Food & Wine Sickness

[xipotec]

Life isnt fun unless you drink to excess. Right???? And WDW is the most appropriate place to do it!

 

[princesspiglet]

We went to Epcot on three days, Oct 3, 4 and 6. Wednesday and Thursday were great, low crowds, no drunks. Saturday was a totally different story. We only went in for dinner at Biergarten and TRIED to stop at the Ireland booth on our way out to get Lava cake, but it was impossible. There were soo many drunk people in the UK it was unbelievable. My husband had to scoop up our 9 year old and carry her on his back because of idiots running into us.

We both drink and like to have a good time, but this was out of control. Grown men were yelling at each other to jug and women were wearing skanky outfits. I felt like I just stepped into a college frat party (and I was greek in college!) and I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

 

[snowcupid]

We were there the 8th and my DH on the 9th. The crowds were very large and it was our least favorite day. BUT we didn't see anything like that. Thank goodness.

 

[ppony]

We were there the 15th and the 17th. 'Round about sundown is when we really started to see the "frat" atmosphere. We were dodging large groups of people not paying attention to where they were going but mostly we were so concerned with getting the last few items we wanted to eat and get out of there. WE didn't see any fights or similar, but I don't doubt for one second the accounts of others that did. As I said, though I knew from reading this board for so long that it did get that way, it was all we could do to maneuver our stroller and selves between the crowds and get out by 7ish.

Yucky people aside, we really liked the food and a few of the slushy drinks (we're not drinkers at all so weak slushies were great). The heat though was just an appetite killer. Heat usually is. We found ourselve hardly wating anything until the sun was on it's way down and by then, the "people" issue cropped up and it got thick with crowds 9even weeekdays). I SO wish there was some way to have these nummy treats in cooler months. While we LOVED at lot about the F&WF, I can't see us ever going again with the hot temps, especially not w/ our kids. Bums me out. Now I know now neat it was...but it wasn't cool enough to lure me away from Dec.. I did make the Hawaiian pork sliders tonight though. Nom Nom Nom!!! Cookbook recipes left a LOT of things out of recipes (like the sauce on the Mongolian beef recipe, I'm just going to use the srirache sauce from the sliders), but if you had any of the items, you can make up for it pretty well.

 

[ppony]

he was speaking in cursive by that time.

"Speaking in cursive" ... That's hysterical!! I'll have to remember that.

 

[TSR6]

Watching your video with all the camera jostling is making ME want to puke...

i was walking behind them.... lol sorry! It's a cell video

 

[Lintasare]

Well, one thing they could do is limit access to WS on weekend nights to those 21+. That would probably not make a lot of people happy, but it would allow those who want to keep partying to do so. I agree that having something like PI open could help, but I would be curious to know how places like Jellyrolls have done since its closure. If that's not drawing lots of people away from F&W, would opening another bar/nightclub be a good financial choice for Disney?

Or, they could have a set limit on how many drinks a person could order, utilizing a wristband or punch card system. The problems here are that 1) Disney loses $, and 2) There's nothing stopping someone from ordering another drink for her friend who's already had one too many. It also doesn't do anything about those who are drunk before they even get to the park.

Really, though, if they are able to prevent this kind of behavior at other parks and at other times, why can't they do something at F&W besides just standby to clean up people's puke? If this kind of thing happened at MK, I'm sure it would be shut down ASAP.

Except closing off WS would be a logistical nightmare. The paths entering are very wide, you would have to rope off the entire area and staff it to keep underage people out and to check IDs. And what about families entering from the IG? What are they supposed to do?

Punchcards won't work either. People will swap them out like it's nobodies business.

 

[1mama2three]

We went to Epcot on three days, Oct 3, 4 and 6. Wednesday and Thursday were great, low crowds, no drunks. Saturday was a totally different story. We only went in for dinner at Biergarten and TRIED to stop at the Ireland booth on our way out to get Lava cake, but it was impossible. There were soo many drunk people in the UK it was unbelievable. My husband had to scoop up our 9 year old and carry her on his back because of idiots running into us.

We both drink and like to have a good time, but this was out of control. Grown men were yelling at each other to jug and women were wearing skanky outfits. I felt like I just stepped into a college frat party (and I was greek in college!) and I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

Sadly, I get the feeling this isn't soley limited to F&WF anymore. We visited EPCOT the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend this past May, and this was our experience when walking through the WS (especially in the UK). After having our kids/stroller bumped into a couple of times & then having our 5 & 7 year olds question some of the behavior, we hightailed it out of there after about an hour. I had never experienced this in EPCOT/WS before. Riding the bus home from the PI/DD stop, disturbingly yes...EPCOT, no.

