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

[TDC Nala]

I wonder if Disney got the message and is charging the extra $1 so they can provide another ½ ounce of wine

I'm certainly not counting on it.

That's what we all thought last year when they started charging and sure enough they brought out the thimble glasses. I'm guessing that if an increase of $8 won't get you more wine, an increase of $1 won't either. (And I bet they're going to charge the $13 for things like celebrity chefs, or maybe on weekends, although we don't know yet)

 

[Captjacksfamily]

We will be there 2nd week in October. Hoping for three things
1. A good signature dinner for that week ( went to WP last year and it was incredible)
2. If PFTS is themed we get a good week and we'll be in for the wine view.
3. The weather breaks sooner this year than it did last year.

-Richard

 

[onelilspark]

I totally missed the start of this thread!

We're going from Oct 2-9 (and I'll be around the week prior for a work meeting!) We're currently thinking of either doing Party for the Senses or a Signature Wine Dinner...hoping Jiko is that first week again! I'm disappointed to see that the Seminars have gone up in price. We did the Moet & Chandon seminar last year (paid $8 each) and thought it was good, but I don't see why they raised the price. Only a $1, but it bugs me on principle.

Anyway, I'll be around til the start of the Festival! Who's excited?!

 

[scottie]

We will be attending our first Food and Wine Fest this Oct and are super excited! We are curious on a few things off the bat I hope someone can help with?

Party for the Senses
-How many different chefs on a given night approx and how many of those are “celebrity”/popular chefs?
-How many different appetizer, entrée, desert offerings are there on a given night, not counting the cheese station?
-Do we need to call around 7am on 7/20 to secure Party tickets (there will be 4 of us)?

Signature Dinner
-I see talk about signature dinners, and assume they are something special during the festival?
-Where do these tend to take place?
-How awesome is the meal, and how filling is the meal?
-What is approx price on a signature dinner?
-Is it a famous chef for the each dinner?
-Is this something one needs to call around 7am on 7/20 to secure a reservation?

Special Seminars during the Festival
- If someone in our group really wants to go to an event with a popular chef hosting, what can they tend to expect to pay for something during the afternoon?

 

[BriarRosie]

We will be attending our first Food and Wine Fest this Oct and are super excited! We are curious on a few things off the bat I hope someone can help with?

Party for the Senses
-How many different chefs on a given night approx and how many of those are “celebrity”/popular chefs?
-How many different appetizer, entrée, desert offerings are there on a given night, not counting the cheese station?
-Do we need to call around 7am on 7/20 to secure Party tickets (there will be 4 of us)?

1. Usually a couple dozen chefs, the majority of which are located in WDW resort restaurants. You'll have various visiting chefs from other cities, and very rarely, a "name" chef like Cat Cora or Robert Irvine.
2. There are a TON of different offerings, but are all tasting sizes. I split them into Savory vs. Sweet. You'll have a majority of savory items, and a couple displays of sweet stuff. I think it's about 75% savory.
3. You don't need to call right at 7am for this event because the venue does not sell out immediately. You can call at your leisure for this one.

Signature Dinner
-I see talk about signature dinners, and assume they are something special during the festival?
-Where do these tend to take place?
-How awesome is the meal, and how filling is the meal?
-What is approx price on a signature dinner?
-Is it a famous chef for the each dinner?
-Is this something one needs to call around 7am on 7/20 to secure a reservation?

1. Signature dinners are wine pairing multi-course meals. Click my link in my signature for examples. Flying Fish and Todd English's bluezoo™ were two that should be compared. One was fantastic, and the other...not so much.

2. These meals are scheduled usually at resort restaurants on various dates throughout the festival. One date usually per restaurant, so you have to find events schedules during your trip time frame. For me, I'll be looking at October 9-17 dates. V&A is rumored to have one after my dates, so I have to cross that off my list.

