Get your appetites ready! The 2026 International Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT is back through November 21, 2026, and it's celebrating a milestone: 30 years!

We know that time and money are limited, so we've put together this list highlighting the best way to experience EPCOT Food and Wine Festival with kids.

But before we dive in, if you're wondering if this is something you can do in half a day, including a drive from Tampa, we can say from experience: absolutely. When Disney invited us for a trip this year, we left Tampa after school, spent a couple of hours at EPCOT, and we were back home by 9 pm! (This is all based on traffic on I-4 cooperating, but a half-day trip to Disney from Tampa can most definitely be done, and we've been doing it for years.)

This is probably best for an annual pass holder, but there are some Disney deals for Florida residents if you're not ready to go that route quite yet.

Now it's time to dish on the details…

What's NEW at EPCOT's International Food and Wine Festival 2026:

As we mentioned, it's cheers to 30 years! To celebrate this milestone year, 30 fan-favorite menu items are returning, including some that were reimagined for this year. When you grab your event booklet, look for the little green 30 icon next to the menu item.

If we had to pick five 30 Fan Favorites, here's what we'd order again:

Pickle Milkshake at Brew-Wing Lab at the Odyssey: (Just trust us, it's weirdly really good!)
Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse Trifle at Festival Favorites in Communicore Plaza: (A perfect seasonal sweet treat.)
Paella Caldoso at Spain between Germany and Italy
Belgian Waffle at Belgium between Morocco and France (The best waffle we've ever tasted!)
Filet Mignon at Canada (it's tradition…)

We have so many favorites, but since no two taste buds are the same, it's a good idea to peruse through the food guide on the My Disney Experience app or visit TasteEpcot.com to map out your culinary adventure before you go.

And then when you arrive at the park, pick up your 2026 Festival Passport. They are free and available throughout the park. You can also use the passport to track your progress in Emile's Fromage Montage–-buy 5 cheese menu items from a list of 10 and get a tasty prize at the end! You don't have to complete this in one trip.

More on the FOOD

This year's EPCOT Food and Wine Festival features a whopping 234 menu items with flavors hailing from around the world. Where else can you dine in France, Italy and Mexico all within the same afternoon??

Authenticity is a big deal for the culinary team.

“They do a ton of research. The authenticity of the food is first and foremost,” Mike Driscoll told us. He's the general manager of Food & Beverage, Festivals and Operating Participants at EPCOT (aka: he's the Big Cheese on the culinary team here)

He added, “There's an education component to it, but they're making sure that the ingredients are traditional, the preparation methods are traditional, and if the chefs that actually are creating the menus don't know, our frontline cast members that are in culinary—someone is from that region and can kind of validate the dish and its authenticity.”

The Food and Wine Festival is also a chance to experiment with new flavors and encourage your child to try something new. Maybe even something that's a little out of the world like the Pickle Milkshake!

“We were discussing it at dinner, and when they [his kids] were talking about it, I'm like, is this something we should do? I don't know if my kids saw it on social media, but they're talking about it, and they're like, “I don't know, but I got to try it.” And that's exactly where we wanted to land: “I don't know about this, but there's enough interest that I want to give this a try,” said Driscoll.

There's so much more to try…you can bet that in addition to the normal menu items you'll find year-round here at EPCOT, there is absolutely something for everyone in the family here, including loved ones with food allergies and sensitivities. If you scan the QR code in the Festival Passport, it'll take you to the app where you'll find the full allergy-friendly menu.

Things to Do with the Kids at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

While the festival is a fun weekend foodie getaway for the parents, it’s also a great family adventure and a wonderful opportunity to allow your child to taste the spices and flavors from countries around the world. We highly recommend sharing each dish so you can sample even more tastes together.

But we also know kids need a chance to …play!

Playgrounds at EPCOT

EPCOT Food and Wine Festival playground — Green Landing Play Zone in World of Discovery at EPCOT

When the moment arrives and the kids need to get the wiggles out, head over to the World of Discovery to play at the Green Landing Play Zone playground.

There are also some cute forest-themed play structures at the festival-exclusive Harvest Hollow between the World Showcase and Imagination Pavilion, also known as the Rose Walk. This area is adorable, and we love looking out for all of Harvest Hollow's forest critters like Bear, Fox, and Squirrel as we get a peek inside their world as they prepare for an autumn party.

*Harvest Hollow display near Forest & Field Kitchen at EPCOT Food and Wine Festival.*

It's a cute storytelling experience, and there are some yummy Festival Kitchens here. This is where I ordered my personal favorite of the evening: Pumpkin Mascarpone Ravioli at Forest & Field. It's also part of Emile's Fromage Montage, so I got that stamp in my Festival Passport.

