The 2010 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Thread

[tony67]

I would like to see a dessert wine bar ... they got a little closer this year with the champagne and dessert booth, but I want to see more drink variety because I don't think the champagne pairs especially well with dessert. Give us some port ... both a ruby and a tawny ... some ice wine ... some Frozin ... and something like Allegro Moscato ... and then I'd be a happy girl!

I also think they should have a stand that sells coffees and tea from around the world ... with alcoholic options, of course.

They should beef up the cheese classes or dump them altogether - We've never attended one even though we adore artisan cheese because I've seen too many reviews showing really stingy cheese portions. Do you know how much artisan cheese I could buy today for $75 (times 2!)??? Holy Mother of Cheese Cloth ... we'd be eating pounds of French and Italian cheese for months!

The beer options have been discussed plenty and I agree most of the suggestions, but I have to say that the $28 build-a-six pack was the second most hilarious thing we saw at the Festival Center. The first being a $90 bottle of Macallan single malt scotch that we can buy at home for $50. For thirty dollars those six beers better blow the top right off of my head! That money would be better spent in the ditch!

What about the $210 bottle of Cognac that the presenter said you can get for about $130.
I think someone said something to him because I noticed they stopped quoting prices after that.

For example the Vodka presenter would only say it is a few dollars more than other Vodkas no matter how many times you asked her for a price range.

The wines and champagnes in the marketplace were also ridiculous, it makes the mini bar at the Dolphin look like a bargain.

As for the $28 build-a-six pack, I laughed every time I saw it.
I can't see buying it unless it was cold and you could drink it in the park

 

[oybolshoi]

What about the $210 bottle of Cognac that the presenter said you can get for about $130.
I think someone said something to him because I noticed they stopped quoting prices after that.

For example the Vodka presenter would only say it is a few dollars more than other Vodkas no matter how many times you asked her for a price range.

The wines and champagnes in the marketplace were also ridiculous, it makes the mini bar at the Dolphin look like a bargain.

As for the $28 build-a-six pack, I laughed every time I saw it.
I can't see buying it unless it was cold and you could drink it in the park

I don't know enough about cognac to laught at those prices! Although after our cognac seminar we did buy a bottle of the Remy Martin 1738 when Remington Steele told us that it retailed for about $45 (we paid $50 with tax at the Welcome Center and found it here at home for the same price).

The Vodka lady was not a very good presenter ... it must have been her first assignment. I found Chopin here at home for $40 a bottle. We usually like to buy Cirroc and can find it for about $30 at our favorite local boozery. I don't think either one of us were so impressed with Chopin that we want to pay ten dollars more than we already do for something we enjoy more.

 

[Sandy321]

Good Point -

I'm down with some Ports, Sherrys, Moscatos - and Irish Coffees (Baily Irish Creme... or other brands)

$28 for a 6pak? (and not cold to enjoy in the park - )

I wonder with all the surveys and less attendance at the Party for the Senses - if maybe they will price it a bit lower next year? (One can dream cant I??)

 

[tony67]

I don't know enough about cognac to laught at those prices! Although after our cognac seminar we did buy a bottle of the Remy Martin 1738 when Remington Steele told us that it retailed for about $45 (we paid $50 with tax at the Welcome Center and found it here at home for the same price).

The Vodka lady was not a very good presenter ... it must have been her first assignment. I found Chopin here at home for $40 a bottle. We usually like to buy Cirroc and can find it for about $30 at our favorite local boozery. I don't think either one of us were so impressed with Chopin that we want to pay ten dollars more than we already do for something we enjoy more.

I found it to be the same price as most of the commercial "high end" (Kettle One or GG) vodkas in my local. I assume she did not want to keep people from buying it in the marketplace.

I really liked the Chopin.

I am not a fan of warm vodka shots, but I found it drinkable even warm.
I had avoided it in the past and usually pick Kettle One or GG even though I don't really like them.

Since most places have it and very few have SV Silk I'll be going with Chopin in my Martini's as a backup.

 

[oybolshoi]

I found it to be the same price as most of the commercial "high end" (Kettle One or GG) vodkas in my local. I assume she did not want to keep people from buying it in the marketplace.

