Liquid chocolate, festival merch, demos and talks. This space is a perfect venue for all things…read morefood and wine. We stopped in here for mainly two things: ghiradelli liquid chocolate and commemorative merch. There was plenty of other things to see and do here though! Several informational videos were playing on loop with seating for viewers. There were regular talks and demos happening, most of which were complimentary, you just needed to wait in line. They also gave a small Cafe for food and drink refuel. The art shop was an especially cool shop. They have all the art for the festival in one place. Overall: A Great space to check out food and wine jazz ... Plus it has air conditioning! ;))

So this is the official place you go to before you embark on your International Food and Wine…read moreadventure. around the world. Formerly located at the old Wonders of Life Pavilion, and now will be in the Forest World of Epcot ( formally part of Future World). I recommend going to the Festival Center before the food booths open up at 11 AM, the festival center opens at 10 AM. At the center, you can pick up your passport, the ratatouille scavenger hunt, artwork, some cool merchandise, and those coveted 250 dollar VIP gift card laminates. Yelp! Tip- the gift card in those laminates fall out easily, and mine FLEW-OUT during Test Track. The Festival Center was extremely accommodating to helping me get a new one since I DID NOT have my original receipt. It took them about 15 minutes in the back, albeit the longest 15 minutes of my life, to find my original purchase in the Disney database. I also took the Mix It, Make It, and Celebrate It! class which I loved, an interactive class with the Chef were you make the food together. The Beverage Seminar with French Champagne was TOP NOTCH. My only complaint was the Food Demo class, as usually Disney ALWAYS gives you a glass of wine with your food, and they cheaped out this year by not doing that. However, guests do notice these little changes, and for the same price as last year, bring back the glass of wine with the class please since this is an International FOOD and WINE festival. Don't forget to check all the Ghirardelli chocolate sculptures, and to get your free piece of chocolate, and that word FREE doesn't come often at Disney!!

The International Festival of the arts is a definite favorite of mine. Well there are plenty of…read morefestivals that happen throughout the year at Epcot, this one is one I hate missing and always try to make it a point to go to at least once during the season. I love how they celebrate all of the different countries holiday traditions. This includes of course the different food and drink kiosks. But it also includes entertainers from each of the different countries that highlight the different traditions they hold. Some of my personal favorites are meeting with Father Christmas in the UK pavilion, and the Japan pavilion showcasing their traditional dolls and how they bring in the new year. Overall: A++ I've got has plenty of festivals throughout the year, but this is one you should definitely make sure to go to and experience all the different countries holiday traditions!

A great place for a sweet treat to escape the Florida heat. The cookies this year are amazing and…read moretheir Hot Cocoa by Joffreys with the Whipped Cream Vodka is FIRE! Super strong so make sure to share (not kid friendly).

Move It! Shake It! Dance and Play It! Street Party randomly seems to pop up while in Magic Kingdom…read morein Disney World. It has set times each day but I never plan on seeing it in my schedule, then bam! Next thing I know, I'm in the middle of the dance party. It's part parade, part dance party and tons of fun for the kiddos. It's incredibly high energy and fun to watch & bop along to. Bright, colorful, loud and fun - try to catch this in the Hub for ultimate dance partying. 35 minutes in length and most of the action takes place right by Cinderella Castle. It does parade around a bit but that's where most of the dancing with the characters happens. In terms of characters, you'll actually see some random ones you might not catch in other parades and definitely won't see in Meet & Greets or walking around the parks, so that's cool! They also encourage social media interaction by using #MoveItShakeItPics on Twitter or Instagram, you might get your photos on the floats during the party!

Not your typical Disney Parade. you aren't cordoned off the side walks, the Parade progresses from…read moreMain Street to the castle and around Walt's statue. Then the music really starts. The Dancers and the characters invite you to come out into the street for a dance party, and everyone joins in the fun for a good 10-15 minutes. A chance to get up close to a few of the costumed characters and break out some of that extra Energy that Disney produces in every kid and adult (And burn off all that extra sugar you know you've consumed.) This parade is a lot of fun to watch and participate in. Be sure to find out what times it rolls out, It's usually 2-3 times each afternoon. And if you see Leo, tell him his haunt momma said hello.

