2008 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Reviews

[dis2cruise]

The wine seminars/tastings & cooking demos with tastings are being held in the old Wonders of Life pavillion. The only free tasting in World Showcase (that I am aware of) is the Sam Adams seminar/tasting at the American Pavillion! We will be arriving on Saturday !!!

thanks for the info...we too are arriving on saturday enjoy your trip

 

[Inkmahm]

...
Sounds like quite the crowd last night. Did anyone run out of food/wine due to the heavy attendance?

...

Brad

Yes, by the end of the evening on the 18th, the chocolate candy selection was gone. I can see now why that is from reading here about people taking them along back to their rooms. I did get to try one kind as that is all that was left by the time I was ready for chocolate.

Also, some of the wine was out of stock by the end. I don't know which, exactly, only that my husband came back and said he got something other than what he was looking for because that one was all gone.

 

[shovan]

Hi Shovan,

We will be arriving on Thursday, Oct 30. My DH will have on his LSU gear. We are staying across from you at the BWV.

We are arriving this Saturday & will be there thru the 1st. In the parks we will likely have something with fleur de lis, Saints or LSU logos on! In the parks we'll have family with us (DD-LSU grad! +4 more). Just DH & myself are attending the City Taste. If you'd like to try to share a table send me a pm.

 

[Inkmahm]

Way too tired to say much more than yes,

HOORAY

that they listened and brought back the full booklet. I was extremely pleased.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought it was extremely, extremely crowded. People were sitting on the floor, sitting on the stage. I remember a few years ago they would say that the maximum capacity was 600 people. There were 1400 last night? I believe it.

I did beg a few people to let me sit for "just a second" where I would sit for about five seconds and leave, just to help.

We actually saw 15 children - one family with three little ones, which amazed me since they didn't look like they had much fun.

For a vegetarian, it was very easy to stuff myself, and early on. All chefs were more than happy to oblidge and give me plates of side dishes.

Edit: oh, and there was so much security there! Disney security everywhere! It was crazy.

Ours was one of the tables where you asked to sit for "just a second" when my husband was away getting food for us. I had no problem with it. You really did pop up fast and took off before I had a chance to even say you could stay longer! The people we were sitting with were also DIS members that we met that night. We had a great time!

 

[Forever42]

Ours was one of the tables where you asked to sit for "just a second" when my husband was away getting food for us. I had no problem with it. You really did pop up fast and took off before I had a chance to even say you could stay longer! The people we were sitting with were also DIS members that we met that night. We had a great time!

Oops, sorry we didn't stay longer, then! It may have been at that point that all we wanted was just a second to lift our feet and get moving again.

 

[Inkmahm]

And to be honest, with how the 10/18 PftS was, DH and I decided it will be our last one.

In past years, it still had some classiness to it, and I always described it to people as "a cocktail party for 600 people." This year, it was just a disappointment. People being greedy and selfish with chairs, the security, the crowds. In general people weren't even dressed as nicely as in the past, and my father was a little disappointed that I had suggested he wore a tie.

Next year, if they do still have the nicer Signature events, we'll be doing those instead, as long as they will accommodate my vegetarianism.

edit: and as I've said in the past, we've always done the PftS because it was easiest on us to get a good variety of foods and wines, since DH and I have never been seafood eaters, and now with myself being a vegetarian, a PftS has always had adequate variety with minimal fuss. But to be honest, we weren't even impressed with most of the food items they had - I could have made a lot of it at home, DH commented.

I was probably one of those people you didn't think was dressed as "nicely in the past"- I had on a Tinkerbell shirt, black shorts and sandals. I was comfy though. I didn't know if we'd get a table or we'd have to stand all night so no way in the world was I dressing up with heels and have to suffer standing for 2 1/2 hours. Especially after having been in the parks since 8 am that morning until just before the party with most of that time being on my feet, too!

edit: It wasn't just a "t-shirt", it was a nice shirt with an embroidered tinkerbell. Still, obviously not up to some people's standards who expected cocktail dresses. I don't wear those at home so I certainly and not wearing one on vacation!

