Invasion of the Villagers a DH trip report Food & Wine Fest

[TheBeadPirate]

A DH perspective on the Food & Wine Festival


I need to first explain that I love our WDW, the DVC, and Wilderness Lodge. I also treasure the annual visits to the Food & Wine Festival.

One of the many reasons I have come to enjoy the Food & Wine Festival was (besides the food & wine) getting to meet and attempt to communicate with all of the wonderful folks from the native countries.

This year however things were different… I like to call the experience “Invasion of the Villagers”.

For those of you who have driven to WDW over the years you have probably noted expressway exit signs for the “The Villages”. The Villages are a very nice retirement community not far from WDW. I have no doubt that there are buses making hourly runs between WDW and the Villages. For you see, most of the food booths are now staffed with “Villagers”. These seasoned citizens are going to be taking your orders and attempting to enter them into a hand held computer.

Now this makes for some good times and some bad times. The handheld computers freeze up constantly and it is not unusual to see 40 people standing in line to order food while the actual food booth has no customers getting food. The aforementioned Villagers deal with this issue much as I myself would, first they shake said handheld computer, then beat it on a table, then they get on a cell phone and report that the “D*$# Computer is locked up again (can we even say that word at WDW?).

Shortly, within 30 minutes or so, here comes an exasperated looking “service tech” (did I mention that this was a Villager as well). We repeat the shaking, beating, and then we reluctantly pull another handheld unit out of a box and hook it up. We now have a line of about 100 people who are hungry and a tad bit irritable.

The new handheld works like a dream (for about 10 customers) then it freezes up again… the beatings continue… well you get the picture!

At night it gets even better. The handhelds are not very readable in the daylight and they are that much worse at night. A trait I have in common with the Villagers is very poor night vision (you will get there as well). To combat this situation Disney brings out a portable light that runs on what appears to be 2 AAA batteries that are nearly out of energy. I suggest you bring a small flashlight as it will greatly enhance your ordering experience.

The real loss here is the great fun I used to have attempting to talk with all of the interesting visitors from afar. Now the only fun I get is ordering a Cabernet and watching a Villager pour a Chardonnay (must be a beer drinker).

You will see the Villagers everywhere (nothing wrong with that as I myself am about ready for the Villages). It does lead to some interesting experiences. Like the night we were on the boat over to MGM (they had extra magic hours you see). The captain (a long time Villager) announced that the last boat would leave the park at 9:00 PM, as he was corrected by his assistant he forgot he had the microphone button pressed down. We hear “what? The last boat will be at 1:00!... I wish I had taken a longer nap today”

OK, enough of the Villager stories (there are many more). Let’s talk about Boardwalk. We have our DVC points at Wilderness Lodge (love it as it is perfect in every way) for some bizarre reason the DW insists on expanding my horizons by booking at least one excursion per year to another property.

When you hear that it is a long way to the elevators from the villas you may not appreciate the truth. From our room it was exactly 240 brisk paces (to the elevators) that should be about 240 yards with my Disney stride. Don’t forget anything in the room or you may be worn out by the time you hike to the bus stop!

The Food and Wine Fest has some real winners again this year. Do not miss the Cheese Soup at the Canadian booth (yes they are all Canadian and yes they still cheer when you order it, not a villager to be seen). There is a cold salad (Meze) at the Turkey booth (villagers here), and the China booth has the best alcoholic beverage of them all. It is a plum wine green tea cooler that is just GREAT (and China is one of the few booths with native folk)

Well too long already, would love to share experiences with scooters, mammoth baby strollers, and the Magical Express.

Don’t let the handhelds spoil your experience, just plan on a long wait to place your order and bring enough adult beverage and a sense of humor to enjoy it! I may be the Villager you see next year

 

[Redbudlover]

Funny TR! That is a shame the booths are being manned by villagers. Could we talk you into sharing more of your trip? I would really enjoy hearing about the mammoth strollers and the Magical Express!

 

[pumba]

How were the crowds and ride control......

I love cheddar cheese soup and ***i plum wine is my favorite......how did it taste as a green tea cooler.?

 

[Jane E.]

Thanks for your review. We're going later this month for the festival, and I can't wait. I'm glad you mentioned that the green tea plum wine is delicious; otherwise, I might not have tried it. I'm just glad that the cheese soup is back! Thats definately my favorite!

 

[50 years Too!]

I've had problems with those ordering thingamajiggys at local restaurants.
The kitchen stands there thinking no one is ordering even though there are tons of people!
So the Villagers are in the countries not normally represented in Epcot?
Maybe I'll just stick with those. Not that I have anything against Villagers.
Hope to be one someday!

 

[TheBeadPirate]

First of all, I don't know how Rick found DISboards to post without me knowing so I hope he knows to come back and answer questions. Otherwise I'll pester him till he gets his fanny back here and posts again.

And just so you know....he always complains when we don't stay at VWL. ALWAYS.... although not so much this time as we could walk to Epcot for F&WF. That made it better. See this is our absolute FAVORITE Disney time!