A great nighttime offering that (usually) happens twice a night. This show illuminates the park…read morewith custom floats and animated characters. I don't always watch nighttime parades, but the second showing usually isn't as busy and makes it nice to walk up and enjoy. The show itself is only 10~ minutes long, so not a massive parade.

I was so excited when I was there Tuesday with a large group of family members. I knew this was…read moresomething new that not even I had seen yet. The reactions of my nephews when they say the parade was so precious but even I was just amazed. The floats looked so beautiful. It truly was a little touch of magic to end a day. We had just gotten done on HM and then went right down for the parade. I highly recommend adding this to your list of things to do if you are going to close out the day at MK.

I made my way over to the Disney & Pixar Short Films at Epcot during my last visit to Epcot for the…read moreRunDisney Springtime Surprise, 2026. This was one of the best breaks we had for most of our trip. The attraction is very straightforward. Once inside the film theater, all you do is pickup your 3D glasses and watch a series of Disney/Pixar short films. Since there isn't simply one film presented. which is what I personally preferred, but rather a series of several shorts shown together, each with their own individual feel, they offer a good variety! The most impressive thing I found with these films was how well they tell a story. It's truly amazing how you can create a memory and enjoy something so much in less than five minutes! The 3D visuals added another layer of enjoyment which made it even easier to become immersed in the film rather than just simply watching on your TV! Another reason why I enjoyed seeing these films is we were able to take a nice break! Sitting in front of an air conditioned movie screen allowed us to take a break from being outside in the heat. Waiting wasn't long for each film, nor did we have to commit a lot of our day to see these shorts! If you've seen some of the other Pixar Shorts, then you may have limited options with this one. However, If you have never seen them or want something mellow, then it is a great choice! I enjoy all of the Pixar shorts and try to watch this each time I visit Epcot!

HEART WARMING FILMS THAT THE ENTIRE FAMILY WILL ENJOY…read more We visited the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival attraction at EPCOT (World Celebration near Figment Journey into Imagination). We really enjoyed the three 3D animated features. The total time for the three films is around 20 minutes. The first BW and color Mickey Mouse film, Get a Horse, is one of the better 3D movies at Disney World with its high def super sharp images. The 4D effects were few including a bumpy seat. The other two animated movies, Feast and Piper, are heart-warming movies that earned applause from our audience that day. I later learned that each film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. The films are shown in a large theatre - the attraction was a walk on (Spring Break weekend - late morning).

Eat to the Beat Concert Series at Epcot was amazing. I've gone to Epcot a lot of times, but during…read moremy visit for a conference in October, I had a chance to attend Eat to the Beat Concert series twice! The Eat to the Beat Concert Series is a lively music concert held during the park's annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. It's in the outdoor amphitheater at the America Gardens Theater, located near the American Adventure Pavilion in the World Showcase. Each evening during the festival, the stage has three shows. The three shows are usually at the following times - 5:30 P.M, 6:45 P.M, and 8:00 P.M. The concert series features a wide range of musical arts. This is free too! It's automatically included with your park admission. There are dining packages available though if you'd like a guaranteed seat for one of the performances. You can book at a participating restaurant for a meal and receive a badge that grants access to a reserved section of the theater for the night's show. I ended up seeing two different performances. The first evening I attended, I saw Hanson. They were incredible, and they played many of their biggest hits. I ended up standing in the stand by line about 20 minutes prior to the show. The location I got to sit at was in the middle of the theater area. It was a great spot. The second one I saw the M-80's. The M-80's recreate the songs of original artists using instruments, costumes, and creative arrangements. I never heard of them before until the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, but their live performance was incredible. My favorite song that they performed was Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N' Roses. I'm not sure if they tour around the US, but if you get a chance to hear the the band, I'd highly recommend it. It was so much fun! Depending on the concert, I'd recommend arriving early. Seats can fill up fast! If you're interested in seeing the year's full lineup, you can check out Disney World's website Eat to the Beat concert series schedule!

