**2011** Epcot Food & Wine Festival HAS ENDED. 2012 Festival 9/28 - 11/11

[TDC Nala]

OK, repeating my question before it gets pushed too far down:
know that I can book Party for the Senses, and a Chocolate thing. But what about the culinary demos? Are those "bookable" events, or is it just show up and hope you get in? Is there a schedule? There are a couple of chefs we really want to see. Am I correct in assuming that if they haven't been announced at a "big" event they'll be there for a demo (if their name has been announced)?

Here's the problem. I know I'm not clear on this for 2011 yet. In the past there was a special website for booking the "deminars" ahead of time. You could also purchase tickets at the door, they held some aside for that. If you wanted them discounted (TIW, DVC and AP got a bit of a discount) you had to buy them online. You could not book the deminars by phone at all.

This year they are saying ALL events, not just the deminars, will be bookable online and we don't know if they will use the same website. The special events will be bookable by phone as well. The attendees at the sneak peak for TIW came away with this info: There will be TIW discounted tickets but they will be for weekdays only. And you have to call to book the discounted tickets. So I don't know at all yet whether any non-discounted deminars can be booked by phone or you have to do it online, or if the site for booking deminars will be the same as the site for booking the special events.

You must have a ticket to get into the deminars. If it's a celebrity chef it will probably sell out, so book those ahead of time if you can - they do hold some back for sale at the venue but not very many, and there will probably be a line to get them for the popular demonstrators.

No, you can't assume that if a chef is present at the festival at a certain time that they will be doing a deminar, although it's certainly possible. There will be a schedule, but it's not out yet.

 

[KBoopaloo]

Finally booked our resorts for our October F&W trip and I am SO excited!

I did have a question about the pairing events and dietary restrictions. My parents would like to try the new Italy food and wine pairing being offered at Tutto Italia this year but my Dad has a shellfish allergy. I know that there isn't really a set menu for these events ahead of time but can they accommodate something like that? My mom is just concerned that he may have to skip an entire course if it has shellfish in it and then it really wouldn't be worth the cost.

Does anyone have any experience with this or know if they offer more than one option per course? Thanks so much!

 

[TDC Nala]

They may bring him something else. You should probably communicate this information as far ahead of time as you can. If you can put the info on the reservation, do that. If not, when you arrive, tell somebody. The chef would have to make him something.

 

[AJW]

Would like more info on the 10 vertical wine tasting at California Grill Nov.5th. Is a meal included or is it just a wine course? For 225.00 I expect food. Anyone have any idea?

My guess is that there will be food! Imagine the people staggering out of the tasting if there wasn't. Yikes.

 

[PatriciaH]

Thanks for posting the links to the program booklet. I think we will do PFTS without the WVL, a tequila lunch at La Hacienda and maybe a Cat Cora dinner.

 

[franandaj]

Finally booked our resorts for our October F&W trip and I am SO excited!

I did have a question about the pairing events and dietary restrictions. My parents would like to try the new Italy food and wine pairing being offered at Tutto Italia this year but my Dad has a shellfish allergy. I know that there isn't really a set menu for these events ahead of time but can they accommodate something like that? My mom is just concerned that he may have to skip an entire course if it has shellfish in it and then it really wouldn't be worth the cost.

Does anyone have any experience with this or know if they offer more than one option per course? Thanks so much!

I can't speak for Italy, but in Japan I did a tasting. I don't care for salmon, so I usually say I'm allergic. I thought they would substitute something, but instead they just gave me a plate without it. They didn't give me any more of the other offering either, just omitted it.

 

[dgbg100106]

I can't speak for Italy, but in Japan I did a tasting. I don't care for salmon, so I usually say I'm allergic. I thought they would substitute something, but instead they just gave me a plate without it. They didn't give me any more of the other offering either, just omitted it.

I would have expected something in exchange for it.

