Belgium Review & Menu: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival
The Belgium booth will be located in World Showcase during the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, as we continue with Walt Disney World’s fall foodie event. In this booth review, we’ll look at the menu prices, share photos, and offer thoughts on what is worth your money.
We’ll begin with a brief synopsis of what’s happening with the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. This year’s culinary event runs from July 27 until November 18, 2023–a total of 115 days. The festival is starting 13 days later and ending a day earlier than last year, making this a 2-week shorter run than each of the last 3 years. This is a rarity, as usually Walt Disney World events only get longer. It’s happening for a variety of reasons beyond the scope of this food booth info post for Belgium’s Global Marketplace.
The Belgium Global Marketplace has been an Epcot Food & Wine Festival mainstay for the last decade-plus, offering a waffle-centric menu since its debut, occasionally swapping out the non-waffle item for something different. Of course, people love waffles and the lines at the Belgium booth are a testament to the endearing popularity of them. So it’ll be good to have that dynamic duo back.
The waffle choices have been unchanged for the last several years, featuring the following:
- Beer-braised Beef served with Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
- Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache
- Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream
Belgium Beverages:
- Brasserie D’Achouffe Houblon Chouffe IPA, Achouffe, Belgium (NEW)
- Chimay Grande Réserve, Chimay, Belgium (NEW)
- Chilled Mocha Coffee (nonalcoholic)
- Delirium Red Fruit Belgian Ale, Melle, Belgium
- Chilled Coffee featuring ChocoLat Deluxe Salted Caramel Chocolate Liqueur
- Beer Flight
Now for our reviews of the food items at the Belgium Global Marketplace at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival…
Beer-braised Beef ($5.50) — This type of dish is a crowd-pleaser, and you’ll find variations on this concept around World Showcase. I’m of mixed minds about this incarnation of the dish.
On the one hand, the beef is tender and tasty, with the gouda mashed potatoes being a great side. On the other hand, this is a heavy dish with a stew-like quality that is far from ideal in the hot Florida sun during the earlier months of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.
Chocolate Belgian Waffle ($4.25) – We don’t rave about these waffles like some others, but we don’t dislike them, either. They’re consistently good, and the chocolate version is rich and decadent.
At the end of the day, it’s a small, freshly-made waffle. If that’s what you’re craving, have at it.
Berry Belgian Waffle ($4.25) – Same idea, but topped with berries instead of chocolate. The compote adds a nice sweetness, but it’s going to come down to personal preference.
In terms of value for money, both of these waffles are fine, but their relatively low price makes them a poor use of a Disney Dining Plan snack credit.
Overall, this is a fun and crowd-pleasing booth that it’s tough to criticize too harshly. As compared to other desserts at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, the waffles are middle of the pack. However, a lot of people love freshly-made waffles–if you do, go for it. If you’re wanting something ambitious and unique, look elsewhere.
Check out our Epcot Food & Wine Festival Booth Menus post if you want to see and read more about every menu this year. You’ll also want to read our full Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival Guide before you go to get an idea of what to do, strategy for the festival (yes, you will need a strategy), and much more!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the Waffles booth? Have you tried any of the waffles here? What did you think of them? Questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Really wish you would continue with the food reviews! They are very useful in trip planning and budgeting. I’m sure it’s boring and repetitive for you but we all appreciate the info!
I think I’m more burned out by the festival itself. I like reading your reviews, hoping I’ll read some miracle has occurred and the food knocked you off your feet. Each year it seems like the samples get smaller but price keeps growing. I miss the quality we used to be served at the festival. I always go at least once or twice during the festival, so I’ll be looking forward to your future posts to see if there’s anything new that I must try.
FWIW,
I, too, am a silent lurker… but I’ve ready every post (and seen every ad, sponsors).
I’m reading and loving every single review! thanks for doing this- i’m using to to plan to my binge eating! Belgium sounds skippable based on this
I never, ever comment. I am a silent lurker, creeping in the shadows, living vicariously through every single post to the point that sometimes I tear up because I just love Disney. But still, I’m a lurker, who came out of the shadows to let you know that even though some of us might not comment, it doesn’t mean we aren’t salivating. I used your blog to plan our last trip, and am actively using this info for a Disney trip in 2 weeks.
I have been reading all of your posts re: Food and Wine Festival! I hope you will lost more! Thanks for all the info as we will be there next month!
