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

[ElizabethB]

The Reserve Dinners from the early 2000s used to be done at a circular table under the tent. The reception was held in the area where the colored sofas are. The area where the colored sofas are also has a large window looking out on the area below. It used to be fun to enjoy the first wine of the evening in that area while watching the people below when the Wonders of Life Pavilion was an attraction rather than an unused space like it is now. There was often a jazz trio or other music group playing during the reception.

At the end of the reception, they would dramatically draw back the circus tent sides to reveal the circular table set with chairs around the outside edge. There was also a smaller interior table where the vintners would sit so their presentations could be heard and seen by all around the circle. The Reserve Dinners were absolutely the best events ever. Nothing else Disney has done at the F&W Festival has ever come close.

The most recent dinners we've attended at the Wonders Retreat, including the one last year, have not featured the tent.

 

[Inkmahm]

Looks like a really small group of people could sit under that tent.

DH and I talked about our trip last night. I'm making a few budget adjustments dropping a few other activities/purchases that we would normally do and using the money for F&W instead. Now our plan is to to PFTS in the Wine View room on Oct 23 and the Signature Dinner in the Wonders Retreat on Oct 22. Sounds like I need to try for the Signature Dinner first in my 7 am phone call on July 20 if I want to get seats for that.
Anyone disagree?

 

[Inkmahm]

Wonders Retreat:

NOW I understand the circus tent description! That is wild!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Going through the "back door" and looking at what's already posted on the site for this year, I noticed that there are dual prices listed for the Culinary Demonstrations ($9/$13) and for the Wine/Beverage Seminars ($8/$12). If I remember correctly, both of these were $8 per person (flat fee) last year. I'm assuming it's not a separate fee for children versus adults, as no children can attend the beverage seminars.

Last year, the public price for culinary demos and wine seminars was $8. Tickets could be purchased online ahead of time. Some tickets were held back for the day of the event. A limited amount of ticket inventory was available online to TiW cardholders and DVC members for $5 (a $3 discount off the regular price).

The culinary demo price was the same whether the chef was a celebrity chef or an unknown Disney chef from a Disney counter service restaurant.

The wine seminar price was the same whether the wine was fine Champagne or basic grocery store wine.

I think Disney has now figured out that they can extract more money from us when there's a celebrity chef or the wines are high-end. I think that's why the preliminary web site shows the tiered pricing.

I assume there will still be an online discount for TiW cardholders and DVC members.

 

[SarahInMN]

Hi everyone-

Here's another question! Which will go first on July 20th: signature dinners or wine view lounge??

Thanks again!!!

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

I assume there will still be an online discount for TiW cardholders and DVC members.

We've never gone to the deminars, but have gone for all of the other specialty events offered during our trip for the last three years. We spent the other time sampling all the booth offerings. This year, we'd like to hit a few of the deminars. We're both TiW and DVC. Were the discounts offered on the main F&W site or were they offered on the DVC site? Is there a TiW site somewhere? I always find out about TiW offerings via their monthly newsletter, but it sure would be nice if there was a webpage for central reference.

Thanks for any info!

Evey

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Hi everyone-

Here's another question! Which will go first on July 20th: signature dinners or wine view lounge??

Thanks again!!!

Most likely - Signature Dinner

 

[TDC Nala]

There was a separate website last year for booking deminars. You had to input that you were DVC, TIW or AP. You did not book them through either DVC or TIW. I would watch the official festival website for the bookings to open on July 20. The links are in the first post.

Book the signature dinner first. When that is sold out, it's gone. With the PFTS you can still book the party even if the wine room is sold out.

 

[redzinner]

Were the discounts offered on the main F&W site or were they offered on the DVC site? Is there a TiW site somewhere?
Thanks for any info!

Evey

Evey, The page to order wine/food seminar tickets will be on the Disney main site and also, as TDC Nala indicated, on the very first page of this sticky thread. Catherine keeps it up-to-date, for sure.

This is what the ticket ordering page looked like last year. You had to register with all your pertinent information and then could order tickets. Who knows what it will be like this year. 2009 was the first year Disney charged for the deminars so it was all new to everyone. Disney could have revamped the system for this year, we don't know but will soon find out!

 

[DisneyDeeva]

For those of you who went to PFTS last year, how many people do you think the WineView Lounge holds?

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Evey, The page to order wine/food seminar tickets will be on the Disney main site and also, as TDC Nala indicated, on the very first page of this sticky thread. Catherine keeps it up-to-date, for sure.

