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

[chip&dale&fun]

Resort casual. It's being held in a public causeway. I don't expect a lot of people to wear anything they wouldn't wear in one of the nicer restaurants. I'm probably just going to wear a nice top and capris.

Thanks...that is what I thought. I guess my WDW Food and Wine T-shirt from past years is out of the question - We've booked a Blue Zoo and Kouzzina so I'll just double up on attire.....

 

[madcoco]

Took a quick trip over for Pub and Grub and to take some pictures. Most Booths were open early. Festival Center was closed. Note to thyself. Charge battery and/or bring spare when your plan is to take lots of photos
Will just have to twist my arm to return.
Link to Slideshow:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/slideshow/578688374hVIINg

 

[Simba's Mom]

Took a quick trip over for Pub and Grub and to take some pictures. Most Booths were open early. Festival Center was closed. Note to thyself. Charge battery and/or bring spare when your plan is to take lots of photos
Will just have to twist my arm to return.
Link to Slideshow:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/slideshow/578688374hVIINg

Thanks-now I'm really ready to go! Saturday can't get here soon enough!

 

[Krissalee]

19 days and counting!

DH and I will be at the signature dinner at California Grill later in October. It's been a few years since we have been to a signature dinner. I have my clothing all planned, but I don't remember what the men wear. Are jackets the norm? Or would pants with a dress shirt do? I need to have DH get his wardrobe ready.

 

[TDC Nala]

I went last year but I'll be darned if I remember what the men were wearing.

 

[blissventure]

19 days and counting!

DH and I will be at the signature dinner at California Grill later in October. It's been a few years since we have been to a signature dinner. I have my clothing all planned, but I don't remember what the men wear. Are jackets the norm? Or would pants with a dress shirt do? I need to have DH get his wardrobe ready.

We attended the dinner hosted by Wolfgang Puck last year. DH wore a long sleeved collared shirt and trousers. There were lots of men in pretty much the same thing. Hope this is a bit of help. Have a fantastic time at the signature dinner!

 

[Krissalee]

Thanks. I don't think I remembered jackets, but the memory fades and things change.

 

[Krissalee]

I went last year but I'll be darned if I remember what the men were wearing.

I really don't think about it either, but DH works in construction, so when an event comes up, he tends to over-dress, which is not a bad thing. I would like to go the lighter suitcase route and stear him to shirts and pants, rather than suits, jackets, and ties, which he automatically equates with nice dinner on vacation.

 

[PatriciaH]

No banner bags Maybe they were in the Festival Center? Too bad.

 

[igk]

Good to see from the menu photos that snack credits are valid again

 

[oybolshoi]

I heard that the Festival Center was closed yesterday ... I'd suggest going back today to see if they have the bags. Quite possible, however, that it was just a one-time deal last year.

 

[chip&dale&fun]

Took a quick trip over for Pub and Grub and to take some pictures. Most Booths were open early. Festival Center was closed. Note to thyself. Charge battery and/or bring spare when your plan is to take lots of photos
Will just have to twist my arm to return.
Link to Slideshow:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/slideshow/578688374hVIINg

hee hee hee hee - thanks for posting...

 

[redzinner]

last year I remember seeing a list of chefs who were doing book signings during the F&W Festival; but I havent seen anything yet? Any ideas? Maybe I am not looking in the right place???? TIA

The entire list is not posted anywhere. The weekly programs that are available at Epcot will have the chefs/writers for Authors without Borders and Book Signing participants and scheduled times. Not the best means of communication for advance planning.
I have Oct 1 - Oct 10 if you want any info for this time frame. I haven't looked at it closely but I assume the authors correlate with those that are giving demonstrations in the same time period.

 

[TDC Nala]

Last year the bags were available before the festival opened, because we had a poster whose daughter was a cast member and was able to buy them during the "preview." They weren't just selling them in the festival center, they had them in the WS shop areas, too.

I bought mine on the first Friday. I think they also had them around on Saturday. On Sunday we went to look for my mother and my friend. All the bags were sold out.

I'm guessing there are not any banner bags this year, but I suppose we will learn for sure after today.

 

[ImprovGal]

No banner bags Maybe they were in the Festival Center? Too bad.

The Festival Center was closed yesterday because they had it set up for last night's First Bites reception which I attended.
Festival Center merchandise was available for purchase at First Bites and I did see the bags there. They are $39.95 and any merchandise discounts do apply. (I used the 20% premium passholder discount last night when I purchased the bag for a friend.) IMHO, they are not as nice as last year's messenger bags. This year they were done in a smaller tote bag design and there's something wacky with how the offset of the banner graphics matches up with the bag construction. Last year's designs had a lot of empty space around the main graphic and that doesn't seem to make a visually interesting bag.

The First Bites reception itself was interesting. I really liked the concept, but the execution was a bit flawed. There was a schedule of events for the evening that included culinary demonstrations, a beer & wine seminar, a couple of strolling Cirque du Soleil performers, and a performance by Taylor Dayne (in a slinky dress that appeared to have a broken side zipper). There were some draped tables&chairs set up in the demo venues (the Chef's Showplace for the Culinary demos and the Vineyard for just about everything else). My party pretty much camped out at a table in the Vineyard area (the event was sparsely attended and there may have been more seating than people) which was fantastic for Ms. Dayne's performance at the end of the night. Food was mostly selections from the food booths with some extra dessert options from Norman Love chocolates and the cute guys from Baked. I can't wait to hear feedback from those who purchased the duplicate items at the kiosks themselves because my group agreed that nearly everything we tried tasted oversalted. Singapore's Shrimp Cake with Singapore Noodle Salad in particular was inedibly salty (yes worse than the infamous "Dead Sea Pasta" at last year's bluezoo signature dinner). It would have been nice to have the paired beverage selections in the proximity of the food stations themselves. It also would have been nice to have any events simulcast on all of the video monitors around at the section instead of just within the theatre itself hosting the event. The farewell gift back was nice (wine glass, twinings tea selection, assortment of chocolate, a festival pastry, the passport (which I thought should have been given at the start of the event and stamped at the stations), and schedules and such.

Speaking of schedules, this weekends Authors without Borders are Sara Engram's Spice Dreams and Hans Rueffert's Eat Like There Is No Tomorrow. Authentic Tastes are POSH Salt & Saltware (who may have had a very prominent appearance at last night's event) and Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Company. Next weekend the Authors Without Borders are Robin Miller's Robin to the Rescue and Pierre Thiam's Yolele. The Authentic Tastes will be the Savannah Bee Company and Chuao Chocolatier.

 

[TDC Nala]

So there you go...they have bags, different type of bag from last year. Better grab them while you can, although I don't really know how well this design will go over.

I can't believe anything could be saltier than Dead Sea Pasta.

 

[Inkmahm]

No banner bags Maybe they were in the Festival Center? Too bad.

Rats!

 

[TDC Nala]

Rats!

Read the post by ImprovGal...they have banner bags in the Festival Center. They are not the same type of bag as last year's messenger bags, they're more a tote bag style.

 

[Inkmahm]

Read the post by ImprovGal...they have banner bags in the Festival Center. They are not the same type of bag as last year's messenger bags, they're more a tote bag style.

I'd probably like the tote bag style more, actually. But I'm not there until 10/21 so I likely won't have a chance to get one.

I have an unused brand new DCL Dooney & Bourke wristlet if someone wants to trade for an Epcot F&W totebag!

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm going on Sunday, but I won't be in Epcot until Monday afternoon at the soonest...if it's like last year they'll be gone by then. But I'll look.