When is the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival?

EPCOT has hosted its Food and Wine Festival since 1996, and 2026 marks its 30th year. For close to three months, the park adds food and drink booths from around the world, nightly concerts and kids’ activities. If you are planning a fall trip, the first thing to check is which parts of the festival line up with your dates. Everything below was checked on Disney’s official sites in October 2026.

When is the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival in 2026 and 2027?

In 2026, the festival runs from August 27 to November 21, according to Walt Disney World. The 2027 dates have not been announced. As of October 2026, Disney had published 2027 dates for the Festival of the Arts and the Flower and Garden Festival, but not for Food and Wine.

Not everything runs for the full festival. Some booths opened weeks after day one, and some extras wrap up early. Here are the official 2026 dates:

2026 dates	What’s happening
August 27 to November 21	Food and Wine Festival and its Global Marketplaces
August 27 to November 16	Eat to the Beat concerts, every night
From September 9	Festival Favorites booth opens, with dishes from past years
September 18 to November 8	Cheers to Cheese! exhibit and The Wedge booth at CommuniCore Hall
From October 2	Coastal Eats, Earth Eats, India and The Alps open
Through November 2	Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit scavenger hunt
October 22 to 25	Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend (sold out)
November 27 to December 30	Festival of the Holidays, EPCOT’s next festival

Source: Walt Disney World and Disney Parks Blog, checked October 2026.

One thing worth noticing: the festival ends on Saturday, November 21, the weekend before Thanksgiving. If your family travels Thanksgiving week, you will miss it by a few days. The Festival of the Holidays starts the day after Thanksgiving instead.

Is the Food and Wine Festival included with an EPCOT ticket?

Yes. Disney says the festival is included with valid EPCOT admission, and a theme park reservation may be required depending on your ticket type. The Eat to the Beat concerts are included too.

What you pay for is the food and drink. Every dish and every beverage at the booths is a separate purchase. To keep things simple, Disney sells festival-themed mini Disney Gift Cards that can be activated with as little as $15 and used at the booths. You’ll find them at festival kiosks and at shops like Creations Shop and Port of Entry, and they are sold only during the festival.

How do the Global Marketplaces work?

The Global Marketplaces are festival-only booths, each with a short menu of small plates and drinks. Disney’s 2026 list has more than 30 of them around the park, most of them circling the World Showcase lagoon, where the country pavilions sit.

The idea is to graze. Instead of one big meal, you grab a dish at one booth, another at the next, and share with your group. 2026 booths include Australia, Mexico, China, India, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, Greece, Belgium, Brazil, France, Canada and Hawai’i, plus themed stops like Hops and Barley (American food made to go with beer) and Gyozas of the Galaxy.

A few details help:

• Festival Passport. Emile’s Fromage Montage marks the cheese dishes around the park. Buy five of them, collect the stamps in your festival passport and trade it for a treat at Shimmering Sips.
• Allergies. Allergy-friendly menus are available, but Disney asks you to speak with a Cast Member before ordering.
• Menus change. Disney notes that items, prices and hours can change without notice.

To plan the rest of your park day around the festival, see how to make the most of EPCOT from a vacation home.

What is Eat to the Beat at EPCOT?

Eat to the Beat is a live concert series at the America Gardens Theatre, in the American Adventure pavilion, held every night from August 27 to November 16, 2026, at 5:30, 6:45 and 8:00 PM. Each act plays one to four nights in a row. The 2026 lineup includes Boyz II Men (November 2 and 3) and The Beach Boys (November 11 and 12).

Seating is first come, first served, and capacity is limited. If you want a guaranteed seat, Disney sells concert dining packages: a meal at an EPCOT restaurant plus one guaranteed seat per person at a concert later that day. Park admission is not included.

Restaurant (concert package)	Adult (10+)	Child (3 to 9)
Regal Eagle Smokehouse (same-day only)	$36	$21
Biergarten Restaurant (Germany)	$66	$35
La Hacienda de San Angel (Mexico)	$82	$37
Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canada)	$99	$39

Source: Walt Disney World, October 2026. Prices exclude tax and gratuity.

What is the drinking age at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival?

The drinking age is 21. Disney serves alcohol only to guests 21 and older with a valid ID, with a limit of two drinks per ID. That applies at the booths and with dining packages. If anyone in your group plans to order a drink, they need their ID on them in the park, not back at the house.

What are the best days and times to go?

The best pick is a weekday that isn’t a holiday, after October 2, when every 2026 booth was open. If the concerts matter to you, go by November 16, since the final days of the festival have no Eat to the Beat.

The remaining 2026 festival dates include two federal holidays: Columbus Day on Monday, October 12, and Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11. Disney also marks Veterans Day with special entertainment in the parks. For a month by month look at crowds, based on wait times from past years, read the least crowded times at the Orlando parks.

Time of day depends on your plan. For a calmer visit, arrive early, ride while everyone is fresh and save the booths for midday. For a concert, build your afternoon around the 5:30, 6:45 and 8:00 PM shows. Park hours change by date, so check Disney’s calendar and see what time to leave the house to make park opening.

In practice: skip the big sit-down lunch and split two or three small plates per person across the booths over the afternoon. Have dinner back at the house with groceries you picked up, and use the festival to try dishes you wouldn’t order at home.

How do you get to EPCOT from a vacation home?

Drive and park at EPCOT. Disney charges $35 per day for standard parking for a car, and $50 to $60 for preferred parking closer to the entrance, depending on the date. The fee includes tax and is good all day at all four Disney parks, but paying does not guarantee a space if you leave and come back. Free trams run from the lot to the main entrance.

Standard theme park parking is included only for Disney Resort hotel guests and select Annual Passholders, so vacation home guests pay it. The full breakdown is in how much parking costs at Disney World and Universal.

The vacation home pays off at the end of the day. The last concert starts at 8:00 PM, and families often want a break before then. Staying close to Disney means you can have lunch and a swim at the house, head back for the booths and a show, and drive home on your own schedule. If your trip falls in the last weeks of the festival, also read what Orlando is like in November. Still deciding where to stay? Browse vacation homes near Disney.