Food & Wine Festival

[pennilessinpa]

From the many things I've read, I know this event must be a really big deal. I did go there once (school on strike - I took the 3 kids myself w/o DH), so obviously I wasn't going to go sampling food and wine with 3 picky kids standing there.

My question is: What is the big deal? Is it the food? Is it the wine? Both? Other things? When should I look at booking? Is this an 11 month window type event? Or can we even consider it for 2009 still?

 

[DisDaydreamer]

From the many things I've read, I know this event must be a really big deal. I did go there once (school on strike - I took the 3 kids myself w/o DH), so obviously I wasn't going to go sampling food and wine with 3 picky kids standing there.

My question is: What is the big deal? Is it the food? Is it the wine? Both? Other things? When should I look at booking? Is this an 11 month window type event? Or can we even consider it for 2009 still?

Actually, the one time for us it wasn't the food or wine. Sampling wine is a misnomer... it is actually buying small shots of wine for too much $$. For us it was the atmosphere and the parade after dark of amazing and extravagant characters on stilts and performing carnival acts while in the parade. It had a tribal feel and theme and was spooky yet entertaining... It was unforgettable, and I hope the next FW festival we visit has an equal parade. This was probably 4 years ago.

 

[M5ward]

We enjoy Food and Wine Festival (we've gone the past two years), but probably wouldn't bother too much if we had kids with us. While my husband doesn't drink at all (he is my designated walker), I do like to sample my way around the World with food and drink. I don't think I could do that with little kids. Even when we go with one of our kids and their family, we usually do our days in Epcot for F&WF on our own. But that's just me.

 

[gracelrm]

I went for the first time in Oct. 08. Our kids (then 15,12, & 8) were with us. DH & I both like sampling foods from other regions/countries and DH enjoyed different beers and wines. Our DS12 likes to try new foods and it worked out well because if he didn't like something - it wasn't like he'd just wasted $15-20 on a meal. We were at WDW for five or six nights and we went to Epcot two evenings to snack around the world. We enjoyed it, however we like to eat. I would guess that picky eaters or people dieting wouldn't think it was worth the trip. I will say that we spent more money than we realized. Since most things are under $5 - it didn't seem like that much money - but we probably could have fed the family at a TS place for less money than we spent around the countries.

 

[mama03]

I would surmise its really an event for foodies. I was supposed to go last year, but couldn't at the last minute due to health reasons, so my mom went since I could not cancel. She had fun at events I picked and enjoyed herself even though she didnt know that much about F&W festival. There are special cooking demonstrations, wine classes, celebrity chefs, etc.. My guess is that if you like watching the Food Network and such this is the event for you. If not then its still Disney and there are plenty more things to do other than attend special events and classes. We are going without the kiddos by the way.

 

[granmanh603]

Actually, the one time for us it wasn't the food or wine. Sampling wine is a misnomer... it is actually buying small shots of wine for too much $$. For us it was the atmosphere and the parade after dark of amazing and extravagant characters on stilts and performing carnival acts while in the parade. It had a tribal feel and theme and was spooky yet entertaining... It was unforgettable, and I hope the next FW festival we visit has an equal parade. This was probably 4 years ago.

Yikes that parade was for the Mellinium in 2000 and maybe 2001, way more than 4 years ago . I wish they would bring it back.
We love to go to sample the foods and beers and just the fun of it ...we have been going since 2001 every year and it keeps getting bigger and more crowded but it is not a cheap event when you add it all up. We like to stay at BWV so we have to book 11 months out but this year who knows.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Yikes that parade was for the Mellinium in 2000 and maybe 2001, way more than 4 years ago . I wish they would bring it back.
We love to go to sample the foods and beers and just the fun of it ...we have been going since 2001 every year and it keeps getting bigger and more crowded but it is not a cheap event when you add it all up. We like to stay at BWV so we have to book 11 months out but this year who knows.

Oh my... it seems like yesterday.