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

[Kteacher]

I'm just waiting to hear back from IPO with our updated itinerary. The 10/6 PFTS is the only ticketed event we are doing other than the MNSSHP the night before. We're planning on eating and drinking our way around World Showcase the next day

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

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!!

OMG...they are so inconsistent. I was told resort attire. No sneakers? I'd like to see them enforce that. Too many people suffer from neuropathy or other foot and back conditions that require them to wear sneakers. As for the no shorts...in years past we saw them like crazy...personally, I don't have a problem with shorts unless they are cutoffs or showing your butt cheeks!

 

[budbeerlady]

[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?

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[/QUOTE]

Does the survey info I put in correspond to the person who answered the phone. I was mad for getting the boot so I was extremely unsatifisied on all the answers. I was going to hang up but then I thought maybe the survey answers would correspond with whoever dumped my call. (If that makes any sense, I wanted someone to get a bad review for it)

 

[DISNEYDUET]

OMG...As for the no shorts...in years past we saw them like crazy...personally, I don't have a problem with shorts unless they are cutoffs or showing your butt cheeks!

That is a very "appetizing" thought!!

 

[Wigit12]

NO SHORTS????
DH will NOT be happy. He wears shorts everywhere in Florida!! He has several pairs of very nice dress shorts that he wears and always looks very nice. We're not going until 10/27 so I'll wait to hear from others that attend PFTS earlier. I'm not telling him yet!

 

[PatriciaH]

I have only seen 2 or 3 in shorts at the PFTS we have done (have been going for several years.) Most are in capris, skirts, khakis, dark jeans/nice top, dresses, polos, button downs. We did go to the Spirited Ball in 2005 and some were in tuxes, cocktail dresses, some in suits, some business casual. Then 2 people walked on the bus in jean shorts and you could just hear them go "oh my god" when they saw everyone else. At the Signature Dinners and Regional Feasts we have been to, people also dress nice (night out/business casual.)

 

[bjakmom]

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!

Yep, sounds like the same person - I'll write tomorrow - already behind today! I wrote down "Shandra", but couldn't really tell as she was hard to understand. She was not that rude to me, and seemed to really try to be looking for how to book it as I told her that dining was definitely booking F&W today. I asked her twice if there wasn't a supervisor or someone else there that I could speak to or who could help her -she insisted she had no supervisor or tech help available. I told her I'd been on hold for over 20 mins already and would be put to the back of the queue if she transferred me - she did say she was sorry that I had been routed to the wrong # for F&W, and that she kept getting an 'e-mail' telling her she had to transfer any F&W calls to that # - then I got disconnected when she tried to transfer me . Oh well, moving on - I was SO happy to hear Diane's cheerful, informed voice on my second time through - and doubly happy that the events DH had his heart set on (F&W is the only way I can get him to WDW ) were still available. It's all good now! (where's the smiley checking things off her list!? )

 

[ukwildcat]

NO SHORTS????
DH will NOT be happy. He wears shorts everywhere in Florida!! He has several pairs of very nice dress shorts that he wears and always looks very nice. We're not going until 10/27 so I'll wait to hear from others that attend PFTS earlier. I'm not telling him yet!

I'm wearing shorts, the dress kind that you might wear when you golf. I've been given the "no shorts" thing for years now. It used to be given when making ressies for the signature restaurants. Last year they told me the same thing for F&WF. Lots of people were wearing dress shorts. That's my take on it.

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

I got what I wanted, too! But... it was only 1 F&W event... I didn't even make the call until after 10am (florida time).

Our schedule is so crazy, one thing was all I could fit in!!!

Congrats to everyone who got what they wanted!

See you all at the F&WF!!!

 

[KristineN]

I got through on the 1st ring...then the CM proceeded to connect me to the survey instead of making the reservation!!

Took 10 minutes of dialing through the "all circuits are busy" then a 1/2 hour on hold!!!!!

But I did get what I wanted

 

[muffy0110]

I have been to 14 PFTS- people dress as they like, will you look out of
place in shorts- slightly, just make sure there not cut-offs. Some people
dress to the nines and they look out of place as well. Go w/ resort
casual ( included in this is your resort casual shorts) you will be fine.
Anyone attending on 11/10- see you there.

 

[shovan]

Go in at 6:59 AM and got my tickets for 10/20 PFTS!! Woohoo!! No non-transferable anything was mentioned. Maybe they decided against it?

Great, we will see you there! I scanned through quickly, but didn't see if oybolshoi got her's or not?

Started dialing at 6:01 my time, all circuits were busy. By 6:30 still getting the all circuits busy, I had stomach pains cause I was freaking out! Finally connected at 6:35 and held on for 20 minutes. I had DH get on with his cell & he was disconneted right before giving them the cc #. Anyway, of LeCellier was booked for both of the Fridays I tried. But I did get everything else I wanted!

