As an Annual Passholder and EPCOT-lover, there’s no better time of year than during the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival. This festival has always been my favorite, from the endless booth food and drink options to the scavenger hunts. While I go every year and love this festival, this year’s festival is more impressive than ever before.
Perhaps it’s the longer break between festivals that has given Disney a chance to rethink the festival, or Disney is finally listening to us. Many EPCOT lovers have noted that the Food and Wine Festival has become “stale.” Most years, there is only slight variation between available global marketplaces and their menus. But this year, EPCOT delivered with something different.
New Themed Booths
For the first time in many years, EPCOT has done something new with the addition of two autumn-themed booths, as well as a new dessert booth. Since this is a festival that runs throughout the fall, this is exciting! While last year did have some specialty booths like Bubbles & Brine and Char & Chop, the autumn booths this year are specific to food and wine.
During my recent visit to EPCOT, I had the pleasure of trying a few of the menu items from new booths: Forest & Field, Bramblewood Bites, and Milled & Mulled. My favorites were the Pumpkin Ravioli and Autumn Chili. During my next visit, I plan on trying the remaining bites. These dishes were so good and got me instantly in the autumn spirit.
While there is always room for improvement, I love that EPCOT has changed things up with these booths. I sure do hope they are an all-around hit and continue to be a part of Food & Wine festivals in the coming years.
Festival Favorite Booth
The festival’s favorite booth is a great idea on EPCOT’s part. This food booth will feature a rotating menu that features past festivals’ menu offerings. This year, the pierogis were so good. I think this festival booth will be a major hit in the future. Plus, it’s a fun way to keep things interesting for those of us who return to the festival every year.
Dessert Game Changers
As great as the food bites are at EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival, sometimes you just need something sweet! In past years, I was never impressed with EPCOT desserts. Except for the Appleseed Orchard’s Apple Crumble Tart and Ireland’s Pudding Cake, few other desserts ever stood out to me within Food and Wine’s menu offerings. Most were either served at the wrong temperature or were simply too sweet.
If you’ve felt this way about past festivals, get excited. This year, Disney has upped its game with desserts at the festival. Of the many options I had a chance to try, I would purchase every single option again. Deciding on my favorite was tough, but I have to go with Flavors of America’s Freshly Baked Chocolate Pudding Cake.
This cake reminds me of the past Ireland pudding cake, but even better. It’s like a freshly baked, melty, warm, and delicious brownie on the inside. The texture on the outside is just right. It’s a mess (and one you’ll need to brush your teeth after) but it’s so worth it. If you love chocolate, you won’t want to miss this dessert if you plan on attending the festival.
As a runner-up to America’s pudding cake, I think it’s mentioning Milled & Mull’s new Pear and Almond Frangipane Pâte Brisée. This dessert is SO good for non-chocolate lovers. It’s light, crispy, and has just the right amount of sweetness. I’d give it a 10/10 (and we went back for multiple throughout the trip). The inside has a unique flavor and the exterior appearance is similar to a Mexican empanada.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this year’s EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival has made many great changes that have truly enhanced the festival. From new autumn-themed booths to better desserts, I can’t wait to see if EPCOT carries this new standard over to the upcoming EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. On my next trip, I look forward to trying new festival menu offerings and discovering new ways this year’s festival is even better than last.