Planning a trip to EPCOT’s 2023 International Food & Wine Festival? There are some BIG things you need to know about!

We’ve got a full look at the menus here, our picks for the very BEST things to eat and drink, a complete look at the Festival merchandise, and reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. here. But there’s one Festival event you can’t forget about — the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. While you can just walk right up and watch the concerts for free, if you assume that’ll be easy to do for every performer, you could be making a BIG mistake.

What Is Eat to the Beat?

For those unfamiliar with it, the Eat to the Beat Concert Series is a special entertainment offering that’s available during the Food & Wine Festival. Throughout the Festival, popular bands from the 80s, 90s, and beyond perform at the America Gardens Theatre in the American Adventure Pavilion for everyone to enjoy.

The concerts are FREE with your EPCOT admission, and they take place three times each night (5:30PM, 6:45PM, and 8PM).

The more internationally recognized bands and artists perform Fridays through Mondays, while local bands take the stage Tuesdays through Thursdays. 

You can see the FULL schedule of bands set to perform here.

Why Should I Get a Dining Package?

Again, as we mentioned above, you can watch these concerts for FREE with your EPCOT admission, but sometimes the standby lines to get a seat for some of the more popular performers can get LENGTHY. If you want to get a good seat for those performances, then you might have to get in line fairly early and stand out (typically in the HEAT) for a while to get your spot.

Some might not mind that at all, but there IS a way to skip the waiting!

Disney offers Eat to the Beat Dining Packages Fridays through Mondays (for the performances of those more internationally recognized artists). These come with a meal at one of the participating EPCOT restaurants along with reserved seating for one of the Eat to the Beat concert performances on the night of your visit/meal.

It’s an easy way to ensure that you get a good seat for your favorite performer without having to wait in line. Also, note that from what we’ve seen, these concerts can be quite a bit busier on Mondays (regardless of who is playing). Mondays tend to be the days when EPCOT offers Extended Evening Hours (for qualifying hotel guests). So if there’s someone you REALLY want to see who is performing on a Monday and you’ll be visiting on that day, that might also be a reason to book a Dining Package.

Note that these Dining Packages do come at a cost (of course). Pricing can range from $35 per adult to $95 per adult, depending on what restaurant you choose. Also, note that what is included in each restaurant can vary.

Reservations for dining packages are available 60 days in advance of your trip (like regular dining reservations), and there are a limited number of day-of dining packages available at Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue if you want a cheaper, more last-minute option.

See full pricing details here.

What Performances Should I Buy a Dining Package For?

By now you might be wondering — “Okay, so what artists should I buy a Dining Package for?” Well, first of all, that’ll depend on your own taste in music. While a particular artist or band might be popular, if it’s one that doesn’t interest you, then there’s no need to spend the money for a dining package to see them. You can just grab a seat by waiting in the standby line if you so choose, opt to listen to their tunes as you stroll by the area, or just skip the concert altogether.

But if you DO happen to like some of the bands below, you might want to consider making a Dining Package reservation. Why? Because we expect these could be VERY popular bands/artists that could draw quite the standby line, making a Dining Package a more relaxing way to secure your seat.

Here’s a list of the bands we think you should really consider getting a Dining Package for:

1. Joey Fatone & Friends — August 18 through 21, 2023
2. 98° — September 25 and 26, 2023
3. Boyz II Men — September 29 and 30, 2023 & October 1 and 2, 2023 (this group can be VERY popular!)
4. Hanson — October 27 through 30, 2023

And here are some other ones you might want to consider grabbing a Dining Package for that we think could be pretty popular:

• Ruben Studdard with Haley Reinhart – NEW! — August 11 and 12, 2023
• The Fray – NEW! — August 13 and 14, 2023
• Phillip Phillips – NEW! — August 27 and 28, 2023
• Baha Men — September 1 and 2, 2023
• MercyMe — September 3 and 4, 2023
• TobyMac — September 10 and 11, 2023
• Sugar Ray — October 8 and 9, 2023
• Hoobastank — October 13 and 14, 2023
• We the Kings – NEW! — November 3 and 4, 2023

Plus, remember that Monday performances can sometimes be busier (from what we’ve seen) so if you really want to see a band (including one that is NOT on our list above) on a Monday, you may want to look into a Dining Package.

Again, for the FULL Eat to the Beat schedule, click here. We hope this post has given you a better idea of what bands might be particularly popular at the Festival and why a Dining Package can be beneficial. Which performer are you most excited to see? Tell us in the comments! Stay tuned for more Food & Wine Festival news!

Click here for our FULL PAGE about the Food & Wine Festival!

Do you think a Dining Package is worth it or not? Tell us in the comments!