There are more than 25 kiosks of food and drink to choose from. Here are six quick tips on how to enjoy the festival:1. Go during the week. Stay away from the festival on weekends if you can. Local residents come out in force to make the crowds daunting -- maybe not to the level of you would see during major holidays, but it's crowded enough to make the World Showcase hard to navigate.
2. Go at lunch time. Even when it isn't Food & Wine time, the World Showcase gets more crowded in the evening as people arrive for dinner at Epcot's restaurants. Now imagine all of those people milling around and standing in food lines rather than going into restaurants. When you get crowds eating and drinking, you also get a bit of rowdier bunch than usual. It can also be harder to endure the long lines for food and beverages and to find a place to safely eat. There are fewer people around during the lunch and early afternoon hours, giving you the opportunity to enjoy the food and the company.
3. Buy a wristband gift card. These cards can be used at any of the kiosks and can also be used to purchase non-food items. The gift card is a perfect way to stay on a budget -- put the amount you want to spend on the card and then you can walk around see what looks interesting and swipe the card. The card can be recharged, so it's easy to add another $10 for an extra Taco de Ribeye with Salsa de Chipotle or a Spinach and Paneer Cheese Pocket. Prices for the food range from $3 to $7.
4. Graze and share. The festival is the ultimate tapas bar. There are more than 25 kiosks, or what Disney likes to call Marketplaces, each with main courses, drinks and desserts. That's a lot of food to sample. Walk around and see what's interesting. Also think about splitting each of the dishes. Yes, this means you might get only one or two bites of something, but it will also give you the opportunity to taste many things without stuffing yourself. And if you go for a couple of days, you can always go back for seconds another time. It doesn't hurt to go in with a little game plan ahead of time.
5. Share a table and meet new people. Everyone likes to eat. And everyone will share their opinion. As you walk around the festival you will see tables set up. Don't be afraid to share them with strangers. It's a good opportunity to not only meet new people, but ask what they have tried and find out what they recommend. You might get some good ideas.
6. Splurge for a seminar. You might think it's not worth spending the big bucks to attend a food seminar, but it is. The amount of food and drinks provided is more than you might expect -- from food and wine pairings, to cocktails, to tasting menus. And the experts do know what they are talking about and can provide you with good insight on drink and food preparation as well as some history of what you're sampling.
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