Food and Wine Party for the Senses

[KSNebraskan]

Is it worth the cost? My husband loves good wine and is a bit of a foodie. We're taking a trip in October expressly to enjoy the Food and Wine Festival.

Curious if anyone's been in past? What did you think? Worth the cost? And if it's worth it, is upgrading to the guaranteed seating package also a good idea?

 

[linnell]

I just listened to Kevin's review on the podcast (Oct 08, not sure the date) and it was not a rave in the least. You may want to listen.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I went a few years ago and had a great time. The entertainment and food was awesome. It is meant to be a social event, more like a cocktail type of party. As a result, you are eating and walking the entire night. It was exciting to talk to the chefs and see them in action. I was lucky enough to go when Robert Irvine was there and even had a chance to talk with him and get a picture.

For me, the only negative part of the experience is how there is such limited seating. If you don't bring a bag and don't mind standing, you would be fine with general admission tickets. However, if you can afford the extra money, it'd be worth it to have a seat to come back to. Still, keep in mind that this is not a sit down meal type of experience. Instead, you are eating sample size bits of food, albeit as much as you want of them all so you leave full, and enjoying the atmosphere. If this is not your thing, you might be happier with a special Food & Wine dining experience.

 

[chainkid]

I;ve been twice. The first time i didin't enjoy it as much as I had to stand the whole time and so we ate and left after an hour. Last year it was so different/ They had plenty of seating, they had entertainment and the food and wine were fantastic. We had eight couples and all plan to return again. It was the highlight of our trip which included Victoria and Albert;s and the food event at the Swan and dolphin. Great weekend in October except it poured for three days

 

[LilyWDW]

This is something I have been thinking about as well... though not until 2013. We did not go last year because we did a couple other things, but am thinking about it for next years trip. I am such a foodie (or, I like to pretend I am haha).

Though, I may try to do Victoria and Alberts instead...

 

[mjtm610]

We have been 4 times.
The first time was great. DH and I went not knowing anyone else. Walking around we started talking to so many people. Many of them were from the central Florida area. Food was outstanding! Wine was great.
Over the course of the next 3 visits we noticed:
The price went up ALOT
It was much more crowded-which meant we didn't get as much food or wine.
The entertainment was still alot of fun. The crowd was still fun.
But the price vs what you got.....not so great
And we haven't been back since. We do still go to F&W though

 

[DisneyKevin]

Our experience was less than stellar.

We were herded like cattle until the opened they doors (curtain) and then there was a stampede.

There were limited tables available and the idea was that you would walk aroun, sit for a spell and then walk some more.

This wasn't the case. People snatched up tables and didn't budge for the rest iof the night. They would take turns getting food and drink, but tables never opened up until just before the end of the event.

The four of us were stuck with a bar height table with one sad, folding chair. One folding chair and a small cocktail sized bar table for four adults. Fun!

The food was good, but none of us were really wine drinkers. Other than a sip....none of us had wine, and this is a BIG part of it. There were more wine booths than food booths.

The lines at the food booths were l o n g.

When we went, the entertainment was from Cirque du Soleil. Eh......

Our tickets were $155 each and we didn't get a chance to sit down...except one at a time.

I have reached a point in my life that no matter how good the food might be, I'm not willing to stand for 3 hours for one bite at a time....especially after dropping $400.

Also, we started thinking about how much food we could have purchased outside the regular F&W Festival.....or what a fabulous meal we could have gotten at almost any restaurant in Orlando for $100+ bucks each.

Unless things have changed, I would definitely say that this event is not worth it.

 

[BriarRosie]

I've been to the Party for the Senses many times since 2002. As another person who went 4 times stated, it used to be a bargain, but the price went up, and seating was always less than it should be. Friends who purchased the Wine Lounge upcharge liked it, but I wouldn't spend extra for the guaranteed seats and the few extra perks.

I went during the same year that Kevin went. And I believe I was at the same exact night Nikki went (as we both saw Robert Irvine there). I can say that the year Kevin went, it was quite a nightmare because of the Year of a Million Dreams. Disney was giving out comp tickets to the event as Dream prizes, and it made the event overcrowded and unpleasant.

Since then, the crowds are not that bad, and yes, there are a lot of wines featured. I discovered that I can wander for 3 hours with the occasional seat without a problem. But if you have mobility issues, it will be a problem unless you can find a table or pay for one.

I intend to go to Party for the Senses again this year. Unless the price has gone up so much that they price themselves out of it for me this year. A few years ago, I was so underwhelmed by the changes to the special events, that a few friends and I did our own dinner at Victoria and Albert's instead. We paid probably about the same amount as a festival wine pairing dinner.

 

[princessbride6205]

DH and I did this once - in 2006. It was insanely crowded to get in and pretty crowded once inside. We paired up with a couple we just met to share a 4-top table and chairs. We didn't feel like we got quite enough food due to the lines, but we didn't have a problem getting wine. Our table was relatively close to a South African winery, which I really liked and got chatting with the person serving at the booth. We thought the Cirque entertainment was okay, but nothing stellar.
DH said never again, and I didn't feel strongly enough to disagree. However, now that we know what to expect and after having been to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival twice (2008 and 2012) to compare it to, I'd be willing to try it again. I am willing to stand for an event like this and if we went with friends, it could really be fun. I think as long as you are okay with standing, enjoy wine as well as food, it would be a fun experience.

 

[relspeak]

We only went once, in 2010, as guests with one of the guest chefs for the festival. The four of us had transportation from the Yacht Club to the back door of the event, arriving early, since the chef in our group had some walking issues. We were one of the first there and got a table near the stage. We walked around and talked to several of the chefs about what they were making. they were very friendly and wanted us to be sure to try their specialties. It was amazing to see the hoard enter when the doors opened at 6:30?, I believe. We are not wine drinkers but tried several. Having a table sure makes a difference. The night we went was not that busy and the lines were quite manageble, especially early. Is it worth the money? I would consider going again, even paying the high price. Free is definitely better. It is a much better value if you are a wine drinker and want to try the varied choices. It was fun, but not as interesting as the Halloween Party at Imagineering in Glendale CA last October 28th. But that is a story for another thread.

 

[AndreeaScott]

review is good . You all have really very good experiences..

 

[SamSam]

Dh and I have done this for many years and other than one year, when it was crazy crowded, we have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We have found that meandering around, getting food/wine and then finding a table to lean up against works well for us. We have made new friends by doing it this way, and at the very least have had some interesting conversations with people who were just fine with us joining them for a few minutes.

I will say that since Disney started doing the 'for a fee' sit down lounge area, it seems to have freed the main area from guests who would grab a table and act as if it was there very own for the whole evening. It seems much easier to find a table that is either completely empty for has a few empty chairs. People also seem to be more at ease with sharing tables.

The food quality last year was superb and we can't wait to attend again this year!

 

[Tamar]

I voted "yes, general admission". For our money, it's a better deal than the special dinners, and if you don't like one thing, try something else. I would not pay a huge amount of extra money for a seat and a full bar.