You may be wondering to yourself, Is the Epcot Food and Wine Festival worth it in 2024?
Absolutely!
And while your favorite food is probably still on the menu, there are some things you should know about touring the new hybrid version of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.
Here at ThemeParkHipster, our favorite time of year at Epcot is fall.
The weather is cooler to walk around World Showcase and the park seems empty some days.
Plus, it’s when Disney puts on its annual food and wine festival.
After going to the festival for many years, I decided to share some of my best tips, tricks, and touring strategies.
Especially if you want to experience everything at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.
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When is the 2024 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival?
This special event takes place August 29 to November 23, 2024.
New experiences will include the return of the popular Eat to the Beat Concert Series and the dining packages that come with it..
What are the Epcot Food and Wine Hours
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival hours are from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. every day; however, the park does open at 9 a.m. if you want to get on some of the rides early.
Your theme park pass will allow you to come and go from the park as many times as you want throughout that same day.
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Epcot Transportation Options for the Food and Wine Festival
There are a few options to get to and from the park from your Disney hotel. If you have a car you can drive yourself.
This is my favorite option right now since the bus and Skyliner can take a while to get to and from a destination.
If you’re staying at one of the resorts that services the Disney Skyliner, you could hop aboard a gondola to get to Epcot.
Disney Skyliner Resorts:
- Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Note that if you are staying at Pop Century or Art of Animation that you will need to transfer to the Epcot line at Caribbean Beach.
Taking the bus is always an option for every resort, but can take a while as you’ll have to take into account the time it takes to wait for the bus and the load time.
This is really only a good option in the middle of the day when the line to get to the park via bus is short.
The monorail from the Magic Kingdom Resorts to Epcot are now operating.
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What’s New at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2024
As mentioned earlier, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival looks a little bit different this year due to the global crisis we went through a few years ago.
This has caused Disney to requiring theme park reservations for your Epcot visit on some days if you’re an Annual Passholder.
However, temperature checks are no longer required for entry into the festival.
You can do this through the new Park Pass Reservation System on your My Disney Experience account.
As you experience a the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, you’ll also notice a few things still missing such as the special tours and seminar classes. Hopefully they’ll return next year.
Although some of your favorite treats and experience may be there, you’ll notice a few changes on trip to Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
Let’s go through some of the top new strategies for experiencing this annual Epcot festival.
1. Know What NEW Food You Must Get While At Epcot
There are dozens of food booths to try while exploring the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.
Below are the new Epcot Food and Wine Festival Food BOOTHS for 2024:
NEW! Macatizers Menu – CommuniCore Hall
Food Items:
- Traditional Macaroni and Cheese with herbed panko
- Cheesesteak Macaroni and Cheese with shaved beef, peppers and onions, and breadcrumbs
- Truffle Macaroni and Cheese
- IMPOSSIBLE Chili Macaroni and Cheese with sour cream and cheddar (Plant-based)
Beverages:
- Crooked Can Brewing Company Vinifera Velvet Lager
- Southern Tier Brewing Co Raspberry Shine Summer Wheat Ale
- Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company Kentucky Pumpkin Bourbon Barrel Ale
- Beer Flight
- Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Chardonnay
- Klinker Brick Bricks & Roses Rosé
- Beringer Bros Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon
- Wine Flight
- Knights Bridge Sauvignon Blanc
- St. Supéry Domaine de l’Ile Rosé
- Caymus 50th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon
NEW! Festival Favorites Menu – CommuniCore Hall
Food Items:
- Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies with caramelized onions and sour cream
- BBQ Pork Rinds served with pimento cheese
- Key Lime Tart
Beverages:
- Frozen S’mores: Chocolate Milk Shake with marshmallow syrup topped with mini marshmallows and a graham cracker (Non-alcoholic)
- Irish Milkshake: Guinness Stout, Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur, and Vanilla Ice Cream
- Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen
- Parish Brewing Co. SIPS Cab Franc Strawberry
- 3 Daughters Brewing Beach Blonde Ale
- Beer Flight
- Goldschmidt ‘Katherine’ Cabernet Sauvignon
- Martin Ray Chardonnay
NEW! Bramblewood Bites Menu – Between World Showcase and Imagination! pavilion
Food Items:
- Grilled Cider-brined Pork Tenderloin with fennel apple slaw and apple cider gastrique
- Grilled Bison with butternut squash purée, roasted mushrooms, and huckleberry gastrique
- Cast Iron-roasted Brussel Sprouts and Root Vegetables with dried cranberries, candied pecans, and maple bourbon glaze
Beverages:
- GoGi Pinot Noir
- Spiced Apple Old Fashioned inspired cocktail with Boyd & Blair Rum (New)
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NEW Food at the 2024 Epcot Food and Wine Festival
Here are all of the new items added to the menu this year.
