Welcome to the 2021 Food and Wine Festival. Things are a little different this year, but a number of things are still the same.
➡️Let’s look at the Gluten Friendly Offerings labeled- Here’s the updated Guide for Gluten Friendly Options at EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival 2022
For one, this Festival is still included in your park ticket, but you also need to have a park reservation for entrance or park hop after 2 PM!
For Two, There are a number of new booths this year AND they are being opened in two tiers! The first tier is open now, with the remainder scheduled to open on October 1st (also the date of the new Remy ride and the 50th Anniversary Celebration!). There are so many great gluten free options, and they are listed out below to help you with planning your trip around EPCOT.
As always, Disney cannot guarantee allergens or cross contamination. Always talk to a Chef in real time to assess your risks!
Courtesy Disney
⭐⭐ Before we dive into the Food and Wine Eats, did you know about the ‘ Food Allergies Made Easy- Disney World Guide’ Packed with useful and relevant information, it’s your ‘hakuna matata’ guide for eating safely at the parks! Check out why it’s becoming a must have in the allergen community! ⭐⭐
PSSTTTTT! 👀 Save time and money at Disney World with Food Restrictions! Find great snacks and insider tips with the Food Allergies at Disney World Made Easy Touring Plan AND Snacks & Sweets Guide- (Covers all top 9 Allergens + Gluten Free, with notes about Dyes, Corn, and other common allergens) See for yourself, it’s guaranteed to save you time or your money back! |
How to use this blog post:
We’re going to be following along with the official Food And Wine Festival Book straight from EPCOT (but I’m not endorsed by Disney in any way!)
If you don’t have this book in hand, take some notes, bookmark this page, and come back to it when you are ready to tackle the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival!
Quick Ordering Tips for Gluten Free Safety at the Food and Wine Festival
Disney has a clear disclaimer in their notebook that they cannot gurantee that something is gluten free.
Why? Because they are using shared kitchens, and bussing things over to the booths. So even though there are three booths that are totally gluten free, the kitchen that the food was prepared in likely had a large amount of gluten inside!
When inquiring about safe eats, tell the Cast Member that you have a gluten allergy. Most of them will need to call a Chef to confirm safety, but a few of the booths (like Brew Wings in the EPCOT experience) have an Allergen Guide!
Earth Eats Booth
Disappointed they didn’t have a dessert, but they did have this option:
- impossible Three Bean Chili
The Noodle Exchange
There are two types of Gluten Free Noodles here! We tried the Beef Pho Noodle Soup this time. It had a crazy hot kick to it, but 5/5 would eat again!
The tip for eating this spicy Pho lies in the lime! We didn’t know this the first time we enjoyed this dish, but learned the second time that if you add the lime before it takes some of the hot and leaves the zest (or so my budding foodie husband proclaims!)
- Traditional Spicy Vietnamese Beef Pho with Shaved Beef, Enoki Mushrooms and Thai Basil
- Shrimp and Coconut Curry Rice Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Thai Basil
- Tofu Pho with Enoki Mushrooms and Thai Basil
Shimmering Sips
- Shimmering Strawberry Soft Serve MODIFIED no cone plus you’ll need to ask for a glove change!
We did not try this, particuluary because we were concerned with the previous waffle cones touching the machine, however the CM said they can do a quick wipe down. We’re planning to try this when there’s no line so we can watch and see that they are extra careful.
Australia
Three Gluten Free options here (much like Brazil and Spain!) We had the Pavlova for starters and 5/5 would get again! In fact, the Pavlova was so popular, that when I went back to get it again before leaving they had a 30 minute delay because they had run out of the meringue.
- Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp
- Roasted Lamb Chops
- Deconstructed Pavlova
Refreshment Port
Nothing Listed Gluten Free, but on my list to inquire why the Boutine can’t be made safely!
We went back when the line was shorter and grabbed the Traditional Poutine minus the gravy. The Beef Gravy has wheat in it, so we got fries, cheese and seasoned scoops. We ditched the flavored scoops and the husband enjoyed some hard cheese with fries.
Canada
This is a classic favorite that shows up at Festivals. Highly recommend. It was a good size and decently tender! We opted for no sauce to make it Dairy Free.
- The Wild Mushroom Beef Fillet Mignon
AppleSeed Orchard
Loved LOVED that this was inside the Canada 360 Theater! It was a great spot for us to enjoy some snacks and the AC. They had little Apple Stands in the back of the theater and lots of indoor/under shade seating. This is the *perfect*place to head on a cold/rainy/hot afternoon!
