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

[franandaj]

It's always been that you call for special event booking. It has never been done online. Everything listed on the booklet that has been posted, you have to call for.

They do book the demonstrations and the seminars online. In the past you never called for those - you had to do them online. They appear to be deviating this year as it's been revealed you will have to call if you want the TIW discounted tickets for the seminars.

I took as it as the demos/seminars were the only things you can book online - as in the same things you could last year. The other special events needing to be called in.

When I went to the dessert thing last year, they have glasses there at each table the liquor was served at.

I think I just answered my own question trying to decipher what you two told me.

This is what was on the Disney Food Blog:

Seminars Will Be Available For Booking on August 16th
At this time, Food and Wine Festival Special Events will be able to be booked on August 16th at 7am ET (call 407 WDW-FEST for details). Special events will be available through online booking again this year. Sweet Seats and Wine View Lounge tickets must be purchased by phone.

 

[TDC Nala]

Special events will be available through online booking again this year.

But the special events have never been available through online booking. So how can they be available through online booking "again this year?"

If the guests at the sneak peek were told you can only book the seminars online, that's probably how they are going to do it. We will still have to see if they make the other events available online. It would be a big change if they did.

 

[franandaj]

But the special events have never been available through online booking. So how can they be available through online booking "again this year?"

If the guests at the sneak peek were told you can only book the seminars online, that's probably how they are going to do it. We will still have to see if they make the other events available online. It would be a big change if they did.

That's really interesting. For the CA F&W Fest (I should get one of those RIP things like you have for the Adventurer's Club! Though I hope they bring it back in 2013) it was only booked online. There was no way to call in or book it other than online. If the events hadn't sold out by the time the festival started they had computers in the welcome center to use to book online.

 

[TDC Nala]

I've booked events for California so yes, they did book online for those. But WDW has never had booking for F&W special events online. There were rumors that they might this year, but DisYoda said she got the impression from the sneak peek that online booking would be just for the Festival Center seminars.

 

[franandaj]

I've booked events for California so yes, they did book online for those. But WDW has never had booking for F&W special events online. There were rumors that they might this year, but DisYoda said she got the impression from the sneak peek that online booking would be just for the Festival Center seminars.

That will make it easier, I won't be trying to book what I can online while hitting "redial" to get someone on the phone!

 

[AJW]

But the special events have never been available through online booking. So how can they be available through online booking "again this year?"

If the guests at the sneak peek were told you can only book the seminars online, that's probably how they are going to do it. We will still have to see if they make the other events available online. It would be a big change if they did.

My bad! I could have sworn they were all available for online booking last year, but I definitely trust you. I didn't book any of the expensive events last year -- just deminars.

It does sound like everything will be bookable online though this year. I hope they're clearer about it when the booklets and other info comes out.

 

[LMO429]

I hope they do online booking, I think it would be easier this way. I'm not relying on years past as far as the way disney will handle the festival this year. Epcot "always" closed at 9pm (except for the holidays 9:30pm or emh) but this year at food and wine there are 10pm closing time at epcot. so I guess at this point anything is possible. that is why this thread is great

 

[Dancind]

Wonderful news that the dates and places are being announced a little earlier this year. We now have to decide between Signature dinners at Citricos or Flying Fish, and Alsace or Champagne French Regional Lunches. Wish I could find some reviews on these events in the past.

 

[OKW Lover]

Be careful what you wish for. Given our experience with Disney's websites in the past, opening up event booking on line will be a disaster.

 

[Tess]

The tiw books will be sent out at the end of July

Thanks! I remember that they have been out a bit sooner in the last couple of years.

 

[tambam500]

I am so so happy Epcot will be open till 10pm the nights i am there. This is the only reason i am going to Disney this trip so any extra hour enjoying F&W will be great!

 

[pixiesnake]

Be careful what you wish for. Given our experience with Disney's websites in the past, opening up event booking on line will be a disaster.

I was thinking the same thing!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I really want to do PFTS this year, but......the weekendi currently have planned is the weekend without one. I could change (and may) but I will be dropping Disney a line about the sparse offerings that first week


Do folks think Wine Vue is worth it. I will be solo if I change weekends and was thinking the reserved seating might be nice. And since I am saving so much due to my seminar boycott it is in the budget

 

[dgbg100106]

I am so so happy Epcot will be open till 10pm the nights i am there. This is the only reason i am going to Disney this trip so any extra hour enjoying F&W will be great!

F&W does not stay late for the extra hours. It closes at normal time. I believe.

 

[FozzieFan]

I believe the booths would operate for normal park hours, so if the park is open until 10 the booths would be open until 10 (example Sat Oct 15th hours are listed as 11am-10pm for world showcase). They haven't operated during EMH in the past few years however.

 

[ImprovGal]

I've booked events for California so yes, they did book online for those. But WDW has never had booking for F&W special events online. There were rumors that they might this year, but DisYoda said she got the impression from the sneak peek that online booking would be just for the Festival Center seminars.

And the impression that I got was that this year the Festival Dining Experiences as well as the Culinary & Beverage Programs were going to be bookable either via online or phone. The only exceptions were discounted Culinary & Beverage Programs (deminars) and the VIP seating upgrades (Wine View Lounge and Sweet Seats) which had to be purchased over the phone. At the sneak peek, I wondered if the servers could handle the volume.

 

[ImprovGal]

Do folks think Wine Vue is worth it. I will be solo if I change weekends and was thinking the reserved seating might be nice. And since I am saving so much due to my seminar boycott it is in the budget

If you absolutely positively need guaranteed seating, then Wine View Lounge may be worth it to you. You'll be seated alone at a 2-top which will give you a home base to return to. I've done PFTS solo and have been happy to simply wander from station to station, pausing at a high table when needed, so for me Wine View seating was totally unnecessary.

 

[TDC Nala]

F&W does not stay late for the extra hours. It closes at normal time. I believe.

That's true when you're talking about Extra Magic Hours. But the 10 PM appears to be an extension of Epcot's regular hours. No doubt they are doing this because huge crowds are expected Friday and Saturday nights.

To my own thinking there is absolutely no way on earth that I would pay $115 just for a seat at the Party for the Senses.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

If you absolutely positively need guaranteed seating, then Wine View Lounge may be worth it to you. You'll be seated alone at a 2-top which will give you a home base to return to. I've done PFTS solo and have been happy to simply wander from station to station, pausing at a high table when needed, so for me Wine View seating was totally unnecessary.

Well I have had mixed results...one year folks were downright "rude" about "this is OUR high top and you may not stand here" The next year there was no problem. So I am not sure what I will do. I don't want to deal with the "rude" again.

(THat was a strange event, lots of locals and several other people commented that the overall feeling was "rude", even the CMs noticed the attitude that was going on!)

Plus I really like wine so having 'upgraded' wines might we worth it. I used to spend $60 or $70 on seminars to learn about them at F&W....

 

[Kteacher]

No WVL for us this year . For the 2 of us it would be 520.00, +the additional we've always given the wait person assigned to our table. I just can't justify the $$$$$ at this point. We'll do PFTS and meander the stations.
I was worried at first when I saw the time change for PFTS, thinking we would miss Illuminations if the event ended @ 10, but hoping the later Epcot hours means we'll still be able to see it.