EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, Sept. 25 - Nov 16 2015

[karrit2000]

Just to clarify, everything served at the Desserts & Champagne booth is actually champagne. None of those are sparkling wines. The $12ish imperials from Moet & Chandon are champagne.

Looking at the lists, there's also a champagne (albeit a cheaper one) at Block & Hans for $9. Maybe that one is okay. Anything else looks like sparkling wine (e.g., Brazil, Patagonia, Prosecco in Italy) and is priced accordingly.

Block & Hans is not on the list of 1-30 booths someone posted earlier that you can use the entitlements at so you can't use it on their $9 items. I know some of the pricier drinks I am considering are not at the 1-30 booths so I'll be working out a spreadsheet some time over the next few days to try to sort everything out. Refreshment Cool Post near the African Outpost, Refreshment Port, Fife & Drum and all the Coffee Carts are excluded. I think Intermissions in the Festival Center is excluded also.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The "green form" sounds like the standard shipping firm. (Which is green). So I bet you can ship to International Gateway

 

[Biceratops]

I picked mine up -- no line and had a sticker which allowed me to escort myself out.

 

[NejTheLion]

Block & Hans is not on the list of 1-30 booths someone posted earlier that you can use the entitlements at so you can't use it on their $9 items. I know some of the pricier drinks I am considering are not at the 1-30 booths so I'll be working out a spreadsheet some time over the next few days to try to sort everything out. Refreshment Cool Post near the African Outpost, Refreshment Port, Fife & Drum and all the Coffee Carts are excluded. I think Intermissions in the Festival Center is excluded also.

Yep, you're right. I responded to this one before I saw the later post that clarified the exclusions.

 

[Biceratops]

 

[SarahInMN]

then i was given two options: 1) send the swag bags to the front of the park for pick up at will call in 3 hours OR 2) be escorted to the front of the park by a cast member & leave with our swag bags. CM Dakota said it was because it was alcohol AND glass in the bag, we could walk around carrying the swag bags. since we were already leaving the park for the day, we opted to be escorted out of the park. it was slightly drawn out because they had to find a CM to walk with us.

I hope they have this refined by the time we get there because this sounds like a terrible idea if someone wants to pick their bags up on a Monday and use them that day.
So, we are staying at BCV: we get up, go to the festival center, and get our bags. Then we can either be escorted out of the park (maybe to the front of the park - so then how do we get back to BCV), then go back to our room, get the lanyard and the entitlements out AND then go back to EPCOT or we can have the bag sent to the front of the park (again how do we get to BCV if it is sent to the front of the park but not the IG) but not use the lanyards/entitlements at all that day (thereby losing 1 of the 4 days we paid for).

How does that make sense for guests who want to use parts of the package the same day they pick it up?

 

[Biceratops]

They'll let you take the credentials and MagicBand out

 

[SarahInMN]

They'll let you take the credentials and MagicBand out

Ahhhh...that makes a ton more sense. In that case, we'd be pleased as punch to have the bags delivered to the IG.

Also, can a CM activate the MB for us? I know how to do it myself on a computer but I'd rather activate it that morning and then use it all day.

 

[vettegirl]

Do we know yet how they are handling the eat to the beat dining package vs fastpass seating arrangements yet? Are they the same or different?

 

[pepperandchips]

No PP area inside the odyssey building at craft beers this year?! OH THE HUMANITY!!!!

... Melodrama aside, that was my favorite PP area last year, sad to see it wasn't brought back.

 

[pepperandchips]

Ahhhh...that makes a ton more sense. In that case, we'd be pleased as punch to have the bags delivered to the IG.

Also, can a CM activate the MB for us? I know how to do it myself on a computer but I'd rather activate it that morning and then use it all day.

Last year our premium package MBs gave us the darnedest time trying to connect them in MDE so we ended up going to Guest Relations in Epcot and having them connected to our accounts. It took a supervisor if I recall - they were pretty fussy. Hopefully it will be smoother this year.

 

[emilymad]

The Sampler was changed between when you called and they actually started. My source says that was actually due to the design on the "tabs' with the entitlements. Since they didn't put the date on the tabs they just decided to not worry about it.

I was also told by my source that the only place selling the special gift card will be the Festival Center (but that is subject to change) This is the place where the line went ALL the way across the pavilion yesterday and there is ABSOLUTELY nothing I want to wait that long in line to pay for The manager was actually telling irate guests "I have all my cash registers open" and doing nothing else about it (Like taking some of the guests to other locations to pay? When someone suggested that she seemed shocked by such a novel idea LOL!)

I saw the special gift cards being sold at one of the festival shops near the cranberry bog today. I am not sure if that was an accident or not. There was lots of confusion and long lines.

 

[karrit2000]

I saw the special gift cards being sold at one of the festival shops near the cranberry bog today. I am not sure if that was an accident or not. There was lots of confusion and long lines.

I think the Special gift card OCC referred to here is the $200 one that includes a special lanyard that as far as we know can only be purchased in the Festival Center. It's a burgundy color. The regular F&W gift card on the wrist strap which is Blue this year is normally available at most of the F&W booths & shops.

 

[Biceratops]

Last year our premium package MBs gave us the darnedest time trying to connect them in MDE so we ended up going to Guest Relations in Epcot and having them connected to our accounts. It took a supervisor if I recall - they were pretty fussy. Hopefully it will be smoother this year.

Using the MDE app to link it was simple. However, you need to go to the front desk at your specific hotel so they can activate it for room key access.

Anyway I hate boarding while on vacation, but I wanted to contribute so others on here could plan their week around these discoveries (sort of). To those attending in the coming weeks, I hope you all have a wonderful time and don't let the increase in crowds damper your vacation.

 

[SarahInMN]

Using the MDE app to link it was simple. However, you need to go to the front desk at your specific hotel so they can activate it for room key access.

