Food & Wine Festival...A Few Questions.....

[WaltD4Me]

We are a going to be at WDW Oct 19th-25th (Sunday to Saturday) and I wasn't thinking much about Food & Wine when I picked these dates.

Don't tell Kevin...or Pete for that matter, but Food & Wine just doesn't interest me at all.

I rarely drink, an occasional glass of wine or maybe a Crystal Light and Vodka once in a while (like the night of the great Pete Hunt at Universal ) and I'm not into weird food, so F&W doesn't sound like a must do for me, but I do love touring World Showcase...so I'm wondering if we will be safe doing that during the day or will there be all kinds of winies and foodies there and will it be crazy crowded every night...even during the week? I want to see Illuminations on Thursday night, but not if it's going to be shoulder to shoulder,
can't move, get me out of here crowded.

And will F&W greatly effect the crowds...everywhere or really just at Epcot/WS? On the day we arrive Sunday, we are planning on doing PM EMH at DHS...hoping that most everyone is going to be over at Epcot. Monday we are doing breakfast at Askerhaus in Norway...would that be the quietest time (after breakfast, around 11am) to do WS? I'm thinking mainly the foodies and winies come out at night?

 

[ExBellhop]

I can only speak to the quick weekend trip we took last October, but I'll share what we learned.

It was crowded, and it got more crowded as the evening went on. However, the other parks weren't too bad, by comparison.

I think you might be surprised by the food. I found it to be more of a "sampling some things I may not have ever thought of trying" kind of event rather than "what weird thing can a chef make with lemons, mushrooms, and whatever" event.

However, I may be a little biased since I do enjoy diverse and more unusual menu items. My mom, on the other hand, lets herself be turned off by one ingredient in a dish (like cilantro or chilli powder). In other words, very picky and not very adventurous - but she and my dad go 2 to 3 times per Festival (she's Cast at MK, so they're locals) and enjoy the music, atmosphere, and their favorite food treats.

So, I would say definitely give it a chance, be as adventurous as you can food-wise, and enjoy the Festival!

-ExBellhop

 

[rtobe]

I'm a F&W veteran. Some of the events are free and kind of interesting like the chocolate tasting and info session a couple years ago. EPCOT gets more crowded on weekends and evenings as F&W does draw locals as well as folks on vacation. The food can vary from cheddar cheese soup in Canada, apple strudel in Germany, lobster roll in America and is of the small appetizer size portion. There are free concerts (Eat to the Beat).

I agree with ExBellhop - give it a chance.

 

[djlexus]

It defiantly gets busy as the night goes on. I would assume alot of the locals have that Epcot after 4 pass so thats why it gets crowded. But the nice thing ive noticed its really only ws that gets crowded fs stays pretty dead. So i dont know what ur plans are but if u want to do ws in the morning and fs at night that would work good. But defiantly give it a try u never know.

 

[wilde_oscar]

take me, I'll drink your portion.

 

[WaltD4Me]

take me, I'll drink your portion.

You are welcome to join us WO! We FLY there though! No getting stuck
in Atlanta traffic for me thank you.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

We did the F&W Fest last year. When people say that Epcot fills up on Friday and Saturday nights, please believe them. The WS is a freakin' zoo those nights. There are "drinking clubs" that take on the challenge of drinking their way around the world and by 5 to 7pm, not only is the WS uncomfortably busy, but it's also filled with a few too many people that are already over-served. Personally, you will NEVER catch me at the F&W Fest on a Friday or Saturday night again. We are going to be at WDW during the first weekend of the event this year. We will be at Epcot on Monday. Friday, Saturday, & Sunday are meant for other things. I am not going to waste my time at Epcot until then.

YMMV

 

[New England Eeyore]

We go every year for Food and Wine. I agree with others to avoid Epcot on the weekends for sure. We don't drink either, or do any of the special events. We just go for the kiosks. We hit them for lunch on a couple weekdays because the lines are significantly longer at night. BUT, if you have no interest in the food boths, those crowds may work to your advantage. The foodies will be focused on the food - not the rides. Future World should not be busy and even World Showcase (on a weeknight) will not be shoulder to shoulder. You should be fine for Illuminations.