Food And Wine Tips For A Newbie

[jhaig]

We will attending the Food and Wine festival for the first time this year a couple of days after it opens in mid-September. The plan is to go on Sept 15 around lunchtime.

What do we as first timers need to know about F&W before we go? I should add that we are non-drinkers, so really this will be the Food and Food Festival for us.

Can you use snack credits on most food items? What do most of the items cost, on average?

 

[PSUGuy]

Get the Disney Gift Card, it's a small credit card type thing but much smaller, on a wrist band. You load $$ on it by using cash or your real credit card then when you buy a food item they just swipe the gift card, you get a receipt with the remaining balance on it and you don't end up with a pocked full of loose change by day's end. You can use the card anywhere in Disney and the balance never goes away, ours has $20 or so from last year.

Unless you like sardine can crowds avoid WS on Sat., crazy busy then. Prices vary from about $2.75 to around $6, the Fisherman's Pie in Ireland is among the most expensive but worth it (to us).

Bill From PA

 

[HollyMD]

Can you pay with your regular magic band as well?

 

[BrianL]

Can you pay with your regular magic band as well?

Yes, but gift cards are faster and the CMs appreciate them. You can use any Disney gift card too, not just the wristband ones.

My number one F&W tip is to read the menus ahead of time and prioritize the things you really want to try. You may find you've made it a third of the way around the World Showcase and are too full to eat any more. Then you see an item you really want to try...but no room. Having a plan can help you manage and to fill up on the items you really like or want to try most.

 

[Richard M Nixon]

Can you pay with your regular magic band as well?

Yes, and I think it's a lot easier than having to use the gift card option and needing to work with some pre-set amount. Just use the band.

 

[jhaig]

So you can pay with a gift card, magic band, or cash?

 

[loves to dive]

So you can pay with a gift card, magic band, or cash?

Yes, or credit card and I'm pretty sure they would take your first born child as well. My advice would be to stop by the Festival Center before heading over to the booths. They have maps and the passports there and it's got some pretty neat displays as well. You would book any of the little cooking demos ($15) or wine tastings ($15) there as well. I've found the people there to be pretty helpful for the most part. I go strictly for F&W so I spend a part of each day of my trip at Epcot. That way I don't really have to have a plan as far as booths go, if I'm coming in through IG I just turn right the first time and stop at the first booth, get something and walk around eating it, when I'm done I get something at the next booth I come to. The next time it would depend on where I enter at as to which direction I go in but I always try to go in the opposite direction I went in the day before. This method does require you walking around WS multiple times but I figure the walking isn't hurting me considering how much I'm eating and if I get too tired I just hop on one of the boats that takes you across the lake. I do buy the wrist gift card and keep loading it, I find it easier to just hold that up for a cast member instead of trying to fumble in a pocket or purse and it leaves your hands free. Most everyone will tell you avoid the weekends, but I've been on Friday night and Saturdays until around 3 and really had no problems but I'm very line tolerant and don't mind waiting.

 

[Andrea Wright]

Yes, but gift cards are faster and the CMs appreciate them. You can use any Disney gift card too, not just the wristband ones.

My number one F&W tip is to read the menus ahead of time and prioritize the things you really want to try. YOu may find you've made it a third of the way around the World Showcase and are too full to eat any more. Then you see an item you really want to try...but no room. Having a plan can help you manage and to fill up on the items you really like or want to try most.

Wait- we're going in early Oct. I have never been, and envisioned a bunch of additional booths set up around World Show case with additional tastings/snacks. How do we know what's available ahead of time?

 

[Pkltm]

Yes you can use snack credits on the food items, we found one of the best uses of this was the filet in Canada.

I agree with look at the menus ahead and make your wish list

 

[hiroMYhero]

If you happen to be in Epcot on the 13th, the CM preview day should be held then and all guests can purchase items at the kiosks. It's the soft open to make sure they are prepared for the opening day on the 14th. You can always walk around and check the offerings. Or, check the Disney Food Blog site as they'll release menus before F&W begins.

If you need to take a break and have a Chase Visa card, you can relax and cool off in the Chase Lounge in the American Pavilion. Complimentary soft drinks, water, and coffee will be available. If you have a Disney Chase Visa, you can pick up a wristband for special seating at the Eat to the Beat concert for that evening.

 

[BrianL]

Wait- we're going in early Oct. I have never been, and envisioned a bunch of additional booths set up around World Show case with additional tastings/snacks. How do we know what's available ahead of time?

The menus were released a couple of weeks ago. I've linked one below. I love Josh's reviews on EasyWDW, but they won't start until the festival does. He takes pictures of everything!

This is a good starting place:
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2016-epcot-food-and-wine-festival-booths-menus-and-food-photos/

 

[Andrea Wright]

The menus were released a couple of weeks ago. I've linked one below. I love Josh's reviews on EasyWDW, but they won't start until the festival does. He takes pictures of everything!

This is a good starting place:
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2016-epcot-food-and-wine-festival-booths-menus-and-food-photos/

Thanks!!! This looks incredible!

Can you use Disney dining snack credits on drinks at the F&W festival?

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Yes, and I think it's a lot easier than having to use the gift card option and needing to work with some pre-set amount. Just use the band.

Until Disney IT strikes again!

Last year one Friday evening Tragic Band went completely down. Those of us with a back up payment method had not problem buying stuff. Those who were depending on Disney's IT shop were a little disappointed!

 

[edk35]

Where do you get the wrists gift card???? I have already bought Disney gift cards for our Oct. trip

 

[PeasandCarrots]

We will attending the Food and Wine festival for the first time this year a couple of days after it opens in mid-September. The plan is to go on Sept 15 around lunchtime.

What do we as first timers need to know about F&W before we go? I should add that we are non-drinkers, so really this will be the Food and Food Festival for us.

Can you use snack credits on most food items? What do most of the items cost, on average?

Prices for food ranged around $3-$7 last year. If you can avoid weekend nights, lines are really long (so Friday and Saturday night). Weekday, earlier in the day like 11 am when it starts is the best time for lines. Here's our review last year - many of the food items are the same this year.

 

[hiroMYhero]

@edk35 ~ At Epcot shops. There will also be some Official F&W merchandise booths and the gift cards will also be available there.

 

[PSUGuy]

Where do you get the wrists gift card???? I have already bought Disney gift cards for our Oct. trip

At any food kiosk and I'm pretty sure you can transfer $$ from an existing gift card to the smaller, handier one with a wrist band.

Bill From PA

 

[BrianL]

Thanks!!! This looks incredible!

Can you use Disney dining snack credits on drinks at the F&W festival?

I don't know about drinks, but snack credits can be used on food items (though not always the best value). I never use the dining plan, and don't drink either, so I really don't know.

 

[hiroMYhero]

At any food kiosk and I'm pretty sure you can transfer $$ from an existing gift card to the smaller, handier one with a wrist band.

Bill From PA

The transfer can be done by using the disneygiftcard.com site. Set up your account before you reach Epcot and then register the wristband giftcard and transfer balances to it.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Another thing to note for guests planning on purchasing the wristband giftcards: giftcards cannot be purchased by charging to a MB. They need to be purchased by actual credit card, cash, or Apple Pay.

This question was posed last year so I asked and had the answer confirmed by a GF Concierge. MB charges are not immediately processed by the resorts so purchasing a giftcard is not allowed as a precaution by the resorts.