2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: August 30 to November 12, 2018

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We had already decided not to go next year. This has confirmed that we made the right decision.

 

[NoMoneyThanks2Disney]

Yes, annual passholders were eligible for the early booking dates last year.

Thank you. For some reason I thought the Eat to the Beat booking came later than early booking. With age goes the brain. Lol

 

[YodasMom]

I've been attending the Food & Wine Festival almost annually since it began. However, I am not excited about this year's festival at all at this point. Due to the event scheduling debacle ( as usual) and because I haven't yet even made my flight reservations, I am reconsidering my possibly canceling this trip altogether and doing something else. Depends on what transpires in the next week. At this point, I'm not going to do anything with early booking (I'm DVC, AP, & TiW) unless the full schedule is issued in the next few hours.

 

[kristenrice]

Oh sheesh...

So I was hoping to book the Parisian afternoon event for my daughters and I, but I'm not going to get up early or sit on the phone for hours only to find out that it's not available. This is the silliest thing I have ever seen! Who decided this was a good idea? I don't want to have to call multiple times and/or sit on hold for hours just to find out the event may or may not be available. Why are they doing this so early when they clearly are not prepared??

 

[erikaluvsdisney]

Also . . . . . Appears that the Wonders of Life pavilion will be returning as the Festival Center.

What do they have in the Festival Pavilion?

 

[Dug720]

Quick question about the gift card on the lanyard... Can it be used anywhere on Disney property or is it limited to the F&W booths?

I'm excited about being there for F&W and had planned 2 Epcot days with MK and MNSSHP in between, but I'm feeling pulled to Animal Kingdom for a day. I'd love to buy the gift card/lanyard thing - especially since I'd be spending the money on food and stuff anyway, and it would be a fun souvenir - but if it's only good for F&W stuff I will forego it.

 

[crazy4wdw]

What do they have in the Festival Pavilion?

The culinary demonstrations and beverage seminars are usually held in the Festival Center. Ghirardelli Chocolate usually has a display of scenes from different Disney movies which are constructed with chocolate and other confections. If there is an exhibit this year, make sure to stop by as they usually give out samples of their chocolate.

There is an extensive merchandise area with the Food and Wine Festival themed items for sale. There usually is a wine store where you can purchase any of the wines which are presented for tasting at the beverage seminars.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Quick question about the gift card on the lanyard... Can it be used anywhere on Disney property or is it limited to the F&W booths?

I'm excited about being there for F&W and had planned 2 Epcot days with MK and MNSSHP in between, but I'm feeling pulled to Animal Kingdom for a day. I'd love to buy the gift card/lanyard thing - especially since I'd be spending the money on food and stuff anyway, and it would be a fun souvenir - but if it's only good for F&W stuff I will forego it.

It can be used anywhere on Disney property. It's just a standard Disney gift card with the Food and Wine Festival logo on it. There is a smaller version attached to a "bracelet" that you can wear around your wrist - makes it easy to use at the marketplace kiosks.

 

[randumb0]

I don't see a need to wake up early to call in unless you want PFTS WVL or Sams Grotto (if available)

 

[Dug720]

It can be used anywhere on Disney property. It's just a standard Disney gift card with the Food and Wine Festival logo on it. There is a smaller version attached to a "bracelet" that you can wear around your wrist - makes it easy to use at the marketplace kiosks.

Thanks! That's what I figured, but wanted to double check.

 

[Disney & ME]

I agree with the rant! This is absolutely asinine. The festival is running the EXACT same number of days as it did last year. They chose, for whatever reason, to open the event booking a month ahead of the past 2 years (when it was mid-July). They have failed to post complete info on the eve of booking. DVC posted on Facebook that the events will be posted AFTER BOOKING OPENS. Are you freaking KIDDING ME?!?!?! How is THAT supposed to work, you idiots? We call in and make small talk, hoping the schedule pops up while we are on the line? Or maybe we call back to get in the hold queue over and over so we'll already be holding when the events do pop up? WHO DECIDED THIS??? Oh, but of course, PFTS will sell out while I sit around waiting, so I guess I better book that and be locked in, even though MAYBE another event we would prefer might be offered. Or perhaps NONE of those events that aren't posted yet qualify for early booking, in which case we still risk being shut out of PFTS if we don't book it tomorrow. I am not really seeing how it is beneficial to call tomorrow if I am just trying to book some silly little demo or seminar or whatever. Those are not the least bit important to us. We want to book chef signature dinners and the lunches in Italy and that sort of thing LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR. This is what happens when Epcot runs a "festival" every minute of every day year round. NONE of them are carefully planned, they are thrown together all slapdash and then WDW just shrugs. And we all keep shelling out thousands of dollars for it. So I guess in the grand scheme maybe the guests are the idiots.

I too am appalled that a company who is touted for its customer service model would be so insensitive to those groups who consistently support them (DVC, AP, TIW, etc.) It is unrealistic to expect people to wait until booking opens to try and figure out what events to attend. It will only further tie up phone lines even worse than in years past!!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

What do they have in the Festival Pavilion?

