2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival: Opening Day Highlights

The 2025 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is officially underway, bringing a mix of new offerings and returning fan favorites. I was there on opening day to sample dishes and drinks from several Global Marketplaces.

What’s different this year

Many of you have probably already read Josh’s deep dive into Food & Wine’s kitchens. So instead of recapping, let’s jump right into the fresh flavors and changes you’ll find at this year’s Festival.

World Celebration

Starting in CommuniCore Hall, Macatizers (and its mac and cheese-themed menu) and Festival Favorites are not currently open. The Hall is currently hosting Cool Kid Summer’s GoofyCore through September 1. I’m not sure what will take its place, but CommuniCore’s demonstration kitchen and mixology bar are tailor-made for Food & Wine. I’ll be sure to head back once Cool Kid Summer ends and see if Disney surprises us with anything.

As has been the case recently, Disney is staggering a few of the kitchen openings. That’s the case for the ever-popular Coastal Eats and the new Gyozas of the Galaxy. Both will open near the Creations Shop on September 28.

World Showcase

The most notable difference in the World Showcase was the lack of a second kitchen near the bridge to the Odyssey and the Mexico Pavilion. We do have the Australia and Mexico kitchens in their usual locations, but the absence of The Noodle Exchange or a replacement was surprising. It’s possible this was done to prevent the typical bottleneck near Mexico’s entrance.

Over in the UK Pavilion, Festival fans might be disappointed. There’s nothing on the menu this year. The trusty beer cart is still parked in its usual spot, but for the first time in recent memory, it’s sticking to its regular lineup with no special Festival pours. And between Canada and France, you won’t find a single Festival kitchen.

What I tried

Now let’s talk about the reason I was in the park: the food! There was no rhyme or reason to what I tried. I just went with my gut (literally). I’ll rank the dishes from least to most favorite. For the most part, I really enjoyed everything I tried.

Japan

Unfortunately, a perennial Food & Wine favorite is taking the bottom spot in 2025 (at least so far). Japan’s Global Kitchen features two new food offerings and all-new drink options. I opted to try the new Beef Wagyu Don (traditional Japanese rice bowl with American wagyu beef blend over steamed white rice served with homemade pickles, shredded togarashi pepper, and pickled ginger) and the Peachy Mango Boba (crafted Calpico Peach Juice with mango popping boba).

Sadly, the Beef Wagyu did not live up to my expectations. While it had good flavor and everything worked well together, it was served at room temperature. That was off-putting. I would consider trying this again if the food were more freshly prepared.

On the other hand, the Peachy Mango Boba was a real winner. It had a fruity and refreshing flavor that wasn’t overpowering or watered down. It was perfect for a hot summer day in Florida.

Germany

Germany is usually my favorite kitchen at every Festival, and it didn’t disappoint this year. There weren’t any new dishes, but the kitchen did have two new drinks, which is why I stopped.

I ordered the always trusty Bratwurst on a Pretzel Roll and the new Schöfferhofer Berry-Lime Hefeweizen beer. The brat is your typical brat. It’s hard to mess them up. The pretzel roll is always a great complement. I only wish they offered a more traditional old-world ground mustard than the everyday yellow. But that’s a personal preference.

I’m not a big drinker, especially when I’m outdoors in the Florida heat, but I had to try the beer. I was first introduced to Schöfferhofer when I tried their Prickly Pear Hefeweizen a few years ago. I was an instant fan. The Berry-Lime Hefeweizen was just as good. It’s a light and refreshing beer choice that complemented the Bratwurst perfectly.

As always, be careful when drinking outdoors during the Florida summer. It’ll sneak up on you quickly.

Flavors from Fire (near Creations Shops)

This kitchen has been hit and miss for me in the past, usually leaning a bit more to “miss.” So why did I stop? I found one new menu option and knew I had to try it: the Rodizio-style Grilled Beef Skewer, served with “marble potatoes, charred shallots, roasted baby peppers, and chimichurri.”

This dish won the day. The beef was cooked to a perfect medium, tender and flavorful. The shallots and peppers were beautifully charred and roasted, adding the perfect amount of crunch. The lightly smashed potatoes tied it all together. Every element complemented the next. I’ll definitely be coming back for this one later in the Festival.

The 2025 Food & Wine Festival is only just getting started, but I’m already excited for my next visit. There are so many more dishes to try, and I can’t wait to share my favorites with you. The Festival runs through November 22, 2025.