Park Spotlight: Tables in Wonderland Preview for Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2017
This year's festival will be the longest in it's history with 75 days running from
August 31 – November 13, 2017.
Tables in Wonderland members were able to sample some of the new food and beverage offerings for this year. The preview focused on three main areas- food, festival content, and merchandise:
Food:
There will be 35 marketplaces at the festival this year with 39 new food items, 65 new beverage items, and 5 new locations:
Active Eats
These are foods that help fuel the body like a sweet avocado crema with strawberries , yellow cake, and tortilla streusel that was at the preview.
The Almond Orchard (hosted by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze)
This kiosk will be featuring a banana almond soft serve sundae with fresh berries and crunchy chocolate oats.
The Light Lab
This kiosk will have a variety of “bubbly drafts and spirited concoctions”
Coastal Eats
This will be featuring foods from the ocean of the Pacific Northwest coastline like seared scallops with roasted corn and butter bean succotash and chili-chipotle butter sauce.
Flavors from Fire
They will be offering foods that are hot and spicy that are roasted or cooked with fire, such as, smoked corned beef with warm crispy potatoes, pickled onions, and blonde ale beer fondue, featuring BelGioioso Romano and American Grana cheeses.
There was also a sampling of a sweet pancake with spicy chipotle chicken sausage, onion jam, and maple butter syrup.
Can't forget about dessert-chocolate picante: dark chocolate mousse with cayenne pepper, chili powder, and raspberry dust.
India, Spain, and Thailand will also be returning to the festival after being gone for awhile.
Festival Content:
Food and beverage seminars
Culinary demonstrations
Mix it, Make it, Celebrate it!
What's Cookin' With: 1 of 14 celebrity chefs will be appearing at this breakfast event on select Fridays and Sundays throughout the Festival. Art Smith, Cat Cora, Carla Hall, and Buddy Valastro are among those that will be there.
ABC's The Chew will be taping October 4-6, 2017
Grand Tasting Events-Party for the Senses will be select Saturdays throughout the Festival
Culinary Adventures around the World:
-Narcoossee's -Flying Fish -Jiko-The Cooking Place
Morimota Asia -Wine Bar George -Contemporary Resort
-STK -Tiffins -Victoria & Albert's
-Artist Point -Contemporary Catering Chef's Table
-Yachtsman Steakhouse
Festival Dining at Disney Resort Hotels
-Brunch with a Twist at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
-Culinary Adventures with a Master Chef at Disney's Contemporary Resort
-Behind the Scenes at Trader Sam's Grog Grotto
-The Secrets of Flavor at Disney's Contemporary Resort
Eat to the Beat Concert series-these free concerts with paid Epcot admission will take place 3 times daily at 5:30pm, 6:45pm, and 8:00pm. Eleven new acts will be appearing at the festival:
-Baha Men -The Hooters -Mark Wills
-Laura Alaina -American Authors -The Devon Allman Band
-10,000 Maniacs -Kenny G -Postmodern Jukebox
-Blue October -Squeeze
Merchandise:
There will be 4 main themes for the merchandise this year:
Chef Remy
Figment Character Chef
Taste Your Way Around the World
Brews Around the World
There will also be a special Food and Wine Dooney and Bourke, as well as an Annual Passholder one this year featuring Chef Figment.
With all the food offerings, entertainment, experiences, and merchandise this year, one should not miss out on attending.
Judy Leitz is an independent contractor for Fairytale Adventures Travel Agency. She specializes in family vacations to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Line. You can reach Judy at Judy@Fairytaleadv.com.
