EPCOT Food & Wine Festival – Picks for “Best of the Fest”

We went to the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival and can’t wait to share our picks for “Best of the Fest” with you! Before we announce our favorites, we have some great tips and advice on how to have an organized and enjoyable day at the Festival! You know Fall is a fabulous time to visit Florida! If you love yummy food and like to try new things, you need to make plans to attend this year’s Festival!

The details

The festival started on July 15, 2021, and will end on November 20, 2021.

Don’t forget you need a ticket and a park pass reservation to attend.  Check the Disney website to make sure tickets and park passes are available for the day you want to go!

Make sure you understand the Disney World Policy for mask-wearing. This is important because their policy can change from week to week, based on what’s happening with the Covid virus in Florida!  Currently, you must wear a mask inside buildings and on all transportation.

What to do before you go

There are so many great choices for food and drinks, so it really helps to narrow down items to try because it can get expensive fast. I think it’s very important to plan before you go so don’t miss any of your favorite types of food, and so you don’t go over budget.  The best place to get info about food in Disney World is the Disney Food Blog.  Go to their site to see pictures and reviews of all the food at the Festival this year!

Here are the steps I take to plan our day!

Step one:

Decide on your budget for the festival!

Make a list of the food you would like to try. Be sure to put the name of the booth, the name of the food, and the price. 

I have dietary restrictions and the descriptions of food tell you if it’s gluten/vegan friendly. This helps me narrow down my options.

You should write down everything that looks interesting to you. When you see the cost, you’ll know you need to cut the list!

Step two:

Get out a calculator and see what all your favorites will cost!  If you’re like us, you’ll be shocked at the price tag and forced to narrow down your list!

Step three:

Cross out the items you can live without until you’re within your budget.

Step four: 

Disney Food Blog has a map of where all the food booths are located within the park. Find each of the booths you plan to visit.

Determine if you will walk around World Showcase going clockwise or counterclockwise. 

Make a list of all the booths you plan to visit, in the order, you decided to take, so you don’t have to backtrack across the park!  EPCOT is huge and you don’t want to add any unwanted steps!!!

Step five:

Enjoy all the yummy food with no stress from going over budget or backtracking across the park to find a booth you accidentally skipped!!

What to do when you get there

Grab a map and festival passport

Pick up a free festival passport which includes every booth and menu item.  Refer to it throughout the day and keep it as a souvenir.  Pick one up when you grab a map of the park, just inside the entrance gates. You can also get one at most retail locations.  You can get a Digital Festival Guidebook in the My Disney Experience App if you don’t want a paper copy!

Get this handy gift card

We have a great tip to save time and make sure you don’t go over budget! Go straight to the gift shop to the left of Spaceship Earth and put the amount of money you have budgeted for the day on this cute festival-themed gift card! You can wear it on your wrist which makes paying so easy! When the money runs out you’re done eating and drinking for the day!!

FOOD BOOTHS

This year the festival features 32 kitchen booths that serve food and drinks.  Twenty-three are open now, and another nine booths will open on October 1, 2021, in celebration of Disney World’s 50^th Anniversary! So this post is part one, and we’ll bring you part two in October! Here are the booths we decided to try at the 2021 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, see if you can figure out our picks for “Best of the Fest!!

the donut box

Crispy, spicy, chicken, and slaw on a siracha glazed donut – Rich absolutely loved this crazy concoction! I think he dreamed about it lol!! He liked the flavor combination of spicy and sweet. He would definitely get this again!

Black forest donut with chocolate frosting and cherry compote – If you like chocolate and cherry then this is for you. It was very good, but the donut itself was dense, and I prefer a lighter donut!

The swanky saucy swine

Crispy pig ear salad with fire-roasted tomatillo sauce, pickled red onions, queso fresco, roasted corn salsa, and avocado cream – This was tasty if you like pickled onions, etc but the crispy pig ears were a little too hard.

Roasted porchetta with pork-fat roasted rosemary potatoes and lemon-parsley salsa verde – I really enjoyed this, the meat was very tender and the roasted potatoes were perfectly cooked! I would order this again!

Hawaii

Kalua pork slider with sweet-and-sour DOLE pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise – We found this sandwich to be very flavorful but was not a large portion of food because it is just a slider.

Mexico

Chilaquiles con chorizo is a crispy corn tortilla tossed in salsa Verde and Monterey jack cheese topped with crema Mexicana, queso cotija, pickled onions, and ground chorizo – if you like Mexican foods this dish was our favorite from this booth but not one of our overall favorites.

