2008 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Reviews

[jkeenan]

The food and wine festival started 9/25 at half price to the cast members, but a little known secret was it was open to the general public so we hopped in line. The menu signs were not out so you had to wait until the front of the line to order and the lines were SLOW. We went to two booths: Greece and France and then just had quick dining around the world to experience the foods. I would recommend dinner before 5 to avoid the lines.

 

[BriarRosie]

I am leaving right now. Have only one event this weekend. (PFTS tomorrow. No I won't take pictures. My friend will take enough, I think) Couldn't find anything else to book.

So I am considering going to Peru instead of the food and wine festival next year. Maybe that's a good thing.

Yes, I will take lots of photos at PFTS tonight.

I attended the same Kitchen Conversations as Brenda a couple of days ago, but I had a different experience based on my location. There were some issues with food quality, but I enjoyed the event for the most part. Not enough to do it again, though. I should have told Brenda to voice her complaints to Guest Relations, as they were totally valid.

If posting from my iPhone wasn't such a pain, I would share more. I will post more on my review thread when I return home.

 

[oybolshoi]

I am leaving right now. Have only one event this weekend. (PFTS tomorrow. No I won't take pictures. My friend will take enough, I think) Couldn't find anything else to book.

So I am considering going to Peru instead of the food and wine festival next year. Maybe that's a good move.

Yes, I will take lots of photos at PFTS tonight.

I attended the same Kitchen Conversations as Brenda a couple of days ago, but I had a different experience based on my location. There were some issues with food quality, but I enjoyed the event for the most part. Not enough to do it again, though. I should have told Brenda to voice her complaints to Guest Relations, as they were totally valid.

If posting from my iPhone wasn't such a pain, I would share more. I will post more on my review thread when I return home.

Hope you both have a good time this weekend ... I'm looking forward to hearing all about your PFTS this evening and your V&A dinner as well.

I did consider heading over to Guest Relations after the event, but honestly we were so hot and tired by then that all we wanted to do was get back to the resort and clean up for dinner. I will include my concerns in the rather long letter that I'm planning to write (and not everything I have to say is a criticism ... there were some very good things that I think deserve to be commented on as well).

The good news is that our dinner at Citricos really put a positive end on the day and the trip - it was a lovely meal with outstanding service that you can all read about in the upcoming months.

 

[TheDISneyFamily]

Yes, I will take lots of photos at PFTS tonight.

I attended the same Kitchen Conversations as Brenda a couple of days ago, but I had a different experience based on my location. There were some issues with food quality, but I enjoyed the event for the most part. Not enough to do it again, though. I should have told Brenda to voice her complaints to Guest Relations, as they were totally valid.

If posting from my iPhone wasn't such a pain, I would share more. I will post more on my review thread when I return home.

Huh? Didn't you guys sit together? I'm sorry the Kitchen Conversation with the big burly man didn't knock your socks off.

Have a great time at PFTS tonight, Lori! It was great meeting you.

 

[TheDISneyFamily]

OMG...we were probably just a few precious feet away from each other that night! Is there a smacking my forehead in stupidity smilie anywhere? I just jumped on your TR (don't know how I missed it up until now). Well...definitely the next time we will have to meet up for a drink and to say hello if we are in the world at the same time.

That's too cool that you and Brenda were milling around the same shop at the same time and didn't even know it. I often wonder who I'm walking past in a park and if they are a DIS'er. It's not easy to spot the LIME GREEN. That is, if they are even wearing any. I wore my LGMH on my bag, and I only ran into one DIS family in Epcot...

 

[oybolshoi]

There were so many people already there when Jay and I checked in that we assumed Lori had already checked herself in ... and honestly I didn't even think about checking everyone in together. Lesson learned for next time.

It wasn't all bad, but as I've said previously ... it's not an event that we would likely ever book again, for a lot of reasons. Irvine was very good, though ... the issues we had really weren't with him.

Huh? Didn't you guys sit together? I'm sorry the Kitchen Conversation with the big burly man didn't knock your socks off.

 

[oybolshoi]

something else I wanted to mention ...

We were really disappointed in the lack of a real festival cookbook this year, especially with so many new food offerings. The cookbook is very attractively packaged and costs $20, but only includes some of the "most popular" food both recipes rather than all recipes as in previous years.

It also had blank pages and stickers and other things that, in my opinion, have no place in a cookbook. This is the first time we've attended a F&W Festival and not purchased the cookbook, but we just didn't think it was worth the price.

Just a heads up for anyone planning to attend who hasn't made it to WDW yet.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

something else I wanted to mention ...

We were really disappointed in the lack of a real festival cookbook this year, especially with so many new food offerings. The cookbook is very attractively packaged and costs $20, but only includes some of the "most popular" food both recipes rather than all recipes as in previous years.

I didn't even notice this...I just grabbed one. Mine is still in the plastic (still in my suitcase). Very disappointing.

 

[webray]

Just back from this evenings PFTS's. Color coded booths, chef and what is being served at each booth was in the booklet. Definately great.

Chef Irvine was outstanding, as expected, lol. Very funny fellow, his wife was there as well.

The food and wines being served were quite wonderful tonight.

Record attendance tonight, almost 1400 people, max is 1500. Way too many people, 1000 would be better.

Ok, time for bed.

 

[webray]

I am leaving right now. Have only one event this weekend. (PFTS tomorrow. No I won't take pictures. My friend will take enough, I think) Couldn't find anything else to book.

So I am considering going to Peru instead of the food and wine festival next year. Maybe that's a good move.

Could be. Our friends say Peru is fantastic, and we already know the food is wonderful.

 

[Inkmahm]

Just back from this evenings PFTS's. Color coded booths, chef and what is being served at each booth was in the booklet. Definately great.

Chef Irvine was outstanding, as expected, lol. Very funny fellow, his wife was there as well.

The food and wines being served were quite wonderful tonight.

Record attendance tonight, almost 1400 people, max is 1500. Way too many people, 1000 would be better.

Ok, time for bed.

We were there tonight, too. First time for my husband and me. We enjoyed it and I'm SO glad the food and wine choices were listed in the book. It was way too crowded to walk around to read the menus to find food. I'm also thankful for the advice to arrive early and hurry to get seats at a table. We did that and it made a huge difference being able to sit to eat rather than juggle a plate/glass in that crowd.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Just back from this evenings PFTS's. Color coded booths, chef and what is being served at each booth was in the booklet. Definately great.

Chef Irvine was outstanding, as expected, lol. Very funny fellow, his wife was there as well.

The food and wines being served were quite wonderful tonight.

Record attendance tonight, almost 1400 people, max is 1500. Way too many people, 1000 would be better.

Ok, time for bed.

Fantastic news about the program

 

[redzinner]

Just back from this evenings PFTS's. Color coded booths, chef and what is being served at each booth was in the booklet. Definately great.

Disney listened to negative feedback and corrected the booklet! The booklet was not as thick and glossy as past years but it definitely had all the needed information in it - all food descriptions with chefs/restaurants names and wines in the color coded sections.

Other things we noticed at the 10/18/08 PFTS:

Great variety of food: salmon, quail breast, polenta cakes with roquefort and figs, pork (various ways), lamb, duck, buffalo, chicken, ahi tuna, pheasant sausage, swordfish, beef rib-eye, beef short ribs, crayfish jambalya, and ostrich!
Wines were good: adequate pours, I did notice more sparklings this year. The wines from Greece never had a line Two beer tables, Becks and Sam Adams.
Desserts were okay.
Cheese selection and condiments were fantastic.

VERY VERY CROWDED! It was a big help to have the entertainment off to one side.
We never were able to sit down once in the 2.5 hours we were there. Sure we could stand at the tables with other people but all sit downs were being 'saved' with plate markers. We did not get there for the mad dash but I really believe Disney booked way to many people last night or they had too many 'complimentary' people in there. It was not a good people to table ratio.
It did not ruin the evening for us but man were we tired when we got back to the hotel.

