The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic Returns for 2021 Photos

Cover Photo : The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic Returns for 2021

The Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic is a large, all-inclusive, food and beverage stroll-around event that takes place on just two days each year.

The Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic is a large-scale, outdoor event, and features tapas sized plates and beverages created by the award-winning Swan and Dolphin chefs.

Various food and beverage stations are set up all around the event area. Chefs prepare tapas size portions for guests to sample and there's usually a thoughtfully paired beverage station nearby where you can pick up a paired sample of wine or beer.

The main Causeway doesn't have it's own "theme" per say, but you'll find great plates and sips along the walkway. (In years past, this is where the desserts have been located too.)

The event has grown so big over the years, that food booths and seating are even located around the pool!

The Beer Garden is one of the themed areas at the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic, and is located off the main Causeway.

As the name suggests, you'll find all kinds of beer in the Beer Garden themed area.

Some bottles had been on display in the past, so you could read the label and see what each station was offering. This might be a little different for 2021 because the number of things guests can "touch" has to be reduced, due to covid safety protocols.

There's also some great themed food in the Beer Garden area. Here's some Pork Schnitzel with a Mushroom Sauce that was available at a previous Classic. For 2021, I think the Wagyu Sloppy Joe that will be available in the Beer Garden is going to be a popular selection!

Each of the themed areas also include some form of seating. While it might not seem like there's much seating around overall, it actually all works out, because quite a few people like to stroll... and never really settle in one spot for too long.

Small bands have added some great ambiance to each of the theme areas in the past. We'll have to see if this holds true for the 2021 event. Covid safety protocols are still in place, so if they're still able to perform, we might see more plexiglas dividers here and there, or just a greater distancing of the band from the guests.

The food items in the Chinatown area were located in this cute little building.

Inside the Chinatown booth.

Hello tasty dumplings in cups!!!

The Polynesian themed area at a previous Food and Wine Classic has a lu'au feel, complete with white sand and everything!

Seating was very well spread out in the Polynesian themed area.

Some very tasty small plates from the Polynesian themed area at the 2018 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic. I'm not sure if the beach area is going to be used in 2021, but this year's "The Pig & The Poke" has a similar Polynesian theme.

Hello sushi roll. I love how simple and elegant the clear plating is for this tasty little morsel.

The Polynesian themed area even had it's own band, making the whole experience feel a bit like a lu'au.

The Main Stage closest to the Dolphin Hotel.

Previously, guests were given logo glasses at the start of the event, and this would be your glass for the whole evening. That's probably not going to be the case for the 2021 event nights.

Awe, I still have mine! These cute little beer glasses were actually pretty solid. I'm not sure souvenir "logo cups" are going to be given to each guest — from a safety and functionality standpoint — a single use, small plastic cup will be used, at least for 2021.

Reusing the same glass (or more specifically, having multiple guest glasses come in contact with the same wine bottle) is on the touchpoint no-no list for 2021, and possibly going forward, for this type of event.

Small single use cups have been used before though — like at this cocktail station from 2018. Although we won't know for sure what 2021's festival will look like — my guess is, these small single-use plastic cups will be used to distribute beverage samples to guests.

Oh, it may not look like much, but this Deep Fried Oreo sitting in a little pool of chocolate sauce was a huge favorite among guests. This tasty cookie was served in the "Carnival Corner" area, which will not be making an appearance for 2021.

This 2016 Spellbound Pinot Noir was one of the wines at the 2018 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic.

The number of craft beers appearing at the festival has increased over the years. I'd say the ratio of wine to beer is about 50/40 if you count all the varieties. The remaining 10% have been cocktails and sakes. Spritz and Seltzers have been added to the line-up for 2021, and we're looking forward to seeing those as well!

Sake bottles are just as cool looking as Tequila bottles!

This is one of the themed areas from the 2018 festival. The Bubble Lounge has been a popular location because that's where most of the Champagne was!We'll see how this plays out for the 2021 festival though. As far as I know, the "wear a mask indoors" recommendation will still in place for the festival this year... will the 2021 Bubble Lounge be indoors? Will it be outdoors? We can't wait to see, but totally trust the Swan and Dolphin team to implement the most fun option, in the safest way possible.

The amazing mini desserts by pastry chef Laurent Branlard were quite popular with all the guests.

Just one of the many plates from the legendary Sunday Bubbles Brunch.