Deliciously Different: EPCOT’s Modified Food & Wine Festival 2020

EPCOT and festivals go hand in hand. I’d go as far as to say that EPCOT’s various festivals are integral to what makes EPCOT what it is today. When Walt Disney World Resort closed suddenly back in March due to the growing public health crisis —just weeks after the start of the Flower & Garden Festival— many fans were worried about EPCOT’s future festivals in a time of pandemic. But, just last month,WDW announced that the Food & Wine Festival would continue as scheduled, though with a few changes. A simplified new culinary festival celebrating the diversity of global cuisine launched with the reopening of EPCOT this week. 

Branded as A Taste of EPCOT – International Food & Wine Festival, the festivities started with the grand reopening of the park, July 15, and will run through the fall of 2020! This means that this festival will be the longest one in the history of the park. However, due to the ongoing concerns of public safety, the popular event will have a slightly modified format from prior celebrations. Here’s what you need to know.

The Festival Guidebook Goes Digital

To limit touchpoints, a new digital Festival Guidebook is available on the My Disney Experience mobile app. Additionally, there are QR codes on kiosks everywhere around World Showcase that will launch a web-based version of the menu. On the app, guests can explore more than 20 Festival marketplaces, as well as discover fun activities such as Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt. 

Festival Merchandise

At the moment, there isn’t any merchandise for Food & Wine’s 25th anniversary. Though, it WILL be available later this summer. So, for the time being, there’s merchandise from Flower & Garden Festival 2020 earlier this year. One of the popular items is the Orange Bird sipper you can find at The Citrus Blossom booth and various merchandise stalls!

What’s On The Menu

As with previous festivals, the chefs’ focus remains based on authenticity through ingredients, cooking techniques, and presentation of international dishes. To add to your dining experience, Disney’s beverage team has paired wine and beer with the food selections at each marketplace. 

There’s an interesting new option for this festival. The World Showplace building (built for the Millennium Celebration), is being used as a cool indoor option for several festival booths. To keep crowds at a safe level, you give your phone number to a castmember outside, and you’ll receive a text message when it’s your time to return. 

Here’s what you’ll find inside: 

Mac & Cheese (World Showplace)

Food

• • Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese with Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese topped with Herbed Panko 
  • Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese with Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese Sauce topped with Carrots, Celery, and Blue Cheese Crumbles 
  • Lobster Macaroni and Cheese with Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese Sauce and Lobster Cream topped with Herbed Panko 
  • Macaroni & Cheese with House-made Italian Sausage and Peppers (Plant-Based)

Beverage

• • Stiegl Brewery Radler Zitrone, Salzburg, Austria 
  • L’ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc Old Vines, Columbia Valley, WA 
  • Evolution by Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR

Appleseed Orchard (World Showplace)

Food

• • Charcuterie and Cheese Plate featuring Burton’s Maplewood Farm Applejack Brandy Barrel Aged Maple Syrup 
  • Caramel-Apple Popcorn  

Beverage

• • Frozen Apple Pie (Non-Alcoholic) 
  • Short’s Brewing Co. Mule Beer, Elk Rapids, MI 
  • Heavy Seas Brewery Tropicannon Citrus IPA, Halethorpe, MI 
  • Parish Brewing Co. Ghost in the Machine Double IPA, Broussard, LA 
  • 3 Daughters Raspberry Lemonade Dry Hard Cider, St. Petersburg, FL 
  • Short’s Brewing Company Starcut Ciders Mosa Hard Cider, Bellaire, MI 
  • Ciderboys Banana Bliss Hard Cider, Stevens Point, WI 
  • Apple Blossom Sky: Fanta Apple, Ginger Beer, Floodwall Apple Brandy, Burton’s Maplewood Farm Applejack Brandy Barrel Aged Syrup and Mini Marshmallows

Desserts & Champagne (World Showplace)

Food

• • Liquid Nitro Chocolate Cake Pops 
  • Liquid Nitro Chocolate Cake Pops with Crumbled Twix Original 
  • Liquid Nitro Chocolate Cake Pops with Crushed M&M’S Milk Chocolate 

Beverage

• • Frozen S’mores (Non-Alcoholic) 
  • Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut, Champagne 
  • Dom Pérignon Brut, Champagne 
  • Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé, Champagne 
  • Frozen S’mores with Whipped Cream Vodka 

Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites (World Showplace) 

Because the current version of the festival is smaller than normal, there are some favorite booths that aren’t currently available. However, some of the popular dishes from those booths are available here at “Festival Favorites”.  

