HUGE CROWDS at Epcot F&W Fest

[Tigger714]

This is the time that Hurricane Wilma came through and many people were cancelling their trip. After Wilma the parks got busier each day. Many of the people were families from further down South who had no utilities from the Hurricane and brought their families to WDW. By the last weekend it was very crowded.

Yep, your right! We were there that same time last year and that's exactly what happened. We leave on Friday and I'm hoping to navigate the crowds easily. If not, oh well, at least I'm at Disney with my family. What do we expect anyways? It's a place with 24,000 resort rooms............

 

[sweetinmaine]

We were at EPCOT on Monday, October 16th and it wasn't too bad. We went during the early afternoon hours and usually no more than 5 or 6 people in front of you for the food lines. It was HOT and HUMID which may have kept the crowds down a bit and there was a MNSSHP at MK that evening too. It did get more as the day went on.

 

[JoBird]

We went the 3rd week of October last year on a Wednesday and it was empty. There were no lines at any of the food booths. We had a great time. I would advise people to avoid EPCOT on weekends during the F&WF. But during the week, it's great!

Hey Kim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm getting nervous...this thread was just a little ball of sunshine to scare the you-know-what out of me!
Jo

 

[shelleybell]

It was really only like that on Saturday afternoon/evening. If you must go Saturday, hit the WS right at opening.

We did WS 10/19, 10/20, 10/21, 10/22at different times. Most of the time, there were only a few people in front of you in line.

I was also shocked by the huge wall to wall crowd on Saturday.

shelleybell

 

[Tissa]

We went on Wed the 18th and the crowds weren't that thick, I say avoid the weekend if at all possible. I was a little suprised by the crowds in general everywhere, we didn't have super long wait times but it was hard to walk around. That added to the heat reminded me of our trip in June.

 

[Tinkerbellmom33]

WOW!! I guess we just missed the rush. We were there 11-13 and it was no where near that! So glad we missed the weekend!

 

[Alicnwondrln]

when does the food festival end?

 

[lucky1]

when does the food festival end?

Last day is Nov 12. Should be a busy weekend at the world... Last weekend of FWF, Supersoap weekend at MGM and Festival of the masters in DTD.

The day after F&WF in Epcot is very empty.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

thanks lucky

 

[CarolA]

Weekends are not good.

I was there Oct 14, Arrived at a wine tasting 45 minutes in advance and saw that there was NO way I was getting in. I just left Epcot and went to the pool

Now that Monday I went back to the wine tastings. Got in line 30 minutes are so in advance and I was VERY near the front. WHen that one ended after about 30 minutes I hoofed it outside got in the END of the line for the next one which had just started seating and got in it too!

So my advice is to plan your Epcot visits for weekdays during Food & Wine.

 

[DznyLvr2005]

Was there Sept 28-Oct 5th.. Not crowded at all (Except maybe a little on the weekend). Great on Epcot EMH night, it felt like we were the only ones walking around at some points of the night. F&W FEst was really fun and yummy!

 

[NancyIL]

Weekends are not good.

So my advice is to plan your Epcot visits for weekdays during Food & Wine.

Exactly! Weekends are busy at all the parks, but especially evenings in Epcot at the F&W Festival. I was in the parks Oct. 11-14, and the food booths were never crowded on weekday afternoons. Friday night at Epcot was pretty busy, and I didn't even try going there Saturday night.

I was at the Magic Kingdom Saturday afternoon because that's when my sister's family was there, and the fastpass line for Buzz Lightyear was longer than the standby line!

 

[Jenny]

i was planning on epcot next friday, 11/3 a.m. - entering WS at 11 a.m. & staying until about 2 p.m. we'll then return on sunday, 11/5 around 3 p.m. & stay until about 7 p.m.

will we be OK????

 

[Cinderellafifi]

I am shocked by the OP's picture! We are doing F&W Friday and I am keeping my fingers crossed for easy to manage crowds at least. Now that we are having glorious cool weather, I'm worried though. I hope someone can check in over the next few days with an update on this week.

 

[lillygator]

We'll be at Epcot tomorrow . I am guessing it will be nothing at all like the pic posted by OP. IF it is we will focus on having a lovely day in FW, and seeing WS the next time we visit.

we'll be there tomorrow as well. I am so hoping for little to no crowds!

 

[Conan the Librarian]

Well Yeh! Three Dog Night Was playing for the Eat to the Beat show. Of course it is going to be crowded.


Did you get to hear them? One of the guys is a friend of mine and I'll give him some feedback.

Joy to the World!

 

[LoraJ]

I'm planning on going Sunday, but if it is that crowded, we'll just go to another park for the day and then return for our ADR at Le Cellier. Then hopefully catch F&W on another day.

 

[Marie2794]

We were there on Thurs, Oct 19. We grazed F&W Fest from about 12:00-5:00 and it wasn't bad at all. We ate at the Canada, Poland, Turkey, Morocco, USA, Australia and Mexico booths... with no lines at any of them. We were expecting it to be crowded but were pleasantly surprised at how empty it was that day.

I'm sure it got more crowded as the evening wore on though, especially after the Three Dog Night concerts let out, but 12:00-5:00 was wonderfully empty.

 

[loriandmatt]

We were there for opening week of F&W last year (as well as a few days before) and i can confirm that it was down right crazy crowded on the opening weekend. just nuts!

we were sort of thinking it would be though and did illuminations on the few days before F&W started at the beginning of our trip. After that, if we were in a F&W or World Showcase mood, we stuck to hitting it as early in the day as possible.

locals love F&W and flock to it - especially on the weekends

 

[whogirl'smom]

We were at Epcot on Mon. Oct. 9 and it was nothing like your picture, OP! We actually commented on how nice it was not to be crowded at all. We returned Thurs. Oct 12 about 5:00pm and stayed through Illuminations, but it never seemed bad. It was very crowded at Rose and Crown, where we ate, but I thought it was just the "bar" atmosphere and lots of people drinking in the UK area clogging up the road. Sorry you've had to maneuver through the "herd"!