Tips for the Food and Wine Festival
Have you yet to experience the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT? Well I must say, you are missing out if you are a food or drink enthusiast! I have personally been to the Food and Wine Festival a few times so I have some tips that I have found helpful through out the years.
First thing first… research the menu!!
Disney will always release the menus for the festival in advance. Giving you time to research what items you’d like to try. Personally, I like to create a list of at least one item from each country I would like to try. I have two separate lists, one being food and the other alcohol. I also tend to research peoples personal reviews on food items. That helps me compare if I cannot decided between items. I suggest doing this because each food item can range between $5 to $12, which can add up. You do not want to go crazy and order so many items the first few booths you hit and then you are broke and miss out on other things!
Purchase gift cards!
In the past Disney use to offer Food and Wine cards solely for the festival. You were able to get a number of food and drink items for one price. They no longer offer those, so I recommend purchasing a regular gift card with the amount you’re willing to spend on trying food and drinks on. This way you do not panic when you swipe your credit card for each purchase. Nothing is worse than stressing about money while trying to enjoy your vacation!
Skip the normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner routine.
A lot of people still make reservations to eat during the festival. Not that it is a bad thing, but you save time by just trying the different foods and filling up on that alone. That leaves you more time to experience other parts of the park. Take things slow and enjoy the atmosphere while trying the food. It really adds to the experience. Disney is known for making you feel a certain way, so lket it take over and enjoy!
Check out the Festival Center
This is a hidden area I feel that a lot of people miss out on. Once you enter the park, go past Spaceship Earth make a left, as if you are going to mission space. You will see a gold roofed building, which is the Festival Center. Inside you will find Food and Wine merchandise along with more drinks to try out! It’s nice and air-conditioned as well so you can sit back and relax while sipping on a newly discovered wine.
Lastly, pace yourself!
When it comes to seeing all the delicious food and drinks, people mistakenly fill up before getting halfway around the world! If you go with more than one person I recommend splitting items. Not only does this help with the cost, but you get a little taste of everything!
Will you be attending the festival this year? Check out Disney’s page dedicated to all this Food and Wine here!
Looking to book your trip to this year’s Food and Wine Festival? Don’t forget to contact, Once Upon a Time Travel, the official travel agent of The Disney Nerds Podcast! Also, they’re fee-free so it doesn’t cost anything extra for their expert advice!
