Disney Reveals the Recipe for a Returning EPCOT Festival Dish
Disney has handed fans the keys to one of EPCOT’s coziest comfort dishes. On October 2, 2026, the official Disney Parks Blog published the make-at-home recipe for Germany’s Schinkennudeln — a cheesy baked pasta that is back at the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival as part of Emile’s Fromage Montage. According to the Disney Parks Blog, the dish is one of 30 items that have returned or been reimagined from years past in honor of the festival’s 30th anniversary. If you can’t get to the Germany Marketplace, Disney’s recipe serves 8 to 10 people at home.
That combination — a returning fan favorite and a published recipe — is why this is more than a throwaway foodie post. It is a small window into how Disney is marketing the festival’s milestone year, and a rare chance to recreate a park dish in your own kitchen.
What Disney actually announced
Per the Disney Parks Blog, Germany’s “beloved Schinkennudeln dish is back as part of Emile’s Fromage Montage during the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.” The post frames the dish as a nostalgia play: it is “one of 30 items that have returned or been reimagined from years past, giving you another chance to enjoy a longtime EPCOT classic.”
The recipe itself is short and forgiving. Disney’s published version yields 8 to 10 servings and calls for:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- A pinch each of ground white pepper and nutmeg
- 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 pound cooked elbow macaroni
- Optional: 2 cups diced ham
The method, as Disney lays it out: whisk the cream, eggs, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg together; combine the two cheeses and set aside 1 cup; stir the rest into the cream mixture. Fold in the cooked macaroni, pour everything into a greased 16x9-inch baking dish, and cover with foil. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, then uncover, top with the reserved cheese, and bake another 15 minutes until golden. Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Quick comparison: the park dish vs. the kitchen version
| Factor | At EPCOT’s Germany Marketplace | Disney’s at-home recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Emile’s Fromage Montage, Food & Wine Festival | Your oven |
| Portion | Single festival-size serving | 8–10 servings |
| Ham | Included in the marketplace plating | Listed as optional |
| Cost | Festival marketplace pricing (varies) | Grocery-aisle pantry staples |
| Oven time | N/A | 45 minutes total (30 covered + 15 uncovered) |
(Note: Disney’s post does not list a marketplace price or festival dates, so we’ve left those out rather than guess.)
Why this matters for your festival visit
Here’s our read. Schinkennudeln is, functionally, an elevated baked mac and cheese with ham, nutmeg, and a Swiss-plus-white-cheddar blend — a genuinely kid-friendly, crowd-friendly plate in a festival that otherwise leans adventurous. On our past Food & Wine walkthroughs, the Germany Marketplace has always been one of the easiest “safe” stops when you’re touring with picky eaters, and a returning comfort dish like this gives families a reliable anchor between the more experimental global booths.
The bigger story is the “30 returning items” framing. Disney is explicitly leaning on nostalgia for the festival’s 30th anniversary, curating dishes guests have asked for over three decades. For anyone planning a visit, that’s a planning signal: this is a year to chase the classics, not just the new stuff. And because the dish is tied to Emile’s Fromage Montage — the festival’s cheese-focused scavenger challenge — it doubles as progress toward that collectible experience while you eat.
The recipe release is also a smart content move we’ll likely see repeated. Publishing an official, reproducible version keeps the festival top-of-mind for guests who are at home right now, months before their trip — and it quietly settles the endless “what’s really in it?” debate by putting the ingredient list on the record.
Our take
We’d treat this as both a recipe worth saving and a hint about where the festival’s energy is this year. If you’re visiting, put Germany on your must-eat list and let Schinkennudeln be your comfort break; if you’re counting down at home, Disney just gave you a weeknight dinner that tastes like EPCOT. Either way, the facts above come straight from Disney’s own October 2 recipe post — no embellishment, no outside menus.
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