The Rotunda Bistro

Chilled crab and avocado parfait with caviar – The crab was good, but the overall dish was lacking, I thought it would have more flavor. I would pass on this one.

Chilled smoked shrimp salad – This was ok, but didn’t wow me. I would not buy it again.

Wild mushroom and truffle tart – Again, this was ok but did not have a lot of flavors.

hops and barley

New England Lobster Roll – lobster with herb mayonnaise on a griddled roll – This was a really good lobster roll and our second favorite choice at this booth behind the carrot cake below. I would recommend it.

Freshly baked carrot cake with cream cheese frosting – we decided to try this because other blogs ranked it so high! I like carrot cake but I’m not a huge fan of it, but this little gem just might change my mind!! It was so moist and that frosting was to die for!! Loved it!!

Hot beef sandwich with horseradish cream and pickled vegetables – This sandwich had good flavor and a little bit of heat. I would recommend it.

Funnel cake stand

Mini candied bacon s’mores funnel cake with vanilla ice cream – is this the cutest dessert you’ve ever seen? The chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker gave it that yummy s’mores flavor but there was not enough ice cream on top of the funnel cake. It was mainly a pile of whipped cream and we did not really taste the bacon. Overall it was good, but I don’t think it’s worth the $9.50 price tag.

Japan

Spicy Hako sushi contains spicy tuna and salmon served box-style with red tempura crunch and volcano sauce – Rich likes sushi but he found this sushi just very bland. Got much better sushi from regular choices at Teppan Edo restaurant.

canada

“Le Cellier” wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle butter sauce – the filet was incredibly tender and the truffle butter was incredible, I just wish they would have put more sauce on it!! I would for sure purchase this again!!

Canadian cheddar and bacon soup served with a pretzel roll – OMG this soup is soooo good! The pretzel roll is perfect for dunking! Even though it feels like 100 degrees outside, you still need to try this soup!!

appleseed orchard

Beer flight containing apple blonde ale, apple pecan brown ale, and apple-y ever after green apple sour ale. All of these were pretty good. Rich really liked the Big Stormy Brewing Co. Apple Blonde Ale the best.

Apple crumble tart – I love a good apple pie and this tart did not disappoint! The crumble was the perfect texture and so flavorful. The gooey apple center and crust were amazing as well!

Frozen apple pie slush – a very sweet apple-flavored slush topped with the same yummy streusel as the tart. There was a little surprise in the bottom of the cup, crispy bits of apple. Personally, I would have preferred it without the apple bits, but it was different!

Australia

Grilled Sweet and spicy bush berry shrimp with pineapple, pepper, onion, and snap peas – I enjoyed this although the shrimp were a bit overcooked and chewy.

Deconstructed pavlova with pastry cream, citrus-macerated berries, and lemon myrtle meringue – the cream was light and flavorful and the fruit added just the right amount of sweetness. I usually do not care for meringue but this had a slight lemon flavor and was very good! It was a refreshing dessert for a hot summer day! It was wonderful!

Roasted lamb chop with sweet potatoes puree, bush berry pea salad, and pistachio-pomegranate gremolata – the lamb was juicy and very flavorful and I enjoyed the pea salad. The sweet potato puree was a bit bland, but overall I really liked this, and would buy it again!

Refreshment port

Braised beef poutine – french fries, Boursin garlic and fine herbs cheese sauce, cheese curds, and Gherkin relish – What was not to like about this poutine? The sauce, cheese curds, fries, and beef all combined for a really good flavor. Wish this would have been part of the cheese stroll.

shimmering sips

Mimosa flight consisting of tropical, key lime, and blood orange mimosas. We weren’t big fans of the blood orange but found the tropical and key lime to be very good.

Shimmering strawberry soft serve in a waffle cone. Rich loved the strawberry ice cream but he is not much of a sprinkles person. He still thought it was really good.

Extra Activities to enjoy

There’s more to do at the festival than just eat and drink fabulous food! Go on a food stroll or a scavenger hunt, take a rest, and be entertained by wonderful musicians, and shop for festival souvenirs.

Emile’s Fromage Montage:

We felt it was our duty to actually sample everything on the cheese stroll so you could see good pictures of each. Oh, the sacrifices we make for others lol!!

If you are a cheese lover then you’ll want to participate in this cheese stroll around EPCOT called Emile’s Fromage Montage. 

Join Remy’s brother, Emile on a stroll around EPCOT to sample a variety of cheese dishes.  There are five different cheese dishes you can try. You must purchase each of the five cheese items and get your festival passport stamped at the booth.