EPCOT also has a year-round INDOOR playground if you need to cool off for a bit, located inside Mission: SPACE Advanced Training Lab. Moana's Journey of Water isn't technically a playground, but you do get to play with water, so it counts!

Related: INSIDE LOOK: The Magic of Disney Animation at Hollywood Studios (includes the NEW Drawn to Wonderland indoor playground.)

Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt

Last but not least…we also LOVE Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt, inspired by the Disney movie Ratatouille! You can purchase the scavenger hunt card at select merchandise shops for $9.99, or simply track it on your own. He has new hiding spots this year, so don’t look where you found him last year! We love the folding napkin shape of the card.

You can still get your prize, regardless of whether you finish the scavenger hunt.

Epcot Food and Wine Festival Hide and Squeak scavenger hunt 2026. Photo by Laura Byrne.

Speaking of Ratatouille…

If it's been a while since you've been, be sure to explore the France pavilion, which features the Remy's Ratatouille Adventure ride! In addition to the ride, you’ll also get the option of table service or quick service at the new restaurant, La Crêperie de Paris.

Pluto's Pumpkins Pursuit will debut in October for the Halloween season, so be on the lookout for that fun scavenger hunt too!

Learn all about CHEESE at Cheers to Cheese at CommuniCore Hall

If you love cheese, this is a festival for you! Be sure to head over to the new Cheers to Cheese at CommuniCore Hall through November 8, where you'll find a cool interactive exhibit showcasing everything you'd ever want to know about cheese, and then you can nosh on some cheesy dishes over at The Wedge like: Crab and Corn Macaroni and Cheese, Three-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese, and a Cannoli Milkshake.

When we said this space is cool…we mean it literally. It's indoors and a great spot to chill and learn fun facts, like that cheese was believed to have been invented by accident 10,000 years ago. Best accident ever!

Cheers to Cheese at EPCOT Food and Wine Festival — Cheers to Cheese at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival. Photo by Laura Byrne.

KidCot Fun Stops

You can also make the visit a learning experience too! Look for the Kidcot stops at each country pavilion, where your child can pick up an info card with fun facts about each country—this is ongoing year-round, but still a must-do.

Visit your kids' favorite Disney characters at EPCOT

A trip to Disney World wouldn't be complete without at least one photo with a favorite character. Here's who you can meet at EPCOT:

Anna and Elsa at Sommerhaus in Norway (during operating hours)
Mickey and Friends at CommuniCore Plaza (during operating hours)
Winnie the Pooh and Friends at United Kingdom (during select times)
Alice in Wonderland at United Kingdom (during select times)
Asha near World Showcase Plaza (during select times)
Belle in France (during select times)
Figment inside ImageWorks (during select times)
One of the Three Caballeros at Mexico (during select times)
Pluto near EPCOT main entrance (during select times)
Princess Aurora in France (during select times)
Princess Jasmine in Morocco (during select times)
Snow White in Germany (during select times)
Star-Lord near Guardians of the Galaxy (during select times)
Mulan in China (during select hours)
Find the complete list of characters and times for the day you are attending here.

The Eat to Beat Concert Series

We love the Eat to the Beat concert series, which features some local bands! And then you can take a ride on the popular Guardians of the Galaxy for a blast from the past soundtrack.

EPCOT's International Food and Wine Festival: Inspiring Future Culinary Artists

What's really cool about experiencing this festival is a look at what could be one day for kids who may aspire to work in the culinary arts one day.

“This business, especially at Disney, the value of a career in the culinary arts is amazing. And I don't know that I always thought that way before I came to Disney. But when you see the chef and the fact that [what they do] covers a lot of things that even my kids are interested in- creativity, building things, assembling, presentation- the stuff that's getting them. It’s a career where you can really grow, especially in an organization like Disney that has so many,” Driscoll told us.

Learn more about Disney's Culinary Arts Program here.

“We're looking at high schools. We're looking at colleges. Where can we partner to make sure that we're feeding that pool? Because we're going to be here for a long time, and we need to find the next generation of creativity and chefs that are going to come up through the ranks.”

Planning Ahead for Future Festivals

The work never stops in the kitchens at EPCOT…or at Walt Disney World. Driscoll tells us they are already planning for next year's event. We already can't wait to learn more about what they're whipping up for us in the kitchen!

He even gave us some insight into the upcoming Festival of the Holidays at EPCOT: “We’ve got tons of favorite dishes returning, some new dishes to try as well. We will say, like always, it is a little more sweets-heavy than the Food & Wine Festival, because that's got a much better balance of savory and sweet, but the holidays, even traditionally… tend to be around sweets. The Cookie Stroll is definitely a favorite for families.”

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A Dinner Date with the Kids at EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival