2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival *HAS ENDED*

[Inkmahm]

Feel better! My mother had hip replacement last year and it has made a world of difference in her mobility.

The good news is that you havent missed anything. All of the special meals and parties open for booking Tuesday morning.

Thank you! I am already very glad that I had the surgery. I still need to do the other knee in December and I'm not looking forward to it, but I should end up with a good pair of knees which don't bring me to tears because they hurt so much when I walk.

I'm glad to hear I didn't miss the main events for booking. I'm still going to try to stay awake long enough today to check out what seminars and whatever (deminars?) are announced and open for booking. Are any sold out already?

 

[TDC Nala]

Discount tickets for Robert Irvine may be sold out. Try and ask for full price tickets if they tell you sold out and see what happens.

 

[Dancind]

So, do we need to know what time the Signature dinners start in order to have the best chance at booking? They always ask questions I don't know the answer to.

 

[Brian Noble]

For those having trouble pulling up bookings in My Reservations: if the CM gave you a confirmation number, you can usually use that plus the phone number you gave them to re-associate it to your Disney.com identity.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

So, do we need to know what time the Signature dinners start in order to have the best chance at booking? They always ask questions I don't know the answer to.

When booking a Signature Dinner or other F&W Festival Events, make sure the reservationist knows that you're booking a special event, not a regular dining reservation -- especially for events at regular Signature Restaurants.

Have all the details ready when you call, including location, date, time, and the official name of the event.

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Just booked our Bacardi mixology demonstration! We did the Cointreau mixology demonstration last year & it was awesome! Can't wait to book our Patron mixology & Premiere wine demonstrations later this week! I wish we had better options for cooking demonstrations, but I guess that will just give us more time to do free demonstrations & try food booths.

 

[Tamar]

Just booked our Bacardi mixology demonstration! We did the Cointreau mixology demonstration last year & it was awesome! Can't wait to book our Patron mixology & Premiere wine demonstrations later this week! I wish we had better options for cooking demonstrations, but I guess that will just give us more time to do free demonstrations & try food booths.

We are disappointed with our cooking demo options, too. We've got lots of wine tastings booked to make up for it.

 

[NOLA_Tink]

We are disappointed with our cooking demo options, too. We've got lots of wine tastings booked to make up for it.

I am very pleased with our mixology and wine demo options, so that's what I'm hoping for too! Last year, Chef TJ's culinary demo was so much fun, and even my super-picky mother enjoyed his dish and his wine pairing. This year, one of our options is someone from the restaurant group "Lettuce Entertain You." Really, Disney?!? LOL

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

This year, one of our options is someone from the restaurant group "Lettuce Entertain You." Really, Disney?!? LOL

Lettuce Entertain You, Inc. is the preeminent restaurant company in Chicago and its suburbs, and Mychael Bonner is one of the company's top culinary pros. Here's his bio:

http://www.leye.com/about-us/partners/bios/mychael-bonner​

On the same day, there will also be a culinaty demo by Tony Montuano, the esteemed Chef/Partner of Chicago's Spiaggia and finalist on Bravo’s "Top Chef Masters." Montuano is also the Consulting Chef for Portobello at Downtown Disney. Here's his bio:

http://www.levyrestaurants.com/chefs/tony-mantuano/​

How how I wish we would be at Epcot that day! I would love to go to those two demos.

 

[LisaS]

I am very pleased with our mixology and wine demo options, so that's what I'm hoping for too! Last year, Chef TJ's culinary demo was so much fun, and even my super-picky mother enjoyed his dish and his wine pairing. This year, one of our options is someone from the restaurant group "Lettuce Entertain You." Really, Disney?!? LOL

We've attended one of Chef TJ's culinary demos in the past and it was great! I don't see him in the schedule while we're there unfortunately.

I'm hoping for at least one more vegetarian demo to pop up when they fill in more of the generic "Savory" listings. We're doing more mixology demos this year since my DH really enjoyed the one we did last year (Remy).

