I went to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, where you can 'eat around the world.' Here's my honest review.
Writer Mollie Davies travelled to Disney World in Orlando in October 2024 for 10 days.
She visited during the annual Epcot Food and Wine Festival where guests can eat "around the world."
Davies breaks down her three-day agenda, including rating individual meals and evaluating prices.
I first heard about the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival through TikTok when videos of eating and drinking around the world started going viral.
Epcot hosts their culinary and wine festival every year. The festival ran from August 29 to November 23 in 2024. We already planned to visit Walt Disney World for 10 days last September, so it was perfect timing.
This was my second Food and Wine Festival. The first was back in 2022 when I was in Disney for a wedding, so didn't get the full experience. I was excited to take my time with entire days devoted to enjoying each country's offerings.
We're a Disney family
We went as part of a big group of family and friends (about 14 in total) and stayed in Disney's Yacht Club. The hotel was within walking distance of Epcot — perfect for half-day trips and late-night visits. It meant we didn't have to worry about Ubers or driving home after a drink.
I'd recommend booking a hotel with easy transport to your favorite parks. Epcot is the most versatile for travel, with the Skyliner, Monorail, buses, and Friendship Boats all providing transport at this park.
We pre-purchased our tickets with a deal of 14 days for the price of seven, which included the ability to park hop and a free Memory Maker, for £549 each, around $669.
September tends to be quieter in the parks, but it was still very busy. The heat and humidity when we visited were tough. The festival was great because it gave us plenty of chances to stop, refuel, and grab a cold drink.
Epcot is an unmissable park for foodies
Epcot is the park best for foodies. During the festival, guests are encouraged to travel across the world by sampling food and drinks. These offerings are set up in little huts or stalls, mostly situated on the park's main pathways.
The festival also puts on special events like live music and children's activities and sells unique merchandise.
On our first day in Epcot, we picked up a Festival Passport from the front of the park.
It had details of each country's exclusive dishes and drinks, along with a stamp page for "Emile's Fromage Montage." Guests who collected five stamps by purchasing featured dishes throughout the park won a prize. As a big fan of "Ratatouille," this was a must.
We researched the menus beforehand
Typically, most dishes run from $4 to $9, with the cost of beverages ranging a little wider due to a mix of non-alcoholic and alcoholic choices, smaller glasses, flights, and full-size cocktails.
Before our holiday, we spent a lot of time watching TikToks and deciding what dishes we'd try. Some dishes like the Fry Flight and anything with Dole Whip had gone viral, and so we anticipated longer queues.
We tried to budget around $250 for the whole experience, which would also cover our full dining for the three days we spent at Epcot.
I'd recommend bringing your own water and sodas into the park to save money.
How we spent our days at the festival
We had planned out three days at Epcot and a few evening visits. I would have struggled to visit every country in one day. The portions are small, but filling.
We didn't follow a rigid route around the park because we had the freedom of multiple visits.
By devoting a few days to the festival, we could enjoy the park as normal — shopping, making Lightning Lane bookings, and hopping on rides with short wait times.
I ate at all of the countries featuring a Global Marketplace Booth and several others over the three days. This was spaced out between rides and character meets. We managed to complete "Emile's Fromage Montage," and the prize was a deconstructed strawberry cheesecake in a souvenir cup.
Lessons learned
We would definitely return to the Food and Wine Festival. It's best to visit Epcot on the days when you have no other dining reservations, as the little meals still fill you up.
Eating at Epcot can be budget-friendly if you do your research. Be prepared for big queues on busy days, and try to plan your booth visits to coincide with your itinerary for the day.
Swiss Alps: Frozen rosé and warm raclette cheese with ham
There was a delicious flavor to the rosé, which was relatively strong but sweet. I wanted a frozen drink, but it melted before I received it.
Price: $9
Score: 6.5
You get a lot for your money with the raclette. The cheese was quite earthy and heavy and set quickly, so you need to eat quickly.
(Emile's Fromage Montage Offering)
Price: $5.75
Score: 6/10
Australia: Wine flight
The flight had a great price tag. It was nice to have a variety to try, but we would have liked a crisp rosé.
Price: $7.50
Score: 7/10
Belgium: Belgian waffle with warm chocolate ganache
These waffles were similar to the famous Mickey Waffles in texture. The cream was just the right level of sweet for the buttery waffle. However, the chocolate ganache tasted more like a regular chocolate sauce.
Price: $5.50
Score: 8/10
USA (Block & Hans): Frozen pineapple-chipotle lemonade
In comparison to some other frozen drinks, this exotic lemonade was great value and a big hit for us on a hot park day. The pineapple was very strong and tasted fresh, but there was quite a lot of chiles.
Price: $5.75
Score: 8/10
Brazil: Feijoada black beans with pork belly, pesto, and rice
Hard meat to work with, this pork belly was cooked very well but fatty. The beans and rice were well seasoned, and the fresh and nutty pesto was a great balance. We loved the brilliant portion size.
