*2013* epcot food & wine festival 9/27-11/11

[Inkmahm]

Wow, I think I really messed up. I am a Disney Visa card user and I didn't call Monday morning because I thought the early registration was for the same things that TIW could be reserved early last Friday. I guess I didn't read close enough. And I'm guilty of not following this thread at all this year (or the disboards in general) with too many other things going on in my life right now.

Am I too late to book the things I planned to book Tues morning? We narrowed it down this year to reserved seating for PFTS (I use an ECV so not having a reserved seat isn't an option for me. I can't stand that long) and 10/25 Kitchen memories with Brian Voltaggio (we're big Top Chef fans.) Do I need to bother to try to call in? Is everything booked? I could kick myself for being a Disney Visa card holder and not paying attention to what was going on this year with F&W....

 

[Inkmahm]

I am pretty disappointed and a bit mad that PFTS was available thru Chase today. My understanding was that only seminars were available today. I would have called this morning if I knew this. Guess I have to try in the morning.

Same here! Nothing that was sent to me said PFTS was available for booking today and since I didn't want any seminars, I didn't bother to call. I can live without PFTS for one year if I have to, I'll just make it up to DH with a great dinner at Jiko. But I'd really like to see Brian Voltaggio at Kitchen Memories. I'll be disappointed to find out that reservations were already taken for that I may not have a chance.

 

[Inkmahm]

65 min on hold (called at 7:01) to find that Kitchen Memories on 10/25 with the Voltaggios is sold out. Agent checked for me and did find that there were only limited tickets released today and advised me to try again tomorrow when more are released. Can't wait.

Just did a search on Voltaggio and this came up. I hope you're right! This is the one event that I really want in all of F&W. I would have called yesterday had I known I could use the Disney Visa to call early. But I"m hoping that there really are some seats left when I can call in less than 2 hours!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

good luck to everyone calling this morning !

 

[Inkmahm]

Apparently if you were on hold longer than 40 minutes or so, you got pretty much nothing. That makes me think the offerings for Disney visa booking were VERY limited, a few spaces at each event. One poster here who got through right away was denied booking for the Victoria & Albert's signature which has an extremely limited capacity.

Praying you are correct! And promising that no matter what else is going on in my life next year, I WILL be following your thread for F&W!

I feel so stupid having missed out on even trying for the VISA benefit of booking in advance. I should have made time for my Dis buddies to get me the correct info on F&W as you do every year.

Since we couldn't book more than just one kitchen memory and one PFTS this year (can't really afford more) I think my heart just hasn't been in following along with the discussion. And part of me is okay with not getting PFTS reserved seating if it is full for 10/26 when the phone lines open because I really shouldn't be spending the money for it anyway as it is a luxury item. But I'll have to fess up to DH that I screwed up in not getting us the reservation for the first time in 6 years since we started attending and I don't want to disappoint him, he loves that event so much.

 

[Inkmahm]

Do we call WDW-DINE or WDW - FEST today to make reservations?

 

[Inkmahm]

We were able to book Robert Irvine Kitchen Memories for three people.

We have been to his lunches the last two years in a row and he is great! Love his food AND his presentation. I was disappointed to see he is there the week after we are this year, until I saw that the Voltaggio brother would be there when we are! Still hoping to be able to book kitchen memories on 10/25 when the phone lines open in 90 minutes. I think the Kitchen memories are my favorite events. You get great food but you also get to hear the more personal side of a chef. Chef Irvine is a wonderful story teller, you're going to love your lunch! Congrats on getting it booked!

 

[Inkmahm]

I'm not getting it from a source at all except for what has been posted here. Disney phone cast members are not a good source. If you ask three of them you will get three different answers. We've got a report here that someone got from a club level IPO that 10% of the Sweet Sunday capacity was open for booking today and that's it. We've also got LOTS of people being told "there are no more seats anywhere for anything, that's it for the entire festival." The CM I spoke to, who could find no availabilty for one guest in any of the four events I asked for after an hour on hold (I was on hold an hour last year and got everything I wanted), said it was because only limited spots at each event were offered today.