3. The price varies. I think the Flying Fish was $145 plus tax, and the Todd English one was $185 plus tax.

4. Not always a famous chef. Prior years, visiting chefs would pair with the executive chef at the restaurant. I had an Australian chef at Citrico's one year, and a west coast vegan restaurant owner cooking with California Grill chefs another year. Don't be fooled by celebrity. If you read my Todd English review and see the pictures, you'll be amazed on how badly it compared to the Flying Fish signature dinner without a "celebrity" chef at the helm.

5. You most definitely need to call at 7am for the special dining events other than PFTS. Space can be very limited and can sell out faster than you can blink. Your credit card will be charged immediately, and most importantly, it's non-refundable. You better be prepared for commitment.

Special Seminars during the Festival
- If someone in our group really wants to go to an event with a popular chef hosting, what can they tend to expect to pay for something during the afternoon?

All the seminars held in the Festival Center require payment now. The recent discussion is showing that they have a range of $8-12 or $9-13 depending on whether you do a culinary or a wine demo. IMHO, that just priced itself out of the running for me. Last year, all the demos were $8 unless you were able to snag a discount by booking online with an annual passholder, DVC, or Disney Visa (I think?) discount. The discounted prices were $5.

Popular chefs will probably have sold out tickets, but you still might be able to get tickets if you go to the Festival Center when Epcot opens. Celebs tend to be there Fridays through Sundays.

 

[LMO429]

Have not been to the FOod and Wine Festival since 2006 so looking forward to our upcoming october trip. subscribing

 

[kabuki]

Disney Food Blog This morning - a little more info!

2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Special Events

Here are the details on the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival seminars, demonstrations, and events that require a significant extra cost and advance tickets.
Delicious Discoveries First Bites

A one-time event to kick off the 2010 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, featuring tastings and experiences that represent what will come during the Festival itself.

When: September 30th, 2010
Pricing: $195 per person
Celebrating Family & Friends in the Kitchen

Join your favorite culinary masters in the kitchen as they showcase their talents! Each event will feature a different chef and winery, demonstrating how to prepare an appetizer, main course, and dessert.
When: Fridays, 10 a.m.–12 noon
Pricing: TBD
Sweet Sundays

Enjoy champagne and a light brunch before indulging in three signature desserts prepared right in front of your eyes by a highly-acclaimed pasty chef or baker.
When: Sundays, 10 a.m.–12 noon
Pricing: TBD
Wine Schools

A prestigious wine authority showcases flavors and traditions of distinctive wine cultures, gives tasting lessons, and concludes with a reception and certificate of completion for guests.
When: select Saturdays, 1–4 p.m.
Pricing: TBD
Party for the Senses

At the popular Party for the Senses, guests experience the true essence of delicious cuisine and wine. Combining culinary excellence, winemaking, and unique entertainment, Party for the Senses offers the tastes of 22 chefs and over 20 different beverage purveyors.
When: Saturdays, 6:30–9 p.m.
Pricing: $135 per person, $225 with exclusive Wine View Lounge privileges.
Cheese Tastings

Cheese connoisseurs and wineries showcase their talents in Wine and Cheese tasting events and lectures.
When: Saturdays, 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Pricing: TBD
Delicious Dessert Discovery

New for this year’s festival, Delicious Dessert Discovery offers a variety of desserts, cordials, and wines along with VIP viewing of Epcot’s Illuminations, Reflections of Earth.
When: Thursdays, 7–9 p.m. (Note, Disney Parks Blog has said that this event will occur on Fridays during the festival.)
Pricing: $45 per person, additional to park admission
Mexico Tequila Tastings

A peek into the Tequila industry, with samples of blanco, reposado, and anejo Tequilas along with appetizer samplings from La Cava del Tequila’s menu. Lecture by a Tequila master included. Read about our Tequila Tasting from 2009.
When: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 3 p.m.
Pricing: TBD
French Regional Lunch

Settle in to Bistro de Paris in Epcot’s France pavilion for a delicious authentic French lunch and paired wines provided by a winery principle.
When: Select Sundays, 12–3 p.m.
Pricing: TBD
Signature Dining Events

One of your favorite chefs will prepare a memorable 5-course meal at a signature dining establishment in Walt Disney World. Along with the dining extravaganza, a winery will present accompanying wines for the meal.
When: Select days TBA, Dinner 6:30–9 p.m., Lunch 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
Pricing: TBD

To Book Any Event Mentioned Above: Call 407-WDW-FEST after 7am July 20, 2010.