Macatizers Menu – CommuniCore Hall
- Crooked Can Brewing Company Vinifera Velvet Lager
- Southern Tier Brewing Co Raspberry Shine Summer Wheat Ale
- Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company Kentucky Pumpkin Bourbon Barrel Ale
- Beer Flight
- Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Chardonnay
- Klinker Brick Bricks & Roses Rosé
The Fry Basket
- Collective Arts Brewing Mango-Rita Sour with Chili
Flavors from Fire Menu
- IMPOSSIBLE Montreal Style Burger Slider with cheddar cheese, and tomato jam on a sesame seed bun (Plant-based)
- Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter
Brew-Wing Lab
- Unnecessarily Spicy Yet Extremely Tasty Carolina Reaper Pepper Curry Wings with creamy cucumber raita
- Coppertail Brewing Smoked Lager
- Keel Farms Elderberry Serrano Hard Cider
- 3 Daughters Brewing Pickle Hard Seltzer
- 3 Daughters Brewing Palm, Paradise Hefeweizen
- The Bruery Desert Flora with hibiscus and prickly pear
- Cigar City Peach White Oak Jai Alai
Mexico Menu
- Tostada de Camarones: Tempura battered shrimp atop a fried corn tortilla with guacamole, cabbage, chipotle aïoli, diced mango, and chile-lime powder
- Flauta de Barbacoa: Fried tortillas filled with barbacoa beef topped with salsa verde, crema Mexicana, and queso fresco
- Pan de Elote: Traditional Mexican cornbread topped with chocolate sauce and queso fresco
- Mango Sunrise Margarita: Dos Hombres Mezcal, Centinela Tequila, mango purée, and black currant liqueur with a chile-lime salt rim
- Poblano Margarita: Lalo Tequila Blanco, Abasolo Corn Whisky, lime juice, and Ancho Reyes Verde Chile Poblano Liqueur with a salt rim
China
- Crispy Duck Bao Bun with hoisin sauce (New)
- Shanghai Scallion Noodles with shrimp (New)
- Mango Peach Bubble Tea: Green tea, mango and peach syrups, and white boba (Non-alcoholic)
Refreshment Outpost (Near China)
- IMPOSSIBLE Spicy Sausage with piri piri peppers and onions, and piri piri aïoli (Plant-based) (New)
- Curried Chicken and South African Boerewors Sausage Stew with chickpeas and potatoes served in a bread bowl (New)
- Chocolate Amarula Mousse with white chocolate (New)
- Keel Farms Blackberry Apricot Jam Hard Cider (New)
- Habesha Cold Gold Pilsner (New)
Germany Menu
- Schöfferhofer Lemon Zest Hefeweizen (New)
- von Trapp Brewing Dunkel Lager (New)
Spain Menu
- Spanish Charcuterie: Jamón, Manchego, and pan con tomate (New)
- Paella Negra: Squid ink rice with shrimp, Bay scallops, and octopus served with garlic aïoli (New)
Italy Menu
- Italian-style “Nachos”: Homemade beef ragoût, pasta chips, tomato sauce, dried ricotta cheese (New)
- Polpettine Toscane: Beef meatballs, rosemary focaccia, and pomodoro sauce (New)
- Vanilla Cheesecake: Vanilla cheesecake, whipped cream, and fresh strawberry sauce (New)
Flavors of America
- New York-style All Beef Hot Dog with sauerkraut, onion-tomato sauce, and spicy mustard in a brioche bun (New)
- Chicago-style All Beef Hot Dog with tomato, dill pickle, pickled sport pepper, diced onions, yellow mustard, and Chicago green relish in a poppy seed bun (New)
- Carolina-style All Beef Hot Dog with chili, coleslaw, and yellow mustard in a brioche bun (New)
- Southwest-style All Beef Hot Dog wrapped in bacon with warm pinto beans, tomatoes, jalapeños, avocado crema, and queso fresco in a French roll (New)
- Freshly-baked Chocolate Pudding Cake with bourbon caramel (New)
- Brewery Ommegang Farm Fresh Ale conditioned on Wildflower Honey (New)
- Goose Island Beer Co. Hazy Beer Hug Hazy IPA (New)
- Wicked Weed Fest Bier (New)
Japan Menu
- Wagyu Temaki Sushi: Hand-held sushi with sweet and savory American Wagyu beef topped with Takana Japanese pickles and spicy mayo sauce (New)
- Eel Temaki Sushi: Hand-held sushi with grilled eel, egg crumbles, cucumber, and pickled daikon radish served with eel sauce (New)
