My favorite festival of the year has arrived – the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival begins Sept. 14, 2016 and wraps up on Nov. 14, 2016. With 30 ethnic and specialty markets throughout the park serving small portions of fantastic foods and drinks – there’s no way you’ll go hungry.

While the festival is filled with great eats, it can be overwhelming for newbies. Here’s a look at five things to know before you go….

image courtesy of Walt Disney World/ Chloe Rice

Don’t Forget Your Passport

Be sure to pick up a passport when you arrive at Epcot. In addition to getting your passport stamped at each marketplace, it also serves as your pocket-sized menu with a listing of foods available throughout the park.

Keep track of what you’ve already eaten… and what you still want to eat, if you have room, of course. You’ll also find a schedule of events in the passport, so don’t go too far without it.

Sing Along and Eat to the Beat 

Take a break from eating and enjoy the nightly ‘Eat to the Beat’ concert series at the America Gardens Theatre with shows daily at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM and 8:00 PM. This year’s schedule includes Tiffany, Boyz II Men, Sister Hazel and Hanson, with a great list of performers throughout the fall.

The Eat to the Beat concert lineup is pretty spectacular – I’m hoping to make it back to see Wilson Philips, one of my old school favorites! PRO TIP: If the theater is full (and it usually is!), hang out in the American Adventure area and you can hear everything… and eat great barbecue too.

Pre-Paid Gift Cards Are Your Friend

Use a pre-paid Disney gift card to keep tracking of spending and faster checkout at the marketplaces. There’s no need to fumble for cash or your debit card, the gift card makes things easier for you and the castmembers running the cash register.

Stop by one of the gift shops located around the marketplace and you can even purchase a bracelet with the gift card attached. Easy peasy!

Go on a Scavenger Hunt

In addition to getting your kids to try new foods, don’t miss playing Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt. This interactive game takes families through the park for a savory adventure searching for Remy.

From my understanding, it will be similar to Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure. I’m excited to try it out with my girls this fall.

image courtesy of Walt Disney World

Eat, Learn and Have Fun

For the ultimate festival experience, sign up for a culinary demonstration, mixology seminar or an exclusive brunch with a celebrity chef.

My personal favorites are the culinary demonstrations with well-known chefs. In about 45 minutes, you can watch the chef cook and talk about the foods, learn their cooking history and sample the foods. And it’s all indoors – hello, air conditioning! It’s a great way to take a break from the crowds and learn new cooking techniques too. You’ll even get the recipes of the prepared dishes!

What are you excited to experience at the

Epcot Food & Wine Festival?