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

[Abby's Dad]

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Today is a day when that catch phrase is about as true as it will ever get.

For anyone who has been turned down once or twice for an event, I would call AGAIN and get someone else to ask. The CMs don't know where to look in the system to find these events and the system HAS had glitches where events were just not showing as being open yet. The CMs decided that meant they were sold out. Once I got my CM to actually go check it out because that made no sense, I was able to get the one event that really mattered to me.

So I say it again, call back! I'd call 4 times if I had to and you MAY get a different answer.

How very true - after being up to use the online booking at 0600, and finding that I wasn't working, I waited for the phone lines to open at 0700. After multiple tries, and three actual calls talking with a CM, and a total of 4 hours on hold and the like, and being told repeatedly that Scotland: Land of Food and Drink was sold out, I finally gave out, and prepared myself for the flogging I was going to receive when DW gets home later today.. While waiting for my lunch to warm up a few minutes ago, I decided to look one last time at the online site - amazing, in that errors in the text had been corrected (originally it said tax and gratuity included, but this was incorrect, and was corrected to read gratuity included, tax not included), and I gave the online booking a whirl - HOLY COW!, it works now, and I have reservations for two for Scotlland: Land of Food and Drink. Granted, not the reserved I had originally hoped for, but at least we will be getting in. So, don't give up the ship!


Just tried the phone line again (for kicks and giggles, but also, since everything else had been wrong, maybe there would be reserved seats now available) - and they say there are no seats of any kind available. Obviously, I don't want to book more online just to see, but that is really strange. At least I got our seats. Maybe online has its own allocation.

 

[WDWGeek1971]

There was a post (not on this thread) awhile back from someone who used a merchandise bag to "save" a general admission seat, and people removed the bag from the seat and put it on the floor when the table was empty.

Those of us who have been attending these events for many years agreed that while it took a bit of nerve to move people's stuff, it also took some to save seats in this fashion, as general admission seats are ultimately not meant to be reserved or "taken." I would think that if someone takes your seats while you are up and leave the table empty, you couldn't appeal to Disney employees to ask them to get out of "your" seats. Just a heads up in that direction.

That is really good advice. What we do, is stake out a table, and then make sure someone is always there. This works best with a party of more than two, but we have made it work when it was only the two of us. What we do is take turns heading out on "foraging runs." One or more party members head to specific stations, brings back enough for the table to share, and then take turns leaving/staying. It has worked well for us. Good luck out there! If anyone wants to join us, my husband and I will be a twosome for the Party of the Senses on Saturday, 10/26. We could meet up before the event, grab a table, and take turns saving seats. Just send me a private message!

 

[Angel Ariel]

There was a post (not on this thread) awhile back from someone who used a merchandise bag to "save" a general admission seat, and people removed the bag from the seat and put it on the floor when the table was empty.

Those of us who have been attending these events for many years agreed that while it took a bit of nerve to move people's stuff, it also took some to save seats in this fashion, as general admission seats are ultimately not meant to be reserved or "taken." I would think that if someone takes your seats while you are up and leave the table empty, you couldn't appeal to Disney employees to ask them to get out of "your" seats. Just a heads up in that direction.

DH and I are going on our own...would it be OK to have me go and sit and "reserve" a seat for him, while he gets some food for both of us? Then teh rest of the night one of us would just stay at the table while the other replenished

 

[WDWGeek1971]

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Today is a day when that catch phrase is about as true as it will ever get.

For anyone who has been turned down once or twice for an event, I would call AGAIN and get someone else to ask. The CMs don't know where to look in the system to find these events and the system HAS had glitches where events were just not showing as being open yet. The CMs decided that meant they were sold out. Once I got my CM to actually go check it out because that made no sense, I was able to get the one event that really mattered to me.

So I say it again, call back! I'd call 4 times if I had to and you MAY get a different answer.

Absolutely agree with that! I had a weirdness this morning. At 7am the White Truffle Lunch was listed for 11/10, even though every brochure AND the CM's calendar listing had it as 11/03. The 11/10 version had no availability, even if I had been interesting in changing my hotel reservations. I tried back around 10:30 am and the CM easily found the White Truffle Lunch on 11/03 with room for all four of us!

So, keep trying!!!!!!

 

[TDC Nala]

That is really good advice. What we do, is stake out a table, and then make sure someone is always there. This works best with a party of more than two, but we have made it work when it was only the two of us. What we do is take turns heading out on "foraging runs." One or more party members head to specific stations, brings back enough for the table to share, and then take turns leaving/staying. It has worked well for us. Good luck out there! If anyone wants to join us, my husband and I will be a twosome for the Party of the Senses on Saturday, 10/26. We could meet up before the event, grab a table, and take turns saving seats. Just send me a private message!

This is what I have done in the past, met up with friends and took turns "manning" the table. If somebody wanted to sit in the empty chairs for a bit, that was fine with us.

This year I bought myself a seat after 11 years of general admission! Yes, this is my 12th event of this type. I have the event wine glasses going back to 2001. Back then this event was in the Odyssey, was called the Grand Tasting, and there weren't any tables.

 

[gwynne]

DH and I are going on our own...would it be OK to have me go and sit and "reserve" a seat for him, while he gets some food for both of us? Then teh rest of the night one of us would just stay at the table while the other replenished

Can you? Sure. Keep in mind, though, that doing this all night sort of defeats the purpose of open seating. It's nice if you'll let someone occasional just sit in an empty chair for a few minutes now and then while they eat a bite or two.

 

[herb102211]

Yehhh, so happy for you...

