Epcot's Food & Wine Festival 2011

For the lover and connoisseur of International cuisine, little is better than the Food & Wine Festival. Located in numerous places around the world, the one I went to this year is located in Epcot, one of Disney's theme parks.

My day went like this: an eclair in France... pierogies in Poland... then off to catch the new ride in Mexico. Lovely... and Oooh! Ahhh! It's November... the Florida Fall weather is excellent. 

A perfect vessel for this event, the World Showcase goes in a complete circle. You walk from country to country, and at the time of Food & Wine, you can sample small portions of nations' national dishes, along with accompanying wine and beer.

The portions are small, the prices are relatively high, but the taste is great and the options are diverse. Plus, you ARE in the "happiest place on earth," the land of "a million dreams."

There are ways to cut down your costs. For example, our F&W delights were completely "free," as my boyfriend had wracked up so many points on his Disney Visa -- we had no out-of-pocket expenses, with the exception of a park ticket. Also, if you stay at a Disney hotel, you can park for free at any other Disney hotel and park. It also doesn't hurt to share, and here is why:

Each country presents its menu, like this. You can order one of everything if you'd like, and yes... even Disney cards.

Britain's Guiness Draught, Fisherman's Pie and Lava Cake

If you hit all the countries and try 1 dish and 1 drink from each, expect to spend about $125 per person. However, my boyfriend and I split the dishes, and we were more than satisfied. And if you are worried about all the calories -- well, DON'T! You'll be doing a LOT of walking.

Even if you aren't as obsessed with food as I, I don't see how anyone couldn't enjoy Food & Wine at least a little bit -- especially one set in a Disney setting. :)

It's still going on! Check it out, if you can.

Grub on,

-Chels