Disney staff was excellent in clearing plates, getting water and just being a nice smiling face!

We'll go back next year, if the cost doesn't sky-rocket. We felt it was worth the price tag this year.

 

[ghidorah97]

Great news about the change to the program. REALLy glad to hear that they listened to the feedback! Would anyone who attended by so kind as to post the program? I'd love to "see" the details on the different dishes that were offered. Oh, and pics? (maybe, maybe, hope, hope)

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

Unfortunately for those fans of the Signature dining (myself included), this is not good news. 1,400 attendees = lots of $$$ for WDW. Far more than a Signature meal could ever hope to return.

Brad

 

[Forever42]

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.

 

[TewEpcot]

Disney listened to negative feedback and corrected the booklet! The booklet was not as thick and glossy as past years but it definitely had all the needed information in it - all food descriptions with chefs/restaurants names and wines in the color coded sections.

Other things we noticed at the 10/18/08 PFTS:

Great variety of food: salmon, quail breast, polenta cakes with roquefort and figs, pork (various ways), lamb, duck, buffalo, chicken, ahi tuna, pheasant sausage, swordfish, beef rib-eye, beef short ribs, crayfish jambalya, and ostrich!
Wines were good: adequate pours, I did notice more sparklings this year. The wines from Greece never had a line Two beer tables, Becks and Sam Adams.
Desserts were okay.
Cheese selection and condiments were fantastic.

VERY VERY CROWDED! It was a big help to have the entertainment off to one side.
We never were able to sit down once in the 2.5 hours we were there. Sure we could stand at the tables with other people but all sit downs were being 'saved' with plate markers. We did not get there for the mad dash but I really believe Disney booked way to many people last night or they had too many 'complimentary' people in there. It was not a good people to table ratio.
It did not ruin the evening for us but man were we tired when we got back to the hotel.

Disney staff was excellent in clearing plates, getting water and just being a nice smiling face!

We'll go back next year, if the cost doesn't sky-rocket. We felt it was worth the price tag this year.

So glad to hear you all had a good time!

 

[Kteacher]

So glad they listened and changed the booklet! I'm already looking forward to next year's F&W trip

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Just back from this evenings PFTS's. Color coded booths, chef and what is being served at each booth was in the booklet.

Is the pamphlet the same as the one they handed out at the prior two PFTS this year? Just wondering if they changed it so that it was easier to find what you wanted.

Ooops...just saw this post, so that answers my question.

Disney listened to negative feedback and corrected the booklet! The booklet was not as thick and glossy as past years but it definitely had all the needed information in it - all food descriptions with chefs/restaurants names and wines in the color coded sections.

 

[tuckerboo]

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

Unfortunately for those fans of the Signature dining (myself included), this is not good news. 1,400 attendees = lots of $$$ for WDW. Far more than a Signature meal could ever hope to return.

Brad

We didn't see anyone run out of food or wine. Agree with the potential negative impact on sig dining events, which is sad for us also.

First time for us at PTFS - our thought was that the 'mad rush', and the subsequent territorial defense of table space, both seemed out of place for an otherwise outstanding event. Definitely way too many people for the table space provided, and the corresponding 'rope drop' mentality was the only negative of the evening for us. I was shocked at some of the curt responses we received when we made inquiries about using some standing table space that appeared to be open at the time. Fortunately, we found some PTFS locals/regulars who were happy to let us squeeze in (thanks!).

The staff was exceptional, and our favorite part of the evening was 8:00 - 9:00, when there were no lines and we had easy access to chat with the chefs and other staff.

2.5 hours is a long time to stand and eat, and if going again (assuming 1,400 attendees) we'd wait until 7:30 to arrive and avoid the first hour altogether.

 

[oybolshoi]

Glad to read that the program was improved from last week's PFTS, but gaaaaaah ... the crowds!

The food sounds like it was more to my taste this week, too; our menu on 10/11 included a lot of gamey items and almost no seafood, which made me sad.