The culinary demonstrations and beverage seminars are usually held in the Festival Center. Ghirardelli Chocolate usually has a display of scenes from different Disney movies which are constructed with chocolate and other confections. If there is an exhibit this year, make sure to stop by as they usually give out samples of their chocolate.

There is an extensive merchandise area with the Food and Wine Festival themed items for sale. There usually is a wine store where you can purchase any of the wines which are presented for tasting at the beverage seminars.

Descriptions this year cite Joffrey’s as a sponsor so I’ve been wondering to myself if Ghiardelli will return - hope so! The descriptions also talk about a mimosa bar, new this year. In addition to the demos, merchandise, and wine shop, (includes individual glasses) there’s usually a movie - most recently about general wine harvests but in years past about putting together the festival (loved those). In the past have also had books for sale and signings here, for which you could get a wristband even if not attending the chef’s event. Now that the Sunday brunches with the majority of the celeb chefs are occurring in World Showplace not sure what happens to signings.

One note/tip, the Festival Center has historically opened with the park at 9 (vs. World Showcase and food booths at 11).

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I don't see a need to wake up early to call in unless you want PFTS WVL or Sams Grotto (if available)

PFTS Wine View is not booking tomorrow. Only reserved and only September 22 (which is what we would book IF we were booking it). DH and I have pretty much decided not to do PFTS because we feel like they are backing us into a corner of booking it without knowing what else is being offered! No telling if they are doing Trader Sam's. I couldn't get it during early booking last year but I got it during general public booking.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I've been attending the Food & Wine Festival almost annually since it began. However, I am not excited about this year's festival at all at this point. Due to the event scheduling debacle ( as usual) and because I haven't yet even made my flight reservations, I am reconsidering my possibly canceling this trip altogether and doing something else. Depends on what transpires in the next week. At this point, I'm not going to do anything with early booking (I'm DVC, AP, & TiW) unless the full schedule is issued in the next few hours.

I hear you. We are also DVC, TIW and AP. We added 2 additional cash nights, which at this point I would be willing to cancel. Our flights are booked but we are on SW so I can move the return flight if there is nothing we want to do on Friday or Saturday.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Early booking for tomorrow confirmed on pass holder site in My Disney Experience. Starts at 9 am. Seems like phone only (vs online - but worth trying in morning). Includes only the events announced so far (per the description but can’t hurt to ask about more): Sunday brunch w/ Chef, Pairing events, Cheese seminar, food or beverage demo, mix it make it, Party for the Senses, Eat to the Beat package.

ETA: pretty extraordinary to announce with ~12 hours notice. Imagine majority of passholders will have no idea about this “ benefit”

 

[ImprovGal]

It can be used anywhere on Disney property. It's just a standard Disney gift card with the Food and Wine Festival logo on it. There is a smaller version attached to a "bracelet" that you can wear around your wrist - makes it easy to use at the marketplace kiosks.

And that anywhere includes any place that accepts Disney gift cards -- like the cruise line.

 

[kellyr66]

My wife and I have being going to the Epcot Food and Wine fest for many years. We like to book the special lunch events. Like others on here, I don't understand how in the world they are starting booking tomorrow when there are so many events they haven't listed yet. We usually look at the complete list and make decisions on our first and 2nd choices for each day. That's impossible now. I don't want book a demo at 2:30 to find out later that is same time as the French Family Meal Tradition lunch that I really want to do.
Every year seems to get more painful in making reservations. Last year I called on the first day and they didn't have the majority of the events in their system yet. They have computers at Disney. Why can't they do online reservations????
Oh well, done with my rant.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

My wife and I have being going to the Epcot Food and Wine fest for many years. We like to book the special lunch events. Like others on here, I don't understand how in the world they are starting booking tomorrow when there are so many events they haven't listed yet. We usually look at the complete list and make decisions on our first and 2nd choices for each day. That's impossible now. I don't want book a demo at 2:30 to find out later that is same time as the French Family Meal Tradition lunch that I really want to do.
Every year seems to get more painful in making reservations. Last year I called on the first day and they didn't have the majority of the events in their system yet. They have computers at Disney. Why can't they do online reservations????
Oh well, done with my rant.

 

[gharter]

Agree with all the others, can't believe you get about 3 days notice that the booking window will open. And they haven't released a lot of the details yet.
They have the expensive parties and the cheaper tastings (which are fun).
But our favorites, the Food and Wine pairings (Italy, Mediterranean, Mexico and others) they don't have dates, prices etc.
Makes no sense to push the booking window so early and not have the details out.

 

[kellyr66]

Agree with all the others, can't believe you get about 3 days notice that the booking window will open. And they haven't released a lot of the details yet.
They have the expensive parties and the cheaper tastings (which are fun).
But our favorites, the Food and Wine pairings (Italy, Mediterranean, Mexico and others) they don't have dates, prices etc.
Makes no sense to push the booking window so early and not have the details out.

We are fans of the Italian events (regional lunch, whatever they are calling it now), Who knows when it will be available? the Spice road lunch event is supposed to be available to book tomorrow but it's hard to plan when you don't know when the French and Italian lunches will take place.