I really liked the Chopin.

I am not a fan of warm vodka shots, but I found it drinkable even warm.
I had avoided it in the past and usually pick Kettle One or GG even though I don't really like them.

Since most places have it and very few have SV Silk I'll be going with Chopin in my Martini's as a backup.

I agree that the Chopin was tasty - much smoother than the Grey Goose shot they gave us to compare it against. Still, we're happy with the Cirroc for our martinis so that's where I think we'll stay for now.

Did she go on and on about the CEO martini that she wanted to serve everyone? At our seminar she made it sound like the Disney shirts wouldn't let her give it to attendees because it might make them too drunk. That didn't make any sense to me at all since people can get drunk almost anywhere in Epcot that they'd like. I don't think one little martini wasn't going to push anyone over the edge, but I did like the strawberry balsamic martini that we were provided - even though it was warm ,too.

 

[tony67]

I agree that the Chopin was tasty - much smoother than the Grey Goose shot they gave us to compare it against. Still, we're happy with the Cirroc for our martinis so that's where I think we'll stay for now.

Did she go on and on about the CEO martini that she wanted to serve everyone? At our seminar she made it sound like the Disney shirts wouldn't let her give it to attendees because it might make them too drunk. That didn't make any sense to me at all since people can get drunk almost anywhere in Epcot that they'd like. I don't think one little martini wasn't going to push anyone over the edge, but I did like the strawberry balsamic martini that we were provided - even though it was warm ,too.

Yeah. I don't think Disney wants people getting drunk for "Free". I really would have liked the CEO and I had already had the strawberry balsamic martini at the culinary seminar for the stacked breakfast. MMM breakfast martinis.

That being said they gave us a LOT of rum at the rum seminar.
The standard three "shots" ( I complained that I had a small shot of the 8yr old and Bud took care of me ) then they gave us a 4th very large shot of the Drangonberry rum with ICE. That was awesome. I will be keeping a bottle of that in my freezer.

 

[oybolshoi]

Yeah. I don't think Disney wants people getting drunk for "Free". I really would have liked the CEO and I had already had the strawberry balsamic martini at the culinary seminar for the stacked breakfast. MMM breakfast martinis.

That being said they gave us a LOT of rum at the rum seminar.
The standard three "shots" ( I complained that I had a small shot of the 8yr old and Bud took care of me ) then they gave us a 4th very large shot of the Drangonberry rum with ICE. That was awesome. I will be keeping a bottle of that in my freezer.

Tell me about the dragonberry rum ... what does it really taste like? We never got around to trying it and I really wanted to.

 

[tony67]

Tell me about the dragonberry rum ... what does it really taste like? We never got around to trying it and I really wanted to.

It is flavored with dragon fruit and strawberry.
It tasted like Strawberries to me, but Drangonberry sounds more exotic.
It is only 70 proof so it may turn to slush in the freezer, so that may be an issue.
The lower alcohol would make it great for Jell-O shots.

I am thinking it would be nice with Godiva chocolate liquor to make a chocolate covered strawberry martini.

 

[TDC Nala]

Some years ago they had a kiosk where you could buy a flourless chocolate cake and a glass (OK, plastic cup) of port. Where is it and where has it gone? Same place as the beef stroganoff most likely.

 

[DisneyGerry]

was over there yesterday, getting dressed up for Christmas--tons of Poinsettias.

No sign of the Intl F&W festival other than the kiosk from Mexico still in front of Mexico? I wonder if that one was one of the more popular ones so they kept it up??

 

[MrsToad]

I would like to see a recipe book with ALL the recipes from that year's festival.

In 2007 we purchased the festival recipe book and it seemed to have almost every marketplace recipe, if not all of them. It was a soft cover book, about the size of a single subject notebook you buy your kids for school. It sold for $13.50. I LOVED this book.

Last year (2008), they had a terrible 3 ring hard cover book for about $21.00. It had only a few of the marketplace recipes. It was mostly made up of section dividers and many blank pages for "adding your own recipes." It was sealed in plastic so I didn't realize what I had purchased until I got back to the room and opened it. By the time I returned it later in the trip, they apparently had marked down the price of the book.

