EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, Sept. 25 - Nov 16 2015

[westfield13]

Thank you all for this important info! Our first EPCOT day will be on Tuesday, our Demo is on Wednesday, so we can check out the area and see where we need to be the day before. We plan on spending the culinary demo morning in future world - smart idea to pick up our tickets earlier in the day. It isn't a celebrity chef (but the person at Cape May Cafe - where we have eaten in previous years, so my husband considers them a celebrity)! Will be certain to arrive for the demo no later than 12:30 - we like to be early for things.

Thanks also for the seating advice - hopefully we can grab seats in one of the 2 or 3 center tables.

 

[karrit2000]

Very interesting thread! Thank you for posting the link!

I would not place much stock on the information supplied in that thread regarding the booths @ F & W and the ability to change QS credits to snack credits at the hotels. It does not appear the person who posted that info actually went to the front desk and had the credits changed at the front desk. They are just repeating unverified info they claim they were told by one CM. Also they repeatedly state what according to them can not be done by the registers at the F & W kiosks which since the Festival hasn't started yet can not be verified. It seems per their signature they haven't even ever been to the F & W Festival so it's quite funny they are giving unsubstantiated facts pertaining to what can or can't be done at the Festival.

 

[ksromack]

I would not place much stock on the information supplied in that thread regarding the booths @ F & W and the ability to change QS credits to snack credits at the hotels. It does not appear the person who posted that info actually went to the front desk and had the credits changed at the front desk. They are just repeating unverified info they claim they were t
old by one CM. Also they repeatedly state what according to them can not be done by the registers at the F & W kiosks which since the Festival hasn't started yet can not be verified. It seems per their signature they haven't even ever been to the F & W Festival so it's quite funny they are giving unsubstantiated facts pertaining to what can or can't be done at the Festival.

Of course! I'm from Missouri, the SHOW ME state. I rarely put full stock in anything until I can see it working for myself. I am hopeful this sort of "conversion" can be done at the front desk of my resort but I am not convinced it will work. After looking at our daily plans there is only one set of CS meals I think I would be comfortable converting anyway. Meals like CS BOG are worth far more in their CS form than 3 snack credits anyway and with the exception of the larger value items at the F&W booths, I think we would come out ahead paying OOP for most there.

I can hardly wait to hear about the first couple of days of F&W! We will be there on the 29th so there are only 4 days to read about before our experience will begin. I can't wait to make my spreadsheet because i'm geeky that way!

 

[Simba's Mom]

You pick up your tickets the day of the seminar at the Festival Center, which is also where the demo is held.

Is there a time ahead of the seminar that you need to pick up your ticket (like, say, "at least one hour ahead), or can you just stop off at the booth to pick up the ticket just before the seminar?

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

An interesting update on a potential way to use QS credits for F&W in this post. Also, if we have 2 F&W passports and share 1 item at a booth, I would imagine that there is no problem with both of us getting a stamp; is that correct?

I shared this post with my CM friend and she busted out laughing. She says the front desk cannot do this, that you can only convert at a place that USES to credits as a form of payment. She said if the poster saw it on a "cash register" is the truth and that the front desk doesn't have a cash register.

Now she did say Disney has been known to change things but at her hotel the front desk cannot convert random QS credits to snacks. (And she should know. Her job involves training front desk staff)

 

[PoohsHunnyBee]

I shared this post with my CM friend and she busted out laughing. She says the front desk cannot do this, that you can only convert at a place that USES to credits as a form of payment. She said if the poster saw it on a "cash register" is the truth and that the front desk doesn't have a cash register.

Now she did say Disney has been known to change things but at her hotel the front desk cannot convert random QS credits to snacks. (And she should know. Her job involves training front desk staff)

Thanks for the info. As I said in the other thread, I was skeptical but it sounded plausible. Oh well.

 

[karrit2000]

Thanks for the info. As I said in the other thread, I was skeptical but it sounded plausible. Oh well.

The person who posted that kept insisting it was possible because a CM in a gift shop told her she could do it. She never said she actually asked at the front desk & was able to convert the credits. She also states that it can't be done @ the F & W Kiosks which no one can verify since the festival hasn't started yet. From her signature in her post she hasn't even ever been at WDW during F & W so she has no experience whatever in regards to anything that happens during F & W. She's quite insistent to spin her story repeatedly with absolutely no proof to back up her story.