We grabbed Seneca Pre Packaged Apple Chips and The Apple Blossom Sky Drink made with Brandy. I did have to google and see if Brandy was safe (as I’m rarely a liquor drinker) and was happy to see that it was Gluten Free!
You can also get the Frozen Apple Pie with *no * topping. This is a non-alcoholic frozen drink that is supposedly refreshing on a hot day! I kinda thought this was better suited for the fall though, and the Florida temps aren’t doing anyone a favor.
France
Drinks… thats what you can get here! It’s kinda dissapointing as they use to have this maroon that was over-the-top delicious. Fingers crossed they reconsider it for next festival!
Brazil
I highly recommend this stop if you get the chance. It’s like the Brazi Bites you can get at the store, except they are huge and soft. My husband says they are one of his top favorite items of all time.
- Monqueca: Brazilian Seafood Stew
- Crispy Pork Belly
- Pao de Queijo: Cheese Bread
Greece
Here they have a Griddled cheese with honey, I’m headed there later this week to try it as I missed it today! The picture in the Food and Wine Booklet looks delicious! (went later and still missed it!)
Rotunda Bistro
Another new offering this year, located in The American Adventure! You’ll find this all the way at the back of the World Showcase and if you aren’t careful, might just walk right past it!
- Chilled Smoked Shrimp Salad
- Chilled Crab and Avocado Parfait with Caviar
Spain
- Charcuterie with Meat, Cheese and Olives
- Spanish Style Paella with Rice, Chorizo and Shrimp
- Seafood Salad with Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Mussels, Olive Oil, Vinegar, Smoked Paprika
Kenya
- Kenyan Coffee Barbeque Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato and Corn Mealie Pap and Kachumbari Slaw are on the list for Kenya.
India
Another booth that is opening in the second tier is India. I’m curious if the Korma Chicken can be made Dairy Free if we leave off the yogurt sauce.
- Korma Chicken with Basmati Rice, Crispy ChickPeas, and Spiced Yogurt Sauce
- Madras Red Curry with Roasted Cauliflower
Mexico
traditionally, since Hispanic Culture relies heavily on Corn, most of the offerings at Mexico have been Gluten Free.
This year the top two options at the Mexico Booth are safe for those with gluten, but they do serve a Bread Pudding in the same booth.
- Chilaquiles con Chorizo (which is a corn tortillas with cheese and Chorizo)
- Taco de Ribeye (shaved ribeye, red onions, pepers on corn tortilla)
The Swanky Saucy Swine
This is another new both this year, and it looks so fun! You’ll find this booth in the old Earth Eats booth, it’s on the left as you enter the World Showcase.
- Crispy BBQ Pork Rinds with Pimento Cheese
- Roasted Porchetta with Pork Fat Potatoes and Lemon-Parsley Salsa Verde
- Crispy Pig Ear Salad with Fire Roasted Tomatillo Sauce, Pickled Red Onions, Queso Fresco, Roasted Corn Salsa, and Avocado Cream
Brew Wing at the EPCOT Experience
Yet again, we’ve got another new option, and one my husband loved! We tried the BBQ and the Buffalo. Both of them had a really good kick, come with celery and Ranch or Blue Cheese (Ken’s Brand). There’s 6 wings per serving, so very decently priced and a good option if you’re feeling hungry!
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
- BBQ Wings
- Traditional Buffalo Wings
- Mango-Habenero Wings
Lobster Landing
-Baked Lobster Dip with Old Bay Chips
and head over to the Gluten Free Disney World Guide to know what to eat year round!
How do I speak to a Chef or Manager to find out what is safe to eat?
The options for speaking with a Chef seem to change at every corner and for every festival! So keep that in mind that it’s not a one size fits all approach.
For most booths, you’ll alert the cast member and they will call to speak with a Chef. In a few instances they’ve handed the phone to me (but not normally!).
Several of the booths will have an allergy binder (like most of the permenant quick service options do!)
And somewhere like Mexico, which is operated by third party entities, will have a Manager in the booth that can confirm allergens.
What else is there to do at the Food and Wine Festival besides Eat?
There’s a ton of stuff to do! The Festival runs from July 15 through November 20th, and there’s still live entertainment, playgrounds, scavenger hunts and more. Head over to Disney World’s page to see the latest (as things will inevitably change for better or worse with the virus situation!)