This year (2009), the book was similar in size to the 2007 version so I was very hopeful that they had returned to that format. It was called something like "The Top 50 Requested Recipes" and had selected recipes from all of Disney, not just the festival. I was very disappointed as I browsed through the book; almost none of this year's marketplace recipes that I wanted were in the book; I did not buy it. There are already many cookbooks for sale throughout WDW that include "favorite" recipes; why couldn't they make the festival cookbook contain just festival recipes!

 

[oybolshoi]

You are right - 2007 and 2006 cookbooks had all the festival recipes and those cookbooks are awesome! I was so annoyed with last year's that for the first time in years I didn't buy it.

I was a little happier with this year's version but it annoys me too that they don't have all the recipes included. It just doesn't make sense to me. And why can't they include all the drink recipes, too?

I would like to see a recipe book with ALL the recipes from that year's festival.

In 2007 we purchased the festival recipe book and it seemed to have almost every marketplace recipe, if not all of them. It was a soft cover book, about the size of a single subject notebook you buy your kids for school. It sold for $13.50. I LOVED this book.

Last year (2008), they had a terrible 3 ring hard cover book for about $21.00. It had only a few of the marketplace recipes. It was mostly made up of section dividers and many blank pages for "adding your own recipes." It was sealed in plastic so I didn't realize what I had purchased until I got back to the room and opened it. By the time I returned it later in the trip, they apparently had marked down the price of the book.

This year (2009), the book was similar in size to the 2007 version so I was very hopeful that they had returned to that format. It was called something like "The Top 50 Requested Recipes" and had selected recipes from all of Disney, not just the festival. I was very disappointed as I browsed through the book; almost none of this year's marketplace recipes that I wanted were in the book; I did not buy it. There are already many cookbooks for sale throughout WDW that include "favorite" recipes; why couldn't they make the festival cookbook contain just festival recipes!

 

[silvermst3k]

i've read that the f&w festival starts the last week of september (which is value season for resorts). the dates on the disney website say that it starts the first week of october. which is correct? we really want to hit the f&w fest, and would love to save the monsy by going in value season if we can.

 

[oybolshoi]

This year's Festival begins on October 1st.

 

[OKW Lover]

According to the official Disney website it runs October 1 through November 14, 2010.

 

[silvermst3k]

well, i'll guess we'll just be paying a bit higher rate because we don't want to miss the festival. thanks!

 

[aubriee]

well, i'll guess we'll just be paying a bit higher rate because we don't want to miss the festival. thanks!

That's probably what we're going to do also. When I was there last Sept/Oct I was able to book the bounceback free dining for Sept 25th-Oct 3rd 2010. When I was booking, I mentioned to the CM that I really wanted to be there for the first full week of the Food & Wine Festival. For some reason with the bounceback offer, the last day you could check in and still get free dining was like on a Wed (Sept 29th). Because of our jobs our vacations must start on a Sat and end on a Sat or Sun, so in order to get the free dining the last day I could start our vacation was on Sat Sept 25th. The CM I was booking with laughed and said yes, that Disney had purposely made it where if people booked the bounceback free dining then they'd only get the first two days of the F&W festival. When we went back to WDW in Dec the bounceback offer was for 35% off at moderates during most dates in 2010. I booked another bounceback offer for late Oct using that code. I'll probably keep that ressie and cancel our free dining deal, even though the free dining deal is a better deal. My husband says he'd rather pay more and have the F&W Festival going on all week.

 

[kazzy3]

Thanks for this info, now can anyone help me convince dh to go for a grownups only trip just for f&W?

 

[mef78]

Thanks for this info, now can anyone help me convince dh to go for a grownups only trip just for f&W?

I need the same magic bullet to convince my DH! Let me know when you find it!

 

[BriarRosie]

Thanks for this info, now can anyone help me convince dh to go for a grownups only trip just for f&W?

I need the same magic bullet to convince my DH! Let me know when you find it!

Click the green link in my signature to my F&WF dining report from this past October. That might convince your DH to try the kiosks and avoid Todd English.