The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is an annual festival in one of Orlando’s greatest theme parts. From September 16 through November 14, experience all of Epcot’s countries plus a few stands featuring signature food and drinks of the regions. Gourmet fantasies come to life! It’s one of the best events you could attend if your plan is to eat (and drink) around the world! It’s a great idea to plan to visit Orlando during the Food and Wine Festival if you’re a fan of trying new foods with great wine and beer pairings.

Eating Around the Countries

Epcot breaks stereotypes when it comes to traditional foods of countries around the world. While you can get things like tacos in Mexico and crepes in France, there are also much less stereotypical but gourmet and delicious foods in each country. Even the tacos and crepes are gourmet: shrimp tacos and strawberry or chocolate crepes.

I was sad I couldn’t get to Oktoberfest in Germany, but I did get to Oktoberfest in Germany in Epcot! Germany is a permanent country in Epcot with realistic German houses and German staff. There was a long line in Germany because everyone had the same idea as us: get bratwursts, pretzels, and German beers for Oktoberfest! It was incredible and satisfied my appetite for a trip to Germany (at least, for now).

England has a big permanent section in Epcot that looks like a little village. All of the buildings have traditional British architecture and the street curves around and ends in a beautiful park. I even saw Mary Poppins back there! The British Pub, Rose and Crown, serves typical British fare, like fish and chips. You can also get a delicious Guinness here.

Some of the other permanent countries we visited included Morocco, Italy, China, Japan, Norway, and Canada. Japan has great sushi and hibachi! Morocco has typical beef, lamb, and chicken dishes cooked in the traditional tajine style. You can get artisan breads, pastries, and sorbets in France. Or dine on Norwegian cuisine with Anna and Elsa.

Though the countries change from year to year, some of the other marketplaces just in town for the festival included Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Africa, Belgium, Greece, Hawaii, Poland, Scotland, and South Korea. Additionally, you might be able to find some huts that focus on coastal cuisine, vegetarian foods, wine and cheese pairings, and chocolate. Unfortunately, I have never gotten the chance to eat at all of the marketplaces in the Food and Wine Festival, even with two days of trying!

Epcot has started doing something pretty cool. They created a passport with each country’s food and beverage specialties. There’s a page of stickers that look like stamps so you can stamp each country as you try the local cuisine. It also helps you to remember what the specialty food and beverages were in each year. One day I will fill that passport up!

My recommendations for eating around the countries?

Grab a Mexican specialty, then take a break to watch the mariachi band. Grab something from a pop-up hut nearby, then visit the Mexican pyramid to take the boat tour through Mexican history while you digest. Stop by Germany for some Oktoberfest deliciousness, and try the local German hefeweizens. Pop by Asia for some local grub, then indulge in some delicious local wine France. Don’t miss some pizza and pasta in Italy! Skip the drinking in Morocco since it’s a dry country in real life, but don’t pass by the incredible tajine dishes the country has to offer. Make your way to Canada for some icewine: it’s super sweet and a little expensive, but something you have to try once. End with a Guinness in the British pub Rose and Crown (or whatever Irish concoction Disney World has cooked up for the Festival)! These are the musts, but don’t be afraid to add anything you find along the way. And let me know in the comments what your favorite food or drinks are!

Even though everywhere offers small portions so you can try something of everything, but you might want to bring a friend or two to share so you can try a little bit in each country! Don’t forget to check out returning favorites from past years and try new favorites each year.

Drinking Around the Countries

There is a game everyone likes to play in Epcot: how many countries can you have a drink in? I’ve never made it around the world. It’s even harder with the additional marketplaces for the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival!

The traditional British pub, Rose and Crown Pub, had plenty of British and Irish beers and liquors, and the bartender poured a perfect pint of Guinness. She even put the clover in the foam! It’s authentic and delicious.

If you’d prefer wine, stop by France instead and sip on the delicious and world-famous French wines. If you’re up for a little something different, hit up Japan for some hibachi and sake. Top off your wine glass in Italy, with Italian wines and imported cheeses. Then bring your beer mug back out for Germany’s Oktoberfest beers. Next up is Norway, which has surprisingly good beers that don’t get enough international recognition! You might even get lucky enough to try an Icelandic beer in the Scandanavian countries, which is made with the cleanest and freshest water Earth has to offer.

And finally, everyone’s favorite drink to order in a foreign language after a few drinks: a cerveza in Mexico. I opted for the jalapeño margarita for something different and it was amazing. It was a typical margarita with a little kick, but not too much – it was just perfect!

For those who prefer to skip the alcohol, check out China and Morocco for some incredible teas.

Tips to Get Around the Countries

In addition to all the permanent and temporary countries in Epcot during the International Food and Wine Festival, there are celebrity chefs, television show tapings, demonstrations, seminars, and tastings. It can be overwhelming if you walk into it without knowing what to expect!

First, check out the menus of each country before you start. It will save you time and keep you from wandering if you already know what you want to try. Remember, Orlando is pretty warm year-round and September is definitely still summer weather, so try to plan some air-conditioned meals sporadically. Also, grab a map! It’s pretty easy to navigate a big circle around a lake but with 30 countries or kiosks to hit, a map can definitely come in handy.

Second, remember there’s more to Epcot than the festival! Of course it’s a great special event that draws people in specifically for that, but you also have 3 ride FastPasses that come with your entry ticket. Plan well in advance and book your times for your rides so you can plan your countries around the ride times. Also, remember some rides are pretty intense and you won’t want to go on them after eating or drinking (hint: go on Test Track before you start drinking).

Third, avoid crowds and lines. The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is a Disney special event so people will flock for it. Try to plan for a weekday trip and go as soon as the park opens. By going directly to the countries as early as possible, you’ll hopefully avoid waiting in long lines for food and drinks.

Fourth, go hungry and pace yourself. Make sure you’re well-hydrated and stay well-hydrated throughout your day, but don’t be afraid to try as many drinks and food samples as you can. You’re at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, after all! Just don’ t try too many drinks at once and end up sick. Don’t regret it, enjoy it!

Finally, relax. I’m a planner and I like to stick to my plan, but it’s important to be flexible for this festival. Sometimes the line will be too long and you’ll have to switch things up, sometimes a country might run out of something, or something might happen to change your plans. Just go with it and have a great time!

This record 62-day long event is a feast for the senses! Have you been, or do you plan to go? Let me know which country had your favorite food or drink in the comments below!

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P.S. You might also like Orlando or Fort Myers Beach if you’re planning a longer trip and want to check out some other areas of Florida that are worth seeing!