Click here for more information about the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festiva

 

[BriarRosie]

Thanks for the update, Chelsi.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks "TBD" means, "Let's see how much more we can charge this year!"

 

[RobinHoodGirl]

When we were planning our November trip we had all though it'd be neat to go to the Food and Wine Festival one day. Well we lucked out and will be there for the last weekend!

I wonder in the past how busy is the weekend? It's not changing our plan for Epcot on Nov. 12 (It's my birthday and darn it I will celebrate in Epcot!) but I was wondering should we be prepared for a "busier than normal" day since it's the last Friday?

 

[PatriciaH]

We will do PFTS again since it has not gone up in price. Have gone the past 7 years. We skipped the wine view room last year. We got a table right next to the WV entrance and it was really no difference that we could see (a guaranteed table is nice if you don't want to do the early mad rush I guess.) I did not care about the extra drinks.

Hoping for a good Signature Dinner again! We picked Jiko last year and got to dine outside overlooking the savanna. It was great-better wines than food (Indian flair and the chef from NYC did not show up.) We won a bottle of wine (that was new!) I heard Wolfgang Puck was great too. In the past we have done Day of the Dead, Jiko, Blue Zoo (it was a nice one the 1st time), and the Spirited Ball. Wish they would bring back the beer dinner (always wanted to try that one) and SB (I enjoyed that one.) I wa snot impressed with Sweet Sundays (the brunch was nice.)

I also liked our seminars we did last year (paid $5 with TIW.) We sat in the back and were told to drink the extra wine from the folks that never showed up. So for us we got more than a tiny sample We also saw Andrew Zimmern (Bizzare Foods) and Robert Irvine (Dinner Impossible) and the food was nice.

Also wish they would bring back more pairings at the restaurants. Sushi, Sake, Sahami was great so was the scotch one at R&C!

 

[scottie]

Can someone help me better understand the workings of this small debit/gift card I have read about to dine at the various kiosks? Sounds like a great alternative to carrying cash or a credit card with me.

Can it be purchased/loaded before arriving at Disney World or at least before getting into Epcot?

Is there a fee for the card or wrist strap?

Can it be loaded at any food kiosk with a credit or debit card to apply money from, or does it have to be cash?

Can it be used as places other than the food kiosks?

Any other good info/tips for the card?

 

[BriarRosie]

I don't like duplicate posts. LOL!

 

[BriarRosie]

Can someone help me better understand the workings of this small debit/gift card I have read about to dine at the various kiosks? Sounds like a great alternative to carrying cash or a credit card with me.

Can it be purchased/loaded before arriving at Disney World or at least before getting into Epcot?

Is there a fee for the card or wrist strap?

Can it be loaded at any food kiosk with a credit or debit card to apply money from, or does it have to be cash?

Can it be used as places other than the food kiosks?

Any other good info/tips for the card?

You can actually buy gift cards at the Guest Relations booth outside of Epcot, but you really don't need to do that. The festival welcome center (in the former Wonders of Life pavilion) has a wall of gift cards you can activate at the gift shop registers. It's like any other Disney gift card, as you can load it with any dollar amount you want, from any form of legal tender. I've applied my credit card to it and kept it on my wrist as I went around the World Showcase kiosks.

You will see this gift card sold a various places, especially the smaller festival merchandise areas close to World Showcase. The fastest way to get the card would be the Festival Center, I think, because Guest Relations can have long queues.

And like I said, it's a standard gift card, first and foremost. It can be used anywhere you find credit card terminals on Disney property. I'm not sure if the Swan/Dolphin or some of the operating participants (like third party restaurants in Downtown Disney) accept the card, but the majority of shops and restaurants do.

