Attention all you foodies and wine-lovers out there: tickets for the 15th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival are now on sale. The event, held this year at Epcot from late September through early November 2010, is the place to be for any food lover. Those who also happen to be Disney fans, well, that’s just icing on the cake.
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For those not in the know, the Epcot Food & Wine Festival is a 45-day-long event celebrating international cuisine and wine. It features demonstrations by celebrity chefs, nightly concerts called “Eat to the Beat!,” children’s activities, street performers, complimentary beer and wine tastings, 76 kinds of international food, a grand finale fireworks show, and more.
This year Epcot plans to have some refurbishments to its World Showcase area completed just in time for the festival, with the upgrades reflecting the spirit of the celebrations. The Mexico pavilion welcomes a new taqueria, an authentic pizzeria is opening at the Italy pavilion, a new merchandise shop has recently opened at the China pavilion, and an exclusive Givenchy shop is coming to the France pavilion.
All of the new restaurants and shops are expected to premiere in time for the Food & Wine Festival. In addition to new features, some of the World Showcase’s current attractions are being upgraded as well. The Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room in the United Kingdom pavilion features an updated menu, and the Cantina de San Angel Restaurant, currently closed for renovation/expansion, is expected to open again in fall 2010, just around the time of the
festival.
But back to the festival itself. Its offerings are so vast that I just didn’t have the space to list them all here, so I urge you to check out the official website for additional details and ticket-buying information. If you’re a foodie, I seriously suggest you take a look.
However, I do have some reservations about the festival, and they’re not of the holding a table at a restaurant variety. The cheapest tickets, that only get you into the festival for one day, are $80. The most expensive tickets, for a 10-day pass, are $250. I’d expect quite a lot for that amount of money, but that’s not the case.
Once in the festival, very little is free. Some beer and wine tastings are complimentary, and the ancillary entertainment, like the music and street performers, are part of the admission. But even the smallest tapas-size portions of food come with a price tag, though at least it’s not too large ($2-5).
OK, so I’m exaggerating a bit. The chef demonstrations and seminars are part of the admission (I’m assuming/hoping, because no specific price is mentioned for them). I still feel that at a food and wine festival, more of the food and wine ought to come with the ticket price.
Still, the festival sounds like a great time for lovers of fine cuisine, or just those who revel in gastronomical delights. Tickets are on sale now and I’m not sure how long they’ll last, so if you’re interested, you can purchase tickets here.
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*(This image by Joe Shlabotnik is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
