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

[Inkmahm]

DH read the review on the signature dinner at the Wonders Pavillion last year and agreed with me, we're going to skip the dinner there this year and keep our ADR for California Grill on Friday night instead. Neither of us liked the menu from last year, even though we know it would be different this year. Sweetbreads in particular gross both of us out so even having them on our plate would be a dealbreaker for us. Bleech!

We're doing PFTS with WV on Oct 23. I'm thinking right now that we won't do any other ticket event but will spend a LOT of time eating around the world at the kiosks. We really enjoyed the food last year and didn't have enough time to try everything we wanted to try or to go back enough times to the things we really loved. This year we have a few meals scheduled for eating from the kiosks so we shouldn't have that problem.

 

[4orm]

Hmm, some discrepancies on the disney food blog and the food and wine site - come on Disney Food and Wine site. Go live already!! lol

 

[onelilspark]

Is the wine school something that has been offered in the past? If so any comments on it. We've done a number of classes at our local wine store and really enjoy them. It says this is held 1-3 with a light reception 3-4. We're also interested in PFTS. Since both are on Saturday and we will only be there one Saturday, if we do both it would need to be the same day. Would this be too much for one day? Appreciate any comments.

Sorry this is off topic a bit, but if you decide not to do the wine classes, check out the New York Wine & Culinary Center down in Canadaigua for some wine classes. We head down there a lot and it's a great place. Part of the reason we decided not to do the classes. Bonus: Most of the NYWCC wine classes (website: www.nywcc.com) are only $20 or $30 each.

 

[redzinner]

Is the wine school something that has been offered in the past? If so any comments on it. We've done a number of classes at our local wine store and really enjoy them. It says this is held 1-3 with a light reception 3-4. We're also interested in PFTS. Since both are on Saturday and we will only be there one Saturday, if we do both it would need to be the same day. Would this be too much for one day? Appreciate any comments.

We have attended 4 of the F&WF wine schools and enjoyed them all. Very informative and fun. I personally think wine school and PFTS would be too much in one day. You taste (good pours) quite a few at the wine schools. You could skip the reception afterwards I suppose in order to enjoy PftS more. Still would be pushing your full enjoyment of both, in my opinion.

 

[dgbg100106]

Hmm, some discrepancies on the disney food blog and the food and wine site - come on Disney Food and Wine site. Go live already!! lol

I agree enough already, I need to make some plans and be ready.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Hmm, some discrepancies on the disney food blog and the food and wine site - come on Disney Food and Wine site. Go live already!! lol

It really makes me wonder what's up with the many missed deadlines for the F&W webpage updates, both on the self-standing site and the disney.go.com site. I mean, good grief, how much time could it have taken to update the Eat to the Beat schedule on the main Disney website?!?! Now all the links go to dead pages with a 404 error. That's REALLY unprofessional. I can't imagine Disney's IT team is that off their game. And the missed deadlines at the dedicated F&W site (first the end of May, then the end of June, then verbal commitments for July 12...) are just absurd. With this much miscommunication between different divisions before the release of information, I can only imagine how disorganized events could be this year. I sure hope they get their acts together.

 

[dgbg100106]

It really makes me wonder what's up with the many missed deadlines for the F&W webpage updates, both on the self-standing site and the disney.go.com site. I mean, good grief, how much time could it have taken to update the Eat to the Beat schedule on the main Disney website?!?! Now all the links go to dead pages with a 404 error. That's REALLY unprofessional. I can't imagine Disney's IT team is that off their game. And the missed deadlines at the dedicated F&W site (first the end of May, then the end of June, then verbal commitments for July 12...) are just absurd. With this much miscommunication between different divisions before the release of information, I can only imagine how disorganized events could be this year. I sure hope they get their acts together.

It is very frustrating and dis heartening to much of the community.

 

[ElizabethB]

Thanks, Nala, for linking to your review of the Wonders dinner from last year. In hindsight, I was a bit harsh in characterizing the food as average.

Recalling it with your pictures and descriptions, I'd have to say it was "very nice". I do recall thinking at the time, however, that the wines were the real star that evening. Moreover, if there is not a great winery, the food together with some kind of middle-market wines would not be worth $180 per person, IMO.

As for sweetbreads, we found we were running into them at nearly every dinner we attended last year. Dh does not like them, but I do, so I eat his and mine.

But, there is no guarantee they won't show up at the CG signature dinner (although I notice Inkmahm is simply going for dinner, so they will be able to avoid the fried glands!).

