WDW Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic Returns for its Ninth Year

This is an event I try not to miss each year. It’s fun. It’s lively. It’s delicious!

The Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort returns Oct. 26-28, showcasing a vast array of food and beverage options and informative seminars conducted by members of the resort’s award-winning food and beverage team.

The Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic consists of 10 food and beverage seminars, Sunday brunch, live entertainment, a beer garden and more than 90 food and beverage stations, featuring appetizing selections from the resort’s signature restaurants including Shula’s Steak House, Il Mulino New York Trattoria and Todd English’s bluezoo, as well as wines, beers and cocktails from around the world. 

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic returns to celebrate its ninth year Oct. 26-28, featuring interactive seminars, two outdoor evening causeway events and the Sunday Bubbles Brunch. This year’s menus feature returning fan favorites alongside creative new dishes and offer attendees more than 90 food and beverage stations, 10 seminars and five themed areas to enjoy.

Guests will delight in numerous opportunities to sip and savor along the resort’s causeway, private lake and private beach Oct. 26 and 27 from 5:30-9 p.m. while enjoying live entertainment and cuisine from the resort’s award-winning restaurants.

New for 2018

Guests can take a culinary journey to the Pacific during this year’s event at the Hawaiian Luau-themed area, The Pig & The Poke. Located on the resort’s private beach, the area will immerse guests in the sights, sounds and tastes of the Pacific with live music and tasty bites including traditional earth baked Kalua pork with steamed white rice, Tuna Poke with koho sushi rice, avocado relish and crispy fried wontons and shaved ice served with a selection of tropical flavors. 

Enhancing the ambiance for 2018 will be the addition of several live musical performances throughout the event, in addition to the main stage.  Polynesian melodies will be performed by the family group Manureva at The Pig & The Poke.  The sounds of the 1920s and ‘30s, performed by Vintage Vibe, will fill the room in the Bubble Lounge and Harry “Captain Harry” Henry Hann will perform his blend of rock, soul, jazz and reggae – a style he calls Floribbean – in the Beer Garden. 

Featured Food

New dishes on the 2018 menu include:

• Dynamite Rock Shrimp with late season Zellwood corn, wasabi foam, matsutake mushrooms, Japanese eggplant and crispy lotus root from Todd English’s bluezoo
• Vietnamese Lemongrass Meatballs “On a Stick” with Vermicelli noodles, pickled vegetables and sriracha espuma from Cabana Bar and Beach Club
• Braised beef agnolotti with caponata-agrodolce, baby leeks and glace de viande mornay sauce from Il Mulino
• Shake & Bake Style Southern Fried Chicken with black eyed pea puree, white cheddar fondue and bacon-infused roasted garlic gravy from Picabu

Returning favorites include:

• Oven roasted beef rib eye from Shula’s Steak House
• Dragon sushi roll from Kimonos
• Handcrafted bacon with hay smoked potato gnocchi, black truffle, thai chili brussels sprouts and grape “pudding” from Cib’s Smoke House

World Champion Pastry Chef Laurent Branlard sweetens the evening with his selection of decadent desserts. 

Seminars, Brunch and Entertainment

Favorite hands-on educational seminars taught by members of the resort’s award-winning food and beverage team return for foodies who want to add a little something extra to their festival experience. Seminars offered this year include: wine blending, Italian wines, champagne, beer, Riesling, craft cocktails, pasta making, sushi and sake and wine and cheese pairing. All seminars require separate tickets and space is limited.

Guests can extend the indulgence into Sunday morning with the Sunday Bubbles Brunch with J Vineyards and Winery at Il Mulino New York Trattoria, featuring a lavish menu of traditional and unconventional dishes like various cured meats and imported cheeses along with an array of sushi and trattoria-inspired entrees. The Sunday Bubbles Brunch is a separate ticket option and does not require an evening ticket or overnight accommodation to participate. 

Live music will be performed from the Dolphin clamshell fountain on both days of the event, featuring a variety of musical stylings.  Performances will include: 

• Epic, performing today’s best dance, pop and party rock music
• 501 Blues, playing the top blues, soul and classic rock hits from the past 40 years
• Atlantic City Boys, featuring the rock ‘n’ roll harmonies of the Beach Boys, Drifters, the BeeGees and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

Event and Ticket Information

The Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic offers guests unlimited tastings at more than 90 stations featuring culinary selections from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants and wine from more than 60 wineries amidst a festive backdrop of live entertainment on the hotel’s scenic causeway, Oct. 26 and 27 from 5:30-9 p.m.

Ticket upgrades and add-ons allow guests to enjoy access to the Beer Garden, featuring a wide selection of craft beers and Oktoberfest-inspired cuisine, take part in interactive seminars and experience the Sunday Bubbles Brunch. More information, tickets and overnight packages can be found at www.SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com or by calling 1-800-227-1500.

With 17 restaurants and lounges and a distinguished culinary and beverage team, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel continually earns national recognition for its food and beverage program. The hotel features more than 70 certified wine sommeliers and 1,400 wine selections.

Ticket Information:

• Overnight packages and multiple-night package options are available for the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic starting at $445 and can be booked by phone at 1-800-227-1500
• Advance purchase unlimited food and beverage samples are $127 per person; upgraded ticket including the Beer Garden is $155 per person including taxes
• Interactive seminars start at $50 per person, per class including taxes
• Sunday Bubbles Brunch with J Vineyards and Winery is $94 per person including taxes
• For more information or to book, please visit www.SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com or call 1-800-227-1500