Epcot Food and Wine Festival

[surgefest]

Has anyone ever been to this? What is it like? How is it set up? Do you pay for each thing you want to taste right there? Or can you buy a pass to take whatever you want?? Any other tips would be great. Thanks!

 

[Ron from Michigan]

We went to the F&W festival last year for the first and we loved it. They have booths set up around the world showcase where you can buy food 7 drinks for a small price. anywhere from 1.00 to 4.50 if I remember correctly. They also have free beer & wine seminars and even Twinnings Tea in the UK. They have oldie's rock & roll acts each day also. They have special dinner and food seminars that cost $$$ also. There is a lot of information about the F&W festival here on the Dis.

 

[mickeymousemom]

The Food and Wine Festival is our favorite thing to do at WDW!

There are booths set up around the World Showcase with food ranging in price from about $1-$4.50. You'll also find booths selling beer and wine from different countries, with sizes being on the smaller side(6-8 oz??). We've never found the lines to be long and the food is wonderful. If you're on the Dining Plan you can use your snack credits for the food. There are also other things going on, but we've never been...though we'd love to.

Here's a link to info for this years Festival:
2006 Food and Wine Fest


If you look to the left, you can get more info from years past by clicking the links...hope this helps

 

[Wendy1953]

Been there, done that, and definitely going back!!!! Sign up and pay for what you are really interested in....definitely worth the $. Had a few wine & food pairings I've not been crazy about...but still had fun! Don't know what you're eating until you get there....Wild Boar Stew at Alfredo's last year(although I wouldn't touch the meat....the gravy with potatoes was excellent) Cooking class that I attended (only one while I wss there) was "steakhouse cooking".....excellent...I'll do a cooking class every year, as long as the $ holds out!!!Had a great time preparing the dessert, and then helped the other groups with appetizer (shrimp cocktail) and then the entree group! Entree group had to get together the creamed spinach, Steak pizzialo, and potato cakes.......definitely overworked! DH attended wine school 101 and had a blast! My advice...if you have the $ and don't have to worry about the bills being paid...try one or all of the events...hoping to get into the Party of the Senses this year, and another cooking class!!!! skipping the Wine Parings...also planning on snacking around the world!!!!

 

[byoung]

Love it we are going again this OCT.

 

[The Mick]

Food & Wine is my favorite event at my favorite park. Have gone 3 straight years and will not miss it. Of course, I live about 30 minutes away, so go 2-3 times each fall.

My advice: don't plan on eating anywhere else that day (at least for lunch & dinner). There is so much to try around the World Showcase that you probably won't need to go to a sit-down restaurant anywhere. And at about $2-$4+ per plate, you'll be spending plenty on food anyway. And it's worth it. If you stop at 8 or 9 tents, you're still paying roughly what you'd pay for for a modest lunch and then dinner anyway.

The tents are nicely spread out along World Showcase giving you plenty of time to stop at each one, get some food, sit and savor it, walk a little...then hit the next tent.

More advice: before you start out, check out the food list and decide beforehand which ones you'd DEFINITELY like to try...and make sure you save room/money for them. You don't want fill up too soon then happen by a tent of something you'd LOVE to try, but you're too full to try it! To make your gameplan first.

It's such an incredible time, I wish they'd make the festival longer!

 

[Disney Magic]

This is our absolutely favorite time at WDW, and we go every year just for this festival. The samples you can purchase "around the world" are great (not gourmet but still fun) and the freebees are fabulous! We go to as many complimentary wine, beer, food and tea seminars as possible. Just get there about 1/2 hour ahead of time, as seating is limited. We also make reservations to the Party of the Senses, Food and Wine lunch pairings, Signature Dinners etc. We also take time to enjoy the "Flower Power" concert series....some concerts are definitely better than others, but most are fun if you were part of the 60's-70's scene.

 

[flyinglizard]

Here's the list of performers for "EAT TO THE BEAT"...

http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/
Just click on EPCOT at the top...