Eat to the Beat is one of the best concert series Disney puts on. It takes places during the Food…read moreand Wine Festival each year at EPCOT. It is located in American Gardens theatre in the America pavilion. This event brings music talent to the stage to perform their greatest hits. A lot of the singers are older and more popular years ago, but they still put on a great show. We absolutely love this show. We come every year, usually to see Billy Ocean. He is such a class from my childhood and my husbands. "When the going gets tough..." Such a classic! He kills it every year and really puts on a great show. The actual show is about 25-30 minutes, and they do 3 shows per night. We like the later shows, since the sun has set and the lights are just more illuminated on stage, it makes for a better experience, in our book. Disney will usually post way ahead of time the acts coming, this allows you to plan. More popular acts are going to be tougher to get into see. There are two options to view this show. You can stand in the regular line and hope that there are enough seats when they open the ropes. Again, more popular acts such as Boys 2 Men and Joey Fatone and friends are going to be busier, so you will need to get in line early and stay in line. You might not get into the show but if so, stay in line, since you hopefully can get into the next one. However, you can also do the dining package. This is what we always do especially when it is someone we really want to see. This allows you to pay for dinner at one of the EPCOT restaurants and then receive a guaranteed seat for the show. You line up on the opposite side, and they allow you to enter first. This allows us to usually get a front row for our favorite acts. This has to be booked in the "My Disney Experience" and not all restaurants are available. They also only offer a select number at east location. You will want to act fast, again especially for those bigger acts. The price is a little bit more that paying for item ala cart however, if you choose wisely, you can maximize your price and only end up paying a few dollars more for the seats. Your meal includes an entree, a dessert and a drink (including alcohol). The prices for these vary from $60 to over $100 per person. The more expensive locations will charge a higher price. Overall, this is a great experience. You are enjoying the food and wine festival and then you also get to experience a concert! All included in your ticket! We love it every year and always make a point to go at least once. It has become our tradition. It is about to end but I would highly recommend checking it out next year and adding it to your list of Disney must do's!

We've been coming to this event for over 20 years. For 2026 they had 101 vendors of food and…read moredrinks, we did not make it to all of them but we gave it our best effort. Some of the vendors give out coupons for free appetizers drinks and discounts. They have live music a dance floor and entertainers throughout the event. They also have several auctions where you can win stuff. Someone won over $7,000 worth of alcohol. They also have silent auctions and wine Giveaways. The money for this event is used to help to feed hungry children around the world.

