Enjoy Crepes or Escargot in France

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is a yearly celebration of food and spirits from around the world, running in 2010 from October 1-November 14. This year, the festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and they’ve pulled out all the stops!

At the festival, you can try food, wine and beer at international booths situated around the Epcot World Showcase; attend free and low-cost seminars on food and wine with renowned chefs; and indulge in decadent meals from around the globe at culinary events at various Walt Disney World restaurants. Then you can top it all off with one of the nightly concerts – Sugar Ray, Air Supply and Boyz II Men are just a few artists who will visit the Epcot America Gardens Theatre stage.

Here’s more on what you can expect:

International marketplaces:
More than two dozen international booths will be set up around the World Showcase Lagoon, showcasing cuisine from around the world. Small plates will be available for purchase – some of which will be eligible as snack credits on the Disney Dining Plan. New this year is South Korea, Belgium, and Charcuterie and Cheese booths. You can also get a Marketplace Discovery Passport and receive stamps from all of the booths! Click here for Food and Wine Festival Booth Menus.

Free and low-cost events:
Culinary demonstrations and food and wine pairing seminars will be held daily for as little as $8 per person, with booking for the general public available Aug. 28 (Tables in Wonderland members and Annual Passholders can book on August 26th). And there are many free events to take advantage of, such as book signings and author meet and greets, bottle signings, short films and seminars. Click here for information onFood and Wine Festival free and low-cost events.

Special culinary events:
These more pricey events are for those wanting to truly indulge in a food experience for the senses. Booking for these events began on July 20, so hurry and get your spot reserved (call 407-WDW-FEST). Whether you’d like to get a taste of the festival before anyone else (Delicious Discoveries First Bites, Sept. 30, $195), experience a night with Cat Cora herself (Celebrating Family & Friends in the Kitchen at Kouzzina, Oct. 29, $140) or feed your cheese obsession (Cheese seminars, Saturdays, $75), there’s something for every foodie. Click here for 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Special Events.

Eat to the Beat! Concerts:
Each night, various artists will play concerts at the Epcot America Gardens Theatre. Showtimes are 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. nightly. Taylor Dayne starts off the concert festivities from Oct. 1-3, while Big Bad Voodoo Daddy pulls up the rear from Nov. 12-14. In between are a host of artists such as Jon Secada, Taylor Hicks, Sister Hazel and more. Click here for the 2010 Eat to the Beat! Concert Schedule.

Hopefully that helps lay out what you can expect from the 2010 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival! You can keep you to date with the Disney Food Blog’s index page on the festival here! Or check out the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Guide and Map!

Be sure to follow us over on Twitter (@DisneyBasics) to discuss your Food and Wine Festival plans!

This post is part of the DisMarks.com Disney Blog Carnival! To read more great Disney posts or learn how you can be part of the carnival, click here!

A Typical Kids' Picks Sign

At most Disney World quick-service restaurants, you can now find a program called “Kids’ Picks.” This program not only gives kids the option to customize their counter-service meals with healthy choices, it also makes those healthy picks the primary options!

Here’s how it works: when you and your child approach a Disney counter-service location, your little one can choose from the standard kids’ meal entrees available and then choose from the list of kids’ picks for side items and drinks. The primary options listed as side items are relatively healthy choices: usually dishes like fruit gelatin, applesauce, apple slices, grapes, and carrot sticks. For a drink, your child is given the main options of milk, water, or apple juice.

Now, in small print, the kids’ picks signs will always give your child the choice of adding standards like french fries, chocolate pudding, cookies, or soft drinks, but these are cleverly hidden below the giant cartoon images of the healthier options.

It’s just one more way that Disney is redesigning their dining and upgrading their menus resort-wide to give you and your family healthier choices for theme park food.

Guess What! This post is part of the DisMarks Disney Blog Carnival! Click on that link to see many more fantastic blog posts about Disney food, planning, history, and more.

Morocco's Tangerine Cafe

• Making Advanced Dining Reservations
• Disney Dining Plans
• Tables in Wonderland Dining Discount Card
• Other Dining Discounts
• Character Meals

MAKING ADVANCED DINING RESERVATIONS
There are lots of dining options inside and outside of WDW property. If you want to try Disney restaurants, it makes sense to make reservations–even if you’re traveling during a slow season.

Making reservations (which Disney currently calls “Advanced Dining Reservations,” or ADRs) is quick and easy. Simply call 407-WDW-DINE, answer a few voice-activated questions, and you’ll be transferred to a dining agent who will book your meals for you.

You can also book online, using the Disney World Website. Simply click on this link, find the restaurant that interests you, and click the booking button.

At this time, you may make a dining reservation at most Disney restaurants up to 180 days in advance of your meal there. If you are staying at a Disney Resort during your time in Orlando, you may call 180 days in advance of your arrival date and make dining reservations for up to 10 days.

I’ll refer you again to Mousesavers, as they have a fantastic and in-depth page about advanced dining reservations. Some restaurants and dining experiences, like the Polynesian Resort Luau and Fort Wilderness’ Hoop Dee Doo Revue, allow a longer pre-booking period. We suggest you use the PS Calculator–this stands for “priority seating” calculator, as Advanced Dining Reservations were previously referred to as priority seating arrangements. This calculator will determine the dates you should call for your reservations based on your arrival date.

At this time, Disney offers the following plans:

• Quick-Service Dining Plan
• Regular Dining Plan
• Deluxe Dining Plan
• Premium Package with Dining
• Platinum Package with Dining

For more in-depth information about the Disney Dining Plans and to compare one plan against another, visit the AllEarsNet Disney World Packages page

TABLES IN WONDERLAND DISCOUNT CARD
The Tables in Wonderland Card (formerly referred to as the Disney Dining Experience) is an annual membership available to Florida residents or Disney World annual/season passholders for $100 and $75 respectively.

For more information about how to order the Tables in Wonderland card, call (407) 566-5858 (Monday – Friday, 9 am – 6 pm EST).

OTHER DINING DISCOUNTS
Disney World offers other dining discounts to other membership groups as well, including annual passholders, Disney Vacation Club members, Florida residents, AAA members, and others. Mousesavers.com has the most detailed information on their dining memberships page.

Also, due to the tourist industry in Orlando, many restaurants in the Orlando area have signed onto discount and coupon programs. This might be the best way to save some cash on your Disney trip–or just enjoy a night away from the Mouse.

CHARACTER MEALS
Whether you’re young or not-so-young, it can be fun to “dine with the characters!” You can have breakfast with Mickey, dinner with the Fairy Godmother, or even lunch with Donald! There are many more experiences to be had–check out the Disney Information Station’s list of character dining experiences.