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

[Northern_Julie]

Had to leave for work but it wasn't blocked off here
Got in and got the Spice Kitchen, Bayou Bakery and already had the saturday Modern Mixology for the Classic.....
Feels nice to have all plans made.

 

[arbolita]

We got the one we wanted =) The CakeLove deminar on 10/11 at 1:00.

 

[wvaspartan]

I love Warren but I won't be tehre that weekend...guess I will just stop and chat with him at Cake Love when I go on Monday....he is a great guy!

I got 10/1 Concha y Toro, 10/2 Trivento, 10/2 Chatteau Ste Michelle, 10/2 Widmer. I am going to try and get day of for d Bar and Baked....it only says pastry and if they have coconut the Disney Medical team will be scooping me off the ground.

 

[TDC Nala]

I called the 407-FEST line and was told that no one other than TIW/AP members can register in advance; registration will be only "day of" attendance. Hope that's not true!

407-WDW-FEST ends up in exactly the same phone queue as 407-WDW-DINE. You do not get connected to anyone with any more specific knowledge of the festival by dialing this number, and I wouldn't take anything you are told by a phone agent as correct without outside confirmation.

Indeed, it appears that it has already been shown that what the phone agent told you about no one other than TIW/AP being able to book in advance is incorrect.

 

[woolfcross]

Yep. I, too, got through online in the end and was able to book deminars--albeit almost an hour after we were supposed to be able to book online this a.m. Like at least one other poster here, when the online route didn't work, I called the FEST line and was told, by a very lovely, very friendly and nice agent, that no one other than TIW, etc. members could book in advance. Her information was that no reservations could be made by the general public other than on actual day of arrival.

Obviously not true. Not the agent's fault; she was obviously doing her best and using the information she was given. Fault of Disney Food and Wine fest communications/managers. Can't help wondering how many others will be misled by this? Would be interesting to learn if agents are STILL giving out this wrong information today.

I'm not a cranky person; all my conversations with Disney agents have been friendly, fun, and filled with laughing "pixie dust". Perhaps no one on this board agrees, but I think this is an example of terrible management (so unusual for Disney!)

Here's what certain: if none of us point out these annoying glitches (nicely, politely, helpfully) then we can expect exactly the same--if not worse--next year.

 

[TDC Nala]

The issues with the dining phone line happen often. I use that number only to book reservations. Due to their track record with incorrect information I don't trust them to know any information outside of whether or not a reservation is available. Doesn't matter any longer to me how nice they are. From long experience I am now aware that most of the time I will not get good information via that source.

Every year booking F&W special events, we get someone who reports being connected to a phone CM who isn't even aware that there IS a food and wine festival and can't find the events to book in the computer without guidance from the caller. It's not anything new.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Perhaps no one on this board agrees, but I think this is an example of terrible management (so unusual for Disney!)

Here's what certain: if none of us point out these annoying glitches (nicely, politely, helpfully) then we can expect exactly the same--if not worse--next year.

It's unusual? Really?

Disney really knows how to run theme parks....

The rest of thier operation They really should hire some top notch hotel, resturant and IT management!

This is par for the course with Disney IMHO!

 

[horselover]

We got the one we wanted =) The CakeLove deminar on 10/11 at 1:00.

We'll be at that one too! I loved Warren's show & am sad it's no longer on FN.

 

[redzinner]

If an individual relied solely on Disney online sites and general telephone knowledge they would be missing half of the experience of Disney and Disney would be out mega sale $$$. On the other hand why should corporate pony-up the money on systems and employee continuing education when we the consumer are willing to expend our energies to get exact information. This F&WF prebooking of deminars is a prime example. No where on the disneyworld.com/foodandwine site does it mention or link to the url to buy tickets for the seminars and demonstrations ... even today when the sale went 'public'.

 

[karrit2000]

It's unusual? Really?

Disney really knows how to run theme parks....

The rest of thier operation They really should hire some top notch hotel, resturant and IT management!

This is par for the course with Disney IMHO!

I totally agree with you. In my experience from D23 staff on down no one gives out any information until long after it appears on unofficial websites & message boards. I'd love to know how they are able to get their information. There's still no info up on the Official Disney World website about the CP dinner packages that went on sale yesterday. So it isn't just the F & W event people.

I find it pathetic that D23 just posted their Sip & Stroll event info 2 days ago after everyone had already long ago committed to booking Festival Special Events & more recently Deminars. I wouldn't be surprised to see D23 fail in the near future. I changed my F & W trip dates due to lack of definite info from D23 so they will not be getting any money from me. I hope whoever attends their event has a better Fireworks Dessert Party than we did at the Flower & Fireworks event.

the various planning groups at Disney have proven time & again in recent years that they don't care to plan events for anyone other than the local guests. I need to make my plans in advance in order to secure travel & hotel accommodations at a reasonable cost. The D23 events are obviously aimed at locals who travel from home for each event. The only ones who have ever improved as time goes on and learned from experience are the WDW Special Events team that handled Disneyana, the Art Classic Events and the Pin events. The Epcot Special Events team is what killed Disneyana. And they prove year after year that they can make the F & W Festival change for the worse. From my limited experience the D23 team is even worse than the Epcot Special Events team.

 

[dwtraveler]

That's why we are all so lucky to have the DISboarders on our side! Congrats to this site and all who give out the correct iformation.

