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

[mrebuck]

We're considering the Morocco Food & Wine Pairing Event as an "appetizer" before our Flying Fish dinner. Anyone have any insight into whether these pairing events are worthwhile? How much food/wine do they serve at one of these? I assume we won't get so much food that we won't be hungry for dinner.

Just up!

These afternoon sessions are great opportunities to discover a marriage of three regional wines with three tasting-size portions of regional cuisines from select Epcot® restaurants. A wine representative will moderate each session and these will vary according to location. Featured wines and menu selections will change daily.

Where: Italy, Japan and Morocco Pavilions at Epcot®

Price: per person, plus tax, gratuity included – Theme Park admission required.
Date Time Price Location
Saturdays 2 – 4 p.m. $60.00 Tutto Italia Ristorante, Italy Pavilion, Epcot®
Mondays 3:30 – 5 p.m. $60.00 Tokyo Dining, Japan Pavilion, Epcot®
Tuesdays 3:30 – 5 p.m. $55.00 Restaurant Marrakesh, Morocco Pavilion, Epcot®

 

[onelilspark]

We're considering the Morocco Food & Wine Pairing Event as an "appetizer" before our Flying Fish dinner. Anyone have any insight into whether these pairing events are worthwhile? How much food/wine do they serve at one of these? I assume we won't get so much food that we won't be hungry for dinner.

Here's the Disney Food Blog's review from last year: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2009/...ival-marrakesh-morocco-food-and-wine-pairing/




Can anyone comment on the Tokyo event?

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I might be able to talk my husband into the Paradiso 37 Signature Dinner. No way in hades will I go to the Jiko dinner this year.

I need to sit down and get my plan together as I need to change things around since free dining was extended so I think we're going to avoid most Disney Dining Plan places this trip.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Here's the Disney Food Blog's review from last year: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2009/...ival-marrakesh-morocco-food-and-wine-pairing/




Can anyone comment on the Tokyo event?

We did the Sushi, Sake & Sashimi tasting in 2006. This was prior to the renovations at the Japan Pavilion restaurants so it was held in the Matsunoma Lounge (what is now the front section of Tokyo Dining, by the windows).

There were 3 courses and we considered it a light lunch.

1st - Tuna Tataki
- this is tuna, literally rolled over a grill so it has a gentle sear and served sashimi style with soy, wasabi and pickled ginger as accompaniments.
- the sake was chilled, and the presentation was amazing! A small wooden box, with a block of ice in the middle, a hole hollowed out and a shot glass resting in the ice to keep the sake chilled.

2nd - Nigiri 3 ways
- this was a new take on nirigi. There was asparagus with a holandaise sauce, seared rare beef, and japanese yam
- this was served with an unfiltered (cloudy/milky) sake

3rd - Maki 3 ways
- here we were served 1 spicy tuna maki piece, 1 california maki piece and 1 pineapple maki piece
- this was paired with a sparkling sake.

We are seriously considering doing this event again. It was enjoyable and felt like a light lunch to us.

 

[onelilspark]

We did the Sushi, Sake & Sashimi tasting in 2006. This was prior to the renovations at the Japan Pavilion restaurants so it was held in the Matsunoma Lounge (what is now the front section of Tokyo Dining, by the windows).

There were 3 courses and we considered it a light lunch.

1st - Tuna Tataki
- this is tuna, literally rolled over a grill so it has a gentle sear and served sashimi style with soy, wasabi and pickled ginger as accompaniments.
- the sake was chilled, and the presentation was amazing! A small wooden box, with a block of ice in the middle, a hole hollowed out and a shot glass resting in the ice to keep the sake chilled.

2nd - Nigiri 3 ways
- this was a new take on nirigi. There was asparagus with a holandaise sauce, seared rare beef, and japanese yam
- this was served with an unfiltered (cloudy/milky) sake

3rd - Maki 3 ways
- here we were served 1 spicy tuna maki piece, 1 california maki piece and 1 pineapple maki piece
- this was paired with a sparkling sake.

We are seriously considering doing this event again. It was enjoyable and felt like a light lunch to us.

Thanks. I think we'd love the food and I know my boyfriend would love the Sake...but I can't stand the stuff! I was wondering if it was sake or wine. Thanks for clarifying

 

[Inkmahm]

From www.foodwinefest.com this morning ...

"Walt Disney World® signature restaurants welcome you to a magical and memorable meal. The resident chef will prepare a glorious culinary experience as a representative of one or more hosting wineries presents the accompanying wines for each dinner. Prices are per person plus tax, gratuity included. Theme Park admission not required.


