The EPCOT Food & Wine Festival is HERE! But before you say “bon appétit,” check out the top ten tips sent in by our readers so that YOU can make the most of the Food & Wine Festival.

Are you planning a visit to the Food & Wine Festival this year? Our amazing reporters have all the information on this year’s festival offerings, merchandise, and more! But we haven’t forgotten that many of our readers are seasoned festival veterans with tons of helpful tips! Let’s see what they had to say!

1. Don’t Book Any Dining Reservations

We love a good sit-down dining experience. But as many agreed, “There is no need for them with so many amazing food booths available.” Save that big dinner reservation for another day and chow down with bites from the festival food booths!

Instead of spending your precious time in a restaurant while you’re at EPCOT, use our BEST of the Fest guide to help you have a restaurant-quality meal with just the Food and Wine Festival booths!

Check out our BEST of the FEST post here for our top recommendations at EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival!

2. Plan Ahead

MANY of you suggested planning ahead! Take a look at the menus ahead of time, figure out a general plan of attack, and make a list of foods that interest you! One follower suggested, “Get the free booklet and plan ahead! Watching DFB for the best of the fest helps too!”

If you are looking for gluten-free or vegetarian foods, don’t waste time in the park looking for food. Plan ahead with our gluten-free and vegetarian guides! And we have even MORE information in our Food and Wine Guide.

It’s full of food crawls, maps, tips, and more!

Click here to start planning your day at the Food & Wine Festival

3. Bring Friends and SHARE

It takes a village to conquer the World Showcase. Pretty much everyone agreed, “Splitting items with multiple people helps to keep the cost down and allows you to enjoy more booths.” This is a marathon, people, not a sprint. Share whenever you can to leave room for more!

We suggest sharing a beer flight, splitting a cheesy spanakopita, or dividing up a box of donuts!

4. Try to Avoid Going On the Weekend

“Avoid the crazy busy weekends!” You might not be able to help it, but if you can, our readers suggest staying away from weekend crowds.

Lines can get pretty long, especially over in the China pavilion, so try and plan accordingly! Split up your party so that multiple people are getting food from different booths at the same time, and be as strategic as possible! Florida residents tend to come to the festival on weekends, which definitely contributes to the larger crowd size.

5. Use a Gift Card to Budget Spending

Put simply, one reader explained, “Get a gift card & load it with money, makes your food purchases quick + you’ll be able to see balances.” We love efficiency and practicality!

Using Disney gift cards is a great way to budget your money and set limits for yourself. Otherwise, people tend to find themselves swiping their cards without really thinking about how much they are spending! With a gift card, you know exactly how much money you have to work with.

Click here to read about 4 Things That Are TOO EXPENSIVE at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

6. Pace Yourself

“Drinks are strong and while portions seem small, many are filling.” Word to the wise — go at a nice, easy pace. Eat or drink too fast and you’re going to feel it later. We promise.

The Food and Wine Festival exists to be enjoyed, and we still recommend chowing down — just do so at a slower pace. Going back to what we said earlier, plan ahead! If you know that there are lots of foods and drinks you plan on consuming, it might to help set a loose schedule for yourself.

Click here to read about our Top 6 Guilty Pleasures at the Food and Wine Festival

7. Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things

One commenter pointed out, “Try dishes you don’t think you’ll like because they’ll always surprise you,” and we couldn’t agree more! There’s no better feeling than when a dish exceeds your expectations!

You might not think that pig ear sounds very appetizing, but you might surprise yourself! Some Food & Wine items may seem like ugly ducklings, but it’s the taste that counts the most! Go for it, even if it sounds weird!

8. Stay Hydrated

“Stay hydrated in between stops!” Water is essential in Disney, but you already knew that!

You can ask for free cups of ice water at select quick service locations. Never be afraid to ask! Cast Members are happy to hook you up, or point you to someone that can! Plus, water is refreshing– especially on a hot Florida day!

9. Come Hungry

We saw this one a lot. “Come hungry.” How many times have you fallen into the “too full for dessert” trap? (We have, too) Be prepared to eat, eat, eat — you deserve it!

If you’re planning on spending your day at EPCOT during the Food and Wine Festival, bring an empty stomach. Just make sure not to ride Mission Space on that empty stomach!

Click here to read more about that delicious funnel cake in the American Adventure pavilion!

10. Start in Canada

Ah, the age-old debate. Do you start your day in Canada, or Mexico, or somewhere else? One commenter explained, “Pick your must-eats and start in Canada *usually I start in Mexico* before the steak and soup are gone.” This one is totally subjective, but if there’s a food you are dying to try, we recommend getting it early in case it sells out for the day!

If there’s a dessert or drink you want to try, don’t wait until the very end of the night to try and buy it! Sometimes, things sell out, lines get long, or you get too full.

Huge shout-out to anyone who left a tip — these are definitely important things to keep in mind next time you head to the Food & Wine Festival! As always, stay tuned for more updates about the Festival! Bon appétit!

See our reviews for EVERY. SINGLE. Food and Wine Booth Here!

And like we said earlier if you are looking for more tips you need to check out our Food and Wine Guide!! It will help you tackle the festival like a PRO!

Do you have any other Food & Wine Festival tips? Share them in the comments! 

The post 10 of the BEST EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Planning Tips, According to YOU! first appeared on the disney food blog.