Epcot Food & Wine Festival Reviews

[V2000]

Hello!

I have never attended this event before. What are your thoughts on the event? Pros and cons.

Please post pictures if you have them!

I am going to Disney World Nov 8th - Nov 11th. I know there will be Jersey Week, Wine & Dine Marathon, Veteran's Day, and the Food & Wine Festival.
I am worried about the crowds. Anyone go during these time in the past?

What was your experience?

 

[disnut8]

Hello!

I have never attended this event before. What are your thoughts on the event? Pros and cons.

Please post pictures if you have them!

I am going to Disney World Nov 8th - Nov 11th. I know there will be Jersey Week, Wine & Dine Marathon, Veteran's Day, and the Food & Wine Festival.
I am worried about the crowds. Anyone go during these time in the past?

What was your experience?

Well, the good news is that you will be at Disney World!

The bad news is that the Food & Wine Festival gets to be mobbed on Friday evenings, almost all day Saturday and Sunday (not quite as much as Saturday). I would try and go to the Festival Friday once World Showcase opens at 11 and enjoy until you can't handle the crowds. Then repeat on Monday. There are still a lot of businesses who don't give Veteran's Day off. I would totally leave the Festival alone on Saturday but give it a whirl Sunday afternoon.

The other parks will be the same old same old.

 

[MHSweb79]

We just booked our return to the F&W Festival - very excited! We have been just once before, in 2011.

Food Pros: Some really great food, lots of different cuisines, fun atmosphere. I tried things I would never have the opportunity to taste otherwise.

Food Cons: Some of the portions are very small for the price. Overall, prices are high for what you get, but once you get over that, you can relax and have a great time (get a prepaid wrist card, it stops being "real money" ).

Wine Pros: We are not drinkers so you'll have to look to others for reviews on the alcohol

Wine Cons: Lots of people sample wine/ beer from every booth, it seems. We ran into some pretty wasted people in the evenings. When we went at lunchtime or afternoons, there were no issues -- weekday evenings were fine too.

 

[V2000]

Thanks that sounds like a good plan.

I think I'll do MK on Friday, Rest at the hotel and Downtown Disney on Sat, Hollywood Studios on Sunday, and Epcot on Veteran's Monday!

Hopefully because people don't usually have Tuesday off they won't want to choose that day to stay late at the park. Or maybe they'll already be hung over! LOL

 

[V2000]

Thank you for your tips.

Did you dine in any of the World Showcase restaurants in the PM?

Maybe no ones hungry? LOL

 

[JennyDrake]

Well, the good news is that you will be at Disney World!

The bad news is that the Food & Wine Festival gets to be mobbed on Friday evenings, almost all day Saturday and Sunday (not quite as much as Saturday). I would try and go to the Festival Friday once World Showcase opens at 11 and enjoy until you can't handle the crowds. Then repeat on Monday. There are still a lot of businesses who don't give Veteran's Day off. I would totally leave the Festival alone on Saturday but give it a whirl Sunday afternoon.

The other parks will be the same old same old.

DITTO. I found Sunday afternoon swamped as well, but give it a try.

 

[JennyDrake]

We just booked our return to the F&W Festival - very excited! We have been just once before, in 2011.

Food Pros: Some really great food, lots of different cuisines, fun atmosphere. I tried things I would never have the opportunity to taste otherwise.

Food Cons: Some of the portions are very small for the price. Overall, prices are high for what you get, but once you get over that, you can relax and have a great time (get a prepaid wrist card, it stops being "real money" ).

Wine Pros: We are not drinkers so you'll have to look to others for reviews on the alcohol

Wine Cons: Lots of people sample wine/ beer from every booth, it seems. We ran into some pretty wasted people in the evenings. When we went at lunchtime or afternoons, there were no issues -- weekday evenings were fine too.

And DITTO again! I ran through $75 in under two visits at F&W--and no alcohol.

 

[wiigirl]

We loved it!

