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EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival 2023 – Gluten Free -Part 1

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Come along with us as we make our way through EPCOT Food & Wine Festival 2023, gluten free/friendly and with food allergies! In the past, we struggled to find gluten free offerings with all the festivals, not just F&W.  Either there were not a lot of designated gluten free options or we felt bad for asking questions about our allergies and holding up the line while they called a chef. With these things in mind, we were anxious about the changes with this year’s Food & Wine Festival passport/menus. 

Ordering Gluten Free Menu Items at Food & Festival 2023

At first look, the festival passport lacks gluten free options. In fact, only one menu item is designated gluten friendly. We were hestitant about heading into this festival and how we would handle our food allergy requirements. We made our wish list before our trip. We hoped some of last year’s menu items would still be available, but still very unsure.  However, Disney provides an allergy menu online from which we made our wish list. You can find the festival allergy menu on Disney World website under Global Marketplaces, Know Before Go. Here is the link to Food & Wine Festival Allergy Friendly Menu: Explore the allergy-friendly menu available at EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.

***Disclaimer: Speak to a Chef or Cast member about your food allergies. The menu is “allergy friendly”. *Consult a medical professional for your food allergies*

Once, we were at the festival, we would ask the cast member at the booth about the menu offerings we were interested in. The Cast member would then contact the Chef for that booth to verify our food allergies in each menu item we inquired about. 

Check out what we ate and drank gluten free* on our first visit to the Food & Wine Festival 2023!

PART 1 Food & Wine Gluten Free*

We visited 12 booths this trip. Booths are listed in the same order as the Festival Passport book. 

Flavors From Fire – World Discovery

  • Chimichurri Marinated Skirt Steak Taco with Crushed Avocado, Grilled Corn Salsa, Pickled Red Onions – *No modifications were necessary for us. We found it a bit bland, maybe some spice or heat would’ve given it more flavor. The meat was tender and the goat cheese was very good. ⭐⭐⭐

The Fry Basket – World Discovery

  • Adobo Yuca Fries with Garlic Cilantro Aioli – We love these fries and the aioli (if you like mayo) is unmatched! No modifications made. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Fry Flight – No modifications
    • Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar Fries – Despite “malt’ being in name, these are gluten free. We found them a bit dry and too much powder. Would’ve liked to see a sauce with them. ⭐⭐
    • BBQ Bacon Fries with Smoked Aioli – These were tasty and good. Smoked aioli went well with fries. Again, we felt too much there was powder stuff on the outside. ⭐⭐⭐
    • Sweet Potato Casserole Fries with Candied Pecans, Toasted Marshmallow Cream and Maple Bourbon Glaze – OK, mixed reviews for these fries. If you like sweet flavors, this is very good! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Brew-Wing Lab at the Odyssey – World Celebration

  • Garlic Parmesan Wings – We were so happy to try the wings for the first time! In the past, they contained xanthan gum, so we could not have them. We absolutely loved these wings! They were savory and super garlicky! Serving size was large, making it a good value. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Orange Cardamom Wings – We loved these too! Orange flavor definitely showed more than cardamom, but they tasted very good. They were very sticky and messy to eat, but worth it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • 3 Daughters Brewing Raspberry Lemonade Hard Cider – This cider was not too sweet and refreshing. The raspberry flavor is notable with tartness from lemon. Depending on your sensitivity, ask that the lines were cleaned or only used for this product. Disney did not have allergy information available for this product. We researched this cider with 3 Daughters directly to verify it was gluten free for us. *Please do your own due diligence to verify safety for your allergies/sensitivities. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Alps – Near Germany

  • Huber Vision Grűner Veltliner – Salzburg, Austria – Very similar to a pinot gris, but slightly sweet. We would try it again, but not go out of our way to get ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spain – Between Germany and Italy

  • Charcuterie In A Cup with a selection of imported Spanish Meats, cheeses, Olives, and an Herbed Serrano Vinaigrette –  While we loved this 2022 Food & Wine version, this year was a little disappointing. There was less cheese and prosiciotto. More olives and more of a sausage that we were not a fan of. Hoping this was just a not 

well-proportioned serving and not an indication of lower quality product  ⭐⭐

  • Paella with Saffron Rice, Chorizo, and Shrimp – Love, love, love this paella! This was better than last year’s version with a bigger portion and perfectly cooked shrimp. Would go out of our way to get again! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Seafood Salad with Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Mussels, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar, and Smoked Paprika – While J still liked this, we both felt there was an off taste and the mussels were chewy. Again, hoping this was just a bad batch and not the norm ⭐⭐⭐
  • Sangria Flight – We liked all the sangrias! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Viña Borgia Macabeo White Sangria – Pear tastes forward, light, and refreshing. 
  • Viña Borgia Rosé Sangria – Even the rosé hater liked this. Light apple taste, no bitter rosé flavor comes through.
  • Viña Borgia Garnacha Red Sangria – A traditional red sangria with orange notes predominant. We all liked this one the best and would order it on its own.

