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

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Can anyone tell me about the various speakers for the French Regional lunches? We thoroughly enjoyed our speaker last year, Jorge Hernandez. If you are attending the lunch on October 8 or October 10, you are in for a real treat! I don't know anything about the other speakers, though. Does anyone have experience with these other folks?

Oct. 1 - CHAMPAGNE - Pascal Boye representing Nicolas Feuillatte
Oct. 3 - BORDEAUX - Adrien Laurent representing Baron Philippe de Rothschild
Oct. 8 - MACONNAIS & BEAUJOLAIS - Jorge Hernandez representing Georges Duboeuf
Oct. 10 - RHONE VALLEY - Jorge Hernandez representing Maison Vidal-Fleury
Oct. 15 - ALSACE - Alexandra Marshall representing Trimbach
Oct. 17 - ALSACE - Alexandra Marshall representing Trimbach
Oct. 22 - BORDEAUX - Alexandra Marshall representing Barton & Guestier
Oct. 24 - BORDEAUX - Alexandra Marshall representing Barton & Guestier
Oct. 29 - CHAMPAGNE - Frederic Goossens representing Champagne Pommery
Oct. 31 - CHAMPAGNE - Frederic Goossens representing Champagne Pommery
Nov. 5 - COTES DU RHONE - Lydia Tremble representing Jean-Luc Colombo
Nov. 7 - COTES DU RHONE - Lydia Tremble representing Jean-Luc Colombo
Nov. 12 - BURGUNDY - Gregory Patriat representing Jean-Claude Boisset
Nov. 14 - BURGUNDY - Gregory Patriat representing Jean-Claude Boisset

Thanks for any info!
Evey =)

 

[redzinner]

Hello all!

Just for giggles my husband called and talked to TiW about the "Great Grape Grandiose Gouge Fest" and they wanted none-refundable money and had no other information for you. Everyone - chefs, wines, events - except the ones listed are T.B.A. They also said that they still had plenty of availability! We thought maybe if you called someone could give you more but NOPE!

So did your DH giggle while on the phone or just laugh out loud ? Unbelievable attention to detail wouldn't you say!!??!!

 

[TDC Nala]

Has anyone done the PFTS since the start 15 yrs ago. We have gone the last
14 yrs and have every set of glasses and wondered if anyone has the first set?

They didn't have the PFTS 15 years ago.

10 years ago they had an event called the Grand Tasting (similar but much smaller, I'm sure you remember those.

I have a glass from 2002, I think that is the earliest one I have.

 

[YodasMom]

Hi all. I just checked the F & W wesbsite and it says for 10/24 is Richard Ruskell, but the guide said Gale Gand!! I wanted to see Gale Gand and the site says she is there on 10/17. What shall I do????

My Festival guide that I got yesterday also states that Gale Gand is the chef for the Sweet Sunday on 10-24-10. I did make a reservation early this morning for the 10-24-10 Sweet Sunday because I wanted to experience it with this chef, who is from here (and whom, of course, I haven't experienced before). She better be doing it that day!!!

 

[YodasMom]

Has anyone attended the Tokyo Dining wine pairing previously? Just wondered what they have served for food in the past?

 

[tkldisney]

Um, there is no PFTS w/WVL for Oct 28th ... there is one on Oct 30th. Maybe you should check the event you booked or hopefully you just typed in the wrong date here.

Sorry, I meant the 30th the 28th is our arrival day!!

 

[Dancind]

Has anyone attended the Tokyo Dining wine pairing previously? Just wondered what they have served for food in the past?

Two years ago, but they change the menu each year. I remember three glasses of sake, and three courses of sushi and nigiri. One piece was a Kobe beef roll. We also got to try fresh Wasabi. It was delicious but not a large amount of food. We were happy with it, we paid about $50 pp.

 

[lurkyloo]

If they are just beginning to plan this now I sense a train wreck within the larger Mess that this year already is.

I'll post here if I manage to get any kind of inside scoop on this...

 

[kabuki]

So did your DH giggle while on the phone or just laugh out loud ? Unbelievable attention to detail wouldn't you say!!??!!

He laughed out loud!!! Still can't believe it - Sure Disney I'll go to the free flowing money waterfall I have and take your word it will be FABULOUS! -

and it's a good thing I didn't need that booklet - still hasn't come! Thank you for posting it!

