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

[redzinner]

I have a few quick questions for you all: what's the best way to pay @ F&W booths or maybe what's the method used by seasoned attendees? also, if the preferred method is cash, how much should i take? (I'm not one to carry around cash so i'd like to just leave home with what's necessary.) Plan to do some intensive sampling as I will be arriving at the resort the last weekend of the festival and will only be spending that Saturday 11/8 in Epcot. Hopefully this question hasn't been answered yet.

1) The past couple years we have been using the points on our Disney Reward Card. It works just like a debit card. The Reward Card is good at all the food kiosks and anywhere (except the crazy espresso/coffee bars) in Epcot.

2) Room Key

3) Cash ~ $85-$100 for 2 people to sample items from 5 booths. That's with wine included ... which I feel is expensive for the pour amount.

4) We've never used our Credit Cards but that certainly is an option.

Sounds like you will be by yourself but it will be 'intensive' sampling so I would go with $100 on the high side.

Have a great time.

 

[webray]

all: what's the best way to pay @ F&W :

We usually pay with credit card, but we keep a little cash with us as well.
Sometimes they have trouble and are not able to accept cards, small disney glitches, so people with no cash either have to wait or possibly try another booth.

 

[webray]

We always use cash. We probably bring about $250 with us on the days we eat around the WS. DH and I usually get 2 wines and 2 food offerings per booth and share. Sometimes more if there is something good-like I won't share my Cheddar Cheese soup with him...then we each get our own, but that is rare. We've found that we easily spend $10-$20 per food booth. We're gluttons!

LOL, that is our average also...

 

[Forever42]

Hmm, maybe I'm underestimating how much we spend? I'll have to keep better track of it this year. DH doesn't drink as much as I do, so we don't always get two drinks per booth - he's usually happy with his largedietcokenoiceplease.

 

[Inkmahm]

I like to use my room key... it has always worked for me. I save the receipts and compare them to my folio statement. I think they have had some problems with the Disney Gift cards in the past, but hopefully they would have remedied that by now? The one thing that is good about cash though it's better for limiting yourself to a set amount. You can go through some buckaroos while booth gnoshing!

So the room key charge works at all the little food stands? Yay! That answers my question, too. I was going to get the Disney Gift card to use but it is much easier if we can just charge to the room.

 

[gismo1554]

Well I've worked out 1 item from each booth at say $4 (average) and 1 drink at say $4 (average) you are looking at a total of $200 for 1 person if you ate at every booth. My God I hadn't ever worked that out before and now I'm slightly scared lol. Might have to be careful not to spend so much this year!

 

[TheDISneyFamily]

So the room key charge works at all the little food stands? Yay! That answers my question, too. I was going to get the Disney Gift card to use but it is much easier if we can just charge to the room.

Yep, this is what we do. I like having a detailed listing of where we ate and how much we spent at F&W and it all shows up on the bill at check-out. I also bring cash with us, just in case they are having a problem taking cards. I shove all the F&W booth receipts in my fanny pack. (Yes, I still wear a fanny pack! LOL! It keeps my hands free for more eating & drinking. ) We average around $200 per 'tour' for the 5 of us. We only hit half of the booths per tour. Have a great time!

 

[chip&dale&fun]

Yep, this is what we do. I like having a detailed listing of where we ate and how much we spent at F&W and it all shows up on the bill at check-out. I also bring cash with us, just in case they are having a problem taking cards. I shove all the F&W booth receipts in my fanny pack. (Yes, I still wear a fanny pack! LOL! It keeps my hands free for more eating & drinking. ) We average around $200 per 'tour' for the 5 of us. We only hit half of the booths per tour. Have a great time!

We are right with you using the room card. We like to see the print out at the end - how many booths we ate at. However, also bring cash. The small remote computers can crash and then it is cash or wait. Usually happens first thing in the morning when something was not reset. Not a big problem.

 

[chip&dale&fun]

Truer words have never been spoken.

So, has anyone heard anything more about the food booth menus? I wanted to get started working on my F&W score cards, but I don't want to have to edit them 5x like I did last year. I really hope they come out with a F&W booklet again... I keep looking around for a PDF... I think the Orlando Sentinel was the first to link to it last year, about a week before it showed up on the official site.

Have a great day everyone!

Waiting as well. I stole Michelle's idea from last year and have a start on mine as well, in a format more compatible with my computer. Can't wait to add the extra items.....

 

[MariposaSinAlas]

1) The past couple years we have been using the points on our Disney Reward Card. It works just like a debit card. The Reward Card is good at all the food kiosks and anywhere (except the crazy espresso/coffee bars) in Epcot.

3) Cash ~ $85-$100 for 2 people to sample items from 5 booths. That's with wine included ... which I feel is expensive for the pour amount.

Sounds like you will be by yourself but it will be 'intensive' sampling so I would go with $100 on the high side.

Have a great time.

Unfortunately, I've only recently got my Disney Visa and will be lucky to have 30 points by the time my trip rolls around so that won't cover my sampling needs

$100 for 5 booths! I'm glad I asked this question now while i still have time to save up! Fortunately, I'll be there with my sister, DS and baby neice so we probably won't be spending quite as much for wine. Last thing I need is my 7 yr old going back to school and telling his teacher how his mom got hammered @ WDW

I like to use my room key... it has always worked for me. I save the receipts and compare them to my folio statement. I think they have had some problems with the Disney Gift cards in the past, but hopefully they would have remedied that by now? The one thing that is good about cash though it's better for limiting yourself to a set amount. You can go through some buckaroos while booth gnoshing!

