Food and wine fest question

[MotherofLandon]

Are the f&w booths open every day or is this a weekend thing?

We are going for the first time this year, any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

It's every day, not just weekends. It's actually best to go during the week because the weekends are PACKED with locals.

My personal tips:

1. Eat a small breakfast and don't schedule any TS meals on that day.
2. Have a game plan. There are a lot of food and beverage offerings and it's easy to forget what you want to try if you don't keep a list.
3. Stay hydrated.
4. Bring lots of money! Also, if you're on the DDP, most F&W food items count for one snack credit, so it's a good way to burn through those.

 

[china mom]

I did a blog post on W&F festival

http://bigstravels.blogspot.com/2013/02/disneyworld-wine-and-food-festival.html

 

[Prissyms]

Are the f&w booths open every day or is this a weekend thing?

We are going for the first time this year, any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!

Yes, the marketplaces (booths) are open everyday. Not sure if this is still the same, but we notice the marketplaces closed right before Illuminations during extra magic hour. Hopefully that'll change Try your best to try the marketplaces during the week. Weekends can be crazy! Plan out your day. Know what you want to try and go there first. Pick up a Passport and get it stamped at all the marketplaces you try. F & W merchandise goes pretty fast, so if you see something you want, get it when you see it. Get a gift card. These are really cool. You wear them on your wrist which makes it easy for you to pay. You can purchase them at the Festival Welcome Center and they refillable at select places in the park. Most important, HAVE FUN!!!! You'll enjoy it!!!

 

[Suelala]

It is just such a great way to try foods that you wouldnt want to pay full price for and order in a restaurant. I have learned to like some new things, and also found out about some things I never want to eat again! Its really a lot of fun. Enjoy!

 

[POOHsie]

If you are staying at a Disney resort and you have the dining plan, your snack credits will pay for most small plates of food (also non-alcoholic beverages) at Food & Wine. It's a great use of snack credits.

 

[FeralCatRogue]

The food is large enough for the most part to give two people a taste, that can help if there's a lot you want to try. Greece's line got long faster then any of the others when i went for some reason. Also, I found it wasn't so bad around 11-2 but after 2 it picked up lots. Also Disney gift cards like you pick up in Target give the food and wine booth systems issues, half the time they were unable to scan the card.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Enjoy! The Food and Wine Festival is very popular and one of my favorite activities at WDW. I lived in Orlando for the better part of a year and enjoyed the F & W offerings frequently.

The Festival Center has many activities such as food demos where chefs come and prepare a dish in front of you - usually paired with specially selected wine. The demos are fairly inexpensive and there are usually three or four a day - but you need to purchase tickets ahead of time. There are also special dinners as well so look at the brochure for the Festival to see what all is offered. It is much more than just the booths around the World Showcase.

The food booths are best visited during the week - the weekends can be "wall to wall" people. I usually avoided the booths during the weekend. I also put money on my wrist gift card for each day - that way I didn't go over my designated limit. Also there is a Festival shop at the Festival center where you can buy special merchandise and wine.

Enjoy!

 

[KNovacovschi]

Does anyone know when the info will be released for this years F&W?

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The food is large enough for the most part to give two people a taste, that can help if there's a lot you want to try. Greece's line got long faster then any of the others when i went for some reason. Also, I found it wasn't so bad around 11-2 but after 2 it picked up lots. Also Disney gift cards like you pick up in Target give the food and wine booth systems issues, half the time they were unable to scan the card.

This year they have improved. Now they have tragic bands. Nothing will work.


On a serious note the info starts trickling our in July or so

 

[purple figment]

Does anyone know when the info will be released for this years F&W?

It is released bit by bit. Today they announced all but one of the Eat to the Beat performers:
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...d-for-epcot-international-food-wine-festival/


If past years are an indication, a lot of the F&W info isn't announced until fairly close to the time when the special events can be booked so the bulk of the info probably won't be released until July, although there will be plenty of hints before then.

As it gets closer there will probably be a dedicated thread on the Restaurants board, but that won't be started until there's more info out. In the meantime the Disney Food Blog and threads on the Restaurant Board and here on the Theme Parks Board are good sources of info.

 

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

It is released bit by bit. Today they announced all but one of the Eat to the Beat performers: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/05/2014-eat-to-the-beat-concert-lineup-announced-for-epcot-international-food-wine-festival/ If past years are an indication, a lot of the F&W info isn't announced until fairly close to the time when the special events can be booked so the bulk of the info probably won't be released until July, although there will be plenty of hints before then. As it gets closer there will probably be a dedicated thread on the Restaurants board, but that won't be started until there's more info out. In the meantime the Disney Food Blog and threads on the Restaurant Board and here on the Theme Parks Board are good sources of info.

Thanks for posting this. I've been wondering about the line up too. SO, anyone else find it sad that David Cook is already on the "has been" list?

 

[snorkelyn]

I really hope they have the Pastor taco and raspberry margarita that they had for F&G in Mexico!

We'll be there for opening weekend. I'm worried about crowds too. F&G was so easy...you could walk right up to any kiosk. There were never more than a couple people in the lines. I hear F&W is MUCH more crowded.

 

[goin' again!]

We will be there for F&WF for the first time this year also.

Two questions...

1. Where can I pick up a wristband giftcard?
2. Do you think you will be able to use MB to pay?

 

[figment_jii]

Yes, the marketplaces (booths) are open everyday. Not sure if this is still the same, but we notice the marketplaces closed right before Illuminations during extra magic hour. Hopefully that'll change

I didn't go last year, but in 2012, a couple of the food booths did remain open during EMH (I think it was Italy and Mexico). The others however, did close as soon as IllumiNations starts. So you cannot get snacks to eat on your way out the park or during EMH.

1. Where can I pick up a wristband giftcard?

F&W wristband gift cards were available at all of the F&W Festival gift shops and at several other locations in the park.

 

[mbcary]

We were there last year during F&W and agreed the weekends are PACKED, especially in the evenings.

We had a credit card linked to our magic band, so it made getting thru the line so much faster. Didn't have to pull out a card or cash, just scanned our band and we were moving on.

We tried to get some of the items we wanted the first evening we were there (Sat evening) and quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. We went back on Friday, the last day for 2013, and made our way to WS at 11am and made our way around eating and drinking. We were so full by the end of the evening.