Disney World Confirms The Return of Free Rewards at EPCOT

Yesterday we covered the full menu release for the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, and the reaction was exactly what you would expect. Fans have been waiting on those menus for months. The 30th anniversary lineup with 30 returning or reimagined items gave longtime attendees something to dig into, and the new additions gave everybody else a reason to start building a plan. There was another EPCOT development this week too, and it matters more than it sounds. Disney has installed the first wooden countertops on railings around World Showcase, starting in the Germany Pavilion. That is the company’s answer to the new solar-powered trash cans, whose rounded tops eliminated the long-running guest habit of using flat trash can lids as improvised dining surfaces during festivals. The counters have a raised back edge to keep items from falling into the flowerbeds, and a “no seating” sign that guests will presumably ignore. So the festival now has menus and somewhere to actually put your plate. Today brings the last major piece. Full details are out for Emile’s Fromage Montage.

What Emile’s Fromage Montage Is

For anyone new to it, this is the festival’s cheese-focused food stroll, named for the food-loving rat from Ratatouille. Here is how it works:

• Purchase five eligible dishes from the Global Marketplaces
• Collect a stamp for each one in your Festival Passport
• Once you have five stamps, head to Shimmering Sips
• Claim a special complimentary treat

The best part is that you do not have to finish in a single day. Stamps carry across visits, so you can pace yourself instead of eating five cheese dishes in four hours.

All 14 Qualifying Dishes

This year’s lineup includes 14 eligible items spread across the Global Marketplaces. The Wedge Hosted by Dairy Does More (opens September 18)

• Selection of Cheeses with accompaniments featuring Wisconsin cheese
• Crab and Corn Macaroni and Cheese with smoked cheddar sauce, bacon, crab seasoning, roasted corn, herbed panko, and jalapeños
• Three-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with smoked cheddar sauce and herbed panko
• Cheesesteak Macaroni and Cheese with shaved beef, peppers, onions, and herbed panko

Festival Favorites (opens September 9)

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse Trifle featuring Philadelphia Cream Cheese, citrus sauce, spice cake, and cranberry streusel

Earth Eats (opens October 2)

• Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with goat cheese polenta, tomato ragù, shaved pecorino, and herbs

The Alps (opens October 2)

• Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese on a baguette with jambon and apple-mustard relish
• Tartiflette with potatoes gratin, caramelized onions, bacon, thyme, crème fraîche, and brie

Available Around World Showcase

• Schinkennudeln pasta gratin at Germany
• Basque Cheesecake at Spain
• Griddled Cheese with pistachios and honey at Greece
• Pão de Queijo Brazilian cheese bread at Brazil
• Pineapple Cheesecake at Hawai’i
• Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli at Forest & Field

The Timing Problem Nobody Is Talking About

Count the dishes available when the festival opens August 27 and you get six. Germany, Spain, Greece, Brazil, Hawai’i, and Forest & Field are the only qualifying locations open on day one. The other eight items sit at booths that open September 9, September 18, or October 2. You need five stamps to complete the challenge. So it is technically possible from opening day, but barely. You would need to hit five of those six specific locations, with essentially no flexibility if something sells out or a booth closes early. If you are visiting in late August or early September, plan that route deliberately rather than assuming you can improvise.

When It Gets Easier

The math improves quickly as booths come online.

• September 9: seven options available
• September 18: eleven options available
• October 2: all fourteen available

From October 2 onward, you have real flexibility. Before September 18, you do not.

What Is New Versus Returning

A few notes for people who have done this before. The Wedge is entirely new this year, and it brings four of the fourteen eligible items on its own. That is a significant chunk of the challenge concentrated in one location inside CommuniCore Hall. The Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese at The Alps is a returning item, originally introduced in 1997. Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli at Forest & Field, Pão de Queijo at Brazil, and Schinkennudeln at Germany are all returning favorites that regulars will recognize immediately.

Practical Advice for Completing It

A few things worth knowing before you start. Get a Festival Passport early, since you cannot collect stamps without one. Spread the challenge across multiple visits if you can. Five cheese-heavy dishes in one day is a lot, and several of these are rich. If you are only visiting once, build your route around the six World Showcase locations plus whatever seasonal booths are open on your date. And remember that the reward is claimed at Shimmering Sips, which is located near Port of Entry, so factor that into your walking route rather than backtracking at the end.

Festival Dates

The 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival runs August 27 through November 21. With 14 eligible dishes and several booths joining later in the season, this is one of the better reasons to make more than one trip around World Showcase this fall. And at least now there is somewhere to set your plate down.