The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is one of our family’s favorite Disney events, and this year is an especially fun one. The festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, with favorite dishes from festivals past returning alongside plenty of new things to try.
This year’s festival runs from through November 21, 2026, giving you plenty of time to eat and drink your way around EPCOT.
What We Tried in 2026
One of my favorite things about the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival is trying a little bit of everything. We made our way through several Global Marketplaces this year, with a few returning favorites and some new discoveries along the way.
Swirled Showcase
- Liquid Nitrogen Almond Truffle Mousse with Whiskey-Caramel Sauce: One of this year’s special 30th Anniversary Legacy Items. I love just about anything almond flavored, and this was yummy, although probably not a must-get-again item for me.
- Apple Cinnamon Soft-serve in a Waffle Cone: My son loved this one! I didn’t try it, so you’ll have to take his word for it.
The Wedge
- Cheesesteak Macaroni and Cheese: Made with smoked cheddar sauce, shaved beef, peppers, onions and herbed panko. An absolute YES from us! It didn’t look particularly appetizing, but don’t let appearances fool you. It tasted amazing and was one of our favorites of the festival. This dish also counts toward Emile’s Fromage Montage.
Festival Favorites
- Potato Pierogi: Served with kielbasa, caramelized onions and sour cream. Another 30th Anniversary Legacy Item and another winner. Simple, hearty and delicious.
Gyozas of the Galaxy
- Basil Pesto Chicken Dumplings: Chicken dumplings with basil pesto, fonduta, tomato confit and balsamic. Very good! We love dumplings anyway, and this was such an interesting take on one of our favorite foods. By this point in the afternoon, we were feeling pretty proud of our selections because everything had been delicious.
Flavors from Fire
- Smoked Corned Beef: Served with house-made potato chips, cheese curds, pickled onions and beer cheese fondue. We’ve had this at previous festivals and it is still very good. This has become a don’t-miss item for us whenever it makes an appearance.
Shimmering Sips
- Blood Orange Mimosa: Delicious and refreshing. The perfect drink for a hot September afternoon at EPCOT.
Japan
- Beef Wagyu Temaki Hand Roll: Savory American Wagyu beef with pickled ginger and spicy mayonnaise sauce. Very good and my favorite of the two things we tried in Japan. If I were choosing just one thing here again, this would be it.
- Teriyaki Chicken Bun: A steamed bun filled with minced chicken, vegetables and teriyaki sauce. Also good, although we preferred the Wagyu Hand Roll.
France
- Chilled French Cosmo: Made with vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron vodka, Grand Marnier and cranberry juice. Good and certainly refreshing on a hot EPCOT afternoon, but a little sweet for me. I enjoyed it, but probably wouldn’t make it a repeat.
We didn’t come close to trying everything, and that is part of the fun. Menus change from year to year, and there is always something new waiting on our next visit.
Eat to the Beat Concert Series
Food isn’t the only reason to visit the festival. The Eat to the Beat Concert Series brings live music to the America Gardens Theatre throughout the season, with a combination of nationally known performers and local acts.
For 2026, concerts are scheduled nightly from August 27 through November 16, with shows at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM and 8:00 PM. Performances are included with EPCOT admission, although seating is limited. Dining Packages are also available on select dates if there is a particular performer you really want to see.
Fun for All Ages
Food & Wine isn’t just for adults. Some of our favorite festival traditions are the activities scattered throughout EPCOT, and they are an easy way to keep kids engaged while the grown-ups sip and snack their way around World Showcase.
Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak
Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak is always one of my favorite festival activities for families.
Purchase a scavenger hunt map and stickers, then search for Remy statuettes hiding around World Showcase and the Global Marketplaces. Each Remy has an ingredient with him, and you match the corresponding ingredient sticker to the location on your map.
When you’re finished, turn in your map at one of the designated redemption locations and receive a festival keepsake. And here’s my longtime tip: you do not actually have to complete the hunt to receive your prize, so I like to collect ours when we purchase the map. That way there is no need to remember to circle all the way back later.
Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit
If you’re visiting during the Halloween season, you can also take part in Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit.
This scavenger hunt sends you searching around EPCOT for decorative pumpkins inspired by Disney characters. Purchase the game board and stickers, mark your finds as you go and redeem your board for a spooky festival keepsake.
For 2026, Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit runs September 25 through November 2, while supplies last.
And the same tip applies here: you don’t have to complete the entire hunt to receive the keepsake.
Emile’s Fromage Montage
This one is for the cheese lovers!
Pick up a Festival Passport and look for the designated Emile’s Fromage Montage dishes throughout the Global Marketplaces. Purchase five qualifying cheese dishes and collect a stamp for each one.
Once you have five stamps, take your Festival Passport to Shimmering Sips to receive a special festival treat.
You don’t have to complete the challenge in one day, either. You can keep your passport and continue collecting stamps on another visit during the festival.
Our Cheesesteak Macaroni and Cheese from The Wedge was one of this year’s qualifying dishes, which seems only appropriate considering how much we loved it.
My Tips for EPCOT Food & Wine Festival
After many years of eating and drinking our way around this festival, I do have a few tried-and-true strategies.
- Share everything. We almost always split dishes so that we can taste far more things without getting full after the first few stops.
- Don’t order everything that sounds good at the first marketplace you reach. There is a LOT of food ahead of you.
- Pick up a Festival Passport when you arrive. It makes it much easier to see what is available and keep track of things you want to try.
- Take your time. We prefer to make Food & Wine the plan rather than trying to squeeze it between a packed morning of attractions and a big dinner reservation.
- Don’t judge festival food by its looks. Our Cheesesteak Macaroni and Cheese was hardly the prettiest thing we ate all day and ended up being one of
About the Author
Amanda Wagner is a Founding Executive of 1313 Travel Co., owner of Dixie Travels and the voice behind Dixie Delights, where she’s shared her family’s adventures since 2010. A lifelong traveler with nine years of professional travel planning experience, she specializes in Disney destinations, Disney Cruise Line and Universal Orlando. An engineer by education and a planner by nature, Amanda combines extensive firsthand experience with a genuine love of the details that make every vacation special.
Website: https://dixiedelightsonline.
Email: amandaw@dixiedelightsonline.
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