Thank you!!

 

[Angel Ariel]

Can you? Sure. Keep in mind, though, that doing this all night sort of defeats the purpose of open seating. It's nice if you'll let someone occasional just sit in an empty chair for a few minutes now and then while they eat a bite or two.

I odn't know how long the lines get for food, so no idea how long DH would be up Our only experience with something similar was teh Wishes dessert party, and it was a pretty quick up adn back to the table time after the initial rush.

We've never been before, so I don't know what to expect there. Obviously I don't want to be rude or anything, and if he were going to be gone for some time I would not have a problem at all with what you're suggesting. There's only 2 of us, so I'm expecting table sharing throughout the night.

 

[jaygalterio]

I odn't know how long the lines get for food, so no idea how long DH would be up Our only experience with something similar was teh Wishes dessert party, and it was a pretty quick up adn back to the table time after the initial rush.

We've never been before, so I don't know what to expect there. Obviously I don't want to be rude or anything, and if he were going to be gone for some time I would not have a problem at all with what you're suggesting. There's only 2 of us, so I'm expecting table sharing throughout the night.

After the initial rush of people, the lines usually wind down to just a minute or so of waiting, if any at all.

Some of the more popular tables always seem to have a line. But usually not too bad once the first half hour has passed.

The capacity thing is something you're going to have to play by ear (no pun intended). We have been to some that seemed half or three quarters full and things were very relaxed. And we have been to others that seemed well past capacity and the manic level never seemed to calm.

 

[jenjersnap]

That is really good advice. What we do, is stake out a table, and then make sure someone is always there. This works best with a party of more than two, but we have made it work when it was only the two of us. What we do is take turns heading out on "foraging runs." One or more party members head to specific stations, brings back enough for the table to share, and then take turns leaving/staying. It has worked well for us. Good luck out there! If anyone wants to join us, my husband and I will be a twosome for the Party of the Senses on Saturday, 10/26. We could meet up before the event, grab a table, and take turns saving seats. Just send me a private message!

It is just the two of us on our first date in a year and that is why I wanted reserved seating - so one of us wasn't always jumping up and leaving the other. We will make it work, hopefully someone will share a table with us.

 

[funnybunny921]

So apparently I was just unbelievably lucky this morning I called in at 6:59:55 got through to the tree immediately and then got a CM right away She asked my how long I had been waiting and when I said not long she was taken aback. So I got the one signature event (Cali Grill) that I wanted though it did take some insistence on my part (because Cali isn't open for regular reservations currently). I also got a few seminars for the last day.

Cali Grill 11/7 - Signature Dining
Iron Horse Vineyards 11/11 - wine Seminar
Dylan Schauwecker 11/11 - culinary seminar
King Estate Winery 11/11 - wine seminar

If any of you are going to these lemme know, I love meeting up with new folks.

 

[jaygalterio]

So apparently I was just unbelievably lucky this morning I called in at 6:59:55 got through to the tree immediately and then got a CM right away She asked my how long I had been waiting and when I said not long she was taken aback. So I got the one signature event (Cali Grill) that I wanted though it did take some insistence on my part (because Cali isn't open for regular reservations currently). I also got a few seminars for the last day.

Cali Grill 11/7 - Signature Dining
Iron Horse Vineyards 11/11 - wine Seminar
Dylan Schauwecker 11/11 - culinary seminar
King Estate Winery 11/11 - wine seminar

If any of you are going to these lemme know, I love meeting up with new folks.

Wow, that's a lot of wine in one day!

 

[funnybunny921]

Wow, that's a lot of wine in one day!

yes!!! I was thinking of doing all three- but figured the CM might refer me to a help program.

My DH and I will both be running our first half marathons at the Wine & Dine, so Monday seems like a good day to glut-out

 

[woodleygrrl]

may be a stupid question, but is there a schedule somewhere with all the seminars on it? When you go to the WDW website to book it, it allows you to book an event at the welcome center but it does not tell you what it is for!

help?

 

[Angel Ariel]

Check out the Disney Food Blog's information, it may help you

 

[marshwiggle]

may be a stupid question, but is there a schedule somewhere with all the seminars on it? When you go to the WDW website to book it, it allows you to book an event at the welcome center but it does not tell you what it is for!

help?

Post #1 of this thread has links to schedules in pdf format.

ETA: That info is *supposed* to be on the WDW website but hasn't quite made it there yet.

 

[carmie3377]

It is just the two of us on our first date in a year and that is why I wanted reserved seating - so one of us wasn't always jumping up and leaving the other. We will make it work, hopefully someone will share a table with us.

When are you going? DH and I are going on10/25 and wouldn't mind meeting up before hand to share a table.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[jenjersnap]

When are you going? DH and I are going on10/25 and wouldn't mind meeting up before hand to share a table.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Yes, that is our night too and we would like that very much! PM me?

 

[marshwiggle]

Are the events that have already sold out listed anywhere on disneyworld.com? Last year that info was easy to find (and regularly updated) but the new website is ever bewildering to me.

My experience this morning wasn't too bad - none of the events were make/break so I just booked the 2 events that the CM could pull up. It didn't seem possible for the Frunch to be sold out after only 10 minutes so I called again at 8:30am and after 1 hr on hold was able to book that.

 

[Tamar]

When I called on Aug 9 to book deminars, I had to end the call pretty quickly and did not get a chance to get my confirmation numbers. If I call back now, (well not NOW, but maybe tomorrow) can a CM find them for me based on my name and DVC number? Or can I find them online without the confirmation numbers?