This is what the ticket ordering page looked like last year. You had to register with all your pertinent information and then could order tickets. Who knows what it will be like this year. 2009 was the first year Disney charged for the deminars so it was all new to everyone. Disney could have revamped the system for this year, we don't know but will soon find out!

Many thanks for the info!

For those of you who went to PFTS last year, how many people do you think the WineView Lounge holds?

I'm not as concerned about nabbing the Wine View space first this year. Last year, it was an experiment and very limited. We spoke with our favorite CM, who is the manager of one of the upscale on-site restaurants and was working the PFTS event while we were there, and she told us that the Wine View area would be doubled this year because it had worked so well.

 

[DisneyJen]

Many thanks for the info!



I'm not as concerned about nabbing the Wine View space first this year. Last year, it was an experiment and very limited. We spoke with our favorite CM, who is the manager of one of the upscale on-site restaurants and was working the PFTS event while we were there, and she told us that the Wine View area would be doubled this year because it had worked so well.

That's great news about the Wine View area ... although there is a big price increase over last year.

 

[ppiew]

We were in the Wine View Lounge last year, and there were definitely a few empty tables. I don't know if they were no shows or not reserved. It was nice to have a reserved table, but some cheese and a champagne cocktail (more cocktails if you wished) were a large price to pay. Very nice though but most definitely not full. We were there the weekend of the Classic food thing in mid October.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

I think the Wine View is only worth it if you MUST have a reserved table. We had a very bad experience the year before with my parents... my mom had just had hip surgery and was in a wheel chair. Despite getting there early, we couldn't maneuver through the crowd with her wheelchair to find a table where she could sit comfortably. It was really difficult because she basically was by herself tucked in a corner while we went back and forth to get food and wine for her... and she felt really awkward in that situation. You're right that it's a LOT to pay if you don't require the reserved spot. I also find that the later in the F&W festival, the easier it is to grab the reservations way past the first day. When we've gone toward mid to late October, we've been able to add on events a few weeks out, but when we went for opening week one year, we couldn't add new events even a few days after tickets went on sale.

 

[ppiew]

Where is the Jiko review alluded to? I always have loved that place but I can't seem to find this particular anti opinion.

 

[TDC Nala]

I went to PFTS on Halloween last year and am guessing that everyone was out doing Halloween type stuff but it was so uncrowded I would have felt that I'd wasted money on the wine view room if I'd booked it.

Not sure if that will carry over to my anticipated party date of November 13 this year. The later parties were so underbooked last year that they were offering tickets to the last two parties to Disney cast members for half price. Not sure if that was a reaction to the year before when the parties were madhouses due to the number of comps they gave out to conventions and Year of a Million Dreams winners.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Where is the Jiko review alluded to? I always have loved that place but I can't seem to find this particular anti opinion.

The review is mine - as listed in my signature under the F&W 2009 review. Plus the additional comments brought forth by others that were also at the dinner as discussed earlier in this thread and last years F&W thread.

I love the place for other meals. In fact, I've eaten there 4 times in the past year outside of this experience.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

I went to PFTS on Halloween last year and am guessing that everyone was out doing Halloween type stuff but it was so uncrowded I would have felt that I'd wasted money on the wine view room if I'd booked it.

Not sure if that will carry over to my anticipated party date of November 13 this year. The later parties were so underbooked last year that they were offering tickets to the last two parties to Disney cast members for half price. Not sure if that was a reaction to the year before when the parties were madhouses due to the number of comps they gave out to conventions and Year of a Million Dreams winners.

I think the worst one we attended was October 2007. PFTS was a complete ZOO. People were rude and pushy, and didn't hesitate to literally plow you down on their way to the food and wine stations. That was another Cirque year. I am hopeful that the return of Cirque does not spell the return of the obnoxious patrons too!

Last year was much calmer, but we noticed they were also pretty skimpy with the wine. They also didn't seem to have as many high end wines as they had in years past.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I think the worst one we attended was October 2007. PFTS was a complete ZOO. People were rude and pushy, and didn't hesitate to literally plow you down on their way to the food and wine stations. That was another Cirque year. I am hopeful that the return of Cirque does not spell the return of the obnoxious patrons too!

Last year was much calmer, but we noticed they were also pretty skimpy with the wine. They also didn't seem to have as many high end wines as they had in years past.

I remember that! I hated how much of a Zoo it was. I was suppose to meet up with some people but we were never able to find each other.

 

[TDC Nala]

One year a couple of guys got into a fight over a chair. Those were the days...