When you hear “Epcot International Food and Wine Festival,” you may think about the food or the wine. You may think fun and excitement. You may also wonder if it would be possible to take your kids to an event like this and have a good experience. My family has attended the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival for the last two years, and we were pleasantly surprised at how much we all enjoyed it. Yes, even my girls, had a great time experiencing all that is offered at the Food and Wine Festival. I believe taking my children to this event shows you that no matter your age, with a little thought and preparation, your family can also enjoy this event.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival with Kids
We approached the festival like we would any other special event. We exercised our common sense as parents and chose to go during the day, and during a weekday for that matter, to avoid the more rambunctious night and weekend crowds. Read on for my best tips for enjoying Epcot Food and Wine Festival with kids.
Special Activities
Whether you’re into cooking demonstrations, music, or other culinary arts, let your kids in on the fun. The Eat to the Beat concert series is back again, and with some new acts to boot! You and your family can enjoy these new acts this year:
- Mercy Me
- Glass Tiger
- Tauren Wells
- Jim Belushi & The Sacred Hearts
- Anderson East
- 98 Degrees
- High Valley
Other crowd favorites like Hanson, Kenny G, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and Boys II Men are also making appearances and will have you tapping your toes all night long!
Play Games
In 2015, Walt Disney World introduced “Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak.” Guests were invited to seek out Remy, the main character from the Disney/Pixar film “Ratatouille,” and his various recipe ingredients hidden all over the World Showcase. Some of the hiding spots were very easy to find while others proved to be difficult, even for the adults in our group! This fun game will return this year, and, I hope, it will keep coming back for many more years (or at least some variations of it).
Make Learning Fun
Talking to Cast Members is one of my favorite things to do on a Disney vacation, especially in Epcot. Most of the Cast Members in the World Showcase are actually from the country they are working in. This is an incredible opportunity to teach your children about another culture directly from someone who actually lives there.Yes, Walt Disney World is amazing family fun, but there are also plenty of ways to sneak in some education while you’re there. Learning about the foods at the festival marketplaces will also give children, and maybe even adults, a better understand of a country as well.
Try New Foods
This point may seem a little redundant, but if your children are anything like mine, they don’t often branch out when it comes to eating. They know what they like, and they like what they know. The Food and Wine Festival is the perfect time to try to encourage some culinary risks. Why? Because, no matter what you ask your child to try, if they don’t like it, you can finish it off (parenting win, right?)!My family’s favorites are back this year including the Loaded Mac n’ Cheese with Nueske’s Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers, and Green Onions, and the Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey-Caramel. This list is by no means a comprehensive one, but hopefully I encouraged you with my tips on how to make this even a family affair. Don’t forget to pack your appetite on the day of your visit! We ate a very light breakfast and spent the rest of our day’s calories savoring the specialties that can only be tasted during this time of year in Epcot.
