**2010** Epcot Food & Wine Festival ENDED 11/14. 2011 FESTIVAL 9/30-11/13

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

We "ate around the world" for lunch and desserts twice last week at the F&WF - I got loads of pictures that I will be putting in my new reviews asap, if anyone wants to see / read them!

 

[redzinner]

We wanted to try this event since it was a new event and reasonably priced at $45/person. The venue was the World Showplace. Same setup as Party for the Senses. 2 of each Dessert Station (one in the front of the room, one in the rear). Beverages were different at each station. 7-9 pm Illuminations at 9 with the totally awesome 3D glasses.

3D Disney’s Dessert Discovery Thursday, October 28, 2010



PASTRIES, COOKIES, AND TRUFFLES
Chocolate Laced Éclairs
Pistachio Cannoli
Sugar Crusted Linzer Diamonds
Assorted Biscotti, Butter Cookies
Milk, Dark and White Chocolate Truffles
Red Stag Milk Chocolate Truffle with Crushed Almonds



WARM DESSERTS
Egg Nog Bread Pudding
Chocolate Ganache Torte
Sweet Biscuit Topped Peach Apple Cobbler served with Trio of Flambéed Sauces:
Cranberry Bourbon, Drunken Fruit Sauce, and Candy Bar Sauce

SEASONAL PUMPKINS
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Flambéed Pumpkins Foster with Butter, Brown Sugar and Vanilla Ice Cream served
With Cinnamon Whipped Cream, Candy Corns, Pecans and Peanuts




ICE CREAM AND DOUGHNUTS
Jim Beam Whiskey Flambéed Cinnamon Doughnuts served with
Red Stag Bourbon Ice Cream or Coffee Ice Cream
Variety of Toppings to Include: Hot Fudge, Whipped Cream, Candy Pieces, Nuts & Cherries



FRUITS AND SAVORIES
Plant City Strawberries served with Organic Honey Yogurt
Golden Pineapple with Toasted Coconut Caramel Sauce
Honeydew and Cantaloupe Melon with Lime
Sliced Prosciutto with Dried Figs and Balsamic
Cheese from Kerrygolds served with Breads and Crackers



BEVERAGES
DeKuyper Cordials & Kamora
Maker’s 46
Laphroaig
Red Stag Lemonade
Red Stag Hot Cran-Apple Pie
Pearl y Bay Sweet Sprakling
Broadbent Port
Chocolate Box Sparkling Shiraz
Cruzan Rum (Cruzan Cream, Black Strap, Single Barrel)
Courvoisier, Harry’s Sherry and Cockburn Port
Canadian Club and Malts
Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mickey Fruit Punch, Green Apple Lime Spa Water, Orange Mint Spa Water, Tea, Coffee, Lemonade

 

[kabuki]

We wanted to try this event since it was a new event and reasonably priced at $45/person. The venue was the World Showplace. Same setup as Party for the Senses. 2 of each Dessert Station (one in the front of the room, one in the rear). Beverages were different at each station. 7-9 pm Illuminations at 9 with the totally awesome 3D glasses.

Wow!
This looks way better then we expected - thank you for posting the shots and info. I now wish we would have done it!

 

[PNO4TE]

I am hoping they have the 3-D Dessert Party again next year! Looks like we missed a nice time. Thanks for posting!!

 

[TDC Nala]

Thanks Zin, I'm sort of excited to go now. Hope I get some cheese and figs.

 

[Skoolie]

A question for the Florida residents: is F&W being promoted heavily in your area? Here in the Ft. Myers market, I've seen at least a dozen billboards around town (the one with the creepy lobster hugging the wine bottle), and the radio stations have multiple ads per hour. They're even sponsoring NPR local segments. If this kind of push is happening across all of southern Florida, this may explain the seeming-record crowds on weekends.

Here in Orlando there isn't that much promotion. Sometimes the local radio host will mention they went out there on a saturday. I may have seen one billboard. It's just the same as last year.

Every year it seems more popular to me. The weather has been nice and it's an option. Also the Orlando Yelp Crowd and the Orlando chowhounders seem into it this year.

I think its just a combination of several factors.

 

[redzinner]

Wow!
This looks way better then we expected - thank you for posting the shots and info. I now wish we would have done it!

You're welcome kabuki. I really don't know if it was the same options at the start of the festival. Those that posted indicated there wasn't any cheese at the early ones. I'm glad there was at this one.

I am hoping they have the 3-D Dessert Party again next year! Looks like we missed a nice time. Thanks for posting!!

No problem Elin. It definitely didn't have the almost frantic, hyped energy of the Party for the Senses. The 'ensemble' played the entire time. With the 'squeeze box' in there the music had a definite cajun/spanish flair to it. We enjoyed it.

Thanks Zin, I'm sort of excited to go now. Hope I get some cheese and figs.

There were only two kinds of cheese but they were good. One was Kerrygold's Ivernia. I hope you enjoy the selections when you go TDC Nala.

