When One Adventure Ended, Another One Began: Hanson at Eat to the Beat

While planning our Disney Wish cruise, I happened to see that my favorite band, Hanson — yes, Hanson, the three brothers who sang “MMMBop” — would be performing at EPCOT’s Eat to the Beat Concert Series right after our cruise ended.

I immediately thought, “This has to be fate.”

For years, I had wanted to see Hanson perform at one of Disney’s Eat to the Beat concerts, and suddenly, the timing was perfect. We were already going to be in Florida for our Disney cruise, and Hanson would be performing at EPCOT as soon as we got off the ship.

Eat to the Beat is part of the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival and features live concerts throughout the festival. In 2026, Hanson performed from August 28 through August 31, with three shows each night at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM and 8:00 PM.

Once I found out Hanson would be there, I started researching everything I could about getting a good spot.

That was when I learned about the Eat to the Beat Concert Series Dining Packages.

The dining packages include a meal at one of the participating EPCOT restaurants and guaranteed seating for one of that day’s concerts. Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance. The important thing to remember, though, is that guaranteed seating does not mean you are guaranteed a spot in the very first row. Guests with dining packages enter through a separate queue, and seating is still first-come, first-served.

Prices vary depending on the restaurant. In 2026, the packages ranged from $36 per adult at Regal Eagle for a same-day package to $99 per adult at Le Cellier. Garden Grill lunch and dinner packages were $79 for adults and $49 for children, while Tutto Italia was $81 for adults and $33 for children, before tax and gratuity.

I decided I was going all in.

I chose the dining package for the early Hanson show and another dining package later that evening. My goal was simple: I wanted the best spot I could possibly get.

From the Disney Wish to EPCOT

When one adventure ended, another one began.

We got off the Disney Wish, collected our luggage and got back into the car. Instead of heading home, we headed to one of our favorite Disney resorts, Disney’s Yacht Club.

There are so many things we love about the Yacht Club, but one of the biggest is its location.

The Yacht Club is in the EPCOT Resort Area, right around Crescent Lake. It is within walking distance of EPCOT’s International Gateway entrance, which makes it incredibly convenient. Depending on exactly where you are in the resort, it is roughly a 5–10 minute walk to EPCOT. And if your feet are tired, you can take a Friendship Boat instead. The boats also connect the resort area with Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Location really is key when choosing a Disney resort.

After getting settled, we headed over to EPCOT. We had some time before our dining reservation, so we decided to enjoy a few attractions.

First up was Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

This was our first time riding it, and I absolutely loved it. It was adorable and such a fun experience.

After Remy, we headed over to Frozen Ever After before making our way to The Land Pavilion for our Garden Grill dining package.

Dinner With Mickey at Garden Grill

Garden Grill is a family-style character dining experience that actually rotates while you eat, giving you changing views of the Living with the Land attraction below.

The meal is served family-style and is all-you-care-to-enjoy. For lunch and dinner, the menu includes items such as garden salad, grilled beef with chimichurri, sliced turkey with gravy, vegetables and other family-style sides, along with dessert.

And, of course, the characters are a huge part of the fun.

We got to see Mickey Mouse, Chip, Dale and Pluto.

For us, it was a great way to combine dinner with some Disney character time before the concert.

After we finished eating, we received our Eat to the Beat concert badge for the show we had selected.

And then it was time for me to separate from my family.

It was Hanson time.

The Hanson Line

I headed over to wait in line, hoping that all of my planning would pay off.

While waiting, I met two awesome local Hanson fans and another fan who had traveled all the way from Peru.

It was so cool meeting people who loved Hanson as much as I did.

The weather, however, was another story.

It was hot. Really hot.

And it was raining on and off.

Of course, my fan decided to die right when I needed it most.

Luckily, the Hanson fan I had just met was kind enough to lend me hers.

So here is my Eat to the Beat pro tip:

Make sure your portable fans are charged to 100 percent before you leave your hotel.

You do not want to be standing in the Florida heat waiting for your favorite band with a dead fan.

A Quick Dinner in Italy

At around 4:10 PM, I had to leave my spot and quickly head to my second dining package at Tutto Italia Ristorante in the Italy Pavilion.

I ordered the Parmigiana, which was essentially chicken Parmesan.

I thought it was pretty good, and I also enjoyed spending a little time in the Italy Pavilion.

One thing I always like to do when visiting the Italy Pavilion is ask the Cast Members participating in Disney’s Cultural Representative Program what part of Italy they are from.

Since I am Italian, I always find it interesting to hear where they are from and what brought them to EPCOT.

After dinner, I received my badge for the 8:00 PM Hanson show.

Then I went back to meet up with my family.

After the first Hanson show, my family headed off to dinner while I stayed behind to continue enjoying the concerts.

And then it finally happened.

Hanson at EPCOT

It was finally time.

I was about to see Hanson.

I honestly couldn’t believe it.

When they started letting us into the theater, I somehow ended up in the first row.

Okay, technically, I was on the side.

But did I care?

Absolutely not.

I WAS IN THE FIRST ROW.

Everyone else seemed to be trying to get a spot in the center, but I was perfectly happy where I was.

Then Hanson came out.

And suddenly, my 90s heart was completely content.

There is something so surreal about seeing a band you loved when you were younger and realizing that you are standing there watching them perform live all these years later.

And the best part?

I even got my daughter into it.

At one point, Taylor walked by us and gave her a little smile.

That was one of those tiny moments that made the entire experience even more special.

The concert itself is only about 30 minutes, so before you know it, the show is over and you have to get back in line if you want to see them again.

The local fan I had met before the cruise was incredibly nice and saved me a spot for the next show because she was waiting for the 8:00 PM performance.

That meant I was able to get another front-row spot.

Again, it was on the side.

Again, I did not care.

I was seeing Hanson from the front row at EPCOT.

Then came the final show.

This time, I ended up in the third row on the side.

It was not the front row, but I was still close enough to see everything clearly and enjoy every minute of the performance.

Three Hanson performances in one night.

My heart was very, very happy.

The Food I Didn’t Get to Try

The one thing I was disappointed about was that I didn’t get to try more of the Food & Wine Festival food.

I was so focused on making sure I got good spots for Hanson that I didn’t have much time to explore all of the festival booths.

My husband and daughter did get to try the pavlova from Australia, though.

My daughter was especially excited because she had seen pavlova on Bluey.

So at least someone in the family got to enjoy some of the festival food!

Next time, I definitely want to plan a little better so I have enough time to enjoy more of the food and drinks throughout the festival.

Was the Dining Package Worth It?

For me, absolutely.

If you are going to EPCOT because one of your favorite bands is performing at Eat to the Beat, I would seriously consider getting the dining package.

You still have to arrive early if you want the very best seats because seating within the dining-package section is first-come, first-served. But having guaranteed seating gave me peace of mind, especially for a band I have loved for so many years.

And looking back, I still can’t believe how perfectly everything worked out.

We started the trip on the Disney Wish.

We got off the ship.

We checked into the Yacht Club.

We went to EPCOT.

We rode Remy and Frozen.

We had dinner with Mickey and friends.

I ate chicken Parmesan in Italy.

I met Hanson fans from Florida and Peru.

I survived the Florida heat and a dead portable fan.

And then I got to see Hanson perform three times in one night — twice from the front row on the side and once from the third row on the side.

Sometimes the best Disney memories are the ones you never expected to make.

For me, this was definitely one of them.

When one adventure ended, another one began.

And this one had a little bit of 90s nostalgia, a lot of Disney magic and three brothers named Hanson.