***2009*** Epcot Food & Wine Festival ENDED NOV. 8

[pooch]

I can't use my B-day GC at F & WF. But that will cover the few small souvies I will buy @ Mousegear or the like. This is our 4th trip in as many years & we don't buy much anymore, a coffee mug, fridge magnets, flip flops.

That's where my DDRD comes in since I think I can use it at any of the F & WF-related shops. Yes? No? DH has been so good about DD and I going back year after year that I feel guilty spending a lot of money. I'm hoping that, with the $400 or so "free" I'll have, I can just bring $150-200 in cash to use only when neccesary.

Our time this trip is short, just Sat-Wed (all DD could get off from work). We plan on noshing around the World on arrival day, hopefully 2PMish through the first Big Daddy show, then heading to MK for the evening. Sun will be AK & MK for EMH. Mon will be Epcot all day & night. Tues (my b-day!) will probably begin in Epcot & end w/Fantasmic in DHS. Departure day will be just a few hrs in DTD with an ME pickup around 2PM.

Unfortunately I don't think we have time for demos etc. I'm hoping this will whet our appetite, pun intended, for a longer visit next year!!! Any suggestions on how we should approach the Festival with limited time would be greatly appreciated!

 

[TDC Nala]

I would suggest you plan to do some more noshing on Tuesday as you only have it planned for Saturday. Saturdays are the single most crowded days at World Showcase during the festival.

 

[oybolshoi]

Color me dense ... what is a DDRD card?

 

[BriarRosie]

Color me dense ... what is a DDRD card?

Disney Dream Rewards Dollars card, I'm assuming. I've always called it the Visa Rewards "debit" card.

 

[pooch]

I would suggest you plan to do some more noshing on Tuesday as you only have it planned for Saturday. Saturdays are the single most crowded days at World Showcase during the festival.

noshing will happen Tuesday and most assuredly Monday too!!! Don't really expect to do much on Sat. but we traditionally start our vacation with Spaceship Earth & thought it would be a good way to save 2 CS credits for EOS meals for the airport on departure day. If its too crowded (I get clastrophobic at times), we'll just go to MK earlier.

 

[oybolshoi]

Disney Dream Rewards Dollars card, I'm assuming. I've always called it the Visa Rewards "debit" card.

Got it! That's was I assumed but I wasn't sure. Heh, I just call 'em Disney Dollars.

But I love using those because they are accepted at so many places, including the F&W booths and the merchandise booths. We usually end up using ours for a dinner somewhere ... last year was CA Grill and the year before that was Narcoossee's.

Happy early birthday, Pooch!

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Hi Friends,

Does anybody have any siggie logos for F&W '09 to share?

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Exactly what I would have said. We've given up on the cards (be they pre-loaded, disney reward, or even dining plan) for F&W because you still have to carry cash because you never know which card reader at which booth will decide to melt down. Kind of negates the convenience of not having to carrry cash.

Having said that, most people find them very useful and they work fine most of the time. My hubby and I are just impatient, hungry jerks so we'd rather not wait any longer than we have to.

While I am not saying that this is false, I never had trouble last year. I used the Disney gift card on the stretchy bracelet and absolutely loved it. I spend so much at WDW that I use it on *ALL* trips there now! ROFL!

 

[oybolshoi]

While I am not saying that this is false, I never had trouble last year. I used the Disney gift card on the stretchy bracelet and absolutely loved it. I spend so much at WDW that I use it on *ALL* trips there now! ROFL!

I said they worked most of the time.

And I personally have had them not work for me just as I have also had my DDP not work on occassion as well as the Disney Reward Card not work - all because the readers malfunctioned or in one case because the wireless "went down" in the words of one CM.

We just feel like if we have to carry cash "just in case" then we might as well just carry cash in the first place. But that's us ... to each his own. I would never tell anyone not to use them, but I do think it's fair to provide a caveat based on our past experience.

And Catherine made our fabulous Homer Simpson logo ... if you like Homer and want to use it, I don't think she would mind.

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't like preloaded gift cards as a substitute for actual money. If I'm given one I will use it but I won't buy one and load it myself. Never have, never will. But then I'm sort of old.

Anyone is welcome to use Homer if you like him.

 

[BriarRosie]

Hi Friends,

Does anybody have any siggie logos for F&W '09 to share?

Well, Catherine not only made that awesome Homer Simpson one, but she made a better Heimlich one, as well as the Anton Ego one. (And yes, the Skumps! is her creation, but that's for DATW in December.)

I'm sure she'll be fine with whatever you use.

 

[Sandy321]

*ahem... can we get back to Robert Irvine with his shirt off?? (this post is no good without pictures mind you!)

and ITA about the dubbing of Morimoto's voice!

great, now I want to make a quick trip down for F&W I know better than to come into this thread!!

 

[oybolshoi]

*ahem... can we get back to Robert Irvine with his shirt off?? (this post is no good without pictures mind you!)

and ITA about the dubbing of Morimoto's voice!

great, now I want to make a quick trip down for F&W I know better than to come into this thread!!

come on Sandy ... come nosh with us!

 

[kjetjl]

I have read through most of this thread and still have some questions....

We are going with friends and it looks like with our current schedule we will have to do Epcot on Sat. 9/26 or Sun 9/27.

My DH will probably be interested in checking out some of the festival activities but my 6 kids will mainly be interested in the rides and regular attractions.

At this point, we are planning on going to Epcot on Sat. We plan to get there at opening; ride as many rides as we can and go around World Showcase as early in the day as we can. We are going to try to eat dinner around 6. And possibly stay for Illuminations. (We will have another day at Epcot on Tuesday to do things we miss)

Will Saturday crowds be unbearable? Will the ride lines be longer because of more people or shorter because everyone will be participating in the festival events?? Or would Sunday be a better choice.

Thank in you advance for any opinions/ advice.

 

[TDC Nala]

Saturday in the World Showcase is likely to be very crowded. The crowds will intensify toward the evening. With six children to keep track of, you may want to be in and out of the World Showcase before evening. In addition, some parents have complained about the prevalence of "drink around the world" groups at the festival. These groups are mostly present on weekends.

You're also talking about the first weekend of the festival which usually has more locals coming in to check things out.

Sunday will have slightly smaller crowds but the weekends are not the best days to tour World Showcase during the festival. Illuminations on Saturday will have lots of extra persons waiting for the show. Party for the Senses will dump several hundred patrons into World Showcase at right about the time Illuminations starts. Sunday might be a little better.

As far as I know there should not be any extra impact on lines for rides in Future World. There may be some impact on wait times for World Showcase rides but there are not many of those (are there any besides Maelstrom and the Mexico boat ride?)

 

[*NikkiBell*]

lol I nearly fell over when Robert Irvine took his shirt off to pose for a pic. Did I see DISers around when this happened? Were you guys there then?

 

[tinkerrn]

Changed out trip from July to Oct....just so we can go to the F & W Fest!!! Can't wait!!

 

[blissventure]

Changed out trip from July to Oct....just so we can go to the F & W Fest!!! Can't wait!!

Woo-hoo!!! You're going to have a great time!

 

[redzinner]

Reported from a 'non' official site:
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Specialty Programs – Food and Wine Pairings

It appears Mexico's San Angel Inn has been added to this year's selections.

 

[oybolshoi]

Reported from a 'non' official site:
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Specialty Programs – Food and Wine Pairings

It appears Mexico's San Angel Inn has been added to this year's selections.

Thanks for the link ... interesting add with San Angel; I wonder if they'd be brave enough to offer a menu that pairs food with tequila? We'd sign up for that!