*2013* epcot food & wine festival 9/27-11/11

It's always been open seating and I've been going to these events for many years. Sorry, but the seat is not yours. If you all get up and leave the table, you risk losing it. This is why I am buying a seat this year as it is practically impossible for a single person to hold a chair. I've got a friend coming, and we could have taken turns at an open seating table, but we just went for the reserved seats instead.

I fully understand that, as I said. All I've been saying is that my personal opinion is that this is an unnecessary construct - and one that I've not found to be adopted at other events outside WDW. As DH would say, suboptimal setup, IMHO. :goodvibes

I would have been happy to pay the extra to get the reserved seat, but at 7am yesterday a CM told me they couldn't book me. Then by 8:45am or so when I was finally able to get through again it was sold out. Then no reserved available today.

I'm sure we'll have a great time regardless -- just sharing an opinion about the way they do this. :goodvibes
 
Now that the mad rush to book stuff is pretty much over, this thread will calm down a little until 9/27 give or take a day or two.

The appeal of F&W to me at any rate, is the World Showcase walk about with lots of food and wine and beer. The other events are more of a distraction to me, but I am more of an NFL tailgate kind of guy anyway. I love the party atmosphere. I am anticipating another good time.
 
Now that the mad rush to book stuff is pretty much over, this thread will calm down a little until 9/27 give or take a day or two.

The appeal of F&W to me at any rate, is the World Showcase walk about with lots of food and wine and beer. The other events are more of a distraction to me, but I am more of an NFL tailgate kind of guy anyway. I love the party atmosphere. I am anticipating another good time.

I'm with you! Even after all of this, I'm mostly looking forward to wandering around and sampling things at the booths! :):):)
 
Hello! I just registered on this forum specifically to say thank you, thank you, thank you for the posts mentioning to try again! I was so disappointed after calling first thing this morning and being told there was nothing for the Oct 13 Buddy Valastro Sweet Sunday. After reading the posts here around noon time I tried again and was able to reserve our spot!! This will be my first food & wine visit and I'm super excited now! Thanks again!! :)

Great ...so at least 3 of us fromthis tread will be assisting!
 
I am soooo thankful for all the DIS'ers who kept me sane with all the insanity this morning!!! :thumbsup2

see you at F&W!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Cool, thanks. Where is the pavilion located?
And what is the stuff you have to pick up? I'm intrigued!

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The "pavilion" is where the old Millenium Village use to be. The gateway is right between Canada and England. Not sure if this link will work, but here goes:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=epco...01&sspn=14.773305,18.808594&t=h&hq=epcot&z=20

The blue roofed arc shaped building is where 3D is held, as well as the Party for the Senses. It looks small from this angle, but its actually pretty big. There is a big wooden gate close to the walkway. That will be closed before the event.

A little before the Sweet Seats are opened, the little door in the gate will open and there will be a flurry of activity. That's when and where you check in if you have reserved seats. Then you walk up the pathway to the entrance of the building.

Inside there they give you the menu and color codes for the tables. You can spot what each table is giving out by matching the color above it to the color in the menu. They also give you a pair of glasses for the "3-D" later.

Now I believe if you go to the PFTS they don't give you the glasses, but they do give you a plate and wine glasses. But I could be mixing up the two.

This all happens in the "holding room" where you wait your turn to be shown to your reserved table. You get about a half hour of free reign in the room, grabbing what ever food you want, before GA is left in. (Which is well worth the extra price.)

The GA people fill up the holding room in the meantime. And then there is a "rope drop" where the curtain seperating the holding room is dropped. That's when the mad rush begins.

I don't care what anyone else says... There is always the initial mad rush of people that come in. Between waiting all that time and the spectre of no where to sit, some people can get pretty animated. Plus there is always someone (or someones) that haven't had a good day and are intent on getting their money's worth.

My wife and I have done GA a couple of times before. And we've always offered our empty seats to anyone who politely asks. One time I spotted line mates that had gotten stuck with one of the bartops. And invited them over to the table as well. It's always turned out well. (So be nice to the people waiting in line with you if you are GA. :) )

Advice... Go hungry. Don't eat dinner. Eat an early lunch. There is *a lot* of food to have. Mostly desert stuff, but a little bit of real food that could make up a dinner.

When the event is over, they ferry everyone out of the event hall. If it's raining, they usually hand out ponchos. They also usually hand out a goodie bag of chocolates and such.

The event includes a special viewing area for the fireworks. The last two years its been the area between the two Gateway shops near the ferries. Which usually results in really annoying the families that were waiting there hoping the ropes would drop for them.

It doesn't help that half the event goers are half crocked from all the free Scotch and wine that are handed out at the event.

This is also where those 3-D glasses come into use. But I won't ruin the surprise of what they are for.
 
Ditto re: thanks to the thread originator/organizer/F&W fest guru - very helpful:thumbsup2 The morning dial in was somewhat successful - got some of what we wanted...cast member initially clueless and apologetic - but helpful. I work for a big company and the lack of preparedness doesn't surprise me - feel bad for the phone folks...hope their day wasn't too horrific...
 
TDC Nala - your help and time you devote to this is immeasurable. We can't thank you enough! Next time our paths cross Margaritas
at The Ditch are on me!:goodvibes
 
Do you just give your name when you show up, like a normal dining ressie?

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Yes. All the special dining events have a registration list. When you check in for any event, they'll mark you off on the list.
 
Jaygsltero,

Thanks for explaining where the dessert party and PFTS are located. Is the Festival Center the gold domed building? First time to F &W.
 
PFTS is supposed to be a moveable cocktail,party. You are supposed to circulate around, tasting bites, sipping wine. There is no need for this crazy table saving or someone sitting while another gets up. Walk around together, get bites, eat them, go to next chef. If something needs to be cut, lean at a high table for a minute, exchange a pleasantry with someone standing there and move on. This is not a sit down dinner and I still don't under stand the big deal about a table (unless you have a disability or trouble standing or walking, of course.) if we see a partly empty high top, we'll stop for a minute to eat our food ( often to a very disgruntled person all agitated because he table is " saved") and move on.
 
Jaygsltero,

Thanks for explaining where the dessert party and PFTS are located. Is the Festival Center the gold domed building? First time to F &W.

You're very welcome. I know it's not obvious where things are for a first timer.

And yes, the gold roofed building near the front of the park is the Festival Welcome Center. All of the smaller festival events happen there. I.e. most of the $15 seminars and the Sweet Sundays.

Pretty much everything that isn't a really big event or in a specific country.

(Of course I am making a broad generalization and probably forgetting something that doesn't happen at the Welcome Center. So make sure you check the event description to confirm.)
 
I'm so jealous of all of you going to Kitchen Memories with the Voltaggios. DH & I will be at AK that day, while I lament about the fact that 2 of my favorite chefs are so close, yet so far away.
 
PFTS is supposed to be a moveable cocktail,party. You are supposed to circulate around, tasting bites, sipping wine. There is no need for this crazy table saving or someone sitting while another gets up. Walk around together, get bites, eat them, go to next chef. If something needs to be cut, lean at a high table for a minute, exchange a pleasantry with someone standing there and move on. This is not a sit down dinner and I still don't under stand the big deal about a table (unless you have a disability or trouble standing or walking, of course.) if we see a partly empty high top, we'll stop for a minute to eat our food ( often to a very disgruntled person all agitated because he table is " saved") and move on.

To each his own, of course! But they have reserved seating because certainly not everyone wants to roam around the entire time if they don't have to. :)

Vive la difference!! ;)
 

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