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

[smile4stamps]

So it these that are going to be available to book later this month?
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/pa...nternational-food-and-wine-festival/seminars/

Are there usually still openings after the TiW, AP, and DVC members get their choices?

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, those are the seminars/demonstrations (we use the word "deminar" a lot) that will be available for sale next week. We do not have a schedule yet as to which chefs/wineries will appear on which days.

We don't know how it will work this year, but last year:

A limited number of discounted tickets were made available to TIW, AP and DVC.
Once those were sold out, even if you were TIW, AP or DVC you had to book tickets at the regular price.
You could also purchase tickets at the Festival Center the day of the seminar, but you would not receive any discount.
Some tickets were held back for Festival Center purchase for each seminar.
Very few of the seminars were fully sold out, usually those featuring celebrity chefs or on weekends.
Menus for the deminars are not disclosed until the day they are presented. If you have a specific food allergy or aversion or you are a vegetarian/vegan/pescetarian, you may want to wait to purchase a ticket until you arrive and check the menu. I have heard of some successes getting a refund based on inability or unwillingness to eat what is being served, but also have heard of requests for refunds on that basis being declined. I am not sure what they will do to accommodate allergies, but the samples are pre-made in the show kitchen and I don't think they can do special orders.

 

[smile4stamps]

Thank you so much!

Any ideas how much time I should schedule for the Food & Wine festival? Should I block out a whole day or a couple?
(excluding and deminars I may be able to get us.)
Thanks!

 

[TDC Nala]

You won't be able to eat yourself all the way around the world in one day.

I would also suggest going on weekdays, not Friday nights, Saturdays or Sundays, if you have that option available to you.

If you book any deminars, there is also the consideration that the Festival Center is not particularly close to the World Showcase, thus you need to plan to allow yourself enough time to move between the two.

 

[redzinner]

So it these that are going to be available to book later this month?
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/pa...nternational-food-and-wine-festival/seminars/

Are there usually still openings after the TiW, AP, and DVC members get their choices?

Yes, that is a brief description of the seminars and demonstrations that should go on sale next week sometime.

Here is the link to how it was setup last year and a description of the 'deminars'. It is not an active site for this years reservations but hopefully will give you an idea of the types of deminars that will be available. The chefs and wineries will be different than the ones posted.

As far as openings available, it usually depends on how famous the chef. I think the ones on the weekends sell out faster than the ones held during the week.

I am so surprised that the 3D Dessert Discovery was sold out for your date. The other two have smaller capacity but I would think the 3D would be for a larger number. I would try calling again just to make sure. Sometimes the phone agents are inexperienced and don't always look in the correct areas for booking. Worth a try.

 

[pmdeve]

Redzinner thanks so much for the link. I have a lot to learn about the festival. With each post I read I am getting more excited. Thanks.

If reservations for the seminars are by phone, how early do the phones open? Is it typically the same number for all of the dining reservations?

 

[TDC Nala]

We are hoping the booking will be online and not by phone. Last year all prebooking for deminars was done online.

 

[redzinner]

Redzinner thanks so much for the link. I have a lot to learn about the festival. With each post I read I am getting more excited. Thanks.

If reservations for the seminars are by phone, how early do the phones open? Is it typically the same number for all of the dining reservations?

You're welcome pmdeve. We all were on a learning curve at some point. I feel the more information we have the better we can enjoy what the festival offers.

This is only the second year for 'paid' seminars and last year we could reserve on line. If it is by phone this year, and I hope not, but if it is we will all be learning together as to what phone number and when we can call.

Just keep checking back to the first page of this thread. TDCNala will post any updated information with hopefully a link to online reservations there.

Another thing to know about the deminars is that you never know what food is going to be served or what wines will be poured. I think it's posted the day of the seminar/demonstration in the Festival Welcome Center but I can't remember for sure.

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, they usually post the entire schedule for the day inside the festival center with menus and wines - but not before the day itself.

 

[WDWGeek1971]

I'm confused....

I am getting my husband to go to WDW by telling him we can go to the Food & Wine festival. However I just called and the cheese seminars, 3D Dessert thing and the Sweet Sundays are all booked.

Are there things that are not booked up yet that we would be able to attend?

We are not TiW, AP or DVC members.

I'm thinking if I can't get anything special planned my husband may change his mind on us being able to go to WDW!

Don't sweat it! There are still all the booths around World Showcase Lagoon. Even if you don't attend any special events, that is worth the trip. Especially for your first experience with the Festival. Then when you decide you want to come back again, you'll know to watch for opening day and have a better idea of what you might like to do and how you might like to spend your time.

That said, the wine tastings and demonstrations that open up on 8/26 are inexpensive and fun. Don't go overboard though! Just sign up for one or two. You'll find that you enjoy strolling around World Showcase a lot!

We've been going to the festival since 2004, have attended several special events, but our favorite part is just strolling and sampling.

Enjoy!

 

[Angel16]

Angel,

This is only the 2nd year of charging for the Deminars (and being able to reserve them in advance) so there is no "usually"!! And the way Disney has been scheduling things lately, even if there had been a long history, I believe all bets are off!

