EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival

For an ever-increasing number of autumn weeks, EPCOT hosts the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, attracting folks more interested in a fine phyllo than a photo op with Cinderella.

The festival is essentially a compendium of food- and beverage-related offerings, some free with the price of EPCOT admission, others costing anywhere from $3.75 for a piece of cake to several hundred dollars for extravagant wine dinners. Mixology or cheese seminars compete with cookbook signings by famous chefs, and tapas-size portions of foods served from about 30 international theme stalls encircle the World Lagoon. Throughout the event, guest chefs host brunches, lunches, and wine-pairing dinners—casual, posh, or festive—at EPCOT and in hotels. The headliners change annually but might include names like chef Masaharu Morimoto or Rick Bayless. The festival's food and beverage lineup changes every year, too, so for more information and to make reservations (during festival season only, generally midsummer through early November), call 407/939–3378 or visit www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.

Garden of Eating

EPCOT has expanded the offerings at its annual Flower & Garden Festival, which ran for a staggering 90 days in 2018. The springtime celebration of all things green and floral features more than a dozen outdoor kitchens whose dishes are inspired by produce and fresh foods from around the world, and are served throughout the World Showcase—with paired beverages, of course.

Shopping for a Snack

The heart of the Food and Wine Festival—and the most approachable event for hungry tourists on a budget—takes place around EPCOT's World Showcase. Ordinarily a miniature world of 11 pavilions themed around one country apiece, the area takes on new life when as many as 36 "international marketplaces" take up residence.

Most of the marketplaces, from Brazil to South Korea, offer a taste of one country, selling several appetizer-size food items and beverages—nearly all for $3.25 to $10 apiece. Indisputably popular creations like the cheddar soup ladled out endlessly at Canada are perennials. Still, a majority of the menu will change from year to year. Attendees might taste Brazilian crispy pork belly with black beans (paired with Xingu Black beer), Beijing roasted duck bao with hoisin sauce (with vodka "Kung Fu Punch"), or chicken with red-eye gravy and griddled corn cakes (with a Florida Orange Groves mango wine).

A few marketplaces feature items instead of locales. The Desserts and Champagne booth, for instance, pours a bounty of bubbly and serves special sweets.The craft beer marketplace puts out several regional brews along with complementary snacks like spicy pimento cheese with crackers. And the all-American Craft Beers market often specializes in fare U.S. citizens can be proud of, such as the Zesty Cheeseburger Handwich and Cigar City Brewing's Invasion Pale Ale from Tampa.

Lines get long, especially on weekends, when locals pour in for their regular fix of foreign fare, so consider timing your tour during the day or on a weekday evening, when most spots have shorter waits. And keep an eye on the budget: those little dishes can add up quickly.

Festival of the Senses

Several evenings throughout the festival, food and wine enthusiasts clad in cocktail attire saunter into the gala called Party for the Senses. Billed as a "grand tasting," the upscale bash starts booking in July and sells out within days. In a dramatically decorated, high-ceiling room, 10 to 15 chefs from around the country host as many as 50 food stations, serving a hearty appetizer-size portion of one passionately prepared dish. Some are Disney chefs eager to show their talents, and others are known nationally. Big names such as François Payard, Allen Susser, and Walter Staib have participated. Reserved seating for all guests is now offered, a welcome reprise from the "stand and carry" model. Live entertainment such as acrobats and vocalists gives attendees something to watch while taking a break between bites. Seats in the Wine View Lounge include early entrance and private transport.