EPCOT is one of the most beautiful parks in Disney World, but there’s one rule that way too many guests still ignore.
Spaceship Earth
If you’ve ever wandered through World Showcase on a Saturday night, you probably already know what we’re about to say. The evenings can get absolutely packed, especially right now during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. That’s why Disney pros swear by this rule that can save you from an overcrowded, less-than-magical evening — and trust us, once you know it, you’ll never want to ignore it again.
Not Visiting on Weekends (Especially Evenings)
Here’s the new golden rule: if you’re visiting EPCOT during Food & Wine season, avoid weekends in World Showcase. The festival runs this year from August 28th through November 22nd, 2025, and during that stretch, Saturdays and Sundays turn World Showcase into a wall-to-wall crowd.
2025 Food and Wine Signs!
While weekdays bring a steady but manageable flow of guests, weekends transform the promenade into shoulder-to-shoulder chaos. A lot of this has to do with local passholders who love to drop in for their festival favorites once the workweek is over. Add vacationers who planned their EPCOT day for Saturday or Sunday, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for long food booth lines, elbow-to-elbow walkways, and almost no breathing room.
Yep, it’s crowded
Evenings are the peak of that chaos. Once the sun dips and the lanterns come on, EPCOT becomes a prime hangout spot for people grabbing drinks, hopping from booth to booth, and staking out space for the nighttime fireworks. That might sound fun — and for some, it is — but if you’re hoping for a leisurely stroll with shorter waits at booths and better photo ops, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Crowds in EPCOT
Instead, plan to hit World Showcase on a weekday afternoon. You’ll still get to enjoy the atmosphere, all the delicious eats, and those gorgeous views across the lagoon, but with far less stress.
Why This Rule Matters Right Now
Food & Wine Festival is easily one of the most popular events in all of Disney World, which is why this “rule” is more important than ever. With dozens of global marketplaces offering snacks, drinks, and desserts, everyone wants a bite of the action. On weekends, those must-try booths quickly rack up lines that can stretch pretty far into the pavilions.
Greece Food and Wine Festival Booth
Not only are you fighting bigger crowds, but you also risk missing out on the very dishes you came for. By visiting on a weekday, you’re more likely to find the full menu available and to get your food without an overwhelming wait.
The Fireworks Factor
And let’s not forget the nighttime show. On weekends during Food & Wine, the fireworks crowd can feel pretty tough to navigate. The walkways tighten, stroller parking fills to the brim, and every open space along the lagoon is claimed way before showtime.
Luminous as seen from GEO-82
If catching fireworks is important to your trip, try to aim for a weekday evening. You’ll still need to arrive early for a good viewing spot, but it won’t feel as though the entire park is standing shoulder-to-shoulder around you.
How to Work Around It
If your only option is to visit on a weekend, don’t panic. You can still make it work, but you’ll need a strategy. Start your World Showcase day as early as possible, ideally right at 11AM when the booths open. This is when crowds are at their lowest, and you can knock out the most popular items before the evening rush.
2025 Food and Wine Festival Belgium Booth
Another option is to save World Showcase for early in the week and use your Saturday for EPCOT’s rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Test Track. Those areas get busy, too, but the difference between weekday and weekend crowds is far less dramatic than what you’ll face in World Showcase during Food & Wine.
The Bottom Line
World Showcase is one of the most magical parts of Disney World, but that magic can feel lost if you’re stuck elbow-to-elbow with thousands of other guests. The simplest way to avoid that? During Food & Wine Festival season, follow the new golden rule: skip weekends, especially evenings, and save your World Showcase strolls for weekdays instead.
Milled and Mulled Food and Wine booth
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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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Would you ever brave World Showcase on a Saturday night during Food & Wine, or do you stick to the weekday plan? Tell us what’s on your pick up list in the comments below!
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Too right! We normally avoid Epcot on a Friday and Saturday evening, however, we wanted to watch Starship this weekend. We did see them and really enjoyed the show but left Epcot straight after. It was crowded and no fun at all.