Anyway I hate boarding while on vacation, but I wanted to contribute so others on here could plan their week around these discoveries (sort of). To those attending in the coming weeks, I hope you all have a wonderful time and don't let the increase in crowds damper your vacation.

Thanks for posting while on vaca! I definitely appreciate it and I'm sure others do as well!!

 

[Tozzie]

i'm able to confirm that i was able to pick up my Premium Package swag bag today at the Festival Center from the Festival Shop line. There are two lines & i was directed to the one on the right side where the line wraps around a planter. they have the swag bags sitting behind that counter. it seemed like their printers were not working but the CM took my confirmation number & checked my photo ID & she was able to pull up my purchase on her computer. i had to sign a piece of scratch paper to confirm that i was picking up my swag bags today (9/26, saturday although my PP doesn't start until monday 9/28). i could choose red or white wine. then i was given two options: 1) send the swag bags to the front of the park for pick up at will call in 3 hours OR 2) be escorted to the front of the park by a cast member & leave with our swag bags. CM Dakota said it was because it was alcohol AND glass in the bag, we could walk around carrying the swag bags. since we were already leaving the park for the day, we opted to be escorted out of the park. it was slightly drawn out because they had to find a CM to walk with us. i was also required to sign a paper that verified i received all the stuff in the bags: bottle of wine, wine glass, magic band, credentials with entitlements, special passport & lanyard with burlap bag. score! i was so relieved that on Monday we wouldn't be stuck lugging all of that around!

AND i advise anyone who still needs to pick up their PP swag bag, that you do it ASAP. it's the same area where others are picking up their Tasting Sampler, so lines are LONG! i almost didn't want to wait in that madness, but i sucked it up since we were already at Epcot. it didn't take too long, but the CM at the register (not CM Dakota) seemed a little frazzled about having to deliver the PP. i think she had only been doing the Tasting Sampler all day. consider it's only the 2nd day of the EFWF, so everyone is on a learning curve. i just felt bad for the guys behind me waiting. they were getting extremely impatient.

the entitlement/credential does say what's excluded: beers larger than 6oz, all tasting flights, all Champagnes and the Artist Palette of cheese & wine. my entitlements expire on the last day of my PP & is clearly stated on each entitlement tab. so it seems exclusions are similar to the Tasting Sampler with a definite expiration date.

Here's my swag bag stuff:
View attachment 126020

I have a problem with this on several different levels, first of all they want you to sign for it yet won't really give it to you, I don't sign for something unless I am taking it with me. second of all, you can take it and get escorted out or you gave to wait 3 hours and hope that is enough time for them to take it to the IG, last year several bottles of wine I had bought didn't make it in 4 hours let alone 3 and when I pick up the package I might feel like I am going to be in the park for those 3 hours but, and I am sure I am not the only one, I am dealing with some health issues right now and I can go all day 1 day and the next after an hour and a half I need a nap but I won't know until it hits me, but then I can't leave because they have my stuff. They need to fix this, the package costs too much money to be placing such constraints on people who are just trying to get what they paid for.

I will say when the PP was announced many people on this board thought I was nuts when I asked how they were going to let us get the bags because of the not allowed to take it with you policy.

 

[Tozzie]

Block & Hans is not on the list of 1-30 booths someone posted earlier that you can use the entitlements at so you can't use it on their $9 items. I know some of the pricier drinks I am considering are not at the 1-30 booths so I'll be working out a spreadsheet some time over the next few days to try to sort everything out. Refreshment Cool Post near the African Outpost, Refreshment Port, Fife & Drum and all the Coffee Carts are excluded. I think Intermissions in the Festival Center is excluded also.

That list was for the sampler package, not the PP, as posted in a previous post the credentials have the exclusions listed and Block and Hans is not listed as an exclusion.

 

[emilymad]

I think the Special gift card OCC referred to here is the $200 one that includes a special lanyard that as far as we know can only be purchased in the Festival Center. It's a burgundy color. The regular F&W gift card on the wrist strap which is Blue this year is normally available at most of the F&W booths & shops.

They were selling the special lanyard one at the festival kiosk. I agree they probably weren't supposed to but they were around lunch time today.

 

[Tozzie]

They were selling the special lanyard one at the festival kiosk. I agree they probably weren't supposed to but they were around lunch time today.

With the lines and insanity other people described at the Festival Center they probably reached fire code capacity and had to move some of the merchandise to the Kiosks

 

[karrit2000]

That list was for the sampler package, not the PP, as posted in a previous post the credentials have the exclusions listed and Block and Hans is not listed as an exclusion.

Not everyone has purchased the premium package. We were discussing the Sampler Package entitlements value & where they could and could not be used. For the Sampler Package anything not on that list of 30 specific booths is excluded. No one has said anything about the Premium Package entitlements other than the specified item exclusions appeared to be the same as the Sampler Package. From the Credential someone posted for the Premium Package only 29 Booths are listed on the map, they left out Craft Beers in the Odyssey from that map. Possibly because they expect that with the flights being excluded no one would use the PP entitlements there. From that PP credential map I wouldn't be surprised if they limited the entitlements to the 29 booths they actually show on the map. Those are the only places the Runners can ring up on their registers and will go to get the items from. Maybe they will let PP entitlements be used at Block & Hans but unless someone tries & reports back here we will have no way of knowing. Since I didn't buy the PP this year I personally am only concerned with the Sampler Package entitlements and seeing if I can get what I consider worthwhile value from it. I'm not going to get into a discussion of perceived value on the Premium Package again since I think we've already beat that dead horse enough back in July. Also since the PP package entitlements are only good for the 4 days of the specific package purchased it is critical that those entitlements be used up by the last of those 4 days or they are no longer valid.