Today is the day! The Epcot Food and Wine Festival kicks off for a glorious 53 days, lasting until November 16. The event is made up of a lot of great events, from culinary demonstrations, to concerts, to parties, to unique shopping, and of course, the Marketplace Kiosk food booths, which I think it what a majority of people look forward to each year. I know I do.
This year there are more than 30 different booths that guests can experience, and for the first time ever, these Marketplace Booths will be making their way into Future World. (Traditionally the booths were only found along the World Showcase promenade.) These booths serve regional specialties beginning at 11:00 a.m. daily until park closing during the festival. Countries from around the world are showcased and feature some of their most mouth-watering foods and beverages options costing around $3-$8.
The best way to partake in this is to pick up a gift card, put a specific amount of money on it, and utilize that for your spending money at each of the booths, that way you will be able to budget a little bit better.
Now, it’s almost impossible to eat everything during the festival, so here is a list of the different Marketplace Kiosks and which items are the best food choices that you should consider getting listed in bold and italics.
Africa Menu Items
Menu Selections:
- Berbere-style beef tenderloin tips with onions, jalapeños, tomato and pap
- Buttered chicken with micro cilantro and naan bread
Beverage Selections:
- Indaba Chenin Blanc
- DeMorgenzon DMZ Cabernet Róse
- Fairview Pinotage
- Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz
Australia Menu Items
Menu Selections:
- Grilled sweet and spicy bush berry shrimp with pineapple, peppers, onions, and snap peas
- Grilled lamb chop with mint pesto and potato crunchies
- Lamington: Yellow cake dipped in chocolate and shredded coconut
Beverage Selections:
- Coopers Brewery Extra Strong Vintage Ale
- Château Tanunda Grand Barossa Dry Riesling
- Bulletin Place Unoaked Chardonnay
- Yangarra Estate Vineyard Shiraz
Belgium Menu Items
Menu Selections:
- Potato and leek waffle with beer-braised beef and smoked gouda cream
- Belgium waffle with warm chocolate ganache and whipped cream
- Belgium waffle with berry compote and whipped cream
Beverage Selections:
- Hoegaarden
- Leffe Blonde
- Stella Artois Cidre
- Palm Speciale Belge Ale
- Chilled coffee featuring Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
- Beer flight (featuring 4 4-ounce servings): Hoegaarden, Palm Amber Ale, Leffe Blonde and Stella Artois Cidre
Brazil Menu Items
Menu Selections:
- Escondidinho de carne, “Little Hidden One”: layered meat pie with mashed yucca
- Crispy pork belly with black beans, tomato and cilantro (gluten free)
- Pao de queijo: Brazilian cheese bread
- Cocada: Brazilian coconut candy
Beverage Selections:
- Kaiser Brewery Xingu Black Beer
- Carnaval Moscato Sparkling White Wine
- Frozen Caipirinha featuring LeBlon Cachaca
Brewer’s Collection
Beverage Selections
- Radeberger Zwickel Pilsner
- Norbertus Special Hefeweizen
- BraufactuM Progusta IPA
- Shofferhofer Zitrone Weizen-Mix
- Beer flight (featuring 4 4-ounce servings): Radeberger Zwickel Pilsner, Norbertus Special Hefeweizen, BraufactuM Palor and Schöfferhofer Zitrone Weizen-Mix
Canada
Menu Selections:
- Canadian cheddar cheese soup
- Chicken sausage with creamy polenta and Minus 8 onion jam
- “Le Cellier” wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle butter sauce (gluten free)
Beverage Selections:
- Moosehead Lager
- Neige Premiere Apple Ice Wine
- Inniskillin Vidal Icewine
- Tawse Vineyard Cabernet Franc
Cheese Studio
Menu Selections:
- Trio of artisan cheese
- Karst cave-aged cheese served with honey
- La Bonne Vie goat cheese served with Craisin bread
- Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue Cheese with berry port compote
- Sweet goat cheese panna cotta with guava gellé
- Cheese fondue with sourdough bread
Beverage Selections:
- Robert Mondavi FuméBlanc
- Still River Winery Apfel Eis (apple ice wine)
- Sterling Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon
Chew Lab
Menu Selections:
- Olive oil poached salmon with fresh corn, bacon and pepper jam
- New York strip, parsnip silk, balsamic glaze and arugula foam
- Liquid nitro chocolate almond truffle with warm whiskey caramel
Beverage Selections:
- Festival Chardonnay, Napa Valley
- Festival Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
- Smoking Hibiscus featuring Montelobos Mezcal Joven
China
Menu Selections:
- Beijing roasted duck in steamed bun with hoisin sauce
- Gaoli beef slider
- Black pepper shrimp with Sichuan noodles
- Chicken pot stickers
Beverage Selections:
- Tsing Tao Beer
- Francis Ford Coppola Su Yuen Riesling
- Ritzy Lychee with cognac and vodka
- Happy Peach with peach liqueur and dark rum
- Kung Fu Punch with vodka and triple sec
- Mango green tea with popping bubbles
Craft Beers
Menu Selections:
- Craft beer snack mix: sweet and savory blend of nuts, fruits, and crackers
- Charcuterie plate: Country pâté, cured meats, and crostini
- Pimento cheese dip with pretzel crisps
- Bloody Mary shrimp cocktail
Beverage Selections:
- Brew Hub Keybilly Island Ale – Lakeland, FL
- Two Henrys Blueberry Vanilla American Wheat Ale – Plant City, FL
- Orlando Brewing Grateful Pumpkin – Orlando, FL
- Swamp Head Wild Night® Honey Cream Ale – Gainsville, FL
- 3 Daughters St. Pete Beach Blonde Ale – St. Petersburg, FL
- Florida Beer Company Passport 20 Belgian-Style Tripel Ale – Cape Canaveral, FL
- Funky Buddha Vanilla Espresso Porter – Oakland Park, FL
- Shipyard Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – Clearwater, FL
- Beer Flight 1: Florida Harvest (featuring 4 4-ounce servings): Brew Hub Keybilly Island Ale (Lakeland, FL), Two Henrys Blueberry Vanilla American Wheat Ale (Plant City, FL), Orlando Brewing Grateful Pumpkin (Orlando, FL), Swamp Head Wild Night Honey Cream Ale (Gainsville, FL)
- Beer Flight 2: Craft Beer Lovers (featuring 4 4-ounce servings): 3 Daughters St. Pete Beach Blonde Ale (St. Petersburg, FL), Florida Beer Company Passport 20 Belgian-Style Tripel Ale (Cape Canaveral, FL), Funky Buddha Vanilla Espresso Porter (Oakland Park, FL), Shipyard Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (Clearwater, FL)
Desserts & Champagne
Menu Selections:
- Chocolate cherry explosion
- Strawberry-basil champagne “toast”
- Guylian Belgian chocolate seashell truffles
Beverage Selections:
- Nicolas Feuillatte Blanc de Blancs
- Möet & Chandon Impérial
- Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin “Yellow Label”
- Dom Pérignon
- Möet & Chandon Nectar Impérial
- Orange Blossom Brewery Toasted Coconut Porter float with caramel ice cream
- Cream soda float with caramel ice cream
- Frozen S’mores featuring Monin Toasted Marshmallow Syrup
Dominican Republic
Menu Selections:
- Lechón asado: Roasted pork with mangú, pickled red onion and avocado
- Soufflé de yuca: Yuca soufflé topped with griddled cheese
- Pescado con coco: Seared grouper, pigeon peas and rice with coconut sauce
- Caramel flan with rum-roasted pineapple
Beverage Selections:
- Presidente Pilsner Beer
- Frozen Dominican piña colada featuring Ron Barceló Blanco Rum
- Frozen sugar cane cocktail featuring Ron Barceló Blanco Rum
Farm Fresh
Menu Selections:
- Loaded mac n’ cheese with Nueske’s pepper bacon, cheddar cheese, peppers and green onions
- Griddled “yard bird” with braised greens (gluten free)
Beverage Selections:
- Woodchuck Raspberry Hard Cider
- Wyder’s Dry Pear Hard Cider
- Two Henrys Elderberry Hard Cider
- ACE Hard Pumpkin Cider
- Florida Orange Groves, Key Limen Wine
- Tom Gore Chardonnay
- Tom Gore Cabernet Sauvignon
- Hard Cider Flight (4 4-ounce servings): Woodchuck Raspberry Hard Cider, Wyder’s Dry Pear Hard Cider, Two Henrys Elderberry Hard Cider, ACE Hard Pumpkin Cider
Fife & Drum Tavern
Menu Selections:
- Ghirardelli Ice Cream Sundae
Beverage Selections:
- Mmmmhops Pale Ale
France
Menu Selections:
- Croissant aux escargots with garlic and parsley
- Boeuf bourguignon: Braised short ribs in cabernet with mashed potatoes
- Crème brûlée vanille chocolat: Vanilla & chocolate crème brûlée topped with caramelized sugar
(Ok…I cheated here…but seriously…everything at the France Booth is good!)