 

[betterlatethannever]

The wine seminars/tastings & cooking demos with tastings are being held in the old Wonders of Life pavillion. The only free tasting in World Showcase (that I am aware of) is the Sam Adams seminar/tasting at the American Pavillion! We will be arriving on Saturday !!!

There is also a free wine tasting at Australia next to the "Walkabout". It is sampling of the wines from the walkabout.

Ed

 

[shovan]

There is also a free wine tasting at Australia next to the "Walkabout". It is sampling of the wines from the walkabout.

Ed

Thanks Ed! Is that new this year? or did we just pass it by?

 

[karrit2000]

Shovan,

They have usually always had free wine tasting at the Australia area but not every day. They usually had the times posted, it was by luck I found it the first time. That year they rotated doing tastings of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz varieties. Then they switched to alternating between Red or White. One year we got there early to make sure we got a spot & it was so windy they decided they were going to cancel the session. They had already started pouring the samples & we convinced them to at least let us try them. So they did a fast 5-10 minute presentation rather than their normal 15-20 minute one. They had Culinary Demos with Sally James a couple of years also but you weren't allowed to taste what she was making due the the sanitary food prep restrictions.

Mom & I will be arriving on Tuesday 10/28. We will be attending the Taste of Italy also.

 

[chip&dale&fun]

We attended the Free Wine Tastings at Australia and enjoyed it. There is very limited standing capacity (around 20-24) and the line fills up fast. we were lucky that we were in the right place at the right time on a Friday night.
We were either couple 23/24 or 24/25 and the cast member sqeezed us in. We had to stand almost in the bushes, but had our tasting glasses and good see and hear. It was a good presentation. Then I saw the same presenter at PFTS the next night. Neat!

 

[conandrob240]

We go to PFTS this Saturday and we will be treating it as it is intended- as a "cocktail party" where you don't hunker down at tables like it is a buffet. I wish more people would do the same. We will do exactly what we did last year and sit for a few minutes or lean for a few minutes here and there when we need to cut a piece of meat or something. I will sit at your table if chairs are empty whether you give me dirty looks or not. But I promise to be gone within a few minutes. And, I agree about the dress- there should be a dress code. Sorry but a t-shirt and shorts should not be appropriate attire for what is supposed to be an upscale event. That doesn't mean you have to wear a cocktail dress with heels but some sort of business casual code would make it a more classy event. I'd be very comfy in my pjs but that doesn't mean they are appropriate at a fancy cocktail party. I'll post my review soon after we go.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

We go to PFTS this Saturday and we will be treating it as it is intended- as a "cocktail party" where you don't hunker down at tables like it is a buffet. I wish more people would do the same. We will do exactly what we did last year and sit for a few minutes or lean for a few minutes here and there when we need to cut a piece of meat or something. I will sit at your table if chairs are empty whether you give me dirty looks or not. But I promise to be gone within a few minutes. And, I agree about the dress- there should be a dress code. Sorry but a t-shirt and shorts should not be appropriate attire for what is supposed to be an upscale event. That doesn't mean you have to wear a cocktail dress with heels but some sort of business casual code would make it a more classy event. I'd be very comfy in my pjs but that doesn't mean they are appropriate at a fancy cocktail party. I'll post my review soon after we go.

WORLD SHOWPLACE AT EPCOT
Saturdays, October 4, 11, 18, 25 and November 1 & 8
6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
$135 per person, plus tax, gratuity included. Theme Park admission is required.
Hosted by Vanity Fair® Premium Napkins.
Feast on this tribute to the sensory arts! Begin your evening with a reserved
seat at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the America Gardens Theatre.
Following the show, World Showplace Pavilion becomes the setting
for a sensational evening showcasing the talents of more than 25 eminent
chefs and the diversity of over 70 wines and beers Wander among tempting
tasting stations in the midst of imaginative décor and live entertainment.

