Credit: DisneyThere is a specific kind of magic that EPCOT has built its entire identity around, the ability to walk between pavilions and feel transported across continents without ever leaving Central Florida. France smells like fresh-baked croissants. Japan carries the quiet calm of a traditional garden. Italy delivers pasta, gelato, and the kind of lively atmosphere that makes World Showcase one of the most beloved sections of any Disney theme park in the world. But this summer, guests do not need a park ticket to experience that same sense of transportation. They just need a reservation at a restaurant located a few steps from EPCOT’s front gates.
Il Mulino New York Trattoria, located at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort, has launched an exclusive Tour of Italy wine dinner series that invites guests to travel across Italy’s most celebrated culinary regions without ever needing a theme park admission. It is the kind of experience that turns a hotel restaurant into a genuine culinary destination, and for guests staying near EPCOT this summer, it adds a compelling reason to build an evening around something other than the parks themselves.
What the Tour of Italy Series Actually Includes
The series runs one evening each month from June through September, with each dinner offering an intimate six-course tasting menu paired with wines selected from two different Italian regions. Every event is designed to highlight the distinct flavors, culinary traditions, and regional character of the featured destinations, ensuring that no two dinners in the series feel the same.
The series began June 25 with a spotlight on Veneto and Tuscany, two regions with deeply different culinary identities and wine traditions, served starting at 6:00 p.m. The remaining dates on the calendar include July 16, focused on Umbria and Abruzzo, with a time still to be announced. August 20 turns the spotlight to Campania and Calabria, and September 24 closes the series with a celebration of Sicily and Sardinia, both also with times to be announced.
Each dinner costs $175 per person, which includes the full six-course menu along with the accompanying wine pairings for every course. Given the limited seating available for each event and the popularity of Il Mulino’s special dining experiences, reservations are strongly recommended, with dates expected to sell out well in advance. Guests interested in attending can book through OpenTable.
A Restaurant With the Reputation to Back It Up
Il Mulino New York Trattoria has built a reputation at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort for serving authentic Italian cuisine in an atmosphere that balances upscale dining with genuine warmth. The Tour of Italy series builds directly on that foundation, giving guests an exclusive opportunity to explore Italy’s culinary diversity in a format that goes well beyond the restaurant’s standard menu. For wine enthusiasts specifically, the chance to taste expertly paired selections from regions that rarely get individual spotlight treatment in the United States is a significant draw on its own.
The Hotel’s Broader Summer Lineup
The Tour of Italy series is just one piece of what the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has built for summer 2026. The resort is celebrating America’s 250th birthday with a full season of programming that extends well beyond a single Italian dining series.
The festivities begin with a Fourth of July weekend celebration running July 3 through July 5, featuring a live DJ poolside, inflatable games, themed arts and crafts, and a specialty Red White and Poured cocktail, along with complimentary birthday cake honoring the nation’s milestone anniversary. Guests staying at the resort can easily extend the celebration into EPCOT using the complimentary boat transportation or the resort’s walking path, where the newly redone Soarin’ Across America attraction showcases iconic American landmarks and natural wonders paired with a refreshed orchestration of the beloved Soarin’ soundtrack as part of the broader America 250 celebration.
Beyond the holiday weekend, the resort is launching a new Summer Concert Series running from July through the end of August, bringing live entertainment, themed food trucks, and specialty cocktails to create an energetic atmosphere for both vacationing guests and local visitors. The series will be available to resort guests as well as anyone who purchases a resort pass, expanding access beyond hotel guests alone.
Guests considering a stay can also take advantage of the resort’s Summer Story Worth Telling promotion, offering seasonal savings that include discounts starting at 25 percent off for Disney Annual Passholders, Florida residents, teachers, and other eligible guests.
A Summer Worth Building Around the Swan and Dolphin at Disney
Between an Italian wine dinner series that transports guests across an entire country, one region at a time, a Fourth of July weekend built around America’s 250th birthday, a brand new concert series running through the height of summer, and meaningful discounts for eligible guests, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has positioned itself as a destination worth visiting on its own merits this season. For guests staying near EPCOT this summer, the Tour of Italy series is proof that some of the most memorable culinary experiences at Walt Disney World do not require a theme park ticket at all, just an appetite and a reservation.