PFTS for 10/20
Marrakesh Pairing 10/23
Coral Reef Pairing on 10/24

Glad to have it done, but definitely not a very magical morning!

 

[chip&dale&fun]

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.

I was told a "resort casual" for food and wine pairings and a "smart casual" for PFTS.......


they did mention the ID s well.

 

[chip&dale&fun]

I have only seen 2 or 3 in shorts at the PFTS we have done (have been going for several years.) Most are in capris, skirts, khakis, dark jeans/nice top, dresses, polos, button downs. We did go to the Spirited Ball in 2005 and some were in tuxes, cocktail dresses, some in suits, some business casual. Then 2 people walked on the bus in jean shorts and you could just hear them go "oh my god" when they saw everyone else. At the Signature Dinners and Regional Feasts we have been to, people also dress nice (night out/business casual.)

This will be our 7th year (lucky us). I remember when I booked PFTS the first time, I had no idea, it was a spur of the moment decision. We arrived after slopping Epcot food and wine booths in the pouring rain all day. did we look like drowned rats, compared to some who were dressed. We were not told a dress code and were overwhelmed with the food offerings. Fortunatly, we were not told to leave, but we do plan better now.

Rest before the event and change into nice clothes and comfy (but not sneaker) shoes...and don't eat too much that day!!!! LOL.

Continued good luck for ressies...

 

[Wigit12]

I wasn't told anything about dress code, cancellation, etc but I was kind of rushing her since the Le Cellier Pairing was sold out. Then forgot to go over it all at the end.

As for the "non-transferable" part, the only event that required everyone's names was the Regional Feast. She had to list everyone who would attend. PFTS and F&W Pairings are just under my name.

 

[woolfcross]

[I]Yep, sounds like the same person - I'll write tomorrow - already behind today! I wrote down "Shandra", but couldn't really tell as she was hard to understand[/I]

Yep, does sound like the same person, for I'm not SURE that the name was "Wanda"--could have been "Shandra" for she refused (or, more appropriately, ignored) my request to spell it. And you say, she was hard to understand (though very hostile when I asked her, politely, to repeat anything).

Perhaps I got her before you did? So at least she would have known, before you called, that there was such a thing as Food and Wine Festival, and therefore was more responsive and trying to get you to someone else who could help?

Not sure. Only know that this kind of thing shouldn't happen. Too late for us for this year--but, hey, no problem. We feel fortunate to be able to attend such a fun event, and we're determined to enjoy ourselves anyway!

Have fun, everyone!

 

[cdtommie]

NO SHORTS????
DH will NOT be happy. He wears shorts everywhere in Florida!! He has several pairs of very nice dress shorts that he wears and always looks very nice. We're not going until 10/27 so I'll wait to hear from others that attend PFTS earlier. I'm not telling him yet!

I wear my Polo shorts to the PFTS every year including twice last year. And while we were certainly not in the majority, there were plenty of people wearing shorts. Hey, it was still almost 90 degrees out last year at 6PM. And the AC isn't that great...I talked to some of the CM's last year and they agreed it was too warm in the venue and told me where some of the colder spots where.

 

[bnormant]

We got on hold right at 6:59am. Was on hold for about 6 minutes and then started booking. I hate that you have to keep giving your card information for each event. But we did get everything we wanted, including Le Cellier on 9/28.

I think the new Teppan Edo place (old Tepanyaki) might not be ready yet. We weren't going to try for the food and wine pairing there but instead try for just lunch reservations. She said that the renovations were pushed back to the end of October. We then tried the food and wine pairing there and she said for the same reason they weren't booking those, yet anyways. She explained as soon as they know when the space will actually be ready, then they'll book the food and wine pairings for any time that is left on the schedule after it is open. She sounded really knowledgable about everything.

Other events we'll be at include:
Cook, Book, and Bottle 9/28
Le Cellier 9/28
Vertical Wine Tasting 9/29
Marrakesh 10/2
Chefs A'Field 10/3
Equisite Evenings 10/5
PFTS 10/6

We can't wait!

 

[girli565]

Great, we will see you there! I scanned through quickly, but didn't see if oybolshoi got her's or not?

I think I saw her on another thread saying she got it! Woohoo, off to PFTS we go... in 2 months and 2 weeks

 

[girli565]

I wasn't told anything about dress code, cancellation, etc but I was kind of rushing her since the Le Cellier Pairing was sold out. Then forgot to go over it all at the end.

As for the "non-transferable" part, the only event that required everyone's names was the Regional Feast. She had to list everyone who would attend. PFTS and F&W Pairings are just under my name.

So... does anyone know what exactly resort causl or smart casual means? I know business casual like for Cali Grill but I'm stumped as to what I'm going to wear for the PFTS.