I tried to taste all the desserts. It was sacrilegious to leave all the goodies on the plate and walk away from it but there was no way to eat one of each in its entirety.
The only one I could not even begin to put on my plate was the chocolate ganache torte. It was a liquid brownie and then you were supposed to top it with other sauces. Didn't look appetizing at all!
By far my fav was the Jim Beam soaked doughnut with coffee ice cream. Could only have been better with an Irish Whiskey!

 

[redzinner]

I think its just a combination of several factors.

Totally agree! It's just been a great October weather wise.

 

[Skoolie]

Totally agree! It's just been a great October weather wise.

Thanks, I end up going on the weekends because I work during the week. I expect it to me like last year. Peak times are weekends when the weather is wonderful.

Also it tends to die down once the festival is a little more than half way over. A lot of the locals get their fill in the beginning. Maybe even a light Sunday this weekend due to it being Halloween. I predict the weekend of the 6th maybe a little lighter as well.

but you know who can count on predictions? lol.

 

[duffy]

I hope next weekend is not too crowded!

My husband and I are arriving in one week! We're staying at the Swan, and will only be in the area until Monday evening. We hope to spend all day Saturday and Sunday at the festival.

Getting really excited!

 

[Skoolie]

I hope next weekend is not too crowded!

My husband and I are arriving in one week! We're staying at the Swan, and will only be in the area until Monday evening. We hope to spend all day Saturday and Sunday at the festival.

Getting really excited!

I think that is plenty of time to enjoy the fest. I would say since it's halloween weekend and epcot isn't halloweenish it would be a good weekend to go.

I think the walk around or double back method can be good also know that you can split the two days up and not try and eat everything you want in one day.

 

[duffy]

That's our plan.

 

[duffy]

Next weekend, (Sat., Nov. 6 and Sun. Nov. 7) should not be too crowded at Epcot, I'm hoping.

Saturday will have evening Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom, and the Studios will have them in the morning. Hopefully, that will keep a lot of people away from Epcot.

On Sunday, the Animal Kingdom will have morning Extra Magic Hours. I don't think that will make much of a difference, but every little bit helps!!

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't think Extra Magic Hours are relevant, as the amount of weekend crowds at the festival depends on how many locals show up. Locals aren't interested in Extra Magic Hours. If the weather's good, expect more locals.

 

[oybolshoi]

I agree with TDC Nala ... if the weather is nice the locals will be there and it will be crowded. That's just how it goes. We start our snacking at 11AM on Saturday and try to wrap it up by 2PM and then we get the heck out of Epcot and go relax at the pool.

 

[betterlatethannever]

Has anyone noticed a pattern to the wines being served at deminars and the wines being served at PftS? Are the wines served at PftS the same wines being served at the deminars the week before or the week after the PftS?

Tough to call it a pattern, but went to two wine deminars on the 8th and all 6 wines were the same at the PFTS on the 9th.

Ed

Interesting trend last week. Went to four seminars. Out of the 12 wines, 9 were at the PFTS. Two of the three that weren't at the Party were Argentinian wines (Disney) priced $65 and $80 . The wineries substituted lower priced wines at the party.

Winery: Pascual Toso
Wine: Finca Pedregal $80
Wine at Party: Alta Reserve Syrah

Winery: Bodega Norton
Wine: Perdriel Single Vinyard $65
Wine at the Party: Norton Torrontes

As a side note, Kaiken Winery (from Argentina) was one of the other seminars (this was Argentina wine weekend). The winemaker gave the talk and he suggested his Malbec should be paired with barbequed horse (said it several times). Made me want to run out and buy it.

Ed

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

Next weekend, (Sat., Nov. 6 and Sun. Nov. 7) should not be too crowded at Epcot, I'm hoping.

Saturday will have evening Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom, and the Studios will have them in the morning. Hopefully, that will keep a lot of people away from Epcot.

On Sunday, the Animal Kingdom will have morning Extra Magic Hours. I don't think that will make much of a difference, but every little bit helps!!

None of this is relevant. Hope for bad weather.

 

[redzinner]

Interesting trend last week. Went to four seminars. Out of the 12 wines, 9 were at the PFTS. Two of the three that weren't at the Party were Argentinian wines (Disney) priced $65 and $80 . The wineries substituted lower priced wines at the party.
Ed

I appreciate your observations Ed. Thanks!

 

[rayangel]

We went to f&w. It was our first year, however I must say we were very dissappointed. There were a few good booths, Greece, Canada and puerto ricos medianoche. Chinas pot stickers. But for the most point we thought the food was average. Maybe below. My escargot I squeezed the bread because there was so much butter . About a half teaspoon dripped out.
We were told the food was so great I was not impressed.

For anyone still going get the gift card all charged up it's easier.
It does fall off too so be careful. Don't eat a lot at any booth. Dh and I got 1 plate each booth and almost couldn't finish the booths. And don't forget the passport . We didn't find out until the end but we had them stamp it at the festival center, although they didn't seem too happy about it.
We will go again next year it was a lot of fun and I know the recipes will change.

 

[duffy]

Okay, so I'm hoping for bad weather!!

weather.com says Sat. the 6th should be 69 degrees. Sun. the 7th should be 73. No rain forecast.

Is that bad weather? For me, in western Pa., it would be great! What do the locals think of those conditions?