Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic Returns with New Themed Areas and More

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic returns with new themed areas and more

Prepare for a grand return of The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic on Friday, Nov. 10, and Saturday, Nov. 11, boasting its most extensive lineup ever with an abundance of food and beverage choices in its 14-year history. This year’s edition introduces two new themed areas while bringing back crowd favorites like interactive seminars and live entertainment.

Guests are in for a treat with over 25 delectable food offerings from the resort’s acclaimed restaurants and a staggering selection of more than 200 wine, beer, and spirits samples from across the globe. The tasting booths will stretch along the resort’s causeway, private lake, and private beach, serving from 5:30-9 p.m., accompanied by diverse live music and entertainment.

In a special addition for 2023, as this year’s event coincides with Veterans Day, The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin has partnered with the charity Friends of Fisher House Orlando. The charity will receive a charitable contribution from the event, supporting its mission to provide free accommodations for military and veteran families while a loved one undergoes medical treatment.

Related – Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Releases Food & Wine Classic 2023 Menus

New immersive themed areas

Two new themed areas will debut this year: For the Love of Florida and The Rosé Room.   

For the Love of Florida will brighten guests’ taste buds as it celebrates local cuisine and ingredients with flavors of the Sunshine State. Dishes include:  

• Seminole Pumpkin Fry Bread with powdered sugar and warm pumpkin spice sauce 
• Grilled Florida Oysters with housemade kumquat hot sauce and shallot butter 
• Butter Poached Bay Scallops with Florida corn puree, charred scallion vinaigrette, radish threads and shallot butter 

The Rosé Room will transport guests to a tranquil garden party, complete with topiaries, roses, and classical-style covers of modern-day hits. The Rosé Room will serve various selections of rosé amidst a pink color palette perfect for sipping – whether still or sparkling. 

Related – Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic Announces 2023 Educational Seminars

Featured food: debut dishes and festival favorites

Guests will find dishes in a variety of cuisines from the resort’s award-winning restaurants, festival-exclusive pop-ups, themed areas and more.  

New dishes on the 2023 menu include:  

• Red chile chicken taco with avocado, tomatillo, pico de gallo and queso fresco on corn tortillas from Rosa Mexicano 
• Smoked American Lamb: Hand crafted lamb, smoked cumin and harissa barbeque sauce, roasted black pepper and date puree and pickled mustard greens from Smokin’ D’s BBQ specialty area 
• Gorgonzola cheese filled agnolotti with spiced pear, walnuts, nasturtium and ‘Nduja vinaigrette from Il Mulino 

• Tonnarelli Pasta: House-made tonnarelli pasta, steamed baby clams, roasted tomato sauce, Calabrian chili and guanciale from Amare 
• Congee: Slow-cooked rice porridge, shrimp dumpling, fried shallot, green onion, garlic, and crispy chili flakes from Chinatown specialty area 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin (@swandolphin)

Returning favorites include:  

• Roasted Linz heritage black angus beef tenderloin with potato puree, pearl onion, Dijon mustard and cognac sauce from Shula’s Steak House 

• Signature classic guacamole en molcajete with fresh tortilla chips and roasted tomato salsa from Rosa Mexicano  
• Crispy cauliflower with sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce shoyu from the Beer Garden 
• Dragon roll: Crispy shrimp, yellowfin tuna, Haas avocado and kewpie mayonnaise from Kimonos 
• Baked ricotta cheese, carrot two ways, radish, tomato, and pine nut “gremolata” from Il Mulino 

All-new dessert options will include: 

• Triple Chocolate Cherry Ring Flambé with Kirschwasser chocolate sauce and caramelized sesame ice cream 
• Pear Pecan Praline Cake with black fig compote 
• Blood Orange and Raspberry Tart 
• Wild Strawberry Éclair 
• 70% Single Origin Peruvian Chocolate Mousse with mango and passion fruit gel 
   

Upgraded Experiences

Guests looking to enhance their evening can upgrade their experience with two VIP options:   

The Grand Tasting: Guests will be led through a journey of elite wines curated by Master Sommelier John Blazon, paired with a custom chef’s table menu from the resort’s Executive Chef Dan Herman. The experience takes place on Saturday, Nov. 11, beginning with a welcome reception at 2:00 pm.  

VIP Dessert & Champagne Party: This limited-space dessert and champagne reception offers guests the opportunity to experience fireworks viewing and more at the Swan Reserve’s 15th-floor private event space, The Vue, which offers floor-to-ceiling views of all Walt Disney World theme parks. The resort’s pastry team teamed up with its certified sommeliers to pair incredible champagnes and sparkling wines with delectable desserts. The experience takes place on Saturday, Nov. 11 from 8:30-10 p.m.  

Both experiences can be purchased at FoodandWineClassic.com.  

Interactive Seminars

An annual fan favorite is the hands-on interactive seminars taught by members of the resort’s award-winning food and beverage team. This year’s classes include Craft Cocktails, Wine Blending, Pasta Making, It’s Better to Wine in Italian (Italian Wines), Base to Bubbles (Champagne), and Beer, Please!  

All seminars require separate tickets and space is limited.  

Live Entertainment

A key element of the event’s street party atmosphere is live musical entertainment found throughout the event. Performances will feature a variety of musical stylings, including classical; jazz; dance and pop music from yesterday and today; blues, soul and classic rock; Motown and more. 
 

Event and Ticket Information

The Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic offers guests unlimited tastings of more than 25 dishes and over 200 beverage offerings, featuring culinary selections from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants amidst a festive backdrop of live entertainment on the hotel’s scenic causeway, Friday, Nov. 10 and Saturday, Nov. 11 from 5:30-9 p.m.  

Interactive educational seminars highlighting wine, whiskey, beer, pasta and more will take place prior to the causeway event both days. Seminar tickets, event tickets and more information can be found at FoodandWineClassic.com.  

With 23 restaurants and lounges and a distinguished culinary and beverage team, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel continually earns national recognition for its food and beverage program.