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

[disneybound31]

Can I use my WDW gift cards or WDW Chase rewards dollars to buy F+W items from the booths? Read through 20 pages and gave up on finding this answer...TIA!

 

[HelenParr]

Yes, you can use Rewards card and Disney gift cards at the food booths.

I always keep some cash handy in case the system is slow or down. Doesn't happen much, but happens.

 

[vossjemi]

I think you have an excellent plan in place right now for Epcot with kids - Akershus for an early breakfast and Coral Reef for dinner time. You can do lunch as a series of snacks throughout the F&W booths. But, I don't think I would want to do 2 meals with kids out of the F&W booths. Not so much because of the food (kids love 'little foods'). But, you'll be grateful to sit down at an actual table and have the kids slow down and eat dinner. There's no place to sit down at F&W. But, if you don't have enough credits, Epcot has the best counter service restaurants, the three that I have tried - Tangierine Cafe (really good!), Sunshine Seasons, and Boulangerie Patisserie - all had some really yummy choices.

P.S - We've had both lunch and dinner at Coral Reef and it's one of my favorite choices for park dining. My fish has always been cooked perfectly (i.e., not overcooked) and they have some nice meal choices for kids (Mahi Mahi).

Thanks for your advice and everyone's actually!!! You know how you 2nd guess plans sometimes? Well, it seems like I did good the first time around. hahaha Yeah, we'll lunch/snack it in the world and stick with coral reef. I think I've figured out our struggle morning since wilderness lodge is so close to FW and they have a counter/quick service at roaring fork which is what we needed with our credits left. Can't wait and keep the F&W festival posts coming!

 

[mama03]

Mmm... Wonder what really is going on with Cat Cora. She is attending the Savor the central coast this weekend in California. Maybe it has something to do with filming her new show, not the passing of a loved family member.

 

[sushilover]

Thanks for your advice and everyone's actually!!! You know how you 2nd guess plans sometimes? Well, it seems like I did good the first time around. hahaha Yeah, we'll lunch/snack it in the world and stick with coral reef. I think I've figured out our struggle morning since wilderness lodge is so close to FW and they have a counter/quick service at roaring fork which is what we needed with our credits left. Can't wait and keep the F&W festival posts coming!

You might want to consider having breakfast at WPE in DTD if your schedule permits. The breakfast entrees and pizza look amazing especially for a counter service credit. WPE does not open until 9 AM though.

 

[AURAVAD]

We will be there Sunday 10/30. Never been to Epcot before. 3 adults/3kids ages 11, 9, and 5. We have Princess Storybook Breakfast scheduled for 8:05 am, hopefully to be done and get us a good start on this park for the 9:00 opening time. Also, right now we have Coral Reef tenatively booked at 5:25, hearing the kids might really enjoy this aquarium style restaurant.

BUT, we are only doing 4 nights so our TS credits are limited and it seems like we have a lot of snack credits that could potentially go to waste and where better to use them than the F&W Festival, right??? We plan to stay all the way to the end with Illuminations and see what we can of Epcot in that one day.

So, my question is would you cancel Coral Reef and just sample the world the rest of the day? We are staying at Fort Wilderness Cabins and Trails End is the buffet style table service restaurant that we would most likely swap out for a breakfast one morning. I know probably no real comparison in food, right? Better value for $ at CR? But if we eat 2 meals at Epcot, will we have time and/or be hungry for all that wonderful snacking??? LOL And I'm struggling one morning with what to do about breakfast. We could buy/eat something in the room, but why when we have all these credits? hahaha

Just curious what all you seasoned Disers would do. Thanks!

Just my 2 cents but that seems like an awful long day at Epcot with 3 kids.
Are you planning on a midday break back at the pool?
My 9 year old DS would never last that long...it would be miserable for all of us.

 

[rusafee1183]

Does anyone know if they have posted the prices for this year yet anywhere?

Everywhere I look has 2010 prices

 

[bconlan]

All of the food booth prices are out there...check DisneyFoodBlog, they have them. Others do too.

 

[basketlacey]

Thanks for your advice and everyone's actually!!! You know how you 2nd guess plans sometimes? Well, it seems like I did good the first time around. hahaha Yeah, we'll lunch/snack it in the world and stick with coral reef. I think I've figured out our struggle morning since wilderness lodge is so close to FW and they have a counter/quick service at roaring fork which is what we needed with our credits left. Can't wait and keep the F&W festival posts coming!

We are only going to have 1 day at F&W this year (arriving the last weekend of the festival). OUr party will be 6 adults and 5 kids. I plan to eat a light breakfast, snack around the world for lunch, early dinner at Via Napoli and then hopefully room for a few more snacks in the evening.

