How $8 Will Make Your Next EPCOT Festival Much More Enjoyable

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One of our favorite things to do at EPCOT is to eat, and chances are if you’re reading this it’s probably your favorite thing to do as well!

EPCOT

One of the best times to visit this park is during one of their seasonal festivals, when booths pop up around World Showcase offering a variety of interesting small plates featuring cuisines from around the world!

There are four EPCOT festivals every year; the International Festival of the Arts, the International Flower & Garden Festival, the Food & Wine Festival, and the International Festival of the Holidays. There is one thing we recommend bringing to an EPCOT festival to really get the most out of your visit. Believe it or not, it’s nothing fancy — you could actually find this item in any public school!

Tangerine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina Spread 2021

That’s right, the secret to a happy and fulfilling EPCOT festival is a cafeteria tray! Long-term readers are probably familiar with this tip of ours, but if you’ve never tried it before we highly suggest implementing it the next time you go to see what a difference it makes.

Festivals give you the opportunity to try a ton of different food not only because, well, it’s what they’re there for, but also because usually, the portions are small, letting you taste more items!

CFS Cafe Plastic Fast Food Tray from Amazon is our secret weapon!

More dishes to try? Amazing. More dishes to carry? Not that easy. Unless you’re an octopus and have the luxury of eight arms, trying to carry all the foods you want to try can be tricky. That’s why we like to bring trays because it allows us to pile up with a ton of different food items. Trust us, the experience is totally elevated when you can mix and match from different booths!

Another issue with EPCOT festivals is seating. Once the park fills with guests who are all just as interested in sampling all that the festival has to offer as you are, finding a free space to sit can be next to impossible. Even worse, if you’re fine standing, you’ll still be hard-pressed to find a table.

2022 Festival of the Arts Crowds

This is really where the tray becomes your savior! It’s much easier to enjoy your food and hold everything together.

Take a look at the surface — it’s textured for extra grip!

This tray from Amazon is just a regular cafeteria tray— it really is nothing fancy but it makes a WORLD of difference! If you want to purchase different colors for each person in your party you can, and if you really want to get creative, you can use some vinyl letters to personalize yours! Slide it into your backpack for the day, or strap it to your back for a minimalist carrying option. The best part? Each tray is only $7.78!

Click here to buy the CFS Cafe Plastic Fast Food Tray!

Or if you’re looking for something that’s a little fancier, you can grab a Bamboo Serving Tray on sale for $22.99!

©Amazon

This tray serves the same purpose but is a little larger and can be used for more things at home too!

Grab the Bamboo Tray here!

And depending on the merchandise of the year, you may find themed little trays being sold in the parks. These tend to be a bit more pricey but they will say the festival and the year. They also might be a little smaller but sometimes feature a cup holder. So keep your eyes peeled!

Food and Wine Logo Food Tray

The next time you go to EPCOT for a festival definitely give this tray trick a try. We have a feeling once you start you’ll never go trayless again!

Check out all the latest news on all the EPCOT festivals here!

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Which EPCOT festival is your favorite and why? Fight for your fave in the comments below!