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

[yearbook50]

I got the last spot for the 10/12 Le Cellier Food and Wine Pairing.
I got my South African Wine Event, Chefs A Field, Living Seas Food and Wine Pairing (10/17) and my 10/20 Party of the Senses. I have to call on Friday to get my 10/13 Party of the Senses since I ran out of money (apparently I had an extra charge on my c.c. that I wasn't aware of

 

[dfsc]

I was taking a chance using their 800 number instead of the 407 listed for F&WF reservations. I waited about 25 minutes. I felt good about my decision when I noticed other posters using the 407 number mentioning they had been routed to dining reservations.

If you want to use their toll free number - 1-800-828-0228

Option 3 sends you to dining reservations.

 

[dfsc]

I just got through and booked Party for the Senses. The reservationist told me they have instituted a new policy on all F&W event bookings. Once you book you will not be able to cancel for a refund or exchange.

I was going to snag 2 more seats at Party for the Senses hoping to bring a couple of friends. I x'd that idea as soon as I heard about the new policy!

 

[bjakmom]

OK, I feel better now !! Just got through after being disconnected by first clueless CM (at least she sounded like she was trying) and finally got a wonderful CM Diane Was still able to book the signature lunch at Jiko for 9/30 and PFTS for 9/29.
She did read the info to me about dress code and new non-refundable, non-transferrable policy - she even went so far as to say photo ID would be required this year at check in. I'll be interested to see if they run into any trouble with the non-transferrable part - seems you should be able to sell/give your space to someone else if you have to cancel - you paid (dearly!) for those seats and they would sit empty otherwise - seems a bit hard handed to me!
Got to rush now - I wasn't expecting to be on hold for over an hour this morning! Good luck everyone!!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I got everything I wanted!

I don't remember if the CM said anything about the no-refund policy. She did say there was a "smart-casual" dress code for both events, that they would ask for ID, (which they didn't do in 2005, which actually suprised me,) and that there is "limited seating" at Party for the Senses. She also said that there is only 112 spots available at Sweet Sundays, but that you're guaranteed a seat.

 

[DISNEYDUET]

I got through and was done with my call in 5 min. ! All we wanted was the South Africa Wine Event and we got it. I started calling at 6:58 and my 7:03 I was done.

 

[woolfcross]

[I]Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 2,972 Yikes - after being on hold for 20 minutes, my dining person has no clue and is saying she can't book these events - she has been trying for 5 minutes now and is saying she must tranfer me over to the 'right' #!!! Looks like I need pixie dust

Think we got the same person! After waiting for 25 minutes, I got a person by the name of "Wanda" who also had no clue about the F&W festival--kept asking me what time I wanted to make dining ressies at a given restaurant, etc--while I kept trying to explain that's not how the Food and Wine Festival works. What's worse, she was unbelievably rude when I tried to point out, reasonably, that I knew there WAS a Food and Wine Festival, for I have been to it before, and that bookings were going on even as we spoke.

Refused to pass me through to anyone else--my last hope at that point. And then said she was going to hang up so she could "help" other customers (with help like that, you don't need harm!) Though I begged her not to disconnect but to put me through to somewhere/someone else, for I had invested a lot of time in waiting, she hung up abruptly in the middle of my plea.

The woman has to be stopped (given further training, or fired). Any ideas about how I can report this, other than answering the short survey after she hung up on me, which I did?

The end result: I called back, waited ANOTHER 20 minutes and by then (almost 8 o'clock) everything we really wanted was gone. The new agent was a sweetheart, however (as almost all of them are) and was as helpful as she could be--shortening the "spiel" so we could move with dispatch, etc.

Guess we'll concentrate on the food booths, the free tastings, the food/wine pairing at Morocco (the only thing we were able to obtain)--and each other's company! (not going to cancel, for we already booked plane tix, etc).

Congrats to all of you who had success this morning. Be glad you didn't have a "Close Encounter of the Third Kind" with Wanda, as I (and I suspect Bjak Mom) did!

 

[katypop]

Third year booking and that was the easiest yet,got through immediately, no time on hold and was able to book everything I wanted
Seas Salon 10/25
LeCellier 10/26
PFTS 10/27
Regional Feast-Greece 11/01

Glad to read that most of you are getting what you wanted too
The CM I got read all the "rules" for the 1st booking, I asked her nicely if we could just skip them for the rest as I had attended these events before, she laughed and said sure so the rest of the bookings went very quickly.

 

[PatriciaH]

Think we got the same person! After waiting for 25 minutes, I got a person by the name of "Wanda" who also had no clue about the F&W festival--kept asking me what time I wanted to make dining ressies at a given restaurant, etc--while I kept trying to explain that's not how the Food and Wine Festival works. What's worse, she was unbelievably rude when I tried to point out, reasonably, that I knew there WAS a Food and Wine Festival, for I have been to it before, and that bookings were going on even as we spoke.

Refused to pass me through to anyone else--my last hope at that point. And then said she was going to hang up so she could "help" other customers (with help like that, you don't need harm!) Though I begged her not to disconnect but to put me through to somewhere/someone else, for I had invested a lot of time in waiting, she hung up abruptly in the middle of my plea.

The woman has to be stopped (given further training, or fired). Any ideas about how I can report this, other than answering the short survey after she hung up on me, which I did?

The end result: I called back, waited ANOTHER 20 minutes and by then (almost 8 o'clock) everything we really wanted was gone. The new agent was a sweetheart, however (as almost all of them are) and was as helpful as she could be--shortening the "spiel" so we could move with dispatch, etc.

