2025 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Complete Guide

We could argue that Fall is the best time to visit Walt Disney World. With the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Halloween decorations, and the excitement of cooler weather we’re happy to venture to Orlando. Even in what is sometimes the rainy season between August and November each year.  The Walt Disney World EPCOT Food and Wine Festival runs from late August through November. And with 30+ food booths, the Eat to the Beat concert series, and more, the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World is one of our favorite reasons to visit Disney World in the fall.

However,  tackling the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World is something of an art. Especially if you want to make the most of your visit! If you’re traveling to Epcot with kids beware of the adults that are stumbling around the world and possibly right into your stroller or elderly grandmother!  These are our best tips for enjoying the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World.

EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Details

What is the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival? The Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World features a variety of food and drink to try across the World Showcase. This festival takes place annually from late-August to mid-November. Featuring global marketplaces that include new foods and drinks, guests also get to experience live music, a scavenger hunt game, a cheese challenge, and more. In years past, part of this festival also includes seminars and classes about cooking, pairings, and tastings. 

Epcot Food and Wine Festival Dates

The Walt Disney World EPCOT Food and Wine Festival runs from August 28– November 22, 2025. So many weeks of food of fun! We absolutely LOVE this Festival as it’s one of our favorite things about visiting Walt Disney World in the fall months. 

What Time do the Food and Wine Festival Booths Open?

Just like World Showcase, all outdoor kitchens open at 11 am. While you may find some openings a little earlier in the front of the park, we always recommend using those early morning hours at EPCOT to get in important rides, like Soarin’ and Test Track. 

Do You Need a Separate Ticket for Epcot Food and Wine Festival?

NO. The Food and Wine Festival is included as part of your regular Disney ticket! Isn’t that exciting? The prices of ALL Epcot Festivals are included with your ticket to the park. This is seriously one of our favorite parts of visiting EPCOT. Because no matter when you go, there’s always some kind of awesome foodie party going on! Make the most of your Epcot visit to Walt Disney World by planning it during one of the many festivals! Here’s a list of all the festivals at Epcot every year. 

When is the Best Time to Go to the Food and Wine Festival?

September is the best month to visit the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival because crowds are lower, weather begins to cool down, and kids are back in school. The best days to visit the Food and Wine Festival are between Monday-Thursday. If you’re going for the “Best Days”… then pick Tuesday and Wednesday.

With the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World running for several months we’ll see the crowds spread out a bit, which is no doubt Disney’s goal. Both Annual Passholders and Florida Residents are regular weekenders to the festival because of the eclectic food choices and the wide array of alcohol on hand. This leaves those weekdays when families are vacationing at Disney a little less crowded. Mind you, the evenings at Epcot will always be crowded during this time period simply because there are bands and extended hours that still draw out the locals.

Epcot Food and Wine Festival Planning

To get the most out of your trip you’ll want to do a little pre-planning. While you can definitely show up, get your foodie passport, and take to the countries without a plan, we like to be a little more intentional with our food choices! Not to mention daydreaming about all the options. A plan will also help out your wallet a bit. It is VERY EASY to drop hundreds of dollars on very small dishes of food that may not really fill you up. It’s even easier to drop hundreds if you’re drinking. Setting a Disney Budget is a must! 

Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World Passport

Just like the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival you get a passport at the Festival Center and select retailers for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World. The passport includes menus for each kiosk, drink lists, and stickers you can use to mark off each country that you’ve visited.  We love the passport as part of this experience. It’s a perfect free souvenir and makes the journey through the country super fun. If you’re looking for Kid-Friendly foods at Epcot just look for the pear in the passport, or the letters KF ( kid-friendly). You’ll also find gluten-free and vegetarian markers throughout the passport as well to help you make good food choices.

Epcot Food and Wine Festival Budget

There are actually tons of ways to pay for your food at the Food and Wine Festival. While the easiest, and potentially most budget-dangerous is paying with your MagicBand, there are other ways to pay that can help you track costs. 

How Much Does Food Cost at an Epcot Festival?

The kiosk foods at the Food and Wine Festival generally cost between $8-$12 dollars per dish. Most of the foods are usually around that $6 mark. For the most part, these are single-serve dishes, and you may think this is pricey. While we don’t disagree, we are also big on sharing. So often we’ll grab several dishes and then share them all. It’s a great way to experience more for less money. For Disney adults, you can plan to pay about $3- $10 for beers and wines. Other alcoholic drinks can go up to $20 depending on what you get. If you’re buying the Clicquot Champagne, just plan on paying the highest price. 

Can you use Dining Plan Snack Credits for the Food?

