Disney Files NEW Permit for the Potential Return of an Iconic EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Event

Recently, Disney has announced new lands, attractions, and entertainment headed to the theme parks, new ships coming to the Disney Cruise Line, and so much more. But what about those projects that Disney hasn’t exactly announced yet?

EPCOT

Keeping up with the latest construction permits Disney World files can be a great way to find out just what is going on around the parks and hotels, and this latest one has us pretty darn excited, especially since the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival is coming up!

We’re always on the hunt for the latest construction permits filed by Disney to get an idea of what sort of changes might be coming to the parks, and we recently spotted one that has us pretty excited — especially since EPCOT’s biggest festival of the year will be here before we know it!

food and wine sign with large slice of cake with remy the rat in blue on top. spaceship earth in back.

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

Disney recently filed a permit for work at the World Showplace Pavilion in EPCOT. This space has historically been used for large events, EPCOT festivals, and the occasional emergency bathroom, but we haven’t seen it open in quite a while. The permit is for general construction with Shaw Contract Flooring listed as the contractor performing the work. While that may not be super exciting in and of itself, it’s what this work could mean that has us grinning.

©arcGIS

While Disney hasn’t confirmed anything, the work being done at the World Showplace Pavilion could mean that we might see this space reopen for the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. Occasionally, this space has been used as a food booth, like we saw at the 2020 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, but before that, it was used for Culinary Demonstrations and Seminars! We haven’t seen these return since the parks reopened following the pandemic-related shutdown, but this could be a sign that Disney is bringing them back — which would be SO exciting.

World Showplace Pavilion

Of course, this may just be general maintenance, as the World Showplace is also used for private events such as corporate functions and banquets. Still, we’re hopeful this means something new might be coming to the 2026 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival instead!

World Showplace

Recognized as the Original Disney Food Festival, the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival began in 1995 with 25 Marketplaces situated around World Showcase. Featuring incredible special events and delicious Marketplace Food Booths around the park, this annual event is a can’t-miss part of the Disney calendar!

While dates for the 2026 festival have yet to be announced, we are pretty sure we know when it will be.

Set Up for a Culinary Demo

For the last several years, the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival has begun sometime in the latter part of summer, stretched through the fall, and ended in the middle of November just before the Thanksgiving Holiday. If Disney follows the same pattern in 2026, this year’s festival would last from August 27 through November 21st. Of course, this hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it may help you start to plan your visit.

2024 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

In the meantime, we’ll be on the hunt for new updates from Disney World and more — so stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest news!

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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!