Food and Wine on a dime! Advice, please.

[elaine and the boys]

Spending two days in Epcot this October. Not planning to make any dining reservations, as it's our first time for Food and Wine. Any advice on how to NOT break the bank while enjoying this event? Probably helps that we're not big drinkers!
Thanks for any advice,
Elaine

 

[emilymad]

Share everything! DH and I always order one of something to try and then split it. It is usually enough to get a taste and if one of us it loves it then we can always get another one.

Also, look up the menus and make a plan of what food you want to try the most. There are so many booths and options it is easy to get fully early on and miss what you really wanted to try.

If you have the Chase Disney credit card the lounge in the American Adventure is great and has free soda to drink.

Definitely pick up one of the passports at one of the food booths. They are free and make a great souvenir. Plus it helps to keep track of what you tried already.

 

[elaine and the boys]

Great advice! Sharing allows us to try twice as many items.
Have a Chase Disney card....do you just have to show it to get in?

 

[Narnia_girl]

Following along..... We are going in October for our first Food and Wine fest so I appreciate you asking about this.
Disney Visa users can also get a free character souvenir photo.

 

[emilymad]

Great advice! Sharing allows us to try twice as many items.
Have a Chase Disney card....do you just have to show it to get in?

Yes, you just show it at the door. You can stay as long as you want. Lots of AC and places to charge your phone.

 

[Marionnette]

Grab a couple of Disney GCs at a discount by following the info in the Disney Gift Card Deals thread. You can use the GCs at the food kiosks around the World Showcase. A lot will depend on the method(s) that you use to acquire the Disney GCs, but you could realize a savings of up to 20%. The GCs can also be used to pay for tickets, souvenirs or even your resort stay.

The Chase Lounge is open to all Chase credit card holders, not just Chase Disney Visa cardholders. It is located on the second floor of the American Pavilion and is accessible only by an elevator. Occupancy is limited, so sometimes you need to wait for people to leave before you can be allowed up. In the past, they have offered cardholders a wristband that gives them access to a special viewing area for IllumiNations later the same day. Time will tell if they will do it again this year.

Look for the Ocean Spray cranberry bog. They handed out free snack-size bags of dried cranberries in 2013 (not sure about last year). Ghirardelli chocolates usually have a booth in the Festival Center and they offer a sample square of their chocolate.

The disneyfoodblog .com has a complete list of all of the booths for 2015 and their menus (but no prices yet).
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015-epcot-food-and-wine-festival-booths-menus-and-food-photos/

Get a free souvenir by picking up a Festival Passport at any booth and have your passport stamped at each booth you visit. It's also a good way to keep track of what you've tried and what you would like to have again.

 

[craigkerstiens]

The fact that you're not big drinkers will definitely help it to go much further, and as mentioned above sharing will let you try more. I'd say many of the more expensive items provide more food to dollar, though that of course is a bit of a generalization. The filet at Canada and Lamb chop are two that while a bit pricier have a good amount to them.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Share, share, share! PPs have given some ideas on saving on Disney GCs.

I say be ready to part with your money lol. Look at a map and kind of pick your favorites 1) so you don't spend too much and 2) so you don't get too stuffed too quickly.

I always just buy one of the mini gift cards on a bungee and load however much I'm ok with spending.

 

[brazzledazzler]

The Disney Food Blog shows past menus and prices, to give you a rough estimate on what to budget. Therefore, you can go in knowing how much you are going to spend. That's what DH & I are doing in October.

 

[goodeats]

Spreading out the cost buy buying gift cards in advance is my big plan. There's a Disney website out there that will combine them. I've cut a few TS meals and are limiting special events to one culinary demo and the French Family Meal Traditions. The FFMT is not cheap, but at least it's prepaid and includes gratuity! It certainly won't be a budget trip, but I haven't been to WDW since 2008 so I'm kind of doing it up.

 

[Lady Marie]

I always just buy one of the mini gift cards on a bungee and load however much I'm ok with spending.

