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14 Dishes, One Free Reward: Disney Confirms EPCOT Activity Returns

Emile's Fromage Montage is back with 14 qualifying dishes. Problem is, only six of them exist when the festival opens next week, and you need five to finish.

Some context.

Look, yesterday we covered the full menu drop for the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, and the reaction was about what you would expect. Those menus had been the missing piece for months. The 30th anniversary lineup with 30 returning or reimagined items gave the veterans something to chew on, and the new stuff gave everybody else a place to start planning.

Another EPCOT thing landed this week that matters more than it sounds. Disney put in the first wooden countertops on World Showcase railings, starting over in the Germany Pavilion. That is the fix for the new solar-powered trash cans, whose rounded tops annihilated the long-running guest tradition of using flat lids as improvised dining tables during festivals.

Counters have a raised back edge so nothing rolls into the flowerbeds, plus a “no seating” sign that guests are going to ignore completely.

Menus, done. Somewhere to put your plate, done. Now the last piece.

Four friends gather at a small EPCOT table outdoors, laughing and sharing drinks and delicious festival food, surrounded by papers from their day’s adventures as they savor a well-earned meal after exploring the park.
Credit: Disney

The Rules

Cheese food stroll named after the food-obsessed rat from Ratatouille.

  • Buy five eligible dishes from the Global Marketplaces
  • Collect a stamp for each in your Festival Passport
  • Hit five stamps and go to Shimmering Sips
  • Claim a free special treat

You do not have to knock it out in one day. Stamps carry over, so nobody has to eat five cheese dishes in a single afternoon.

All 14 of Them

The Wedge Hosted by Dairy Does More (opens September 18)

  • Selection of Cheeses featuring Wisconsin cheese
  • Crab and Corn Macaroni and Cheese with bacon, crab seasoning, roasted corn, and jalapeños
  • Three-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with smoked cheddar sauce and herbed panko
  • Cheesesteak Macaroni and Cheese with shaved beef, peppers, and onions

Festival Favorites (opens September 9)

  • Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse Trifle with citrus sauce, spice cake, and cranberry streusel

Earth Eats (opens October 2)

  • Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with goat cheese polenta and shaved pecorino

The Alps (opens October 2)

  • Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese on a baguette with jambon and apple-mustard relish
  • Tartiflette with potatoes gratin, caramelized onions, bacon, crème fraîche, and brie
A gooey, cheese-filled sandwich wrapped in blue and white checkered paper sits ready to devour on a dark tabletop—the kind of mouthwatering quick bite you can grab between attractions at EPCOT in Walt Disney World.
Credit: Disney

Already Open in World Showcase

  • Schinkennudeln at Germany
  • Basque Cheesecake at Spain
  • Griddled Cheese with pistachios and honey at Greece
  • Pão de Queijo at Brazil
  • Pineapple Cheesecake at Hawai'i
  • Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli at Forest & Field
A slice of creamy cheesecake crowned with golden marmalade rests on a dark plate, evoking the kind of decadent dessert you’d expect to find at EPCOT during a Disney festival, possibly offered as a complimentary treat for special event guests.
Credit: Disney

Here Is the Catch

Add up what is actually open August 27 and you get six.

Germany, Spain, Greece, Brazil, Hawai'i, Forest & Field. That is the entire list. The other eight are sitting at booths that open September 9, September 18, or October 2.

You need five stamps.

So yes, technically possible on day one. Barely. You would have to nail five of those six exact spots with absolutely no wiggle room if something sells out or a booth closes early.

Going late August or early September? Plan the route on purpose. Do not wing this.

When It Gets Easy

  • September 9: seven options
  • September 18: eleven options
  • October 2: all fourteen

October 2 onward you have actual flexibility. Before September 18, you have basically none.

What Is New

The Wedge is brand new and hauls four of the fourteen by itself. That is a serious chunk of the challenge parked in one building inside CommuniCore Hall.

Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese at The Alps is a comeback, originally from 1997.

Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli at Forest & Field, Pão de Queijo at Brazil, and Schinkennudeln at Germany are returning favorites that regulars will clock immediately.

Savor three delicious ravioli topped with sage, pomegranate seeds, shaved cheese, and chopped nuts on a decorative plate—an EPCOT Food & Wine Festival favorite for Disney guests exploring the World’s Showcase.
Credit: Disney

Before You Start

Get a Festival Passport first. No passport, no stamps, no reward.

Spread it over multiple visits if you can. Five cheese-heavy dishes in one day is a genuine commitment, and several of these are rich.

Only going once? Build your loop around the six World Showcase spots plus whatever seasonal booths are actually live that day.

And the reward is at Shimmering Sips near Port of Entry, so factor that into your walking route instead of doubling back at the end of the night.

The Dates

Festival runs August 27 through November 21.

Fourteen dishes with booths trickling in through October is a solid reason to circle World Showcase more than once this fall.

And hey, there is finally somewhere to set your plate down.

Erica Lauren

Erica Lauren is a theme park writer and content creator based in Orlando, Florida, allowing her easy access to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and other attractions. As a frequent park visitor, she offers an authentic perspective from her experiences in the parks. A dedicated runDisney participant, Erica combines her love for running with theme parks, making unforgettable memories on their magical courses. When she's not writing or racing, she’s planning her next adventure with the goal of discovering new theme parks. As a thrill ride enthusiast, her favorite spot is always in the front row of the fastest coaster, with plenty of trip reports to share.

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