Because of you all, I have the Food and Wine Festival events and deminars I wanted booked...I have my Candlelght Processional package booked with everything I wanted...I am taking a cruise with the Chip 'n Dale Cruisin' Nuts..and I can get all my questions answered correctly and make friends at the same time...Yeah, DISboards!!!

 

[lurkyloo]

I find it pathetic that D23 just posted their Sip & Stroll event info 2 days ago after everyone had already long ago committed to booking Festival Special Events & more recently Deminars. I wouldn't be surprised to see D23 fail in the near future. I changed my F & W trip dates due to lack of definite info from D23 so they will not be getting any money from me. I hope whoever attends their event has a better Fireworks Dessert Party than we did at the Flower & Fireworks event. ... From my limited experience the D23 team is even worse than the Epcot Special Events team.

I am right there with ya. I cannot believe we had to wait until 6 weeks before the D23 event to get info on it—and one month AFTER all the potentially conflicting Food & Wine events went on sale!

In D23's defense, it sounds like the problem was with getting info from the Epcot Special Events team. Maybe they consider D23 the redheaded stepchild and just kinda threw them whatever event space could be spared at the last minute...

 

[woolfcross]

On the other hand why should corporate pony-up the money on systems and employee continuing education when we consumers are willing to expend our energies to get exact information?


Corporate should pony-up the money on systems and employee continuing education to maintain their reputation and to provide the experience they promise and proudly advertise. Disney shouldn't count on this kind of devoted check-the-boards loyalty from attendees lasting forever--especially not in a down economy. The problems booking F&W festival events this year (not just the deminars) were awfully annoying. I'll enjoy the event--I always do, but next year I'm considering other F&W festivals that are more welcoming and easier to book. (yes! there are others!)

If the F&W festival doesn't do as well this year as in the past, then Disney should examine F&W Fest management. They they can do better than this-- and we can help by writing to suggest ways to improve. If we just shrug our shoulders and accept this inefficient way of doing things, then nothing will change.

 

[TDC Nala]

I went to three other food/wine festivals in the past year and there were different problems regarding booking and available info for all of them. Have also seen on this very thread the issues some were having booking and registering for the Swan/Dolphin Classic.

This is really how it's always been at the Disney festival after it got popular. When I first started going, it wasn't a problem, but the event was on a much smaller scale.

I'm not a member of D23 and I don't know how their events are going, but Disney (including Disneyland) has had timing and crowd control problems surrounding most of the special events I've been to.

 

[karrit2000]

I remember being at WDW for a Haunted Mansion event one October and calling up to get into the Le Cellier Food & Wine Pairing for the next day. I got in no problem, those were the days. I went back the next year and a friend who arrived down there before us was able to book all of us for the Le Cellier Pairing that year about a week ahead of time. We've been back every year since then except for last year and have seen enormous changes for the worse and a very few for the better. That's why we skipped last year. We'll see how this year goes before deciding whether or not to attend next year. We will not book any big $$ events that are being held in Palmhenge. We deserve better for our hard earned money.

I won't even discuss the problems with Disneyland Special Events but there is always the same name connected to their issues in my experience.

My experience with D23 is they will gladly take your money & if you won't pay it there is another dumb schlump who will. At the Flower & Fireworks event they gave us each a "lovely" light bulb allegedly from the Electric Water Pageant floats. They wrapped each one in tissue paper & stuffed them in generic small WDW Bags like you get in any WDW store and that was suppose to be one of our terrific gifts. No box, no special commemorative certificate, nothing to indicate where it came from other than some CM's word. At the EXPO last year it was announce that they had a 5 year contract with the Anaheim Convention Center to hold the Expo each year. This year everyone was anxiously awaiting the official announcement of the dates. When they finally did announce it was dates for next year 2011. They are now holding a much smaller event called Destination Disneyland in alternating years. It's not sold out yet. Sorry , I don't mean to hijack the F & W Thread but I miss the days when the Disney company cooperated with & among themselves to give every guest a wonderful experience they never expected.

 

[Theresa626]

Did anyone here actually get tickets to Robert Irvine or Andrew Zimmern that would be willing to sell them? I came on at 9 AM this morning and refreshed the page continuously for forever. When I finally got through, they were booked up already! That really pissed me off! Anyone know if it's even possible to get tickets for these the day of or if it's possible. what do you have to do to get them?

 

[Quacktatty]

My schedule just changed and I'll be able to make it to the D23 Sip and Stroll, but I don't think I'm going to bother. While it seems like some of the things would be interesting, it seems generally unorganized based on the schedule. I'll save my $85 or $185 for something else.

 

[TDC Nala]

I swore I wouldn't pay big bucks to sit in Palmhenge again either, and last year I didn't, but I am signed up for Andrew Zimmern's lunch event. He is a good presenter and it fit right into my time schedule.

Anyone know if it's even possible to get tickets for these the day of or if it's possible. what do you have to do to get them?

Get to the Festival Center when it opens. If it's like last year, they hold some tickets back for day-of sales.

It appears Zimmern, Irvine and Gerhard sold out of pre-booked tickets rather quickly this year.

 

[Quacktatty]

Jamie Deen tickets are sold out as well

 

[PSU]

Can't wait for F&W - Didn't get everything we wanted but heck - way, so, much better than the daily grind..53 days, 5 hrs ish. We live near NYC..3rd year for their F&W in early Oct....most celebs sold out there too, soo fast....actually think the locals kick it up a notch when the event is in town...like any profession...they're cooking for each other, so I figure it'll all be delicious