The EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is coming up soon!
2021 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival
While we don’t yet have the full menus for the festival, we DO have some of the confirmed entertainment and activities — as well as the list of booths. That means we’re getting EXCITED! And if you’re planning on going and don’t really know where to start…well, we’ve got you covered. After all, we’re festival pros! Today, we’re sharing some tips that’ll put you on the right track to making the most out of your day at the Food and Wine Festival.
Before we get started, we want to share that all of this info and MORE are included in our DFB Guide to the 2022 Epcot Food & Wine Festival. This 200+ page guide has all the insider tips and advice you’ll need — and you can pre-order it today!
DFB 2022 Food & Wine Festival Guide
Now, let’s dive in. Here are some things that Disney WON’T tell you about the Festival…but we will. 😉
It Can Get Crowded
A huge chunk of attendees at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival are Florida locals who visit EPCOT on weekends. So even with limited park capacity and the current Park Pass reservation system, you’ll find weekends at the festival are a LOT more crowded.
China Booth line during Food & Wine Festival
The trick? Visit on weekdays! For the shortest lines, schedule your Festival time for early in the day, Monday-Friday. Then, you’ll miss that group of locals visiting after work or on weekends! Plus, by visiting in the morning, you’ll avoid groups of people Park Hopping after 2PM (and all those drunk guests at night). And pro tip: avoid the crowds by going RIGHT when you head into the World Showcase. Most people turn left, towards Mexico!
Learn More About the Park Pass Reservation System!
It Can Be HOT Out
The Food and Wine Festival runs from July 14th-November 19th, 2022. That time of year in Florida can get pretty toasty! And if you’re chowing down on tasty eats and sipping on cocktails, you may forget to stay hydrated.
The Cape Codder
Remember to chug water, friends! Set reminders on your phone to hydrate if you have to. There’s nothing worse than making your way around a Festival feeling thirsty or dizzy. You can grab free cups of ice water at most Quick Service locations to quench that thirst — or bring your own reusable water bottle!
Check Out More Essentials We Bring to the Festival!
It’s Hard to Carry All That Food
If you’re tasting a LOT at the Festival, you may want to pick up a few different foods or drinks from any given booth. And as you can imagine, all that food can get pretty difficult to carry! So we’re sharing one of our favorite DFB Guide tips: bring your OWN reusable tray.
Food Tray
Sure, Disney sells official plastic plates with the Food and Wine Festival logo — but they only carry one meal and a glass of wine, and they’re pretty pricey. Grab a cheap one online and stow it away in your park bag, then pull it out when you need it. Trust us — it’s a lifesaver. And find out how to make your own DFB tray here!
Check Out 45 Tips for Disney World in 2022!
Not Everything Is Worth the Price
There is a TON of food up for grabs at the Festival, and we’re just gonna be real with you: not everything is worth it. Sometimes a snack looks gorgeous but tastes eh, or it simply doesn’t give you enough bang for your buck.
Moqueca: Brazilian Seafood Stew
In our DFB Guide, we have photos and reviews for EVERY single item you can buy at the Festival. And we get those up for you on day 1, so you’re ready to plan!
Get the DFB Guide to the 2021 Epcot Food and Wine Festival today!
We’ll always be honest with you if we do or don’t recommend a dish. That can really help you plan what you want to eat and what you may want to skip. Talk about a money-saver!
Here Are Our Favorite Foods from Last Year’s Festival!
There’s a Trick to Getting Your Money’s Worth
If you want to try lots of food at the Festival, there’s a way to sample a lot of options without breaking the bank. And it’s SO simple: just bring a friend or family member! You’ll be able to try double the items for half the cash.
Boston Cream Pie Donut
This is also a great way to ensure you don’t fill up before you’ve tasted everything you want. Sure, the portions are small (they’re meant to be tasting size!), but by splitting them with a festival buddy, you’ll save room in your tummy (and your wallet!) for even more eats.
Check Out More Festival Budgeting Tips!