I second this advice! We even go so far as to DH and I each get our own mini gift card wristlet thing that they offer. We each get the same amount and once it's gone, that's it! I really liked us each having our own card - we still share, but it's fun to have our own pot and not have to agree on everything to try if someone is more adventurous than the other. Plus we could get in two separate lines at the same time if the lines were long and we wanted to try something from two different kiosks in the same area.

This year we will be onsite so charging to the magic band could be dangerous, so we may have to go this route again!

 

[Narnia_girl]

I second this advice! We even go so far as to DH and I each get our own mini gift card wristlet thing that they offer. We each get the same amount and once it's gone, that's it! I really liked us each having our own card - we still share, but it's fun to have our own pot and not have to agree on everything to try if someone is more adventurous than the other. Plus we could get in two separate lines at the same time if the lines were long and we wanted to try something from two different kiosks in the same area.

This year we will be onsite so charging to the magic band could be dangerous, so we may have to go this route again!

Is there a surcharge for the wristlet? Or just the cost of how much $$ you choose to load on it?
Bonus question: Can I load it with money from other Disney gift cards?

 

[Lady Marie]

Is there a surcharge for the wristlet? Or just the cost of how much $$ you choose to load on it?
Bonus question: Can I load it with money from other Disney gift cards?

No, its not extra-- just the cost of what you are putting on it. At least that was the case last year. I thought Disney was smart for coming out with those! We got ours at the F&W Festival Center last year, but I think there are other places/gift shops with them once you get into World Showcase.

I am pretty sure that you can't load it from other gift cards :-( I've read on here that that seems to be a problem for people who buy them at a discount and try to condense into one GC or whatever. Never hurts to ask when you are there, but I don't think it works like that.

 

[Ms.Grumpy]

Looking forward to my first F&W! Starting to study the menu's and creating a budget.

 

[elaine and the boys]

No, its not extra-- just the cost of what you are putting on it. At least that was the case last year. I thought Disney was smart for coming out with those! We got ours at the F&W Festival Center last year, but I think there are other places/gift shops with them once you get into World Showcase.

I am pretty sure that you can't load it from other gift cards :-( I've read on here that that seems to be a problem for people who buy them at a discount and try to condense into one GC or whatever. Never hurts to ask when you are there, but I don't think it works like that.

I currently have a couple of $50 Disney gift cards. I can use these to purchase food items at F&W instead of the wristlet cards, correct?

 

[DisHmsklMom]

Yes, you can. When you get your receipt it will tell you how much is left on your card. I usually carry a small sharpie and keep a running total on my cards. I just keep using the cards until they run out of money.

 

[tinkerbell615]

I am following this thread too. DH and I will be going for the first time this October for a very short trip and I need all of the info and suggestions possible! Thanks OP for starting the thread!

 

[hsmamato2]

is the wristlet still useable in other places,or just F&W booths?

 

[Marionnette]

is the wristlet still useable in other places,or just F&W booths?

It's a Disney GC with special F&W logo. It can be used anywhere that accepts GCs.

I made my own because I already have a lot of Disney GCs that I purchased using the deals on the Disney Gift Card Deals thread.

I bought the wristlets on Amazon (2 for $3.77 with free Prime delivery) and used a regular paper punch to put a hole in the corner. There were cheaper wristlets available if you bought in bulk but they had poor reviews and I really didn't need a dozen wristlets. Two were sufficient for us.

 

[hsmamato2]

It's a Disney GC with special F&W logo. It can be used anywhere that accepts GCs.

I made my own because I already have a lot of Disney GCs that I purchased using the deals on the Disney Gift Card Deals thread.

I bought the wristlets on Amazon (2 for $3.77 with free Prime delivery) and used a regular paper punch to put a hole in the corner. There were cheaper wristlets available if you bought in bulk but they had poor reviews and I really didn't need a dozen wristlets. Two were sufficient for us.

I love this!!!