Beverage Selections:
- Beer Kronenbourg Blanc 1664
- Chardonnay, Macon-Villages, Vielles Vignes Mommessin
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Château Bonnet
- Sparkling Pomegranate Kir
- Ice Pop Pomme: Apple juice, vodka, and St. Germain liqueur
- La Passion Martini Slush: vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron, cranberry and passion fruit juice
Germany
Menu Selections:
- Schinkennudel (Pasta Gratin with Ham & Cheese)
- Roast Bratwurst in a Pretzel Roll
- Apple strudel with vanilla sauce
Beverage Selections:
- J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling Kabinett
- Selbach-Oster Mosel Riesling Spätlese
- J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling Auslese
- Kallstadter Kobnert Spaetburgunder Spätlese Dry (Pinot Noir)
Greece
Menu Selections:
- Vegetarian moussaka with Gardein sausage crumbles
- Greek salad in a cone
- Chicken gyro with tzatziki Sauce
- Spanakopita
Beverage Selections:
- Domaine Skouras Moscofilero
- Domaine Siglas Assyrtiko/Athiri
- Alpha Estate Axia Syrah-Xinomavro
- Tzatziki martini featuring Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka and BOLS Natural Yoghurt Liqueur
Hawai’i
Menu Selections:
- Kalua pork slider with sweet and sour Dole Pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise
- Tuna poke with seaweed salad and lotus root chips
Beverage Selections:
- Kona Brewing Company, Big Wave Golden Ale
- Kona Brewing Company, Pipeline Porter
- Maui Splash Sweet Pineapple Wine
- Mai Tai featuring Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum
Hops & Barley
Menu Selections:
- New England lobster roll
- Florida grass fed beef slider with pimento cheese
- Fresh baked carrot cake with Craisins and cream cheese icing
Beverage Selections:
- SweetWater Take Two Pils
- Goose Island Honkers Ale
- Samuel Adams Rebel IPA
- Dogfish Head Sixty-One IPA
- La Crema Chardonnay
- Cambria Estate Winery Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
- Beer Flight (Includes 4, 4 oz. servings): SweetWater Take Two Pils, Goose Island Honkers Ale, Samuel Adams Rebel IPA, Dogfish Head Sixty-One IPA
Intermissions Cafe
Menu Selections:
- Asian Tuna Salad with Noodles
- Southwest Chicken Wrap
- Tuna Salad with Pita
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad
- Crudité of Carrots, Celery and Broccoli with Creamy Pepper Relish
- Fruit & Cheese Plate
- Side Salad
- Grapes
- Key Lime Pie
- Brownie
Beverage Selections:
- Festival Chardonnay, Napa Valley
- Festival Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
- MARTINI Prosecco
- Caposaldo Peach Moscato Sweet Sparkling Wine
- Iron Horse Vineyards “Fairy Tale Cuvée” Sparkling Wine
- Presidente Pilsner Beer
- Two Henrys Elderberry Hard Cider
- Assorted soft drinks
- Dasani Water
Ireland
Menu Selections:
- Lobster and seafood fisherman’s pie
- Kerrygold cheese selection: Reserve cheddar, Dubliner with Irish Stout and Skellig
- Warm chocolate pudding with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur Custard (gluten free)
Beverage Selections:
- Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale
- Bunratty Meade Honey Wine
- Chilled Irish Coffee featuring Bunratty Potcheen
- Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur
Italy
Menu Selections:
- Ravioli alla caprese: Cheese ravioli, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and basil
- Filetto di pollo, con funghi al marsala: Chicken tenderloin, cremini mushrooms, marsala sauce and ciabatta bread
- Cannoli al cioccolato: Chocolate-covered cannoli filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate and candied fruit
Beverage Selections:
- Moretti Lager Beer
- Moretti La Rossa Beer
- Pinot Grigio, Placido
- Chianti Classico, Placido
- Corbinello, Montegrande
- Moscato Fior d’Arancio, Montegrande
- Prosecco, Bosco del Merlo
- Frozen margarita with limoncello and tequila
Japan
Menu Selections:
- Spicy hand roll: Tuna and salmon with Kazan Volcano sauce
- Teriyaki gyoza bun: Steamed bun filled with chicken, vegetables and sweet teriyaki sauce
- Miso Udon: steamed shrimp, vegetables, and noodles in a spicy broth
Beverage Selections:
- Kirin Draft Beer
- Pineapple Fuzed Sake
- Sake – Komatsu Tateaki Samurai
- Sake – Suigei Drunken Whale
Mexico
Menu Selections:
- Tacos de camarón: Battered shrimp, pico de gallo, pickled onions, and chipotle mayonnaise
- Chilaquiles de pollo: Corn chips layered with seasoned chicken, queso fresco, sour cream and cilantro
- Pastel de elote con queso: Sweet corn cheese cake
Beverage Selections:
- Dos Equis Lager Beer with Floater
- Mexican Sangria
- Tequila Flight
- Guava margarita
Morocco
Menu Selections:
- Kefta Pocket with Ground Seasoned Beef in a Pita Pocket
- Spicy shrimp roll with cilantro and mint sauce
- Baklava
Beverage Selections:
- Casa Beer
- Guerouane White
- Sangria
- Mimosa Royale: Sparkling wine and orange juice topped with orange liqueur
New Zealand
Menu Selections:
- Steamed Green Lip Mussels with Garlic Butter and Toasted Bread Crumbs
- Lamb Meatball with Spicy Tomato Chutney
- Seared venison loin with wild mushroom marsala sauce and kumara dumpling
Beverage Selections:
- Kim Crawford Pinot Grigio
- Brancott Estate Flight Song Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
- Kim Crawford Chardonnay
- Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir
Odyssey Coffee Cart
Beverage Selections:
- Tropical Delight Mango Smoothie with Coconut Syrup and Grey Goose Vodka
Patagonia
Menu Selections:
- Beef empanada
- Grilled beef skewer with chimichurri sauce and boniato purée (gluten free)
- Roasted Verlasso salmon with quinoa salad and arugula chimichurri (gluten free)
Beverage Selections:
- Undurraga Sparkling Wine Brut
- Calle Ocho Chardonnay
- Kaiken Torrontés
- Terrazas Reserva Malbec
Poland
Menu Selections:
- Kielbasa and potato pierogi with caramelized onions and sour cream
- Sauerkraut pierogi with pork goulash
Beverage Selections:
- Okocim Brewery, Okocim O.K. Beer
- Blaufraenkische Donausonne, Hungarian Wine
- Frozen Szarlotka (apple pie) featuring Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka
Refreshment Port
Menu Selections:
- Croissant doughnut with cinnamon and sugar
- Dole fruit bowl: choice of pineapple tidbits or mandarin slices
- Fried chicken chunks with Dole pineapple sweet and sour sauce
- Pineapple Dole Whip soft-serve ice cream
- Pineapple Dole Whip soft-serve ice cream with Bacardí Coconut Rum
Beverage Selections:
- Dragon Berry Refresher featuring Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum
Refreshment Cool Post
Menu Selections:
- Spicy hot dogs with kimchi slaw and korean mustard
Beverage Selections:
- Mango Star featuring African Starr Rum
- Frozen “Brown Elephant”
Scotland
Menu Selections:
- Haggis with neeps and tatties: Traditional Haggis with rutabaga and mashed potatoes
- Fresh potato pancake with smoked Scottish salmon and herb sour cream (gluten free)
- Seared sea scallop with spinach-cheddar gratin and crispy bacon (gluten free)
- The Tipsy Laird: Whiskey-soaked cake with lemon cream and toasted oats
Beverage Selections:
- Innis & Gunn CASK OAK Aged Beer
- Brew Dog Punk Ale
- Citrus Thistle featuring Hendrick’s Gin
- Glenfiddich Scotch Selection (12, 15 and 18 year)
- Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch flight (12-, 15- and 18-year)
Showcase Coffee Cart
Beverage Selections:
- Chai Latte with Grey Goose Vodka or Bailey’s topped with cinnamon and whipped cream
South Korea
Menu Selections:
- Korean Barbecue Short Rib with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi
- Roasted pork lettuce wrap with kimchi slaw
Beverage Selections:
- iCing Grapefruit Sparkling Rice Brew
- Myungjak Bokbunja Raspberry Wine
- Soju Banana Milkshake featuring The Ginger People Ginger Soother
Sustainable Chew
Menu Selections:
- Pork Spareribs with red wine, fennel, and cheesy mascarpone grits
- Ricotta & zucchini ravioli with tomato sauce
- Vanilla panna cotta with fresh figs and pistachio brittle
Beverage Selections:
- Founders Spectra Trifecta (Chamomile Kolsch)
- Frozen Chew-tini
- Beso Del Sol White Sangria
Test Track Coffee Cart
Beverage Selections:
- Iced Coffee Dream: bold roast coffee, chilled and iced, with light cream, topped with Bailey’s Irish Crème® and whipped cream. Also available hot.
