What you should know about Epcot’s revised food and wine fest
The Taste of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2020 debuted July 15 as the Walt Disney World park reopened to the public. The annual food and wine fest, which is celebrating its 25th year, usually starts at the end of August and features a plethora of global marketplaces, but this year, the event has been modified amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Here’s what you know before you go.
New to the fest
The World ShowPlace, typically the venue for the Party for the Sense that usually takes place during the food and wine festival, is now open to park-goers as an air-conditioned pavilion with socially distanced tables.
Inside, guests will find four more marketplaces: Festival Favorites, Desserts & Champagne, Appleseed Orchard and the brand new Mac & Cheese hosted by Boursin. This is a great place to grab a bite to eat and cool off.
Fewer marketplaces
This year’s fest includes 20 marketplaces: Islands of the Caribbean, Earth Eats, Joffreys Coffee & Tea Company, Mexico, China, Africa, Refreshment Outpost, Germany, Italy, Hops & Barley, Funnel Cakes, Japan, Morocco, Brazil, France, Canada, Refreshment Port, Hawai’i, The Citrus Blossom and Shimmering Sips.
Additional marketplaces will be available this fall, such as Spain.
The eats and drinks at each marketplace are a combination of Food & Wine dishes as well as Flower & Garden Festival delicacies.
Digital guide
Sadly for those who love picking up a Food & Wine passport and marking off samples with stickers, the passport is not offered this year.
However, there is a digital guide available that lists the marketplaces with food and drink descriptions, live entertainment (JAMMitors and Mariachi Cobre perform as Eat to the Beat has been canceled) schedules, festival merchandise locations and a section called “Fun for All Ages,” which has information about Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak Scavenger Hunt.
Find the guide in the Disney World app or by scanning one of the many QR codes sprinkled throughout the park.
Merchandise
While there are several festival markets throughout the World Showcase, right now the merchandise is left over from this year’s International Flower & Garden Festival, which was cut short amid Walt Disney World’s coronavirus closure.
The Taste of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will continue into the fall, though Disney has not announced a specific end date.
The event is free with Epcot admission, which varies. Food and drink purchases cost extra. Also, with the current limited park capacity amid the coronavirus pandemic, guests will not only need a valid ticket or pass but also a park reservation to enter the park. For more information about Epcot’s hours, reservations and ticket pricing, go to disneyworld.com/epcot.