Can’t Miss Experiences at the International Epcot Food & Wine Festival

The great Chef Gusteau once said, “Good food is like music you can taste, color you can smell. There is excellence all around you. You need only be aware to stop and savor it.” Of course, it’s a little easier to be aware of it at the moment, because the Epcot Food and Wine Festival has returned to Walt Disney World.

The annual event, which began on July 14, will run until November 19. That gives Guests of Walt Disney World a full quarter of the year to take part in a grand culinary adventure guaranteed to tantalize the tastebuds with flavors from around the world. 

Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak

A perennial favorite since its introduction, this scavenger hunt takes Guests around the World Showcase in search of hidden statues of everyone’s favorite rodent chef. As you find the figures, mark them with the appropriate sticker on your map. Complete the entire map and you’ll earn a special prize!

Maps and stickers can be purchased at Port of Entry, Creations Shop, or World Traveler at International Gateway. Once you’ve completed the hunt, head to Disney Traders or World Traveler at International Gateway to receive your festival keepsake!

Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit

While Halloween at Walt Disney World will always be most closely associated with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Epcot has it’s own special way of celebrating the fall season. 

From September 29 to October 31, Guests can take part in Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit. Like Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak, you simply purchase a map and stickers (available at the same locations as Remy’s) and then go exploring!

You’ll be searching for decorative pumpkins, each one based on a different Disney character. Once you find them, place the matching sticker on your map in the appropriate location. Once you’ve finished (even if you haven’t found them all) you can visit Disney Traders or World Traveler at International Gateway to receive a reward. 

Eat to the Beat

There’s not much better than listening to live music beneath the stars, and throughout the Food and Wine Festival, Guests can do just that by attending an Eat to the Beat Concert sponsored by Florida Blue Medicare.

Folks who just want to hear the concert simply need to show up. The performances take place at the America Gardens Theatre, with three shows a night (at 5:30, 6:45, and 8 p.m. respectively). No matter what kind of music you like, chances are the festival has a performer for you. Among the artists featured this year are Boyz II Men, Billy Ocean, the Robert Randolph Band, Sheila E., 38 Special, Sugar Ray, Christopher Cross, Air Supply, Tiffany, Kenny G., and Hanson.

From Tuesday to Thursday, Guests can hear performances by local bands such as Evolution: Motown, Latin Ambition, Country Airwaves, Foreigners Journey, Epic, The Vybe, and others.

For Guests looking to add a little extra flavor to the concert, there are dining packages available, which will provide you with priority seating, as well as an appetizer, entrée and dessert or one full buffet (where applicable), and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Dining options include:

Global Marketplaces

Of course, the highlight of any trip to Food and Wine is the opportunity to eat some of the tastiest food in the world. No matter what you’re craving, there’s a booth to satisfy you, with food from “six continents and beyond”. 

As with every year, there are a number of new dishes available to try (as well as plenty of old favorites). Here are some of the foods that we’re most excited about. 

For fans of fries, there’s is now The Fry Basket, which is located near Test Track. Calling them French Fries would be a bit like describing Moby Dick as a book about a big fish. You can feast on the plant-based adobo yuca fries with a garlic cilantro aioli, or try the Fry Flight, which includes plant-based sea salt and malt vinegar fries, barbecued bacon fries with a smoked aioli, and Sweet Potato Casserole Fries with Candied Pecans, Toasted Marshmallow Cream and Caramel Whisky.

In Japan, you can sink your teeth into a teriyaki chicken bun, which is a steamed bun filled with chicken, vegetables and teriyaki sauce, or spicy salmon donburi (a mouth-watering mix of spicy salmon with sushi rice, shiso leaf, red tobiko, and rice pearls). However, if you want our advice, go for the Takoyaki. That’s octopus, green onion, and cabbage bites topped with tonkatsu sauce, bonito flakes, and nori.

You also have to pay a visit to the India Booth (located near the China pavilion). There, you can try the potato and pea samosa with coriander-lime cream (a plant-based option), or the chicken tikka masala with fennel spiced yogurt and naan. There’s also a crispy paneer with mango-curry ketchup. Whatever you choose from the menu, we recommend pairing it with a mango lassi to drink. Trust us. You won’t be sorry. 

There are so many delicious options that we can hardly list them all in this little post. So, we’ll just make one more stop. The Land of the Palms: Brazil. Located between the France and Morocco Pavilions, you can try the feijoada, which consists of black beans with crispy pork belly, Brazil nut pesto and long grain white rice, or try the always delicious Pão de Queijo (a gluten/wheat friendly Brazilian cheese bread).

Honestly, you can’t go wrong, no matter where you decide to stop. Looking at the menus, you may recall the words of Remy from Ratatouille, “If you are what you eat, I only want to eat the good stuff.” That’s never been so easy at the Food and Wine Festival.

Now, if you’ll excuse me…I’m feeling a bit peckish.