The International Food and Drink Festival takes place at Epcot between around August 31st and November 13th each year. We have never been at our villa and able to go before though we have wanted to for several years, so when my niece and her husband were visiting us from Chicago, it seemed like the perfect treat for my sister and I to tag along while they went for his birthday treat. He has always wanted to do the unofficial ‘Drink around the World challenge’ ( a glass of beer in every country ) and so we decided to order an Uber and the four of us set off!
At the time of the festival, there are many ‘pop-up’ stalls for countries other than those usually represented, all selling examples of their local food and drink. When we arrived we collected our special park map and also a Festival Passport which lists all the countries and their food offerings. It also has stickers included so you can use these to show the countries you have been to. There is an option to purchase a tasting sampler for $65. For this, you can choose eight different food or drinks but we decided to go freestyle! There are also Festival Gift Cards available with wristbands from $15 so it is not always necessary to use cash. For collectors, there are many items of special merchandise available such as T-shirts, caps, mugs and chef Mickey ears.
As soon as we entered the park it was obvious that it had undergone a transformation – the Mickey Mouse topiary was BBQ’ing and a large stage had been erected where ABC TV were filming TV shows to be shown later in the month. Another stage is situated in America, where there are three times nightly concerts by a host of artists such as Christopher Cross, Billy Ocean, Boyz to Men, and Taylor Dayne, so it would definitely be worth researching on who is performing if you are planning a visit. There are also special bookable events such as cookery demonstrations and wine tasting with the experts. The Festival Centre in Future World is home to other special events such as special films, book signings and Meet and Greet with famous chefs.
The Festival is probably aimed more at the adult market but there are also child-friendly food options, a Light Lab in Futureworld, a trail to find hidden statues and of course, they would love to collect the stickers in the passport showing which countries they had visited.
It isn’t a cheap day out and it’s easy to lose track of what you are spending as you wander around tempted by all the delicious smells but it is a fabulous day out. We would definitely go again – this time we would probably research the concerts and special events a little more and stay longer! !
At the time of the festival, there are many ‘pop-up’ stalls for countries other than those usually represented, all selling examples of their local food and drink. When we arrived we collected our special park map and also a Festival Passport which lists all the countries and their food offerings. It also has stickers included so you can use these to show the countries you have been to. There is an option to purchase a tasting sampler for $65. For this, you can choose eight different food or drinks but we decided to go freestyle! There are also Festival Gift Cards available with wristbands from $15 so it is not always necessary to use cash. For collectors, there are many items of special merchandise available such as T-shirts, caps, mugs and chef Mickey ears.
As soon as we entered the park it was obvious that it had undergone a transformation – the Mickey Mouse topiary was BBQ’ing and a large stage had been erected where ABC TV were filming TV shows to be shown later in the month. Another stage is situated in America, where there are three times nightly concerts by a host of artists such as Christopher Cross, Billy Ocean, Boyz to Men, and Taylor Dayne, so it would definitely be worth researching on who is performing if you are planning a visit. There are also special bookable events such as cookery demonstrations and wine tasting with the experts. The Festival Centre in Future World is home to other special events such as special films, book signings and Meet and Greet with famous chefs.
The Festival is probably aimed more at the adult market but there are also child-friendly food options, a Light Lab in Futureworld, a trail to find hidden statues and of course, they would love to collect the stickers in the passport showing which countries they had visited.
It isn’t a cheap day out and it’s easy to lose track of what you are spending as you wander around tempted by all the delicious smells but it is a fabulous day out. We would definitely go again – this time we would probably research the concerts and special events a little more and stay longer! !