Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

[Fºoºz]

We will still be in WDW that day before we head off on our cruises ...

• Is it worth going ... do they have little tasting booths outside the pavilions?
• Do you purchase tickets to exchange for each item you want to taste?
• Do they print out a brochure for the event listing where and what is all available ... what are the hours generally?
• Or is it more a dine-in event at the various restaurants where they have special dining/wine menus?
• What was your experience with the Festival?

Thanks.

 

[reindeer]

I love F&W. have never done the special meals or demonstrations just the tasting booths around the pavillion. There is a brochure to list each booth and what is offered. We purchase the small wrist band gift cards to make paying easier at each booth. Items cost 3 to 7 $$ each. I can do about 3 booth before I'm stuffed. If you want to sample more get someone to share with you. Ireland is my favorite, the fisherman's lobster stew and cheese plate are wonderful. So my answer is YES!!! well worth the time. Oh, it is open the whole tim pavillion is open.

 

[mountdew1]

Check out http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/events/index.htm for lots of info on the F&W fetival. Basically the World Showcase promenade becomes packed with kiosks selling 3-4 different "tastes" and 2-6 different beverages. Each "taste" is a tapas sized portion, usually 5 or 6 bites worth, and the beverages range from approx a 4oz pour of wine, to a full sized beer. Overall, a good way to try different styles of food and tons of different wines (if you like wines). I do recommend checking out the online reviews/postings when the fest opens. They will help to show you what the foods look like, and give you an idea as to if something is worth the price.

 

[katiemely]

i heard there will be a "soft opening" thurs the day before it officially starts?? thinking of just doing that and not fighting the crowd friday . . thoughts???

 

[Simba's Mom]

i heard there will be a "soft opening" thurs the day before it officially starts?? thinking of just doing that and not fighting the crowd friday . . thoughts???

More than thoughts. Last year, experience-we were there the day before opening and most of the booths opened then. They weren't open all day, most didn't open until 1:00 or later, and they didn't all open at the same time. It's the only time I got a Belgian Wafle without a line.

 

[JennyDrake]

Definitely BUY THE WRISTBAND "CHARGE CARD". I didn't and it was a real hassle getting money and change and juggling at each and every booth. I say to ignore the reviews and go with an open mind, wallet and tummy and try what sounds good to you. I only found one thing I did not care for! I was there a few days before and only saw one soft opening, so I would not count on such happening.

 

[lucyem]

If you search online you can find a list of each booth and what they have. I usually look ahead of time to get an idea of what we want to make sure not to miss.

I have never done any of the special experiences or demos. We never seem to be there for the ones I want to see or do.

We go every October, stay at BCV and go to Epcot just about every evening. Ride a ride or two and eat anything that strikes our fancy as we are walking by.

FYI the lines can get long and it can be really hot in the sun standing there for 15 minutes or so to get your $7 one or two bites of food. Weekends are also insanely busy so if your day before a cruise is a weekend day be warned.

 

[Senator Tressel]

Definitely BUY THE WRISTBAND "CHARGE CARD". I didn't and it was a real hassle getting money and change and juggling at each and every booth.

I don't know why you wouldn't just use a credit card for everything.

 

[Missyrose]

This is simply the best event Disney puts on, IMHO. October 2012 will be our third straight Food and Wine Festival. The first year we didn't know it was even happening and just blindly walked around tasting things (and LOVED it. ) Last year, we had more of a game plan.

A couple of pieces of advice. 1)It's not cheap. Each plate isn't more than two or three bites and will cost anywhere from $3 to $7.50, so be prepared to spend if you're eating your meals at the festival. 2)Try to go at least one day during the day, preferably when the World Showcase first opens around 11. It is so delightful being able to flit from kiosk to kiosk without waiting. 3)Avoid Friday and Saturday evenings like the plague. Lots of locals attend this event and will show up around 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, creating wall-to-wall crowds. If you go during those evenings, prepare for loooooooong lines at the kiosks and virtually nowhere to sit and eat.

Bottom line, it's a really fun event. Good food, good drinks, fun concerts. Hope you give it a shot!

 

[Polydweller]

I don't know why you wouldn't just use a credit card for everything.

The beauty if the wrist gift card vs credit card or KTTW card is that there is no signing for the transaction. And you don't have to check the accuracy of the transaction on your room or credit card bill. Much faster and more efficient. And it is a Disney gift card so it can be used for everything a Disney gift card can be.

