26 May 2010 by Disney Travel Examiner - Debra Peterson
On May 15, Walt Disney World released information on its 15th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which will take place Oct. 1 – Nov. 14, 2010 as is being celebrated as “15 years of delicious discoveries.” The Food & Wine Festival provides Disney guests to taste global cuisine and drink, as well as culture and entertainment, while touring Epcot’s World Showcase.
The annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival offers Disney fans and foodies the opportunity to enjoy fare from more than 25 international marketplaces. The 2010 festival marks the return of favorite global cuisine and welcomes new regional cuisines. In addition to sampling tapas-sized portions of food, guests can drink wines, beers and spirits from around the world.
Enjoying international food and drink are only part of the fun of the six-week Food & Wine Festival. Guests may attend educational seminars on diverse topics, from cooking tips to wine to tequila. More than 250 Disney, guest and celebrity chefs – as well as sommeliers, brew masters, and master spirit-makers – will participate in culinary demonstrations, special dinners, and tastings.
A feast for the ears and eyes as well as the stomach, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival provides live entertainment: music, acrobatics, improv performances, and concerts.
Delicious discoveries at the 2010 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
This year’s “delicious discoveries” theme reflects the festival’s history and invites Disney guests to explore its diversity.
The Festival Welcome Center will help guests plan their grand tasting tour. The center serves as the site for culinary demonstrations, wine seminars and bottle signings. It is also the home to a Wine Bar, the free Authentic Taste Seminars and Authors Without Borders events, and the festival’s commemorative gift shop.
The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will include two new tasting marketplaces, Beligum and South Korea. Some of its popular marketplaces – Argentina, Australia, Chile, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, and U.S.A., among others – will return with new menu offerings to please the palate.
Celebrity chef appearances will include, a short list, Warren Brown, Cat Cora, Todd English, Gale Gand, Robert Irvine, Art Smith, and Andrew Zimmern, among others.
Eat to the Beat! Concerts, with its diverse schedule of classic rock, soul, R&B, funk, and jazz, showcases different artists throughout the festival. Concerts take place three times nightly at America Gardens Theatre. Click to see the 2010 Eat to the Beat Concert Series schedule.
For Disney foodies looking to complete a culinary tour, the Food & Wine Festival offers a complimentary Marketplace Discovery Passport. Guests can have their passports stamped at each international marketplace they visit for a fun and memorable souvenir.
Disney World guests will also have the opportunity to try two Epcot World Showcase restaurants that will have their grand openings during the festival. Italy’s Via Napoli will open as a table-service pizzeria featuring wood-burning ovens. Mexico’s La Hacienda de San Angel (formerly Cantina de San Angel) will offer counter service during the day and table service in the evening.
In addition to the international marketplaces, culinary demonstrations and seminars, the Epcot Food & Wine Festival offers a number of special events – signature dinners, food and drink seminars, and parties – available on a limited basis. These special events require reservations and an additional admission fee, although some events do not require theme park admission. Click to read more information on special events at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
2010 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – Oct. 1 – 3, 2010
During the Food & Wine Festival’s opening weekend, Disney will also host the inaugural Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend. Disney’s first nighttime half marathon, with a start time of 10:00 p.m., promises a brand-new running course through three theme parks. The half-marathon will also provide a relay option. Participants and their family and friends can enjoy an exclusive after-hours party inside the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival that runs until 3:00 a.m.
The weekend events also include a 5K run/walk through the Magic Kingdom, the only Walt Disney World race to do so, kids’ events, and a health & fitness expo. Click for more information on the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival admission and details
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival events included with theme-park admission: Authentic Taste Seminars, Authors Without Borders, Eat to the Beat! concerts, live entertainment and cultural adventures, and the Marketplace Discovery Passport.
The international marketplaces’ tapas-sized samples cost between $3 – $8 each; they can be paired with recommended wines and beers for approximately the same cost. For convenience, Disney recommends guests purchase a festival Disney Gift Card. The card can be reloaded at several park locations and may be used at international marketplaces, restaurants and shops.
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