Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival is just around the corner, beginning July 27th and lasting all the way to November 16th. Along with the colossal amounts of food available, there’s more news that has been released! In this post, we’ll cover that news and add a little bit of our own commentary. We’ll start with the news!

Starting later this July, guests can take a culinary tour across six continents at this celebration of cuisine from around the world. From delectable Global Marketplaces and fresh new merch to nightly live entertainment, there’s so much for guests of all ages to enjoy.

Don your lab coats and prepare to experiment with delicious flavors as Brew-Wing Lab at the Odyssey invites guests on a flavorful adventure, featuring the culinary creations – and madcap mishaps – of Muppet Labs!

That’s right – Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his faithful assistant, Beaker, of Muppet Labs will welcome you to their taste-testing headquarters, where the inventive duo are busy creating scientific snacks and mind-blowing beverages. You’ll have a chance to sample some of their kooky concoctions like the Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings, or the Pickle Milkshake. Consider it a flavor experiment in the name of science!

Outside of that, get ready to sip and savor at more than 25 Global Marketplaces including returning favorites such as The Fry Basket, Flavors from Fire, Canada, India and Spain marketplaces. Also coming later this fall, the culinary team will add four new Global Marketplaces to commemorate the Disney100 celebration: Char & Chop, Wine & Wedge, Bubbles & Brine and Swirled Showcase.

Finally, wrap up a fun-filled day by enjoying live musical entertainment at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series presented by Florida Blue Medicare, featuring a blend of chart-topping musical acts and a taste of Orlando’s local talent. Guests can secure a spot for these performances with an Eat to the Beat Dining Package. Here’s a look at the concert lineup:

• July 27 – Funkafied
• July 28-29 – Orianthi
• July 30-31 – For King & Country
• Aug. 1-3 – Funkafied
• Aug. 4-5 – Southern Avenue
• Aug. 6-7 – Tiffany
• Aug. 8-10 – Champagne
• Aug. 11-12 – Ruben Studdard with Haley Reinhart
• Aug. 13-14 – The Bacon Brothers
• Aug. 15-17 – M-80s
• Aug. 18-21 – Joey Fatone & Friends
• Aug. 22-24  – The Female Collective
• Aug. 25-26 – Ayron Jones
• Aug. 27-28 – Phillip Phillips
• Aug. 29-31 – Element
• Sept. 1-2 – Baha Men
• Sept. 3-4 – MercyMe
• Sept. 5-7 – Foreigners Journey
• Sept. 8-9 – Ray Parker Jr.
• Sept. 10-11 – Tobymac
• Sept. 12-14 – Hooligans
• Sept. 15 – Monsieur Perine
• Sept. 16-17 –  Raul Acosta and Oro Solido
• Sept. 18 – Celebrity Latin Talent TBA
• Sept. 19-21 – Audio Exchange
• Sept. 22-24 – Los Amigos Invisibles
• Sept. 25-26 – 98 °
• Sept. 27-28 – Latin Ambition
• Sept. 29 – Oct. 2 – Boyz II Men
• Oct. 3-5 – Wise Radio
• Oct. 6-7 – Mark Wills
• Oct. 8-9 – Sugar Ray
• Oct. 10-12 – Icon Party Band
• Oct. 13-14 – Hoobastank
• Oct. 15-16 – Air Supply
• Oct. 17-19 – Evolution Mowtown
• Oct. 20-21 – Taylor Dayne
• Oct. 22-23 – Billy Ocean
• Oct. 24-26 – Sound Up
• Oct. 27-30 – Hanson
• Oct. 31- Nov. 2 – Rexine
• Nov. 3-4 – We The Kings
• Nov. 5-6 – Sheila E.
• Nov. 7-9 – Rexine Line
• Nov. 10-11 – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
• Nov. 12-13 – 38 Special

Commentary

Really this post is just an excuse to talk about Muppet Labs! There’s not much to add to the Eat to the Beat news. If you like one of those bands then go see them while you’re there. Or don’t! Same goes with the new booths. If they look good then go eat there. Or don’t! But you should definitely go see Muppet Labs.

Does that mean we know what Muppet Labs will consist of? Not at all! We know a few things, like how the festival marketplace Bunsen and Beaker are connected to is inside of the Odyssey. Now, we don’t know if that means that Muppet Labs will be performing in that building. Frankly, that seems like a logistical headache as that building is fairly small. Housing both a food booth and a Muppets performance in there would be a lot of foot traffic.

Since the details did state the Bunsen and Beaker are connected to Brew-Wing Lab, there is a chance that they could be working alongside or even at the booth. That seems like even more of a nightmare as far as crowds go. As much as I might want zany Muppets to make me a small plate, I don’t think that’s very likely.

What I do think is most likely is a return of Muppet Mobile Labs, which was last seen inside of Epcot around 5 or 6 years ago. Dr. Honeydew and Beaker would travel around in a small, scientific cart and run experiments for guests to watch and interact with. It was one of the best ‘streetmosphere’ entertainment options I’ve ever seen and always seemed to make guests smile, whether Muppet fans or not.

Bringing that back outside of the Odyssey or just repping the corresponding food booth while labbing their way around Epcot would add a nice wrinkle to the Food & Wine. I’m excited about some character coming to the festival, as Food & Wine has felt lacking in that area in the past few years. We’ll know what Muppet Labs will actually be in just a few weeks!

What do you think of the Food & Wine Festival news? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Interested in a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Planning Guide to help you along the way! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!