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

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Really well said. Total Disney lover here and 7 time F&W vet and this has been embarrassingly bad. And worse, doesn't seem like anything that couldn't have been avoided with some solid planning. Ugh. I think they need to hire a DISer (like me ) to work some of the project planning angle next year!

Exactly -- project-planning issue, combined with IT messiness. Send them your resume!!!!

 

[Inkmahm]

I got in with NO wait music yesterday. Just a fluke. Still didn't get the V&A dinner, which is what I asked for first. Asked for the Jiko dinner second and the 10/25 Kitchen Memories third (so it was probably 7:05am by that time).

I'm now on hold again to quadruple check that the V&A dinner is really booked, and wasn't just a casualty of not being loaded or whatever....

Good luck! We've never eaten at V&A. I'm not that adventurous in my eating. And the cost of the V&A Signature dinner would cover our airfare for at least one or maybe two trips to Florida! That one is definitely not in my budget. I hope you get the reservation and they serve a dinner you'll never forget!

 

[uromac]

Just got off the phone after being on hold for 1 hr - tape originally said 30 minutes plus (prior to that all lines are busy then click before) and got the Voltaggio Brothers for 10/25 - which was what I wanted the most - no seating for Party of the Senses as was told reserved seating not available for that weekend - we did it last year - so I'm ok with not going!

Good luck everyone there is hope!

 

[SarahInMN]

Holy hell! What an experience - in previous years, I've had virtually no problems. Guess my luck partially ran out this year!

So, after spending 50 minutes on hold for a second time, I was successfully able to book kitchen memories on the 18th and 25th AND both cheeses on the 19th and 26th. I know I should just be happy but seriously?? I had to call two times. I've been up since 345 am my time.

Deep cleansing breath. then put more coffee on.

 

[Inkmahm]

Thanks for the encouragement!

In reality, we weren't super excited about either Kitchen Memories on the 18th or the 25th but have enjoyed them in the past (ie with Cat Cora, Jamie Deen, Robert Irvine, etc). I'm glad we decided to give the cheese seminar a whirl this year - I know eventually I'll get that booked and am more excited about that. I'm also glad we decided to skip PFTS WVL this year - we just couldn't stomach the price of it. And I'm trying to be grateful that we got all our dining ADR's - artist point, jiko, and BOG dinner. Or so I keep telling myself at minute 48 on hold for the 2nd time this morning.

What is the BOG dinner?

We did WVL until they did reserved seating level last year in addition to the general admission and WVL. I won't do WVL again now that I can get a reserved seat on the main floor. It's such a crazy price differential and I don't think you get much more with WVL than reserved seating. A SWAG bag, but nothing worth all the extra $ for WVL,

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Holy hell! What an experience - in previous years, I've had virtually no problems. Guess my luck partially ran out this year!

So, after spending 50 minutes on hold for a second time, I was successfully able to book kitchen memories on the 18th and 25th AND both cheeses on the 19th and 26th. I know I should just be happy but seriously?? I had to call two times. I've been up since 345 am my time.

Deep cleansing breath. then put more coffee on.

Congrats!!!

No biggie -- just go to sleep at 7pm today!

 

[jad35]

Woohoo! 3rd time is the charm. Was told no avail for Parisian breakfast at 7:20. Just got thru again and was able to book it!

 

[JenKatt]

To everyone who is told things are sold out/ unavailable - be persistant. Apparently, on top of things not being loaded correctly, they are also "hidden". In other words, the CM's on the phone are having to be very creative to find the bookings. I was blessed with a good CM when I called who had to search a variety of ways to just find PFTS and then again to find the WVL. She said just about everything she's had to be very creative with to find today for everyone....
just when I think Disney IT can't be any stupider....

 

[SarahInMN]

What is the BOG dinner?

We did WVL until they did reserved seating level last year in addition to the general admission and WVL. I won't do WVL again now that I can get a reserved seat on the main floor. It's such a crazy price differential and I don't think you get much more with WVL than reserved seating. A SWAG bag, but nothing worth all the extra $ for WVL,

BOG dinner = Be Our Guest dinner which I snagged for me, my husband, my MIL (who was crazy happy excited), and FIL (who is more excited about the beer) courtesy of the 180+10 rule way back in April.

Agreed on WVL - we like the reserved seating concept and early entry but not worth the extra cash.

 

[amywa]

Aha!! Hope!!! So perhaps I'm NOT on hold for nothing right now, listening to Pirates music...