The only thing that sets this apart from other gift cards is that there will be a festival logo on it and a wrist strap. That's it.

 

[redzinner]

There is no fee for the gift card. You choose which design you want, give it to the cashier tell him/her how much you want to load on to it and pay. BriarRosie's info is correct about how to pay for it; cash, credit card, debit card, Disney Visa Rewards card and an active Disney Resort Room Key Card can all be used to pay for the amount you have just put on the Disney gift card. It is such a reflection on our society ... 'here's my plastic to pay for my plastic' but yeah it works and we love to use the F&WF wristlet card at the food kiosks. Each time you use it the receipt you get back will show the balance left on the gift card. The gift cards are accepted as payment at all Disney restaurants, resorts, merchandise stores. I know they are good at the Disney stores in the Swan & Dolphin but not the other shops there. Don't think they are valid at the restaurants.

They can't be loaded at the food booths. I would get it and load it the first time at the Festival Center too as BriarRosie suggested. That way it's ready to use once you get over to World Showcase.

You can get and load Disney Gift Cards at Walmart, Walgreens and Disney Stores. Those can be used at the F&WF booths too they just won't have the F&WF graphics on them. They are the character ones. You can order the character ones on line too before your arrival. Disney Gift Card Home Page Come to think of it that's a good place to get Disney's explanation of how it all works! So I'll stop now.

 

[dgbg100106]

There is no fee for the gift card. You choose which design you want, give it to the cashier tell him/her how much you want to load on to it and pay. BriarRosie's info is correct about how to pay for it; cash, credit card, debit card, Disney Visa Rewards card and an active Disney Resort Room Key Card can all be used to pay for the amount you have just put on the Disney gift card. It is such a reflection on our society ... 'here's my plastic to pay for my plastic' but yeah it works and we love to use the F&WF wristlet card at the food kiosks. Each time you use it the receipt you get back will show the balance left on the gift card. The gift cards are accepted as payment at all Disney restaurants, resorts, merchandise stores. I know they are good at the Disney stores in the Swan & Dolphin but not the other shops there. Don't think they are valid at the restaurants.

They can't be loaded at the food booths. I would get it and load it the first time at the Festival Center too as BriarRosie suggested. That way it's ready to use once you get over to World Showcase.

You can get and load Disney Gift Cards at Walmart, Walgreens and Disney Stores. Those can be used at the F&WF booths too they just won't have the F&WF graphics on them. They are the character ones. You can order the character ones on line too before your arrival. Disney Gift Card Home Page Come to think of it that's a good place to get Disney's explanation of how it all works! So I'll stop now.

One minor change to this, you can load them at the food booths, we did it last year!

 

[PNO4TE]

And to add to Lori's post... it has no fee. (I still have my original one from two years ago and we just keep reloading it to use in the parks every trip!)

 

[Steve-O]

We will be there 2nd week in October. Hoping for three things
1. A good signature dinner for that week ( went to WP last year and it was incredible)
2. If PFTS is themed we get a good week and we'll be in for the wine view.
3. The weather breaks sooner this year than it did last year.

-Richard

Wolfgang Puck dinner WAS incredible. I'm not sure it really was part of the festival as I don't remember any of those type announcements. Can't remember if Pam was there but don't think so.

 

[redzinner]

One minor change to this, you can load them at the food booths, we did it last year!

Thanks! Isn't that handy and nice to know.

 

[dgbg100106]

Thanks! Isn't that handy and nice to know.

Disney has done everything they can to make it easy for you to spend money there!

 

[scottie]

Disney has done everything they can to make it easy for you to spend money there!

Thanks for everyones gift card help- sounds like the way we will go! I guess couple more questions:
Is it smaller than a normal giftcard?
I assume it has a hole punched in it, unlike normal gift cards, so the wrist strap can attach?
Anyone happen to have a photo of one?