The Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic: Disney World’s OTHER Food & Wine

If you’re visiting Disney World between September and November, you’re likely to spend a bit of time snacking at the kitchens of the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. But for one weekend, there’s a second Festival just walking distance away. It’s the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic, and here’s what to know if you’re wondering whether it’s worth your vacation time (and money).

The Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic is held over two evenings at (surprise!) the Swan & Dolphin Resort. The setting is lovely; tasting tables and stands are set up along the causeway between the two hotels. You’ll traverse the causeway and make stops for food or wine tasting. There’s live entertainment as well while you sample the various dishes. The event runs for four hours on each of the two nights, with a different selection of food each night. You can take a look at the 2024 event menu here.

This year’s Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic is on November 15 & 16, 2024. Tickets are $195 per night of the event (plus tax and fees), or you can get a discount of 15% if you purchase a bundle for both nights. There are also a few upcharge food seminars that you can optionally include. Now, that’s a steep price for a four-hour event; here’s why we think it might be worth it to you.

The TL;DR: the food is prepared by the chefs at the Swan & Dolphin’s restaurants, some of which are exceptional. Even more than that, it’s prepared and plated right there in front of you. We love the booths at EPCOT, and she’s right there and can hear us say this, but … quite a bit of that food is par-cooked and finished in the booths, and there isn’t a comparison in quality. There’s also the live entertainment; the event drives a swanky party vibe with fireworks to finish off the evening.

It’s worth noting that the price of that ticket includes unlimited food and wine from the event. This is different from the EPCOT Festival, where you need to pay for menu items and beverages from each kitchen. The right comparison for the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic isn’t the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. Instead, it’s Disney World’s other upcharge events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Jollywood Nights, or After Hours.

Those events focus on special entertainment or shorter lines for attractions. The focus of the Food & Wine Classic is culinary, and the price is comparable to those other events. Choose what you love. If you are a foodie, we think that the quality and amount of food and beverage at the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic is in line with the cost.

If you’re staying in the Boardwalk area of the Disney World Resort, it’s easy to get to the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic on foot or by boat. From other Disney World resorts, your best bet is to take the bus or the Skyliner to either EPCOT or Hollywood Studios. You can walk or take the Friendship Boats from either park entrance. You can also get a special room rate at the Swan & Dolphin itself if you’re attending the Food & Wine Classic.

Still on the fence? Our opinion above on the value is based on prior years where we’ve paid for our own tickets. But we attended a media preview of the 2024 event; here are thoughts from our parks team on the dishes they tried.

Korean “No Mayo” Salad, Rice Noodles, Bean Sprouts, Cucumber, Kimchi, Cashew, Bibim (Saturday)

The Korean “No Mayo” Salad was stupendous. This dish was created as a way to use leftover noodles, but what stood out is that it’s the best kimchi we’ve ever had. The whole dish was a ton of different textures, with sweet, sour, and savory flavors. You can have two, no shame.

Smoked Hand-Crafted Bacon, Artisanal Bread Purée, Carrot Purée, Braised Greens, Shaved Vinegared Heirloom Apple (Friday)

This belongs at the best, fanciest state fair you’ve never been at. We don’t know where to find a fancy state fair either, but it’s the best description we could come up with. Holy wow, you will not find bacon like this at your grocery store. Not even if it’s the whole paycheck place.

Congee, Slow Cooked Rice Porridge, Shrimp Dumpling, Fried Shallot, Green Onion, Garlic, Crispy Chili Flakes (Friday & Saturday)

You can’t get a fresher prep than this: they are grilling the ding dang shrimp dumpling right there in front of you! And it shows when you taste it. The chili flake was more like the chili sauce every Trader Joe’s shopper is addicted to. It’s a warm heat but not painful, that adds depth to the other mild flavors. And fried shallot is going to be our new go-to garnish.

Vegetable Galette Slider, Griddled, Hand-Formed Zucchini and Carrot “Cake”, Secret Sauce, Sweet Onion-Mustard Relish, Tomato “Jelly”, Locally Sourced Brioche Bun (Friday)

This thing was much bigger than it looks in the pictures and we were fully prepared for it to be as dry as a shoe. It was not. We know they took special care to make sure everything was nice for us influencers, but the food won’t lie and it was delicious. And props on the individual burger box too.

Caramel Banana Crème Brûlée; Pistachio Raspberry Mousse, White Chocolate Foam (Friday & Saturday)

There are a few desserts at this Pastry Station stop, and they’re the same on Friday and Saturday. We tried the Pistachio Raspberry Mousse and the Caramel Banana Crème Brûlée. The mousse was nice and floofy, with a little tart bite from the raspberry. Even if you’re already stuffed from everything else, this was so light that we’re sure you can fit it in. As for the creme brulee … this is another dish where the fresh prep really showed. This dessert is a common favorite for a reason, but smelling the torched sugar in progress was the best advertisement for it.

Have you been to a Food & Wine Classic? What’s your favorite thing about it? Let us know in the comments!