Disney announces more details for the 2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

Jul 06, 2018 in "Epcot International Food and Wine Festival"

Posted: Friday July 6, 2018 9:43am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The 23rd Epcot International Food and Wine Festival gets underway next month for 75 days of food and drink.

For a fourth year, global marketplaces will extend into Future World. New bites include Butternut Squash Ravioli with brown butter vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese and pumpkin seeds at The Wine & Dine Studio; Charred Chimichurri Skirt Steak with smoked corn cake, pickled vegetable slaw and cilantro aïoli at Flavors from Fire; and New Brunswick Slider, slow-braised beef brisket “pot roast-style” on a potato roll with horseradish cream, crispy fried onions and pickled vegetables on the side at the Hops & Barley.

New for 2018 will be the Taste Track global marketplace, featuring specialty croissant doughnuts (add gelato for an extra-sweet treat).

The recently renovated Wonders Pavilion is expected to return as the Festival Center.

The NEW “Sunday Brunch with the Chef” series in World ShowPlace will kick off September 2 with Top Chef All-Star Richard Blais and continue on select Sundays through November 11 with a lineup that includes Jamie Deen, Tiffani Thiessen, Masaharu Morimoto, Buddy Valastro, Art Smith, Geoffrey Zakarian, Carla Hall and Alex Guarnaschelli.

Eat to the Beat concerts – 225 shows in all – will take to the America Gardens Theatre stage three times each night with new musical acts including Vertical Horizon, Sheila E, 98 Degrees, MercyMe and Glass Tiger, along with returning festival favorites spanning a broad range of eras and genres from rock and pop to rhythm and blues. See the full 2018 Eat to the Beat line-up.

Party for the Senses at World ShowPlace, will welcome acclaimed chefs and vintners Sept. 22, Oct. 6, 13, 20 and Nov. 10 to showcase creative bites and palate-pleasing sips with sensational live entertainment.

“Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” hands-on workshops Wednesdays and Thursdays will offer new opportunities for guests to interact with visiting chefs, bakers, mixologists and other pros. Event hosts and topics will be announced this summer.

Popular TV chefs and other culinary icons will entertain guests and inspire their palates at festival seminars and other events. Just a few of the big names on tap are Robert Irvine, Maneet Chauhan, Jet Tila, Shaun O’Neale, Keegan Gerhard, Dan Pashman and Rock Harper.

A “Ratatouille”-inspired adventure is back as Chef Remy encourages families to play together during Remy’s Ratatouille Hide ‘n’ Squeak scavenger hunt. This year Remy is hiding in all new locations.

The complimentary Back to Basics weekend series offered in the Festival Center will share epicurean tips and tricks from the pros. Book and bottle signings by some of the world’s top vintners will be available, and The Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar, hosted by Ghirardelli, will offer guest samples.

Culinary Demonstrations and Beverage Seminars will offer daily learning and tasting sessions at the Festival Center. On select Saturdays, Cheese Seminars will be a fromage fan’s delight.

Eat to the Beat Dining Packages and other Specialty Dining and Pairing events will be on tap at a number of Epcot participating restaurants. Bookings for special programming and premium festival events is open now.

The 2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival takes place August 30 - November 12 2018.

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larryzOct 12, 2018

Pre-price-hike, I wouldn't. I can understand people getting sick. Post-price-hike, the expectation is there.

boufaOct 12, 2018

WHAT?!?!? I am entertained by the Dinsey Lovers (or haters, I can't tell the difference) on this board, but what?!?!?! They replaced one group with another due to illness. You all would be rightly screaming bloody murder if they had simply canceled the shows this weekend because they couldn't (or wouldn't) find a replacement. I appreciate sarcasm, but it has to be part of the conversation to make sense.

larryzOct 12, 2018

I guess they're trying to make up for that mid-festival price hike.

Horizons '83Oct 12, 2018

Great addition, have fun for those able to make it.

wdwmagicOct 12, 2018

Change to the Eat to the Beat performer line-up for this weekend

tribbleorlflOct 12, 2018

I was so bummed when they weren't on the list this year, already was going on Saturday, now I'm over the moon. Smashmouth's lead singer had to be hospitalized apparently.

PuertoRekinSamOct 11, 2018

Sister Hazel front man posted that they are now performing at Eat To The Beat now this weekend... time to check out southwest flights.

MisterPenguinSep 12, 2018

Epcot's Festival Center Hosting "Monday Night Football Tail Gate Party" Every Week

rocketraccoonSep 09, 2018

Someone else's pic of the cutting board that you get for going 4 times: It's pretty small, but still a nice lil' thing. Kinda like it better than the glasses from years past. Don't expect a full-sized cutting board though.

James JSep 07, 2018

https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/2018-epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival.947234/

Princess LeiaSep 07, 2018

To anyone who has already gone, are there any favorite food/drinks that should be sampled? And conversely, any that should be avoided at all costs?

Biff215Aug 31, 2018

http://blogmickey.com/2018/08/photos-permanent-ralph-breaks-the-internet-family-play-zone-debuts-at-epcot/ Haven't seen this "new" playground mentioned yet. Blog Mickey says it's a permanent addition, although festivals have added similar structures in the past that didn't outlive the event. I'm all for areas for kids to run around and play, but this looks pretty terrible to me and seems very undersized. Please tell me this isn't permanent.

MotherOfBirdsAug 31, 2018

Do they have a comprehensive allergen list? I've got party members with deadly nut allergies

Goofnut1980Aug 31, 2018

Wow.. no sponsor this year?