Completely forgot that my room key might be an option! thanx!

And if you use a credit card, be aware that your credit card company may call about those dozens of small charges right in a row.

Good point!

We always use cash. We probably bring about $250 with us on the days we eat around the WS. DH and I usually get 2 wines and 2 food offerings per booth and share. Sometimes more if there is something good-like I won't share my Cheddar Cheese soup with him...then we each get our own, but that is rare. We've found that we easily spend $10-$20 per food booth. We're gluttons!

Do the food offerings you get often include a dessert? I'm gonna have lots of trouble choosing which offerings to sample @ each booth. I'm such a foodie but I plan to share with sis. My son's not as adventurous as mom and auntie and has told me that I'm definitely on my own when it comes to the escargot

We usually pay with credit card, but we keep a little cash with us as well.
Sometimes they have trouble and are not able to accept cards, small disney glitches, so people with no cash either have to wait or possibly try another booth.

Yep, this is what we do. I like having a detailed listing of where we ate and how much we spent at F&W and it all shows up on the bill at check-out. I also bring cash with us, just in case they are having a problem taking cards. I shove all the F&W booth receipts in my fanny pack. (Yes, I still wear a fanny pack! LOL! It keeps my hands free for more eating & drinking. ) We average around $200 per 'tour' for the 5 of us. We only hit half of the booths per tour. Have a great time!

I think this will be my plan as well. Room key and a little cash ($100?) just in case machines go down. I don't wanna be the one getting all the nasty looks when the CM can't charge my key! It also sounds like the receipts might make a nice addition to my scrapbook. Do they list exactly what items were purchased?

...you are looking at a total of $200 for 1 person if you ate at every booth. My God I hadn't ever worked that out before and now I'm slightly scared lol. Might have to be careful not to spend so much this year!

Didn't mean to scare ya!

Many thanx to all!

 

[chip&dale&fun]

If experience helps - the first time we went, my DH and I waddled out of Epcot...now we work on grazing - we also share the food and the wine, so that we can sample MORE _ MORE MORE.....

We have been known to rinse out the wine tasting glasses so that we can our half of the new one into a clean glass and sample.

Works well - but by the end of our journey we are selfishly guarding our favorites....no sharing allowed.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Do the food offerings you get often include a dessert? I'm gonna have lots of trouble choosing which offerings to sample @ each booth. I'm such a foodie but I plan to share with sis. My son's not as adventurous as mom and auntie and has told me that I'm definitely on my own when it comes to the escargot

We mainly stick to the real food-unless its PMS time...then bring on the dessert! Me and DH get to try a lot more since we share and we don't get so full. Our kids are extremely adventurous, but they hold their own and usually share between themselves. Now THEY get a lot of the desserts!

 

[BriarRosie]

This year I'm going to make sure I take a photo of the kiosk sign with the info about what I'm getting before I take a photo of the food. It will help me keep track of what I ate and where.

And to verify the other payment type comments, I've used the Disney Rewards card in the past, along with my Key to the World room key/ID, cash, and credit cards. I've done it all, baby. It really is a good idea to have cash on hand if you plan to use any card options. (I personally like having the charges to my room.)

 

[TDC Nala]

It is a good idea to carry some cash with you as the card machines seem to break down quite often. You don't want to be standing there forever trying to get your payment done.

 

[KennySC]

It is a good idea to carry some cash with you as the card machines seem to break down quite often. You don't want to be standing there forever trying to get your payment done.

To avoid having to pay those nasty ATM fees take along a few blank checks and cash them at the front desk of your hotel!!

 

[Inkmahm]

http://mobilegrape.com/product_new.htm

I found the wine lanyards through Google and ordered them for DH and me. Are these the ones that were being discussed here earlier?

 

[redzinner]

http://mobilegrape.com/product_new.htm

I found the wine lanyards through Google and ordered them for DH and me. Are these the ones that were being discussed here earlier?

Those are the ones! Previous discussions also suggested wearing a dark top just in case of any 'sloshing' that may occur.

 

[DizDragonfly]

To avoid having to pay those nasty ATM fees take along a few blank checks and cash them at the front desk of your hotel!!

I didn't know that they did that! Thanks for the heads up!

 

[BriarRosie]

To avoid having to pay those nasty ATM fees take along a few blank checks and cash them at the front desk of your hotel!!

All the Disney ATMS are through Chase, so if that's your bank of choice, you can use any Disney ATM as a Chase customer and accrue absolutely no fees. I actually prefer using the Disney ATMs instead of withdrawing a wad o' cash before my trip.

If you're not a Chase customer, then I guess your method seems to work well.

 

[shovan]

All the Disney ATMS are through Chase, so if that's your bank of choice, you can use any Disney ATM as a Chase customer and accrue absolutely no fees. I actually prefer using the Disney ATMs instead of withdrawing a wad o' cash before my trip.

If you're not a Chase customer, then I guess your method seems to work well.

Thanks Lori! I didn't realize that! One less thing to remember before taking off.