 

[CurlyJo224]

We enjoy the F&W festival. We try to go every year. We avoid the weekends and have never seen any of the drunks. Frankly, it sounds like it has gotten worse since they started offering beer everywhere. How is beer part of a wine festival?

This is one thing I seem to have noticed. Food and wine? Not so bad. Add beer? Instant idiots.

They need some sort of limit system where they have to swipe your ticket for every drink you buy. Too much, and you're cut off. It would be nice if people could show a little self control, but that's apparently too much to ask.

DH and I avoided Saturday night, but we saw enough obnoxious drunks throughout the week that something needs to be done.

 

[CurlyJo224]

Life isnt fun unless you drink to excess. Right???? And WDW is the most appropriate place to do it!

Unfortunately, quite a few people, even in this thread, feel that way. It's a sad life.

 

[mom2rtk]

They need some sort of limit system where they have to swipe your ticket for every drink you buy. Too much, and you're cut off. It would be nice if people could show a little self control, but that's apparently too much to ask.

Isn't that why they're developing those new RFID bracelets?

 

[Cee]

I just want to tell all the folks who are now re-thinking going to Epcot for the Food & Wine Festival NOT to be deterred. I have been enjoying this wonderful festival for many years now and it is not to be missed. Just don't go on the weekend. In all the years we've attended, we've never gone on a Sat. or Sun. and have had a glorious time.

 

[TiffanyK]

I just want to tell all the folks who are now re-thinking going to Epcot for the Food & Wine Festival NOT to be deterred. I have been enjoying this wonderful festival for many years now and it is not to be missed. Just don't go on the weekend. In all the years we've attended, we've never gone on a Sat. or Sun. and have had a glorious time.

I wish we could do a weekday, but we only have Sunday. I was willing to brave crowds, but crowds + bad behavior has us rethinking our plan.

 

[lucas]

Oh, great. We will be there this weekend.

 

[SamSam]

I wish we could do a weekday, but we only have Sunday. I was willing to brave crowds, but crowds + bad behavior has us rethinking our plan.

Although we avoid weekends, I don't think Sunday Afternoons's are nearly as bad as Saturday's. I've never seen the behavior described in this thread and we've been going since the beginning of Food and Wine. However, we do avoid weekends because of the crowds/long lines.

 

[rjnurs]

I have to agree that this behavior is not limited to just F&W... We took the kids to Rose & Crown for dinner last November. Our table was next to a couple that was obviously WAY beyond intoxicated (and loudly fighting). And a large bachelor party group. The young lady in question stormed out of the restaurant and we saw her later being sick in the grass... Try explaining the behavior and language to a barely 6 year old. I have to say, sadly, that this truly ruined our dinner experience. If I wanted to see drunk, beligerent people I would take a day trip to Bourbon St. in New Orleans and skip Disney. And, by the way, my kids don't go there for good reason!

 

[luvthemouse71]

I'm just surprised that Disney's lawyers haven't stepped in and looked at the liability in some of these situations.

I drink on occasion and I drink at WDW. I have Disney Drunk in my signature. But, compared to some of these people, I'm a lightweight. There is no way on earth that I could "drink around the world" and hit every country in one night. I break it up into several nights,lol. The Margueritas alone are usually close to enough for me- they're very strong, I have to drink it slowly.

It's all about moderation. I would have no problem if they had a two drink limit per person. Not sure how they'd enforce that though. At the very least, they need to up security, toughen up, and throw the really obnoxious ones out.

 

[heyitsmejosh]

ill be going this friday and saturday and ill see for myself if this thread is just an exaggeration

 

[ppony]

ill be going this friday and saturday and ill see for myself if this thread is just an exaggeration

I hope you don't, but just because you may not witness what others did, doesn't mean they exaggerated nor that accounts aren't true. Just sayin'.

 

[Tigger's ally]

This is one thing I seem to have noticed. Food and wine? Not so bad. Add beer? Instant idiots.

I love beer, all kinds and hate wine, all kinds. Am I an "instant idiot".

Why do us beer drinkers get all the hate? I haven't puked in 15 years.

Idiot? Not me.