2007 International Food & Wine Festival (Marketplace Booth Details Now Available!)

[*KeepMovingForward*]

The MK party tickets also don't cost over $100 per person.

This sucks.



That's what the waitlist was for.

Maybe keeping the waitlist was too much of a hassle for them? I don't know.

 

[girli565]

girli565, this sounds great! This sounds like we would have a great mix of people! I will pm you & Brenda! As I think you probably know ( from my reviews ) my Dh is in a wheelchair, so that would probably work out great! I'll pm both you & Brenda (oybolsoi) as soon as I have time! I am so excited to have some dis buds to meet up with!

PFTS on 10/20 :

Shovan: Bob & Sheryl 2
oybolshoie: Brenda & Jay 2
girli565: 2 ? girli & her mom

Sounds great!! I'm looking forward to it!!

 

[Rpsemont]

kmmccart75 and wigit12

We'll be there on 10/27. It will be me, dh and dd (12) - her first PFTS - our 5th.

Personally I like the "standing" tables. I'd love to find a group to try and share one or two of those.

 

[kmmccart75]

Personally I like the "standing" tables. I'd love to find a group to try and share one or two of those.

I've heard of these - basically cocktail tables, right? I would be fine with that too if that's what others want to do. What doesn't sound fun is standing around trying to balance food and wine without a table, which I've read here some people wound up doing because even all the standing tables were 'saved.'

It seems that the intent of those type tables would be for those who like to graze and mingle, which sounds great to me - but if people 'save' these, then I suppose we have to, too. The sad thing is, if no one saved seats, there would probably always be enough seats - since a certain percentage is at the food/wine stations at any given moment. But oh well, that's how it goes...

Since you've been before, can you clue us in on approx. how many can sit and/or stand at the tables? Thanks!

10/27 PFTS attendees:
kmmccart75 (2)
Wigit12 (4)
Rpsemont (3)

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Can someone tell us how many can sit at a table?

There are several different kinds of tables at PFTS. Some are pub/bar style (no chairs for those), others are smaller rounds and then there are some larger tables as well. The small rounds are not so small though, last year we got 6 of us at one.

 

[Wigit12]

I'd prefer to have a table to sit at if at all possible. I plan on browsing a good bit but it would be nice to have a spot to get off my feet for a little bit every now and then. And I KNOW DH would prefer to sit and eat.

 

[*Flower*]

Flower -- I'm seeing the same non-refundable/non-transferable text at the bottom of the "Special Wine & Culinary Programs" page, too. The ** footnote refers to both groupings.

I'd gone to the top of the official list, and had seen the double asterisk (**) in front of the 'premium' listings. That's the only thing that I could get it matched up to.

I will be asking that question on Monday morning.

However, since they said that they weren't sending out any event mailings at all- guess what we received in the mail today?

A F & W listing of all of the 'special' events for the festival!

They will be moving the Welcome Center and wine shop over to the "Wonders of Life" pavilion instead of where they had it last year (behind the Fountainview). So the layout should definitely be interesting!

Thanks for doublechecking for me though! We'll ALL have to ask the question on Monday.......

 

[betterlatethannever]

...They will be moving the Welcome Center and wine shop over to the "Wonders of Life" pavilion instead of where they had it last year (behind the Fountainview). So the layout should definitely be interesting!....

If the seminars are held over there, that would be great. The place is big enough to have the wait lines inside .

Its sad (but probably true) that there will be more people entering the WOL pavilion in that 6 week period than had entered the pavilion in the last five years it was open.

Ed

 

[betterlatethannever]

...It seems that the intent of those type tables would be for those who like to graze and mingle, ...

That has been the way it is supposed to work. But it has been getting worse each year. We've been going to these things since it was called "Grand Tastings" at the Odessey (and you got preferred viewing of Illuminations).

Claiming a table means you end up walking more. It is much easier and faster if you get your food, go to the nearest tall table, eat you sample and then move to the next station. I understand those that want to sit, but with the tall tables (those that don't have chairs), you are standing the entire time anyway.

Think about the tall tables WDW has by each of the food places around the lagoon. It really doesn't make sense to claim one and have a person travel around the lagoon to each of the countries and back to your "claimed" table. The person would have ended up walking a marathon or more.

So, for those who have claimed a tall table, please allow "outsiders" (i.e. us) to use the table while the rest of your party is getting food. It will only take two minutes to eat the food. And, if your party returns during that time, we will gladly leave.

Ed

 

[DisneyHumbug]

I like your idea Ed. And since DD and I are vertically challenged, we can see more when we're standing up!!

 

[budbeerlady]

Anyone want to group up for the October 13th party for the senses? This will be our first food and wine festival.

 

[Bichon Barb]

This table thing has me scratching my head too. Do I really want to spend $280(?) to fight for a place for DH and I to eat our food?

I think we newbies need to see some pictures of PFTS. Does anyone have any? I'm off to see if I can google some.

 

[Bichon Barb]

It does look like a lot of people. Looking at this photo and the stations, I can see why you'd want to move around.

