Top Tips for EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival 2024

‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ - says me, a Disney foodie, that places the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival almost as high as Christmas on the list of best times of the year. If you haven’t been to the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, it’s a ‘must do’ for any Disney fan. This festival celebrates all things food and beverage, with incredible culinary dishes, fun topiaries around EPCOT, and a concert series, that you can enjoy while eating some of the best food that EPCOT has to offer. In other words, if heaven was a place on earth, it might be an EPCOT festival.

This year the festival runs from August 29 to November 23, 2024. You'll be able to enjoy food and beverage booths that represent cuisine across six different continents, with everything from local street bites to high end cuisine. In other words, come hungry! At night, you'll be able to enjoy world class entertainment, during the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, which is concerts that take place during the festival in the America Pavillion in World Showcase. I'm personally looking forward to seeing Yellowcard as someone that graduated in the early 2000s!

Today, we’re sharing some of our best tips for the festival, so you can have the best time possible. All Be Our Guest Vacations travel professionals are EPCOT festival experts! So when you book your trip with us, you can be assured that you will have the best time possible! And as a Be Our Guest Vacations client, you'll receive our exclusive EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival guide with insider tips and information!

Have a plan

If I could sum up the number one piece of advice I give to anyone planning a Walt Disney World vacation, it would be to have a plan. This advice is even more true when a special event, like a festival, is going on. There is even more to see and do than normal, so it makes it more important than ever to know what your must-do things are. When working with Be Our Guest Vacations, we can help with this plan, making sure you get to see and do as much as possible, while having the most fun possible. Need a list of must-hit festival booths and the best items on each menu to try? We got you! Want to know what Eat To The Beat Concerts are happening during your trip? We’re on it!

Stay at an EPCOT area resort

If you’re planning to indulge in some of the adult beverages that will be offered during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, then it’s always a good bet to be able to walk back or use an easy transportation option, like a boat or The Skyliner to get back to your resort. Luckily, some of Disney’s best resorts are in the EPCOT area, including Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, and the newest addition to the Deluxe Resort offerings, Disney’s Riviera Resort. You can also use The Skyliner when staying at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. My personal favorite pick is Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, with its turn-of-the-century charm and lively entertainment area. If I wanted something at a lower price point, I would pick Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, for the great pool area, and fun theming. 

Use gift cards to help budget

It is HARD to stick to a budget when at a Disney festival, and seeing how many great food and beverage offerings there are to taste. Sometimes, you can be tempted to purchase the entire menu at a certain booth (I’m looking at you, Coastal Eats menu). You can purchase gift cards that come on a wristlet and are made just for the festival at different merchandise locations in EPCOT. You can decide your budget for the day, load up your gift card, and use it for all of your food and beverage purchases! I especially love this option, because the wristlet makes it easy to keep track of, and you don’t have to dig for it in your bag when checking out. 

Steer clear of the busiest days

EPCOT is wildly popular with Florida locals, especially during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. This means that the busiest days to visit will be on weekends, or holidays when people don’t have to work. Want to have the best experience possible, with the lowest wait times at the booths? Try visiting EPCOT on a weekday! You can even try to plan for two EPCOT days during your trip, to make sure you will be able to see and do (and by see and do, I mean eat) everything you’re interested in. 

No matter how you choose to spend your time at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, you’re going to have a good time. We’re here to make it a GREAT time - and we do that, by using our knowledge and expertise to help you plan the best trip possible, equipped with everything that you need to know so you don’t miss anything. Thinking of a fall getaway? It isn’t too late! Reach out today, so we can start planning your best trip ever.