Welcome to the opening day of the 2011 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival!
If you’ve been following along, you know that we already have World Showcase booth menus and prices (and tons of brand new food photos!), special event information, low-cost event information, details about visiting chefs, Eat to the Beat concert specs, breaking news, and more, here on our 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Overview Page!
I’m excited to continue to bring you coverage of the Festival; but today, I wanted to give you a little peek at what I’m looking forward to over the next 45 days…
New Food! New Drinks!
While Disney often brings back old favorites to the Food & Wine Festival, they also like to surprise us with new indulgences! A few of our favorite new food items at the Festival this year include:
- Rib-eye Tacos ($5.50 at the Mexico Booth)
- Linguica Sausage with Onions, Peppers, and Olives ($4.00 at the Portugal Booth)
- Xante Sunshine cocktail ($7.25 at the Scandinavia Booth)
- Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise ($3.00 at the Hawaii Booth)
Rib Eye Tacos in Mexico
Linguica Sausage with Onions, Peppers, and Olives
Xante Sunshine cocktail made from Xante pear and cognac liquor
Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise
But don’t stop there! There’s plenty to discover at the festival this year! 🙂 Check out the menus and food photos on our Epcot Food and Wine Festival booth pages to start planning your visit!
CRANBERRY BOG!
Yes. There will indeed be a cranberry bog at this year’s Food & Wine Festival! Craisins is a new sponsor with Disney, and we get to benefit!
Cranberry Bog Info and Map
We’ll have plenty of coverage of this bad boy soon!
The Cake Boss
I’ve never seen the Cake Boss on TV, but I’m going to see him in person next weekend!
Seeing celebrity chefs is one of the fun aspects of the Food & Wine Festival; and learning from them — up close and personal — is always a treat! I think this is gonna be a fun one, don’t you?! Can’t wait to do the review!
The Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro (photo a la NY Daily News)
Find out more about special events like Buddy Valastro’s culinary demo on our Epcot Food and Wine Festival Special Events page and low-cost events page!
Howard Jones
You don’t think you know who he is, but you do. You know a whole bunch of his songs, I promise; you just didn’t know that he sang them.
Keep an ear out for new chart toppers The Gin Blossoms and The Pointer Sisters this year, as well as old favorites like Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy, and, of course, Howard Jones!
Howard Jones...a few years ago
See the full list of Eat to the Beat concerts here!
The Xante Mixology Seminar
Mixology seminars are brand new at the festival this year, and I was lucky enough to score seats to one that features a spirit sold at the returning Scandinavia Booth this year!
Xante
To learn more about the mixology seminars, check out our low-cost events page for a link to the full list! These can be booked right now, and cost $12 per person.
What Are YOU Looking Forward To?
Are you headed to the festival this year? Let us know in the comments below what you can’t wait to sample or see!
Don’t forget — for over 135 pages of information, touring strategies, photos, and more about this year’s festival, check out our DFB Mini-Guide to the 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival e-Book!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Festival Beer, Ropa Vieja, and the weather this Sunday, which is supposed to be gorgeous:)
I’m excited for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, the after party (to see all the food booths!), and going to your meet up on Sunday. Woo hoo!
I have never been to F&W before, this is my first year. So I am excited to just be there for it! I am doing 2 culinary demos, the 3D dessert party, and a sweet sunday. Plus, of course, eating as much as I can at the booths!
I’ve never been to F&W festival and been able to drink, so I am looking forward to trying the wine and different cocktails. 🙂
The highlight is always the international marketplaces — can’t wait for the Fisherman’s pie!!! Yum!!
We’re doing the 3d dessert party this year for the first time (sweet seats!) — looking forward to that and our reserved ROE viewing area!
Leaving in 11 days for WDW! It’ll be my first F&W. Cannot wait.
I’m from Massachusetts, the south shore to be exact (the area between Boston and Cape Cod where the majority of cranberry bogs are!) so it’s so funny to me that a cranberry bog seems so exciting to people! I am looking forward to seeing how they recreate it though!
I’m going for the first time in 13 days! I’m not sure what to expect with 2 young children (who are picky eaters) and a husband (who is also a picky eater) but we all are excited about the rib eye tacos in Mexico and various desserts from all over the world – if it’s sweet then that’s one thing they’ll all try 🙂 Hubby is looking forward to sampling wines (he’s a home vintner) and trying an IPA for the first time, I’m just excited that he’s excited about something somewhat food related because I’m usually the only one in our house that gets excited over food (they’re all crazy – not me!)
I’m looking forward to the Italy Food & Wine Pairing.
I’m looking forward to short lines (as we have 5 kids under 8 in tow). When is the best time of the day to go?