 

[agavegirl1]

 

[M&C]

We just booked our return to the F&W Festival - very excited! We have been just once before, in 2011.

Food Pros: Some really great food, lots of different cuisines, fun atmosphere. I tried things I would never have the opportunity to taste otherwise.

Food Cons: Some of the portions are very small for the price. Overall, prices are high for what you get, but once you get over that, you can relax and have a great time (get a prepaid wrist card, it stops being "real money" ).

Wine Pros: We are not drinkers so you'll have to look to others for reviews on the alcohol

Wine Cons: Lots of people sample wine/ beer from every booth, it seems. We ran into some pretty wasted people in the evenings. When we went at lunchtime or afternoons, there were no issues -- weekday evenings were fine too.

We're going to Food and Wine for the first time How does the wrist card work and how much is it?

 

[herb102211]

We've been to the Food and Wine Festival twice before (once in October and once in November). It's a really fun event. If you look at my TR from last November (link is in my signature), there are some pictures in there from the event. We really enjoy ourselves at the F&WF and gives you the opportunity to try a lot of foods you may not eat otherwise.

 

[herb102211]

We're going to Food and Wine for the first time How does the wrist card work and how much is it?

The wristcard is basically a Disney gift card. It can be used on anything (not just F&WF related things). You can add money to the card at any point on your trip. most of the items at the F&WF cost between $3-8 (the alcoholic beverages are sometimes slightly higher).

 

[lucyem]

We have been the last three years and are going to miss it this year. Very sad but trying the Christmas season this year. No matter the time of year we tend to go to a park in the morning, pool all afternoon and then spend the evenings at Epcot. We follow the same routine with F&W. I should also point out we stay at BCV.

The Disney Food Blog has fabulous reviews and photos. I like to get a list of must try booths ahead of time.

We don't drink that much so cannot comment much on the drinks. Tons of beer. Though Belgium has this yummy super expensive godiva liquor coffee drink, always good with a waffle

There is a lot of food to try. Sometimes you get more then just a bite. Sometimes it feels like less. We will eat dinner of samples plus a CS meal or two we all share. Kids seem more willing to try new things there which is nice. Last year Canada had samples of some of the Le Cellier items I had always wanted to try without going through eating there.

The food samples are expensive. You will drop a bunch of cash fast. As a family of 4 I kind of try and turn a blind eye to it

Crowd wise I think Saturday and Sunday afternoons are the worst. We tried once to hit a few booths at 11am when the world showcase opened, starting in the back entrance, and we watched the mob come over the hill Also standing in a 30 minute line in the hot sun for an expensive bite of food is not something I will do. We have repeatedly gone back on weekend evenings and find people tend to have already been eating and drinking or are in restaurants and lines are shorter. Plus no hot sun. We discovered this the first year when we popped into Epcot for an ADR. Had to walk part of the world showcase to leave and there were so many booths with little or no lines. Now we go every evening no matter the day.

We have never seen anyone grossly drunk or acting inappropriately even on a Saturday night. Last year was the first time we saw someone drunk, in a stupor, sitting on a wall. Others were concerned and CM's were on the scene. I have read reports of drunk people behaving badly, but like I said we have never seen anything.

I noticed, and maybe it is my imagination there were less places to sit with your food last year. We found ourselves trying to get organized on a trash can more then once. That was a little frustrating. We did drag out the stroller just for last years F&W. My 7 year old, who might be 7 and weigh too much for it, made no complaints having a comfy seat to sit as we strolled through every evening. Meanwhile we had cup holders. DH is so bummed that by 2014 that will no longer be an option as kiddo will be 9 and really too heavy for the stroller. He is trying to come up with easy ways to carry our food & drinks. Looking for tips if you have any He has mentioned bringing the stroller anyway but it's presently on craigslist.