Just got off after checking the 10/12 date - GA only but its seems everyone gets different answers base on cast member mine was a bit confused so to you and hang in there

 

[cloudnut220]

We got everything we wanted! Taste, Shake and Induldge Like the French on 10/12, and Frunch on 10/13. We are doing a short trip basically to do the events, so I'm glad it worked out. Good luck to everyone else!

 

[Shelli_5]

WOO HOO!

I just got off the phone with Disney & was able to book everything I wanted. I originally called in at 7, got a CM at 7:16, and was told that they couldn't book anything for F&W because of an IT problem. I tried to call back starting at 8 & kept getting "all circuits are busy." Eventually, I got through & waited for an hour on hold. Although it was very frustrating experience, I'm happy that I finally got to make reservations.

10/21 Erin McKenna (BabyCakes) deminar
10/22 Edgardo Ruiz (The Land) deminar
10/24 Lee Lucier (Eat!/Nosh) deminar
10/24 Breckenridge mixology seminar
10/25 Kitchen Memories with the Voltaggios

This will be my first time at the F&W Festival. I'm really looking forward to my trip & hope to meet some of you at lunch on 10/25.

Shelli

 

[heidi8]

Over 250 calls with busy signals and busy circuits, I got the Tequila Lunch and Cheese Seminar for Sept. 28, plus a mixology event. Tempted by the chocolate dinner but opted against it. Sad I can't get to a Party for the Senses this year but there's always next year. Btw, 53 min on hold and then about 20 min to book everything.

 

[carmie3377]

Total time on phone - 57 minutes and I got the one thing we wanted - 10/25 3D dessert party! Well, that doesn't count time on hold yesterday and all the failed attempts before hand but once connected 57 minutes till I hung up. Had to take DD to school so I let Bluetooth help me out and they answered just as I was pulling into the car line and at a crawl for 5 mins. Timing worked great

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

OMG!!! I was just on with a CM who told me an event was sold out -- I asked if I could talk to a supervisor, as I was hearing conflicting info about these things. Without saying a word, he cut me to the survey!!!!

Seriously?!?!!?

You can imagine the feedback I gave -- and this after holding for 45min?!?!?

 

[luckyfinfarmer]

Thanks to all of you for keeping me company while on hold this am - it inspired me to make my first post after just reading posts here for years.

This was my first experience with trying to book and it was not fun. It is awfully lonely to be on hold for over an hour and wonder if anyone will EVER pick up. We did get the res we wanted for PFTS - so thanks all!

 

[jaygalterio]

again!!
So, easy as pie, then!!

Wow - Disney has some faithful customers in so many of us, huh??

Sad that you didn't include my most important line in the quote... Try and be nice to your CM...

The CM I spoke to sounded so beat down, even thru the normal prescribed happiness they have to portray. She apologized for how slow her system was responding and said that they were having all sorts of issues all morning. And that the last person she spoke to just yelled at her for ten minutes...

It's really not the CM's fault that this is going on. And taking your frustration out on them isn't going to do anyone any good.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Sad that you didn't include my most important line in the quote... Try and be nice to your CM...

The CM I spoke to sounded so beat down, even thru the normal prescribed happiness they have to portray. She apologized for how slow her system was responding and said that they were having all sorts of issues all morning. And that the last person she spoke to just yelled at her for ten minutes...

It's really not the CM's fault that this is going on. And taking your frustration out on them isn't going to do anyone any good.

I'm always nice to the CMs -- never blame them! I certainly never take my frustration out on them -- I assume that wasn't directed at anyone in particular.

Just had one hang up on me just for VERY POLITELY asking to talk to a supervisor. So they're not ALL magical. No excuse for that, no matter how frustrating a morning he was having.

 

[Shelli_5]

Sad that you didn't include my most important line in the quote... Try and be nice to your CM...

The CM I spoke to sounded so beat down, even thru the normal prescribed happiness they have to portray. She apologized for how slow her system was responding and said that they were having all sorts of issues all morning. And that the last person she spoke to just yelled at her for ten minutes...

It's really not the CM's fault that this is going on. And taking your frustration out on them isn't going to do anyone any good.

The first CM I had thanked me for not yelling at her at the end of our call. It kind of surprised me!

Shelli

 

[jaygalterio]

I'm always nice to the CMs -- never blame them! Just had one hang up on me just for VERY POLITELY asking to talk to a supervisor. So they're not ALL magical. No excuse for that, no matter how frustrating a morning he was having.

I know there are exceptions to every rule... I was more referring to blaming the CMs for the things that are out of their control. Like the Hold Times and Busy Signals and non-working website.

Things that are in their control, like your experience, are entirely another matter.

Hopefully things will work out for you.