Hey insiders, Ashley here! If you’ve been following The Kingdom Insider for some time, you’ll have noticed that attending the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is an annual tradition for my family. Last year I wrote a bit about why our family traveled from New York and other parts of Florida to meet in Orlando to taste our way around the world. Check it here. But you might also be thinking…how can 17 of them enjoy this experience together? You definitely give us the same look as a friendly cast member asking us “how many are we” when we get to the end of the line for the Gran Fiesta Tour boat at the Mexico Pavilion and saying “17…can we get our own boat?” 🙂 P.S. Our favorite way to cap off an all-day dining and drinking experience around the world.
Here are our top 3 tips and tricks for making Epcot work with a large group:
- Link up on MyDisneyExperience and start a group text before the day starts. This is crucial so that no one is left out when you need a break from eating and drinking and want to join the virtual queue or purchase the Lightning Lane for Guardians of the Galaxy. A text group is essential, so when a homeless person is running out to buy the latest festival merchandise, participating in a scavenger hunt, checking out the Eat to the Beat concert series, or scouting a fireworks venue… everyone knows where to meet.
- Take a look at the menus beforehand. This will help in making a loose plan for the day as well as understanding which booths can accommodate dietary requests because with a large group, there will be members who require allergy-friendly items. The beauty of the festival is that many markets offer items that meet these demands. For example, some menu items are marked as vegan. You can also speak with the chef or cast member before placing your order.
- Understand that it’s okay to break up. It’s impossible for everyone in your group to want to eat and drink from the same booths, ride the same rides, or watch the same shows. Our best approach is to start in Canada – because let’s be honest…everyone wants Filet Mignon and Cheddar and then make a plan for what’s next. For example: We review what comes next – who wants to get to the France Pavilion? What about Brazil? We then set a place and time to meet in Morocco, so that we don’t get separated or separated too often for long periods of time because that defeats the goal of trying to achieve this together! One of our favorite places is Germany where we always enjoy wine or beer together as a family in honor of my grandfather.
Watch our YouTube video where you can see all the amazing meals and sips we tried this year.
There are still two months left to enjoy 28 booths. Be sure to let our friends at Academy Travel help you book your vacation before November 18, so you can eat and drink from 6 continents, too!
Ready to book your Disney vacation? Leave all the details to our friends on Academy travel agency And let one of their Disney experts take it from here! Simply click here to select your favorite Disney destinationFill out our quick and easy survey, and your dedicated free agent will contact you shortly! Take a look around our website in the meantime, and read all about it Resorts, Cruises, eat the food, Entertainment and more! Make sure to follow us @thekingdominsider on instagram & The kingdom from within on Facebook for updates and insider information on what not to miss! Get excited, the countdown to your holiday has begun!