Food

• • Kielbasa and Potato Pierogi with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream, Poland 
  • Seafood Fisherman’s Pie, Ireland 
  • Spanakopita, Greece 

Beverage

• • Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Classique, Seneca Lake 
  • Conundrum Red Blend, California 
  • tenshən Rhône Style White Blend, Central Coast 
  • Lang & Reed Wine Company Cabernet Franc, North Coast 
  • Frog’s Leap Zinfandel, Napa Valley 
  • Kurt Russell’s Gogi Wines Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills 
  • Bleu Spectrum: Blanc de Bleu Cuvée Mousseux with Boba Pearls 
  • Guinness Baileys Milkshake 

As a quick little aside, we LOVE what EPCOT is doing with World Showplace for Food & Wine. It provides an additional four booths for guests in a much-needed air-conditioned environment. And in order to promote social distancing, the occupancy is limited. So you’ll find no lines inside. Ordering was quick and easy once you are inside. We loved it and the vibe.

Now, back outside . . . 

 Canada

Food

• • Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup served with a Prop & Peller Pretzel Roll 
  • “Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)

Beverage

• • Collective Arts Brewing Blackberry Fruit Beer, Hamilton, Ontario 
  • Inniskillin Icewine 
  • Château des Charmes Merlot 

Refreshment Port

It’s all about the spiked Dole Whip . . . 

Food

• • DOLE Whip Pineapple (Plant-Based)

Beverage

• • DOLE Whip Pineapple with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum 
  • Bud Light Seltzer 

Hawai’i (Showcase Plaza)

Food

• • Kālua Pork Slider with Sweet-and-Sour DOLE^® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise  
  • Teriyaki-glazed Spam® Hash with Potatoes, Peppers, Onions, and Spicy Mayonnaise 

Beverage

• • Maui Brewing Company Pineapple Mana Wheat, Kihei, HI 
  • Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Pineapple Wine, St. Petersburg, FL 
  • AULANI Sunrise: Vodka, DOLE^® Pineapple Juice, and Grenadine 

The Citrus Blossom (Showcase Plaza)

Food

• • Lobster Tail with Meyer Lemon Emulsion and Grilled Lemon (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
  • Crispy Citrus Chicken with Orange Aïoli and Baby Greens (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)

Beverage

• • Orange Cream Shake in a Souvenir Orange Bird Sipper Cup (Non-Alcoholic)  
  • Islamorada Beer Company Coconut Key Lime Ale, Fort Pierce, FL 
  • Orange Sunshine Wine Slushy 

Shimmering Sips (Showcase Plaza)

Food 

• • Shimmering Strawberry Soft-Serve in a Waffle Cone 
  • Banana Bread with Mixed Berry Compote (Plant-Based) 

Beverage

• • Tropical Mimosa with Sparkling Wine and Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava Juices 
  • Key Lime Mimosa with Key Lime Sparkling Wine and Cranberry Juice 
  • Blood Orange Mimosa with Sparkling Wine and Blood Orange Juice 
  • Banfi Rosa Regale Sparkling Red, Piedmont 

Islands of the Caribbean (Showcase Plaza)

Food

• • Ropa Vieja Empanada with Tomato Aïoli 
  • Jerk-spiced Chicken with Roasted Sweet Plantain Salad and Mango Chutney Yogurt (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
  • Flancocho:Passion Fruit Cake with Coconut Flan 

Beverage

• • Red Stripe Lager 
  • Opici Family White Sangria   
  • Frozen Mojito 

Earth Eats (Near Mexico)

Food

• • Impossible Farmhouse Meatball with Lentil Bread, Spinach, Marinated Vegetables, and Creamy Herb Dressing (Plant-Based) – This was one of our favorite items. Lots of flavor. Give it a try. 
  • The Impossible Burger Slider with Wasabi Cream and Spicy Asian Slaw on a Sesame Seed Bun (Plant-Based) 
  • Chocolate Pudding Terrarium with Avocado Cream, Matcha Crumble, and Baby Herbs (Plant-Based and Gluten/Wheat Friendly). You’d never know that this was vegan. So creamy and delicious. 

