Food and Wine whats avail?

[Kimmysmom]

We are going to be there during the Food and wine festival. Do you have to have a special ticket. The DVC rep said they have a number of booths that are from diff countries and you can purchase samples of wine and the food. What kind of food options do they have? Are the prices expensive? Any info that anyone could be share would be great......

 

[Art 1]

You need nothing special. There are many countries with booths, you can sample the different food. Very small portions. Easy for a couple to spend $100 if they want to.

I have a different opinion on the food and wine fest than most in this forum. It's not worth a special trip just for the event. It's nothing special.

 

[figment_jii]

As the PP said, you do not have to have a special ticket to purchase food and wine items from the kiosks set up around World Showcase. There are usually two to three food items and a couple of alcholic beverage choices at each booth. The costs vary by item, but most food items range from $2 to $6 (historically).

Here is a link to the Allears.net information about the food booths from 2010, including prices: http://allears.net/tp/ep/fw10/fw10_booths.htm

There are also special events, which require tickets. The prices range from very inexpensive (e.g., daily culinary demonstrations) to high priced (e.g., Party for the Senses). To get a feel for what types of special tickets events occurred last year, see: http://allears.net/tp/ep/fw10/fw10_special.htm.

I've gone to several Food & Wine festivals and have enjoyed all of them. We usually plan our trips to coincide with F&W. The tasting portions are smallish, but if you purchase several you can make a meal of it, which is what we usually do - pick three of so kiosks, try almost everything (not including the beverages), and make a lunch out of it. The culinary demos are fun and the samples were pretty generous in 2009 (missed the 2010 festival).

 

[ElizabethB]

We enjoy the Festival -- and we think the food at the booths has only gotten better over the years. Plus, they have increased the drink selection to include not just wine but some fun things like Singapore Slings and frozen Mohitos. There is also lots of beer (too much beer really these days), but for those that like beer there is . . . well . . . lots of it.

Unlike an above poster, dh thinks Epcot would be boring if the Festival weren't going on, so that is the only time we visit.

Do be aware that, as the pp said, one can spend a good deal sampling at the booths as the prices are, basically, $3-$7 for food and about $4-8 for drinks. We easily run through $70 or so on one walk around world showcase tasting things that appeal. But, it's fun, we enjoy it as a substitute for lunch, and we would likely spend $50 on lunch anyway.

Also, weekends can be insanely crowded. We stopped by on a Saturday last year and the lines were 30 people long. We just left and went elsewhere for lunch. Also, due to all the beer available, Friday and Saturday nights tend to feature packs of young men barely of drinking age staggering through the park. Dh saw a CM and a drunken young man nearly come to blows last year. We now avoid weekends.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

we always plan our trips to coincide with the F&WF ... we really enjoy the events and the booths

one thing to note is that if you are on the dining plan, most (not all, but most) of the food dishes qualify as a "snack" credit - so they are a great way to use up snack credits.

A lot of the special events are great to. Most of them do involved alcohol, so if you aren't really into that, they won't appeal to you

 

[Hopefully]

There are 20 + additional food Kiosks around World Showcase Lagoon. Each booth serves 2 - 3 local favorite entrees and one dessert. Each also has a local beer or wines available. Sizes are "Tapa sized" or bite sized tastes. The servings are ussually about $3- $7 each, so it can get expensive quickly.
There are additional cost daily events as well. They range from the $8 culinary demonstrations to multi hundred dollar per person dinners, and everything in between.
It is great fun and we go yearly.

 

[disfanforlife]

Desserts did you say??? We are going during F & W for the first time. We are not drinkers but I would use snack options to try some different desserts...Can't wait!!!!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

the chocolate creme brulee at France is amazing

it's a really nice atmosphere and although the portions are small you can browse enough stalls to make a meal of it.

It is one of the main things that attracts us to EPCOT in October but beware weekennds can be very busy (and a bit boozy and boisterous) in the evenings.

 

[disfanforlife]

the chocolate creme brulee at France is amazing

it's a really nice atmosphere and although the portions are small you can browse enough stalls to make a meal of it.

It is one of the main things that attracts us to EPCOT in October but beware weekennds can be very busy (and a bit boozy and boisterous) in the evenings.

Mmm, sounds good! We will be at WDW for a week, so we are already planning which days at EPCOT and I am thinking Monday and Thursday just to avoid the biggest crowds.

 

[justcruisin]

StumbleUpon F&WF accidently a few years ago when at Disney with my mom and ds (now 11).

My mom and I loved it, ds hated it. We didn't have much time to enjoy the food booths but LOVED the few things we did have.

Booked 2 nights at BCV for me an my mom this November specifically so we could enjoy the F&WF. We both are looking forward to this trip!

Don't consider myself a "foodie" but just one that loves food!

 

[Tink2Day]

I thought it was great. I wasn't actually expecting it, because my trip was very last minute.
They had a delicious dessert at the Ireland booth, Belgian Waffle with fruit compote at the Belgium booth. There was a dessert trio with champagne.

To me the Crème Brule at the booth wasn't nearly as good as the one from the bakery in France.
There were a lot of different treats to try and they have the concerts in conjuction, Eat To The Beat. It was quit a bit of fun and made Epcot seem much more fun and exciting.

 

[EpcotQueen]

Anyone know when the countries and food selections will be released? Can't wait! Drooling already!

 

[gismo1554]

Anyone know when the countries and food selections will be released? Can't wait! Drooling already!

I have a feeling last year it was around the July time they started releasing info but the menus for each booth were only a little while before the festival.

 

[TDC Nala]

most (not all, but most) of the food dishes qualify as a "snack" credit

In the past couple of years, all the food and non-alcoholic beverage items have qualified. The only thing you couldn't get for a snack credit were alcoholic beverages.

 

[Brocktoon]

I have a feeling last year it was around the July time they started releasing info but the menus for each booth were only a little while before the festival.

Yeah, I think it was the July/August timeframe that the food and schedule info started trickling out.

 

[rayangel]

we as well stumbled upon f&w last year. and will now plan our trips to coincide with it.
it adds another dimension to epcot. pace yourself trust me. we got one item from each booth some we got 2 if the stuff looked really good and we almost didn't make it all the way. there was 2 of us and we shared everything. i definitely suggest getting the charged gift card its easier to swipe. and don't do what we did and just keep charging 30 and thinking that will be enough . just start wih 100.

looking forward to this year and some reviews before hand we are making it right at the end.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

In the past couple of years, all the food and non-alcoholic beverage items have qualified. The only thing you couldn't get for a snack credit were alcoholic beverages.

thanks for the clarification - I thought the last time we went there were a couple of items that didn't qualify for the snack credit (the lobster roll comes to mind) but I could be wrong

 

[TDC Nala]

Nope, the lobster roll qualifies.

In 2009 the Japan booth started out denying snack credits for the tuna sensation but after the first week they took credits for that, too.

Also in 2009 the Puerto Rico booth's menu got put up with no DDP symbols on it, and people assumed they were not taking snack credits, but they were. The menu got changed eventually.

Other than that, in the past 3 years or so it has been all food or non-alcoholic beverage items regardless of cost.