Travel Tips for EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

The EPCOT Food & Wine Festival marks its 21st anniversary and is one of my favorite seasonal festivals at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The festival is a great opportunity for adults to enjoy a fun getaway to Walt Disney World on their own. And yet, it also is a wonderful opportunity to share the experience with older kids who can sample cuisine from more than 30 countries at the temporary kiosks all around World Showcase.
What to EAT 
From Brazil to Germany and Australia to Poland and then all the way to the Islands of the Caribbean, the opportunities to enjoy bite-size samplings of delish cuisine are nearly endless! There are specialty preparations like vegan, gluten-free and non-dairy dishes all over the festival as well. Some of our favorite samplings this year include a Jamaican Beef Patty and Pescado con Coco: Seared Grouper, Pigeon Peas and Rice with Coconut Sauce available at the Islands of the Caribbean kiosk area. Be sure to include a stroll to Morocco for the Baklava. A must-visit location is the all-new Chocolate Studio featuring the Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel which was simply PHENOMENAL!
Learning & Music 
Aside from the delish food, the festival- which runs through November 14th – also has many wonderful learning and entertainment options. We had the best time introducing our teens to Jefferson Starship. Their first question was ‘who’s that??’ and then the performance had the crowd singing out load. The ‘Eat to the Beat’ concert series is a great way to combine more fun with your eating as you have some savings when you package the two upon ordering. You can find a list of performers and dates HERE.
Here is how our Los Tweens & Teens familia enjoy EPCOT Food & Wine 2016:


 
Any vacation or getaway has its planning so to fully enjoy the festival it is especially important to plan your stay, dining AND even the learning. There are many new offerings for 2016 so be sure and review it all before you go! Here are a couple of tips before you head to EPCOT.
Tips to enjoy EPCOT FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL 2016 

  • Decide whether this is a special family outing to enjoy new cuisine or decide if it is a fun adults-only getaway. Both can be a wonderful experience but there are differences.
  • PLAN AHEAD – especially your dining. The park is very full during the festival so reservations are highly recommended.
  • If you can escape to the park during the week- do it! The weekends have heavier traffic so give yourself more time to enjoy the experience on Fridays and Saturdays.
  • If you’re traveling with older kids, use the opportunity to discuss the various cuisine options ahead of time so they know you’ll be trying new things
  • Plan a special course or learning opportunity as part of your visit- it’s such a unique time to visit EPCOT!
  • Stay on-site at a Disney resort or a nearby hotel offering shuttle service to-and-from the park so you’re not worried about driving after a little too much wine or beer tasting
  • BE ADVENTUROUS! The tasting menu is just that – a taste. Be bold and try something new.
  • Use your WDW Magic Bands or the special Food & Wine festival chargeable wristband. Either of these options put technology to work for you and make your stay easier by not needing to ‘swipe’ credit cards the whole time.

If you have an opportunity to make it to the 2016 EPCOT Food & Wine festival be sure and share your photos with our Los Tweens & Teens team! We would love to post your photos on our social media channels.  Send any emails to team@lostweens.com.
Be sure and taste something new and enjoy … #EpcotFoodFestival