An Overview of the 2023 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is here! It runs daily through November 18. Pick up a Festival Passport when you enter the park. You’ll then have all the information that you need at your fingertips. You can also find the details in the My Disney Experience App, but with the physical passport you won’t have to constantly pull out your phone. It will also help to save your phone’s battery. Here is an overview of the 2023 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Right now it feels like we have so much time, but it will fly by!

I’ll start with the Global Marketplaces. These kiosks serve small portions of dishes from around the world. Some of the countries this year are Greece, Ireland, and India. Many of your favorite dishes are back, but there are also new treats to try. Several of the Global Marketplaces won’t open until August 15, those are clearly marked.

A special mention needs to go to The Odyssey Pavilion. That’s where you’ll find Brew-Wing Lab and the new Pickle Milkshake. Another new offering in the same spot is Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings. While you eat you can watch videos with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker of Muppets fame. It was loud inside the building, so you might not be able to hear much of what they’re saying, but it’s still a fun extra.

If you’d like to take your culinary experience to the next level, participate in Emile’s Fromage Montage. Buy five different cheese-based dishes and have your Festival Passport stamped each time. You’ll then receive a sixth item for free at Simmering Sips. There are ten different items that you can buy, and mix and match them however you want. You’ll need a physical passport to get the stamps. If you forgot to grab one at Epcot’s entrance they should have them at the Global Marketplaces.

One of my favorite parts of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. The concerts take place three times each evening in the America Gardens Theatre. The Eat to the Beat concerts are free, and are first come, first served. Fans will line up early for some artists, so keep an eye on the line, or reserve an Eat to the Beat Dining Package. Concerts take place weather permitting.

Another thing that you might want to try is Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak. It’s a scavenger hunt where you purchase a map and then look for Remy throughout Epcot. Some of the figures are well hidden! Once you finish your map, turn it in and receive a reward. Or don’t finish the map and turn it in any way, you’ll still get a prize. A second scavenger hunt, Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit, will take place from September 29 through October 31.

Part of the fun of any special event at Walt Disney World is the merchandise. There are four collections this year: Festival Event Logo Collection, Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Picnic Collection, Disney Encanto Collection, and Figment Annual Passholder Collection. You’ll find the merchandise in Creations Shop as well as all around World Showcase.

This is just a quick overview of what you’ll find at the 2023 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. It’s something that you need to try to experience for yourself! Who knows, maybe we’ll see Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana before the end of this festival. It’s supposed to open “late 2023”.