For those of you wondering, “Can you eat and drink at Epcot’s food and wine on a budget?” The answer is a resounding yes!
First of all, there is no additional fee to get into the Food and Wine Festival. If you’ve purchased an Epcot ticket, you’re in! You can wander and check out the tasty treats at each booth without spending a dime. We were excited to create a few different combinations of alcohol and tapas for less than $10.
It’s easy to rack up a tab with the cocktails, since nearly all are over $10. Most beers are $5 for 6 oz and $9 for 12 oz. Flights are about $9.75 for three 4-oz tasting sizes.
Canadian Pavillion
While attempting to eat at Epcot’s Food and Wine on a budget, we started in the Appleseed Orchard in the Canada Pavilion. There weren’t many options: prepackaged apple chips or a tart covered in the crumbly topping. It’s obvious what we chose.
We went towards the end of the festival during the first week in November. They were out of their original ciders, but I felt like I lucked out because I got to try Blake’s Apple Lantern Roasted Pumpkin Hard Cider. It was excellent!
All in all, at Appleseed Orchard, we created a decent cider and dessert pairing.
- Blake’s cider $5
- Apple tart $4.50
If you leave the orchard and head out into the Canadian pavilion, you have more options. In Canada, there are usually some staples like the filet mignon and truffle butter. However, if you’re looking to budget, may I suggest the following?
- Cheddar cheese soup and pretzel roll $5.75
- Collective Arts Audio/Visual Lager from Hamilton, Ontario $5
World of Celebration, Nature, & Discovery
Throughout the front of the park, there are some incredible options. Most of the macaroni & cheese dishes were reasonably priced, too. While I was gluten-free and couldn’t partake, I couldn’t help but smell this cheesy deliciousness. You could get a warm and filling pasta dish paired with a delightful glass of red wine.
- Traditional macaroni and cheese with herbed panko $4.75
- Evolution by Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon $5
The Appleseed Orchard at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival in Canada is a peaceful place to sit back and relax. If you are a family with special needs, in our case, autism, or your children could use a reprieve from the Epcot crowds, pop in here to take a break. Amazingly, we found the pace in here much slower than the hectic one in the World Showcase.
Check out our post about places in Epcot for families craving quiet.
Appleseed Orchard in Canada at Epcot Food and Wine
If you are facing the front of the Canada pavilion, the Appleseed Orchard is to the right of Le Cellier. Since the Canada show is temporarily down, there is a wine-and-beer bar in the area. Disney repurposed the railings that once divided moviegoers as places for your drinks. For anyone nostalgic about Epcot’s former attractions, this is a fun touch.
There are twinkle lights and fabric strung up along the ceiling of the Appleseed Orchard space, giving the area a circus vibe. When you walk in, each end of the room has its own bar. One is dedicated to cider, the other to wine.
Wondering how to do Food & Wine on a budget?
Note: The O Canada! movie is the movie that has been in that space since the original filming in 1981. It was updated in 2007 to Circlevision and featured Martin Short. That version closed in August of 2019.
The Cider Bar
The Cider Bar features a non-alcoholic beverage, a cocktail, three beers, three ciders, a cider flight, a beer flight, and caramel apple popcorn. The non-alcoholic drink, called Frozen Apple Pie, is topped with crumbled gluten.
If you wanted to excite your tiny people, there’s someone selling maple syrup. Canada, eh?
Since we are gluten-free, we opted for the hard cider flight instead of beer. While some of the cider selections were unique, we were disappointed to see Woodchuck included.
The Cider Flight
The cider flight was diverse and gluten-free. We verified the gluten-free nature of each beverage through the Cider Crate. Each glass was only four ounces, so we essentially split one 12-ounce hard cider in the entire flight.
- Ciderboys lemon cello hard cider
- Collective Arts Brewing cherry apple hard cider
- Woodchuck hard cider spiced apple
The Ciderboys lemon cello was refreshing, tart, and light. The Woodchuck spiced apple tastes like Christmas in a glass- I highly recommend it. I was not a fan of Collective Arts Brewing’s cherry apple hard cider. It reminded me of the cough syrup that I lick off my finger after pouring it into a medicine cup for my kids.
There is also a wine bar that includes a charcuterie cheese plate, seven wines, and two wine flights. I did not discuss gluten-free items; however, it’s reasonable to think that they will have options.
The Fall Ambience
The place is decked out in autumn leaves, apple crates, and apples. We really thought it was one of the cutest themed Kidcot spots.
Note: This space would be perfect for family photos. Add some fall dresses, cute flannel shirts, and cowboy boots to your social media feed.
Kidcot Fun Stops
Disney is the best at promoting an environment where parents can drink while children play. While we sipped our cider flight, our children learned about Canada, colored Disney cards, and stickered themselves and each other.
At the first Kidcot stop, the children receive this “suitcase.” At each following fun stop, they receive a card, a sticker, and details about the country from a cast member who calls that land home.
Our son with autism became passionate about these Kidcot stops and made completing them an important mission. We will hit the rest of the stops on our next visit. The Appleseed Orchard in Canada at Epcot Food and Wine fueled our love for a new Disney World must-do!
While traveling together, we want to spend time in places where we each can enjoy ourselves. What is your favorite place to take your family during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival? What are your favorite budget-friendly snack options?