 

[Cee]

I agree, those wristlets are the way to go.

 

[copcarguyp71]

We love this event! Food is great and the atmosphere around the countries gets a little more festive. Crowds are up on the weekends but that could be said of any park I think with or without special events.

As an added perk the festival started the same year we were married back in '95 and any of the "Celebrating XX years" signage matches our anniversary so we get some cool photo ops out of it.

We are headed back to the world Oct 10-17th and plan to head over to Epcot pretty often...park hopper is our friend! Enjoy your trip and post your thoughts after you return.

 

[Fºoºz]

WOW ... lots of great information ... thanks!!!!

I did not know you could use your KTTW card (the wrist band card is also a great idea) ... and that there are concerts also ...

Just have to figure out how to work it out as we're staying on the Magic Your Way Plus Dining package ... our booking window for Dining reservations opened up today and I just booked all our Table Service Meals for the week ...

Do the booths usually stay open till park closing?

 

[kelleigh1]

In years past, you were able to use your Dining Plan snack credits for some of the food items. I'm hoping they do that again this year since it will be our first F&W and I think we'd love to use our snack credits here.

 

[Fºoºz]

In years past, you were able to use your Dining Plan snack credits for some of the food items. I'm hoping they do that again this year since it will be our first F&W and I think we'd love to use our snack credits here.

That would be great if they did that ... guess we'll find out closer to when it starts ...

 

[Missyrose]

WOW ... lots of great information ... thanks!!!!

I did not know you could use your KTTW card (the wrist band card is also a great idea) ... and that there are concerts also ...

Just have to figure out how to work it out as we're staying on the Magic Your Way Plus Dining package ... our booking window for Dining reservations opened up today and I just booked all our Table Service Meals for the week ...

Do the booths usually stay open till park closing?

We were able to use our snack credits on any non-alcoholic item at the festival last year. Yes, the booths will stay open until park closing, but not for evening EMH.

 

[Hopefully]

We love the F & W festival so much that we actually bought DVC at the Beach Club, so that we could go each October, stay in our Villa and walk to and from Epcot. We have Hoppers and spend most evenings in Epcot.
The first year, we stumbled upon the festival. I was in WDW for a conference for work and it was during the festival. We were hooked from that point on. We go every October, and it has gotten more and more crowded each year.
I echo the others, do NOT go on Friday or Saturday nights - week days are immeasurably better.
It is expensive. Each appetizer size tasting is $3 - $7.
We usually do the DDP. What we do is plan 2 days where we "Nosh around the world". On one of those days we will have a CS lunch only. The booths will be dinner. We add that TS credit to another and always do 1 Signature 2 credit dinner. We also usually have a TS lunch 1 day at either DHS or AK and that night we just Nosh around the world for dinner at the festival. That extra CS credit is used for arrival day. We have been able to use our snack credits for several years, but that always could change.
We have not done the extra cost special events, mostly because the ones that interest me are not during our stay, since with DVC I have to make our reservation 11 months in advance, well before the D&W Fesetival schedule is published.
Enjoy and Have a Great Time

 

[starrysky]

DH and I have been twice now during the F&W. We love it to be able to have little bites of diferent things.

We are not ones for the special events and we have never made it to see one of the concerts.

Its a good event and if you get hold of a copy of the map in advance pick what you most want to try and aim for those first. That way you won't feel you missed out on those items.

Weekends I totally agree with the PPs can get very very busy. the area that seemed most crowded to us was around mexico as it gets very narrow there.

Worth going to if you want to try different foods but I do find the drinks to be pricey for what you get.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

It is absolutely worth going to. Of the Disney events I've done, it's definitely my favorite and I can't imagine going to EPCOT any other time of the year. Highly recommended!

 

[LilyWDW]

I love the Food and Wine Festival and expect it will be the normal time i travel to Disney from now on. I went last year and will be going back October of 2013 (I am going in June this year with friends and could only afford one or the other.... and I really want to share my happy place with them so June it is!). We only had 1.5 days in Epcot last year and it was NOWHERE enough time. In 2013 I think I can get 2.5 days (.5 because mom wants to have dinner at Via Napoli).

Wish I could get more, but the only other days it looks like would be a Sunday or Saturday afternoon (so lunch). Not sure how bad it would be at those times. Would it be worth it on one of those days if it was 11AM until 2 or 3 PM? We would have dinner plans on either day (Victoria and Albert's and Raglan Road).