The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is one of Disney World’s most beloved events, but there’s one thing that can make the experience a little uncomfortable.
2024 Food and Wine Festival
This festival is an annual celebration of global cuisine in Disney World. The festival features Global Marketplace Food Booths, a Concert Series, additional family-friendly activities, and more! The festival will run from August 28th until November 22nd. Am I excited for this festival to return soon? Yes! However, I’ve been writing about this festival for two years, and this is the one big problem I consistently see with it.
What makes the festival so uncomfortable? The Florida heat. Even as we move into September, and sometimes well into October, the temperatures can still be scorching. Combine that with high humidity, and suddenly, indulging in some of the festival’s heaviest, richest dishes can go from mouthwatering to miserable in just a few bites.
2024 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival
Take menu items like the Canadian pavilion’s famous Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup or last year’s ooey-gooey Griddled Cheese with pistachios and honey from the Greece booth. Add in the deep-fried spanakopita from Greece, the Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with bread and potatoes from the Alps booth, and you’ve got delicious, but undeniably heavy, warm eats. They may be comfort food heaven, but in 90-degree heat, they can quickly weigh you down.
Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup served with a pretzel roll
The problem isn’t that these dishes aren’t delicious, but in Florida’s late summer and early fall heat, you might find yourself unable to enjoy more than a couple of bites before you start questioning your life choices. That cheesy, creamy, or fried goodness feels perfect for a chilly November day, not for standing in the sun while juggling your festival passport, a fork, and a melting Dole Whip on the side.
Griddled Cheese with pistachios and honey from the Greece Booth
The good news is, you don’t have to skip these festival favorites entirely. One smart move is to share heavier dishes with friends or family so you can get the flavor without the uncomfortable feeling afterward. Another tip? Pace yourself by mixing in lighter festival offerings. And of course, keep a cold beverage in hand at all times, whether that’s a frozen lemonade, iced coffee, or one of the many refreshing festival cocktails.
IMPOSSIBLE Chili Macaroni and Cheese with sour cream and cheddar
Finally, consider timing your festival visit for the evening hours. Once the sun goes down, temperatures drop just enough to make hot, cheesy, or fried comfort foods more enjoyable. Plus, EPCOT at night during Food & Wine is gorgeous with live music playing, and the perfect breeze rolling in off the World Showcase Lagoon. That way, you can savor every bite without breaking into a sweat before you even finish it.
2024 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival
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Did You Know About This EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Secret?
IT'S WINE & DINE TIME!
Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience.
If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU!
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What is something you would like to see changed at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival? Tell us in the comments!
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I totally agree. The Food and Wine Festival is our favorite! Last year in the middle of September, we took our daughter and two Grandkids to WDW. I consider myself a Foodie BUT between getting the Dining Plan for free and the heat, we passed all the food booths. We did stop by Japan for the shaved ice treat!!
A really good point. Never went but aways sort of wanted to. Never thought about having soup, wine and bread atb90 degrees when it should be an ice cream and cider.
Thanks for passing on the tips for the festival. Sharing and going in the evening, been doing it for years. It has worked really great.
The festival used to start towards the end of September. Much too hot for it to start in August (I live here).
We used to go in late October to coincide with Disney World’s Halloween themes, which can have some cool spells if not just no longer being 90+. My family lives there and this used to be a treat 10-15 years ago before Disney got price crazy. My sister and her family as well as my mother there stopped buying the universal annual pass as prices increased and blackout dates did too. Such a shame.
I would love to have more light for the evenings. It’s so difficult to see, especially during the November and December events.
The Food and Wine Fest is definitely my fav!
Having lived in South Florida until eight years ago, the Food & Wine Festival was always one of my families annual visits. Maybe it’s just me, but I never had a problem eating any of the meal offerings, especially my #1 favorite….cheddar cheese soup from Canada. I guess it was because I was used to the Florida heat and knew what to expect.