Price: $6.50
Score: 8/10
Canada: Cheddar and bacon soup with a pretzel roll
This was another fantastically-priced dish. The soup was creamy, rich and definitely cheesy. We loved the soft pretzel roll on the side, which tasted freshly baked, but we couldn't really enjoy the soup in the hot weather.
Price: $6
Score: 8/10
China: Mango peach bubble tea, hoisin duck bao bun, and Shanghai noodles with shrimp
The bao was fluffy but not soggy, and the sauce was flavorsome. But there was only a little bit of duck, which was chewy.
Price: $8.25
Score: 7/10
The refreshing bubble tea had a creamy and well-balanced fruit flavor and was a good portion.
Price: $7.75
Score: 7.5/10
The shrimp in this noodle dish were juicy but could've been a little crispier. The whole dish needed more sauce.
Price: $8.50
Score: 6.5/10
Flavors of America: Beef hot dog wrapped in bacon with toppings
This hot dog had a great portion size for hungry eaters. The toppings of beans, queso, and avocado crema complimented each other. However, they did slide off, making it messy to eat.
Price: $7.25
Score: 7/10
Festival Favourites: S'mores milkshake
At Communicore Hall, they were selling past festival favorites. This milkshake went down a treat during the afternoon when we needed a little sugar boost. This had the consistency of a thick chocolate milkshake with a decadent flavor, thanks to the marshmallow syrup.
Price: $4.75
Score: 9/10
France: Mango and passionfruit crème brûlée and brioche aux escargots
The mango and passionfruit were a great mix of sweet and sour. We prefer warm crème brûlée (but this way is traditional).
Price: $5.95
Score: 7/10
The brioche was soft and fluffy, with a slightly sweet taste that made it moreish. However, snails were an acquired taste, and we aren't convinced we like them.
Price: $7.95
Score: 7/10
Germany: Schöfferhofer lemon zest Hefeweizen and apple strudel
This German beer was light and refreshing. It was perfect choice for those who don't usually drink beer, but on the pricey side.
Price: $9.75
Score: 8/10
The apples in the strudel were soft and juicy, while still having a crunch. The pastry was buttery and flaky and cut through the sweetness beautifully. The vanilla sauce was delicious but thinner than custard.
Price: $4.75
Score: 10/10
Greece: Greek melon limeade with vodka and griddled cheese
The limeade had plenty of zing, and the bay leaf added a slightly clove-y and floral factor.
Price: $11.50
Score: 9/10
The griddled cheese with pistachios and honey was my favorite dish of the whole festival. The smooth kasseri cheese is creamy, nutty, and earthy, balanced by the honey and crunchy pistachios.
(Emile's Fromage Montage Offering)
Price: $5
Score: 9.5/10
Hawaii: Pork slider with Dole pineapple chutney
The soft pork fell apart in our mouths. It was great to see a Disney favorite, Dole Whip, in this dish. This was a modest portion but understandable for the price.
Price: $6
Score: 9/10
India: Chicken tikka masala with fennel yogurt and naan
This curry was brilliant value. It had a good spicy kick, and the chicken, albeit a small amount, was cooked perfectly.
Price: $6.25
Score: 8/10
Japan: Teriyaki chicken bun and eel sushi
The bun was thick and doughy, but the tasty filling had a minced texture, which could be unexpected for some.
Price: $7.95
Score: 8/10
The eel sauce on the sushi gave it a deep umami flavor. This was something different for us, but because of its composition, it was tricky to eat.
Price: $9.50
Score: 6.5/10
Mexico: Barbacoa beef fried tortillas and mango sunrise margarita
The tortillas were fantastically crunchy and the filling had a beautiful, slightly sweet note. It was a good portion size, also.
Price: $8
Score: 10/10
The margarita had a strong punch of alcohol. I thought it was one of the best alcoholic beverages I had, but there was too much salt in some sips.
Price: $13.25
Score: 7.5/10
Flavors of the Medina: Morrocan lamb kebab
The meat was tender and juicy and melted in your mouth. The softness worked really well with the fresh, crunchy chickpea and carrot salad.
Price: $6.25
Score: 8/10
Spain: Charcuterie with jamón, manchego and pan con tomate
We thought this was one of the festival's best value dishes. The manchego cheese was delicious, and you got a few slices, which was generous. The tomatoes were fresh, and there was lots of ham.
(Emile's Fromage Montage Offering)
Price: $6.50
Score: 9/10
The Fry Basket: Fry flight
The flight included truffle-parmesan fries, BBQ bacon fries, and sweet potato casserole fries. The truffle and parmesan fries were our favorite. It was fun to have a mix of flavors and textures to enjoy.
Price: $8
Score: 8.5/10
United Kingdom: Strawberry basil cocktail with gin
This cocktail had an incredible flavor, very fitting of British summertime. The cup size was great, and the drink stayed frozen for quite some time. Although pre-mixed, there was an authentic taste of fresh strawberries. This was the most expensive item that we bought throughout our whole exploration of the festival.
Price: $17
Score: 10/10
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