Just a warning to everyone to check those confirmations! I requested two bookings for the same day and the CM made one for the requested day and the other for the following day. Saw the error on the confirmation and called back and they fixed it.

 

[lgcountry]

Had a terrible experience this morning trying to get the Robert Irvine event.

I called FEST at 7:00 EST just in case, 15 minute wait on hold before the CM says the demos don't start booking until 8:00. No problem - I thought it was supposed to be 8:00. I call back at 7:55 in case there's a long hold again - get right in, hang up since it's not 7:00 yet. Call back at 7:58 just in case there's a wait - and there is - I'm on hold for at least 5 minutes.

DW calls DVC on her cell phone right at 8:00 (covering our bases) and gets right in, but gets a dud CM. The CM takes our DVC# as usual, then starts going over our acct info and says there's no email address on the account, blah, blah. I'm mouthing to DW to tell her to skip it and get the reservation since it's probably going fast. DW tells the CM the day, time, and that it's Robert Irvine. CM can't find it, then does, but says there's no name/description. DW tells her to just book the 1:00. CM says there's one for 2:00, not 1:00. DW tells her the food demos are at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00 everyday. CM says that's what she thought too. CM puts DW on hold, can't figure things out, etc.

In the meantime I've gotten in to the FEST CM. She takes my name, DVC#, and email and pulls up the event. She clicks to make our reservation, but it's not taking - she says it looks like someone else has it locked. She keeps clicking it, puts me on hold for a moment, keeps clicking, we wait and we wait - and she eventually gives up and says it must be sold out now. Grrrrr...

DW is still on the phone with DVC and I'm overhearing that CM is booking the 2:00 event??? We get a confirmation#, they charge us the $36 (3x$12), DW confirms with the CM that we have the 1:00 Irvine and she says yes, but it converted it to 2:00 for some reason on her screen. I'm relieved that it looks like it worked out somehow, but a little nervous with as much trouble as she had, so I plan on calling DINE later at work to confirm the res#.

30 minutes later DVC calls back - yeah, we don't really have a reservation for Irvine after all (I didn't take the call so I'm not sure what all was said). 10 more minutes later DVC calls back again with our cancellation confirmation#.

So how irritated would you be after this experience? I'd like to call to complain since they boofed this one up, but the only recourse I'm interested in is getting the Irvine res. And I have some doubts anyone will be able to pull from the general stack to satisfy me.

I had the same problem. I was trying to book a generic Culinary on Tues, Oct 23, she told me who was at which, and I said "I'll do the one with Bill Clark from the Grand Floridian. She told me the time was now 4:00 pm and gave me my confirmation number. Double checked the lists and called back today to double check what I had actually gotten a reservation for. Sure enough I was scheduled in for the New Zealand wine tasting at 4:00, not the culinary demo. CM had to ask how to change the reservation to what I was told I was getting, and luckily there was still space. She also didn't bother with the "rules", and when he got to the modifications, today's CM said, "Of course we are modifying this because it was misbooked".

Sometimes I wonder what the heck the CM's are looking at on their computer screens!

 

[LisaS]

I had the same problem. I was trying to book a generic Culinary on Tues, Oct 23, she told me who was at which, and I said "I'll do the one with Bill Clark from the Grand Floridian. She told me the time was now 4:00 pm and gave me my confirmation number. Double checked the lists and called back today to double check what I had actually gotten a reservation for. Sure enough I was scheduled in for the New Zealand wine tasting at 4:00, not the culinary demo. CM had to ask how to change the reservation to what I was told I was getting, and luckily there was still space. She also didn't bother with the "rules", and when he got to the modifications, today's CM said, "Of course we are modifying this because it was misbooked".

Sometimes I wonder what the heck the CM's are looking at on their computer screens!

It's good to keep in mind that culinary demos are on the odd hours (1pm, 3pm, 5pm), beverage seminars are on the even hours (noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm). If a CM says they booked you into a culinary demo for 4pm, something is not right!

