EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Opens With Missing Booths, a Closed Lounge, and No Joffrey’s Festival Coffees Yet
EPCOT’s 2026 Food and Wine Festival began Aug. 27, but several booths, the Florida Blue Lounge, and Joffrey’s drinks were not ready.
EPCOT’s 2026 International Food and Wine Festival is underway, but opening day did not deliver the full lineup many fans expected. Guests arriving for the festival’s first day found a closed lounge, unavailable specialty coffees, and five marketplaces scheduled to open later.
What changed on opening day
The 2026 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival opened on August 27 and is scheduled to run through November 21. This year marks the festival’s 30th year at EPCOT.
On opening day, the Florida Blue Lounge was closed. Guests also reported that Joffrey’s festival coffee menu was not being served.
Disney had listed four new cold brew drinks for the festival, all made with Joffrey’s Affogato-flavored Cold Brew with oat milk. They were supposed to be available at four spots around the park: the Affogato alle Mandorle near The American Adventure, the Dolce Affogato near Disney Traders, the Notte di Caramello between the United Kingdom and Canada pavilions, and the Affogato di Marshmallow near Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Spirited versions were also listed with Grey Goose or Baileys, depending on the drink. Guests said none of the four were available on day one.
Who it affects, and when the missing booths open
The bigger change for festival visitors is that five Global Marketplaces were not part of the opening-day lineup. Festival Favorites is scheduled to open September 9. Coastal Eats, Earth Eats, India, and The Alps are all scheduled to open October 2.
That means guests visiting now are seeing a smaller version of the festival than visitors who arrive later in the run, even though the festival itself has already started.
The delayed openings also leave out several returning dishes and anticipated menu items. India’s booth includes Chicken Tikka Masala and Potato-Pea Samosas. The Alps includes Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese and Tartiflette. Coastal Eats and Earth Eats bring back items including Crab Cake, Seafood Pot Pie, and Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib.
The staggered openings also affect guests trying to complete Emile’s Fromage Montage, since some qualifying cheese items are tied to booths that are not open yet.
For anyone heading to EPCOT during the festival’s early weeks, the practical change takes effect immediately. Checking what is currently open in the festival passport or My Disney Experience can help before planning around a specific dish or drink.
