***Epcot Food And Wine Festival Info 2008***

[nittanyliongirl02]

Go over to http://allears.net/tp/ep/foodwine.htm

go down the left side of the page, and there's a section called:ALLEARS & READER REPORTS.

There are different reviews of events- hopefully there will be prices posted too.

We've gone for a few years now- and don't even plan meals because of the country kiosks around World Showcase Lagoon.

Have fun!

Thanks!!!

 

[sebastian75_99]

Subscribing!!

 

[SamSam]

Oh, my! I've been trying to be so very patient......but the waiting is driving me up the wall!!! I want to know the events, I want to produce a spreadsheet, and finally, I want to call and book the events we want!!!!!!
Arrrrghhhhh! I wait to plan all our other dining till after we decide on our Food and Wine Events, so this wait is killin' me.

 

[oybolshoi]

Oh, my! I've been trying to be so very patient......but the waiting is driving me up the wall!!! I want to know the events, I want to produce a spreadsheet, and finally, I want to call and book the events we want!!!!!!
Arrrrghhhhh! I wait to plan all our other dining till after we decide on our Food and Wine Events, so this wait is killin' me.

I hear ya! I usually plan most of our dining after we make F&W decisions, too. This year I just couldn't leave it that late since we'll be out of town when details and bookings are supposed to take place.

I'm just so disappointed in Disney over the whole lack of information for F&W ... it's really caused us to re-think just how much extra money we want to spend on special programming.

 

[SamSam]

I hear ya! I usually plan most of our dining after we make F&W decisions, too. This year I just couldn't leave it that late since we'll be out of town when details and bookings are supposed to take place.

I'm just so disappointed in Disney over the whole lack of information for F&W ... it's really caused us to re-think just how much extra money we want to spend on special programming.

I hear you on this! I really feel Disney is taking us 'regulars' for granted and it leaves a really bad taste.

 

[luvpooh]

I hear ya! I usually plan most of our dining after we make F&W decisions, too. This year I just couldn't leave it that late since we'll be out of town when details and bookings are supposed to take place.

I'm just so disappointed in Disney over the whole lack of information for F&W ... it's really caused us to re-think just how much extra money we want to spend on special programming.

ITA! Actually, I keep getting more and more disappointed in Disney overall; it's not the same as it was, even 4 or 5 years ago! At least now we are starting to 'branch out' and go to other places for vacation rather than all Disney, all the time as a result...

 

[ElizabethB]

I agree completely, luvpooh. The Festival has seriously declined in quality over the years.

 

[oybolshoi]

ITA! Actually, I keep getting more and more disappointed in Disney overall; it's not the same as it was, even 4 or 5 years ago! At least now we are starting to 'branch out' and go to other places for vacation rather than all Disney, all the time as a result...

We've been noticing this too ... I thought maybe we were getting too picky in our old age.

I sometimes feel like they're in a rut and keep waiting for them to bust out and dazzle us all. I have a feeling that may not happen this year.

 

[fwm]

ITA! Actually, I keep getting more and more disappointed in Disney overall; it's not the same as it was, even 4 or 5 years ago! At least now we are starting to 'branch out' and go to other places for vacation rather than all Disney, all the time as a result...

Actually, about 5 years ago they gave no advance notice for taking reservations for the dinners, etc. Also, there was no announcement in advance regarding what events would be available. They have only done that in the last few years.

 

[BriarRosie]

Actually, about 5 years ago they gave no advance notice for taking reservations for the dinners, etc. Also, there was no announcement in advance regarding what events would be available. They have only done that in the last few years.

I remember getting advance notice for the dining events for 2003. I think that was the first
year I've started doing the special events.

 

[fwm]

I remember getting advance notice for the dining events for 2003. I think that was the first
year I've started doing the special events.

This is from 2002, at Yesterland.com:
A reservation system for dining events that allows more people to be successful.
Expecting that Disney Dining would soon be taking bookings for the 2002 Food & Wine Festival private dining events, I had been calling twice a week in early July 2002. For two weeks, I was told, “It says ‘coming soon.’” But when I called Monday, July 15, 2002, I learned that Disney Dining began taking bookings that morning at 7:00 a.m., but that we were already too late to book a Signature Dinner or a Reserve Dinner. They were sold out by 9:00 a.m. What a disappointment! One problem is that the same people book many dinners. Members of the Florida resident Disney Dining Experience program get advance notice of the events. Some members then book every sit-down dinner that they can get when Disney Dining starts taking bookings. For the Party for the Senses, with its high capacity, that’s fine. But for the limited capacity sit-down dinners, it means that it’s nearly impossible for out-of-state guests to book such an event. Even Disney Dining Experience membership is no guarantee; we know a charming retired couple in Florida who are members, but who received the “advance notice” on July 16—one day after the sit-down events were booked up—so they could not attend a single Reserve Dinner or Signature Dinner. The Festival organizers need to rethink the booking process to allow fair distribution of reservations for limited capacity events.

 

[karrit2000]

I've had the DDE card for the past few years but my last one is currently expired. I have never received the mailing before the events were available to book. In 2006 I think I received it about a month after the events went on sale. Last year it came about a week after you could begin booking and after they had told people they weren't going to be sending one out. It doesn't help that they have seriously scaled back the offerings for the Food & Wine pairings and they don't keep their own website updated with the most current information of what is still available. They obviously do not care about the majority of the repeat visitors or they would come up with a better system. If they really cared they would keep track of requests for sold out events & open up more offerings based on those requests. Some have said that some of the restaurants don't want to block off tables to host the Pairing events because it takes table availability away from the regular customers. When I have done the pairings there were definitely empty tables in the restaurants, especially at Le Cellier. I don't think I have ever been in there when every table was occupied or in the process of being turned over.

 

[TDC Nala]

Some have said that some of the restaurants don't want to block off tables to host the Pairing events because it takes table availability away from the regular customers. When I have done the pairings there were definitely empty tables in the restaurants, especially at Le Cellier. I don't think I have ever been in there when every table was occupied or in the process of being turned over.

That may have been true in the past but you better believe that this year they need every single table they can get at Le Cellier. I wonder what is going to happen to the pairing if they need the space and tables for regular customers.

I'd bet the same is true of Coral Reef, although last year as it turned out they preferred to use the restaurant itself rather than the Seas Salon lounge (I guess they get more money from wedding and convention parties).

 

[shovan]

We did receive a mailing last year, I think because of the DDE card. But it wasn't advance notice at all, it came at least a week after booking was already opened.

 

[TewEpcot]

Has anyone heard a ticket price for Party for the Senses yet? Will tix be sold starting 8/25 along with the other special events?

Thanks!

 

[Northern_Julie]

Just noticed a booth update http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/events/index.htm
Edit: There are some events too!!

 

[lilyv]

Thanks for the heads up!! Most of this information isn't on the Disney site yet, so I'm glad to hear a little of what's planned.

 

[ImprovGal]

Just noticed a booth update http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/events/index.htm
Edit: There are some events too!!

Oh, I hope the 2008 event info added so far is correct!
It's the first indicator I've seen of the Exquisite Evenings returning.

 

[oybolshoi]

Good to see some information trickling out.

I don't what I was expecting but I admit to being disappointed in the food booth menus; so far it's almost exactly the same as last year, and the year before that, and the year before that ...

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Good to see some information trickling out.

I don't what I was expecting but I admit to being disappointed in the food booth menus; so far it's almost exactly the same as last year, and the year before that, and the year before that ...

I thought the same thing. There's nothing that is really calling out to me.