YES! Seriously one of our favorite things is being able to use Disney Dining Plan (DDP) snack credits for a full day’s worth of food. Disney Pro Tip: If you’re traveling during a festival at EPCOT and have a dining plan, we recommend stockpiling your snack credits. How do you do this? You plan for your Epcot festival day closer to the end of your trip, say when you have about 4 days under your belt. At that point, you would have at least 1 snack credit per day, per person accumulated. So that when you visit the festival on day 5, you have 4 dishes per person ( 4 snack credits each) you can get that day. It’s a great way to save money and experience more Disney foodie options. 

Pay with Disney Dining Plan Credits

If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) and have stockpiled your snack credits, you’re in luck. A neat trick we use to get the most bang for our buck is to seek out the snack with the DDP symbol that costs the most. These are usually slightly larger portions and stretch your credits a little farther. That way if you want a few things from a kiosk you end up spending the actual cash on cheaper things.

Grab a Gift Card

Our absolute best advice is to pay for Food and Wine treats with a festival gift card. You can load the gift card with whatever amount you would like and it allows you to stick to a budget. We’ve tried all of these ways of budgeting the festival into our trips and the gift card method is our favorite. Giving each person in your family or party a 50-dollar gift card could easily satisfy about 10 goodies that could double your meals for a day. And if you’re being super budget savvy, grab discounted Disney Gift Cards ahead of time at Target, or with your Cash Back Credit Card. 

Pay Cash

If you’re not on the Dining Plan and you’re ready and able to pay cash then plan around 5 bucks for each sample. Know that these are tasting-size portions. And while some do cost a little less than 5 dollars, the ones that cost more will help you stay on track with your spending. Keep in mind there are 25+ kiosks throughout EPCOT. Even if you only try things from half of them and pay 5 bucks each at 15 kiosks you’ll be at 75 dollars per person. So budget accordingly.

Pay Up Front with the Entitlement Plan

Another option if you’re not on the dining plan, and one we often see lines out the door for, is to grab the Food and Wine Entitlement plan. Since the Food and Wine Festival is one of our top things to do at Disney World for Adults, for those drinkers out there, the entitlement plan will save you the most money. This is a plan you can purchase at the main port giftshops. You can choose an 8 Food and Beverage entitlement or a 16 Food and Beverage Entitlement usually around 70 and 120 dollars a guest respectively.  These amounts are above the regular Epcot ticket price and are ONLY worth it if you’re at Disney to drink. The entitlement tabs usually pay off if you’re spending about 8 dollars per entitlement. And as drinks can be as much as 15 each and higher, could be a good way to save money. However, since so much of the food is less than 8 dollars, it doesn’t really make this option worth it for foodies.

Epcot Food and Wine Festival Menus and Marketplaces 

One of the most important things to do before you go to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World is to check out the Food and Wine Festival Menus. Depending on the menus or picky eaters in your travel party, there may be some countries you don’t want to visit. Planning this ahead of time allowed us the time to visit the countries and kiosks in order of location without losing a lot of time and wasting foot traffic. Decide ahead of time what your Must-Have food and drinks are going to be and then plan the budget so that the bulk of your food kiosk visits come around mealtimes. 

How Much Food do you Get at the Food and Wine Festival?

The dishes served are equivalent to a single serving. We love using the festivals as a way to not only manage our Disney Budget by not paying full price for lunch but also as a way to get more variety for our money. Know that there are options to help you manage this too. You can load limited edition Food and Wine Festival gift cards with your food budget for the day, or by the allotment card at the gift shop. The allotment card allows you a certain number of purchases, regardless of price. We find it to be most money-saving if you’re using it to buy drinks. Because drinks can be close to 15 bucks in some places. And an allotment card breaks down to about 8 dollars per token. 

Non-Alcoholic Drinks at Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Finding fun non-alcoholic drinks is not as hard as it sounds! They are labeled non-alcoholic in the passport and there are quite a few!  Check out some of our favorite non-alcoholic drinks across the parks for a head start. There will be special ones in the passport though, so be sure to do your homework and choose which ones to try ahead of time. We love the availability of Disney Mocktails, as a great way to include Kids at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, with specialty drinks too. 

Joffrey’s Food and Wine Festival Specialty Coffees and Teas

Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Carts are filled with wonderful flavors all year round but during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World, they have specialty drinks at each cart throughout EPCOT!  

