I tested out how many menu items I could purchase and try with a $50 gift card.
Everything I tried, from Greek rosé to an Australian-inspired lamb chop, was affordable and tasty.
I've been visiting Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival for a decade. This year, the festival features 25 "global marketplaces" — kiosks offering food and drinks inspired by cuisines around the world — as well as nightly concerts, themed merchandise, and fun scavenger hunts.
The event is included in normal Epcot admission, and since most menu items cost between $5 and $10, it's one of my favorite inexpensive ways to get the most bang for my buck at Disney World.
I set out to see what a $50 gift card could buy me as I ate and drank my way around the festival, which runs through November 18. I was able to purchase eight total items, making the average cost per item about $6.25.
Here's everything I tried.
I started with a $6.95 beignet aux trois fromages in France.
French-inspired beignet aux trois fromages at the Food & Wine Festival.
Terri Peters
The line for the France kiosk is often one of the longest at the festival, but this was worth it.
The warm beignet is filled with a three-cheese blend and topped with more crispy cheese. When I bit into it, the oozy, melted cheese combined with the soft, buttery bread was heaven.
I made a pit stop for an Evian in France, which cost $3.75.
I bought a bottle of water so I could stay hydrated on the hot day.
Terri Peters
This wasn't my first Food & Wine Festival rodeo, and in the hot Florida sun, I know hydration is key.
Before I tried any alcoholic drinks at the festival, I was sure to get some water.
Next I tried the beer-braised beef from the Belgium booth for $6.
Belgium-inspired beer-braised beef at the Food & Wine Festival.
Terri Peters
The Belgium booth's beer-braised beef looked like the perfect comfort food, with its veggie-filled braising liquid and Gouda mashed potatoes.
It wasn't the prettiest-looking dish, but the meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and I kept going back for bites of the mashed potatoes and gravy.
I knew I wanted to taste the $5 griddled cheese from the Greece booth.
Greek-inspired cheese at the Food & Wine Festival.
Terri Peters
Grilled Halloumi cheese is among my favorite foods, so I had to try this version topped with pistachios and honey at the Greece kiosk.
Paired with the Greek rosé I tried, it was Food & Wine Festival bliss.
I paired my cheese with a $6 glass of Skouras Zoe rosé from the Greece booth.
Greek rosé at the Food & Wine Festival.
Terri Peters
The light and refreshing pour of Greek rosé was a great first drink of the festival.
Skouras' dry rosé retails for about $14 a bottle, so paying $6 a glass at a festival didn't feel like an imposition at all.
I was intrigued by the $9 beer mimosa and the Shimmering Sips booth.
Beer mimosa at the Food & Wine Festival.
Terri Peters
To give myself some time to get hungry again, I made my next stop a drink-only one at the Shimmering Sips kiosk. I tried a beer mimosa, made with Boulevard Brewing Company's Berry Noir sour ale and sparkling wine.
I'd never had beer in a mimosa before, but I really loved this drink — even though it was the most expensive thing I bought.
The $8.75 roasted lamb chop at the Australia booth caught my eye.
Australian-inspired roasted lamb chop at the Food & Wine Festival.
Terri Peters
Another secret to surviving a hot day at Disney World is to eat enough protein, so I made sure to stop at the Australia kiosk to try the lamb chop.
The perfectly-cooked meat was topped with mint pesto and crunchy flakes of potato. It was great for a late-afternoon energy boost.
To end the day, I picked up a warm chocolate-pudding cake from the Ireland booth for $4.75.
Irish-inspired chocolate pudding at the Food & Wine Festival.
Terri Peters
I finished my trip with a bit of dessert — a warm chocolate-pudding cake topped with Irish-cream custard.
At less than $5, this was the most inexpensive dish I ordered, but the warm chocolate and creamy glaze were delicious. I'd definitely order it again.