 

[ilovejsparrow]

Does everyone recommend getting to WS right when it opens? I would assume that's the least busy time of day.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I read on a trip report that one person was told that the F&W wristlet gift card could not be purchased using your Key To The World card/room charge (they had enabled it with charge privileges). They were apparently told that you had to use cash, check or regular credit card . Anyone else find this to be true or was this just unique to the cast member they encountered?

I typically only carry my KTTW card and a bit of cash but don't want to be caught short as I am planning on sampling lots of goodies!

If only I prepared for other things in life the way I am planning for this trip!!

 

[bconlan]

You should definitely plan to hit WS right when it opens, especially if you're there on a weekend or Fri evening. Weekdays should be lighter.

 

[vossjemi]

Just my 2 cents but that seems like an awful long day at Epcot with 3 kids.
Are you planning on a midday break back at the pool?
My 9 year old DS would never last that long...it would be miserable for all of us.

Yeah, we have 3 really long days planned, but yes we will also play it by ear. If the kids want a break to swim or nap or anything, we will most definitely take a midday break. But knowing my kids, they won't want to leave!!! hahaha Especially the 5 year old. We did a commando day at Seaworld a couple years ago and noone wanted to stop, but 2 of them fell asleep in the car before we even got out of the parking lot when it closed. hahaha

 

[horselover]

Does everyone recommend getting to WS right when it opens? I would assume that's the least busy time of day.

That is a good plan as long as you don't mind eating heavy food that early. I usually save the wine sampling until 12:00 but that's just me.

I read on a trip report that one person was told that the F&W wristlet gift card could not be purchased using your Key To The World card/room charge (they had enabled it with charge privileges). They were apparently told that you had to use cash, check or regular credit card . Anyone else find this to be true or was this just unique to the cast member they encountered?

I typically only carry my KTTW card and a bit of cash but don't want to be caught short as I am planning on sampling lots of goodies!

If only I prepared for other things in life the way I am planning for this trip!!

Yes, this is true. This was announced awhile ago, but I can't remember where I read it now. I know someone that is there this weekend & was also not allowed to purchase the gift card on her KTTW card. Be sure to have cash or a regular credit card with you.

 

[BriarRosie]

I read on a trip report that one person was told that the F&W wristlet gift card could not be purchased using your Key To The World card/room charge (they had enabled it with charge privileges). They were apparently told that you had to use cash, check or regular credit card . Anyone else find this to be true or was this just unique to the cast member they encountered?

I typically only carry my KTTW card and a bit of cash but don't want to be caught short as I am planning on sampling lots of goodies!

If only I prepared for other things in life the way I am planning for this trip!!

It's true. Think of it this way. The KTTW card is an internal card linked through the WDW resort system, charging back to your resort. The resort will then take the room charges and apply it to the credit card you put down at check in.

The Festival gift card is sold like any other gift card. The only way to pay for those are with immediate forms of payment (aka cash/check/credit card).

Hope that helps.

 

[Disneylovers]

I hope this question hasn't been asked yet, and I missed it. We are going for the first time this year and our DD wants to know, is there some way she can get a wrist band that shows she's over 21, so that she doesn't have to pull out her I.D. at every booth we purchase an adult beverage at? She doesn't look 21 and is used to digging out her ID as she orders when we go out to eat here at home. Since she will have an out of state ID, she has it down to a science to let the person checking know which line on her drivers license to look at so that they don't have to keep staring at it. She's just hoping there is a way to prevent having to pull out her ID so often. Thanks!!!

 

[Tltorrez]

I hope this question hasn't been asked yet, and I missed it. We are going for the first time this year and our DD wants to know, is there some way she can get a wrist band that shows she's over 21, so that she doesn't have to pull out her I.D. at every booth we purchase an adult beverage at? She doesn't look 21 and is used to digging out her ID as she orders when we go out to eat here at home. Since she will have an out of state ID, she has it down to a science to let the person checking know which line on her drivers license to look at so that they don't have to keep staring at it. She's just hoping there is a way to prevent having to pull out her ID so often. Thanks!!!

DSis would love to have that option. But as far as I know, there's nothing like that. I just wish it was listed right on your KTTW card. Then you'd only have to show it once when you checked in. That would make life so much easier.

 

[B'rer Karen]

It's true. Think of it this way. The KTTW card is an internal card linked through the WDW resort system, charging back to your resort. The resort will then take the room charges and apply it to the credit card you put down at check in.

The Festival gift card is sold like any other gift card. The only way to pay for those are with immediate forms of payment (aka cash/check/credit card).

Hope that helps.

But you could do it last year (I know because I did it several times). So I don't really understand the change.

 

[horselover]

But you could do it last year (I know because I did it several times). So I don't really understand the change.

I did it last year too. Who knows why they do what they do.

I see from your ticker you're already there! Hope you're having a great time.

 

[B'rer Karen]

I did it last year too. Who knows why they do what they do.

I see from your ticker you're already there! Hope you're having a great time.

Yup, I've already put quite a dent in that festival gift card.