{"id":34561,"date":"2014-09-05T08:59:07","date_gmt":"2014-09-05T12:59:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=34561"},"modified":"2022-05-04T20:34:40","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T00:34:40","slug":"foodie-friday-top-7-favorite-things-epcot-international-food-wine-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/foodie-friday-top-7-favorite-things-epcot-international-food-wine-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Foodie Friday: Top 7 Favorite Things About The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34568 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Top-Seven-Favorite-Things-About-the-Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival.jpg\" alt=\"Top Seven Favorite Things About the Epcot Food and Wine Festival\" width=\"550\" height=\"432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Top-Seven-Favorite-Things-About-the-Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Top-Seven-Favorite-Things-About-the-Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-400x314.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ladies and gentleman! This is not a drill!\u00a0 We are officially two weeks out from the start of the 19th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival! This year&#8217;s festival starts even earlier, on September 19, and runs a full 53 days, until November 10, and is filled with delightful fun.<\/p>\n<p>This year&#8217;s event sees lots of old favorites returning, as well as some great new additions, such as new booths (Patagonia Marketplace), new events (like Dining Through the Decades, a Tribute to Walt Disney), New Eat to the Beat artists (like Jo Dee Messina) and much more!<\/p>\n<p>With the event looming large, and with the fact that Fall is my favorite time to visit Walt Disney World, the next few Foodie Fridays will be a celebration of this fantastic festival!\u00a0 In addition, I&#8217;ll be there both on opening weekend, as well as again a couple of weeks later, so I&#8217;ll have lots of details about this year&#8217;s event to share with you too.\u00a0 Get ready for all the foodie fun!<\/p>\n<p>Today, we&#8217;re gonna start the celebration of this Festival with a look at some of my favorite things that occur each and every year &#8212; my Top 7 Favorite Things About the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34566 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-Seminars.jpg\" alt=\"Epcot Food and Wine Festival Seminars\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-Seminars.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-Seminars-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Seminars: Did you know that there are a ton of different seminars that take place during the Festival where novices to those wishing to be a master chef can learn something. Some events are free, like the new &#8220;Boot Camp Series&#8221; and some come at a cost.\u00a0 Either way, it&#8217;s the perfect opportunity to learn more about the dishes you create. (Or become more educated on the beverages you drink.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34563 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Eat-to-the-Beat-Concert-Series.jpg\" alt=\"Eat to the Beat Concert Series\" width=\"450\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Eat-to-the-Beat-Concert-Series.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Eat-to-the-Beat-Concert-Series-300x400.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The<a href=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/walt-disney-world\/planning\/events\/food-and-wine\/eat-to-the-beat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Eat to the Beat Concert Series<\/a>: To me, this is the best concert series that Disney offers.\u00a0 There are lots of different genres represented and there&#8217;s always an intriguing new addition.\u00a0 Of course, some favorites always return, like Sugar Ray and Hanson (now you can tell which decade&#8217;s music I associate with.) I feel as though during this Festival, Disney gets some incredible acts that pretty much all can enjoy.\u00a0 Whether you make it a point to see a specific act (you can now even make an Eat to the Beat Dining Package reservation) or you just enjoy the music as you stroll through the American Adventure Pavilion, it&#8217;s going to be a good time. The performances are all included in your park admission and they take place at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the American Gardens Theater.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34562 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Chase-Lounge.jpg\" alt=\"Chase Lounge\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Chase-Lounge.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Chase-Lounge-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/2013\/10\/know-chase-lounge-epcot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Chase Lounge<\/a>:\u00a0 The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is sponsored by Chase, so for those who have Chase credit or debit cards, there is a special lounge that&#8217;s available for visiting.\u00a0 Located at the American Adventure Pavilion on the third floor, it is the perfect place to cool down (it&#8217;s still blistering hot in September and October in Florida), grab a drink, charge your cell phone, relax and watch some TV or play a game, and plan your next moves for the Festival. The lounge will be available Monday \u2013 Thursday from 11 a.m. \u2013 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. \u2013 10 p.m. and your card must be shown to enter.<\/li>\n<li>The Marketplace Passport:\u00a0 For guests looking to stop at the Marketplace Booths, make sure to pick up a Marketplace Passport.\u00a0 This booklet can be stamped at each booth you stop and try something at.\u00a0 You can use it as part of a game to see if you can hit all the booths or you can use it as just a way to mark which places you&#8217;ve stopped at. (After a while, sometimes they can all blend together.)\u00a0 It&#8217;s also a great free souvenir from the Festival. You can pick one up at any booth or at the Festival Center.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34565 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-Center.jpg\" alt=\"Epcot Food and Wine Festival Center\" width=\"467\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-Center.jpg 467w, https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-Center-311x400.jpg 311w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Festival Center: Speaking of the Festival Center&#8230;it makes the list as a favorite for a few reasons! One is that it allows us Disney fans to visit a pavilion that closed a long time ago. (It used to be the Wonders of Life Pavilion.)\u00a0 The other is that this is the place where you&#8217;ll be able to take in any seminars, buy Festival merchandise, and more!\u00a0 It&#8217;s a great stop.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34567 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/From-the-Bean-to-the-Bar.jpg\" alt=\"From the Bean to the Bar\" width=\"550\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/From-the-Bean-to-the-Bar.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/From-the-Bean-to-the-Bar-400x290.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From the Bean To the Bar: Located inside the Festival Center is another favorite stop&#8230;the Ghiradelli &#8220;From the Bean to the Bar&#8221; exhibit.\u00a0 Here you&#8217;ll get to learn about how chocolate is made, as well as see gorgeous works of art made of chocolate, and even get a free sample!\u00a0 Of course, my favorite treat is the Drinking Chocolate, which can be purchased here and is essentially like drinking a warmed up chocolate bar.\u00a0 It&#8217;s so very rich and so very good.\u00a0 This is a treat that should only be consumed by true chocolate lovers and it is such an indulgence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34564 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-Booths.jpg\" alt=\"Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booths\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-Booths.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Epcot-Food-and-Wine-Festival-Booths-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Marketplaces:\u00a0 Hello&#8230;this one had to make the list! The Marketplace Booths are truly the major draw for the Festival. They allow you to try different foods from different countries, some you may never have event thought would have things you may enjoy, in a relatively risk free way. I mean, it&#8217;s so easy to try something unique when splitting options across the members of your party. Of course, do keep in mind that some of the more popular items, you may want to keep all to yourself. (I&#8217;m looking at you Fisherman&#8217;s Pie from the Ireland booth!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I have one final mention that would have made the list, but it has been confirmed that it isn&#8217;t coming back &#8212; the Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog!\u00a0 While it hasn&#8217;t been around for too many years, it had quickly become a staple of the Festival to me, and I was so sad to hear from Ocean Spray that it wasn&#8217;t returning.\u00a0 Bummer.<\/p>\n<p>Well, that&#8217;s gonna do it for my list this week! For more information about the Festival, make sure to check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/walt-disney-world\/planning\/events\/food-and-wine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our page on the event.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned, as next week, I&#8217;m going to be sharing some of the best options to get while touring the Marketplace Booths around World Showcase.\u00a0 But until then, what is your favorite part about the Epcot Food and Wine Festival?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ladies and gentleman! This is not a drill!\u00a0 We are officially two weeks out from the start of the 19th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival! This year&#8217;s festival starts even earlier, on September 19, and runs a full 53 days, until November 10, and is filled with delightful fun. This year&#8217;s event sees&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":34564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1688,1695,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wdw-dining","category-theme-parks","category-walt-disney-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34561"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66401,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34561\/revisions\/66401"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}