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

[FigmentChick]

Crowds aren't too bad during the Festival. It gets crowded in Epcot on the weekends and evenings, but otherwise you should be OK. It's definitely not like Summer or the Holiday season! ;-)

To avoid the crowds in Epcot, go during the week, and head to world showcase when it opens at 11am. It's usually pretty dead

This is perfect advice! Our family usually ends up at EPCOT every afternoon/evening because we love it so much. However, you can definitely tell the crowds are increasing the later it gets.

Have fun!!!! (I know I'm planing to....he he he)

 

[dizneykid]

I wonder if this is what is taking the PftS on October 29th. From the Disney Food Blog.

"In fact, a new event focusing on families and healthy dining will take place on October 29th, featuring Andrew Zimmern and two other celebrity chefs, Bryan Voltaggio and Chris Cosentino. The event will “show the Chefs as Dads. They’re going to have their kids with them, who will be showing techniques that the family can do together,” says Hunnel. The evening will also feature non-alcoholic mixed drinks to pair with the meal!"

 

[TDC Nala]

Great. The one Saturday I can go to something, and it's a family centered event about healthy food and non-alcoholic beverages.

 

[TDC Nala]

How big do the crowds get during the F&WF? Is it only Epcot that gets crowded, or do all the parks pick up during that time? We want to sample of the fabulous foods, but crowds are not my forte. We thought going in October the crowds would be smaller. I wasn't aware of the Festival until after we booked.

If you are interested in avoiding crowds make sure you go on a Monday-Thursday. If you must go on a Friday, go early. If you must go on a Saturday, walk in right at 11 when WS opens, hit the booths you want to hit, and get out. Saturdays result in lines for everything. If you want to eat at WS on Saturday without standing in a line, make sure you have a restaurant reservation. There are even lines for the regular non-festival drink kiosks and the CS restaurants, not to mention the bathrooms. This may change if the weather isn't decent.

Sundays are a little better, but if you can do a Monday -Thursday at all, do that instead.

 

[ppiew]

No Grape Getaway this year! I am so bummed. There goes our planned for trip to WDW this fall!

 

[AJW]

I wonder if this is what is taking the PftS on October 29th. From the Disney Food Blog.

"In fact, a new event focusing on families and healthy dining will take place on October 29th, featuring Andrew Zimmern and two other celebrity chefs, Bryan Voltaggio and Chris Cosentino. The event will “show the Chefs as Dads. They’re going to have their kids with them, who will be showing techniques that the family can do together,” says Hunnel. The evening will also feature non-alcoholic mixed drinks to pair with the meal!"

If anyone wants to take a look at the other new events Marianne Hunnel spoke about during the interview, that link is here: 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Interview with Chef Marianne Hunnel

She mentioned the new chocolate seminars, mixology seminars, Sweet Seats at the 3D Dessert events, and a few other new additions.

 

[AJW]

Great. The one Saturday I can go to something, and it's a family centered event about healthy food and non-alcoholic beverages.

I'm going the first weekend, and it seems like there's not a lot going on then either! I haven't done First Bites (and probably won't this year). I'm there only 2 Sundays, but one is booked up and the other is when I'll be traveling back home, so I probably won't be able to take part in all the cool new Sunday stuff, either.

I think you need to go to the festival twice, Nala -- part of your job description!!

 

[kabuki]

I wonder if this is what is taking the PftS on October 29th. From the Disney Food Blog.

"In fact, a new event focusing on families and healthy dining will take place on October 29th, featuring Andrew Zimmern and two other celebrity chefs, Bryan Voltaggio and Chris Cosentino. The event will “show the Chefs as Dads. They’re going to have their kids with them, who will be showing techniques that the family can do together,” says Hunnel. The evening will also feature non-alcoholic mixed drinks to pair with the meal!"

We love that Chris Cosentino is apart of an event for healthy dining since he is the San Francisco chef that created the "meat cone" !!!! I also have a shirt from his Ferry Market Building space that says "Tasty Salted Pig Parts!"

