Food and Wine Festival

[rosiep]

Is the first day of the F&W festival a madhouse? If the projected days are correct I will only have one chance to visit as I leave the Saturday after the Friday it starts.
I've been to F&W before but never on the first day....does history show it to be really crowded?

 

[OrlandoMike]

I would think if you hit it on Friday afternoon before work gets out you would beat the locals! Consider you will probably just be eating your way around the world, you should have no problems. I would get a copy of the menu's before hand though, its always a fun read and fun to plan what you want to try!

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Don't forget to bring cash that weekend. I have heard multiple reports over the years of technology problems during opening weekend leaving guests with only a cash option at the kiosks.

 

[rosiep]

Don't forget to bring cash that weekend. I have heard multiple reports over the years of technology problems during opening weekend leaving guests with only a cash option at the kiosks.

Thanks for that heads up!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Bring lots and lots of money. It won't be too bad, but it will fill in fast on that first weekend. At least, that's the way it's been for a few years.

The food is usually restricted to the WS, whereas the merchandise and wine tastings are now in the old Body Wars building up in Future World.

Food demonstrations are throughout the WS, but those that allow you to sample what the chef has prepared are restricted to the Odyssey bldg.

Have a great time!!!

 

[NHdisneylover]

I have only been once--just for the first day on the last day of my trip last year (so a lot like your schedule sounds). We were at EPCOT all day and headed to festival things ASAP. It was a fun thing to do once and we got lots of munchies. It was busy but not overpoweringly crowded at all up until around 6:00 o'clock (I guess when work lets out, huh Mike?). From then on it got worse and worse to where by 8:00 we could hardly move at all around the world and were really just wanting to get out of the mash of people. Even that might not really be that bad to most people. We always go during low season and work to avoid crowds
So, my advice is be there early and get what you really want to do/eat in before supper time and you will be just fine

 

[rpmdfw]

And here's a hint. They typically do a "Cast Preview" and soft open the food booths on Thursday. They may not have all the menu offerings that night, but we've never run into any issues with them not having what we want. It's a great way to spend an evening.

We LOVE the F&WF!

 

[wallyb]

We liked that Party for the Senses fete.

It was great.

 

[rpmdfw]

We liked that Party for the Senses fete.

It was great.

Oh, that's AWESOME! But since they only do that on Saturday nights, and she's leaving, I didn't want to mention it.

 

[wallyb]

Oh, that's AWESOME! But since they only do that on Saturday nights, and she's leaving, I didn't want to mention it.

So this super great thing - life changing really
"Can't Miss" Event is happening on the night she leaves - pity.

Don't you just love torture?

 

[rosiep]

I have only been once--just for the first day on the last day of my trip last year (so a lot like your schedule sounds). We were at EPCOT all day and headed to festival things ASAP. It was a fun thing to do once and we got lots of munchies. It was busy but not overpoweringly crowded at all up until around 6:00 o'clock (I guess when work lets out, huh Mike?). From then on it got worse and worse to where by 8:00 we could hardly move at all around the world and were really just wanting to get out of the mash of people. Even that might not really be that bad to most people. We always go during low season and work to avoid crowds
So, my advice is be there early and get what you really want to do/eat in before supper time and you will be just fine

Did they have trouble with the CC machines? I was hoping that if we had any snack credits left over from the DDP we'd use them there.

So this super great thing - life changing really
"Can't Miss" Event is happening on the night she leaves - pity.

Don't you just love torture?

I'll have my own fete thank you....remember: I've got James heiney and you don't.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

You can use your DDP snack credits in several of the booths.

And maybe it's a guy thing? We went to a Party for the Senses and were more than a little underwhelmed.

 

[MonorailMan]

At this event I highly recommend walking around with large amounts of cash in your purse. Having a few 50's sticking out of your pocket is also a good idea. And by all means.......let people know you've got the bills on your person. You're bound to make lots of new friends.

 

[wallyb]

At this event I highly recommend walking around with large amounts of cash in your purse. Having a few 50's sticking out of your pocket is also a good idea. And by all means.......let people know you've got the bills on your person. You're bound to make lots of new friends.

Well THAT always works.


Anytime.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Did they have trouble with the CC machines? I was hoping that if we had any snack credits left over from the DDP we'd use them there.


I'll have my own fete thank you....remember: I've got James heiney and you don't.

We had no probelms with the machines working. We had about 25 left over snack credits going into the day (four of there for a week and not big snackers) and managed to spend them all by Illuminations

 

[rosiep]

We had no probelms with the machines working. We had about 25 left over snack credits going into the day (four of there for a week and not big snackers) and managed to spend them all by Illuminations

Oooooh I'm getting so excited!

(ok, so it has nothing to do with F&W...I'm just bragging)

 

[wallyb]

Oooooh I'm getting so excited!

I can see that! Nice banana.