Sweetbreads seem to be very popular with Disney chefs -- especially since the chefs are barred from serving other niceties like foie gras.

Ironically, sweetbreads likely won't be on the Wonders menu this year, since Chef Dahlmann served then at last year's dinner!

And, the last CG dinner we attended (which put dh off the CG dinner for good) had one course called humorously "Cold Duck". It consisted of raw duck served with a scoop of blackberry sorbet. I haven't been able to get dh back to a CG signature dinner since that one. We just make reservations there on our own.

The signature dinners really are something of a crapshoot!

 

[mef78]

Thanks, Nala, for linking to your review of the Wonders dinner from last year. In hindsight, I was a bit harsh in characterizing the food as average.

Recalling it with your pictures and descriptions, I'd have to say it was "very nice". I do recall thinking at the time, however, that the wines were the real star that evening. Moreover, if there is not a great winery, the food together with some kind of middle-market wines would not be worth $180 per person, IMO.

As for sweetbreads, we found we were running into them at nearly every dinner we attended last year. Dh does not like them, but I do, so I eat his and mine.

But, there is no guarantee they won't show up at the CG signature dinner (although I notice Inkmahm is simply going for dinner, so they will be able to avoid the fried glands!).

Sweetbreads seem to be very popular with Disney chefs -- especially since the chefs are barred from serving other niceties like foie gras.

Ironically, sweetbreads likely won't be on the Wonders menu this year, since Chef Dahlmann served then at last year's dinner!

And, the last CG dinner we attended (which put dh off the CG dinner for good) had one course called humorously "Cold Duck". It consisted of raw duck served with a scoop of blackberry sorbet. I haven't been able to get dh back to a CG signature dinner since that one. We just make reservations there on our own.

The signature dinners really are something of a crapshoot!

Thanks for this feedback. I've not done a signature dinner yet (only food and wine pairings), and the price is so high I'm not sure it's where I want to splurge at the moment.

 

[TDC Nala]

The brochure handed out at the TIW event is in the first post. It looks like that will be the final schedule.

It is getting so you can't trust the Disney website on anything. Even on the regular restaurant pages they've put characters at meals that don't have characters and no characters at character meals.

 

[kabuki]

FYI: There were no perks at the dinner last night, other than information sharing. We were not given the opportunity to pre-book any event (I never thought we would, it's just not Disney's way). We didn't even get to see the Passport Book. They did show some of the stamps on the big screen demonstration, which really excited one of the men at our table. He has vowed to get every stamp in his Passport book.

HELP ME! He is too exited by this!

Question for anyone who did this option last year ... are the seats assigned in the reserved section? Is there a placard with your name on it? Just trying to determine if we should book individually or as a group if we want the same table.

WV Lounge - we did it twice last year. You have your own table in a gated off area. Your last name is on the table and we were just with us but like the preview event we saw tables of 6-8 and they said they just asked to be seated together when calling individually!

Out of curiosity is anyone else even considering doing a PFTS without the wine view room? I'm afraid based on last year's experience I don't see the necessity for the wine view room unless someone in your party has an injury or limited mobility and must have an assigned seat. And the price is still reaasonable for an event like that without the wine view addon.

I don't even try sitting anymore and I go in after everyone else (so no "running of bulls") and do it backwards - dessert first (the dessert tables have no lines early) and then the entrees (after everyone else has moved to dessert)

Deminars are apparently going to be $9-13 apiece depending on what's offered or who's presenting.

We are doing one (maybe two) PFTS and will book the Wine View area. The seat isn't important to us. We did enjoy getting in early, opening cocktail, private cheese area, open bar that we were told at the preview event would have upgraded wines. I know we will do it this year since they are adding back Cirque and that will take away some space. It's nice to have some breathing room. They also said that they will not have themes and that is the reason it didn't sell as well last year. People were scared they wouldn't like the food that was themed that week. We think it's too bad - the Asian Theme was the best PFTS we have ever done and they had Sake that week also.

had a long discussion with Keegan Gerhard at the dessert table once because nobody else was there...hey there's a name I don't see on the schedule this year. He did Disneyland though.

Pam Smith said Keegan was scheduled for the 1st Bites Party so maybe he will be around the 1st week!

 

[Inkmahm]

Thanks, Nala, for linking to your review of the Wonders dinner from last year. In hindsight, I was a bit harsh in characterizing the food as average.

Recalling it with your pictures and descriptions, I'd have to say it was "very nice". I do recall thinking at the time, however, that the wines were the real star that evening. Moreover, if there is not a great winery, the food together with some kind of middle-market wines would not be worth $180 per person, IMO.