 

[KBoopaloo]

I can't speak for Italy, but in Japan I did a tasting. I don't care for salmon, so I usually say I'm allergic. I thought they would substitute something, but instead they just gave me a plate without it. They didn't give me any more of the other offering either, just omitted it.

Thanks for sharing. That is what I was nervous about. It will seem like a waste if there is a whole course (or more) he is unable to eat. Maybe they will have to reconsider giving this a try.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I can't speak for Italy, but in Japan I did a tasting. I don't care for salmon, so I usually say I'm allergic. I thought they would substitute something, but instead they just gave me a plate without it. They didn't give me any more of the other offering either, just omitted it.

I am sorry, but this just seems wrong to me. If you are really allergic then say so but using "allergy" to get special treatment...

I do know that often when booking they have told me that "special dietary needs may not be met" so perhaps you could ask when you call.

 

[4orm]

My husband did a vertical at the Cali Grill a few years ago. There was a couple small amounts of cheeses to compliment the wines, but that was it for food. The wine is the star of the show with the vertical tastings. The wines were extremely expensive and he felt the price of the event was reasonable for what they received. Many of the wines he tasted were $100/glass if you were going to order them at a restaurant.
Wine tasting traditionally isn't a staggering kind of thing. You're supposed to spit the wine (not that many did). He was pretty happy when he came of the the vertical tasting

 

[karrit2000]

Finally booked our resorts for our October F&W trip and I am SO excited!

I did have a question about the pairing events and dietary restrictions. My parents would like to try the new Italy food and wine pairing being offered at Tutto Italia this year but my Dad has a shellfish allergy. I know that there isn't really a set menu for these events ahead of time but can they accommodate something like that? My mom is just concerned that he may have to skip an entire course if it has shellfish in it and then it really wouldn't be worth the cost.

Does anyone have any experience with this or know if they offer more than one option per course? Thanks so much!

In the past Tutto has been pretty good about substituting for those who have food allergies or issues. Make sure you get to speak with the Manager when you check in for the event. Also try to have them note it on the reservation. We did have an issue with my mom who specifically told them she could not have anything with seafood and seeds or nuts but they served her a dish of pasta with a tomato sauce with tomato seeds anyway. We tried to get her to send it back but she wouldn't. They did substitute for the seafood.

We also ran into issues at the French Regional lunch despite making sure they noted it on our reservation ahead of time. They were very accomodating when we reminded them that she couldn't have the seafood.

 

[Inkmahm]

Does anyone know if I can use Disney gift cards to pay for the F&W events that I reserve on August 16th when we can call in or do I have to pay with a credit card?

Anyone know? Has anyone done this in the past?

 

[oybolshoi]

Anyone know? Has anyone done this in the past?

I don't know the answer to this - you could try calling Tables in Wonderland and asking them - they are the madmen behind the festival. Or you could just have both credit card and giftcard at the ready when you call in so that if they tell you no on the gc you have the other close at hand to book your events.

 

[29apr00]

what is the thursday like the day before F&W opens??? I know they have the First Bites that day, but we can't take the kids to that. We don't want to go Friday because the crowds would be too much for them. Thursday really is the only day we can do it. I've found only 1 site that mentioned a cast preview day on the thursday before the festival opened, back in 2009. do they do that every year? are we going to miss it if thursday is the only day we can go?

I know i'll have the afterparty after the marathon, but really.......after the fiasco last year, I'm not counting on actually getting anything that night!

 

[KBoopaloo]

In the past Tutto has been pretty good about substituting for those who have food allergies or issues. Make sure you get to speak with the Manager when you check in for the event. Also try to have them note it on the reservation. We did have an issue with my mom who specifically told them she could not have anything with seafood and seeds or nuts but they served her a dish of pasta with a tomato sauce with tomato seeds anyway. We tried to get her to send it back but she wouldn't. They did substitute for the seafood.

We also ran into issues at the French Regional lunch despite making sure they noted it on our reservation ahead of time. They were very accomodating when we reminded them that she couldn't have the seafood.

