The 2011 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World

(This page is one of a series explicating Walt Disney World lingo, abbreviations, and FAQ for first time family visitors to Walt Disney World.) 

DISNEY’S 2011 INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL AT EPCOT

Every year from October through mid-November, Walt Disney World presents the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. 

In 2011, the dates are Friday September 30 through  Sunday November 13.

There are two components to the festival, one available to all Epcot visitors, and another made up of a bunch of events which have limited capacity and require reservations. 

Neither has an extra ticket admission cost–you get to participate by virtue of your theme park ticket–but there are cash costs for the food, wine, and for entry to some special shows and events. 

ELEMENTS OF THE 2011 EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL OPEN TO ALL

The basic program takes place in Epcot’s World Showcase area. 

Supplementing the already rich variety of dining and snacking options in the World Showcase, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival adds dozens of stalls highlighting the foods and drinks of various regions of the world, from regional US cuisines to Belgian and South Korean cuisine. 

The food from these stalls is typically available in a snack to half-plate size. Some, but not all, can be purchased using snack credits from the the Disney Dining Plan. 

Note that the cash price of items available as snack under the dining plan can vary by a factor of 3–don’t use a snack credit until you know that you don’t want to use it on something more expensive. 

Wine and other alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase, by the glass or equivalent. Snack credits can’t be used for these! 

FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL EVENTS WHICH MUST BE RESERVED IN ADVANCE

In addition, there’s a whole list of programs for which reservations are required. 

These range from tequila tastings, to food and wine pairings, to cheese seminars. 

These programs are usually announced in the summer, and the more popular sell out very quickly. 

See this page on the Disney Food Blog for more details as they emerge, or the official Walt Disney World web page for the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival here. 

FIRST TIME VISITORS AND THE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

Returning adults often plan their entire trip around the Food and Wine Festival. 

For first-time family visitors, with 8 year olds in tow, it is a good bit less relevant. 

The booths and such of the festival add a bit to the pageantry of World Showcase, but in general do not increase World Showcase’s appeal to kids. 

Because of this, my material on when to go to Walt Disney World ignores the dates of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival as either a positive or a negative influence. 

That said, I rank several weeks that happen to occur during this period highly. 

High ranking 2011 weeks during the festival include Saturday arrival dates of 

• 10/15/2011 (ranked 6th)
• 10/22/11 (ranked 7th)
• 10/29/11 (ranked 8th)

For those planning a 2012 visit to Walt Disney World World, highly ranked  2012 weeks during the 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival include arrival dates of 10/13/2012, 10/20/2012, and 10/27/2012.

For a more personal take on the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, see Steve’s post here. 

MORE ON WALT DISNEY WORLD DINING FOR FIRST TIME FAMILY VISITORS

• How to Eat
• The Disney Dining Plan
• What if You Can’t do the Dining Plan?
• Where to Eat
• Dining Alternatives
• The Comprehensive Guide to Walt Disney World Dining
  • The Comprehensive Guide to Magic Kingdom-Area Dining
  • The Comprehensive Guide to Epcot-Area Dining
• Character Meals and Dinner Shows Ranked in Order
• Table Service Meals at the Parks Ranked in Order
• Table Service Meals at the Resorts Ranked in Order

RELATED STUFF

• 3. Autumn at Walt Disney World
• g. How to Eat at Walt Disney World
• h. Where to Eat at Walt Disney World
• s. FAQ and Glossary
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