 

[TDC Nala]

On this site you'll find everything you need (about last year's festival - the info isn't out for this year's yet)

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2013-epcot-food-and-wine-festival/

The wristcard is basically a Disney gift card. It can be used on anything (not just F&WF related things). You can add money to the card at any point on your trip. most of the items at the F&WF cost between $3-8 (the alcoholic beverages are sometimes slightly higher).

I decided during the Flower and Garden Festival that using the tap to pay with a room key is even faster and more convenient than the gift card. The biggest difference is that you can't wear your room key on your wrist.

If you want to avoid crowds then do not attend the festival on Friday evenings or all day on Saturdays. If you must go on a Saturday, get there when they open and hit as many booths as you can before the crowding starts. Then get out. Obviously this won't work very well if you don't have a park hopper.

 

[M&C]

The wristcard is basically a Disney gift card. It can be used on anything (not just F&WF related things). You can add money to the card at any point on your trip. most of the items at the F&WF cost between $3-8 (the alcoholic beverages are sometimes slightly higher).

Forgive my ignorance, but wouldn't it be simpler to use your key to the world card so you don't have too many cards on you?

 

[M&C]

On this site you'll find everything you need (about last year's festival - the info isn't out for this year's yet)

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2013-epcot-food-and-wine-festival/



I decided during the Flower and Garden Festival that using the tap to pay with a room key is even faster and more convenient than the gift card. The biggest difference is that you can't wear your room key on your wrist.

If you want to avoid crowds then do not attend the festival on Friday evenings or all day on Saturdays. If you must go on a Saturday, get there when they open and hit as many booths as you can before the crowding starts. Then get out. Obviously this won't work very well if you don't have a park hopper.

TDC Nala, when will the 2013 info come out? I looked at your link and there seems to a lot of fun stuff to do, but you have to sign up for them in advance.

 

[JeRmS]

I noticed, and maybe it is my imagination there were less places to sit with your food last year. We found ourselves trying to get organized on a trash can more then once. That was a little frustrating. We did drag out the stroller just for last years F&W. My 7 year old, who might be 7 and weigh too much for it, made no complaints having a comfy seat to sit as we strolled through every evening. Meanwhile we had cup holders. DH is so bummed that by 2014 that will no longer be an option as kiddo will be 9 and really too heavy for the stroller. He is trying to come up with easy ways to carry our food & drinks. Looking for tips if you have any He has mentioned bringing the stroller anyway but it's presently on craigslist.

Definitely wasn't your imagination, we made mention several times last year about how they needed to put more tables out because we were using trash cans as table tops more often than not! We had an absolute blast though so it really didn't matter but I would think that they would be more prepared for a "dining" event and have more tables out.

 

[TDC Nala]

TDC Nala, when will the 2013 info come out? I looked at your link and there seems to a lot of fun stuff to do, but you have to sign up for them in advance.

July for the special events, maybe with some or most trickling out before that. August for the seminars and booth menus. Booking for special events and seminars opening mid-August. This is based on prior years, doesn't mean they won't change things up.

 

[MichiganDVC]

1. If there's at least two of you, one of you goes to one kiosk, and the other goes to a nearby kiosk. Get one or two things you want to sample, meet in the middle and share. It makes no sense for both of you to stand in a line together.

2. Go for an evening, get what you can, and see what everything looks like. Keep a mental list of your favs and must tries. When you return, get there at 10:30am and get to your favorite kiosks first. Then walk around the rest of the time and get what you can.

3. I wouldn't bother with restaurants. The portions are pretty big, imo. Think of them as "hearty hors d'oeuvres"

 

[disnut8]

Thank you for your tips.

Did you dine in any of the World Showcase restaurants in the PM?

Maybe no ones hungry? LOL

No, and I learned the lesson the hard way. When we were there two years ago (we skipped last year and that's a long story), we met my dad and stepmother for lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and had burgers with them. Then we went over to Epcot and the festival. Waste of time as we were stuffed. Never again. Will only do the festival and not concern myself with any ADRs.