Get your stretchy pants ready, it’s time for the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival and we have several options to enjoy throughout World Showcase. This years festival runs until November 21st, so you have plenty of time to try these various dishes. Let’s start with what’s new this year.
NEW Brew-Wing Labs at the Odyssey – Sweet Chili-Lime Plant-based Chicken Strips
This is a new version of the previously buffalo Impossible Chicken Tender. The flavor on this is similar to a sweet Thai chili sauce, but be warned that the peppers on here pack some real heat! I loved the buffalo tenders, but I also really enjoyed this new version. This is one I would absolutely get again, but if you are sensitive to heat you may want to ask for the sauce/toppings on the side.
NEW Forest & Field – Spicy Black Bean-Mushroom Chili
Everybody loves to eat spicy hot chili on a hot summer Florida day, right? Well to be honest, I really did enjoy this despite the triple digit feels like temperatures. There was loads of tiny mushrooms in here and I love a bean focused meal. There was definitely a kick with the flavors here, but once you mixed in the vegan sour cream it helped kill that a bit. I felt that my portion of vegan cheese and sour cream was good for this. The cornbread croutons were a bit lackluster and were more like cubes of left out cornbread. If you’re looking for a gluten free option you can get this without the croutons.
NEW Gyozas of the Galaxy – Edamame Dumplings
One of the options I was most excited for; one of my least favorite options of the day. The flavor profile of this dish was a bit all over the place, it was like a fall bowl then they just threw the edamame dumplings in for fun. The butternut squash and toasted walnuts were nice, there was supposed to be caramelized onions somewhere and the edamame dumplings were very plain. I didn’t like this dish at all, it seems to be a love it or hate it based on what I’ve seen on social media. So try at your own risk.
NEW Refreshment Outpost – Sweet Potato Mealie Pap
Goodbye Impossible Sausage, hello another bean based dish! The Sweet Potato Mealie Pap wasn’t overly flavorful, but it was a tasty dish. I don’t love grits, so I mostly just ate the sweet potato and beans part. While I don’t think I would personally order this again, I would absolutely eat something like this if it were served to me on a cruise. Also, another hot stew to enjoy in the Florida heat!
NEW Tangierine Cafe – Ras el Hanout Cauliflower Bowl & (not new) Plant-based Falafel Wrap
Finally something cold! The Ras el Hanout Cauliflower was one of my favorite dishes during opening day. I absolutely loved the textures and flavors of this dish and ate up the hummus with the pita. There was loads of cauliflower, cucumber, tomato, and hummus in the bowl to enjoy. I will absolutely get this tasty dish again. They do cook the cauliflower in the same oven as the bread, so for gluten allergies use your discretion on modifying this one.
Returning for another festival is the Plant-based Falafel Wrap. This has been at the last several festivals and it still holds up. The falafel wrap is slathered in a garlic sauce, tomatoes, and cucumber. It’s a great light lunch and can be gluten free without the wrap. Thank you Gina for your photo of this and the gluten free chili!
Shimmering Sips – Strawberry Champagne Trifle
I am so happy this dish is back, I absolutely loved this dessert last year. This dish features a delicious strawberry compote, glitter, and a creamy vanilla custard. The crunchy bits, I don’t know what it is but it’s good, add a nice texture and honestly this is just a really delightful dessert to enjoy. This is our only sweet option this year.
The Fry Basket – Adobo Yuca Fries & Modified Fry Flight
The Adobo Yuca Fries are back again with their creamy garlic aioli and still hit. The yuca is crispy, salty, and hot. The garlic aioli on our visit was a bit thicker than in the past, so they either changed it up a bit or it was just a thick day. Either way, these were enjoyed and will be again on another visit.
New to us this year is a more legit modification of the Fry Flight. They have added a vegan marshmallow cream to the sweet potato fries so we only need to remove the Truffle Parmesan fries. You can sub out either two things of the salt and vinegar or two of the sweet potato. I didn’t try this on my first visit as I was way too full to do so, but Suzannah grabbed it and shared her photo with me to show to you!
India – Potato & Pea Samosas
Unfortunately for us, one of my favorites isn’t opening until October this year. Starting October 2nd we’ll be able to enjoy the Potato & Pea Samosas from India. These have a creamy cilantro sauce drizzled on them and are just a really good samosa. So if you’re a samosa fan, or have never had them, I recommend giving them a try when they’re available! They do have a bit of heat, so for my heat sensitive friends, you’ve been warned.
Overall thoughts on this years festival is that the food we do have is great. Almost everything (looking at you gyoza) I ate on opening day was really good. I love the creative options we’re getting and that we’re relying less on the vegan meats for dishes. However, I do have a fear that our options have been dwindling and I’ve been watching things change in a not great direction.
I will remain hopeful but I also implore you to continue to buy the vegan or modified vegetarian dishes rather than getting meat dishes modified. These companies run on data and if they see more veg options being purchased then that is better for us. If you modify a chicken dish or whatever it is that will not show as having been modified, so we’re losing a number there.
Anyway, I hope you have some things on this list that you’re looking forward to. See you out there!
Check out my vlog from opening day below!
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