• Aug. 29–30 – Joey Fatone & Friends
• Aug. 31–Sept. 1 – MercyMe
• Sept. 5–6 – KT Tunstall (NEW)
• Sept. 7–8 – TobyMac
• Sept. 12–14 – STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
• Sept. 15 – Bacilos
• Sept. 19–20 – Shelia E.
• Sept. 21–22 – Ben Rector (NEW)
• Sept. 26–27 – Tiffany
• Sept. 28–29 – Jesse & Joy
• Oct. 3–4 – Baha Men
• Oct. 5–6 – TBD
• Oct. 10–11 – The Wanted 2.0 (NEW)
• Oct. 12–13 – The Fray
• Oct. 17–20 – Hanson
• Oct. 24–25 – Hoobastank
• Oct. 26–27 – Smash Mouth
• Oct. 31–Nov. 1 – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
• Nov. 2–3 – Boyz II Men
• Nov. 7–8 – David Archuleta
• Nov. 9–10 – Jordin Sparks (NEW)
• Nov. 14–15 – Bowling For Soup (NEW)
• Nov. 16–17 – The Beach Boys (NEW)

Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Scavenger Hunt

As part of the Food and Wine festivities you can celebrate Halloween at EPCOT with Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Scavenger Hunt. Partake in this game from September 29- October 31. 

Food and Wine Festival Merchandise 

One of the most things about any Festival at EPCOT Park is seeing all the newest merchandise! Featuring food, wine, beer, and Figment! And of course other Disney characters usually also make an appearance! Mickey and Minnie are usually cooking up a storm, and Tiana too, and of course you can usually find Remy on tons of Food and Wine Festival Merchandise. Check out all the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Merchandise in the post. 

Food and Wine Festival Tips

We’ve written about our top 7 tips for EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival, before, but here are a few more to consider as you tackle one of the busiest festivals of the year. 

Make a Plan Before You Go!

We have so any resources in this post and on the blog here, that you have ample opportunities at your fingertips to make a surefire plan! EPCOT is typically a 2-day Park when you’re trying to fit in a festival and rides. As such, we highly recommend a game plan. So be sure to Circle all the foods you want to try on the Food and Wine Festival Menus. We typically print this out, or save the pdf of the menu on our phone, to highlight ahead of time. Here’s our recommended Day at EPCOT during a festival. 

• 9 AM Park Open: Head to your must do rides and grab your coffee before the festival begins. 
• 11 AM Booths Open: You can start anywhere. But, we highly recommend referring to your list, and starting from the beginning- typically in Mexico or Canada. 
• 4 PM Take Break: This could be a late lunch, or early dinner and a chance to get out of the park by visiting the Disney Boardwalk. 
• 6 PM: This part of the day is typically more crowded as locals arrive. But, you can get your last few booths in, and a ride or two before heading back to your resort for the night. 

Start Early

While a good tip to make the most of your Disney World day is to start early, at EPCOT, there are several ways to make this work to your advantage. Since EPCOT Festival booths don’t open until 11 AM, you can technically head to the park a little earlier at 9 AM and get rides checked off your list. This will also help you be ready for all those food and wine samplings when the booths open. Remember since you’ll most likely spend the majority of the day trying food at Epcot, this will not only cut down the time you spend in line. Plus, it will also get you ahead of the brutal Florida heat. Our best strategy? Head to rides between 9-11 AM, grab your first round of food when the booths open at 11 AM, take an afternoon break between 2-4 and head back to the festival a little later in the evening. And of course, Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays are your best days to visit an Epcot Festival.  

Stay at Epcot Until 4pm

Epcot is a big place and there’s a lot of walking. Don’t waste time going back to the resort or another park to escape the crowds just aim to get it all done by 4 pm before the hoards arrive. Take breaks instead with rides, shows, or on the Disney BoardWalk. There are several shows throughout Epcot that are inside, perfect to escape the heat or rain. 

Avoid the Weekends

EPCOT Park is generally busiest in the evenings, from Thursday- Sunday. And all day on the weekends. While this may sound like common sense, know that it’s also the EASIEST Tip to follow! Just don’t visit any EPCOT festival on the weekends. If there is one tried and true tip we can share, this is it. Not only do the weekends get super crowded with locals and vacationers alike, but they can also get a bit on the wild side.

If you must attend the festival on the weekend, we recommend early on Saturday or a bit later on Sunday. This will keep you out of the crowds of locals stopping by for a drink, or the groups of people “stumbling around the world” with drinking challenges. Check out the Best Times to Visit Disney World for finding the best days to visit Walt Disney World parks. 

Plan 2 Days at EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

How many days should you plan for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival? We highly recommend you plan at least two days at EPCOT. Why? Because it’s difficult to get the best dishes from 20+ booths of food in one day. At least not without having a stomach ache! Two days at the Food and the Wine Festival will help you get through your favorite foods, maybe experience the Eat to the Beat concert series, and still allow you time to experience some rides and the nighttime show. 2 Days at EPCOT during the festival also means you can feel better about the foods you’re trying, since you won’t need to fit them all in one day. 

Take Breaks

You may be thinking, why would I take breaks! I’ve paid all this money to be in the park and do all the things! Yes, but it’s Florida, so you can add heat, humidity, sporadic rains, and walking 10 miles a day to your day. Can you see why a break may be a good idea? It can be easy to want to try to get in all the things during the festival. But, make sure you take breaks! Between the heat, the constant desire to try new food and drinks, and walking thousands of steps around the World Showcase, you’re going to need a break.