Here are some standing tables. Looks less crowded in this pic.

 

[Kteacher]

thanks for the pictures Barb!

 

[kmmccart75]

It is much easier and faster if you get your food, go to the nearest tall table, eat you sample and then move to the next station.

Have you been doing this and been able to find a place to eat? I think it sounds like fun to move around the room, munching and meeting new people, but I've read several comments here that they found every place "taken" even at the tall tables. It's just 2 of us...is there usually some room at these to squeeze in? I just don't want to be stuck hovering and trying to balance my wine while I eat - I'm just not that coordinated!

 

[TDC Nala]

Have you been doing this and been able to find a place to eat? I think it sounds like fun to move around the room, munching and meeting new people, but I've read several comments here that they found every place "taken" even at the tall tables. It's just 2 of us...is there usually some room at these to squeeze in? I just don't want to be stuck hovering and trying to balance my wine while I eat - I'm just not that coordinated!

It's MEANT for guests to move around the room.

There were more tables this past year than there were during the prior parties. However, no doubt the organizers are reacting to the demand for tables that arose over the years, and increased when the size of the event increased.

It seems that when a party chooses a table, they then for the most part consider that THEIR table. This is probably not what the organizers have in mind, but it's the way things seem to have turned out. A party occupying a table may not be thrilled to have anybody squeezing in at THEIR table. Even if the party doesn't say anything, they'll be rather obviously put out, most likely. Although I have seen the big tables get occupied by several different parties, they are following the procedure by which at least one person from each party is always at the table, fending off encroachers. Maybe if you wish to wander with your dining companion, someone at the table will be willing to watch your chairs for you, but don't count on it unless you all came in together.

This may work differently at the tall tables, especially if they have tall tables without chairs. Maybe they need to add more of those.

I think if you know you would be happiest at a sit-down dinner where your chair is your chair and you know who you will be sitting next to, and the food is brought to you rather than you having to go and get it, then your cash might be best used to book a signature dinner or a regional feast rather than P4TS.

 

[mlill]

Hi everyone! I took Barb's lead and did a search for some videos of Party for the Senses. Here are two...

This video is from PFTS 2004, and it centers on only one of the food stations, but you get the idea of what the stations will be like...

PFTS 2004 Video

This video is from last year, and it features the Cirque' show...

PFTS 2006 Video


Looks good to me! Good luck calling tomorrow!

-Michelle

It does look like a lot of people. Looking at this photo and the stations, I can see why you'd want to move around.

Here are some standing tables. Looks less crowded in this pic.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Have you been doing this and been able to find a place to eat? I think it sounds like fun to move around the room, munching and meeting new people, but I've read several comments here that they found every place "taken" even at the tall tables. It's just 2 of us...is there usually some room at these to squeeze in? I just don't want to be stuck hovering and trying to balance my wine while I eat - I'm just not that coordinated!

The last time I went to PFTS I was solo, so I had to leave the table every time after I ate something, and I was okay for a little while, finding a space to squeeze in, but then it was like all the open spots were being "saved."

I did manage to find two girls about my age and ended up sitting with them the rest of the night.

Personally, I don't get why people feel the need to save spots and can't just mingle all night. But since everyone saves seats DM and I are going to do it too, so we always have a place to sit. And then one of us can run and get something, while the other saves a seat.

 

[yearbook50]

Anyone want to group up for the October 13th party for the senses? This will be our first food and wine festival.

Theres a few of us going to the October 13th PotS, myself included.

Click the link in my sig to see who else is going

 

[kmmccart75]

Thanks for the input, TDC Nala & disneyfav4ever!

I think if you know you would be happiest at a sit-down dinner where your chair is your chair and you know who you will be sitting next to, and the food is brought to you rather than you having to go and get it, then your cash might be best used to book a signature dinner or a regional feast rather than P4TS.

That sounds like good advice. Actually, we would be happiest if we could move around and mingle (the way you said it was meant to work) BUT it sounds like that's not an option. I certainly wouldn't want to irritate people by joining them. So, it's back to my original plan of sharing a table with some DISers...

Personally, I don't get why people feel the need to save spots and can't just mingle all night. But since everyone saves seats DM and I are going to do it too, so we always have a place to sit. And then one of us can run and get something, while the other saves a seat.

ITA!!! I don't even have to have a place to sit - I just want to be able to set my wine on one of those tall tables without feeling like I'm encroaching on someone else's territory. Too bad the Disney F&W organizers don't just put a friendly little message about the tall tables being for guests who prefer to move and mingle - that might be enough to take care of it. If none of those tables were saved, there'd probably be enough room there for the move-around-ers, and therefore fewer looking to nab empty seats from those who would prefer to stay put. JMHO, probably wouldn't do much good to suggest it, though...I'd be amazed if they haven't heard it before.

Here's 10/27 PFTS possible shared DIS tables, so far:
Wigit12 (4) - want to share seated table
Rpsemont (3) - want to share standing table
kmmccart75 (2) - wherever we will fit

Anyone else out there?