The EPCOT Foodie Experience That Has Been Missing for Years

It is no secret among Disney fans and foodies alike that EPCOT is a premier destination for tasting your way around Walt Disney World. With World Showcase offering Guests a way to snack around the world, and events like EPCOT’s annual festivals bringing tasting-sized portions of all kinds of new eats to the Disney Park nearly every month of the year, it truly is the ultimate foodie destination.

Of course, the best time of the year for self-proclaimed foodies to explore the Disney Park is each fall during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. What started as a month-long food festival in September-October of 1995, is now one of the most popular and longest festival in EPCOT with this year’s event taking place July 14-November 19, 2022.

The 2022 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is an exciting event in part due to its return to “normal” as it is the first “complete” Food & Wine Festival since the theme park reopened following the pandemic. “Complete” may not be entirely accurate, however, as there are still a couple of experiences that are off the table for this year’s event: beverage seminars and cooking demonstrations.

Prior to 2020, beverage seminars and cooking demonstrations were offered throughout the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, offering Guests a deep dive into different wine, beer, and spirits, along with food prepared live by renowned chefs from around the country and around the world.

As far as an add-on experience to the festival, these seminars were previously quite affordable, with most of these experiences priced from about $19 depending on the specific offering. The seminars featured experts from the industry or from the specific beverage company to walk Guests through both learning experiences and tastings, all in the air-conditioned festival center for approximately an hour.

With many Guests actually planning their trips to the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, and with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions long behind us now, it is a little perplexing that we have not yet seen this offering return.

While we do know that beverage seminars and cooking demonstrations are not returning for the 2022 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, it is still possible that we will see them return next year. EPCOT is currently undergoing its largest renovation project to date, and part of that includes a new festival center. As such, it is possible that Disney is waiting for the new festival center to be complete before bringing the seminars back (previous seminars were held in the former Wonders of Life pavilion).

Nearly every other aspect of past Food & Wine Festivals will be returning to EPCOT this year though, including numerous outdoor kitchens (with new ones debuting throughout the event), the return of the Eat to the Beat Concert series, and more.

To plan your visit to the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, visit TasteEPCOT.com, and check back here on DisneyTips for the latest updates on the return of more offerings around Walt Disney World and EPCOT’s renovations.