Beverage

• • Bloomin’ Blueberry Lemon and Ginger Tea Featuring Twinings of London® (Non-Alcoholic) 
  • Playalinda Brewing Company Violet Lemonade Ale, Titusville, FL 
  • Bloomin’ Blueberry Lemon and Ginger Tea Featuring Twinings of London® with Tito’s Handmade Vodka served in a Mason Jar 

Mexico

Food

• • Ribeye Taco: Ribeye Steak with Ranchera Salsa in a Corn Tortilla topped with Onions, Chives, and a Lime Wedge. This was one of the first items we sampled and it set a very high standard for what would come. 
  • Pork Tostada: Fried Corn Tortilla topped with Chipotle Black Beans, Roasted Pork, Fresh Salsa Verde, Onions, and Cilantro 

Beverage

• • Mexican Craft Beer: Tulum Artisanal Lager Crafted with Citrus Notes and made with Mexican Caribbean Seawater 
  • Passion Rose Sangria: Red Wine, Rum, Rose Petal Liqueur, Passion Fruit Purée, and Lime 
  • Clásica Margarita: Tequila, Chile Poblano Liqueur, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar with a Salt Rim 
  • Mango Smoky Margarita: Mango Purée, Mezcal, Applejack, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar with a Tajín Chile-Lime Rim 

China

Food

• • Chicken Dumplings with Chinese Slaw 
  • Mongolian Beef Bao Bun 

Beverage

• • Jasmine Draft Beer 
  • Happy Peach: Peach Liqueur and Dark Rum 
  • Byejoe Punch: Chinese Bai Jiu Spirit, Lychee, Coconut and Pineapple Juice 

Africa

Food 

• • Spicy Kenyan Vegan Corn and White Beans with Pigeon Peas, Quinoa & Ancient Grains Medley, and Kachumbari Slaw (Plant-Based)
  • Piri Piri Skewered Shrimp with Citrus-Scented Couscous 

Beverage

• • Tusker Lager 
  • Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz, Western Cape 

Refreshment Outpost (Located in the African Outpost)

Food

• • Frozen Slushy Coca-Cola® or Minute Maid® Lemonadein a Souvenir Spike the Bee Sipper Cup (Non-Alcoholic)

Beverage

• • Bud Light Seltzer 

Germany

Food

• • Schinkennudeln: Pasta Gratin with Ham, Onions, and Cheese   
  • Roast Bratwurst in a Prop & Peller Pretzel Roll 
  • Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce 

Beverage

• • Weihenstephaner Festbier Lager 
  • M.I.A. Brewing Company Hugo, Doral, FL  
  • Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse Naturtrüb 
  • Riesling 

Italy

Food

• • Margherita: Rustic Italian Flatbread with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese 
  • La Classica: Cheese Tortellini with Ricotta, Provolone, Fontina, Parmesan, Vodka Sauce, and Crispy Bacon 
  • Cannoli Siciliani: Crisp Pastry Filled with Sweet Ricotta, Chocolate, and Candied Orange 

Beverage

• • Peroni Nastro Azzurro Pilsner 
  • Pinot Grigio, Terre Di Bacco 
  • Chianti, Gabbiano 
  • Prosecco, Terre Di Bacco 
  • Moscato, Batasiolo 
  • Rosa Regale, Banfi 
  • Italian White Sangria with Prosecco 
  • Italian Red Sangria with Cabernet Sauvignon 

