We’re just a few days away from the kickoff of the 2021 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival! 

The Food and Wine Festival is a BIG time of the year here at DFB, because we stop by on the opening day to try ALL the food, drinks, and activities and share our thoughts with you. However, this year’s festival is going to be a bit different than usual — there are 5 big changes!

No Eat to the Beat Concert Series

Sadly, the ever-popular Eat to the Beat Concert Series won’t be happening this year. Typically, this series of performances throughout the festival season featured a lineup of famous bands from around the world, including some fan favorites. (We miss you, Boyz II Men!)

This year, EPCOT will be hosting a smaller concert series in its place, headlined by local bands from the Orlando area. We just got the lineup the other day, and it sounds like it’s going to be a great time!

Click Here to See the List of Bands Performing!

There Are Several New Food Booths

Each year, we look forward to our returning favorite food items (hello, Canada!), but we also get really pumped for the brand-new booths we get to try. This time, there are 8 new global marketplaces that are fresh to the fest, and they’ve got some awesome menu items.

We’re ready to try out Brew-Wing at the EPCOT Experience, The Noodle Exchange, Rotunda Bistro, and The Swanky Saucy Swine. Not to mention Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina, Kenya, Lobster Landing, and Mac & Eats. We’re down for anything with cheese!

Click Here to See the Menus for the Festival!

It’s Going to Be Super Long

This year’s Food & Wine Festival is lasting more than 4 months, beginning July 15th and running all the way until November 20th, 2021. Typically, this festival doesn’t begin until mid-August!

Last year’s festival was just as long, but that was mostly due to the fact that the Flower and Garden Festival had been cut short when the parks closed. This year’s event only leaves a few days between the two festivals, considering Flower and Garden 2021 ended last week. 

Click Here to Get a Free Printable of the Food Booths!

There Are No Scheduled Special Events

Typically, the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival comes with several special events, from seminars to cooking classes to celebrity chef appearances. This year, nothing like that has been announced!

These events often require an extra fee to participate, but in the past, we’ve seen options like Party for the Senses, Food Seminars, Cheese Seminars, and Sunday Brunch with the Chef. Even though we haven’t heard anything, we’re still holding out hope that some of these might return in the next 4 months!

Click Here to Learn About 3 Surprising Changes to This Year’s Fest!

The Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend is Back

After going a year and a half without any in-person runDisney events, races are back to the parks! This year’s festival brings the return of the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend with several races for runners to participate in. 

If you want to register, you’ll want to do so quickly — the price increases the longer you wait! From November 4th-November 7th, EPCOT will be filled with plenty of eager guests, with race costs starting at $95 and going all the way to $370. 

Click Here to Learn More About This Half Marathon Weekend!

There you have it — 5 big differences that you need to know about this year’s festival! And if you’re looking for all the need-to-know details on the Food and Wine Festival, you will want to check out our DFB Guide. It’s full of ALL the info you need to conquer the festival!!

We’re heading to opening day this week, so stay tuned to DFB for all the details and updates!

5 DFB Videos to Watch Before Visiting This Year’s Festival!

Have you ever been to this festival?

The post 5 Things That Are Different About the 2021 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival first appeared on the disney food blog.