EPCOT has never been a park that sits still, and September is no different, as changes are hitting this park.

Between rotating festivals, shifting World Showcase marketplaces, and pavilions that always seem to have something new cooking, it can honestly be hard to keep track of what’s changing week to week. As summer winds down, September is shaping up to be one of EPCOT’s busier months yet, with a beloved restaurant going dark, a brand-new exhibit debuting, and a few festival favorites evolving.

1. Coral Reef Restaurant Is Closing

If Coral Reef Restaurant is on your must-do list, you’ll want to hold off. The Seas with Nemo & Friends’ underwater dining room is set to temporarily close beginning September 8th, and Disney hasn’t given a specific reason why. A reopening is expected “later in 2026,” but no firm date has been announced.

This closure follows an earlier cutback at Coral Reef: back in January, the restaurant dropped lunch entirely and shifted to a dinner-only schedule. Between that change and now this closure, it’s worth wondering whether more permanent changes are ahead for this longtime spot. If you want one more meal beside the reef’s roughly 2,000 sea creatures, you’ll want to get a reservation in before September 8th.

2. “Cheers to Cheese!” Exhibit Opens

Cheese fans, this one’s for you. Starting September 18th and running through November 8, CommuniCore Hall will play host to “Cheers to Cheese!”. This is a NEW interactive exhibit coming to the festival this year! Guests can browse the “Cheers to Cheese!” exhibit, which explores the history of cheese with added fun facts. The exhibit arrives as part of the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival and pairs nicely with the returning Emile’s Fromage Montage food stroll, which sends guests around World Showcase to sample cheese-forward dishes and collect stamps along the way. Expect playful facts, photo ops, and plenty of puns for anyone who considers cheese its own personal food group.

3. A New Fireworks Dining Package at Shiki-Sai

Over in the Japan Pavilion, Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya is rolling out a new Fireworks Dining Package, with reservations opening August 27th. The package centers on a set menu — an appetizer, traditional sashimi, a sushi selection, and an exclusive dessert and beverage only available with this option — enjoyed with upstairs views of World Showcase Lagoon as Luminous: The Symphony of Us lights up the sky around 9 PM.

Pricing breaks down like this:

• Ages 10+: $120 per person (about $149.50 after tax and gratuity)
• Ages 3–9: $60 per person (about $74.70 after tax and gratuity)

However, when we checked the Disney World website page for the Shiki-Sai dining package later, it seemed to be gone from the site. That’s a steep price tag, and given Shiki-Sai’s small footprint and already-tough reservation windows, we wouldn’t be shocked if this books up quickly once it goes live. We’ll be watching closely to see when it will debute.

4. Eat to the Beat’s Lineup Keeps Changing

We know, we know — Eat to the Beat Concert Series technically kicks off on August 27th, so it’s not exactly “new” in September. BUT, because the lineup rotates throughout the festival’s run (nightly through November 16th), the artists taking the America Gardens Theatre stage in September will look pretty different from opening week. This year’s series brings in several EPCOT first-timers alongside returning crowd favorites.

• Sep 1-3: Evolution: Motown
• Sep 4-5: The War and Treaty (NEW)
• Sep 6-7: Yellowcard
• Sep 8-10: Fly Guys
• Sep 11-12: Couch (NEW)
• Sep 13-14: Fitz and the Tantrums (NEW)
• Sep 15-17: Latin Ambition
• Sep 18-19: MercyMe
• Sep 20-21: Grupo Manía (NEW)
• Sep 22-24: Metro Latino Band
• Sep 25-27: Element
• Sep 28-29: New Found Glory
• Sep 30: Smash Mouth

Shows run three times nightly, seating is first-come-first-served, and admission is included with your EPCOT ticket — though a dining package is available if you’d rather lock in a seat (and a meal) ahead of time.

5. Food & Wine Festival Rolls On

Tying a lot of this together is the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival itself, running now through November 21st. September will have the festival in full swing, with dozens of Global Marketplaces serving up bites from around the world alongside returning favorites like Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak.

If you’re hoping to pair a festival visit with shorter lines, take note: EPCOT’s 2026 After Hours Events are wrapping up, with its final two nights of the year landing on September 16th and 24th. The separately ticketed event runs from 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM with early entry starting at 7 PM and includes complimentary snacks plus lower waits on popular attractions.

From a dining closure to a new festival exhibit to a splurge-worthy fireworks package, EPCOT is proving once again that no two visits look quite the same. Keep following DisneyFoodBlog for the latest updates on all things EPCOT — and everywhere else around Disney World — as these changes continue to unfold!

EPCOT Needs More Rides and the Internet Has Some WILD Thoughts