Having visited Belgium, the waffles are not authentic. Real belgium waffles are made with dough and not batter. It gives them a completely different taste. I was so excited when they first set up this booth until I realized that. The other food has been amazing.
I totally get being burnt out on the reviews. Not saying “OMG PLEASE KEEP DOING THE THING YOU DONT WANT TO DO”, just letting you know my wife and I have been using your guides/reviews to update our* spreadsheet for our upcoming trip.
Thanks for all your time and effort put into the site!
*I say “our” but it’s all my wife’s doing
Been reading them all, Tom. Please continue with the booth reviews, very enjoyable and worthwhile
Tom, I have been reading every single food and wine review with enthusiasm. I don’t have comments because I will be attending for the very first time in October so I was just gathering insightful information. I have also been reading your construction updates because I will be staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort in October for 3 days for the festival.
Your blog on both topics has been and will be tremendously helpful for this next visit. I am a long time Disney fan and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts.
Thanks for your work on this. I’ve been reading all of them and I don’t even have plans right now to go to Food and Wine but would like to in the future. I’ve never really known what it’s all about so your attention to detail on your reviews has been very helpful at painting the picture of this experience. Thank you!
Amen to that! I, too, may not have immediate plans to visit the Wine and Food Festival, but it sure is interesting to read your take on it. Thank you for all the information.
Honestly Tom, it’s a good thing you don’t continue writing your great booth reviews, because they might just get lost on your site. With the frequency of articles coming in over the long weekend, some (like the update on Artist Point) have been pushed to page 2. Well, clicking ‘2’ at the bottom of the screen doesn’t bring me to page 2 – it brings me to older articles from maybe a month ago. This didn’t seem to be happening last night, and maybe it’s just my Safari browser. Great job nonetheless – I’d read all of the future booth updates too!
I’ve had this happen from time to time with other pages (it’s a caching issue), but never with the second page of the blog. I’ve cleared the cache for it–try again and it should be fine. I’ll have to figure out a better long term solution for that issue.
Thanks for the reviews – haven’t been to F&W for a few years but I’m living vicariously!!
I have a non-food question. The poor man who died on the scaffolding, was he working on the new DVC Riviera, or somewhere else? My news only showed the aerial shot of the collapsed top view.
I do like the reviews, BTW! But if you are sick of eating in the heat and schlepping the gear around, I certainly understand.
Another unrelated question, any idea when DVC Riviera sales will start and Disney will have a sample room to peruse? My husband and I are very interested in this property to buy into, if possible, but are hoping it doesn’t have the smaller Poly rooms.
Thanks for all your hard work! In the Florida heat, I would only want salads and beer, LOL, not the heavy meat and potato stuff, either.
The workers were working on a non-Disney resort.
Tom although you may not be getting many comments people are reading. I wanted to write to let you know your reviews are very helpful they are NOT stale or boring by any means. What you do with these does not go unnoticed,give yourself more credit Tom because alot of people sure do.
It’s as much about needing to get the construction updates finished (which take longer to write) as anything else. My photos from those are all now 3-4 days old, and I’ve already noticed some changes from my photos on social media–so I need to get those done stat!
Thanks for all the reviews you’ve done so far, Tom! I hope you find renewed energy working on other updates.
I am here now, staying at Caribbean Beach (discounted rate) and am enjoying the reviews. With all your great information there is a bunch to digest! it would be awesome to hear a plan of attack if a person had one, two or three nights to enjoy the Festival. Sarah’s picks would be interesting as well since you have different tastes.
Could you please do a top 10 of your favorite dishes across the entire Food and Wine Festival? If you’re going to stop / take a break, it would be great if you could do a post where you just cut to the chase. 🙂 Have been reading all the posts, thank you so much!
I agree! A top ten and a worst 10would be very helpful!
Those posts are coming–I’ve already started on both–hopefully I’ll finish them by the weekend!
Yes, this! I’m going in two days and have been reading them all, but your “best of” and “worst of” lists would be great 🙂
My husband and I have been enjoying reading your reviews this weekend! It’s a bummer that you won’t continue. We were looking forward to reading the Canada one. Such a lot of work but such great information. Thanks!
Ahhh…nooo!!!! We are reading them! Promise!! Please review the new booths/items!!
I like getting your reviews for the booths ! It is helping narrow down all the choices.
Did you review yet the Sunday brunch with the celebrity chef ? It’s venue has changed and since we have it booked I was wondering about it. Let us know if you have any scoop !