Guess we'll concentrate on the food booths, the free tastings, the food/wine pairing at Morocco (the only thing we were able to obtain)--and each other's company! (not going to cancel, for we already booked plane tix, etc).

Congrats to all of you who had success this morning. Be glad you didn't have a "Close Encounter of the Third Kind" with Wanda, as I (and I suspect Bjak Mom) did!

You should write to Disney. Give them all the details and the time of the call. They should be able to track the call (a lot of them are recorded) and get her out of that role.

 

[Tinkbellfan]

I got through and was done with my call in 5 min. ! All we wanted was the South Africa Wine Event and we got it. I started calling at 6:58 and my 7:03 I was done.

I'll be there too - excited to see what this new dinner is all about!

 

[woolfcross]

You should write to Disney. Give them all the details and the time of the call. They should be able to track the call (a lot of them are recorded) and get her out of that role.

Thanks, Patricia! I haven't forgotten that you're the person who first posted the schedule! (and allowed us to book plane tix, etc.) You're the "fairy dust" on THIS discussion board!

Any ideas about the best place to write? The email I sent to customer service about the late release of info didn't seem to be too effective. Is there a personnel/management email address?

 

[Bichon Barb]

Got through and done. PFTS - Oct. 6. I swear I must have been the first call to get through. I got to the line at 6:59 through my work phone, while my cell phone was still saying the office was closed.

Hi Miss Jasmine. DH and I will be there on 10/6 too! There are quite a few DISers going that evening.

We overslept big time, and I didn't call until about 7:40. I had to hang up after about 15 minutes on hold, but then I called back and got through pretty quickly. No problemo!

 

[budbeerlady]

I didnt get a person, after waiting 20 min, the music ended and the SURVEY CAME ON!!!!! I was so mad! It took me 2 more tries to get a human on the phone!

 

[Haeg]

Couldn't get through till 7:45 AM, then waited 20 minutes to get someone. Booked PftS for 9/29, first time ever going to PftS. Did not realize there was a dress code "Resort Smart-Casual" No T-shirt, shorts, sneaker, halter/tube tops, etc. I am a shorts an sneakers kinda guy. Now I'm gonna have to bring some fancier duds & I guess my black (dress) sneakers
less then 2 months to go!!

 

[Bichon Barb]

BTW, I got Jorge. When I told him I wanted to book PFTS, he kept asking "But which restaurant?" LOL. Then he apologized when he realized it was a special event. He put me on hold for a few seconds but then came back and booked it for me.

I got the no refund schpiel, but I didn't get the ID and attire schpiel.

Another thing I forgot to ask about was the actual tickets. Do they mail them or are they picked up at the resort?????

 

[mlill]

We're all set! After a late start, (Someone, who shall remain nameless, hit the snooze button this morning! ) and waiting 35 minutes on hold, (Fortunately, I was calling on the toll-free line! Thanks to everyone for posting here about getting transferred to regular dining.) I made our F&W reservations. We'll be at...

PFTS on Oct. 6th
Sweet Sundays on Oct. 7th

I asked about the Sake pairing, too and got some lame excuse. It didn't bother me too much after spending what I did for the first two reservations! I may decide to add it later. Or not. We'll see.

Congratulations to everyone who got what they wanted!!!

Cheers,
Michelle

 

[yearbook50]

Only attire speal I got was no bathing suits...by the end of the phone call the reservation lady and I were laughing about it all as like the Living Seas Food and Wine Pairing "you can't go change after the Chef's into your bathing suit for the living seas. I know its water and all"

so everyone
don't wear bathing suits to any Food & Wine Events.

And you dont get tickets...but at least you get confirmation numbers for each event.

 

[Pocahantas]

We got the F&W Pairing at Le Cellier for 10/19 . I called right at 6:00 and got right through. We weren't able to book the Sushi, Sake and Sashimi for 10/15 but I plan to keep trying. Like others have said, it is not sold out yet, it is just not available. CM I spoke with said possibly because of the delay in the resturants opening .

Congrats to everyone else who got what they wanted!!

 

[Stitch_Dude]

[QUOTE

Any ideas about the best place to write? The email I sent to customer service about the late release of info didn't seem to be too effective. Is there a personnel/management email address?[/QUOTE]

I think Dh may have gotten the same person. He got through to her shortly after 7:00 after holding for about 10 minutes, they exchanged hellos and he stated what he needed to book and she mumbled something and immediately dumped him into the end of call survey. By the time he got back through, what we wanted was gone. He spoke to a manager later on who apologized and gave him a contact address to write to:
Guest Communications
P.O. Box 10040
Walt Disney World Resort
Executive Offices
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

 

[Haeg]

BTW, I got Jorge. When I told him I wanted to book PFTS, he kept asking "But which restaurant?" LOL. Then he apologized when he realized it was a special event. He put me on hold for a few seconds but then came back and booked it for me.

I got the no refund schpiel, but I didn't get the ID and attire schpiel.

Another thing I forgot to ask about was the actual tickets. Do they mail them or are they picked up at the resort?????

I asked about the tickets, my CM was not totally sure, but thought we would just get them at time of check-in at my hotel, and NOT recieve a hard ticket like MNSSHP. Similar to booking Hoop Dee-Doo Revue.

Oh I was also told no refunds, paid in full at time of booking, ID required... But I'll be flattered if they want to see my ID, my wife will never hear the end of that especially if they only check my ID.