If you’re a foodie on a budget, EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival will be like a dream come true for you. You’ll have access to dozens and dozens of foods – some of which you’ve probably near heard of, let alone tried. Because they’re all sampler size, the price point is much less than you’d pay for a full entrée at any of the EPCOT restaurants. As a result, you can potentially sample several dishes without breaking your bank. Check out this guide to saving money and making the most of EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival.
Don’t get overwhelmed: have a plan!
If you simply show up at EPCOT Center, start at either side of the World Showcase, and pick up everything that looks tasty, you’ll end up spending all your cash before seeing half of what’s on offer. The reality is that tons of things will look good – but you can only get a few if you want to stay within budget. The simple solution? Have a plan!
Take a look at this comprehensive guide to the food booths at the Food and Wine Festival. There are more than thirty booths, most of which have three to five different foods available. That’s up to 150 choices! Make a list of the ones you don’t want to miss and then plan your route accordingly.
Start with a single taste
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to assume that everyone needs their own order of your most anticipated foods. While they are not entrée size, almost all of the foods available include enough for several people to get a taste. If you find one that’s incredibly delicious, remember that everyone can go back and get a second helping if they’re so inclined. Always start with a single taste and adjust accordingly as needed.
The buddy system has its place
If you’re traveling with other folks who want to take part in the Food and Wine festival, take a look at your must-try booths to see if they’re interested in them as well. If you match up on many options then it may be worth it to visit together and share dishes. On the other hand, if they’re only interested in a few that you’re interested in, or vice versa, you may not come out ahead. For example, if you get 15 dishes and they try them all, yet they only get 4 dishes, you’ll have given away quite a bit of food and not gotten much in return.
Keep the alcohol to a minimum
There will be many exciting, new drinks at Food and Wine, and you may be tempted to try them all, but you want to limit your alcohol purchases for two reasons: the alcoholic drinks will cost much more than the food items, and the more you drink, the more likely you are to loosen your purse strings.
If you follow these simple tips, you’ll be able to try plenty of delicious bites and your pocketbook won’t be much lighter when it’s over.
