Another EPCOT festival is on the way!

We’ve been enjoying the Flower and Garden Festival for the last couple of months, from the tasty eats to the fun activities to — of course — the flowers. But EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival is coming up soon, and we’re getting excited. This event kicks off on July 15th, and if you’re visiting, you’ll want to be prepared. Since it can get pretty pricey, we’ve got some tips on budgeting for ya right here!

1. Look at Menus and Prices in Advance

If you’re trying to budget for the Festival, you’ll need to know what, exactly, you want to spend! Once the Festival menus are released, we’ll have ALL the details on menus and prices for ya. Most dishes run from $5-$10 — and the booze can get a little pricier. You can take a peek at our 2020 menus to get a good idea of how much things cost.

Take a glance at the menus and get a ballpark estimate of how much you’re willing to spend on all of these eats. That’ll be your maximum budget! If you’re visiting over several days, you can split this up further by allocating a certain amount of funds for each day. It can be as easy-breezy or as complex as YOU want it to be!

Our DFB Guide to the 2021 Epcot Food & Wine Festival is a 250+ page guide to the festival that will give you insider tips and advice, as well as ways to save on your visit. You can pre-order it today for even MORE help planning!

Check Out the Prices and Menus for the 2020 Food and Wine Festival!

2. Make a List of What You Want to Try

The 2020 Food and Wine Festival featured over 20 different booths and locations, with plenty of eats and sips to try at each! More likely than not, you’ll be unable to try everything at the festival. So you’ll want to sit down and make a list beforehand!

Once you have your budget, dive back into those menus and make a list of your must-eats. These are food options that you can’t pass up on, and they’ll be your priority once you get to the Festival. Then, list a few items that you want to try, but could pass on if needed. Write out a few more of these than your budget allows so you have the flexibility to decide what you’re in the mood to munch on when the day arrives! But be sure to specify exactly how many of these items you can actually squeeze in.

When you’re all finished, you’ll have a list of your festival MUSTS, and some other eats that you could take or leave. Bring that with you to the festival and enjoy! The menu hasn’t been released for the 2021 festival yet! But add this to your list of must-dos for when those menus are released.

Check Out Our List of Must-Eats from the Flower and Garden Festival!

3. Buy Disney Gift Cards

Disney gift cards are one of our top tips for budgeting at festivals because they serve a few purposes. First of all, they let you put your allocated budget in one spot so you can keep track of exactly how much you’ve spent and how much you have left at any given time.

Gift cards also allow you to SAVE money, in a roundabout way! If you buy these gift cards with a Target RedCard or another promotion, you can save 5% on the gift cards themselves. That’s like getting a 5% discount at the festival! You can also buy discounted gift cards at places like Sam’s.

So you heard it here, folks. Stock up on those gift cards and load ’em up with exactly what your Festival budget is. Then feast without worries that you’re overspending!

Click for More Food and Wine Budgeting Tips!

4. Split Food Items

Eager to try a TON of what the Festival has to offer, but not sure if your budget allows it? Split some if not all of those eats with a friend or family member! You’ll be able to try double the items without spending double the cash. And remember, you can always go back for seconds if ya want more.

The portions at the Festival are pretty small as-is, as they’re meant to be tasting size, but you can still pretty effectively split ’em up. And if you’re trying a lot of different things, you’ll still fill up pretty fast! If you’re looking to really get the most out of the Festival’s offerings, this is one of our main tips.

Check Out 5 CONFIRMED Booths for the Food and Wine Festival!

5. Don’t Make Table Service Reservations

Like we mentioned, you can fill up pretty fast on Festival food. And if you’re committing to trying a bunch of menu items in 1 day, you may want to skip any other dining options.

If you’re really wanting to eat your way through the festival, we suggest that you don’t bother making a reservation for a Table Service restaurant on the day you’re attending the festival. Not only is this a BIG sink of your money, but you might not have the space in your stomach after all those festival eats!

Instead, save the money you would have spent on that sit-down meal to chow down on some more festival food instead.

Want to Eat Table Service? Check Out Some of Our Favorites!

6. Use the DFB Festival Guide

At the end of the day, you’ll find your one-stop-shop for your festival planning and budgeting in our DFB Guide to the 2021 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. It’s got ALL of our insider tips and tricks from years of experience visiting every EPCOT Festival out there!

This guide is currently available for pre-order, and you can save 20% off the cover price by using the code CHEFS at checkout.

This book can be your festival lifesaver.

Click Here to Pre-Order the DFB Guide to the 2021 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival!

Well, there ya have it! By using these money-saving tips, you’ve got a great plan for saving at the festival while still having a good time. Have fun out there, friends! And stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news.

Check Out What You NEED to Bring to the Food and Wine Festival!

Are you visiting the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival this year? Let us know in the comments!

The post Our TOP Tips for Budgeting for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival first appeared on the disney food blog.