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Lettuce Entertain You, Inc. is the preeminent restaurant company in Chicago and its suburbs, and Mychael Bonner is one of the company's top culinary pros. Here's his bio:

http://www.leye.com/about-us/partners/bios/mychael-bonner​

On the same day, the will also be a culinaty demo by Tony Montuano, the esteemed Chef/Partner of Chicago's Spiaggia and finalist on Bravo’s "Top Chef Masters." Montuano is also the Consulting Chef for Portobello at Downtown Disney. Here's his bio:

http://www.levyrestaurants.com/chefs/tony-mantuano/​

How how I wish we would be at Epcot that day! I would love to go to those two demos.

Thanks. I looked up Bonner as soon as I saw the line-up, but I just wasn't impressed. I guess one of the best things about F&W is that they offer so many different options that there is always something for everyone. DH wishes that we to make it for the Tony Mantuano demo because he really like him on Top Chef (& he was a James Beard winner), but we fly in that morning & might not make it to Epcot in time.

We've attended one of Chef TJ's culinary demos in the past and it was great! I don't see him in the schedule while we're there unfortunately.

I'm hoping for at least one more vegetarian demo to pop up when they fill in more of the generic "Savory" listings. We're doing more mixology demos this year since my DH really enjoyed the one we did last year (Remy).

Just a warning to everyone to check those confirmations! I requested two bookings for the same day and the CM made one for the requested day and the other for the following day. Saw the error on the confirmation and called back and they fixed it.

Chef TJ is doing a culinary demo on Sat., Sept. 29 (the same day as Jacques Torres). THAT would be a dream day for me! I'm with you in hoping that they'll be more specific with the "savory" descriptions. (I had been checking the demo line-up sites every day hoping for an updated list, so I'm happy that they've at least released some info, but I'd really like more. I'm also wondering if they'll be editing their info because they've misspelled some names & brands, such as "Pyrax XO Reserve Rum" instead of Pyrat, lol.) Have fun at your Remy mixology demo! I am very excited about out Bacardi, "Pyrax," and ice wine demonstrations!

 

[kabuki]

Has anyone done The Discovery of Chocolate?

 

[Tamar]

Has anyone done The Discovery of Chocolate?

Is that the Sunday afternoon affair? That was where we were served chocolate covered steak.

 

[kabuki]

Is that the Sunday afternoon affair? That was where we were served chocolate covered steak.

Yes..was it worth the $$$?

 

[Tamar]

Yes..was it worth the $$$?

Well, since neither DH or I eat meat, it was kind of a waste for us. It was educational, but the chef they had as the lead was French and spoke very broken English. I'm sure others enjoyed it, though!

 

[TDC Nala]

On the same day, there will also be a culinaty demo by Tony Montuano, the esteemed Chef/Partner of Chicago's Spiaggia and finalist on Bravo’s "Top Chef Masters." Montuano is also the Consulting Chef for Portobello at Downtown Disney.

His protege, Sarah Gruenberg, was also a finalist on Top Chef. I should add him to my celebrity list.

Speaking of which, Disney also misspells the name of the Top Chef contestant whose culinary demo I signed up for...her name is Grayson Schmitz, not Schmidt.

 

[smile4stamps]

When you call to book the higher priced events do you pay for each one as you go or do you pay for them all together? Should I ask for them in the order I think they will sell out the fastest or it doesn't matter?

Did the PFTS, 3D Dessert Discoveries, or Grand Marnier sell out in the first couple hours last year?

 

[TDC Nala]

It used to be that you would have to pay for each one as you booked it, reading your credit card number over and over again.

Now, they can hold them when you request them, and pay for them all at once. They do have to apply your credit card to each individual reservation, but it has been worked to where you should only need to give the number once.

You should ask for the most popular events first. In your case it would be the Grand Marnier, as there are only three sessions and they are much smaller than either PFTS or 3D Dessert. The only difference might be if you are looking to get the Wine View Room for the Party for the Senses, but they have thrown a wrench into the works by initiating a middle category with assigned seating, so we don't yet know how fast those categories will go.