Flavors of America – The American Adventure

  • Chilaquiles: Corn Tortilla Chips tossed in Salsa Verde with Ranchero Chicken, Queso Fresco, Cilantro-Lime Crema, and a Soft-poached Egg – A Tex-Mex treat that we really liked. It was heavy making it hard to eat on a super hot day, but the overall taste was unique and flavorful. We plan on trying to make this at home! Watch for a recipe!

Greece – Between Japan and Morocco

  • Griddled Cheese with Pistachios and Honey – This is our second year trying it and we had the same thoughts both times… J & I do not like the funky cheese taste and heaviness, but our other family member loves it and couldn’t wait to get it again. ⭐⭐⭐

Tangerine Café: Flavors of the Medina – Morocco

  • 3 Daughters Fig Hard Cider – We found this cider to be very sweet with medium fig flavor. Glad we shared it because of the sweetness. *Please verify lines were cleaned and check out 3 Daughters to check for allergens. ⭐⭐
  • Grilled Kebabs with Carrot-Chickpea Salad and Garlic Aioli (Chicken) – While we did not have this during this visit, we have had it many times. So, we skipped this time. D loves the carrot-chickpea salad and the chicken is always flavorful and tender. However, it seems to vary if we can have the garlic aioli or not because of xanthan gum allergy. This leads us to checking with a Cast Member for each menu item EVERY SINGLE TIME WE ORDER.** ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Brazil – Between Morocco and France

  • Faijoada Black Beans with Pork Belly, Brazil Nut Pesto, and BEN’S ORIGINAL™ Long Grain White Rice – This dish was delicious. We enjoyed the tenderness of the Pork Belly and all the flavors. We will definitely try it again! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread – One of our all time favorites at Food & Wine! It varies each time. This version was cheese heavy and dense, but we still loved it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Australia – Near Port of Entry

  • Roasted Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies – This is another example of asking Cast Members to check ingredients for allergies. We were not able to try this last year, because it did contain xanthan gum, but this year it was good for our food allergies. The chop was cooked well and was very tasty with Mint Pesto! We will definitely keep trying it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Yalumba ‘The Y Series’ Viognier, South Australia – A lot like a Sauvignon Blanc. We thought it was good and worth getting again. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hawai’i – Near Port of Entry

  • Passion Fruit Cheesecake with Toasted Macadamia Nuts – YUMMMM! We all absolutely loved this cheesecake! Not overly sweet, smooth, and simply amazing! By far, the best food we tried at F&W! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Pineapple Wine, St. Petersburg, Fl – Another repeat item for F&W and mixed reviews for us. D does not like at all because it is overly sweet (she still tries it every time…lol), but everyone else likes this wine, admitting it is a little too sweet ⭐⭐⭐

PART 2  Food & Wine Gluten Free* (Coming Soon)

We will be visiting Food & Wine 2023 again soon! In addition to some of our favorites mentioned above, we are excited for some of the menu items at the newly opened booths. At Char & Chop,  we will be asking about all the food items. J will ask about the Bloody Mary, even though we already researched the Seaside Grown Bloody Mary Mix which contains xanthan gum. J can have xanthan gum on occasion as her reactions to it are mild. We are also excited about Wine & Wedge, especially the Artist Palette of Wine and Cheese. We hope they can modify it for our allergies. Bubbles and Brine has some interesting seafood offerings that we’d like to try if safe for our allergies. 

Want to bring more Disney World food magic home? 

Check out our copycat recipe version of The Hollywood Brown Derby’s Famous Cobb Salad! Copycat Hollywood Brown Derby Cobb Salad – Gluten Free and other recipes! 

For a full review of our gluten free experience at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Brown Derby, check it out here → The Hollywood Brown Derby

For more gluten free restaurant reviews and great gluten free recipes and how we live a great life, gluten free check out our linktree Follow us on instagram and tik tok for more gluten free ideas and adventures! 

*These foods/products have not caused a reaction for us. Verify your food allergies with appropriate personnel/entities before consuming. This is not medical or allergy advice. Consult a medical professional for your own food allergen restrictions.

** Please check online menus for current prices and current offerings. 

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