WDW Daily News

If you have visited Epcot recently you probably noticed that the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Booths are already in place.  Check them out below and see if you can guess which country is being represented by each booth.

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Event Details

• World Showcase at Epcot
• August 30 to November 12, 2018
• Marketplaces are open daily during regular park hours
• Epcot admission is required
• Marketplace food and beverage samples require a separate purchase
• Alcohol will only be served to Guests 21 and older
• Availability for some marketplace offerings may be limited
• Marketplaces subject to closure at any time
• All menu items are subject to change without notice

Active Eats

Epcot’s World Showcase France Pavilion will be getting a new attraction in a few years and the construction is beginning to take place.  Estimated to open in 2021, the Ratatouille attraction will be similar to Ratatouille: The Adventure in Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris.  While not much see currently, it will be fun to watch from a distance as the building continues to be built.  If you are heading to Epcot’s World Showcase venture toward Disney’s Boardwalk and take a glance behind the France Pavilion.

*Guests can also see the development of the Skyliner that will transport guests between Epcot and Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

American Indian history and culture come to life in a new art exhibition at Walt Disney World Resort that debuted July 27. “Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art” at Epcot displays the work of contemporary Native artists alongside artifacts from centuries past, demonstrating how ancestral craftsmanship influences modern generations.

The exhibition opened at the American Heritage Gallery inside The American Adventure pavilion. The 89 pieces on display represent 40 different American Indian tribes from seven geographic regions across the United States.

“At Epcot, guests are invited to celebrate the limitless possibilities of human imagination and innovation.” said Melissa Valiquette, vice president of Epcot. “By showcasing artwork from so many diverse American Indian tribes, ‘Creating Tradition’ is a wonderful way to share a vital part of the United States’ culture with all those who visit The American Adventure.”

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Guests will discover joyous holiday traditions from 11 World Showcase nations during Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. Beginning Nov. 18, this year’s festival will deliver a yuletide extravaganza.

• Seasonal tastes from around the globe are served at special Holiday Kitchens.
• World Showcase pavilions come alive with the sights and sounds of special entertainment celebrating each country’s holiday heritage.
• Chip and Dale will be collecting ornaments for their Christmas tree. In Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree scavenger hunt, guests will purchase a map and stickers from select merchandise locations and travel around World Showcase looking for the famous chipmunks with their ornaments. Guests will then return their completed maps for a festive surprise, courtesy of Chip and Dale. Maps are available for $6.99 (plus tax).
• The nightly fireworks display, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, will feature an additional holiday finale.
• One of the most popular Epcot traditions, the Candlelight Processional, returns. This retelling of the Christmas story will feature a celebrity narrator accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and a choir. Performances will run three times each night from Nov. 22-Dec. 30.

Starry-eyed guests will glide in overhead gondolas to two Disney Theme Parks from any of four Epcot-area hotels aboard this new transportation system. Disney Skyliner will offer Tinker Bell views as guests float to either Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios on roundtrips from Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and the proposed Disney’s Riviera Resort. An opening date for Disney Skyliner will be announced later.

Check out some photos from Guardians of the Galaxy Roller Coaster Area Construction at Epcot   This attraction will be featured in the Universe of Energy area

The aromas and flavors of more than 30 global food and beverage marketplaces, plus a full menu of new offerings such as “Sunday Brunch with the Chef” series, will welcome guests to Epcot during the 23^rd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Aug. 30-Nov. 12, 2018.

Throughout the celebrated 75-day event, guests will have a chance to meet their favorite celebrity chefs, try a new Food & Beverage Pairing in the Festival Center each Friday through Sunday, and get their gourmet groove on at nightly Eat to the Beat Concert Series shows. The first of five popular Party for the Senses events will kick off Sept. 22 in the park’s World ShowPlace Events pavilion.

One of America’s top food festivals since 1996, the Epcot dine-around extravaganza will surprise guests with new and inspiring sips and bites throughout the park’s World Showcase and on into several Future World venues.

Here’s the latest festival buzz:

• The NEW Taste Track global marketplace featuring specialty croissant doughnuts (add gelato for an extra-sweet treat) joins dozens of popular returning marketplaces. For a fourth year, global marketplaces will extend into Future World to offer brand-new taste sensations. Disney chefs are in the kitchen whipping up delicious new bites like 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
• The NEW “Sunday Brunch with the Chef” series in World ShowPlace will kick off Sept. 2 with Top Chef All-Star Richard Blais and continue on select Sundays through Nov. 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 rev up 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.
• The grandest of the festival’s don’t-miss tasting events, 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.

Throughout the festival, park guests can pair wines, beers and cocktails with savory and sweet dishes as they stroll the park and let their complimentary festival passports be their guide. As guests explore, they’ll find something for everyone in the family:

• 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!

Other returning favorites include:

• 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.

Included with Epcot Admission

Back to Basics series, book signings, Eat to the Beat concerts, Festival Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.

Special Programming by Reservation

Party for the Senses grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. Guests can call (407) WDW-FEST (939-3378) to make reservations and find more details at TasteEpcot.com.

The aromas and flavors of more than 30 global food and beverage marketplaces, plus a full menu of new offerings such as “Sunday Brunch with the Chef,” welcome guests during the 23^rd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Aug. 30-Nov. 12. One of America’s top food festivals since 1996, the 75-day Epcot dine-around extravaganza will surprise guests with new and inspiring sips and bites throughout the park’s World Showcase and several Future World venues. Highlights include:

• The grandest of the festival’s don’t-miss tasting events, Party for the Senses in World ShowPlace, will welcome acclaimed chefs and vintners Sept. 22, Oct. 6, 13, 20 and Nov. 10. They will showcase creative bites and palate-pleasing sips with sensational live entertainment.
• “Eat to the Beat” concerts – 225 in all – will rev up the America Gardens Theatre stage three times nightly with new musical acts including Vertical Horizon, 98 Degrees, Sheila E. and others. Selections span a broad range of eras and genres from rock and pop to rhythm and blues.
• “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” hands-on workshops Wednesdays and Thursdays provide new opportunities for guests to interact with visiting chefs, mixologists and other pros.

Throughout the festival, guests will find something for everyone in the family:

• A Ratatouille-inspired adventure is back as Chef Remy encourages families to play together during Remy’s Ratatouille Hid ‘n’ Squeak scavenger hunt.
• On Friday and Saturday evenings, enjoy an interactive Character Dance Party.
• In the new Junior Chef Kitchen, children become the chefs and eat what they make in this complimentary experience each Sunday in the Festival Center.

This is just an appetizer for what’s to come this fall. The 23^rd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is included with theme park admission, but certain programs require a separate ticket and/or reservation; for full details, visit TasteEpcot.com.