Updates and changes to the 2014 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Are you planning on attending the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival this year? If not than it’s never to early to start planning your Disney vacation. Just a heads up you do have some time because this years festival runs from September 19 to November 10. That is a record 53 days this year!

In case you don’t know about the festival here are some basics. You get to leisurely walk around Epcot and take in the sights while you sip and nibble on great drinks and foods from around the world.  Don’t forget to pick up your free passport and have it stamped as make your way around the ‘world’.

Did you know there is more to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival than just, well, food and wine. There is the Eat to the Beat Concerts, signature dinners, the Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog, a new “Back to Basics” Festival Center series and a new Friday morning celebrity chefs cookbook event called “Food for Thought.”

The Saturday morning Parisian Breakfast is back this year, and a new Sunday morning event called “Sunday Mornings With …” that will be a plated brunch with a pastry chef or baker crafting 3 fabulous desserts for guests.

Here are some more new things coming up this year:

• Patagonia Marketplace will merge the flavors of Argentina and Chile in dishes like sustainable roasted Verlasso salmon with quinoa salad drizzled with a kicky arugula chimichurri. You can pair that with a couple of great Chilean wines: Cono Sur Bicicleta Viognier or Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir Rosé.

• Farm Fresh Market replaces last year’s Florida Local Marketplace, with a perfect “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) dish: “Bacon and Eggs,” with applewood-smoked, pepper-coated bacon, sweet corn, potatoes, Hollandaise and pickled jalapeños. Or try the griddled “yard bird” (chicken) with braised greens. Happy to see Orlando Brewing Company’s I-4IPA on the menu, as well as trendy Ba Ba Black Lager from Salt Lake City’s Uinta Brewing Company.

• Brazil Marketplace is back with that wildly popular crispy pork belly with black beans, onions, avocado and cilantro, but chefs also are adding mocequa de pescado (tilapia with coconut lime sauce and steamed rice), pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) and cocadas (Brazilian coconut candy).

• The Poland Marketplace switches up the popular pierogi with a new sauerkraut pierogi and pork goulash.

You’ll need reservations for certain events and they do require an additional fee: Party for the Senses grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs. Information and reservations for some events will be at epcotfoodfestival.com.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

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