Tune in to the Boozy Blondes’ most magical episode! 💫
There is something special about the magic of drinking in the most magical place on earth that keeps bringing them back to the annual EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. Over the past 15 years or so, the girls counted at least ten trips to the gluttonous festival which holds some of their favorite memories.
The DOE is Imperial Crazy Mona from Tabula Rasa Brewing in Jacksonville, Florida. This Porter is aged in Rye Barrels for 18 months and is 11% – a little strong for these two, which is apparent as they giggle and gush about all the fun EPCOT brings!
The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is “a taste tour across six continents, drinking around the world, travel, friends, food, booze – it has it all.” The Disney Food Blog provides tons of information and resources and describes the festival “…featuring incredible special events, informative culinary and beverage demonstrations, celebrity chefs, and delicious Marketplace Food Booths around the park, this annual event is a can’t miss part of the Disney calendar!”
The blondes discuss a brief history of the festival and share their insider tips to make your boozy adventure as amazing as possible. They start by sharing their must-brings to Food & Wine.
Top Things to Bring
- Mickey or Minnie Ears – with endless options thanks to Etsy, you can purchase your ears at the park or before you go. Molly recommends the Etsy shop DearestEars for comfy and unique options.
- Matching Shirts – again, thank you, Etsy, for endless options of unique, customizable products. There is no end to the Disney Drinking puns (bibbidi, bobbidi, booze…drunkest of them all…tale as old as wine…drinking beauty)! Fun fact – the blondes’ squad wore custom festival tees long before Etsy was a thing!
- Food & Wine Passport – trust the boozy experts; it’s very difficult to remember all the delicious food and beverages consumed after a full day at the park. Passports like the one sold in the Etsy shop SansoneStationery are a great way to remember all those calories the next day – and remember what you loved so you can look for those items on your next visit.
- Gift Card Wristlet – you can purchase these at select stores inside Epcot. It’s a handy way to hold your money – just swipe at each kiosk!
- Backpack – some essential supplies are sun block, Chapstick, water bottles and a light hoodie, but slinging a bag over your shoulders allows your hands to be free to eat or double-fist drinks! Plus you can store any souvenirs you might pick up along the way.
- Comfy Shoes – plan on walking A LOT. A full lap around the World Showcase is 1.2 miles – that does not include future world nor walking to your mode of transportation. So be good to your feet!
- Sunblock – duh. It’s Florida, the Sunshine State. And most of your day will be spent outside.
- A Plan – there is a lot to see and do and eat and drink. Map out your path and must-sees/must-consumes before you go. Plan a timeout spot.
Boozy Blondes Pro Tips
- As stated just above – plan a timeout. Make reservations for the middle of your day to take a break from the insanity and outdoor elements.
- Avoid the main entrance – it’s really cool to walk into Epcot and see Spaceship Earth, but using the World Showcase entrance in between France and the UK will save you tons of time and hassle.
- Get a gift card – even if you don’t want to wear the wristlet, get a gift card and load it with your desired spending limit. Gift cards make it easy to pay and also keep you in check if you’re on a budget. Once you’ve drained the funds, reevaluate – time to go or time to reload?
- Buy your Mickey or Minnie ears from Etsy. There are plenty of options at Epcot, but it’s always great to support local businesses, and the blondes have found Etsy options to be more comfortable than those at the park. If you have a Ears shop, please let the Boozy Blondes know! They would love to support your shop! They also want to add Boozy Blondes ears to their collection!
- Start later in the day. It’s a long day, and it’s day drinking.
- Check out the bar in Morocco. It’s a full bar and when the girls have gone, it hasn’t been very crowded, especially compared to other bars around the World Showcase.
- If possible, avoid weekends.
- If you can’t do the Food & Wine festival, try the Flower & Garden festival!
- Going with a group? Make a theme – it’s fun and it’s easy to find members of your squad when you’re all wearing the same theme.
- Pack a hangover recovery kit.
- Plan brunch the next day. Yes, the whole point of the Food & Wine festival is to indulge and be gluttonous. But you will be hungry the next day, and brunch is a great way to relax and relive the adventures from the day before.
- Download the My Disney Experience app and Food & Wine Festival apps.
- Share items – it’s fun to split things so you can try a bigger variety!
- Get a baguette in France – it’s inexpensive, great to split and works to soak up some booze in your system
- Ride the Sky Buckets (aka Disney Skyliner)
- Buy annual passes strategically – if you buy your pass at the end of Food & Wine, you have more time to use it next year during Food & Wine.
Boozy Blondes’ Favorite Resources
- Disney Food Blog – all things Food & Wine. The girls love the website and Instagram account.
- Oliviamichelleh.com – for all the Instagrammers out there, Olivia posts the best places for pics.
- Wdwnt.com – Chrissy’s favorite Food & Wine app comes from here and all the kiosk menus are posted each year as well.
Please share your tips with the Boozy Blondes so they can continue to enhance their trip to the Food & Wine Festival every year! If you’re able to make a trip to this festival, the 2022 dates are July 14 – November 19.
Boozy Blondes 