Hops & Barley

Food

• • New England Lobster Roll: Warm Lobster with Fresh Herb Mayonnaise and Griddled Roll  
  • Southern Seafood Boil: Shrimp, Mussels, Crawfish, Potatoes, Corn, and Andouille Sausage 
  • Freshly Baked Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing 

Beverage

• • North Coast Brewing Co. Blue Star Wheat, Fort Bragg, CA  
  • 3 Daughters Brewing A Wake Coffee Blonde Ale, St. Petersburg, FL
  • Heavy Seas Americannon APA, Baltimore, MD 
  • Angry Orchard Rosé Hard Cider, Walden, NY
  • Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands 
  • Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 

Funnel Cakes (Located in the American Adventure)

Food

• • Street Corn Funnel Cake topped with Roasted Corn, Cotija Cheese, Cilantro and Cumin Crema dusted with Paprika. A surprisingly savory version of a favorite snack. 

Japan

Food

• • Tempura Donburi: Two Pieces of Tempura Shrimp and Kakiage Vegetable Tempura with Tentsuyu Dipping Sauce served over Sushi Rice 
  • Frothy Ramen: Chilled Noodles in a Dashi Broth topped with Egg White Froth 
  • Chirashi Sushi Flowerpot: Fresh-cut Salmon, Salmon Roe, and Spinach served over Sushi Rice with Furikake and topped with Poke Sauce 

Beverage

• • Kirin Draft Beer 
  • Strawberry Nigori Sake 
  • Furano Martini: Vodka, Lavender Syrup, and Yuzu Juice 

Morocco

Food

• • Beef Kefta Pocket with Caramelized Onions, Garlic, and Spicy Tomato Concassée 
  • Spicy Hummus Fries with Cucumber, Tomatoes, Onions, Tzatziki, and Chipotle Sauce 
  • Chocolate Baklava: Rolled Phyllo Dough with Toasted Almonds and Dark Chocolate Sauce

Beverage

• • Mediterranean Beer 
  • Kasbah Prestige Red 
  • Red Organic Sangria 
  • Mimosa Royale: Sparkling Wine and Orange Juice topped with Orange Liqueur 

Brazil (Between Morocco and France)

Food

• • Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato, and Onions (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
  • Pão De Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)

Beverage

• • M.I.A. Beer Company Barbossa Black Beer, Doral, FL  
  • Frozen Caipirinha featuring Leblon Cachaça 

France

Food

• • Tarte aux Oignons Caramelises Et Chévre: Goat Cheese Tart with Caramelized Onions on a Flaky Pastry Crust 
  • Canard Confit À L’orange: Braised Duck Confit À L’orange with Mashed Sweet Potatoes 
  • Tarte Tropezienne, Coulis Framboise: Brioche Cake Filled with Light Pastry Cream and Raspberry Coulis 

Beverage

• • Kronenbourg Blanc 1664 Draft Beer 
  • VeRy Raspberry: Rosé Wine with Natural Raspberry Flavor 
  • Bordeaux, Merlot and Cabernet Blend, Château Tarin 
  • La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy: Vodka, Grey Goose L’orange, St. Germain Liqueur, White and Red Cranberry Juice 

Modified Festival Entertainment

While sipping and savoring your eats, you might witness an unannounced cavalcade of your favorite Disney friends around World Showcase. The characters are spaced out, and the Princess carriage even has the princesses seated diagonally in each row, with plastic partitions to help keep everyone safe. We do find it odd that the princesses aren’t wearing face coverings, but the rest of their entourage (horse handlers, drivers, support cast members) are all wearing theirs, despite not being any further away than the princesses. We’d love to see the face characters receive masks that match their characters.

Additionally, the American Gardens Theater has two acts lined up to perform through the festival, The Jammitors and Mariachi Cobre. Usually there is a fun concert series that takes place over the duration of the festival, “Eat to the Beat,” but this year necessitated some changes. We’re glad to see there’s still some live music for the festival, but it sure is weird to be one of 5 guests listening in an otherwise empty amphitheater.