Hiya Alexandra!
Thank you for sending us this magical question, and welcome to planDisney, the most magical place on the internet. As a fellow Epcotter (Epcotian? Citizen of EPCOT?) I am so glad you stopped by to ask us this question. The EPCOT Festivals are one of my favourite things to experience at the Walt Disney World Resort, so much so that I usually even plan my trips around them. The festival offerings add so much to your vacation and make them so unique!
Unfortunately, the time between festivals is usually meant for setting up the new food booths, taking down any structures that are not used, and other "housekeeping" tasks that need to be done. While you truly never know what could happen with Disney offerings, the festivals do not usually get soft openings before their opening date. However, as Remy once said, "the only predictable thing about life is its unpredictability," so be sure to keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog for any last-minute updates.
Now, I think the time between the festivals is the perfect occasion to enjoy some of the offerings available year-round at EPCOT. Indeed, I always feel guilty eating at permanent locations during the EPCOT Festivals when I could be eating limited-time offerings. Hence, the time between festivals is perfect for catching up on EPCOT's excellent restaurants. Personally, I absolutely love the new restaurant,
Connections Cafe and
Eatery, located near Spaceship Earth. The Liege Waffle is a must-try and counts as breakfast in my book! Further down in the World Showcase, however, are a plethora of options just waiting for you. Canada's
Le Cellier Steakhouse, Italy's
Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria, Morocco's
Spice Road Table and France's
Chefs de France are only some crowd-pleasing options. At the front of the park, the brand new
Space 220 Restaurant is also an impressive and immersive experience perfect for fans of flashy offerings. For a quick, comforting meal, be sure to stop by
Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue has one of the best mac and cheeses I have had on property. As a big mac and cheese fan, that is a big deal!
I hope this was helpful, Alexandra, and that you will have the best day ever on your next Disney vacation. If you have any other questions in the time leading up to your trip, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Talking about delicious food options is always a real
treat.
Bon appétit,
Ariane