We are just a few short weeks away from the END of the 3-month-long festival drought in EPCOT with the start of EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival!
2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival
Menus have FINALLY been released for the festival, and words can’t express how excited we are. We’ve already been looking through it and making our festival plan, our eyes brightening as we saw more and more options coming back that we’ve enjoyed in years past, and then — wait, what is THAT?!
*sigh* The truth is, friends, there are some offerings returning to this year’s festival that, for lack of a better term, BAFFLE us. We try ALL the new eats at the festival each and every year, and often try ones that we’ve had in years past too to see if they’re still worth (or not worth) your money.
The Noodle Exchange Booth
Not every item at each booth is a winner, and that’s not surprising since everyone’s taste buds are different! However, sometimes there are items that are just REALLY not it, and we expect them to never return again. This alone is why you see entirely new menus at the Italy pavilion nearly every single festival (because, let’s be honest, it’s been a LONG TIME since Italy has had a winner — maybe this will be the year!). Disney doesn’t want to keep hated items on the menu, because then no one will buy them and they’ve wasted ingredients and time on food that won’t get eaten.
2023 Booth
Which is why we were SO surprised to see that some…questionable options are coming back to the festival this year. Okay, that’s being kind — the internet HATED these items last year, and yet, here they are again! One of the biggest ones that our jaws dropped at seeing come back is the Pickle Milkshake from Brew Wing!
Pickle Milkshake
Some thought it tasted more like dill than pickles, and others (who are normally pickle lovers) absolutely hated it. At the end of the day, no one can argue that this wasn’t unique, and we thought it was a little TOO unique for it to come back — we’ve been proven wrong.
It’s so…green
Also from Brew Wing, the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Wings are making a return! Like the pickle milkshake, this is VERY unique, but we actually really enjoyed them! Yes, they do really taste like peanut butter and jelly, so if strange-flavored wings aren’t your thing, stay far, FAR away, but it wasn’t too unique that we disliked it. But will they do it well enough AGAIN this year?
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Wings
But this last one, y’all, we’re truly at a loss for words. The Swine Brine is coming BACK at the Flavors From Fire booth, and we’re just shaking our heads.
Swine Brine (2023)
Hear us out — we’ll try anything once. We’ll even try most things way MORE than that, but the whole team is sending good thoughts and vibes to whatever reporter gets assigned this booth because, well, this drink, made from Jim Beam Bourbon, apple cinnamon cider, bone broth, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard, was on our list of hated items last year. When we first tried it about 4 years ago, we didn’t despise it, surprisingly, but last year, the flavor of bone broth was SO strong we almost spit out the drink. Not only that, the pork inside the drink looked gray in color, which was very off-putting, and our official stance was to stay away.
Swine Brine (from 2020)
Despite these…intriguing items, we’re really looking forward to the festival this year and can’t wait to bring all the latest news and reviews to you!
More Food and Wine Festival News!
- OK, It’s Been 15 Days. Has Disney Fixed This Glaring Problem in EPCOT Yet?
- We Spent Nearly $830 in Disney World to Prove a Point. Here’s What We Noticed.
- A HUGE Change at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival…Was A Disappointment
- HOLD UP. Did You Know About This EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Secret?
- We NEED To Chat About This Uncomfortable EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Problem
Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Food and Wine Festival news!
Check out ALL the booths and menus for this year’s Food and Wine Festival here!
IT'S WINE & DINE TIME!
Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience.
If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU!
Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival!
Food and Wine Festival 101Eat to the Beat Concert Updates
EPCOT Food and Wine Festival - Fans Facebook Page
Wine and Dine Half Marathon Details
Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
What booth are you most looking forward to? Tell us in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Subscribe via RSS
Subscribe via email
Italy’s booth is probably bad because they want you to eat at the expensive Tutto or Via Napoli. I like pickles, but I won’t stand in line for a pickle milk shake.
What?? The pb&j wings were PHENOMENAL when we had them in 2022, and very much looking forward to getting them again this year! Honestly I question people’s taste buds if they they didn’t like them. There are some vloggers I stopped watching because of bad food tastes *cough cough* Kristen *cough cough* 😜
I had the swine brine last year and it was fine! It’s actually something I look forward to every year.
My Son, Grand Niece and I all really liked the Pickle Milkshake. We’d def get it again.