2012 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival

EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival 2007

The EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival for 2012 will be September 28 to November 12 for a record 46 days! Unfortunately, I can't be there for all of them. I will be there this year for some of them. The entire Growing Up Disney family will meet at Walt Disney World this year to spend some time gathering information to report back about this year's event.

Disney has their official Food and Wine Festival site fully up now (find it here), packed with all the information you need to enjoy the entire Festival. This year there are 29 Festival Marketplaces with 2 new and several old favorites.

On my list of the International Cuisine and Marketplaces not to miss this year are:

• Canada - Here again this year you will find one of my favorites: Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup as well as another selection that sounds wonderful - "Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce.
• Ireland - has another two items I won't miss. Lobster and Seafood Fisherman's Pie and Kerrygold® Cheese Selection: Aged-Irish Cheddar, Dubliner and Cashel Blue with Apple Chutney and Brown Bread. Ireland also has Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Bailey's Ganache that sounds wonderful.
• Hawai'i - This year they have one item that caught my attention: Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise. Sounds wonderful.
• Italy - The three items you will find here, I have never tried, but this year I don't want to miss the Salsiccia e "Papacelli" Napoletani (Sweet Sausage, Red Pepper, Ciaibatta Bread). Again it sounds wonderful as does the Baked Cheese Ravoli and Cannoli al Cioccolato.
• Japan - has California Rolls and Sukiyaki Beef Pan (Marinated Thinly Sliced Rib Eye with Sauteed Onions and Teriyaki Sauce Served in a Bun)

There are two new Marketplaces this year:

• Florida Local - with White Corn Arepa with Mangalitsa Pork Rilette and Zellwood Sweet Corn Salad and Florida Shrimp Ceviche with Fire Roasted Vegetables, Fried Plantains and Cilantro
• Terra - with three interesting selections: Trick'n Chick'n Curry with Basmati Rice featuring Gardein Chick'n Breast, Chili Colorado with House Made Chips & Cashew Cheese, featuring Gardein Beefless Tips, and Chocolate Cake with Passion Fruit Sorbet and Coconut Foam.

Both of the new Marketplaces look like they are well worth a stop as are all the Marketplaces. I have never tried any of the food I was disappointed in what was served. Guess that is part of the reason we keep going back year after year. The Disney Park Blogs describe the two new festival marketplaces this way: TERRA Marketplace offers vegan menu items, including Trick’n Chick’n Curry with Basmati Rice and Chili Colorado with House-Made Chips and Cashew Cheese. The FLORIDA Marketplace introduces fresh twists on regional flavors.

The full list of the Festival Marketplaces this year are: •1. Argentina •2. Australia •3. Belgium •4. Brewer's Collection •5. Canada •6. Caribbean •7. Cheese •8. China •9. Craft Beer •10. Desserts & Champagne •11. Fife & Drum •12. Florida Local – NEW! •13. France •14. Germany •15. Greece •16. Hawai'i •17. Hops & Barley •18. Ireland •19. Italy •20. Japan •21. Mexico •22. Morocco •23. New Zealand •24. Poland •25. Scandinavia •26. Singapore •27. South Africa •28. South Korea •29. Terra – NEW!

Along with the Culinary Offerings at the Festival Marketplaces are selections of wines and beers that represent the area of the Marketplace. One of my favorite memories of our multiple trips to the EIF&WF was when my wife overheard a man as he walked past telling his wife: "This is GREAT. Every few feet you get a snack and a BEER!" This year there are over 120 different beverage selections listed. You are sure to find one you like no matter your tastes.

There are always extra cost special events: Food and Wine pairing, Demonstrations and seminars. There are numerous event INCLUDED with your park admission too. Three new events are Chocolate Experience: From the Bean to the Bar Hosted by Ghirardelli® Chocolate Company, The Watermelon Patch Hosted by The National Watermelon Promotion Board, and Sampling at the Festival Center Wine Shop.



Taylor Hicks EIF&WF 2009


Another event included with admission is the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. We've been able to watch many different acts perform over the years between this and the Flower Power Concert Series during the Flower and Garden Festival. Above is American Idol winner Taylor Hicks in 2009.  Here is the full lineup for this year:
Eat to the Beat Concert Series:

9/28-9/30 Night Ranger “Sister Christian”
10/1-10/3 Sugar Ray “Fly”
10/4- 10/7 STARSHIP starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
10/8-10/10 Boyz II Men “End of the Road”
10/11-10/12 NEW! Smash Mouth "Walking On the Sun”
10/13-10/14 NEW! JAVIER COLON, winner of The Voice “A Drop In The Ocean”
10/15-10/17 Air Supply “Lost in Love”
10/18-10/19 Gin Blossoms “Hey Jealousy”
10/20-10/21 Survivor “Eye of the Tiger”
10/22-10/23 Hanson “Give a Little”
10/24-10/25 The Pointer Sisters “He’s So Shy”
10/26-10/28 Sister Hazel “All for You”
10/29-10/31 Billy Ocean “Caribbean Queen”
11/1-11/2 38 Special “Hold on Loosely”
11/3-11/4 Howard Jones LIVE “No One Is to Blame”
11/5-11/6 NEW! Blues Traveler “Run-Around”
11/7-11/8 NEW! Dennis DeYoung, original member of STYX “Come Sail Away”
11/9-11/12 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy “Go Daddy-O”


Not only can you find the Festival on Disney.com, this year the EPCOT IF&WF is now on Facebook. You can find them at:
http://www.facebook.com/EpcotFoodandWine

Also on Disney's Food and Wine Festival web site are some of the great RECIPES from the Festival.  Last year I printed the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup recipe.  We have made it several times and the recipe is wonderful.  It is a great soup and a reminder of the F&WF when you can't go.

Let us know about your favorite events, Marketplaces, performers, etc at the EIF&WF and if you are going this year.
--DisneyDad