- Kyoho Grape Sour: Kyoho Black Grape cocktail with Japanese vermouth and Shōchū
Greece Menu
- Greek Melon Limeade with Kleos Mastiha Spirit, Aelred Melon Apéritif de Provence, Pearl Vodka, and lime sour mix
Tangerine Cafe Menu
- Keel Farms Blackberry Pear Hard Cider
- Coppertail Brewing Fallen Fruit Tamarind Mint Hard Cider
Belgium Menu
- Brouwerij St Bernardus Dragòn Wit (New)
- Brouwerij Verhaeghe Vichte Duchesse Red Sweet & Tart Cherry Ale
France Menu
- Moelleux aux Oignons Caramélisés et au Fromage de Chèvre: Egg moelleux, goat cheese, and caramelized onions (New)
- Brioche aux Escargots: Escargot brioche with garlic and parsley cream (New)
- Cocktail au Gin et Aux Fraises: Rose d’Argent Strawberry Gin, cranberry juice, and DOLE Pineapple Juice (New)
- Mas La Chevalière, Pinot Noir (New)
- Guillaume Touton, Brut de Pêche Sparkling wine with natural peach (New)
- Frozen French Cosmo: Vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, Grand Marnier, and cranberry juice (New)
Refreshment Port Menu Near Canada
- Boulevard Beverage Company Quirk Ginger Grape Fizz Hard Seltzer
Australia Menu
- Grilled Bushberry Spiced Shrimp Skewer with sweet-and-sour vegetables and coconut chili sauce
- Bulletin Place Sauvignon Blanc (New)
- Fowles Wine Farm to Table Shiraz
Swirled Showcase Menu
- Liquid Nitrogen Frozen Sweet Potato Mousse with candied pecans and maple-caramel sauce
Shimmering Sips Menu
- Berry Mimosa: La Gioiosa Berry Fizz and white cranberry juice (New)
- Fruited Sour Beer and Sparkling Wine Cocktail: Brewery Ommegang Dream Patch Fruited Sour with Cherry, Blueberry and Raspberry, and sparkling wine (New)
Hawaii Menu
- Hawaiian Rice Bowl: Spam, eggs, eel sauce, spicy mayonnaise, and furikake (New)
- Maui Brewing Co Orange Mango Guava Hazy IPA (New)
Milled & Mulled Menu – Between World Showcase and Imagination! Pavilion
- Boursin Fig & Balsamic Cheesecake with fig jam and pomegranate (New)
- Pear and Almond Frangipane Pâte Brisée (New)
- Blake’s Hard Cider Co. Cider Mill Donut Hard Cider (New)
- Coppertail Brewing Fallen Fruit Blueberry Pie Hard Cider (New)
- Chocolate Shop Chocolate Red Wine (New)
Forest and Field Menu
- Autumn Chili with bison, lamb, pork belly, root vegetables, jalapeño cornbread, smoked cheddar, and Crème Fraîche (New)
- Lievland Bushvine Pinotage (New)
- Piper-Sonoma Brut (New)
- Brewery Ommegang All Hallows Treat Chocolate Peanut Butter Imperial Stout (New)
Earth Eats Menu – Near The Land
- Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with goat cheese polenta, puttanesca sauce, shaved pecorino, and petit herbs (New)
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with lemon icing (New)
- Harken Wines Barrel Fermented Chardonnay (New)
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company Menu
- The American Adventure: Coconut Banana Cream Pie Latte: A comforting blend of espresso, milk, coconut syrup, and banana syrup garnished with whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes (Non-alcoholic) (New)
- Near Disney Traders: PB&J Latte: A delicious blend of espresso, milk, peanut butter syrup, and raspberry syrup, garnished with whipped cream (Non-alcoholic) (New)
- By Canada: Hazelnut Mocha Latte: A nutty blend of espresso, milk, hazelnut syrup, and dark chocolate sauce garnished with whipped cream and dark chocolate drizzle (Non-alcoholic) (New)
- Near Mission: SPACE: Coconut Mocha Latte: A decadent blend of espresso, milk, coconut syrup, and dark chocolate sauce, garnished with whipped cream, toasted coconut flakes, and dark chocolate drizzle (Non-alcoholic)(New)
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2. Journey of Water Inspired by Moana
While you’re enjoying this year’s festivities, be sure to explore all NEW Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana.
You’ll get to walk through the lush, interactive trail as you reflect on the wonderful storytelling of the Disney Company from this film.
3. ¡Celebración Encanto!
Check out CommuniCore Plaza to catch an awesome sing-along that honors Encanto and the amazing Madrigal fam!
4. New Changes in Available Entertainment
Throughout Epcot you might notice the slow addition of regular entertainment being added back to the park.
Character Meet and Greets
Previously at random times throughout the day you would’ve spotted some of your favorite Disney characters making their way through Epcot’s World Showcase in a character cavalcade.
These short parades are now suspended at Epcot as the actual character meet-and-greets have returned to the park.
You can even meet the AMAZING Asha from Disney’s Wish at EPCOT!
Eat to the Beat Concerts in the America Gardens Theater
At set times throughout the day you can take a break at the America Gardens Theater to enjoy some live music as the Epcot Eat to the Beat Concert series finally returns!
The annual concert series features popular bands from the 80s, 90s, and the 2000s. It takes place on the American Gardens Theater stage in the American Adventure Pavilion at Epcot.
New Concerts Coming to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival:
- Sept. 8-9 – Yellowcard
- Sept. 22-23 – The Wanted
- Sept. 28-29 – Mau Y Ricky
- Sept. 30 – Jesse & Joy
- Oct. 4-5 – Aloe Blacc
- Oct. 18-19 – David Archuleta
- Nov. 8-9 – Magic!
- Nov. 10-11 – Parmalee
Hipster Power Tip: The Eat to the Beat EPCOT concert series takes place nightly from August 29th to November 18, 2024 at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM and 8:00 PM in the America Gardens Theatre.
More Epcot Festival Entertainment
While at Epcot Food and Wine Festival, don’t forget to check out The Voices of Liberty, the JAMMitors, and the Mariachi Cobre.
Kidcot
If you’re taking kids to Epcot, you’ll be pleased to know that Kidcot is still available.
This free activity usually has kids do an activity and interact with the cultural representatives from each country represented around World Showcase.
To get started, you’re going to want to pick up one of the Kidcot packets from any normal Kidcot station. These stations can be found in each country in World Showcase.
Inside the themed ziplock you’ll find all you need to complete a journey around World Showcase.
Recommended: The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide
5. New Epcot International Food and Wine Merchandise and T-Shirts
A true ThemeParkHipster must bring home a nice souvenir to commemorate your time at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.
You can find the Festival merchandise throughout Epcot theme park. Epcot Food and Wine Festival merchandise can also be found on The Disney Store.
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Our Top 15 Dishes You Must Try at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival
After strolling around Epcot and trying a variety of things we’ve come up with the ThemeParkHipster top five dishes to get.
This list is a combination of our festival favorites and new ones from this year.
- A Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with Baby Potatoes, Cornichons and Baguette (The Alps
- Frozen Apple Pie (Swirled Showcase)
- The Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache (Belgium)
- Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread (Brazil)
- Frozen Caipirinha with Cachaça (Brazil)
- Garlic-Parmesan Wings with Celery and Ranch (Brew-Wing in the Odyssey)
- Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup served with a Pretzel Roll (Canada)
- Korean BBQ Chicken Sandwich with pickled cucumbers on a brioche bun (Connections Eatery)
- Crispy Duck Bao Bun with Hoisin Sauce (China)
- New York-style All Beef Hot Dog with sauerkraut, onion-tomato sauce, and spicy mustard in a brioche bun (America)
- Smoked Corned Beef with Crispy Potatoes, Cheese Curds, Pickled Onions and Beer-Cheese Fondue (Flavors From Fire)
- Croissant aux Escargots: Escargot Croissant with Garlic and Parsley (France)
- Frozen French Cosmo: Vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, Grand Marnier, and cranberry juice (France)
- Fry Flight: Truffle-Parmesan Fries, Barbecued Bacon Fries with Smoked Aïoli, and Sweet Potato Casserole Fries with Candied Pecans, Toasted Marshmallow Cream and Maple Bourbon (The Fry Basket)
- Freshly Baked Carrot Cake with Walnuts and Cream Cheese Icing (Milled & Mulled)
Budgeting for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival
The best and easiest way to keep a budget while munching on treats and eats around Epcot is to purchase a wearable Disney gift card once you get inside the park.
The gift cards can be found at most merchandise locations.
Being able to load a specific amount of money onto the wearable gift card makes the day so much easier.
Mainly because you don’t have to pull your wallet or phone out every time you want to pay for something.
The cards are reloadable, so if you do decide to add more money then it’s super easy. Just go into any shop where merchandise is sold and they will be able to help you.
To know how much you might want to put on the gift card, do a little searching for the food booth menus with prices. You’ll then want to add up the total of everything that sounds good.
Even if you don’t try everything on your list (we sure didn’t) you’ll know about how much you’ll likely be spending.
Safety Tips at Disney World
The safety of guests and Cast Members is Disney’s top priority right now, so we have listed a few of our best tips for your visit to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
1. Keeping Your Hands Clean
There are multiple hand washing and hand sanitizing stations throughout the park to keep your hands clean after rides and before you eat.
This is definitely a win for anyone doing Disney during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.
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2. Wear Face Coverings and Masks
If you’re still not comfortable about being around people, you may want to bring a couple of masks with you.
Especially for the moments when you’ll have to wait in the line of an indoor queue.
Be sure to have a backup pair, just in case yours gets wet from sweat or rain.
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3. Take Frequent Breaks to Cool Off
It’s hot in Florida. That’s just a fact of life. One thing that is necessary while touring any Disney park is to drink a lot of water.
At Epcot you can still get water from quick service food and beverage locations and Starbucks for free.
If you need to cool off, be sure to take breaks every 45 minutes indoor so that you won’t experience any heat related illnesses.
Top 5 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Tips
After visiting the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, I’ve come up with the top five touring tips that I want to share with you.
1. Take extra masks and take lots of breaks
This seems obvious but so many people don’t do either of these. Wearing a mask that’s hot and sweaty all day long just does not sound fun to us.
So, when I stopped inside for breaks, I swapped masks for something clean.
2. Plan out your top eats
After looking at the menus at home I knew exactly what I wanted to get from Epcot to eat.
This was a great way to be sure I didn’t get too full before making my way to the other side of World Showcase, and it kept me within my budget.
3. Get on attractions
Even if attractions aren’t your main priority when visiting Epcot, they should be on your list for right now.
One reason is because all of Epcot’s attractions are inside, which gives you relief from the sun. Another is because it’s a nice little break from walking around the park.
4. Go back to your room in the middle of the day
Taking a break in the middle of the day to go back to your room might seem counterproductive when the parks have shortened hours, but it’s not!
Even with doing Epcot for a few hours then going back to your room then heading back after it cools off in the evening, you should be able to get everything done.
And you even got some time to completely cool down, take a nap, or hop in the pool.
5. Split the Cost
Going with a friend or two or three lowers your budget and makes the event memorable. You can share multiple dishes without leaving Epcot broke.
Hipster Power Tip: Share a beer or wine flight with a friend. Each flight contains 3 to 4 samples.
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Is the 2024 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Worth It?
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is definitely worth a visit, especially if you wait until later in the fall when it gets cooler.
It’s one of our favorite festivals at Epcot and we can’t wait until it’s back to its former glory complete with seminars and extra events.
I hope this post helped guide you towards a great experience at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival!
Don’t worry if you’re not able to see and do everything. I just want you to have fun and enjoy exploring all the different countries.
What Epcot Food and Wine Festival tips do you think is the most helpful for making the most of your time? Leave your comment below!
Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
My name is Nikky. I’m a wife, a mother, a pharmacist turned theme park blogger, USA Today 10Best Contributor, and a writer who loves ALL things amusement park related!
Traveling alone to the parks has changed my life and I want to show how you can create your own solo theme park memories.
Connect with me on Instagram!
Authors: Megan duBois and NikkyJ
UP NEXT: Taste Your Way Around the World: Best Food at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival
(Original Article Date: August 24, 2020/Updated by Editor on September 2, 2024)