Wine Studio
Menu Selections:
- Trio of artisan cheese
- Karst cave-aged cheese served with honey
- La Bonne Vie goat cheese served with Craisin bread
- Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue Cheese with berry port compote
Beverage Selections:
- Avviato Pinot Grigio, Oregon
- 14 Hands Chardonnay, Washington
- Franciscan Equilibrium White Wine, California
- Acacia Pinot Noir, California
- Dry Creek Zinfandel, California
- Spellbound Petite Sirah, California
- Clayhouse Malbec, California
- Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon, California
Here are a few other tips which will help with the Marketplace Booths. If you can, arrive early in the day, because the booths do tend to become more crowded as the day wains on. However, keep in mind that it is still HOT in the middle of the day during these months in Florida, so make sure to drink plenty of water and take advantage of attractions that offer air conditioning as you’re touring around.
Pick up a Marketplace Discovery Passport. You can get this stamped at each of the countries you try food in, and it’s also a good way to keep track of what things you have tried and what things you still want to try.
Checking out the menus ahead of time (like you’ve just done) and having a game plan is key…however know that sometimes, something will just speak to you while you’re traveling through and that it’s ok to indulge in an item that maybe wasn’t on your radar before.
Yes, for those of you who are on the Disney Dining Plans, you can use your snack credits at the Marketplace Kiosk Food Booths! Be on the lookout for the Disney Dining Plan symbol on each of the booth’s menu boards to double check if a particular item is available for the Dining Plan.
Of course, there are lots of other things to keep in mind about the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. If you’re a fan of bands like Boyz II Men, Smash Mouth, Hanson, David Cook, Air Supply, Sugar Ray, and more, you’ll want to check out who will be performing nightly at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series.
Also, did you know that the Festival Center not only offers great seminars, but also contains events that are essentially free, as they are included with your admission to Epcot.
Finally, given that this is the 20th anniversary of this event, there are a lot of new things that are taking place at this year’s Festival that you may want to participate in.
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival really is the most wonderful time of the year! Now, get to planning!
What’s your favorite Marketplace Food Booth and why?
Disney’s Food & Wine Money Grab.
We just returned from WDW’s Food & Wine Festival and are very impressed on how WDW attempts to extract as much money from visitors to the festival as possible. This is Disneyworld and not Las Vegas.
Dining: There are many “Special Offers” that are provided at additional cost such as Food & Wine Pairing Lunches (Italy $83/pp), Eat to the Beat Concert packages (Le Chefs de France $76/pp), and Illuminations Dessert Parties ($49/pp). Had we decided to select just three special event offerings of the dozens offered, our cost for a one day visit to the Food & Wine Festival would have cost $628 for the two of us if we didn’t possess annual passes. This is BEFORE we have even sampled any of the food & wine offered in the World Showcase kiosks.
Beer & Wine: We visited Epcot on Wednesday night, the night before the “soft opening” of the Festival. All the festival kiosks were covered, but cast members were working in and around them preparing for the opening. We stopped at the Refreshment Post for a Yuengling Beer; at $7.50 a bit pricey for a domestic draft beer. On Friday night, the official opening of Food & Wine, we stopped at the same Refreshment Post and were served a plastic cup of Yuengling; only to find that the size of the plastic cup was much smaller than Wednesday. The cast member informed us that WDW does this during Food & Wine.
Free Wine Glass for Annual Pass Holders: Other than the AP magnets they keep sending and the Disney calendar at Animal Kingdom, I can’t remember any free offerings from Disney, so we decided to take them up on the free port wine glass offering at the Food & Wine Festival. As instructed, we had our photo ID, Festival Passport, and our Magic Band which proves that we are annual passholders. We found our way thru the crowd to the Innoventions Pavilion to stand in line. We arrived at the final destination to get our book stamped and were told that we needed valid proof we were Passholders. I explained that our Magic Bands are proof and Disney’s vast electronic capabilities to track and verify magic bands would prove that were are who we are. This Cast Member refused to do that and told us to go to Guest Relations for verification that we were pass holders and then come back with verification. No thanks. So beware, if you have a Magic Band, this does not meet verification requirements for the free offering.
In conclusion, Food & Wine left a bad taste on this recent trip.