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

[webray]

Ok..to help some of you relax...

Here is a blip regarding the kiosks from a F&W fest advertisement in my AAA magazine which came in the mail today.

More than 25 international marketplaces serving tapas-sized portions of regional specialties, including vegetarian and sweet bites, from $2-$5, plus wine and beer pairings at each kiosk. (then it goes on to talk about the eat to the beat concerts, listing some of the performers).

We can't wait to go!

 

[LaurenNJ]

My husband and I are also quite disappointed by this years offerings. Due to my husbands work we are only able to take vacation from 9/24 - 9/30 this year so we didnt have much choice in our timing. We are really going to miss PFTS. I understand that the Bocuse d'Or is a very important event in the Culinary world, Food Network is on in my home daily and I subscribe to all the culinary magazine. I have my application for the Amateur Program at the French Culinary Institute in NYC all filled out and I'm just waiting for the right time. I will be thrilled to watch the competition. I will not, however, pay $450 to go to the Gala. Not because I can't, but because I won't. I firmly believe that Disney could have offered this event for the same price as the PFTS. What's the difference? Successful Chef's might be standing on line behind you at the dessert buffet? I might get a hello from Cat Cora? Nah, not for me. Now if Andrea Bocelli is going to serenade me and Brad Pitt is going to rub my feet while I eat, then I may have to reconsider. I hope that whomever does decide to attend has a wonderful time and will post a nice review for all of us to enjoy. As far as some posters jumping all over other posters, everyone has their own opinions and I don't take offense to anyone who's opinion differs from mine. I for one will never allow Foie Gras to pass my lips, I'm sure it's delicious, but my heart won't allow it. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't share a table with someone who was enjoying it. We are all entitled to make our own choices and voice our own opinions. I think people take umbridge with the "tone" of some opinions not the opinion itself. If several people find a message rude then guess what, it was probably rude. Perception is reality. No big deal, it may not have been meant that way and that's all you need to say.

 

[lilyv]

My husband and I are also quite disappointed by this years offerings. Due to my husbands work we are only able to take vacation from 9/24 - 9/30 this year so we didnt have much choice in our timing. We are really going to miss PFTS. I understand that the Bocuse d'Or is a very important event in the Culinary world, Food Network is on in my home daily and I subscribe to all the culinary magazine. I have my application for the Amateur Program at the French Culinary Institute in NYC all filled out and I'm just waiting for the right time. I will be thrilled to watch the competition. I will not, however, pay $450 to go to the Gala. Not because I can't, but because I won't. I firmly believe that Disney could have offered this event for the same price as the PFTS. What's the difference? Successful Chef's might be standing on line behind you at the dessert buffet? I might get a hello from Cat Cora? Nah, not for me. Now if Andrea Bocelli is going to serenade me and Brad Pitt is going to rub my feet while I eat, then I may have to reconsider. I hope that whomever does decide to attend has a wonderful time and will post a nice review for all of us to enjoy. As far as some posters jumping all over other posters, everyone has their own opinions and I don't take offense to anyone who's opinion differs from mine. I for one will never allow Foie Gras to pass my lips, I'm sure it's delicious, but my heart won't allow it. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't share a table with someone who was enjoying it. We are all entitled to make our own choices and voice our own opinions. I think people take umbridge with the "tone" of some opinions not the opinion itself. If several people find a message rude then guess what, it was probably rude. Perception is reality. No big deal, it may not have been meant that way and that's all you need to say.

I figure the vast majority of the tables at the Bocuse gala will be purchased by corporate sponsors and gifted to special employees or friends.
I'm guessing that a % of the take will go back to help fund the Bocuse, in addition to the silent auction. I don't think it was ever intended for mere mortals.
If you find an event that does include being serenaded by Bocelli, let me know. I'd book it in a heartbeat!

Best of luck to you with your future plans!

 

[heather360]

I'm really debating about attending the signature dinner at V&A but I wonder if the price of $375 is justifiable. I just so happen to have ressies at V&A the night before this event.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? It's not that I'm against spending the money but I don't like not knowing in advance some more details. Plus if I keep my regular ressie for V&A I could use my DDE card and get 20% off. That's a big difference in price.

I think that I'll be trying the City Taste Italy. I would have loved to do the one for Spain but my travel dates are set and I don't have a choice.

 

[LaurenNJ]

You made a great point, that I hadn't even thought of Lily. I bet you're right that there will be corporate sponsered tables. That would make alot of sense. I wonder how fancy people are gonna get? Tuxedos ya think?

 

[LaurenNJ]

Heather, having loved my one and only experience at V&A's I would bet you'd have a great time at their Signature Dinner. We are on the wait list for the Chef's Table for 3 nights during our stay. I don't hold out much hope at this point but the reservationist did say they do get quite a few cancellations as the days get closer. We'll see. If you can stomach the $375 then go for it. You dont hear too many complaints about peoples experiences at V&A's.

 

[ehagerty]

Hubby just had the foie gras listed on the current CA Grill menu, it was fantastic!

Hmmmm - most delicious - and I am not a "liver person" at all

 

[Sk8Leigh]

Edited because I have no idea how I posted my CSR-related post in this thread!

Move along, nothing to see here.

 

[Sandy321]

I cant tell you how I am debating back and forth for the senses party - at $99 it was so well worth it - so maybe I am spoiled in that respect! Even at $125 it was worth it - when they bumped it up to $135 my expectations also went higher, and I hate to say I am disappointed in the shorter pours - one ounce is barely enough to get me back to a table to enjoy a bite of ostrich -

and yet, where else can I taste ostrich??!!

so I'll debate all day tomorrow - V&A or PFTS??? DH doesnt want to miss out on the "free glass" (we're enjoying a nice Cab tonight - our 27th wedding anniversary, with the glasses from the Party!! So the memories to last longer than the one night.... but we've never eaten at V&A!! Decisions, decisions... choices...)

I appreciate all the varying opinions and experiences - it makes it harder to make up my mind, but I feel well informed!!

I'm thinking because of the fewer events, that this year PFTS will sell out, unlike last year... so more debates to ensue in our house!!

 

[PNO4TE]

What is the general consensus regarding PFTS? Is it worth the money (bearing in mind we've not done it in the past and therefore wouldn't notice any decline from previous years)?

We love PFTS! I wish there was one the weekend we arrive. If you only do one special event, and it is in your budget, I would opt for that this year!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

What is the general consensus regarding PFTS? Is it worth the money (bearing in mind we've not done it in the past and therefore wouldn't notice any decline from previous years)?

I love PFTS, I didn't notice any decline between 2005 and 2007's parties, though their was a high price jump.

I also realized that PFTS is one thing I don't enjoy doing solo.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

and yet, where else can I taste ostrich??!!

At Jiko.

 

[betterlatethannever]

OK. After reading the posts since I posted yesterday, I will put away my charter membership card in the "Demise of the F&WF Club" until I get down there this year. Besides, I have to start planning for Monday.

Before I put the card away, I still have a nagging premonition.

I am at the PFTS in 2010. I walk up to a station and there is Nemo handing out the food. And the food is a mini Mickey waffle with ice cream and blueberries. Disney changed to characters because of the guest serveys stating they wanted more character interaction; and the waffle of course is unique to Disney.

The next year they took away the blueberries as a cost cutting measure.

Ed

P.S. My next post will be a serious one regarding the Festival

 

[betterlatethannever]

OK Here is my serious question.

I have gone back through this thread and have found talk about last year's South African Wine experience at the World Showplace.

I believe both PatriciaH and BriarRosie were there and described it as a mini PFTS.

How small was it? I've heard the PFTS holds 800-1000 people. Was it 400-500 people?

I am trying to see if the City Taste events (which I guess would be similar in size to the South African event) this year will sell out Monday morning or calling Monday afternoon will work.

Thanks.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I love PFTS, I didn't notice any decline between 2005 and 2007's parties, though their was a high price jump.

Now we noticed a decline at PFTS, however maybe it was not apparent to all...or we could have just been oh so lucky where the changes were at our party only. Here are some things we noticed: Gone were the face painters that used to grace the lobby area of PFTS-they used to be there for the entire party and you or your kids (if you brought any) could have face painting done. Then there were also the jugglers in the lobby across from the face painter-their sole job was to stand there and teach the guests to try and juggle-not there last year. Also, our party did not have the usual roaming Cirque performers going around to the tables and entertaining the guests one on one throughout the night and we were sad over that change. Cirque's show was also shorter, not by major time, but it was shorter. The wine pours were also a bit scant last year. I can't complain about the food, it was still there in all its glory and with the wine, you just had to get up for it more and more often. We still enjoyed it, but for us, we did note changes without a doubt. I'm sure most people didn't notice or didn't care because it didn't apply to them. But that was our observation comparing last year with years past.

