events and activities require an additional fee.

Want to know more about current Festival updates and information? Be sure to check out the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival page on the Walt Disney World website.

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