 

[pixie08]

Hi all. I just checked the F & W wesbsite and it says for 10/24 is Richard Ruskell, but the guide said Gale Gand!! I wanted to see Gale Gand and the site says she is there on 10/17. What shall I do????

No Gand from Tru is not there 10/17. We wanted to see her, and love the SS event but there is another guy...Stanton Ho. Never heard of him, so we did not book the vent. She may be there that weekend. Check the OFFICIAL guide.

 

[pixie08]

Funny!

If Disney CM's had not worked so hard to ignore disgruntled guests at the Jiko dinner, I think a line would have formed with folks hoping to trade in their trail mix tins for a refund!!!

Well, I broke down and called to add one more event... and luckily, they still had seating for it. It's going to be a tight schedule trying to get to Epcot in time to attend this on check-in day, but I want to give it the "ol' college try"...

French Regional Lunch on Oct 17 (featuring Alsace wines)

Hubby may love the reds, but I love the whites. Our schedule was really top heavy on the reds, so I'm highly motivated to get there in time for this event!!!

The CM I just spoke with at reservations said that it's really quiet on the dining lines right now, but that it was a mad house earlier. She said it only took about 15 minutes before they were circulating "sold out" notices to the CMs this morning for quite a few events. It truly is a "you snooze you lose" situation!

We are booked that day as well...hoping for some great Reislings....see you there!

 

[Redwitch]

After my first call dropped after being told the Tutto Italia F&W Pairing was sold out, I redialed on the home phone instead of the cell. (I had dialed both at 6:59:45, but the home phone dropped and the cell went through.)

I'm on hold with the cordless on speaker...wandering the house, getting dressed, making my lunch...almost in tears.

I think about 7:40, I got through, but it literally seemed like hours. I have a wonderful, knowledgeable CM - she actually tells me she wishes all callers were as prepared as I was. And, I was only 15 minutes late to work!

So, we ended up with...

Party of the Senses on Oct 23
Restaurant Marrakesh F&W Pairing on Oct 26
French Regional Wine Luncheon on Oct 29

And, I have NO IDEA WHAT I WAS CHARGED!!! I was beyond caring at that point.

 

[ImprovGal]

Hello all!

Just for giggles my husband called and talked to TiW about the "Great Grape Grandiose Gouge Fest" and they wanted none-refundable money and had no other information for you. Everyone - chefs, wines, events - except the ones listed are T.B.A. They also said that they still had plenty of availability! We thought maybe if you called someone could give you more but NOPE!

Just for shiggles, I did a little analysis of the Grapes of Worth since some people have been tossing around their estimates of how much they thought the event would price at. Here's my estimated value of the components (note: all prices include tax):

4 day convention park hopper ticket: $265.51 (source: found online listing priced effective 1/1/10)
"reception style dinner" at Atlantic Dance Hall: $170.40 (source: Feb 2010 TIW event)
Sweet Monday: $90.52 (source: current Sweet Sundays)
Wine Seminar: $8.00
World's Marketplace lunch: ???? (will there be kiosk credits)
Meet the Winemaker w/samples: $8 (source: wine seminar pricing)
Truffle & Winemaker Dinner @ Great Movie Ride: $165.07 (source: recent TIW GMR dinner)
Breakfast w/Pam Brandon: $61.81 (source: CRT breakfast holiday pricing)
Cooking Demo: $9.00
Lunch & Cooking School at California Grill: $199.69 (source: wine school trend applied to Odyssey Cooking School)
Wine School: $133.12
PFTS + Dessert Discovery: $191.70
Champagne Breakfast Chef Demo: $90.52 (source: current Sweet Sundays)
Festival Cookbook: $15.98 (source: pure guess at $15 retail)
Festival Tote: ????

Total estimated value: $1409.32 (excluding Festival Tote and "World's Marketplace Lunch"

So, for the base (no resort included) package, I'd say you're paying a $400 - $450 premium on top of current festival event premium pricing. Now if you throw in the resort, that's a decent rate of $179/night pre-tax.

 

[miamimama]

It was in my Spam Folder too. None of the other TIW emails have been spam before.

Well, I got my Festival Brochure yesterday, but I have never gotten an email from TiW - I don't even remember them asking me for my email - would that be through the AP or regular Disney website?

