EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Advance Reservations?

[karrit2000]

That really blows my plan. I was hoping to reserve the "bigger" events first and then fill in the empty spots with these inexpensive demos. I haven't been to F/W Festival for several years. Is this how they have always done this? I am finding it nearly impossible to plan this trip! I tried to wait to select dates/purchase airfare until I knew which celebrity chefs would be there what days, but I finally had to just pick dates at random.

I am really struggling to understand WHY Disney is so slow on putting out this information!

My advice is to continue to plan around the "bigger" events. The ones going on sale this Friday for DVC, TIW & AP are the formerly free events that may be repeated 2 or 3 times for the Wine & Beverage Seminars. Each Culinary Demo was different but some of the chefs did appear more than once especially the resort ones. Last year I believe for the Mixology ones they repeated each different one for at least 3 nights in a row.

Disney waits until the last minute to put out the info on these Seminars & demos because they are trying to confirm the Presenters and also give us some idea of the Food the chefs are preparing for the demos and the Wineries & Liquors that will be presented at the Wine & Beverage Seminars & Mixology events. There have been issues with people buying tickets based on the presenter & not being able to eat the food served due to food allergies. When they were free you just didn't go if you couldn't eat what was being served but now that you have to purchase tickets ahead of time there are logistical issues. They are trying to minimize having to deal with people requesting refunds when something gets changed or was unannounced.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Does anyone remember if there are wine seminars for the 5:00 time slot?

 

[sueg]

I just want to make sure. I cannot book Party for the Senses - reserved tier- on August 9th, right?

 

[bumbershoot]

The only events that can be booked beginning on 8/9 are the low cost ($12-$15)Wine & Beverage Seminars, Mixology Seminars & Culinary Demonstrations that are held daily in the Festival Welcome Center. These were the formerly free events that they started charging for a few years ago. None of the more expensive special Parties, Culinary Dining Events, Signature Dining events, Food & Wine (or Beer) Pairings, Regional Lunches, Breakfasts, etc., will be available to book until 8/13.

that's what I thought until I saw this post and looked it up on my phone instead of online. On my phone, clicking on one of the links in the second post in this thread, I found wording that said culinary *experiences* for booking by DVC.

I think it was this here. Except I saw it with DVC not TIW (in the yellow box), so it can't be that exactly.



And then with the DVC members site saying:

Secure your spot for popular events that may fill up fast, including dinners with celebrity chefs, special dessert experiences, culinary demonstrations and much more.

It's not clarifying matters. I don't know why they cannot just list the EXACT things we can book ahead of time. It's like they WANT people like me to tie up the phone lines on the 9th just to make SURE.

Clarifying myself: the "experiences" "demonstrations" etc aren't working for me because of the way it appears on the official page. On the foodblog it's even worse (I have severely negative feelings about the readability of that blog on a good day, and the F&W is not a good day). It's just not being laid out in a way I can get. Sorry to be so whiney. I just like a GOOD, readable, site with clear information etc etc.

 

[Starr W.]

that's what I thought until I saw this post and looked it up on my phone instead of online. On my phone, clicking on one of the links in the second post in this thread, I found wording that said culinary *experiences* for booking by DVC.

I think it was this here. Except I saw it with DVC not TIW (in the yellow box), so it can't be that exactly.



And then with the DVC members site saying:



It's not clarifying matters. I don't know why they cannot just list the EXACT things we can book ahead of time. It's like they WANT people like me to tie up the phone lines on the 9th just to make SURE.

Clarifying myself: the "experiences" "demonstrations" etc aren't working for me because of the way it appears on the official page. On the foodblog it's even worse (I have severely negative feelings about the readability of that blog on a good day, and the F&W is not a good day). It's just not being laid out in a way I can get. Sorry to be so whiney. I just like a GOOD, readable, site with clear information etc etc.

No you are not whiny, I thought the same thing when reading it.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

That really blows my plan. I was hoping to reserve the "bigger" events first and then fill in the empty spots with these inexpensive demos. I haven't been to F/W Festival for several years. Is this how they have always done this? I am finding it nearly impossible to plan this trip! I tried to wait to select dates/purchase airfare until I knew which celebrity chefs would be there what days, but I finally had to just pick dates at random.

I am really struggling to understand WHY Disney is so slow on putting out this information!

Yes for the past few years they have done the seminar booking earlier.

WHY are they so slow? It's Disney! They assume we will come and give them money regardless of what they actually do.. and I have to admit it works! You went ahead and booked a trip without a clue as to what they would offer when you were there.... If the failure to let us know resulted in people not attending they would get their act in gear but... (I am pretty much over it. I do PFTS and that's about it!)

I gave up prebooking the seminars a few years ago and haven't missed much IMHO. I didn't attend any for a two years. Did two last year, but booked those late in the process.

 

[karrit2000]

I understand the Whining. I myself have had to reread most of the Official info myself to clarify what will & will not be available to book on Friday. DVC was clear if you only read the first sentence. After that their info was confusing. TIW was very specific about what you could purchase on 8/9 and what you had to wait until 8/13 to purchase. The AP notice was specific also but incorrect in saying you could book "special events". I don't consider the info posted on WDINFO that you linked to to be the correct information since they are not Official Disney and their info is incomplete and misleading.

 

[karrit2000]

Does anyone remember if there are wine seminars for the 5:00 time slot?

No, Wine & Beverages are at 12PM, 2PM & 4PM.
Mixology is 6PM.
Culinary Demos are at 1PM, 3PM & 5PM Monday-Saturday, and 1PM & 5PM on Sundays.

 

[ashleyrm]

Mixology, Beverage and Culinary demo/seminar info available on DVC website.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Mixology, Beverage and Culinary demo/seminar info available on DVC website.

Yeah! Thanks!

 

[shortypots]

Wish you could book this stuff online. Would make it so much easier.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Wish you could book this stuff online. Would make it so much easier.

You are confusing Disney with someone whose IT shop is competent

 

[bandjbaine]

Does anyone bring children to these demos and seminars?

 

[karrit2000]

Does anyone bring children to these demos and seminars?

They have a table set up for children with coloring pages for the Wine & Beverage & Mixology seminars but they definitely aren't child friendly events. The Cooking Demos they will serve the children but not the glass of wine they provide the adults. You would be expected to pay for the children at the Culinary Demos.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Ok so we saw the schedule and know what we want!!!

But... so do my parents! My mom gave me her gift card info so I can
book a cooking demo for them. So the big question of the day..

When I call do I tell them two adults? or the names of who wants the cooking demo?

When I pick up the tickets.. I show my DVC ID and then just hand the tickets to my mom?

 

[fflmaster]

May I ask which demos will like sell out?

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

May I ask which demos will like sell out?

If there is a well know name leading it, it will sell out

 

[Julylady]

Does anyone bring children to these demos and seminars?

I will just share my experience. Two years ago while waiting in line for one of the culinary demos a family with two school aged kids showed up. I am thinking the kids were about 5 and 7. The CM managing the line told the parents that the kids could not attend since there was alcohol being served. The parents said that was fine, the kids would just sit with them and not eat/drink anything. The CM said she could NOT allow the kids into the demo area.

The parents then tried to sit the kids down on a nearby bench outside of the demo area. They would have still been able to see the kids from where they were sitting. Another CM saw what they were trying to do and said they couldn't leave their kids there alone while they were at the demo. The Mom asked what they were supposed to do and the CM advised that only one of them attend the demo and the other watch the kids.

The parents argued a bit that they didn't understand/agree with this policy. The CM told them to visit Guest Services. The family then left and I didn't see any of them return. I felt really sorry for them as I am guessing they never even considered it would be a problem taking the kids.

So.....perhaps they have changed their policies in the last two years, but I would certainly research this issue if you are intending to take kids.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I will just share my experience. Two years ago while waiting in line for one of the culinary demos a family with two school aged kids showed up. I am thinking the kids were about 5 and 7. The CM managing the line told the parents that the kids could not attend since there was alcohol being served. The parents said that was fine, the kids would just sit with them and not eat/drink anything. The CM said she could NOT allow the kids into the demo area.

The parents then tried to sit the kids down on a nearby bench outside of the demo area. They would have still been able to see the kids from where they were sitting. Another CM saw what they were trying to do and said they couldn't leave their kids there alone while they were at the demo. The Mom asked what they were supposed to do and the CM advised that only one of them attend the demo and the other watch the kids.

The parents argued a bit that they didn't understand/agree with this policy. The CM told them to visit Guest Services. The family then left and I didn't see any of them return. I felt really sorry for them as I am guessing they never even considered it would be a problem taking the kids.

So.....perhaps they have changed their policies in the last two years, but I would certainly research this issue if you are intending to take kids.

On our DCL cruise last week, my DS showed up with his 10 year old DD to attend the "Lobster Ravioli" demo. He was not allowed into the room. Wine was being served.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've been at culinary demos where there were young children. They had paid the full amount to attend, just like the parents. But when it came time to serve the wine, they didn't get any. However, Mom or Dad got their serving of wine. I was thinking "At least it's a way to get an extra serving of wine, but an expensive way!"