Disney has already started gearing up for the 2024 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival and we can’t wait!
2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival
This summertime festival is the BIGGEST one of the year, bringing tons of food booths, a concert series, and all kinds of themed entertainment to the park. Disney has been keeping the full list of booths and menus a secret, but we’ve already gotta share some bad news about this year’s Food & Wine Festival!
The EPCOT Food & Wine Festival will be here before we know it and we can’t wait! But, if you’re planning a trip to this year’s festival, we do have some bad news we’ve gotta share with you — which doesn’t mean you can’t still have a good time, but it does mean you might want to be a bit more prepared. Let’s get into it!
It’s Shorter This Year
This year, the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival will officially begin on August 29th and run through November 23rd! This is shorter than we’ve seen in recent years — for example, in 2023, the festival dates were July 27th through November 18th. That’s a whole month shorter in 2024 than in 2023! But, this isn’t exactly all that surprising, and we’ll tell you why.
EPCOT Food & Wine Festival 2023
This festival timeline is more consistent with the timeline from before the COVID-19-related closures. In 2019, the Food and Wine Festival ran from August 29th through November 23rd, and the Flower and Garden Festival ran from March 6th to June 3rd. You might notice that the dates for this year are exactly the same as in 2019 — before Disney changed things up by extending the festival. This is something to keep in mind if you’re planning a trip, though!
It’s HOT!
We know — this isn’t shocking, and it certainly isn’t exclusive to the 2024 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, either. But we think people seriously underestimate just how oppressively hot it can get at Disney World — especially if you’re planning on going right when the festival kicks off. You might be prepared for 95-degree weather, but are you prepared to eat hot cheese soup in 95-degree weather?
Spaceship Earth
We always recommend sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen, plenty of water (don’t get dehydrated, people!), and taking breaks in the air conditioning or shade when you can. This is especially true if you plan on doing some imbibing of alcohol during your festival day!
Ride Closures Could Mean Long Lines
Test Track is currently closed for refurbishment! Disney hasn’t released too many details about what the ride experience will be like just yet, but, they did mention that it will take inspiration from World of Motion, the ride that was originally there when the park opened in 1982. But, as far as the Food and Wine Festival goes, this might have an impact on lines at food booths!
Test Track
Since Test Track is one of the more popular parks at EPCOT, it usually garners quite a line — meaning it can hold a ton of park visitors at once. With this ride being closed, all those people are going to have to go somewhere and that might end up being the line for the booth you want.
©Disney
Of course, the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is a beloved tradition that keeps people coming back year after year, and for good reason! But, if you follow our tips and tricks you can still have the best time! Speaking of which…
If you’re planning your trip to the Food & Wine Festival and want to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the fun, make sure to check out our DFB Guide to the Food & Wine Festival! We’ve compiled all of our knowledge from decades of visiting this festival and included tons of helpful tips for you to use so you can plan the perfect trip.
We also have lots of fun Food & Wine Festival merch — like t-shirts, tank tops, and sweatshirts — on our DFB store online! Check those out here!
Food and Wine Vibes!
We’ll make sure to keep you in the loop with more festival news, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest! We’ll be there on the first day of the festival to try ALL the booths and share our reviews.
Learn More About the Food & Wine Festival Here!
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!
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Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival
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Are you going to the Food & Wine Festival this year? Tell us in the comments.
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Planning trip for the 2025 food n wine festival!!! We loved it in 2009 and 2017.
2025 will b my 40th birthday 🎂 trip
Yes I love the food and wine festival. I’ll be there on September 1.
I’m hoping they bring back the cooking & mixology demos as well as the celebrity chefs. It’s really not a food & wine festival without those things
I guess we will never again see Party for the Senses, desert parties, special lunches, breakfasts, dinners, taste around the monorail, Sangria U, Food and wine pairings, special tastings… you know what made it Special!! Food booths are a yawn compared to the full event schedules of the past. Telling us the cut back is because they don’t need to since attendance is up is pathetic!
Agreed with Nicole!
Do they even focus on the culinary aspect of this festival anymore. I loved the Spirit tastings, and chef demonstrations. We are going in October.