I'm going solely on my experience and I refuse to believe that full, final capacity for every food & wine event was sold out solidly within an hour of the phone line opening this morning. Never happened before and I don't believe it happened now.

For example, it is extremely rare for PFTS general admission to sell out. It did today on at least three dates. One of my friends was told there were "very few" general admission spots left for her PFTS. This was a half hour after the phone lines opened. And these bookings are open only to Disney Visa cardholders. If they usually don't sell out to the general public, what would make them sell out completely to Disney Visa cardholders today? There was no discount, and the event hasn't changed any.

As for how many seats are still available and at which events...I can't possibly know that, but I am not going to give up based on what happened today and will be calling tomorrow.

I love your logic and you have made me feel SO much better about not knowing to call on Monday as a Disney Visa holder. THANK YOU!!!

No way is general admission sold out for any PFTS event, you're right. The events don't usually sell out for days, if at all, for general admission.

If I can't get reserved seating for 10/25 I may just send DH without me this year for general admission. I could book general admission for me, too, as I have an ECV so I'd have built in seating, if necessary. I wonder what they do for general admission people with ECVs? I've never booked that, only reserved seating. But if I could book general admission and take the ECV in so I'd have a place to sit for at least part of the time, I could make it. No way would I try driving the ECV up to a line for food, I'd have to walk part of the time. That's okay, I just can't do it for the whole event time. I wonder if the CM's will be able to answer my ECV question when booking...

 

[Lindaland]

Wishing everyone lots of this morning!!!

 

[Inkmahm]

Also, love the new location for the Chase lounge - right in the middle of the food booths at the American Adventure pavillion. No more having to traipse back to the front of the park to rest & cool down and then traipse back again to finish eating our way around the world!

That's the best news I've read yet! We rarely used the Chase Lounge with the location being so far away from the actual food booths. If it has moved to be at the American building for this year, I am a happy camper! It may actually be useful for a change.

 

[RachelTori]

Do we call WDW-DINE or WDW - FEST today to make reservations?

Good luck to all!

 

[bellrae]

We call the Fest number I think?

 

[RachelTori]

We call the Fest number I think?

Either # works!

 

[WaltsMartini]

Here's a tip - do NOT use speaker phone. I called yesterday and had it on speaker trying to get ready for my day - the system did not understand me and transferred me right to an agent, who was NOT aware of how to book F&W events and instructed me to call the same number I had just called. She tried to transfer me but disconnected me, and I had to call back. By this point it was 7:06 and I spent over an hour on hold and had my call dropped twice!

 

[Tamar]

I'm planning to call bright & early at 7am, but I also want to check out the online site in case I can get that done faster. Does anyone know where online booking can be done tomorrow morning? Is it the same link that's used to make regular dining reservations? https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/#/reservations-accepted

Or will it be somewhere on this page? https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival/

I definitely want to book a few deminars. I haven't made up my mind about general admission for PFTS, 3D Disney's Dessert Discovery, or Sweet Sundays. I would only book one of those three. It's my first year at F&W, so I'm having a hard time figuring out which would be the best experience for me.

Thanks in advance!
Shelli

I believe your link is the right way to go in. If you drill into (for example) beverage seminars, you can choose the location of festival welcome center, and then the date and time. Good luck!

 

[Inkmahm]

I'm on hold!!!!

 

[bellrae]

I'm on hold!!!!

Given the wait time they just quoted - we all are I think

Is anyone able to book online? I am having problems with the website...

 

[gwynne]

Also on hold..fingers crossed for a frunch!

 

[Lindaland]

And we're off!!!

Got right on at 4 (7 to you on the east), now on hold, said my wait time would me more than 30 min! Now just listening to the Disney hold music.....

 

[meryll83]

Given the wait time they just quoted - we all are I think

Is anyone able to book online? I am having problems with the website...

Same here, on hold now...