Make a Budget and put it on a Disney Giftcard!

By far one of the most important things to figure out, in addition to what you want to eat, is the money! How much per person are you planning for. And are you eating actual meals throughout the day too that will require more money?

We like to load about $100 per person onto a Food and Wine Gift Card. These little gift cards come on wristlet chains, and can keep you on track. $100 will typically get you 10 dishes or drinks. As such, it’s a good amount for a full day at EPCOT, eating around the world. And of course you can also get the Discounted Disney Gift Cards ahead of time! 

There will be Lines at the Booths

It comes as no surprise that there will be lines at the Marketplaces. And they only get longer as the day goes on, typically after 4pm. For this reason we recommend knowing what food you want ahead of time, and making a plan for working your way around the park. Keep in mind there are always chances to send someone to the line in one booth, while another family member grabs food from another. We also recommend sending someone to grab a table! While EPCOT’s table shortage is well known, the struggle is a real one. Finding a table to fit your group, or one that’s in the shade or not overtaken by ducks is important. 

You will be eating all day!

Believe it or not one of  the biggest challenges is that even with a plan, you will be eating all day. Who wants to be eating all day long? Especially in the hot Florida sun? That said, be sure to take breaks in between. Head to the gift shops, jump on a ride, walk through Journey of Water, or take a break on the Boardwalk. At one point, you will have eaten 6 things and may need to just stop eating. That’s okay! Walk it off! You can always head to another booth later. 

Review the Festival Food Menus Before You Go

While you may not have your Festival Passport before you get to Walt Disney World, you always have access to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Menus on this blog! Take some time on your lunch break or even at the airport, and skim the festival menus ahead of time. This is IMPORTANT! Because there will be some outdoor kitchens you may want to skip completely. And others where you may want to eat everything. Go through the list of booths, and circle what you want to try! This will save time and indecision. That way on your day at EPCOT you can simply head to the booths that have the foods you want to try most, and simply skip the rest! 

Drink Plenty of Water

Ahhhh, water. By far one of our biggest tips for a Disney Vacation is to have a water bottle. Although you should always drink plenty of water at Walt Disney World, this is especially true if you plan to drink at the Festival. Alcohol and the Florida sun don’t make the best combination. And no one likes having their fun ruined by dehydration. If you’re planning to grab a drink, yes even a frozen one, make sure to have an equal amount of water on hand. Disney is equipped with filtered water stations, and you can always order water from Starbucks as well. So, bring your water bottle, drink lots of water and thank us later. 

Play the Games

In addition to all the eating, be sure to take time and play the scavenger hunt game. Remy can be found hidden throughout the World Showcase, and even if you don’t have a game board, he’s still fun to search for. Additionally, you can let the kids to the KidCot game in each country, play Ducktales World Showcase Adventure, and take a break to see the concert too! 

Dress the Part!

We also love getting dressed in our favorite Disney Food and Wine Festival shirts for the whole family. And have loads of designs in the shop for both kids and grown ups. While you can always find shirts at the Disney Parks, if you grab them ahead of time, you can plan to match ( or not) and grab tees for the whole family. We have Remy shirts, Drinking shirts, Snacking shirts and more at Polka Dot Pixie Shop. 

Visit the Disney BoardWalk

The Disney Boardwalk can be accessed via the International Gateway and is a great way to take a break from Food and Wine if you need it. Little beaches, shops, Beaches and Cream (yum), cupcakes, and a ferry can all provide respite if your kids are ready to call it a day. This is also a great place to escape to at night if you ended up going to the Food and Wine Festival during the weekend and need to get away from the crowds. They have magic shows, arcade games and lots of other fun little activities like a real boardwalk would have to keep the kids entertained. 

Food and Wine Festival Crowds

Leaving the Park can be a nightmare at the end of the day if you’re using Walt Disney World’s bus system. The time the park closes is important to consider if you have kids in tow. Long lines waiting for the bus can mean cranky kids, especially after a long day. And with long lines, your chance of scoring a seat on the bus decreases, by a lot. Generally, we notice the buses seem to be the most packed from about 30-45 mins before closing to about 30-45 mins after closing. If you’re staying at a Boardwalk Resort, Monorail Resort, the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, or even a Skyliner Resort your ride home is less harried.  If you’re taking bus transportation, then the top tip to keep in mind is to either leave around dinner time or expect to stay right up until the park closes. 

Epcot Food and Wine Festival at Disney World

Hopefully, this Food and Wine Festival Guide has given you many of the answers to your questions. While there is so much to do, it helps to have a list of what to know before you go. We love the EPCOT festivals and hope you do too. Happy snacking!