On the stages, extraordinary artists from METROPOLIS perform feats of
balance, strength, agility and mayhem throughout the evening, while other
remarkable characters interact with the Guests to their surprise and delight.
Between acts, unique music by Mechanical Soul will provide a stylish
world-beat accompaniment to the party. In addition to crowd favorites like David Sanborn, Jon
Secada and David Cassidy, several new performers will
rock the stage for the very first time this year! En Vogue,
Spyro Gyra, Boyz II Men and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are
just a sampling of the new artists that will have you on your
feet as you Eat to the Beat.

The above is the description of the Party for the Senses taken directly from the International Food & Wine Booklet distributed at Epcot. I feel very strongly that for a price of $135, other events of this price point guarantee seating, that sitting at the same table, in the same chair all night, as in the manner of a dinner is the acceptable course of action. I see you feel just as strongly that the party should be cocktail style. However, the booklet does not classify it. So it seems that the best course of action is the age old adage of "to each his own".

 

[conandrob240]

But yet the very description you posted pretty clearly rules out your whole "sit down dinner" thinking!

"Wander among tempting
tasting stations in the midst of imaginative décor and live entertainment"

The word Wander doesn't mean "sit at a table as if you are at a buffet" or "sit-down dinner" to me, does it to you??? And "tasting stations" is also another clue that this is not intended as a sit-down dinner.

The final clue is THERE AREN'T ENOUGH TABLES FOR EVERYONE TO SIT DOWN AT ONCE!!! Geesh!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

But yet the very description you posted pretty clearly rules out your whole "sit down dinner" thinking!

"Wander among tempting
tasting stations in the midst of imaginative décor and live entertainment"

The word Wander doesn't mean "sit at a table as if you are at a buffet" or "sit-down dinner" to me, does it to you??? And "tasting stations" is also another clue that this is not intended as a sit-down dinner.

The final clue is THERE AREN'T ENOUGH TABLES FOR EVERYONE TO SIT DOWN AT ONCE!!! Geesh!

First off, I wasn't disrespectful of your opinion, I simply stated my own.

If you like to wander and then *ask* to sit down with a party or sit at a vacant table in the style of a cocktail party then by all means do so In the same token, if my party chooses to keep the same table all evening I am equally able to do so.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, there are NO official protocols for The Party for the Senses, NEITHER of us is *RIGHT*. In my opinion the fact that the Party offers both high top and low top tables shows that the event isn't classified as EITHER cocktail or sitdown, as these tables leave guests with the ability to choose their own course of action. We each have our own opinion on the topic and what I stated, politely and with tact I might add, was that "to each his own" is the best course of action when approaching the Party and seating.

As far as the word WANDER, do i move from station to station collecting food & wine as well as conversing with the chefs and vineyard representatives? Absolutely. But when I've collected what I want i return to my table and sat. It was the same table the whole evening and typically we'd send 2 members of the party to wander each "round" with everyone taking turns wandering and exploring while still having a home base to return to.

I will also add, that if you look at the accounts from the Party of Oct 4th and the one on Oct 11th you will see that numerous posters report that there were multiple untouched tables at each event. It was only last weeks Party where there was any chair controversy and it seemed minimal at that. So at 2 out of the 3 parties held so far this year there WAS enough seating for EVERYONE all at once.

In addition, "Tasting stations" in no way indicates cocktail party or sit down dinner. In fact, there is a poster a page or 2 back that reviewed the City Taste event....where there were the exact same "tasting stations" set up as the Party for the Senses yet the guests were provided with full size portions, more like a sit down dinner.

EDIT: My DDad wanted to add that if there are issues with lacking seating, or confusion as to whether the party is cocktail or sitdown that is an issue with DISNEY. There is no reason to attack one another, we are each stating our opinion. But the issues does not lie with guests and how they choose to approach the event for which they ALL paid $135/each. Responsibility lies solely and fundamentally with Disney.

