The Epcot Food and Wine Festival has returned to Walt Disney World, and is by far one of Epcot’s most popular events. The festival features nearly two dozen marketplace booths showcasing tasting-size dishes and drinks from around the world. Most countries represented in World Showcase offer marketplaces, as well as many other countries such as South Korea, New Zealand, Brazil, Greece, and more. Access to the festival is included with regular Epcot park admission, but with such a huge variety of dishes and drinks to try, it can sometimes be a challenge if you’re trying to stay on a budget. Here are some Epcot Food and Wine Festival budget tips.
First of all, you can expect each booth to offer 2-4 dishes and 2-4 drinks, depending on the booth. Dishes range from $4-$8 in price, with most falling into the $4-$6 range. Most drinks will be around $3-$8, but can be more expensive depending on the drink. One way to keep to a budget at the festival is to decide before you visit which booths you want to visit most, and stick to those. In general I recommend doing this in order to make sure that you can try the dishes you really want to taste – there are so many choices that you’ll want to narrow it down, especially if you only have one day to visit. This can also work well for your budget if you decide what you really want to try ahead of time, and stick with that list.
Another way to manage your Epcot Food and Wine Festival budget is to designate a gift card for your marketplace booth purchases. Epcot sells small gift cards on convenient little wristbands. Set your budget for the festival and put it in a gift card, and then sample around the marketplaces.
An even more convenient way to keep within your budget is the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Tasting Package. When you purchase this package (available at the Festival Center and Festival Boutiques in World Showcase), you’ll get a credential with tear-off vouchers for 8 food or beverage items at the marketplaces. At each booth all you’ll need to do is present one of the vouchers for your order, and all the items you pick will already be pre-paid, so you can order whatever you want (with a few exclusions listed on the voucher).
If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, a great strategy for your Epcot Food and Wine Festival budget is to save up your snack credits. Most food items at the festival are eligible for snack credits, and with some food items costing $6 or more, they’re a great value. Just keep in mind that most drinks, including all alcoholic drinks, are not eligible for Disney Dining Plan credits
Elizabeth Perry is a travel planner with Modern Travel Professionals, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, and part of The Affordable Mouse team. She's a planner, a vacation enthusiast, and quite the nerd. Even better, she's dedicated to helping you plan a fun, fantastic vacation so you can visit the worlds of your favorite stories and create great memories. You’ll be able to find the resources you need to plan a spectacular vacation, get personalized service for all your trip needs, and have a guide that knows all the inside secrets. Contact her atelizabeth@moderntravelpros.com.