Food & Wine Festival Questions

[Dis_Fan]

I just found out that food and wine festival will be starting the second day of our trip. I've never been to food and wine before and I'm not sure what to expect, so I thought I'd ask a few questions here.

1. How crowded does Epcot get during the festival?
2. Do the wait times for rides at Epcot increase significantly?
2. Does the festival have any impact on crowds at other parks?
4. I've heard that snack credits could be used at the festival in past years. Is that still the case for 2014?

Thank You!

 

[Itinkso]

I just found out that food and wine festival will be starting the second day of our trip. I've never been to food and wine before and I'm not sure what to expect, so I thought I'd ask a few questions here. 1. How crowded does Epcot get during the festival? 2. Do the wait times for rides at Epcot increase significantly? 2. Does the festival have any impact on crowds at other parks? 4. I've heard that snack credits could be used at the festival in past years. Is that still the case for 2014? Thank You!

4. Yes, Snack credits can be used at almost all booths. The Preview Day is the day before the first day of F&W and even though it is called the Cast Member Preview, the booths are open to all guests with very short waits.

 

[Dis_Fan]

4. Yes, Snack credits can be used at almost all booths. The Preview Day is the day before the first day of F&W and even though it is called the Cast Member Preview, the booths are open to all guests with very short waits.

Thanks! So, if I understand correctly, that would make Sep 18 preview day! I may need to switch some of our park days around.

 

[RyMickey]

The best Food and Wine advice I can give is avoid Epcot on Saturdays and Sundays. Locals come out in full force and lines at the Food and Wine booths are unbearable. Weekdays are certainly the better time to attend. I recall one visit, I ventured into Epcot's World Showcase area on a Saturday simply to make a purchase at a store in the United Kingdom and the place was jam-packed -- it felt busier than when I had visited Easter week.

As far as the lessening of crowds at other areas throughout Epcot on weekdays, I can't say I've ever really experienced that. If it does one way or the other, it's minor. Now, does it increase the crowds on the weekend -- it's possible, but like I've said, we try and avoid Epcot on the weekends dying F&W.

I would venture to guess that the other parks aren't terribly affected either. Do locals visit Epcot on the weekends during F&W and not other parks? Maybe...but, I'm not sure you're really going to notice a significant decrease/increase in attendance/wait times in other parks.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

This will be our 10th F&W Festival. I agree with RyMickey avoid Saturday and Sunday at all costs. If the weekend is the only time you can get to EPCOT make sure your at the World Showcase when it opens at 11:00. There is alot of good info on this site allears.net & http://disneyfoodblog.com about this years festival. We buy one of the F&W Festival gift cards and put a set amount on it that we want to spend. If you have any other questions feel free to send me a message. Have Fun.