 

[k5thbeatle]

I give up. As a F&W loyal veteran who has planned a trip from out of state to each of the last 10 F&W Festivals and was looking forward to #11 (staying at a deluxe Epcot resort each time and spending a ton) -- I find that no matter what I say about the decline in events this year, someone tries to justify it. First, the perfume brunch makes all the sense in the "world" as a Food and Wine Event. Okay, okay. Of course a perfume promotion belongs at the F&W Festival. Silly me, for not realizing that.

Now someone posts that of course the Festival should be all about promotion of cookbooks and food TV shows. After all, everyone loves celebrity chefs, right?

The promotional events are fine -- Kitchen Conversations and Cook, Book and Bottle -- if they are mixed in with other quality events. What I don't like is that the Festival this year is clearly a situation of -- pays your money, you can have your spot in the Festival.

Don't pay and we'll eliminate the event -- there are four Vertical Tastings instead of eight, the Wine Schools are 1/2 day instead of full day with a fabulous lunch, there are no Exquisite Evenings at all (versus some years where there were 8 - 12 and before that when there were 8 Reserve Dinners during a 4-week Festival). There are two signature dinners versus the usual 6-8.

Okay, okay. I surrender. Those of you who are excited about the Festival because you have no idea what it used to be, take over and start cheering.

And, clearly Disney's calculation was right -- get rid of the fabulous events, make it only an opportunity for those willing to pay a high price to promote . . . whatever. The Disney diehards won't care! In fact, if some crazy lady starts complaining on those public boards about how wonderful the Festival used to be, the DISers will be all over her for it -- just like they jump on anyone who dares to suggest that dining at WDW isn't what it used to be.l

Sigh . . .

As a F&W attendee since 1999 I completely agree with your position and will only add that imho that quality in WDW has been on the decline for some time.

The problem is that senior management are all bean counters! The inmates are in charge of the asylum!

Walt Disney was an artist! Say what you will about him, Eisner, as I've said before, at least seemed determined to uphold the idea of Disney as something unique and a bit special -- something more than a Six Flags amusement park. He created the Disney Institute, which of course got destroyed.

The whole push, now, is to maximize profits by making sure to gear everything to the middle of the road masses. If it's too elitist (a wine dinner for 60 people, OMG!), get rid of it, unless somebody else is paying for it.

There is always a lot of "slush" money in a corporation that can be tossed at various things. I know. I work in management for a corporation (not in the entertainment industry.) Some of that was being thrown, IMO, toward the Festival and to the overall effort under Eisner to encourage those who previously would not have dreamed of spending a vacation at WDW (or any amusement park) to come see what all the fuss was about. They created new restaurants, hired great chefs, started a culinary training program, hired 300 sommeliers, and created a true magnet for people who otherwise would have spent their vacations elsewhere -- Napa Valley, a luxury cruise, an Italian villa, etc.

We, like others, actually fell for it. And, for a few years, it worked. But, Eisner left, there is obviously a new management team in place, and the idea now is numbers -- always numbers. Get as many people to the parks and resorts as possible, give them anything awful to eat -- so long as it's a buffet and there is tons of that awful food available, streamline all menus so that purchasing product is cheaper, there is less inventory to store and less waste due to spoilage.

We've seen it coming for the last 2-3 years with the DDP, less elaborate and unique rides (how 'bout that DinoLand at AK -- every town has a carnival just like it), and now we see it with the F&W Festival. If I were in food and beverage at WDW, I'd seriously be looking elsewhere for employment because the writing is on the wall. If you want to spend your life turning out millions of Mickey waffles for the Chef Mickey breakfast buffet, WDW is for you. But, if your culinary aspirations are a bit higher, you're being abandoned by WDW.

Believe me, I don't spend thousands to travel to WDW for the F&W Festival for what I see this year! We were tempted to purchase DVC and are now glad we didn't. The thought of being locked into 40 years of attending a Festival like the one this year would really have me steamed!

Could not agree more.

 

[BriarRosie]

OK Here is my serious question.

I have gone back through this thread and have found talk about last year's South African Wine experience at the World Showplace.

I believe both PatriciaH and BriarRosie were there and described it as a mini PFTS.

How small was it? I've heard the PFTS holds 800-1000 people. Was it 400-500 people?

I am trying to see if the City Taste events (which I guess would be similar in size to the South African event) this year will sell out Monday morning or calling Monday afternoon will work.

Thanks.

The venue can hold hundreds of people, but I don't know how many hundreds it really is. It didn't seem that as many people attended the South African event, but it was also scaled down. The food stations were not set up in a way I'd consider efficient, because it tended to foster one long line instead of individual lines at the stations.

There were quite a few wineries represented, so I felt the wine portion was a lot better in scope than the food portion....although the food I had was tasty. The food wasn't elaborate like PFTS, but it was acceptable. I was going to skip the City Tastes - Australia this year, but I may or may not change my mind.

I had to edit to mention that the wine pours were a lot skimpier at this event than at Party for the Senses. Sure, you could go back, but I had to request a few times that I wanted more than a thimbleful of wine.

And the waffle scenario you posted....very funny.

 

[sharonkurland]

k5thbeatle and *keepmovingforward*, I wholeheartedly agree. Disney truly is declining by degrees and with that has occurred, not only the level of hubby and my "fandom", but also how much we're willing to do and spend at WDW.

* We've had PAPs for the past 10 or so years. They expire on Sept. 15th and, with the Adventurers Club closing, are downgrading to plain ol' APs.

* The ONLY WDW restaurants we are willing to visit more than once a year are CA Grill, Artist Point and Flying Fish. All the rest have downgraded themselves enough, or, in the case of The Wave, started off so badly (for us...YMMV) that we won't go back more than once every few years, if that.

As I said in an earlier post in this thread, we're only going to 2 or 3 PftS this year and that's it. In previous years we've gone to upwards of 4 or 5 of the F&W "events" per year...but with such paltry choices in 2008, we're going to save that $1,000 or so and go to EIGHT to TEN dinner at some of the more upscale restaurants in the Orlando area...Seasons 52, Roy's, Rangetsu, Ravenous Pig, Funky Monkey Wine Company, Chef's Table, etc.

 

[BriarRosie]

Now we noticed a decline at PFTS, however maybe it was not apparent to all...or we could have just been oh so lucky where the changes were at our party only. Here are some things we noticed: Gone were the face painters that used to grace the lobby area of PFTS-they used to be there for the entire party and you or your kids (if you brought any) could have face painting done. Then there were also the jugglers in the lobby across from the face painter-their sole job was to stand there and teach the guests to try and juggle-not there last year. Also, our party did not have the usual roaming Cirque performers going around to the tables and entertaining the guests one on one throughout the night and we were sad over that change. Cirque's show was also shorter, not by major time, but it was shorter. The wine pours were also a bit scant last year. I can't complain about the food, it was still there in all its glory and with the wine, you just had to get up for it more and more often. We still enjoyed it, but for us, we did note changes without a doubt. I'm sure most people didn't notice or didn't care because it didn't apply to them. But that was our observation comparing last year with years past.

I don't remember face painters and jugglers, but I do remember the Cirque bicyclist almost running me down three times. I am glad they got rid of him the following year. I didn't want to be PFTS Roadkill.

Maybe the wine pours seemed smaller because the glasses suddenly became ginormous? Still, I did think the wine pours at PFTS were always a lot more generous than the South African event I went to last year.

 

[KennySC]

So much disapointment . Well, yes, the events this year are very pricey and even some nonexistent. At first I was disappointed, this being our first time and reading all the past reviews, we were looking forward to some of the events held in past years. But, I am still looking forward to dining around the world at the kiosks. Tasting wine at the welcome center and just lollygagging around the world. We made reservations at some very good restaurants every night, so we are going to treat those as our food and wine pairings and splurge on some fine wines we normally would not have ordered. We are now also going offsite for wine tastings and a special dinner. We are also VERY glad we purchased DVC back in 1999, we love staying onsite or being able to rent points for other vacations. Stop the poo pooing and be glad one can still afford a vacation at WDW. Just my two cents, dont flame me too bad .

Perfectly said!! For us the festival is all about walking around and enjoying the same things you mention. We always do the PFTS and we're happy to see no price increase this year. I'm hoping we see a return of the fun Australia area. The Louisiana area should also be a lot of fun. So we're focusing on the positive and not going to worry about the rest. I'm confident Disney will never allow the festival to die because they've taken a usually down time at Disney and now you can't find a room. Also, I'm not at work so that makes it ever more special!!

Only 40 days and counting......