Epcot Center Food and Wine Festival

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Tips for First Time Visitors to Epcot Center International Food & Wine Festival

Tuesday is the first day to make reservations for this year's Epcot Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World.

As Orlando food critic Scott Joseph have noted, there are some notable changes this year, including charges for once-free sessions.

How this will affect the demand for reservations, we'll soon find out. I have asked several festival veterans what advice they'd offer first-time visitors to the festival. Here are the top tips:

• Don't stress about making your plans now. There's plenty to see, do, eat and drink at the festival to entertain even the most demanding first-time visitor who arrives without a single reservation.

• Do take a look at the festival guide [PDF] at some point before you arrive, though. If you see a particular chef, event or demonstration that really interests you, go ahead and try to make a reservation. Do keep timing in mind, though. In the past, many demonstrations have had queues forming early, though this might change with the new $8 charges for many. Still, Disney's Epcot Center a big park, and you're probably not going to make it from an event that ends at 12:45 to another that starts at 1. Give yourself about an hour between events.

• The Party for the Senses rarely sells out, and other events scheduled in the World Showcase (which is huge) are usually the last to fill up. Keep that in mind, if you are trying to make advance reservations for a few events.

• When you arrive, make a lap around the World Showcase, scoping out the offerings, before you start with the food and the wine. If you jump in first, without seeing all that's available, you're likely to end up with too much in the belly and too little in the wallet when you run across that really special selection.

• You can't get everything out of the festival in a single day, so don't even try. Again, take a look around, and pick what most interests you. Don't be afraid to take a bit of a risk, though. Trying something new, ultimately, is what the festival is all about.

Still haven't got your tickets yet or a Vacation Package to Disney World & Epcot Center? Then check out our website for all our latest specials on Disney World Vacation Packages at www.orlandodiscountticketsusa.com