It’s almost here guys. That magical time of year, when Epcot decides to celebrate everything I hold near and dear to my heart. It’s almost Food and Wine Festival – which comes very close to dethroning Christmas, as the most wonderful time of the year. Because is there really anything better than a whole festival celebrating food and wine? We’re putting together a cheat sheet, to help you get ready for this years festival, so you can eat and drink until you fall over, but in the best, like most responsible way possible.
-Set a Budget
It’s really easy to spend WAY more than you think you’re going to. Food and drink is set at fairly reasonable prices, and portions aren’t huge – so it’s easy to spend way more than you think you’re going to. If you go into it with a pre-set budget, it will help you avoid shock in the end when you see your credit card bill.
-Put Money on a Gift Card
In going with the theme above, in avoiding credit card shock – take the amount in your budget, and put it on a Disney Gift Card. They normally are selling them at kiosks around World Showcase for festivals, where you can wear them around your wrist, so you won’t have to grab it out of your wallet everytime you want to pay.
-Peruse the Menus
Maybe it’s just the crazy planner part of us, but we try to go into festivals having an idea of what is going to be available, and what we want to try – that way we don’t spend our whole budget before we see even ⅛ of the booths available. Disney Food Blog has all the menus up, and you can read them here. 
-Pick a Good Day
DO NOT GO ON A WEEKEND. You can chose to ignore this advice, but you have been warned. You will wait in lines the size of those for Flights of Passage, in the sun, when all you want is a bite sized piece of filet. Go on a weekday, and have a much more pleasant experience.
These are just a few tips to prepare you for the coming festival, to maximize your time, without emptying your wallets. So go on – eat like a Gilmore. It’s what the festival is all about.