Indulge in a global epicurean celebration as the fan-favorite foodie event returns July 27 with delectable delights around every corner
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (July 26, 2023) – It’s the tastiest time of the year as the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival presented by CORKCICLE kicks off at Walt Disney World Resort July 27, 2023, and continues through Nov. 18, 2023. That’s 114 days of tempting tastes, live entertainment and festival fun for all ages.
Guests can set out on an international expedition of flavor visiting Global Marketplaces that showcase culinary delights from every corner of the world. Whimsical scavenger hunts and food strolls encourage guests to stop and savor every detail. And each evening, musical acts from yesterday and today take to the stage during the Eat to the Beat Concert Series presented by Florida Blue Medicare. Special packages are available that include dinner in one of the park’s world-class restaurants and guaranteed seating for a concert performance.
New Food, Spectacular Sips
This year’s festival will debut with 25 Global Marketplaces – themed locations found throughout the park that offer a cornucopia of bites and sips. Another six Global Marketplaces will appear later during the festival. It all adds up to an unparalleled foodie experience that will delight both seasoned connoisseurs and curious palates.
- New at the festival this year, Brew-Wing Lab at the Odyssey invites guests to go on a flavorful adventure featuring the culinary creations – and madcap mishaps – of Muppet Labs. With Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his trusty partner Beaker as their hosts, festival goers can sample concoctions that include both traditional chicken wings and plant-based options. Delight in novel flavors like Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings with Cool Cucumber Yogurt and Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Wings. Or enjoy traditional flavors with a new twist, such as Impossible™ Buffalo Chicken Tenders with plant-based blue cheese, plant-based ranch and celery. Innovative beverages like the puckery Pickle Milkshake and the Frozen Fusion featuring Twinings Pomegranate and Raspberry Herbal Tea fused with Orange Ice Cream Molecules provide the perfect cooling accompaniments.
- Flavors of America in The American Adventure serves up three new dishes. Dip into the sumptuous Italian Hot Beef Sandwich, with shaved beef, spicy giardiniera and au jus on a French roll; dig into the savory Cioppino, a seafood stew with saffron-infused tomato-fennel broth; and dive into Chilaquiles featuring corn tortilla chips tossed in salsa verde with Ranchero chicken, queso fresco, cilantro-lime crema and topped with a soft-poached egg.
- Beginning Aug. 15, the festival will welcome back two fan-favorite flavor destinations: Hawaii featuring flavors from the Pacific paradise; and The Noodle Exchange offering savory ramen and noodle bowls.
- On Sept. 22, four all-new Global Marketplaces will debut to mark the Disney100 celebration that commemorates the 100thanniversary of The Walt Disney Company.
- Prepare for dazzling culinary contrasts such as Char & Chop, which takes inspiration from classic butcher shops, spotlights a fusion of greens and grilled meats. Dishes include Roasted Porchetta with lemon-parsley salsa verde and shaved fennel salad; Grilled Impossible™ Spicy Sausage with herbed polenta, puttanesca sauce, and ricotta; and Meat Assorti – a trio of shaved meats with baby arugula, pickled mustard seeds, truffle oil and grilled ciabatta.
- Wine & Wedge celebrates delightful cheese and beverage pairings. Southern Pimento Cheese with bread-and-butter pickled vegetables offers an upscale take on a regional favorite, while Boursin Fig & Balsamic Soufflé with fig tapenade marries sweet and savory flavors flawlessly. Pair the treats with Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Hartley Apple Brandy and Florida Orange Groves Winery Black and Blue Port.
- Bubbles & Brine strikes a celebratory note with a menu of fresh seafood and Champagne.
- Indulge in whimsical desserts, from a Mickey-shaped liquid Nitro Cake to Fanta Floats at Swirled Showcase.
- And of course, several guest-favorite Global Marketplaces will return to this year’s festival including The Fry Basket, Flavors from Fire, Greece, Canada, India and Spain.
Eat to the Beat Concert Series presented by Florida Blue Medicare
Live musical performances at the America Gardens Theatre will take place nightly, with local bands performing Tuesday throughout Thursday and well-known artists taking the stage each week from Friday to Monday.
Some of this year’s lineup includes:
- Ruben Studdard with Haley Reinhart (NEW)
- Joey Fatone & Friends
- Los Amigos Invisibles
- Boyz II Men
- Orianthi (NEW)
- FOR KING + COUNTRY (NEW)
- We The Kings (NEW)
- Ayron Jones (NEW)
- Phillip Phillips (NEW)
- Raul Acosta and Oro Solido (NEW)
- 98°
- Billy Ocean
- Hanson
- Sheila E.
- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Eat to the Beat Dining Packages are also available at select EPCOT restaurants Friday through Monday and offer guaranteed seating for performances. Learn more at TasteEPCOT.com.
Engaging Experiences Encourage Exploration
The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival offers fun for the whole family.
- Emile’s Fromage Montage is a fun way to sample delectable cheeses served in a variety of ways. With the purchase of any five cheese dishes listed in the back of the Festival Passport guests collect a stamp. Once they have collected five stamps, they can visit Shimmering Sips hosted by CORKCICLE for a specialty treat.
- Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak is a “Ratatouille”-inspired adventure that is très magnifique! Explorers can purchase a map and stickers from select festival merchandise locations and search for Remy statuettes throughout World Showcase and the Global Marketplaces. Whether or not they complete the hunt, they can redeem their map to receive a special festival keepsake.
- From Sept. 29 through Oct. 31, or while supplies last, Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit is the perfect way for kids of all ages to usher in the gourd times. It is easy to join in the fun. Guests purchase a special map and stickers, then search throughout EPCOT for hidden Disney character-themed decorative pumpkins. Maps can be redeemed at the end of the hunt, whether or not they are completed, for a spooky festival keepsake.
Spectacular Merchandise to Savor
Crave-worthy festival merchandise collections ensure that the festival magic continues at home. Three new collections are available for purchase and include:
- The 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival Event Logo Collection featuring bright colors and bold graphics
- The Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Picnic Collection offering whimsical design elements
- The 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Disney Encanto Collection celebrating joyous gatherings in a panoply of vibrant color
Look for the perfect festival memento at Creations Shop, Food & Wine merchandise kiosks throughout EPCOT and in World Traveler at International Gateway.
So Much More to See and Do
In addition to enjoying the festival, guests can explore the endless possibilities that EPCOT has to offer. They can help save the galaxy on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, shrink to the size of Remy on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, dine with Disney Princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and so much more.
Beginning Sept. 22, guests can also join the Disney100 celebration that commemorates the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company. EPCOT will mark the milestone with fun photo ops, special culinary creations and spectacular lighting displays on Spaceship Earth nightly.