A little background on us might help. DH and I live in New Orleans (French Quarter-our own little F&WF!) and have a couple of small embroidery and bead making stores. After the storm (which I am sure doesn't need a name) I took over the stores myself and Rick went back to the job he retired from(see? closer to Villager than he wants to admit).

We have 1 Dchild- a 5 lb Pom named WannaB (far more spoiled than any little princess or pirate you'll see in the parks) who will one day come visit the Disney home with mom and dad. until then he stays at the nonDisney home with Auntie Hollie stuffing him full of treats. But he listens to mom babble on about plans and mouses until the big moment.

Anyways everybody hang on for the wild and wooly trip that is dumdumdeedum....FINALLY Food & Wine Fest!

Since we didn't get to go last year (big storm, bemember?) this was the ultimate planners dream. I try to make each trip memorable(if at least for me) for a reason. Since we are lucky enough to be DVC we get a couple trips a year. So I started planning. And packing. And crafting(Ask DH about that one!) LGMH buttons, and door hangers, and nifty blinking wine glasses....and yes I am Disney crazy....(I'm on here aren't I?)

So imagine my SU-PRISE when my loverly DH tells me there's a meeting he has to be at the Monday...the first whole day.....of our FANTSMAGORIC Disney Trip....It's in Akron. Which is not Disney. No movie, no missie, gotta be there. Needless to say the things I said could not be even close to cleaned up enough for this board.... Read "hissyfit from beyond!"
But flights and reservations were made and life continued <pout>. Realizing that there was no way for me to win this one I had to make the best of it. So I continued packing and planning. Needless to say I was done packing a week before we left.

Rick on the other hand waits till 4am the morning we leave. And needs socks...and shoes...and , well you get the picture (so much for the extra few winkies for mom) and we're up. I am not a morning person, not even for the excitement and anticipation that is Disney. So mom's a eensie-weensie bit cranky when Auntie Hollie finally drops us on the curb at the airport(and speeds away-apparently at that point more distance was good).

Next episode TSA and the Ziplock bag conspiracy!

 

[TheBeadPirate]

So here we are at the airport. One cranky DW and one insufferably chipper DH. At least we get boarding group A. Off to FINALLY find the first Diet Coke of the day and some ensuing sanity.

But first we get security. With all of the new regulations I kept up with TSA postings etc and knew all liquids under 3oz go in 1 quart ziplock bags that had to be checked by a guard seperately. I got a gold star from the guard for that one!

Everything else should be cake. Head to the screeners and toss my tote bag, flipflops, everything into the tray and head on through. This is where the crankiness level goes through the roof. Going to retrieve all of my worldly goods from the TSA lady I am told I have too many ziplock bags. I am only allowed 1. I explain politely that all of my liquids are in 1 per the TSA notice but this is how I organize my tote bag-mints& gum in one, kleenex& excedrin in one, cross stitch project all together in one, etc (you get the picture).

I am still told I am allowed only 1 ziplock bag. At this point dear DH has arrived and sensing the impending explosion of crankiness tries to hurry mom on with as little as possible grief. No Go! I ask when the government started regulating my packing skills and my methods of organization? DH sees impending doom and reminds me we are headed to the happiest place on Earth. Intent on keeping ALL my zippies I put on my flip flops(no more barefooties) and put everything I could retrieve back on until a supervisor comes over and tells me just this once they'll let me slide(imagine the laughter from TSA in Orlando on our trip home!) Anyways on to the Diet Coke with Rick laughing at me the whole time. I keep repeating "It's a matter of principal." like my mantra- that's ok, loverly DH will get his soon enough!

Boring flight but upon arriving in Orlando we get to try Magical Express, our first time! When I originally got the tags they were for the wrong resort so I called to get things corrected. (I love this fix by the way!) I'm told to mark out what's there with a marker and write in the right resort. If only I could do this to everything and make it better!

Anyways, back to the plan. We snag another Disney bound family coming off the plane and head to Magical Express check in. As I head to the counter DH tries to get in the bus line. CM says he has to check in at the counter first. Loverly DH asks why. Fantabulous DW says "Cause that's where the computers are!" And now comes the theme for the DH day........

"DH is not amused" I didn't even realize Rick knew what a DH was...

However this response sent me, the CM and several others nearby into giggles. And I continue to hear the diatribe on DH not being amused until we get on the bus. Bemember when I say DH will get his? Well this was only the beginning. It gets better.....much..... diatribing onto the bus I grab a seat. Rick is continuing about one stop being easy, but this was not, etc--and goes to sit down and wacks his head on the overhead railing. I and everyone around us stop and look at him waiting (his well being is my only concern after all) until he says.....

"DH is really NOT amused now" I though I was going to cry before the laughter subsided. And off to the Boardwalk we go!

 

[TheBeadPirate]

Find it yet Rick?

 

[John's Mom]

Just one comment about "The Villages": The Villages do not have any type of bus service to WDW.