It is almost here! The EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival is returning to EPCOT this week!

We are eagerly counting down the days until EPCOT once again has a festival, as it has been festival-less all summer, but that is all about to change when the Food and Wine Festival returns on August 29th. We already have the complete list of booths and all the menus, and it has been making us hungry all week. We have been going to the Food and Wine Festival for 15 years, so we know a thing or two about festival strategy, and of course, we want to share our game changers with you!

The Food and Wine Festival has so much to offer! You can snack and drink your way around EPCOT with over 25 Global Marketplace food booths. You can Eat to the Beat over in the America Gardens Theatre each night as different bands and artists take the stage. You can even participate in a cheese crawl and help find Remy around EPCOT, in Remy’s Hide and Squeak Scavenger Hunt.

There is so much to enjoy that you are probably asking yourself, “How can I do it all?” Well, we have some tips to help you make the most out of your visit to EPCOT during the Food and Wine Festival.

The ONLY EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Guide You Need To Read in 2024

Enter EPCOT Using the Back Entrance

Did you know that EPCOT has two different entrances? The front entrance is right by Spaceship Earth, and the back entrance is located between the France and the United Kingdom Pavilions.

The International Gateway, or in our official terms, “the back entrance,” is a great way to beat the crowds, especially during festival season. This entrance serves as an entrance to those using the Friendship Boats, taking the Skyliner, or staying at the EPCOT area hotels, but anyone can enter this way!

If you are looking to save time and get into the park quicker, we suggest entering through the back!

These Are the BEST Hotels for the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival in 2024

Visit EPCOT During the Week and Not Weekend

It is no surprise that Disney World gets crowded on the weekends, which unfortunately can mean longer lines at attractions and longer lines at food booths.

You don’t want to spend the majority of your Food and Wine day waiting in line; you want to spend it trying all the delicious food and drinks! If your trip allows for it, we highly suggest planning your EPCOT day to fall on a weekday, as crowds tend to be lower.

Skip Opening and Closing Weekend

So many people will be flocking to EPCOT this Thursday and through the weekend to be some of the first to visit EPCOT for the Food and Wine Festival. This means that we can expect EPCOT to be very crowded this first weekend and for food booth lines to be very long.

The same goes for the last weekend of the festival, as the festival ends on November 23rd. There will be people who are trying to get their favorite dishes and drinks one last time before EPCOT transitions into the International Festival of the Holidays on November 29th.

Heed our warning, and avoid visiting EPCOT the first and last weekend of the Food and Wine Festival, if possible.

Make a Game Plan Ahead of Time

If you are like us, you may have already made your “Must Have” list for the Food and Wine Festival. If you have not, you may want to start creating yours.

Having a game plan ahead of time can make your Food and Wine Festival visit go smoother. This is because you are able to map out what booths you should visit and map out your day. It is also a great way to ensure everyone gets their pick of booths to try.

Your FOOL-PROOF EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Game Plan

You can start to create a game plan beforehand by checking out our blog. We have so many great Food and Wine Festival resources that can help you figure out and map out your day at the festival.

A pro tip is that the My Disney Experience app actually has a digital copy of the festival passport, meaning that you can get your hands on a passport before you are even in the park!

Go the Same Week as the Food and Wine Classic for TWO Festivals

There is another festival that goes on at the same time as EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival, and it is located just behind EPCOT!

The Food and Wine Classic takes place at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin on November 15th and 16th. The event takes place between 5:30 PM-9:30 PM.

That means if you choose to visit Disney World on November 15th and 16th, you can have the opportunity to visit two festivals!

Visit Booths as Soon as They Open

While EPCOT usually opens at 9 AM each day, the food booths do not open until a little later. Typically, booths will open around 11 AM, but sometimes they can open a little bit before that time.

To take full advantage of all of the food booths, we suggest starting early and hitting up the food booths as soon as they open. This way, you will have more time to try more booths and hopefully beat some of the mid-day crowds.

Purchase the DFB Food and Wine Festival Guide

Along with the resources on our blog and YouTube channel, AJ and the team have specialty guides to help you during your visit to Disney World. There is even one precisely for the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival.

The Food and Wine Festival is EPCOT’s largest festival and our guide has the best tips, information, and advice so you can enjoy all your time at the festival. This guide has over 250 pages of information to help you tackle the Food and Wine Festival!

Buy the DFB Food and Wine Festival Guide Here

We hope that these seven tips will help you when you visit the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival this fall!

7 Top Secret Tips for the 2024 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

Will you be visiting the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival this year? Let us know in the comments!