Walt Disney World has shared that the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival will still be taking place in 2020, but it will kick off on July 15th; the first day EPCOT opens after the long closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Festival will be modified this year to account for social distancing guidelines that are in order. Guests can enjoy “A Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival” from July 15th through the fall; the exact end date has not been announced.
Disney has announced that there will be 20 signature global marketplaces such as Hawaii, Hops & Barley, and Islands of the Caribbean, and they will be spaced out around the theme park.
Additionally, Disney has announced that they’ll be sprinkling in the “floral fun” of the Flower & Garden Festival with the global goodies of the Food & Wine Festival. Guests will be able to see the Remy topiary in the France pavilion along with special Flower & Garden merchandise. Scavenger hunt fans will be glad to hear that Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak scavenger hunt will return. Later on, after the Festival begins, Food & Wine merchandise will be added in.
The musical acts during the “Eat to the Beat Concert Series” are so popular and “often pack the house” but in an effort to accommodate proper physical distancing, these concerts will not take place this year. Guests will be able to enjoy music at the America Gardens Theatre with local EPCOT entertainment such as Mariachi Cobre, the JAMMitors, and more. These performances will be spread throughout the day in order to give audiences more options to enjoy them.