We Did All the Planning for You
Feeling overwhelmed by all the options at the Festival? With 32 booths and locations at the 2021 Food and Wine Festival — plus entertainment and other activities — it seemed like there was always more to eat and do. And if you need a little help planning your schedule, our DFB Guide has ya covered!
Cheers to That!
We’ve got a few handy-dandy features in our book for you. The first is a list of touring strategies, customizable for what YOU want to get out of the Festival. We have strategies for those on a budget, those with kids, those with only 1 day to enjoy the Festival…the list goes on.
Lobster Landing
If you want strategies inspired by different food options, try one of our DFB Guide Themed Crawls! We outline crawls for beer, seafood, cheese, kids’ meals, vegetarian eats, chocolate, and SO much more. Each crawl recommends booths and dishes that best serve your interests! So if you’re going into the Festival with a very specific taste, check these out.
Check Out Another Food and Wine Festival Crawl!
It Can Be Hard Finding Your Way Around
The various booths and locations that pop up for the Festival can be a bit tricky to find! After all, they aren’t labeled on the official EPCOT park map, and you won’t find a map in your Festival Passport, either.
Festival Passports
The solution? Our exclusive map! Here’s what the map will look like.
2020 Booth Map
The DFB Guide includes a map of the Food and Wine Festival, with each booth or location labeled for ya. It makes it SUPER easy to find your way around — especially if you have a certain spot in mind and are trying to find your way there. Want to wander around the Festival instead? The map helps you know what you’ll run into next!
Check Out Our Other Disney World Maps!
We hope these tips help make your trip to the Food and Wine Festival a little easier! Remember, ALL of this info — plus way more — is included in our DFB Guide to the 2022 Epcot Food & Wine Festival.
This guide is currently available for pre-order, and you can save 20% off the cover price by using the code CHEFS at checkout.
Enjoy the Festival, and stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news!
Click Here to Pre-Order the DFB Guide to the 2022 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival
IT'S WINE & DINE TIME!
Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience.
If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU!
Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival!
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Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival
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Are you visiting the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival this year? Let us know in the comments!
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When are the concerts coming back? I want to “Eat to the Beat.” I hope the Starlords make a return.
Frank, we’re watching for information on ETTB. We will update when info is released.
I have gone to the Epcot Wine and Food Festival every year… but not this year. Without a Florida resident annual pass, I can’t afford to go… too much to eat, too much to see for a one day visit at a $120.00 day pass. I would go once a week for several weeks to enjoy all the food, but not any more… I would go broke just paying for the entry tickets let alone the food. Sorry Disney, you won’t see me or my wallet….
Will the Party For The Senses be back this year?
We’re going to be there for the last week of Food & Wine. I’ve never been for this festival and I’m super excited!!
Sharon, we’re still waiting on announcements from Disney, but we’re not expecting it to come back this year.
My Fam is finally going back to Disney and we are SO excited. A couple of weeks after booking the trip I found out that our last day was the first day of the Festival so I just had to extend our trip! I will now be there the first 2 days of 2021 Food and Wine Fest. I’ve never been and it being the first days I won’t get any be able to get advice and hints from y’all here at DFB. Does Disney usually announce all the menus before opening day?
Stacia, yes, we would expect menus in advance. We will have them up on the individual menu pages (linked here) immediately after their release. We also visit the first day of the Festival and try everything on every menu, with reviews, so the evening after the first day, you will be able to find our reviews and food photos on the menu pages, too. Doesn’t give you much time to plan for day two, but maybe something will help. The DFB Guide to Food & Wine Festival would also be helpful for overall planning, if you’re wondering about that, too.
I purchased the 2021 guide, but it gives me the 2020 guide.
Angie, the 2021 Guide will be released shortly after the menus come out (should be soon!), and the 2020 is sent so you can browse it while waiting for the new version. The 2021 will be sent out automatically to those who purchased it as soon as it’s updated and ready to go.