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

[dwtraveler]

I talked to whoever answered the phone from 407-WDW-FEST, the Food and Wine reservation# (407-939-3378). Have made all our reservations for the Festival calling this line and that is what was told to me this morning. My friend called a little while ago and was told the same thing. I live in Fl and think this will be a real pain. She is planning her vacation trip and is really, really upset because we like to plan our our time at Disney together and this will make it so hard. She was given -- wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com --- to complain!

 

[PNO4TE]

I talked to whoever answered the phone from 407-WDW-FEST, the Food and Wine reservation# (407-939-3378). Have made all our reservations for the Festival calling this line and that is what was told to me this morning. My friend called a little while ago and was told the same thing. I live in Fl and think this will be a real pain. She is planning her vacation trip and is really, really upset because we like to plan our our time at Disney together and this will make it so hard. She was given -- wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com --- to complain!

Thanks for the clarification. I sure hope the CMs you both talked to were wrong! If they are right, there won't be any deminars for me or my family. We are not standing in line for them ever again. It completely ruins a vacation in my opinion!

 

[dwtraveler]

We were also told that the Wine Seminars will be daily 12, 2, and 4:00 at a cost of $8-$12. The Cluinary demonstrations will be daily 1, 3 and 5:00 at a cost of $9-$13. The cost are decided on that particular deminar with no discounts offered for AP, TinW or DVC!

Hard to believe Disney would do this so I'm hoping this information is totally wrong but it is what we were told!

 

[redzinner]

We were also told that the Wine Seminars will be daily 12, 2, and 4:00 at a cost of $8-$12. The Cluinary demonstrations will be daily 1, 3 and 5:00 at a cost of $9-$13. The cost are decided on that particular deminar with no discounts offered for AP, TinW or DVC!

Hard to believe Disney would do this so I'm hoping this information is totally wrong but it is what we were told!

It is hard for me to believe too after what we heard at the Sneak Preview Dinner. We will be terribly disappointed in the F&W Festival Committee if all this is true. Local residents will not go over to the Festival Center in the hopes of catching a good seminar and then wait in line to pay. Not going to happen. Time will tell.

 

[RachelTori]

Thanks for the clarification. I sure hope the CMs you both talked to were wrong! If they are right, there won't be any deminars for me or my family. We are not standing in line for them ever again. It completely ruins a vacation in my opinion!

Elin, don't let me walk around WS telling Rachel the way it "used to be"! At the rate this is going, my DD will wonder what I've been raving about for the last 7 years!!

ITA - I will never again attend a seminar/demonstration/deminar if I have to stand in those long lines.

 

[Dancind]

I tend to believe it. They aren't posting any information on the deminars, so it seems to be true.

Maybe they will change their minds. Standing in line EVERY DAY to buy tickets is not going to make anyone happy. Especially me!

 

[PNO4TE]

I went back and read an interview that Deb Martin Koma did with Marianne Hunnel earlier this month. The whole interview ended with this paragraph:

Also, you will be able to book certain culinary demonstrations and wine seminars online. These 45-minute programs are held several times each day and require a fee of $8 to $13 (tax included). If you've attended these sessions in previous years, you'll be happy to learn that this year's portion sizes will be a bit larger. According to Hunnel, they are still finalizing details on these programs, but they will be available for online booking before the end of August.

So, unless they have made a major change in their plans in the past 18 days I am going to continue to hope that the CMs who spoke today were wrong.

 

[PNO4TE]

Elin, don't let me walk around WS telling Rachel the way it "used to be"! At the rate this is going, my DD will wonder what I've been raving about for the last 7 years!!

Laura - You and Rachel and Kathrin and I will have the opportunity to sample every single thing at every single kiosk if this is the case.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I wouldn't be too concerned about what one CM at a Disney call center says. It wouldn't be the first time that a Disney call center CM made something up or repeated misinformation.

The system in 2009 worked well. It eliminated the long lines of the past, and it gave more guests a chance to go to demos and seminars. Some demo/seminar inventory was made available for discounted advance booking. Some inventory was available in advance, only without a discount. And some was held back for booking on the day of the event.

