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The Eat to the Beat concert series is a fun part of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. It’s a wonderful way to get to see fantastic bands and musical artists perform live at the America Gardens Theatre in the World Showcase. And the only way to guarantee a seat at one of the concerts is by taking advantage of the Eat to the Beat Dining Package. Today, we’ll be going over everything you need to know about this dining package!
What is the Eat to the Beat dining package?
The Eat to the Beat dining package is a special dining reservation that is also linked to guaranteed seating at an Eat to the Beat concert. You won’t get a ticket to a specific seat, but you’ll know for sure that you will get a seat.
The dining reservation will be scheduled for the same day as the concert, and you’ll pick which concert time (5:30 PM, 6:45 PM or 8:00 PM) when you make the reservation. There’s also a same day option, which we’ll go over later.
What is included in the Eat to the Beat dining package?
For the price of the dining package, you’ll get a guaranteed seat for one of the concerts that day, sort of like a general admission ticket. You’ll also get a meal at one of 8 select Epcot restaurants.
Depending on where you eat, your meal will either be a buffet or consist of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. In both cases, you’ll also get a beverage, which can be an alcoholic beverage if you are 21 years of age or older.
The one exception to this format is if you dine at Spice Road Table. In this case, your meal will still include a beverage (alcoholic if you are at least 21). But it will also include two small plates, a shared tagine, and a shared dessert platter.
What restaurants participate in the Eat to the Beat dining package?
The following restaurants participate in the dining package:
- Akershus Royal Banquet
- Spice Road Table
- Biergarten Restaurant
- Rose and Crown Dining Room
- Le Cellier Steakhouse
- Coral Reef Restaurant
- Garden Grill Restaurant
- Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue (same day only)
How much does the Eat to the Beat dining package cost?
The price of the Eat to the Beat dining package ranges between $56 to $99 for adults (ages 10 and up) and $21 to $50 for children (ages 3 to 9) if you make a dining reservation in advance. If you do the same day dining package at Regal Eagle, it will cost you $36 for an adult and $21 for a child.
Here’s what you’ll pay at each restaurant, with adults being ages 10 and up and children being ages 3 to 9:
- Akershus Royal Banquet
- Breakfast
- $72.00 for Adult
- $42.00 for Child
- Lunch/Dinner
- $84.00 for Adult
- $50.00 for Child
- Breakfast
- Spice Road Table
- $56.00 for Adult
- $21.00 for Child
- Biergarten Restaurant
- $66.00 for Adult
- $34.00 for Child
- Rose and Crown Dining Room
- $61.00 for Adult
- $26.00 for Child
- Le Cellier Steakhouse
- $99.00 for Adult
- $39.00 for Child
- Coral Reef Restaurant
- $73.00 for Adult
- $29.00 for Child
- Garden Grill Restaurant
- Breakfast
- $64.00 for Adult
- $37.00 for Child
- Lunch/Dinner
- $79.00 for Adult
- $47.00 for Child
- Breakfast
- Regal Eagle Smokehouse (same day only)
- $36.00 for Adult
- $21.00 for Child
The cheapest option is Regal Eagle Smokehouse with the same day option. If you’d like to make reservations as opposed to doing the same day option, your cheapest option is Spice Road Table.
The most expensive option for adults is Le Cellier Steakhouse. However, if you generally order an appetizer, entrée and dessert, this is actually a pretty good value.
Let’s do a hypothetical example where you choose the second most expensive option for everything at Le Cellier. You order the Canadian Cove P.E.I. Mussels appetizer for $21, Filet Mignon for $62, Peanut Butter-Chocolate Torte for $15, and a glass of Pinot Noir for $24. This actually comes to $122, which is more expensive than the $99 dining package! Even if you had a 10% passholder discount, it would still be $109.80, more than the dining package.
So if you’re looking for a good value as opposed to the cheapest option, Le Cellier Steakhouse is a great idea.
Is there a Passholder Discount for the dining package?
Unfortunately, you cannot use a passholder discount for the cost of your dining package, even if the restaurant offers a passholder discount in general. The dining packages are excluded from that discount.
How does the dining package work?
First, let’s go over how the dining package works if you make reservations in advance. Then we’ll talk about the one exception to that, the same day package at Regal Eagle.
For all the restaurants except Regal Eagle, you’ll make reservations for the day of the concert you want to attend. You’ll also specify which concert time you want. You can make reservations for any point during the day when there’s availability. It doesn’t have to be immediately before the concert (though it does need to be before it).
The day of the concert, when you’re seated at the restaurant, you’ll tell your server that you’re taking part in the dining package. (Your server will probably ask you, and it will also be part of your reservation.) Before you leave, each person using the dining package will get an Eat to the Beat seating badge. The badge will state your concert date and time. Hold on to these badges! You’ll have to show them to get into the concert.
The concert at America Gardens Theatre will have two lines: a dining package line and a standby line for those who didn’t get a dining package. The dining package line will (obviously) be let in first. If you’d like a good seat for the concert, you’ll want to get in line early. Even though you’ll have your seating badge, it simply guarantees you a seat, not a good seat.
How does the same day dining package work?
If you want to do the same day dining package for Eat to the Beat, you’ll visit Regal Eagle on the day of the concert you want to attend. While times may vary, the restaurant often opens at 11:45 AM. If the concert is a must do for you, you’ll want to get there at or before 11:45 AM, because same day package availability is limited. (In fact, the Disney World website warns that they “…are subject to availability and may not be available on peak dates.”)
If there is availability, you’ll be able to dine at Regal Eagle at the dining package price we discussed earlier, and you’ll receive your Eat to the Beat seating badge. From there, the process works exactly like it would if you’d eaten at one of the other included restaurants.
How do I book the Eat to the Beat dining package?
You can book your Eat to the Beat dining package here starting on July 9.
Which musical artists will be performing during Eat to the Beat?
You can see the full lineup of the 2024 Eat to the Beat concerts here.