 

[swanprincess06]

Wow, that took awhile to read all 111 pages! I was so stressed out reading the posts from the last week of July and opening days of booking and I wasn't even trying to book anything!

DH and I are taking our first trip during food&wine festival for the wine&dine half. Unfortunately we are only able to get away for a long weekend but we are still really excited! I'm just so lost on how to plan for this weekend. It's our first kid free trip I'm thinking we'll just spend most of our time at Epcot checking out the F&W offerings and not do any ADRs.

I also talked myself into the Premium Package and then out of it. And into the Sampler and then out of it. Still on the fence with the sampler but want to see what's excluded first.

I haven't booking any tastings, hopefully we won't regret that. We might see if there are any open while we are there but since we are also running I know we won't drink much before the race. Plus I just found this thread (not sure why I didn't think of it earlier!) so a lot of stuff is already sold out.

So excited!!!

 

[karrit2000]

If you're only going to be there for a long weekend the Premium Package would definitely not be worth it as you can only make use of it Monday - Thursday. Since it's your first F & W trip and you'll only be there a few days you are probably better off just taking in the booths around WS anyway.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Wow, that took awhile to read all 111 pages! I was so stressed out reading the posts from the last week of July and opening days of booking and I wasn't even trying to book anything!

DH and I are taking our first trip during food&wine festival for the wine&dine half. Unfortunately we are only able to get away for a long weekend but we are still really excited! I'm just so lost on how to plan for this weekend. It's our first kid free trip I'm thinking we'll just spend most of our time at Epcot checking out the F&W offerings and not do any ADRs.

I also talked myself into the Premium Package and then out of it. And into the Sampler and then out of it. Still on the fence with the sampler but want to see what's excluded first.

I haven't booking any tastings, hopefully we won't regret that. We might see if there are any open while we are there but since we are also running I know we won't drink much before the race. Plus I just found this thread (not sure why I didn't think of it earlier!) so a lot of stuff is already sold out.

So excited!!!

If you're only going to be there for a long weekend the Premium Package would definitely not be worth it as you can only make use of it Monday - Thursday. Since it's your first F & W trip and you'll only be there a few days you are probably better off just taking in the booths around WS anyway.

This is KEY, if you are not there during the week the Premium package is really useless. I would not do it unless I was there a couple of days during the week.

 

[Biceratops]

I'm curious what weeks have sold out of the F&W Premium Package

 

[loves to dive]

Is there a time ahead of the seminar that you need to pick up your ticket (like, say, "at least one hour ahead), or can you just stop off at the booth to pick up the ticket just before the seminar?

Last year I went first thing in the morning and picked up my tickets and then didn't have to worry about getting there late. You can pick them up just before you seminar if you wish.

Wow, that took awhile to read all 111 pages! I was so stressed out reading the posts from the last week of July and opening days of booking and I wasn't even trying to book anything!

DH and I are taking our first trip during food&wine festival for the wine&dine half. Unfortunately we are only able to get away for a long weekend but we are still really excited! I'm just so lost on how to plan for this weekend. It's our first kid free trip I'm thinking we'll just spend most of our time at Epcot checking out the F&W offerings and not do any ADRs.

I also talked myself into the Premium Package and then out of it. And into the Sampler and then out of it. Still on the fence with the sampler but want to see what's excluded first.

I haven't booking any tastings, hopefully we won't regret that. We might see if there are any open while we are there but since we are also running I know we won't drink much before the race. Plus I just found this thread (not sure why I didn't think of it earlier!) so a lot of stuff is already sold out.

So excited!!!

I was able to pick up a number of seminars last year on the day of. I went to the booth in the morning and asked if anything was available and went from there.

 

[mrobin023]

I'm curious what weeks have sold out of the F&W Premium Package

When they screwed up my reservation I was told the week of Oct 5th was not available.

 

[swanprincess06]

If you're only going to be there for a long weekend the Premium Package would definitely not be worth it as you can only make use of it Monday - Thursday. Since it's your first F & W trip and you'll only be there a few days you are probably better off just taking in the booths around WS anyway.