As for sweetbreads, we found we were running into them at nearly every dinner we attended last year. Dh does not like them, but I do, so I eat his and mine.

But, there is no guarantee they won't show up at the CG signature dinner (although I notice Inkmahm is simply going for dinner, so they will be able to avoid the fried glands!).

Sweetbreads seem to be very popular with Disney chefs -- especially since the chefs are barred from serving other niceties like foie gras.

Ironically, sweetbreads likely won't be on the Wonders menu this year, since Chef Dahlmann served then at last year's dinner!

And, the last CG dinner we attended (which put dh off the CG dinner for good) had one course called humorously "Cold Duck". It consisted of raw duck served with a scoop of blackberry sorbet. I haven't been able to get dh back to a CG signature dinner since that one. We just make reservations there on our own.

The signature dinners really are something of a crapshoot!

That last line of yours says it all for me. If I had an extra $360 Plus for DH and me to blow I might still consider the Sig dinner but technically, I'm unemployed and shouldn't be spending, spending, spending. (Long story, I'm still getting paid while I look for a new job but not nearly what I was getting paid before...) So, in the future we may change our minds and try a Signature dinner. But for this year, I'll keep my dinner reservations at Yachtsmen steakhouse, California Grill and Jiko along with adding PFTS. I know that I like all of those!

 

[alongtimeblooming]

The Comfort Food With a Twist PFTS was so good last year! DB and I did not have any problem finding a table, we had a whole table to ourselves! We ended up dining with the general manager of Tutto Italia and his wife, who had come in to sample the food.

We are considering doing WVL this year, we really love cheese and DB wants a prime seat for Cirque. Is it really worth doing the lounge? Yeah, it was a little lame having to do the "Running of the Chairs" on the way in, but we had no problem getting seats. Is the premium bar just additional wines, or are there cordials and other drinks?

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Y'all are really making me nervous about the Sig Dinner we had planned. There are three of us going... and since we had all great Sig Dining experiences prior to Jiko last year, we thought that was just a very rare fluke. Apparently, that's not the case. If we have a second horrendous experience this year, I may never get hubby back for another F&W!

 

[kabuki]

The Comfort Food With a Twist PFTS was so good last year! DB and I did not have any problem finding a table, we had a whole table to ourselves! We ended up dining with the general manager of Tutto Italia and his wife, who had come in to sample the food.

We are considering doing WVL this year, we really love cheese and DB wants a prime seat for Cirque. Is it really worth doing the lounge? Yeah, it was a little lame having to do the "Running of the Chairs" on the way in, but we had no problem getting seats. Is the premium bar just additional wines, or are there cordials and other drinks?

No -the bar is EVERYTHING. My husband asked what kinds of Vodka they had and basically came back at one point with a Vodka sampler! They have cordials and basically a full high end bar. The wines are supposed to be upgraded in the WV this year also. The Cheese selection is different in the WV the on the normal floor. They said this year it will be a prime seat for cirque but La Nuba was not at PFTS last year so I cant tell you. Hope this helps!

 

[mef78]

Cirque alone would make me want to book the PFTS this year! I think that's an incredible marketing tool for Disney.

Does anyone know what the shows really look like? What kinds of acrobatics are done and where?

 

[alongtimeblooming]

Cirque alone would make me want to book the PFTS this year! I think that's an incredible marketing tool for Disney.

DEFINITELY. I am pretty sure that hearing that Cirque was coming back was the tipping point for DB.

And thanks for the details, kabuki! It sounds fabulous!

 

[redzinner]

WV Lounge - we did it twice last year. You have your own table in a gated off area. Your last name is on the table and we were just with us but like the preview event we saw tables of 6-8 and they said they just asked to be seated together when calling individually!

Thanks, kabuki, that's exactly what I wanted to know!

 

[scottie]

We will be in Epcot all Day sampling the various booths, before attending the Party for the Senses. Is there appropriate dress attire for the big event? I figured we would be in shorts and polo’s or t-shirts while venturing around Epcot during the day- but now find myself wondering if we will be out of place at the Party? We are staying at Saratoga, so a bit of a hike back and forth to change, but want to make sure we plan correctly.

 

[ElizabethB]

Inkmahm -- I have to agree with you. Sometimes, doing dinner on your own is the best route. Dh and I were just discussing this last evening. While we will sign up for a couple of signature dinners most likely, we're going to plan most of our dinners on our own at restaurants we like, eating food and drinking wine we know we like!