Epcot's Food and Wine Festival Expands to Future World
Walt Disney World today confirmed additional details about this year's Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, including news that the festival will be expanding into Future World.
Photo courtesy Disney
Two new festival venues will debut in Future World:
- Artistry of Wine & Cheese will be located along the walkway to Future World West and will serve wines on tap as well as cheese sample platters on artists' palettes.
- Next Eats will be located near the Epcot Character Spot and will feature two marketplaces themed to the food show "The Chew," which airs on Disney's ABC network. Sustainable Chew will offer tastings inspired by the show's celebrity chef co-hosts. Chew Lab will showcase dishes prepared with innovative technology and techniques.
The 20th anniversary festival will open Sept. 25 and run through Nov. 16 at Epcot. The festival is included with park admission, though all food and beverages are an extra charge, as are premium events such as Party for the Senses, Mexican Tequila Lunch, Japanese Craft Beer Tasting, and the French Family Meal Traditions, for which reservations open July 30. Call 407-WDW-FEST (407-939-3378) for reservations for those.
Replies (10)
I'm beginning to wonder if this event is getting too big at this point. Prices for special events and meals are approaching absurd levels, while still selling out within minutes. The corporate synergy with The Chew was an obvious extension, but sometimes events can only get so big before they eventually become bloated. I think this is one of the best theme park events ever conceived, but is starting to lose its charm as Disney has tried to squeeze more and more out of the event. I'm not sure what the solution is (perhaps it is a separate ticket, though that would upset a number of long time fans), but it's gotten to the point where the World Showcase is completely intolerable on Saturday nights during F&W.
I've got four nights tentatively scheduled for Epcot on our October vacation. Can't wait. I'm sure it will be a party blast.
I always go to my local grocery or big box store for free cheese tasting. You'll be amazed at how much variety you'll find at any local store for wine, beer, and liquor. I can see that sometimes people want a expert to tell them what to consume. It doesn't have to be this way.
If you're going to the Food and Wine festival, follow these simple rules:
Liquor before beer, you're in the clear. Food and Wine before Mission:Space will end up on your face.
"I can see that sometimes people want a expert to tell them what to consume."
Because of the variety and sheer number of companies producing wine these days (and beer for that matter), it does take some level of expertise to navigate the waters. Not all $10 bottles of wine are created equal, and the same goes for $30 bottles. Experts help as do tasting events and festivals.
However, I don't view the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival as a beer/wine tasting event. There are tasting sessions in the Wonders of Life Pavilion (F&W Festival Center) where guests are walked through a flight of beer or wine, typically from the same manufacturer or distributor. However, the heart of the Festival is the kiosks around the World Showcase, and alcohol purchases there are typically close to full pours. It's certainly cheaper to "taste" at EPCOT than a restaurant or purchasing a full bottle or 6-pack/case, but I don't recommend approaching the EPCOT F&W Festival kiosks as a tasting event. If you do want to do a tasting event, either spend the day in the Festival Center or book the Party for the Senses.
Also, liquor rules are different in different states, and access to tastings may be very different depending upon where you live. Where I'm at, in Northern VA, we have a number of grocery stores, wine/beer stores, and other locations (local wineries and breweries) that conduct complimentary tastings on weekends, but not all states allow this, and if they do they may have different restrictions.
"It doesn't have to be this way."
But it really is because there's so much product available. If you tasted 8-10 new wines/beers every single week, you'd still not even scratch the surface of what's available on the market, which may include a number of items that may strongly appeal to your palette. Those experts can really help.
Outstanding news! The event keeps getting BIGGER and BETTER. Especially the weekends when the atmosphere really gets jumping!
TH: I wholeheartedly agree. Bigger, better & party on.
Wasn't it technically already in future world ever since wonders of life closed down?
Technically yes, and they have always used the Odyssey, which is in FutureWorld and have occasionally used vacant space in Innoventions for seminars and tastings until they made Wonders of Life the official Festival Center a few years ago.
I think what Robert is getting at here is that there will be kiosks set up in areas within FutureWorld along with confirmed space being used by the Festival next to the Character Spot full time. These are in visible areas of FutureWorld, not confined to the off-the-beaten-path Wonders of Life pavilion. F&W will be more front and center at EPCOT than it's ever been, so much so, that they should probably just rename the park for the 2 months of the festival.
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Now there is no escaping watching people throw-up from drinking too much at the festival!