 

[ghidorah97]

Well, I've been avoiding chiming in on the topic, but since it sure seems to have legs I'll dip my toes in the water (and hopefully not get eaten by piranhas).

In theory, I don't have a problem with a group grabbing and holding a table (with or without chairs) and then sending out members of their party on sorties through the tasting floor while someone stays behind. What I do have a problem with is when that same person then denies someone else the ability to sit down for a minute.

As someone who chooses the "wander" strategy during events such as this, it is important to be able to give the feet a few minutes rest here and there. That usually entails coming up to a table with some open seats and asking those currently sitting there if I (or we) could join them for a moment. Now I could certainly understand a response like "well, I am holding those seats, but feel free to sit until they get back". In fact, I welcome that kind of open, adult communication.

What I have a serious problem with, though, is the "NO, I'm saving those seats" response. Excuse me? I'm sorry, did I miss the terms whereby I could pay extra to reserve a table? Oh that's right, you must have been one of those who nearly ran over an elderly couple as if you were in Pamplona channeling the running of the bulls.

That's just crazy. If you don't like to mingle with others (and, horrors!, maybe actually meet some really nice new people) then why would you choose to attend an event designed specifically for mingling?

Just my opinion, and not targeted at anyone in particular. Feel free to flame away...

Brad

 

[podsnel]

I think Disney really needs to make this more clear- as in, You CAN save a table and park there or that is NOT permitted. Right now it sounds like they are being very wishy washy about it, thinking it will all be ok, some like to sit, some like to lean occasionally and it will all balance out. I like the idea of the cocktail party, and that would be all good with me, but everyone seems to feel very passionately one way or the other- just wondering, has anyone ever written to Disney about this and gotten a response? It seems if they are going to pack you in there some nights, they should make the premise of the event more clear for everyone to avoid all this animosity.

 

[shovan]

Shovan,

They have usually always had free wine tasting at the Australia area but not every day. They usually had the times posted, it was by luck I found it the first time. That year they rotated doing tastings of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz varieties. Then they switched to alternating between Red or White. One year we got there early to make sure we got a spot & it was so windy they decided they were going to cancel the session. They had already started pouring the samples & we convinced them to at least let us try them. So they did a fast 5-10 minute presentation rather than their normal 15-20 minute one. They had Culinary Demos with Sally James a couple of years also but you weren't allowed to taste what she was making due the the sanitary food prep restrictions.

Mom & I will be arriving on Tuesday 10/28. We will be attending the Taste of Italy also.

Thanks we have totally missed that the last 2 years!

Come over & say HI! My DH uses a red & gray power w.chair. So you should be able to spot us!


Just to chime in on the table debate. The cocktail idea is fine, but it really just doesn't work for everyone. I would love to be able to just browse & chat with the chefs & sommeliers. As I mentioned my DH is in a wh chair. Driving & eating & drinking just don't work for him. And I'm sure there are many people elderly & others who can not stand all evening, even if they wanted to. We have grabbed a table & if someone just sat & didn't say anything, I would tell them that the seat was taken. If someone asked me if they could sit a minute, that would be totally different.

 

[oybolshoi]

Brad, I totally agree with you. The night that we attended PFTS (the 11th) was busy but certainly not packed the way the one on the 18th sounds to have been.

Having said that, there was one instance where we approached two people sitting at a table and asked if we could join them for a moment to enjoy our food and they said no because they were saving seats for people who were "coming back."

Uh ... Okaaaaaaay.

Fortunately everyone else we approached that evening was very friendly and very welcoming. We had some great conversations with folks who used to be from Stinktown ... or who have relatives in Stinktown ... or who have actually heard of Stinktown. We parked ourselves at the end of the evening with one couple from Michigan at a standing table who were very very nice and didn't even mind when our buddy Kabuki and her friends showed up to chat for a while and we ended up having a little mini party right there talking about all the food and booze we'd enjoyed.