 

[dwtraveler]

I hope this is not true also! Last year we had everything pre-booked and were very happy and relaxed knowing what we were doing each day. That is the main reaason my friends were coming back this year! We have convinced our husbands to take a week's vacation time to join us this year. We have pre-booked our other Food and Wine Festival activities and gotten our dinner reservations. We usually do a "Girls Week" but they said we had too much fun without them so it's "Couples Week" this year. The guys like to have a plan and I would hate to have the week ruined because of early morning line waits and no tickets left! Hey, I still remember when the wine tastings were free! Please let this information be wrong or at least, make them change their minds!! Still, it is just a couple days until we thought we could reserve and there is no info out there. That's why we called in the first place, to see when all the individual deminar information was going to be posted so we would be ready with our picks on the 26th (we are PAP holders for a reason you know!)...

 

[kristinlynn]

hmm, I just called and was told there was currently no date set to open online booking for the daily seminars ....

 

[redzinner]

If we don't hear or see anything by Aug 26, I say we storm the Bastille and eat the cake!

 

[kristinlynn]

I really hope this is just a case of cast members not being properly informed and disney being slow to get us the information.

 

[dgbg100106]

I really hope this is just a case of cast members not being properly informed and disney being slow to get us the information.

I hope this is the case also. I refuse to wait in line, so if it is true, then we will eat around the world then go back and drink at the bar until our ressies.

I will still relax and not be crazy.

 

[lurkyloo]

Apparently they think that Tweeting this general info on days of the week and times will placate us:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/pa.../?int_cmp=SOC-intDPFY10Q38.23.1023-08-10@0003

 

[onelilspark]

Apparently they think that Tweeting this general info on days of the week and times will placate us:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/pa.../?int_cmp=SOC-intDPFY10Q38.23.1023-08-10@0003

Yeah...this was the tweet:

Here's a look at upcoming Epcot Food & Wine seminars, demos ***************/dldYmW

I got real excited for about 5 seconds...

 

[Quacktatty]

My plans will be all messed up if they don't have the online booking. I was counting on being able to hop to Epcot in the afternoon for a deminar, then back to the park I'm spending my day at. Being at Epcot first thing in the morning for a ticket is not on the agenda!

 

[DptyDogg]

Yeah...this was the tweet:



I got real excited for about 5 seconds...

No kidding, their link was a bit underwhelming.

 

[dznygrl]

I talked to whoever answered the phone from 407-WDW-FEST, the Food and Wine reservation# (407-939-3378). Have made all our reservations for the Festival calling this line and that is what was told to me this morning. My friend called a little while ago and was told the same thing. I live in Fl and think this will be a real pain. She is planning her vacation trip and is really, really upset because we like to plan our our time at Disney together and this will make it so hard. She was given -- wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com --- to complain!

That's a real shame!!!! But we were of the mind this year we would pass on the deminars anyway,....just too little "bang for our buck" . Foraging the Kioscks is a much better deal!!! I think they "poured" the wine with an eye dropper for the culinary demos last year...and almost doubling the price this year..bad form Disney!!!
BUT>>>we will still be attending the Party!!! They haven't messed that up too badly...YET...

 

[dznygrl]

I talked to whoever answered the phone from 407-WDW-FEST, the Food and Wine reservation# (407-939-3378). Have made all our reservations for the Festival calling this line and that is what was told to me this morning. My friend called a little while ago and was told the same thing. I live in Fl and think this will be a real pain. She is planning her vacation trip and is really, really upset because we like to plan our our time at Disney together and this will make it so hard. She was given -- wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com --- to complain!

That's a real shame!!!! But we were of the mind this year we would pass on the deminars anyway,....just too little "bang for our buck" . Foraging the Kioscks is a much better deal!!! I think they "poured" the wine with an eye dropper for the culinary demos last year...and almost doubling the price this year..bad form Disney!!!
BUT>>>we will still be attending the Party!!! They haven't messed that up too badly...YET...