 

[GuardMusic]

Can't wait to hear the details of the Sweet Seats!
Gayle

 

[redzinner]

We love that Chris Cosentino is apart of an event for healthy dining since he is the San Francisco chef that created the "meat cone" !!!! I also have a shirt from his Ferry Market Building space that says "Tasty Salted Pig Parts!"

I hear he's 'offaly' good at using the whole animal as food in his restaurant!

 

[kabuki]

I hear he's 'offaly' good at using the whole animal as food in his restaurant!

 

[babyrich]

Has anyone done this? If so, is it worth it??? TIA

 

[erionm]

Has anyone done this? If so, is it worth it??? TIA

Yes, last year. We enjoyed it and may do it again this year.

 

[mama03]

UGH, why no party for the senses on 10/29? I decided to check-in on a saturday to try this year, bummed. Anyone know Just answered my own question by looking back at threads. Well, might cancel arrival on a Saturday.

 

[TDC Nala]

I think you need to go to the festival twice, Nala -- part of your job description!!

I'm going three times - the first weekend, the weekend before Halloween, and the last weekend. I could go to the PFTS on 11/12 but my mother is coming that weekend and she says she isn't sure she's interested in doing it this year. All she requested was a lunch at Bistro de Paris if they're doing them.

I'm thinking of trying to book a restaurant now for 10/29.

I'm guessing Sweet Seats is at the very least a big markup for seating near the presenter. As to whether you get anything extra, probably - but that just jacks up the price. Sweet Sundays has never been a favorite event as I can take just so much sweet stuff.

 

[scoopmorgan]

thank you!

 

[karrit2000]

I'm so happy to see the Grand Marnier event will be back this year and extended into November. I'm bummed about the date the events go on sale since I will be at Disneyland for the D23 Expo that week. Guess I won't be getting much sleep on the night of the 15th.

I'm hoping that the reference to "pairings" in France & Italy means the Regional Lunches may be expanding to Italy too this year.

My take on the 3D Dessert It was really hot when we visited last year so I did not really enjoy the Dessert Party as much as I'd hoped. Too much sweetness for me given the weather. I definitely didn't get my money's worth unfortunately.

Sweet Sundays. I loved this event when it was held in the Odyssey Center. Hate the Palmhenge venue in the Wonders Pavilion. We did it once when they moved it there and decided it wasn't worth it anymore given the annual price increases and the noise & lack of privacy in Palmhenge.

Last year we attended the French Regional Lunches for the first time. Much better event IMO. So much more enjoyable than the pairings they had been doing in France previously.

I personally miss the all day Wine Schools even though I only got to attend one before they decided to shorten them to a few hours.

Based on my limited experience of the deminars last year we will most likely be passing on these this year. Just not really worth the $ to be packed in like sardines.

 

[TDC Nala]

One of my friends let me know there wouldn't be any discounted tickets offered for deminars on weekends this year, although I am not sure where the info came from, so be prepared if they're favorites of yours.

 

[Dancind]

The news about the deminar discounts came from the Marianne Hunnel interview, so I would say it's official. They do book the most interesting deminars on the weekends, so that's too bad. There are also more to choose from.

Did anyone here review any Signature dinners from the festival last year? Specifically, I would like to know if California Grill, Citricos, and Flying Fish dinners were as good as ever. And curious to know if Jiko and Blue Zoo improved from the year before.

The only one we attended last year was Portofino, and we would not do that one again. To sum it up: they served "beeramisu" made with a dark beer, with a dark beer to drink, as dessert. It was gross.

 

[TDC Nala]

California Grill's 2010 dinner was not as good as the 2009 one. That is not to say it was bad. Just that it was not as good as the 2009 one. I am going to sign up for Jiko because I like the winery and they have a new chef. I will not be signing up for Bluezoo signature dinners again.