Disney Unveils New Details About the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Though summer is right around the corner, the Walt Disney World Resort is already getting ready for the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Just a few minutes ago, Disney shared new details about the foodie fest!

Back by popular demand, the Disney du Jour Dance Party in Future World will expand to seven days a week! Sundays through Thursdays, a DJ will lead the interactive fun and on Fridays and Saturdays, Radio Disney stars will pump up the mix with live performances. Actress-singer Meg Donnelly will appear opening weekend, and more weekend celebrity headliners will join the lineup throughout the festival.

Here’s a quick look at other festival highlights:

• 30 Global Marketplaces and additional festival locations across the festival will provide a spread of fresh flavors! For example, Africa has a menu with the new Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Beef Tenderloin with sweet potato and corn mealie pap with Kachumbari slaw. At Earth Eats marketplace Guests can dig into the new plant-based Cottage Pie with carrots, mushrooms and peas topped with mashed cauliflower and white beans.
• The back-by-demand Sunday Brunch with the Chef series in World Showplace Events Pavilion will kick off Sept. 1 with celebrity Chef Jamie Deen and continue on select Sundays through Nov. 17. The chef lineup includes Cat Cora, Carla Hall, Fabio Viviani, Andrew Zimmern, Buddy Valastro, Richard Blais, Robert Irvine, David Burtka, Graham Elliot and Aarti Sequeira.
• Three times nightly, the Eat to the Beat Concert Series – 249 concerts in all – will rev up fans at the America Gardens Theatre stage through Nov. 19 with the biggest musical menu of top talent in the festival’s history, including new acts Lauren Daigle (contemporary Christian), Kris Allen (pop, alt-rock), Sawyer Brown (country) and Boyce Avenue (rock, pop). Returning festival favorites spanning a broad range of eras and genres include Plain White T’s, Sugar Ray, Hanson, Sheila E. and Boyz II Men. Showtimes Sundays through Thursdays will be 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday shows are slated for 6:30, 7:45 and 9 p.m.
• The grandest of the festival’s hot-ticket tasting events, Party for the Senses at World Showplace Events Pavilion will welcome acclaimed chefs and vintners Sept. 21, Oct. 5, 12 and 19 (All Disney Chef Night!) and Nov. 9. This event showcases creative bites and palate-pleasing sips with sensational live entertainment featuring Femmes of Rock, who wowed Guests last year with their blistering solos and innovative arrangements.
• Popular TV chefs and other culinary icons will entertain Guests and inspire their palates on select dates at festival seminars and other events. Some of the big names on tap are Bryan Voltaggio, Kenny Gilbert, Maneet Chauhan, Jet Tila, Shaun O’Neale, Keegan Gerhard, Dan Pashman and Rock Harper.
• Culinary Demonstrations (available through 16) and Beverage Seminars (available through Nov. 17) will offer learning and tasting sessions select days throughout the festival.

And don’t forget about the exciting new merchandise to commemorate the Festival! Chef Minnie will join Chef Mickey this year to bring a “sprinkle” of fun to the festival. This new merchandise line depicts them busily making cupcakes and other delectable desserts with ingredients that include rose-gold accents and a little sparkle. Chef Minnie will also bring her sense of style to a new cupcake headband and other festival apparel.

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