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

[shovan]

Thanks!

I think if I do need the scooter, I may be able to "park" it out of the way and walk to get food. I can usually walk for awhile but just not stand for hours. The scooter would guarantee I had a place to sit if I couldn't stand any longer. That's what I'm most worried about. I just don't have the ability to do this as a cocktail party and stand for 3 hours. I need a chair of some kind.

Good luck!

Fun sneak peek at

Food and Wine Festival Merchandise and a new Vinylmation

Really like the art work this year!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Fun sneak peek at

Food and Wine Festival Merchandise and a new Vinylmation

Thanks!

Like the "theme" for the merchandise. (Can live without Vinylmation, but I think they look like "mutant Mickey's" anyway! )

 

[horselover]

Fun sneak peek at

Food and Wine Festival Merchandise and a new Vinylmation

Thanks! It's a little hard to tell, but I think the Minnie is this year's limited edition pin? Very cute! I'll be picking that up for my collection.

 

[theycomefromallover]

So I am not a wine connoisseur! BUT, I do love a good wine! I know nothing about what wine goes with what food! Do any of you have suggestions or a link that could help me?

 

[redzinner]

There are so many on the web now.

We like wined in

 

[babyrich]

I love purple haze!!!

I'm excited to try the Jim Bean lemonade, sounds refreshing a nice change of pace from wine.

My DH and I love the Purple Haze Beer too. We buy it at home now. I even convinced one of the local liquor stores to try it and he told me its selling very well.

 

[TDC Nala]

OK. That vinylmation is ug-lee. But I like the wine bag. I may pick one up on the last weekend if they put them on sale.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I'm aware that the magic date and time this year to call 1-407-WDW-FEST to book the bigger F&W Festival events is Aug. 16 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.

But does anyone know what the story is this year regarding the Culinary Demos and Wine/Beverage Seminars? I've looked all over.

To refresh my memory, I looked at how it worked last year.

In 2010, the bigger F&W Festival events could only be booked over the phone by calling 1-407-WDW-FEST beginning at 7:00 a.m. Eastern on July 20, 2010 (4 weeks earlier than this year).

Then, in 2010, over a month passed before there were details about the Culinary Demos and Wine/Beverage Seminars. The details showed up online on Aug. 24, 2010. These demos and seminars could only be booked online (or at the Festival Center after the F&W Festival began).

TiW, DVC, and AP could begin booking demos and seminars on Aug. 25 (the day after they were announced) at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Some percentage of the seats for each demo and seminar could be booked at a discount by TiW, DVC, and AP. Then, the general public could begin booking demos and seminars on Aug. 27 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

Has Disney announced anything about the dates or process for 2011?

 

[TDC Nala]

I saw somewhere that the deminar schedule will be out August 12, booking opens August 16. Can't hold them to the release date though. I'll be out of town August 12. I'm not really interested in the deminars anyway.

As for the process...who knows. At the TIW sneak peak they were told that to get the TIW discount (and discounts will only be available for Monday-Thursday this year, plus there was no mention of DVC or AP discounts - possibly because it was a TIW sneak peek) you'd have to call to reserve them. As that's the first time it's ever been mentioned that you might be able to call for deminars, it's a departure from previous years and we'll have to wait and see what happens.

Sneak peek guests were also told that there would be online booking for the special events as well. At least that's how it was interpreted. No link or signup procedure has been put out by Disney yet. We're just going to have to wait longer.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I think Disney has decided
"they will pay us regardless of if we give them any information so why bother"

 

[dgbg100106]

I think Disney has decided
"they will pay us regardless of if we give them any information so why bother"

This part is the most annoying....

 

[Brocktoon]

For the Purple Haze fans ... if you get a chance, you should check out the Sam Adams Blackberry Wit at the Sammy kiosk. I'm not really a fruit infused wheat fan ... but the Blackberry Wit is one of the better beers available during the F&W Fest

For the folks in the Philly Area / Northeast US, my fav fruit/wheat is Sly Fox's Black Rasberry Reserve. Don't know how available it is in other parts of the country

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Hi TDC Nala,

Thank you for the reply.

