Anyone hit the first day of the F&W festival?

[franandaj]

I saw that you attended the Napa cooking school, and I am curious to know if it is offered more than once? If not, how does someone make sure they get registered into that session when it opens up?

You are on the website at 9:59AM the day that registration opens, keep refreshing your page until you see registration information appear. The May 15th session sold out by 1PM that day. The other sessions sold out gradually over the next six weeks. As late as two weeks ago there was still one spot left for the class I did yesterday. Check out page 6 of my trip report for pictures from Yesterday (link is in my sig). It was AMAZING as usual!

 

[franandaj]

I just posted a few pics of some of the tapas plates that we tried last night in my Trip Report. The 2010 pictures start on page 6 of the report. More to come in the next day or two!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I just posted a few pics of some of the tapas plates that we tried last night in my Trip Report. The 2010 pictures start on page 6 of the report. More to come in the next day or two!

I enjoyed your review and the pictures very much. Thanks for sharing and taking the time to post.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

The Disneyland Podcast team (YellowMickeyPonchos, octony, & i'mtooexcited to sleep) just recorded a podcast about the Food & Wine today. It should be up this week, and links in their show notes about the Food & Wine.

I've never been to it before (except for a Sweet Sunday last year), but spent some time Friday & Saturday trying the different things - went to a culinary demo with Jonathan Rollo on Friday - he made the turkey meatball & turkey meatball slider, tried the tapas, ate the chile relleno (cocina cucamonga at Pacific Wharf), and did a wine walk - California wines. I really enjoyed it.

 

[nunzia]

Wow! I'm loving your report.. I'd really like to do the Napa Rose school one year. The tapas looks good! Do you know if they keep the same menu the whole festival or are they rotated with different choices on different days/weeks?

 

[tinkermell]

Do any of you know about the wine walks? Are they something you sign up for ahead of time?

The one with John Lasseter sounds like fun!

Thanks!

 

[franandaj]

If the wine walks are the same as last year, you pay a fee up front. Last year it was $10, you receive a passport and you walk through the various regions or wineries, you can pick 4 tastes. It's best if you do it with a friend that you don't mind drinking out of the same glass with. That way you even more different tastes for the same amount of money. In my report I'll be posting a bunch of photos that I took today, but soon I have to take off for that John Lasseter Wine Maker Dinner at Club 33 that my friend was so kind enough to get me into!

 

[franandaj]

Wow! I'm loving your report.. I'd really like to do the Napa Rose school one year. The tapas looks good! Do you know if they keep the same menu the whole festival or are they rotated with different choices on different days/weeks?

They did this same thing, two years ago I think, and they kept the same menu the whole time. The Cooking School is awesome, with the rearrangement of the 2011 points, I wasn't sure if I should bite the bullet on my points and still do it the first weekend, but after yesterday, I don't want anyone getting the jump on me! I want to know first. Chef Sutton is such a great guy, really funny and so full of great information, definitely has his opinions, but that's what you want in a chef, a man who knows what he likes and how to do it.

I can't wait to have dinner there on my birthday in a couple weeks!

 

[msteddom]

I had a wonderful day at California Adventure yesterday! I arrived at the park at 9 AM and rode a few rides with no wait. Then I happened to run into DIS group on their Adventures by Disney tour. It was wonderful to meet Pete, Kevin, John and Walter!

Most of the Food and Wine events are located at Stage 12 in the Hollywood Backlot. It opened at 10:30. I had a quick lunch there. The cheese soup was amazing, and the slider was good. It was a little frustrating though, the utensils and the trashcans were located on the complete opposite side of the building from the seating. It also didn't seem to have enough seating.

Next I tried both of the Wine Walks, one features California wines and the other Italy. You get four tastes for $10. At each walk there are four stations with each one representing a different region. The wines were good, but the people pouring them didn't know anything about them. The space was also quite small, and I can see them getting crowded very quickly.

Next I went to buy a wristband for the Lassiter tasting seminar. Wristbands are $1 and go on sale one hour before the seminar begins. You purchase them outside of Stage 12 just to the left of the entrance. Then I grabbed dessert and ran into I'm Too Excited to Sleep, SF Bay Don and Mary Jo. It was great chatting!

Finally it was time for the seminar, and we find out that John and Nancy Lassiter are both there in addition to their wine maker. Only the wine maker was scheduled to appear, so that was a wonderful surprise!!! We tasted three wines, with the rose being by far my favorite, and the seminar lasted for about 45 min, and was a wonderful experience. Afterward all three of them did a bottle signing and John posed for pictures and chatted with each person for a minute. It was awesome to meet him!!!!!!! If you want to buy a bottle to have signed you need to buy it at the same place you buy the wristbands. Don't buy it at the gift shop!

So all in all it was an awesome Disney day!!!!! Thanks to all the great Disers for helping make it great for me!!!

Melissa

 

[ImTooExcitedToSleep]

Then I grabbed dessert and ran into I'm Too Excited to Sleep, SF Bay Don and Mary Jo. It was great chatting!

Melissa

It was great seeing you again.

Tom

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Here are ImTooExcitedToSleep (Tom), SFBayDon (Don), and msteddom (Melissa) at Stage 12 before the Lasseter wine seminar.

Here are John Lasseter, Nancy Lasseter, and their wine maker. Later we were at the California wine walk and Nancy was mingling there.

It was fun talking to you, Melissa. I'm so glad we ran into each other!

 

[nunzia]

If the wine walks are the same as last year, you pay a fee up front. Last year it was $10, you receive a passport and you walk through the various regions or wineries, you can pick 4 tastes. It's best if you do it with a friend that you don't mind drinking out of the same glass with. That way you even more different tastes for the same amount of money. In my report I'll be posting a bunch of photos that I took today, but soon I have to take off for that John Lasseter Wine Maker Dinner at Club 33 that my friend was so kind enough to get me into!

Where do you get the wine walks tickets? Where are the wine walks located? Better information here than on the official site..surprise surprise.

 

[ImTooExcitedToSleep]

Where do you get the wine walks tickets? Where are the wine walks located? Better information here than on the official site..surprise surprise.

The wine and beer walk tickets are $10 again this year. The 2 wine walks and 1 beer walk are located on the pathway from Sunshine Plaza headed toward Bugs Land or the Pacific Wharf.

The 2 wine walks are Viva Italia or California Classics. You get four 1.5 ounce samples.

 

[nunzia]

The wine and beer walk tickets are $10 again this year. The 2 wine walks and 1 beer walk are located on the pathway from Sunshine Plaza headed toward Bugs Land or the Pacific Wharf.

The 2 wine walks are Viva Italia or California Classics. You get four 1.5 ounce samples.

We'll probably try that..maybe the beer one for my DH...a little pricey but hey...Disney has to keep their reputation up...