Thanks, that is more encouraging. I guess I will just have to ask when booking and see what they say. They had originally thought about one of the French lunches but in looking at past menus, it seemed like there was a lot of shellfish in the dishes so we thought we might have better luck in Italy. Guess I will just wait and see!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

what is the thursday like the day before F&W opens??? I know they have the First Bites that day, but we can't take the kids to that. We don't want to go Friday because the crowds would be too much for them. Thursday really is the only day we can do it. I've found only 1 site that mentioned a cast preview day on the thursday before the festival opened, back in 2009. do they do that every year? are we going to miss it if thursday is the only day we can go?

I know i'll have the afterparty after the marathon, but really.......after the fiasco last year, I'm not counting on actually getting anything that night!

I know last year on Thursday MOST of the booths were open for CM preview. No guratnees.


(I agree 150% on the "afterparty" disaster!)

 

[katejay]

I was reading the discription for the Signature Dinner and had a few questions. Is the dinner a pre-determined menu or do you have choices. My wife being a vegetarian and I do not eat seafood. We know we are limited but we would love to try one of these events. TIA

 

[Dancind]

I was reading the discription for the Signature Dinner and had a few questions. Is the dinner a pre-determined menu or do you have choices. My wife being a vegetarian and I do not eat seafood. We know we are limited but we would love to try one of these events. TIA

It is a fixed menu, everyone is served the same thing. You could call and ask them about your dietary restrictions but what is the point? They plan their dishes to go with certain wines that are being served. You might be better off going to the restaurant on your own, ordering what you like off the menu, and doing your own wine pairing. The signature restaurants are pretty good at recommending wines for each course. Unless you pick the most expensive wines, this would probably be a cheaper evening for you anyway.

 

[TDC Nala]

The last two years I've been seated at the California Grill signature with a gentleman who doesn't eat seafood. If a course involved seafood they would bring him a different item. Sometimes his stuff looked better than what the rest of us got. It's not the same for every event though; there've been other events where persons couldn't get a course substituted, or they have to go outside the event to do the substitution. I have a friend who doesn't eat red meat (she is not a vegetarian, she eats fish and poultry). Once at one of the festival center lunch events, they substituted her meat course with whatever the chef who did the veggie demo before the lunch was serving. I think it was a veggie chili. Or they might end up doing things like serving more of the side veggies without the main, rather than provide another main. What they can do depends on what they have in the kitchen and the time they have to prepare things off the set menu.

Because at a lot of the events I've been to a vegetarian would have to have EVERY course substituted except maybe dessert, for vegetarians I'd suggest doing the events only if it's a vegetarian event (they've done a few and its' been announced that the events would be vegetarian) although someplace like California Grill might be able to put together some good veggie substitutes with prior notice. I just don't know about asking them to substitute every course. There won't be any adjustment to the price, though.

I would just go to California Grill one night and ask them to put together a veggie sampling platter. They can do a good one, and it'd be cheaper, and you can select your wine or have the sommelier recommend one.

 

[ImprovGal]

I have a friend who doesn't eat red meat (she is not a vegetarian, she eats fish and poultry). Once at one of the festival center lunch events, they substituted her meat course with whatever the chef who did the veggie demo before the lunch was serving. I think it was a veggie chili. Or they might end up doing things like serving more of the side veggies without the main, rather than provide another main. What they can do depends on what they have in the kitchen and the time they have to prepare things off the set menu.

Festival Center events have much less leeway with substitutions than the Signature Dinner events at restaurants. The lunch event you mention happened to be Todd English's event. The appetizer was something meat-based. The entree was Wagyu beef with mushrooms (mushrooms are the one veggie I can't stand). Instead they gave me larger portions of 2 of that day's deminar dishes -- Pam Smith's turkey chili and I think a vegetarian dish.

For a Signature dinner, there are usually so many courses that I couldn't finish everything anyway, so I just pass the meat to a friend, but I'm not that picky about cross-contamination issues.