Each Fall Adults flock to the Walt Disney World Resort to check out the latest rendition of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.  2019 does not disappoint and Only WDWorld is here to share with you a few tastes that you don't want to miss!

Epcot Food & Wine Festival At A Glance

The Epcot Food & Wine is now in its 24th year as an event that Disney fans schedule their fall travel plans around.  Each year gets bigger and better with more food and drink choices over a longer period of time.  2019 runs from August 29th through November 23rd marking the longest Epcot F&W festival ever.

The festival is FREE to those who visit Epcot during those days.  For no additional fees guests get access to over 40 additional food & drink kiosks beyond what is normally available.  There are also 3 nightly concerts performed well known acts at the America Gardens Theater for no additional charge.

Beyond that there are additional culinary and wine seminars and demonstrations that are available for an extra charge for those that are interested.  There are also signature food & drink pairing specialty events for an extra fee available on certain days.

For the majority of Epcot visitors it means that the World Showcase is filled with literally over a hundred different options for food and drink in sampling size portions to try and experience.

6 Foods To Try During Your Visit

With 40 locations of specialty food & drink options during the Festival it is always a challenge to locate what to try when there is only so much time available.  Only WDWorld will share with you 6 of our favorites that are available during the 2019 Epcot Food & Wine Festival that you should give strong consideration to trying.  As a bonus ALL of these foods are available as snack credits for those that are using one of the Disney Dining Plans during their visit.

No matter what your preference: beef, chicken, pork, seafood, or vegetarian there is something for you!  That is what makes this food extravaganza so great.  The culinary choices are wonderful whether you pair them with the variety of alcoholic libations or not.

Choice #1 at Flavors From Fire

Our favorite kiosk is actually not located in the World Showcase, but rather tucked away in Future World near The Land pavilion.  Everything on the menu here is excellent, but for our recommendation we have selected the Charred Chimichurri Skirt Steak on a smoked corn cake with pickled vegetables slaw and cilantro aioli.

This dish for beef lovers has a wonderful mix of flavors that starts with the wonderful grilled skirt steak.  You cannot go wrong with this dish!

Choice #2 at Japan

Our next selection comes right is the middle of the World Showcase at the Japan kiosk.  Here was our biggest surprise of our visit as this dish did not catch our eye by reading the description.  After hearing the buzz from others we knew we had to try this choice and boy were we blown away.

The Frothy Ramen with Chilled noodles and dashi broth with a light foam topping is something that has to be tasted to be believed.  It won us over and earned a spot in our top recommendations of the year.  It all works together and creates a great flavor combination.  This is not something that you will see everyday which is all the more reason to try it here at the festival.

Choice #3 at The Wine & Dine Studio

Finding our next food choice at The Wine & Dine Studio located on the walkway between Future World and the World Showcase might seem a little odd, but trust us this is an option that you do not want to miss.

The Seared Scallops with truffled celery root puree, brussel sprouts and wild mushrooms is a great choice for the scallop and/or seafood lover.  The scallops were prepared perfectly and the vegetables did a great job of complimenting the flavors.

Choice #4 at Italy

Our next choice was another surprise to us after surveying the initial menus for the festival.  after hearing recommendations we were inspired to try this dish and again we had no regrets and want to share it with you.

The Costine di Maiale is 3 large balsamic glazed and oven roasted pork ribs that are incredibly tender and tasty.  This was easily the largest portion size of all of the dishes that were tried and viewed at the Festival.  The flavor was amazing and if you enjoy ribs then you owe it to yourself to stop in Italy and try these!

Choice #5 at Morocco

It may surprise you that one of the best steak based food items to enjoy at this year's festival is located at the Morocco kiosk.

The NY Strip Steak Green Shermoula Flatbread with fresh radish and tomato salsa has a serious portion of steak on a flatbread with a very flavorful and fresh salsa.  This is a hearty sample that does a masterful job of combining the steak with the bright notes of the salsa which made it one of our favorites.

Choice #6 at Active Eats

Again we venture outside of the World Showcase back to Future World to find the Active Eats kiosk which is grouped together with the Earth Eats and Coastal Eats kiosks to provide a trio of nice options and a combined seating area to enjoy.

Here we recommend the Spice Crusted Verlasso Salmon with Uncle Ben's quinoa & ancient grains medley, crushed avocado, and sherry vinegar. This is a great salmon dish that combines well with the hearty grains on the side.  The flavors and textures in this dish really won us over and that is why it deserves to be one of our top recommendations this year

Be Bold & Taste Outside Your Comfort Zone!