I don't think there is a right or a wrong answer to this ... it's a combination of factors and we can blame Disney for poor foresight in cramming 1,400 people into a 2.5 hour event but I think equal blame lies with territorial and inconsiderate attendees.

Think about the behavior you may see while at WDW ... for every guest who is having a good time and is thoughtful and considerate and conscious of other guests there is another who is walking around with a big ol' vacation chip on his / her shoulder who does things that I'd just as soon not start listing out.

At the end of the day Disney can't control rudeness or insensitivity in its guests and neither can we - when I find myself getting upset about someone else's behavior I remind myself that the only person I can control is me. So I try to behave in a way (for the most part ... ) that is considerate of others.

It ain't perfect but what is?

Edited to clarify: I'm not criticizing people who use a table throughout the evening, especially folks who have an illness or disability - I have no issue with that at all. What I don't like, as Brad stated, is those folks who refuse to give someone else a place to rest or eat for a few minutes. We all pay the same price for admission and we're all playing in the same sandbox ... surely a little kindness isn't too much to expect?

Well, I've been avoiding chiming in on the topic, but since it sure seems to have legs I'll dip my toes in the water (and hopefully not get eaten by piranhas).

In theory, I don't have a problem with a group grabbing and holding a table (with or without chairs) and then sending out members of their party on sorties through the tasting floor while someone stays behind. What I do have a problem with is when that same person then denies someone else the ability to sit down for a minute.

As someone who chooses the "wander" strategy during events such as this, it is important to be able to give the feet a few minutes rest here and there. That usually entails coming up to a table with some open seats and asking those currently sitting there if I (or we) could join them for a moment. Now I could certainly understand a response like "well, I am holding those seats, but feel free to sit until they get back". In fact, I welcome that kind of open, adult communication.

What I have a serious problem with, though, is the "NO, I'm saving those seats" response. Excuse me? I'm sorry, did I miss the terms whereby I could pay extra to reserve a table? Oh that's right, you must have been one of those who nearly ran over an elderly couple as if you were in Pamplona channeling the running of the bulls.

That's just crazy. If you don't like to mingle with others (and, horrors!, maybe actually meet some really nice new people) then why would you choose to attend an event designed specifically for mingling?

Just my opinion, and not targeted at anyone in particular. Feel free to flame away...

Brad

 

[ghidorah97]

Just to chime in on the table debate. The cocktail idea is fine, but it really just doesn't work for everyone. I would love to be able to just browse & chat with the chefs & sommeliers. As I mentioned my DH is in a wh chair. Driving & eating & drinking just don't work for him. And I'm sure there are many people elderly & others who can not stand all evening, even if they wanted to. We have grabbed a table & if someone just sat & didn't say anything, I would tell them that the seat was taken. If someone asked me if they could sit a minute, that would be totally different.

Amen!!! You hit the nail right on the head. In no way am I advocating the removal of tables w/chairs. You definitey need those at this type of event. Everybody, regardles of age or any other factors, likes to sit if only for a moment during a several hour-long event. And some people truly need that option.

But the "rude" factor cuts both ways. Just as I complained about those people who would say "no" to my request to join them for a moment, it is equally rude to simply sit down at an occupied table without saying a word. Politeness works wonders, and all of us need to respect the other party-goers in order to make this an event that all can enjoy equally.

 

[webray]

We have done this both ways. We usually keep a table for the first part of evening. Since there are only two of us, we have always had a lot of table mates throughout the years, lol. Met some great people, had great conversations.

This year, the 18th, was the first time we couldn't sit down, not even once.
We were exhausted, hubby said he much prefers sitting at a table (having a home base) with other people. Standing all evening made it very hard to eat some of the food. Luckily we had the mobile grape..it was a lifesaver.