The Florida Foodie
EPCOT Food & Wine Festival 2014
By Saucy Sarah
Every fall, Disney’s Epcot hosts its annual Food & Wine Festival from September 19th till November 10th. The nearly season-long festival offers foodie events for all ages. With mild weather setting in, crowds low, and an array of discounted hotel rooms, the food & wine fest promises to be a great, affordable foodie weekend away. Explore all of the free, affordable, and paid events happening at this gem of a festival, held right in our backyard!
The highlight of the food & wine fest is the International Food Marketplace. Small kiosks are set up around the park, each spotlights different country’s cuisine and beverages. For a modest price (ranging from $4.00 to $12.00 per selection) you can literally eat and drink your way around the world. The menu items are a small portion designed to allow you to sample many different flavors from many different places.
In addition to the food sampling, the festival offers free food and beverage events daily. You will find the complimentary events held in the festival welcome center. The events include: Back to Basics, The Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar, hosted by Ghirardelli® Chocolate Company, Marketplace Discovery Passport, Book signings, Bottle signings, Meet ‘n’ greets, and the “Seasons of the Vine” film.
Music is also an important part of the food & wine festival. The “Eat to Beat: A Concert Series” will showcase live acts by major performers at the America Pavilion, located in the World Showcase. Performers such as Hanson, Night Ranger, and BillyOcean will take the stage and provide a delightful musical accompaniment to your munching. While there is preferred seating at a price, the performances are free for park guests to enjoy.
If you are looking for unique and premium foodie experiences, Disney is also offering a buffet of fine dining opportunities, amazing culinary seminars, and delicious tasting events. All of these events are going to cost you. The price-range begins at the daily themed food seminars that last about 45 minutes for roughly $15-$20 per person, to the extravagant “Feast of the Senses Grand Gala” a lavish tasting event that can cost around $150 per person. Within the range of events and prices you will find wine lectures, cheese seminars, cooking boot camps with your favorite celebrity chefs, and much more! Park admission is required for all events, so paired with one of these pricey tickets, your food & wine festival experience can cost you a pretty penny. Another piece of advice is to purchase additional ticketed events early. While costly, these events do sell out quickly.
The Florida Foodie Food & Wine Fest on a Budget Advice: Stick with the International Marketplace food samplings and the free events offered with your Epcot admission. I also recommend the 45 minute, affordable food and wine lectures, but make sure to reserve and pay ahead of time for these. Plan to score a seat at the Eat to Beat concert series performance and then watch Epcot’s “Illuminations” fireworks show while eating some exotic and delicious sweet treats. If possible, plan to visit the festival for two consecutive days; for you will find there is more to eat, drink, and see than one human can handle in one day!
Fall always means foodie adventure to me. The days become a little milder, the drier air stirs the pallet. Festivals highlighting the bounty of the harvest begin to pop up everywhere. As we Floridians enjoy the low season and discounted hotel options, it is a prime time to venture out and try something new. Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival is like taking a world tour of foodie delights all in one day…or maybe two days. I will be heading up to experience the festival a few times this fall and I can’t wait to discover all the tasty surprises in store!
For more information, lists of marketplace menus, concert schedule, and reservation information, please visit the official Epcot Food & Wine Festival website at: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival/