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

[TheDISneyFamily]

PFTS was $135 last year right? Was that with tax or was tax even more? My friend told me about the rumored $150-she worked F&W last year. I guess it keeps going up every year and $150 is not too far from $135. Remember when it was $70 and was 6pm-9pm?

Yes, you're right. It's not that much of a difference, and we will still be going. Although, I'm not sure what the $$$ is when we'll finally say that's it's too much. Like I said, we have 5 to pay for, so it adds up. We like to have other nice dinners while we're in town, and PFTS is hard on the average nightly dinner budget. Then again, so it V&A... but we still go there, too.

Wow, $70 for PFTS was a steal! I wish we knew about it back then!

I think we met you at Sweet Sundays last year, Patricia. Maybe our paths will cross again this year.

-Michelle

P.S. I'm glad to hear some of you used my F&W Fest Rating cards from last year! Thanks for the nice comments!!!

 

[kabuki]

To be honest I'd be surprised if it ever goes through. We used to walk in to Mexico to check weekly to see if they started production, but we stopped a while ago when nothing ever happened.

That is so sad. I hate when they start things and then just let them die. You know they would make the money up in a month if they opened it with the F&W Fest!

 

[oybolshoi]

Even I would do a food and wine pairing in Mexico if the wine were replaced with Tequila. Especially if the experience ended with a some coffee and kahlua.

I wonder if Epcot would hire me to start planning F&W events? While I have no real world experience (one wedding reception and two Harry Potter parties have to count for something) I think I could do a bang up job!

Hmmmmmm ...


There are 11 countries in the World Showcase and last year there were pairings in five of them (I'm not counting England because they only had 1 event). And I'm not including Coral Reef because it's not a country ... is it?

Mexico is going to waste ... and so is Norway (gimme some stinky fish with some Aquavit ... I'd pay for that at least once!). And China ... how can there not be a pairing in China? And Germany? They could have an afternoon event there and call it Das Boot! Great Britain is going to waste ... they could do an English Tea there once a week or they could set up a special event - A Burns Dinner (Robert Burns, not Montgomery!) with poetry and haggis and scotch. And even America town ... every week they could feature a regional tasting ... Creole, Pacific Northwest, Midwest Beefeaters, New England Clam Bake...

The possibilities are endless!!

BTW, Disney .... I'm copyrighting this post!

 

[kabuki]

Even I would do a food and wine pairing in Mexico if the wine were replaced with Tequila. Especially if the experience ended with a some coffee and kahlua.

I wonder if Epcot would hire me to start planning F&W events? While I have no real world experience (one wedding reception and two Harry Potter parties have to count for something) I think I could do a bang up job!

Hmmmmmm ...


There are 11 countries in the World Showcase and last year there were pairings in five of them (I'm not counting England because they only had 1 event). And I'm not including Coral Reef because it's not a country ... is it?

Mexico is going to waste ... and so is Norway (gimme some stinky fish with some Aquavit ... I'd pay for that at least once!). And China ... how can there not be a pairing in China? And Germany? They could have an afternoon event there and call it Das Boot! Great Britain is going to waste ... they could do an English Tea there once a week or they could set up a special event - A Burns Dinner (Robert Burns, not Montgomery!) with poetry and haggis and scotch. And even America town ... every week they could feature a regional tasting ... Creole, Pacific Northwest, Midwest Beefeaters, New England Clam Bake...

The possibilities are endless!!

BTW, Disney .... I'm copyrighting this post!

OK Brenda! Year of a Million Dreams! How come you can't win this job?

To America Town you have to add a New Orleans Daiquiri walk about! Or should I say stumble-about!

 

[oybolshoi]

OK Brenda! Year of a Million Dreams! How come you can't win this job?

To America Town you have to add a New Orleans Daiquiri walk about! Or should I say stumble-about!

Maybe I should write them a letter and plead my case?

Oh yes ... a daiquiri walk-about would be a must!

And why isn't there a coffee bar in Morocco? A friend of mine who's from Albania said that they serve really dark, thick, sweet coffee in that area of the world and she swears it is fabulous.

 

[Forever42]

That is so sad. I hate when they start things and then just let them die. You know they would make the money up in a month if they opened it with the F&W Fest!