Anyway, it's our first year at F&W and I really don't want to spend the $$ this year on pre-booked events that I don't know much about - just want to wander around - we have a res at BWV Oct 21-25... hope we won't regret it.

 

[Dancind]

Improv Gal, you are a Goddess of Numbers! Great analysis, and I think you are right on.

 

[ImprovGal]

Improv Gal, you are a Goddess of Numbers! Great analysis, and I think you are right on.

Yoo-hoo! Hey, Tag Fairy! I like the "Goddess of Numbers" title. Thanks!

ObFestInfo: Looking at the list of visiting chefs, I can recommend the following chefs for any demos -- Matt Gennuso (Chez Pascal & its hot dog truck in Providence), Chris Prosperi (he always includes some kind of seafood cocktail dish made with booze), and Michael Luboff (I really miss Rain at Mohegan Sun)

 

[SamSam]

They didn't have the PFTS 15 years ago.

10 years ago they had an event called the Grand Tasting (similar but much smaller, I'm sure you remember those.

I have a glass from 2002, I think that is the earliest one I have.

Oh, yes I remember the Grand Tastings. I have a glass dated 2001, but I have another glass without a date that may have been a year earlier. I love my old wine glasses! My older ones have a logo in color!

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

ImprovGal, your totals are in-line with what we had figured as well. Thanks for the detailed analysis! We had left out the tickets in our initial guesstimate because we assumed Disney would price the event like other F&W events with regard to tickets (not included) and had assumed a smaller markup. If they had actually priced the event at the $1500/person including lodging that we had originally anticipated, I think we would be booking the event. But, if we're paying premium, we want more details. It wouldn't be THAT difficult to extend our trip by four days as we are already set to depart from BWV on Oct 24 (though getting an extension for our pup at Best Friends might be problematic this late in the game). But, it's unrealistic for Disney to expect folks to book with so little information. MAYBE they will reward folks for a blind loyalty, but then again, MAYBE folks will end up with a four-day long Jiko dinner!

P.S. - The biggest hurdle here is that the Grape Getaway info came out literally hours AFTER we had already dropped $2500.00 on F&W tickets that predominantly span the 4 days immediately preceding the Grape Getaway, despite the fact that I sent numerous emails asking for info earlier, as well as called, and was assured info would be forthcoming with the mailing that was sent out on the 12th (which was still ridiculously late). That just flat-out ticks me off!

 

[Inkmahm]

He laughed out loud!!! Still can't believe it - Sure Disney I'll go to the free flowing money waterfall I have and take your word it will be FABULOUS! -

and it's a good thing I didn't need that booklet - still hasn't come! Thank you for posting it!

My booklet isn't here yet, either. Maybe TIW thought I woudn't book anything at all until I got their grape email and I'd jump at that.

 

[Inkmahm]

Just for shiggles, I did a little analysis of the Grapes of Worth since some people have been tossing around their estimates of how much they thought the event would price at. Here's my estimated value of the components (note: all prices include tax):

4 day convention park hopper ticket: $265.51 (source: found online listing priced effective 1/1/10)
"reception style dinner" at Atlantic Dance Hall: $170.40 (source: Feb 2010 TIW event)
Sweet Monday: $90.52 (source: current Sweet Sundays)
Wine Seminar: $8.00
World's Marketplace lunch: ???? (will there be kiosk credits)
Meet the Winemaker w/samples: $8 (source: wine seminar pricing)
Truffle & Winemaker Dinner @ Great Movie Ride: $165.07 (source: recent TIW GMR dinner)
Breakfast w/Pam Brandon: $61.81 (source: CRT breakfast holiday pricing)
Cooking Demo: $9.00
Lunch & Cooking School at California Grill: $199.69 (source: wine school trend applied to Odyssey Cooking School)
Wine School: $133.12
PFTS + Dessert Discovery: $191.70
Champagne Breakfast Chef Demo: $90.52 (source: current Sweet Sundays)
Festival Cookbook: $15.98 (source: pure guess at $15 retail)
Festival Tote: ????

Total estimated value: $1409.32 (excluding Festival Tote and "World's Marketplace Lunch"

So, for the base (no resort included) package, I'd say you're paying a $400 - $450 premium on top of current festival event premium pricing. Now if you throw in the resort, that's a decent rate of $179/night pre-tax.

Sounds reasonable except I'd price PFTS as including the wine view room as I bet these people get table and chairs, etc. too.