I saw somewhere that the deminar schedule will be out August 12, booking opens August 16. Can't hold them to the release date though. I'll be out of town August 12. I'm not really interested in the deminars anyway.

It's interesting that they would open booking for the big events and the "deminars" on the same day.

As for the process...who knows. At the TIW sneak peak they were told that to get the TIW discount (and discounts will only be available for Monday-Thursday this year, plus there was no mention of DVC or AP discounts - possibly because it was a TIW sneak peek) you'd have to call to reserve them. As that's the first time it's ever been mentioned that you might be able to call for deminars, it's a departure from previous years and we'll have to wait and see what happens.

The combination of ever-increasing prices (for something that was included in Epcot admission until a couple of years ago) and fewer discounts is not encouraging.

Sneak peek guests were also told that there would be online booking for the special events as well. At least that's how it was interpreted. No link or signup procedure has been put out by Disney yet. We're just going to have to wait longer.

I just hope they don't try to use Disney's regular dining reservation booking engine. It's slow and annoying without the pressure of thousands of people trying to book at once.

 

[Dancind]

Another non-fan of booking special events and seminars on the same day. Since it will be 5 am here, I probably won't be very awake. That's too much to keep track of.

Blackberry beer sounds really good.

 

[AJW]

I saw somewhere that the deminar schedule will be out August 12, booking opens August 16. Can't hold them to the release date though. I'll be out of town August 12. I'm not really interested in the deminars anyway.

As for the process...who knows. At the TIW sneak peak they were told that to get the TIW discount (and discounts will only be available for Monday-Thursday this year, plus there was no mention of DVC or AP discounts - possibly because it was a TIW sneak peek) you'd have to call to reserve them. As that's the first time it's ever been mentioned that you might be able to call for deminars, it's a departure from previous years and we'll have to wait and see what happens.

Sneak peek guests were also told that there would be online booking for the special events as well. At least that's how it was interpreted. No link or signup procedure has been put out by Disney yet. We're just going to have to wait longer.

I just heard from a reader that the August 12th date for releasing info on the deminars is confirmed (they got the info from calling 407-WDW-FEST). Hopefully they'll give the link for booking as well.

Also, exclusive Annual Passholder and DVC Food and Wine Festival Pins are announced.

 

[ilovejsparrow]

For the Purple Haze fans ... if you get a chance, you should check out the Sam Adams Blackberry Wit at the Sammy kiosk. I'm not really a fruit infused wheat fan ... but the Blackberry Wit is one of the better beers available during the F&W Fest

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely be giving the blackberry wit a try.

To all you F&W veterans, what is your favorite dish? I know there are a few new ones but what old dishes are a must do?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I just heard from a reader that the August 12th date for releasing info on the deminars is confirmed (they got the info from calling 407-WDW-FEST). Hopefully they'll give the link for booking as well.

I hope the information is correct, but I've been given misinformation numerous times by agents at 407-WDW-FEST and 407-WDW-DINE.

Also, exclusive Annual Passholder and DVC Food and Wine Festival Pins are announced.

The link above doesn't work. Here's the correct URL:

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2011/08/09/2011-epcot-food-and-wine-festival-exclusive-pins/

 

[AJW]

I hope the information is correct, but I've been given misinformation numerous times by agents at 407-WDW-FEST and 407-WDW-DINE.


The link above doesn't work. Here's the correct URL:

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2011/08/09/2011-epcot-food-and-wine-festival-exclusive-pins/

So true on the incorrect info! I figured the TiW Preview folks saying August 12th and the WDW Fest people saying August 12 gave us a pretty good feeling. Fingers crossed!

Also, thanks for the update on the link. I'll go back and fix the other one!

 

[dgbg100106]

The pins are so cute. Really like the DVC pin.

 

[PoohNFriends]

The pins are so cute. Really like the DVC pin.

Me too! Anyone know if these sell out really fast? We won't be there until the end of October. And being a DVC pin do they limit selling them to only members showing their blue card (I hope so, otherwise it takes the uniqueness away of being a DVC pin if anyone can buy one).