Tuesday, October 5 6:30 p.m. $125.00 Paradiso 37 at Downtown Disney® Area TBD

Thursday, October 7 6:30 p.m. $160.00 Jiko – The Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Dennis Thompson

Thursday, October 14 6:30 p.m. $140.00 The Wave at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Frank Brough

Tuesday, October 19 6:30 p.m. $160.00 Wolfgang Puck’s at Downtown Disney® Area Sinclair Thorne

Thursday, October 21 6:30 p.m. $195.00 California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Brian Piasecki

Friday, October 22 6:30 p.m. $160.00 Wonder’s Retreat at Epcot® Jens Dahlmann

Sunday, October 24 6:30 p.m. $395.00 Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Scott Hunnel

Wednesday, October 27 6:30 p.m. $125.00 Portobello Italian Trattoria at Downtown Disney® Area Tony Mantuano

Thursday, October 28 6:30 p.m. $TBD Kouzzina by Cat Cora at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort Cat Cora

Wednesday, November 3 6:30 p.m. $160.00 Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Phillip Ponticel "

Wonder's Retreat at Epcot? Where is that?

We timed this right as we are there Oct 21 to 26. I'm not paying $395 for any dinner so V&A is out. We love California Grill so that one is a possible, too.

DH loves PFTS with the wine view room, too. I think I may let him pick this year as to what he wants us to do. I'm the one trying to hold our budget down a bit so maybe the choise will be a signature dinner OR PFTS.

 

[redzinner]

Wonder's Retreat at Epcot? Where is that?

That's on the 2nd floor in The Wonders of Life Pavilion (The Festival Center)

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

LOL, from the dates being posted, it sounds like many of us reading the thread will be there during the exact same time period. It will be a mad finger phone frenzy between us all on July 20!

I wrote to one of the event organizers last week and she said that the Disney site will go "live" for public viewing on July 12, four days after the TIW Reveal dinner. Online ticketing will go "live" on July 20 (as we already knew).

 

[Inkmahm]

That's on the 2nd floor in The Wonders of Life Pavilion (The Festival Center)

Hmmmm... I didn't know there was a second floor I guess.

 

[DisneyJen]

LOL, from the dates being posted, it sounds like many of us reading the thread will be there during the exact same time period. It will be a mad finger phone frenzy between us all on July 20!

I wrote to one of the event organizers last week and she said that the Disney site will go "live" for public viewing on July 12, four days after the TIW Reveal dinner. Online ticketing will go "live" on July 20 (as we already knew).

I must have sent DH ten Outlook Calendar invites today with possible events for us during our weekend at Food and Wine. I figure we have a few days to narrow our choices and then it need to exercise my speed dialing muscles

Since this is the first time I making reservations what ones do I want to make first? Food and Wine Pairing at Tutto? Regional Lunch in France? PFTS with Wine View?

Thanks!!

 

[redzinner]

I wrote to one of the event organizers last week and she said that the Disney site will go "live" for public viewing on July 12, four days after the TIW Reveal dinner. Online ticketing will go "live" on July 20 (as we already knew).

Thanks for that official confirmation!

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Since this is the first time I making reservations what ones do I want to make first? Food and Wine Pairing at Tutto? Regional Lunch in France? PFTS with Wine View?

Prioritize the events you are considering and ask the CM for the event you want the most first. It's frustrating to go through the reservation process one event at a time, knowing that there are other folks on the phone line with other CM's gobbling up the bookings for the other things you want! But, from my understanding, the CM can't hold one event for you while pulling up others... you have to pay for that event and move to the next or someone else might grab it. At least, that's how the CM last year explained it to me. She said it wouldn't work like a shopping cart in a supermarket, where your goodies were being held for you until checkout.

 

[PatriciaH]

I am thinking we will try for:

PFTS on 10/16
Tokyo Dining F&W Pairing on 10/18
California Grill Signature Dinner on 10/21 (maybe)
Taste, Shake on 10/23

Wondering if Taste/Shake or Cali Grill will go first. Hmm... Trying to plan my call.

 

[DisneyJen]

Prioritize the events you are considering and ask the CM for the event you want the most first. It's frustrating to go through the reservation process one event at a time, knowing that there are other folks on the phone line with other CM's gobbling up the bookings for the other things you want! But, from my understanding, the CM can't hold one event for you while pulling up others... you have to pay for that event and move to the next or someone else might grab it. At least, that's how the CM last year explained it to me. She said it wouldn't work like a shopping cart in a supermarket, where your goodies were being held for you until checkout.