Emile’s Fromage Montage menu items

I usually do not eat gluten or dairy products but, occasionally, I cheat. There you have it, I confessed! I tasted everything on this cheese stroll and one of the items actually landed on my EPCOT Food & Wine Festival picks for “Best of the Fest” list. I just wish I could eat it regularly. Oh well, a few bites will just have to do!!

Griddled Cheese from Greece  

Griddled cheese with pistachios and honey – I thought this was such an unusual dish, but I really enjoyed it! The combination of the creamy cheese and sweet honey was wonderful. The nuts added some crispy texture to the dish!

Schinkennudlen from Germany

Pasta gratin with ham, onions, and cheese – with those ingredients you know you can’t go wrong with this dish! This was a wonderful combination of flavors, it was so incredibly tasty! The outside edges were a bit crispier than the interior and tasted even better if that’s possible! I already want more of this dish!!

Crispy Barbecue Pork Rinds from The Swanky Saucy Swine

Pork rinds with pimento cheese. We are not big pork rind fans and they were a bit too crispy and spicy. The pimento cheese was very good but it also brought some heat.

Passion Fruit Cheesecake from Hawaii

Passion fruit cheesecake with toasted macadamia nuts – if you like cheesecake, you will enjoy this light and creamy dessert with just a hint of passion fruit flavor.

The Corned Beef Corner Route from Flavors From Fire

Smoked corn beef with crispy potatoes, cheese curds, pickled onions, and beer-cheese fondue – I loved the combination of the crispy kettle chips, corn beef, and beer cheese! This dish was a bit salty, but I really enjoyed it. Rich thought it was a bit heavy.

Get Your Passport Stamped

When you’ve collected all five stamps, take the passport to Shimmering Sips for a free specialty treat!  You can not purchase the specialty treat, the only way to get it is by participating in the stroll!!  You can collect the stamps over multiple days. 

Emile’s Fromage Montage Completer Prize

The prize is a strawberry cheesecake soft serve.  It’s made with strawberry soft serve mixed with cheesecake soft serve, topped with graham crackers, and a small cheesecake bite on top! Remember, this treat is only available to people who complete the stroll!

Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak Scavenger Hunt

This is an activity you can do with the whole family. It makes the walk around World Showcase really fun for kids, as they have to search for little statues of Remy! This activity is not free. You have to purchase the map for the scavenger hunt for $9.99 at a retail location. 

Look for Remy in the area of the park listed on the map.  Look at the picture above, to the right of the lamp you will find Remi!! When you find him place the corresponding sticker on the map.

Once you have placed all the stickers, you turn them into a retail location and get a prize. You can choose one bowl from a set of four, as seen in the picture above.

Live Performances

Before Covid happened, EPCOT had live concerts with celebrities during the festival. Unfortunately, those have not returned this year. However, you can still see some great entertainment while you’re there. 

Every day you can see:

Jammin’ Chefs-Canada pavilion

Voices of Liberty-American Gardens theater stage

Mariachi Cobre-American Gardens Theatre Stage

On weekends local bands take to the stage Friday through Monday nights.

FESTIVAL MERCHANDISE

EPCOT has tons of merchandise to commemorate the 2021Food & Wine Festival. So many cute things, it’s hard to choose just one item!

Festival Logo Collection

Belle Be Our Guest Collection

Remy Shake Things Up Collection

Mickey and Minnie Apple Orchard Collection

Annual Passholder Figment Collection

Our souvenier from the festival

We collect pins for all of the hotels we have stayed at, special parties, festivals we’ve attended, and special occasions when we’ve been at the park! I think this Remy-themed pin is adorable!! We can’t wait for the new Remy’s Ratatouille ride to open on October 1st. We actually get to go to a preview of the ride on September 15th, one of the perks of being a pass holder!!

Epcot food & Wine Festival picks for BEST of the fest

Now for the part, you’ve all been waiting for…The 2021 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival – Our picks for “Best of the Fest”! We’ll each pick our favorite food, drink, and dessert item! There were so many good things to eat and drink, it was really hard to pick a favorite!

Rich’s Favorite:

Food – crispy chicken on siracha glazed dounut

Drink – apple blonde ale

Dessert -apple tart

donna‘s Favorite:

Food – schinkennudeln

Drink – frozen apple pie

Dessert – carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Can you believe all of the yummy food we got to taste? What’s your favorite item we tried? I hope this post on the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival – picks for “Best of the Fest” will help you decide what to try when you come to this year’s festival!! Don’t forget, we’ll be back with a second post since more food booths will be opening on October 1st!

If you are interested in another festival that takes place at EPCOT, check out our post on the 2021 Flower and Garden Festival by clicking here!

Blessings, Donna and Rich