I would looooove a bar inside Mexico! For years I said to DH that I love the atmosphere, but the restaurant leaves something to be desired for us at least, so I would absolutely frequent a bar inside just to soak up atmosphere. We were so sad when Japan closed the Matsunoma Lounge, as we'd stop there every time we were at Epcot during the summer, or with friends.

 

[kabuki]

I would looooove a bar inside Mexico! For years I said to DH that I love the atmosphere, but the restaurant leaves something to be desired for us at least, so I would absolutely frequent a bar inside just to soak up atmosphere. We were so sad when Japan closed the Matsunoma Lounge, as we'd stop there every time we were at Epcot during the summer, or with friends.

We also loved the Matsunoma Lounge - a good drink, A/C and a beautiful view away from everything for a bit. So sad it closed!

I haven't eaten at the Mexico restaurant in years. We live so close to Mexico that we eat great Mexican food VERY cheap all the time. I wish they would put a bar in - a agree about the atmosphere -

 

[Forever42]

We also loved the Matsunoma Lounge - a good drink, A/C and a beautiful view away from everything for a bit. So sad it closed!

I haven't eaten at the Mexico restaurant in years. We live so close to Mexico that we eat great Mexican food VERY cheap all the time. I wish they would put a bar in - a agree about the atmosphere -

Even here in the north part of Orlando we have a few decent real Mexican places! I only eat at Mexico once a year, in September, when they do Chiles en Nogada, since I can't find it ANYWHERE else.

Sorry, this is very off topic

 

[oybolshoi]

Even here in the north part of Orlando we have a few decent real Mexican places! I only eat at Mexico once a year, in September, when they do Chiles en Nogada, since I can't find it ANYWHERE else.

Sorry, this is very off topic

Food? Off topic? On this thread?

Not a chance!

 

[kabuki]

Even here in the north part of Orlando we have a few decent real Mexican places! I only eat at Mexico once a year, in September, when they do Chiles en Nogada, since I can't find it ANYWHERE else.

Sorry, this is very off topic

I agree - all food on topic - all the time!

 

[oybolshoi]

Hey just think ... sometime within the next month we should know a lot more about F&W program details for this year than we do right now!

 

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

There are a lot of things that they could do during the F&WF that they aren't. Just like Brenda I have tons of ideas. It's not like they don't have the people to do them. Last year was my first time going to the F&WF and I didn't know until 1 week after they announced the events that you could book them.....and they were already sold out of most of the events for the time I was there. So I didn't get to do any of them.

I would love for them to do a beer flight and food and wine tasting in Germany. There is so much they could do with each pavilion. All it would do is bring in more money for Disney.

Does anyone remember when they post the events? Is it at the end of July and then they can be booked at the beginning of Aug?

 

[kabuki]

Hey just think ... sometime within the next month we should know a lot more about F&W program details for this year than we do right now!

There are a lot of things that they could do during the F&WF that they aren't. Just like Brenda I have tons of ideas. It's not like they don't have the people to do them. Last year was my first time going to the F&WF and I didn't know until 1 week after they announced the events that you could book them.....and they were already sold out of most of the events for the time I was there. So I didn't get to do any of them.

I would love for them to do a beer flight and food and wine tasting in Germany. There is so much they could do with each pavilion. All it would do is bring in more money for Disney.

Does anyone remember when they post the events? Is it at the end of July and then they can be booked at the beginning of Aug?

I think they post the evnts July 31st and you book them Aug 1st

Really it was like the last couple weeks in July it came out and it was one of the 1st Mondays in Aug.

 

[oybolshoi]

Event details will probaby be released within the next three-to-four weeks if past years give us anything to go by.

And they'll start booking about 10 days after they release that info.

 

[luvpooh]

I've been checking for updates like 3 times a day to see if anything has been announced! Talk about building anticipation! Odds are things will be announced and a) the things we really want to do will be scheduled for when we aren't there or b) the prices will have gone up again and it will be too $$ to convice DH to do

Oh and Brenda, there used to be an event every year in England, it was an International Beer dinner. They had them every week, and would alternate one week as Int'l in England, and the other week would be in the American Pavillion w/Sam Adams beers. I think 3 F&WF's ago was the last time they did one. We LOVED them, and they were a pretty good bargain too IIRC. The food they served in England wasn't too shabby either, we had excellent crab cakes one year, and I remember an abundance of stinky Stilton another time.

 

[oybolshoi]

I've been checking for updates like 3 times a day to see if anything has been announced! Talk about building anticipation! Odds are things will be announced and a) the things we really want to do will be scheduled for when we aren't there or b) the prices will have gone up again and it will be too $$ to convice DH to do

Option A seems to happen to us every year.

And I'm afraid that option B is becoming an issue with each passing year.

Oh and Brenda, there used to be an event every year in England, it was an International Beer dinner. They had them every week, and would alternate one week as Int'l in England, and the other week would be in the American Pavillion w/Sam Adams beers. I think 3 F&WF's ago was the last time they did one. We LOVED them, and they were a pretty good bargain too IIRC. The food they served in England wasn't too shabby either, we had excellent crab cakes one year, and I remember an abundance of stinky Stilton another time.

Oh that sounds wonderful! We would love something like that ... especially the international beer dinner.

 

[dizneykid]

One event I would like to see would be a Beer and Cheese Tasting. With so many different beers out there I think this would be interesting. I know they have the Sam Adam's Brewer's Dinner ever year, but that is usually the last Thursday of the F&W and we could never make it. Plus it is one of the $$$ events.

Artisinal Cheese of NY, the company who brought the Wine and Cheese Tastings last year has a wonderful website (we have ordered some amazing cheese from them) and they started to also do Beer and Cheese Tastings in New York. I am hoping they will try to add some of them to this year's F&W along with the Wine and Cheese Tastings!!

ALSO, here is hoping that they do NOT have the non-refundable policy again this year. I heard that Disney got many complaints about that. BUT, they will probably still do it. Even if it was 48 or 72 hour or even 7 day cancellation policy, I can live with that.

 

[Forever42]

I agree - all food on topic - all the time!

I love food, that's why I got myself a food science degree

And I would LOVE to see more beer events! We've thought about skipping one of our PftS and doing the Sam Adams beer dinner instead, but I never hear anything about the beer dinner, and we adore the Party.

I'm trying to concentrate on the FWF instead of my DCL cruise which is 5.5 months away

 

[oybolshoi]

One event I would like to see would be a Beer and Cheese Tasting. With so many different beers out there I think this would be interesting. I know they have the Sam Adam's Brewer's Dinner ever year, but that is usually the last Thursday of the F&W and we could never make it. Plus it is one of the $$$ events.

Artisinal Cheese of NY, the company who brought the Wine and Cheese Tastings last year has a wonderful website (we have ordered some amazing cheese from them) and they started to also do Beer and Cheese Tastings in New York. I am hoping they will try to add some of them to this year's F&W along with the Wine and Cheese Tastings!!

Beer and cheese tasting would be fun! Have you ever tried welsh rarebit? We like to make that at home during the winter and it's soooooo good! More like a fondue with beer but yummy nonetheless.

And, in the spirit of cheese .... I just booked two classes through Whole Foods for next month. They just opened a new location that's much closer to our house than the only other one in St. Louis, and we're excited!

The first class will be 90 minutes and is all about double and triple cream cheeses and other soft-ripened cheeses (yum!) served with champagne and non-sparkling wines (more yum!).

The second class is at the end of July and is all about goat cheese - I love goat cheese!!! That's another 90 minute session full of cheese and boozie goodness!!

$20 per person beats anything we'll find at F&W this year!

ALSO, here is hoping that they do NOT have the non-refundable policy again this year. I heard that Disney got many complaints about that. BUT, they will probably still do it. Even if it was 48 or 72 hour or even 7 day cancellation policy, I can live with that.

I agree - there should be at minimum a 48-hour cancellation policy. We were supposed to be refunded for the Coral Reef pairing that we missed because Jay was still feeling sick but when I called back after the festival everyone I talked to quoted that policy at me even though the CM I spoke with at disney dining that day assured me that we'd get our money back.

Pardon the expression but I'm still cheesed about that.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

And, in the spirit of cheese .... I just booked two classes through Whole Foods for next month. They just opened a new location that's much closer to our house than the only other one in St. Louis, and we're excited!

The first class will be 90 minutes and is all about double and triple cream cheeses and other soft-ripened cheeses (yum!) served with champagne and non-sparkling wines (more yum!).

The second class is at the end of July and is all about goat cheese - I love goat cheese!!! That's another 90 minute session full of cheese and boozie goodness!!

Wow...I didn't even know Whole Foods offered stuff like that. Our closest one is a good 35 miles away, but I'm going to have to check if they offer them there too. Definitely sounds interesting.