No matter what your normal dining preferences take the opportunity to be bold and try some foods outside of your normal dining choices!  Over 30 countries and regions are represented and this is your chance to try new preparations of food you are familiar with and other foods you may never have tried before.  The cost of trying something new averages around $5-$6 per dish so it doesn't cost a lot to experiment.

Let us know if you agree with our recommendations or if you found something else that should have been listed amongst our top choices!

The Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run is one of the signature attractions at the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge land that you will find within Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Disney Does Attractions Through Storytelling

Walt Disney was always all about the storytelling.  What often differentiates Disney theme park attractions from the others centers around the ability to weave a cohesive story into and around the attraction you are experiencing.  In the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge land the Disney and Lucasfilm Imagineers went to great lengths to deliver more than just a thrill ride.  They really wanted to allow guests to escape to the world of Batuu and for a brief moment believe that they are in the presence and about to board THE Millenium Falcon that has played an iconic role in the Star Wars sagas that have engaged fans for over 40 years.

The Attraction BEFORE the Ride

Only WDWorld will give its review of the Attraction before the ride for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.  We will look closely at the details that are often overlooked and assess how well Disney set the stage for this E-Ticket attraction.

We will start with the Millennium Falcon itself.  You may not realize, but this is the first time a full scale Millennium Falcon has ever been built.  Prior to entering the attraction and through various viewpoints in the queue you can obtain a full 360 degree view of this legendary ship.  Details abound throughout and they strive hard to pay proper homage to this legend.




No matter if you are viewing the Millennium Falcon from the ground level or you can steal a glimpse from above, the level of detailing is amazing.  This is sure to excite any long time Star Wars fan.  Whether you see it during the light of day or the illuminated night on Batuu there is no bad time to see Han & Chewbacca's "home."

The Smuggler's World From The Inside

As you enter the queue you encounter not just a way to contain hundreds of people waiting for a ride, but rather an inside look at the world of intergalactic smugglers and what their base station might look like.




From parts of engines to parts of space cruising vessels details abound.  This is certainly an area that will reveal more details the more times that you pass through it.



It is easy to imagine a high stakes card game being played by a variety of alien beings at this table.




The massive engine test station roars to life at various points with voices heard on the intercom discussing their successes and failures.  All wonderful details to absorb on your way to the "ride."

The Pre-show Featuring Hondo Ohnaka

The next stage of the attraction helps set the stage for the attraction to explain the story of what you are seeing and experiencing and what your role will be in this adventure.

Prior to the start of the pre-show there is a gathering area where the cast members will usher a set number of guests into a holding room with view screens that will explain what the 3 different categories of participants will be doing.  Here you can learn about the Pilots, Engineers, & Gunners.  At this point in the process the hints are subtle and many will not even notice that the detailed instructions shown on the monitors are actually beneficial instruction to aid in their mission.





Next you are admitted into the pre-show are where you will meet Hondo Ohnaka, smuggler & pirate, from Star Wars Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels series.  Regardless of whether you recognize him or know his backstory you can still follow his instructions and listen to him describe your role in this adventure.

Above all you are witnessing some of the most impressive audio animatronics that Disney has ever created.  You will swear that you are listening to a live actor portray Hondo Ohnaka as opposed to an audio animatronic figure.

Preparing For Your Mission

The next stage of the attraction is to receive a card that lets you know what your role will be during the mission.  You can be one of 3 different roles: Pilot, Gunner, or Engineer.  Each has a distinct responsibility during the mission.  Your card also is color coded.  Your group will include 2 people in each role to fill the  6 spots that it takes to successfully operate the Millenium Falcon.


The last staging area gives you time to mill about and take pictures amongst the amazing features in the spaceport while you are waiting to board the Millenium Falcon.  You can even check out a very familiar looking chess board that is perfect for taking pictures and selfies.

Expect just a couple of minutes here while waiting for your boarding group color to be called and to receive instructions.

Final Instructions From Hondo

The last part of the attraction prior to the ride is to gather and receive last second instructions from Hondo Ohnaka via video screen.  Pay attention because this could make the difference between a successful smuggling mission or a failed attempt.

It Really Is All About The Storytelling

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run goes to great lengths to tell a story to engage guests in the experience that many have dreamed about for years - flying a mission aboard the REAL Millennium Falcon.  Despite any shortfalls, this attraction before the ride is what brings million to experience Disney's Theme Parks around the world.

Do not rush to get in the single rider line without experiencing the whole attraction.  Doing so would deprive you of some of the best elements of the story and the attraction itself.  Don't be afraid to let yourself be in Batuu and immerse yourself in the surroundings and the fantasy of Star Wars.