EPCOT Food & Wine Festival: My First Visit (Part 1)
A last-minute decision, no plan, five booths, and one very good cup of coffee.
So my roommate and I decided last minute to head to the Food & Wine Fest at EPCOT last night after checking the weather. Florida weather, so… if you know, you know. Grabbed some rain gear just in case, and off we went.
This was my first time at Food & Wine. I've done Flower and Garden twice before, but never this one. And honestly? I went in with no plan. Just "let's see where the evening takes us."
Which is either the best way to do a food festival, or the worst. We're about to find out together.
The non-plan plan
We decided to head to World Showcase and just go around the world, eating from different countries. First stop was going to be Frozen Ever After — wait times said the park wasn't that busy, so why not knock out a boat ride through Arendelle while we were at it?
Heading toward Norway, we stumbled into the Australia booth first. And that's when the "no plan" plan officially became the "eat everything that looks interesting" plan.
Stop 1: Australia — Roasted Lamb Chop
Roasted Lamb Chop
Roasted Lamb Chop, Mint Pesto, Salt & Vinegar Chips — $8.79
I wasn't sure how I'd feel about those chips on a lamb chop. But festival prices usually aren't too bad, so it was worth the gamble.
The lamb was super tender and juicy. There was a rather large glob of mint pesto on it — that first bite kinda overpowered everything, and I had to scrape some off for the next one. Once I did? Great. And the chips added a nice vinegary crunch that worked surprisingly well.
Rating: 8 out of 10. Would absolutely get again.
Quick detour: Frozen Ever After
After treating ourselves to a nice boat ride through Arendelle, we made our way to the China booth. (Yes, I'm counting a Frozen ride as part of a food festival recap. It's my blog.)
Stop 2: China — Smoked Duck Breast Bao Bun
Smoked Duck Breast Bao Bun, Pickled Cucumber, Scallion, Hoisin Sauce — $8.25
Here's the thing about me: I can never pass on duck. Never. It's a problem.
I wish I had passed on this one.
The duck wasn't as tender as it could be. I know duck leans chewy by nature, but this was chewier than it needed to be. And there wasn't much flavor going on besides the hoisin sauce — which, for the record, there could have been more of. A bao bun needs something to carry it, and this one was leaning on a sauce that wasn't showing up enough.
Rating: 6 out of 10. Not bad. Not great. I've had better duck in a parking lot food truck.
Stop 3: Germany — Wiener Schnitzel + Oktoberfest Lager
Wiener Schnitzel
Wiener Schnitzel (Breaded Veal Cutlet), Warm Yukon Gold Potato Salad, Watercress-Radish Salad, Lemon — $7.29
Von Trapp Brewing Oktoberfest Lager — $6.00
Now we're talking. I love veal. As much as I love duck and lamb. Yeah, I've gotta have the trifecta of meats that don't show up on most standard menus — lamb, duck, veal. If it's on a menu, I'm ordering it.
The veal was perfectly fried — crispy, not greasy. That's the mark of someone in the kitchen who actually cares. The potato salad had good flavor, especially if you like mustard, because that was overwhelming. Huge amount of spice to it too. So much that I couldn't finish the potato salad, and I finish everything.
Now here's where the beverage manager brain kicked in. The Oktoberfest lager went really well with the whole dish — it tamed the mustard a bit instead of accentuating it. A lighter, hoppier beer would've made that spice worse. The malty roundness of the lager softened it. That's the pairing working.
But because of how the veal itself was cooked? Perfectly crispy, not a drop of grease?
Rating: 7 out of 10. The veal earned that score. The potato salad dragged it down a touch.
Stop 4: Spain — Croquetas de Jamón
Croquetas de Jamón, Saffron Aioli, Shaved Jamón Serrano — $6.99
I love some good tapas. I just wish these had been good tapas.
Ok — they weren't bad. I've just had better. Overly creamy cheese and potato filling with a slice of Serrano ham laid on top. Would have been way better if the ham was mixed in with everything else instead of sitting on top like an afterthought.
And here's what really pulled my rating down: the wait. My roommate got his — the last one they had ready — and I ended up waiting about seven minutes while nobody in that "kitchen" had any sense of urgency. The manager brain was in full force as I watched the line build up even more while the snail-of-a-cook worked on more. Like, sir, there are fifteen people behind me and you're plating like you've got all night.
Rating: 5 out of 10. The food was meh. The service was worse. Skip it unless the line's short.
Stop 5: Belgium — Beer Braised Beef (the winner)
Beer Braised Beef with Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes — $6.79
Chilled Belgian Coffee with ChocoLat Deluxe Salted Caramel Chocolate Liqueur — (the "dessert")
Beer Braised Beef
At this point I was definitely filling up. But as we passed Belgium, I had to try the Beer Braised Beef — I'd already heard good reviews on it.
The beef was fall-apart tender, with a slight bit of sweetness from the carrots in the sauce. The mashed potatoes were a nice thick consistency and didn't have too much cheese — just the perfect amount. This was the dish to end the night. Lucky accident that we saved the best for last.
And the coffee? Worth it. Rich coffee flavor with a nice touch of caramel and chocolate, not overly sweet — just the right amount. Yes, that whole name is a mouthful to say out loud. No, I will not be abbreviating it.
And then… Luminous
Because I have to. Luminous the Symphony of Us to top off the evening.
I love a good fireworks show, and Disney knows how to pull them off. But that's a whole different blog for a whole different day.
So what's the strategy?
All in all, it was a great night. And here's what I'll leave you with:
If you have more than one day in EPCOT built into your vacation plans — no need for a snacking plan. Just go with the flow, wander, and grab what speaks to your soul. That's exactly what we did, and it worked.
If you can only do one day — or worse, one evening — definitely plan your snacks. There is so much on offer that you simply cannot do it all. Look at the menus ahead of time, available on the MyDisneyExperience app. Or — and here's a shameless plug — tell me your style of food and I'll plan it for you. Kinda what I do. 😉
This is Part 1
I will definitely be back in EPCOT for more Food & Wine Fest. There are booths we didn't get to, drinks we didn't try, and desserts I'm still thinking about. So stay tuned — more thoughts, more reviews, and more "I can never pass on duck" coming soon.
Planning an EPCOT Food & Wine trip and want someone to map out the booths worth your time (and the ones to skip)? That's what I do. I'm Billy, a travel advisor who plans Disney trips for a living — and I've got strong opinions about festival food. No overwhelm, no 2 a.m. open tabs — just a real conversation about what's right for you.