Thursday date night at EPCOT for the Food & Wine Festival — our first time doing the full country-to-country graze together. Sarah has been doing this for years with her brother, their family, and her mom. She would probably land a 7 or an 8. This is my site, and for me the night is a Knup 6.3.
We got there about 5:30. Parking was fine and the lot looked light, which made us think we had picked a quiet night. The tram had already rolled through, so we walked from the car to the gate. Bad night to do that walk. Super dark, really windy, almost hurricane energy — it was blowing us around on the way in. Sarah had on a skirt and Mickey ears and both were getting tossed. Funny later. Not funny while it was happening.
We skipped rides and shows on purpose. It looked like it was going to storm, we were hungry, and the whole point of the night was World Showcase. Straight back to the countries, clockwise, share a plate at each stop. As soon as we started, it rained. Not a downpour — a sprinkle — but it still put a damper on the first Food & Wine night.
The format is the thing I do not like. Each country has two or three little festival plates, mostly $5–$8, which is fine on paper. Portions are tiny. A lot of it had been sitting in a warmer, then handed over. You wait in a line that feels slower than the crowd size, pay seven bucks, and get a small piece of something average. Do that as your whole dinner and it starts to feel like a chore. I would rather sit down, order what I want, and get a real plate.
We also do not drink wine or beer. A huge chunk of Food & Wine is the drinks, and we did not do any of that. I am sure it would have helped the night. It is not how we eat.
Mexico — Tostada · 6.0 / 10
First stop, already sprinkling. We shared a tostada. The meat was the best part. The tostada itself was just okay and kind of fell apart. Mid. Not a bad bite. Not a reason to get back in line. It also took a while — for a booth handing you one small plate, the wait already felt longer than the food.
China — Dumpling Trio · 5.0 / 10
The miss of the clockwise loop. Three little dumplings that did not taste like a reason to stop. Food is a 4. The window was actually quick — that is the only thing China did well for us. You can move a line and still hand over a weak plate. Skip the dumpling trio.
Germany · 8.0 / 10
Longest savory wait of the night — and the first booth that felt worth sharing two plates. Wiener schnitzel was a thin pork cutlet with potatoes. I would give the schnitzel a 7; Sarah called it a 6. Pretty good, a little light on mustard. The apple strudel was the reason to stay in line. Really good. We landed it around an 8 or 9. Desserts kept saving this festival.
Spain — Paella · 9.4 / 10
Best savory dish of the night. Short line, fast window, and they were making the paella up fresh — rice, beans, pork and chicken, a little spice. Portions were actually big, which almost no other booth managed. This is a 9 or a 10 plate. If Food & Wine had more Spain and less tiny warmer plates, I would like the festival a lot more.
Greece — Griddled Cheese · 4.8 / 10
Worst line of the loop. We had to pick between the griddled cheese and the gyro — we took the cheese for about five bucks. A triangle of grilled cheese with honey and pistachio. Interesting. Not great, not terrible. Unique enough that I remember it. Underwhelming once you have waited that long. The gyro actually looked better. Cheese was a 6. Line dragged the whole stop into a 4 or 5.
Belgium — Waffle · 8.8 / 10
Where the festival started feeling fun again. Quick line, real dessert. Belgian waffle with a big pile of whipped cream and caramel or crumbled cookie around it. Really good — maybe an 8, maybe a 9, close to a 10 for me. Messy. I did not care. This is the plate that made the dessert side of Food & Wine make sense.
Hawaiʻi — Pineapple Cheesecake · 9.3 / 10
We walked past Hawaiʻi the first time — along with Italy, the U.S., and Japan — then came back for dessert. Sarah would give the pineapple cheesecake a 9 or a 10. I tasted it and agreed. Presentation was sharp, texture was right, and it actually tasted like a dessert someone cared about. Best sweet plate of the night with the Belgium waffle. Do not skip this one.
What we skipped
Italy, the American Adventure (the pumpkin funnel cake looked good and we still walked past it), Japan, France, and Brazil. Fly Guys were playing — same band we like as the Spazmatics at Boxi Park. We caught one song and they went on break. Not much to review.
Knup 6.3 / 10 for the night. Nothing terrible. Not my thing. If I am already at EPCOT I will grab one country plate. Making the festival the whole meal — wait, tiny share, walk, wait again — is not how I want a date night. Sarah can keep this as her iconic Disney loop. I will take a sit-down restaurant.
Photos
The day in bullets
- Date night with Sarah — first Food & Wine Festival together.
- Arrived ~5:30 p.m.; parking was easy and the lot looked light.
- Missed the tram; walked from the car to the gate in heavy wind.
- Skipped rides and shows — went straight to World Showcase because it looked like rain and we were hungry.
- Clockwise loop; started sharing one plate at each stop.
- Rain started as soon as we began — sprinkle, not a downpour, but it put a damper on the night.
- Tried Mexico, China, Germany, Spain, Greece, Belgium, then Hawaiʻi for dessert.
- Skipped Italy, the American Adventure (wanted the pumpkin funnel cake), Japan, France, and Brazil.
- Caught one Fly Guys song (the Boxi Park Spazmatics guys) before they went on break.
- No wine or beer — we do not drink, so a lot of the festival is closed to us.