I hope you & DH will book the PFTS. Everyone should experience it at least once! There are tables so you will be able to sit. I haven't been in several years though so I will defer to someone who has been more recently. I just wanted to give you encouragement to book it!

Thank you Rachel, I have to talk DH into this one.

You can book the Wine View Lounge at the Party for the Senses for $90 per person extra and get a reserved, guaranteed table. Other than that there is no way to guarantee yourself a table or seating, but they do have seating.

You are so right on the minute with your information. I have been reading your recent posts. Looks like we all are really excited about the Diminars. Thank you so much for all your work to make this thread a much nicer place.

I'm with you, Catherine. I sure hope the info about calling for the Deminars is wrong. Although I hated the idea of paying for the Deminars last year, it sure was convenient to book and pay for everything online. Definitely made planning easier! And the extra park time by not having to get there early and stand in those long lines was worth the $$ IMO!!

The prices seem reasonable, about 8-16 dollar pp right? I am willing to pay for it and not stand for an hour or more.

Holy phone jam, batman!!!

Here's hoping they leave it as it was last year - worked great and was very easy.

Thank you everyone for all the help.



Angel16

 

[shovan]

Just checking in hoping for Deminar booking info. Hard to believe that they still haven't released that.

 

[BGK]

Late to the thread and all, and these may have been answered already but 90+ pages is kind of daunting to search:

Does the Tables in Wonderland discount apply to the reserved events which were made available on 7/20? (Yes, I should've asked a month ago...)

I read up-thread that this isn't the thread for discussing Food and Wine meet-ups. Where is the most appropriate place for that?

 

[PNO4TE]

Late to the thread and all, and these may have been answered already but 90+ pages is kind of daunting to search:

Does the Tables in Wonderland discount apply to the reserved events which were made available on 7/20? (Yes, I should've asked a month ago...)

I read up-thread that this isn't the thread for discussing Food and Wine meet-ups. Where is the most appropriate place for that?

No TiW discounts for the special events during the F&W Festival. There is a rumor that the seminars and demonstrations will again this year offer a small discount if booked in advance, beginning on August 26.

Here is a link from the first post in this thread for F&W meets:

DIS Yoda is assembling F&W schedules for DISers attending the events. See who will be at the same event. Her thread is here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2513394

 

[BGK]

1. Good, I thought as much. Not that there would've been anything I could've done by way of a refund, but pondering the stupidity would've helped fuel my self-loathing.

2. Sigh. My advancing ability to read past things right in front of my own personal face should probably worry me.

 

[dwtraveler]

OK, so I may be crazy but....

Just got off the phone with Disney and was told that although the intent at one point was to start booking the seminars and demonstrations on August 26 for AP, TinW and DVC(regular bookings on 28) that it has now been decided that tickets will just be available the day of the events only. Getting your tickets first thing when opening for the day seems just ridiculous to me what with waiting in lines, first come, first serve!

Is this cast member totally wrong? Has anyone else checked this out today?

 

[redzinner]

OK, so I may be crazy but....

Just got off the phone with Disney and was told that although the intent at one point was to start booking the seminars and demonstrations on August 26 for AP, TinW and DVC(regular bookings on 28) that it has now been decided that tickets will just be available the day of the events only. Getting your tickets first thing when opening for the day seems just ridiculous to me what with waiting in lines, first come, first serve!

Is this cast member totally wrong? Has anyone else checked this out today?

I don't know if it's true or not. If it is true they sure will lose quite a bit of business from the seasoned festival goers. The advantage of prebooking eased the pain of paying for the deminars. Wait in line to pay every morning for a seminar that is later in the day is not my idea of enjoying the festival.

 

[PNO4TE]

OK, so I may be crazy but....

Just got off the phone with Disney and was told that although the intent at one point was to start booking the seminars and demonstrations on August 26 for AP, TinW and DVC(regular bookings on 28) that it has now been decided that tickets will just be available the day of the events only. Getting your tickets first thing when opening for the day seems just ridiculous to me what with waiting in lines, first come, first serve!

Is this cast member totally wrong? Has anyone else checked this out today?

What "kind" of Cast Member did you talk to? Was it someone from the Food & Wine team or a general CM?

 

[shovan]

OK, so I may be crazy but....

Just got off the phone with Disney and was told that although the intent at one point was to start booking the seminars and demonstrations on August 26 for AP, TinW and DVC(regular bookings on 28) that it has now been decided that tickets will just be available the day of the events only. Getting your tickets first thing when opening for the day seems just ridiculous to me what with waiting in lines, first come, first serve!

Is this cast member totally wrong? Has anyone else checked this out today?

I sure hope that cast member was smoking something!

I don't know if it's true or not. If it is true they sure will lose quite a bit of business from the seasoned festival goers. The advantage of prebooking eased the pain of paying for the deminars. Wait in line to pay every morning for a seminar that is later in the day is not my idea of enjoying the festival.

Totally agree!

 

[dgbg100106]

I sure hope that cast member was smoking something!

Totally agree!