This is KEY, if you are not there during the week the Premium package is really useless. I would not do it unless I was there a couple of days during the week.

I agree with both of you. I was thinking about it (while reading the thread before actually looking at the details) before the official details were released. Once I realized it was Monday-Thursday it was easy to save my $$$!

Last year I went first thing in the morning and picked up my tickets and then didn't have to worry about getting there late. You can pick them up just before you seminar if you wish.


I was able to pick up a number of seminars last year on the day of. I went to the booth in the morning and asked if anything was available and went from there.

Thanks ! This is what I plan to do. If we get something great, if not we'll just start eating and drinking around the world!

 

[lovingeire]

Wow, that took awhile to read all 111 pages! I was so stressed out reading the posts from the last week of July and opening days of booking and I wasn't even trying to book anything!

DH and I are taking our first trip during food&wine festival for the wine&dine half. Unfortunately we are only able to get away for a long weekend but we are still really excited! I'm just so lost on how to plan for this weekend. It's our first kid free trip I'm thinking we'll just spend most of our time at Epcot checking out the F&W offerings and not do any ADRs.

I also talked myself into the Premium Package and then out of it. And into the Sampler and then out of it. Still on the fence with the sampler but want to see what's excluded first.

I haven't booking any tastings, hopefully we won't regret that. We might see if there are any open while we are there but since we are also running I know we won't drink much before the race. Plus I just found this thread (not sure why I didn't think of it earlier!) so a lot of stuff is already sold out.

So excited!!!

If you're only going to be there for a long weekend the Premium Package would definitely not be worth it as you can only make use of it Monday - Thursday. Since it's your first F & W trip and you'll only be there a few days you are probably better off just taking in the booths around WS anyway.

Also going for our first F&W trip and running W&D! I know I've seen you around the W&D thread @swanprincess06 as we both mentioned kid free trips! Woo hoo! We decided not to book any extras between the run and our first F&W visit. We will be there the 6th-10th so we have two days after the race to check out the festival, but I suspect we'll spend a lot of time sleeping, or I hope we will, on the 8th. Then I was looking at the wine demos and thought for $15pp maybe we'd try one of those out. It's a slippery slope!

 

[crazy4wdw]

New Cookbook Celebrates 20 Years of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Info posted on today's Disney Parks Blog regarding the cookbook for this year's festival: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...rs-of-epcot-international-food-wine-festival/

 

[twocat]

New Cookbook Celebrates 20 Years of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Info posted on today's Disney Parks Blog regarding the cookbook for this year's festival: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...rs-of-epcot-international-food-wine-festival/

From the article:

And for 2015, Epcot Executive Chef Gregg Hannon is returning some classics to the Marketplace menus, such as pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese puffs), apple strudel in Germany, spicy chicken sausage with polenta in Canada and the lobster roll at Hops & Barley.

The cheese puffs sound wonderful!

 

[Cynister]

I've never been to F&W before but we're planning on going next year. Does anyone know of any non-alcoholic specialty drinks that are there? Anyone have pictures or descriptions?

 

[POOHsie]

I've never been to F&W before but we're planning on going next year. Does anyone know of any non-alcoholic specialty drinks that are there? Anyone have pictures or descriptions?

Probably not the answer you want -- but Morocco sells a cup of iced mint tea out by the main path during F&W. It is absolutely wonderful!

 

[swanprincess06]

Also going for our first F&W trip and running W&D! I know I've seen you around the W&D thread @swanprincess06 as we both mentioned kid free trips! Woo hoo! We decided not to book any extras between the run and our first F&W visit. We will be there the 6th-10th so we have two days after the race to check out the festival, but I suspect we'll spend a lot of time sleeping, or I hope we will, on the 8th. Then I was looking at the wine demos and thought for $15pp maybe we'd try one of those out. It's a slippery slope!

Yay for kid free trips! Yes, I recognized you from the Wine & Dine thread too! It's so hard not to over plan our trip but I have a feeling we are going to enjoy sleeping in too! BUT there's so much to do at Epcot, PLUS all the rides we've been skipping since the kids are still little!

Maybe we'll see you at a last minute tasting!