An excellent event for a good cause…read more I will say that it's a wee-bit awkward on one's conscience to be stuffing yourself to end hunger. However, everyone involved is doing a lot and going a long way for a good cause. I suppose that wealthier folks than myself are more used to that sort of arrangement. This was my 3rd time attending and my wife's 1st. The other two times I'd gone as a relative's +1, but this time we both got to go together. We were both dressed accordingly and many others were as well, but there were a lot of people in jeans or very casual clothing. As Brent pointed out, there are many of Central Florida's movers and shakers at this event. As well as many local culinary stars! Chit-chatting with the Petrakis' isn't something you just regularly do, but you can do it here. My wife was raving to them about the shrimp cup they had and they insisted she have a couple more. We love their locations (still looking to try the Polite Pig in Disney Springs) and they are very sweet people. Come hungry because you will leave stuffed. Come early! We had the full 6pm tickets, so we got a bit of a jump on things. We tried food by: (I'm sure I'll miss a few, but this is looking at the list) 4Rivers, The Coop, Benihana, Cala Bella @ Shingle Creek, Ace Café, Canvas, Capital Grille, Chroma, Cress, Eddie V's, 11 @ Reunion, Florida Nitro, FreshPoint, H&H, Marlow's Tavern, Marriott, Paddlefish, Plancha, Primo, Raglan Road, Ravenous Pig, Savor, Seasons 52, STK, Tommy Bahama, W, and Yak & Yeti Highlights were the shrimp mentioned above, the 4R sample, the Capital tenderloin, and Marlow's pork belly. That last one surprised me because I'm not a Marlow's fan, but that pork belly was GOLD. We tried every single drink station. Some were better than others. Some were much more generous than others. Cooper's Hawk (we are wine club members) won the night for generous pours. They flat gave you a full glass of wine. Everywhere else was a sample. Not Cooper's Hawk. There were full bottles of Acqua Panna and S. Pellegrino waters (still or sparkling respectively) and that was very nice. The hit and longest line of the entire night, food or beverage, was Tito's Handmade Vodka. That place was 100+ people deep for 3+ hours. No joke. It was tasty and everyone we ran into that we knew was holding a Tito's cup. It was packed and they were hustling all night. My personal favorite of the entire night was NOT an adult beverage. I loved Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company. They had a blood orange juice that was insanely good. Like off the charts delicious. We had beer, we had wine, we had milk, we had root beer, we had hard cider, we had coffee/tea, we had it all. That juice was the best. They have a few events to raise extra money for the charities. They have a silent auction (WAY WAY WAY out of my league $$-wise), a giving tree (you pay $50 to pull down a leaf with a gift card in it which is $25-$300 in value... ours was a wimpy $25 for Subway, but it's for charity!), a wine toss (3 rings for $15 like at a fair, but if your ring lands on a wine bottle, you win that bottle), and wine cellar key. The wine cellar key is insane. It's a raffle of like 150 bottles of wine. If you have the winning key, you get $2,500+ worth of wine bottles. We didn't win that, either. It's a great time and a good cause. If you ever have a chance to come, you SHOULD!

Come for the A/C, stay because Ty Burrell just made climate change sound like a sitcom plot…read more Awesome Planet is EPCOT's way of saying, "We're still educational, dammit." Nestled inside The Land Pavilion, this 10-minute film opened on January 17, 2020, replacing the long-running Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable (1995-2018). You remember that one -- Timon and Pumbaa lecturing you about recycling while you tried not to fall asleep in the air conditioning. Disney retired it after two decades, deciding it was time to update the message and the visuals (and, let's be honest, cut the fart jokes). History check: before Circle of Life, the theater housed Symbiosis (1982-1994), which was pure 1980s EPCOT -- equal parts earnest science lesson and school field-trip snoozefest. Awesome Planet continues that tradition but with a 21st-century facelift: gorgeous IMAX-style cinematography, sweeping time-lapse shots, and narration by Ty Burrell (yes, Phil Dunphy from Modern Family, which somehow makes saving the planet sound both funny and slightly neurotic). The show is a mix of jaw-dropping aerial shots, underwater footage, and computer graphics that make you realize just how insane Earth really is. It hits the big notes: oceans, forests, deserts, storms, climate change. There's a section where you're basically watching Earth flex its muscles while you're sitting there with a churro wondering what you've done with your life. Is it a thrill ride? Nope. But it's pure EPCOT DNA -- infotainment with enough Disney polish to keep you from checking your phone. And the air conditioning? Let's be real, that's the real five-star feature in Florida summers. "It's a commercial for Planet Earth, but at least it's a good commercial."-- it's slick, beautiful, and makes you want to go recycle something immediately... or at least feel guilty about your plastic poncho. Bottom line: Awesome Planet is short, smart, and surprisingly moving. It's the quiet conscience of EPCOT -- reminding you that the most impressive attraction here isn't a ride, it's the rock we're all spinning on.

Awesome Planet is a show located in World Nature at the Land Pavilion. It's right next to the…read moreGarden Grill restaurant, and you'll see the show off to your right as soon as you enter the Land Pavilion. It's been a few years since I watched the show. It's a 10-minute film featuring the earth and the environment from across the globe! This show is for all ages. The film does use in-theater effects such as wind, scents, and water. It tells the story of life on our planet! If you're looking to take a break from the summer heat, this is a great spot to stop at. It's in a air conditioned building. The images are stunning! There usually aren't many people that queue up for this attraction. The theater is relatively large though with lots of seating! If you haven't watched this film yet, you should check it out while you're visiting Epcot!