Thanks for some insight into the process!

I guess the things that have state limited availability (like the Wine View Lounge) should be higher on the list I suspect if we wanted just PFTS then it would move lower on my list?

Poor DH ... now he is looking at two weeks of prioritizing events and building matrices

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

On a related topic, can anyone give insight into the online booking for F&W events? I have always called for our tickets, but I saw that they offered online ticket purchases last year. Was that for all events, or just certain ones? Any details regarding how that process worked last year would be very appreciated!

 

[oybolshoi]

On a related topic, can anyone give insight into the online booking for F&W events? I have always called for our tickets, but I saw that they offered online ticket purchases last year. Was that for all events, or just certain ones? Any details regarding how that process worked last year would be very appreciated!

online ticketing was for demos and seminars at the welcome center only - that list of available offerings was released in August I think. It was a very easy process to use - walks you right through the steps.

special events like F&W pairings and dinners and such can only be booked by phone.

 

[NejTheLion]

Yes! You are away from the crowed and for the most part can stay away ..until you walk to get food and wine!
Actually I thought it was less crowded then the years before. I don't know if they let less people in or with Cirque not doing their thing they had extra space. We will see what happens this year....The clowns are back!

The fact that PFTS was less crowded could have been due to the theme nights last year. Many people avoided the ones they weren't as excited about.

Was the Wine View Lounge worth it for an extra $75? Will it be worth an extra $90? I can't answer that for anyone. All I can do is describe it, and then you can decide for yourself.

No worrying about checking in early or getting a wristband early in the day. The most stressful part of the evening is just squeezing through the crowd gathered to get to the front when you can enter. But once that's done, stroll in, get your plate and glass, find a seat at a table in the vestibule, enjoy your special cocktail, and then when they're ready for you, make your way inside to your reserved table and enjoy! If there is any "celebrity" chef, you'll actually have a chance to go in and speak to them for a few minutes and thank them for the food. We talked to Robert Irvine (Dinner Impossible) last year for a few minutes about South Carolina (he has a restaurant down there). Watching the mad rush of everyone else coming is pretty funny since you know exactly what that feels like. Of course, you have an open bar (we tasted a flight of different tequilas - the bartender was very cool) and some extra cheese stations. Towards the end of the evening, the servers started bringing passed desserts around.

So, we'll probably continue to do the Wine View Lounge no matter the cost. It makes for a much more enjoyable evening for us, and since we don't do these kinds of things all the time, we don't mind the splurge. It's a once a year trip.

 

[DisneyJen]

The fact that PFTS was less crowded could have been due to the theme nights last year. Many people avoided the ones they weren't as excited about.

Was the Wine View Lounge worth it for an extra $75? Will it be worth an extra $90? I can't answer that for anyone. All I can do is describe it, and then you can decide for yourself.

No worrying about checking in early or getting a wristband early in the day. The most stressful part of the evening is just squeezing through the crowd gathered to get to the front when you can enter. But once that's done, stroll in, get your plate and glass, find a seat at a table in the vestibule, enjoy your special cocktail, and then when they're ready for you, make your way inside to your reserved table and enjoy! If there is any "celebrity" chef, you'll actually have a chance to go in and speak to them for a few minutes and thank them for the food. We talked to Robert Irvine (Dinner Impossible) last year for a few minutes about South Carolina (he has a restaurant down there). Watching the mad rush of everyone else coming is pretty funny since you know exactly what that feels like. Of course, you have an open bar (we tasted a flight of different tequilas - the bartender was very cool) and some extra cheese stations. Towards the end of the evening, the servers started bringing passed desserts around.

So, we'll probably continue to do the Wine View Lounge no matter the cost. It makes for a much more enjoyable evening for us, and since we don't do these kinds of things all the time, we don't mind the splurge. It's a once a year trip.

I am leaning more and more toward doing the Wine View Lounge as this is the second time in 15 years that we have made it to Food and Wine Festival!

Appreciate all the comments and observations!

 

[drommer0]

We are thinking of doing a French Regional Lunch on Oct 22--Bordeaux. This will be my first F&W experience. Can anyone enlighten me on what this is like and what we can expect. There isn't much written about this that I can find.

 

[smiller]

I can't wait for my first Food & Wine Festival! October 10-14!

I'm taking two of my best friends to Disney - one went with her family in high school and one hasn't been since the year Epcot opened! Wait 'til they go with such a Disney nerd!

We're going to try to schedule a few of the cheaper presentations for our day in Epcot. Between lunch at Tutto Italia and eating/drinking around the World in the evening, we can fit it in!