No Festival Snacks at EPCOT Moonlight Magic

[pkrieger2287]

It looks like Disney Vacation Club could be quietly cutting one of the best perks—and we’re not thrilled. No more Festival food access? No special fireworks?

Find out what’s changing before Wednesday's event:
https://dvcfan.com/general-dvc/is-d...g-away-one-of-the-best-moonlight-magic-perks/

 

[erionm]

It will be disappointing, but kind of understandable. I suspect they were getting complaints about the increased lines at the festival food booths during the MM events.

 

[sarah4770]

I don’t find it understandable. No special fireworks, ok. But where to use 3 snacks?complete bummer.

 

[sarah4770]

And also only 2 days notice.

 

[Brian Noble]

Any of the CS locations or kiosks that have snack options would still qualify. They aren't as interesting, but free is still free.

 

[Simba's Mom]

It looks like Disney Vacation Club could be quietly cutting one of the best perks—and we’re not thrilled. No more Festival food access? No special fireworks?

Find out what’s changing before Wednesday's event:
https://dvcfan.com/general-dvc/is-d...g-away-one-of-the-best-moonlight-magic-perks/

To me, it's the fact that a perk is being cut. Whenever something gets taken away, it makes me wonder what's next.

 

[Moonspinner]

I think the last year or so the booths are being run by outside venders and not Disney, right? Maybe that’s why?

 

[The Jackal]

Well. They need to make up some cash for building that new DVC preview center in Canada, when there is one 10 minutes away.

 

[dcfromva]

We had fewer snack choices at the Moonlight Magic event at DCA this past Feb. They had allowed snacks from the festival booths in previous years so this was something we weren't expecting. Additionally, they limited the snack choices to what was printed on the voucher.

Here is a link to the discussion: https://www.disboards.com/threads/m...er-and-garden-festival.3963460/#post-66020530

The bad thing for me was that I couldn't read all the fine print to figure out what we could have. So, we ended up choosing popcorn at the end of the night. I hope choices won't be so limited at the EPCOT event.

 

[DonMacGregor]

There was a huge backlash of complaints at DCA by other paying (AP and day ticket) guests regarding the explosion of lines at festival booths when the early entry for MM opened. People who had pre-paid for a festival food pass (in addition to park entry) saw festival booth lines double (or more) in length within what seemed like minutes once the MM attendees were let in with all of their free food vouchers while day guests were still visiting the booths and using their prepaid ("Sip & Savor") festival food passes.

The MM event didn’t start until 9:30, but you could get in as early as 6:30, and day guests who might have been waiting until dinner time to use some of their credits likely didn’t expect a few thousand people to show up and jump in booth lines to use free food coupons. Even if you knew there was a party later in the evening, you would have no idea that the event would affect you three hours before it started.

They shouldn't allow the use of coupons prior to the beginning of the actual event. Absolutely let members in early to enjoy the park, but flooding food booths 3 hours before the park actually closes for the event with thousands of coupons eligible to be used at the festival booths, while folks who paid cash money for a pass to use at those booths are still trying to use them, isn't cool.

 

[DonMacGregor]

It will be disappointing, but kind of understandable. I suspect they were getting complaints about the increased lines at the festival food booths during the MM events.

This, 100% (see above).

 

[Pooh12863]

I guess if your not happy with what free food is being offered you could always show your displeasure by not going.

 

[han22735]

There was a huge backlash of complaints at DCA by other paying (AP and day ticket) guests regarding the explosion of lines at festival booths when the early entry for MM opened. People who had pre-paid for a festival food pass (in addition to park entry) saw festival booth lines double (or more) in length within what seemed like minutes once the MM attendees were let in with all of their free food vouchers while day guests were still visiting the booths and using their prepaid ("Sip & Savor") festival food passes.

The MM event didn’t start until 9:30, but you could get in as early as 6:30, and day guests who might have been waiting until dinner time to use some of their credits likely didn’t expect a few thousand people to show up and jump in booth lines to use free food coupons. Even if you knew there was a party later in the evening, you would have no idea that the event would affect you three hours before it started.

They shouldn't allow the use of coupons prior to the beginning of the actual event. Absolutely let members in early to enjoy the park, but flooding food booths 3 hours before the park actually closes for the event with thousands of coupons eligible to be used at the festival booths, while folks who paid cash money for a pass to use at those booths are still trying to use them, isn't cool.

Not completely related but last year at the HS MM we couldn't even use our snack vouchers as the lines for those locations were unbelievably long. So this does make sense.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Not completely related but last year at the HS MM we couldn't even use our snack vouchers as the lines for those locations were unbelievably long. So this does make sense.

At the 2023 DCA MM, it was BAAAAAAAAD. We are locals and were in the park on MK's during the day, and the festival booth lines, went from about what you'd expect on a Monday or Tuesday, to Saturday afternoon-level long, or longer, before 7:00 hit.

 

[sethschroeder]

Honestly I made a thread about it but they should kill Moonlight all together and reallocate those funds to something they can do more often such as snack credits and LL passes after 8pm or something and do it every week on a specific night.

It was fun going to MM at AK but at the same time a vast majority will never attend MM and I am not a fan of that.

 

[KPeterso]

We had fewer snack choices at the Moonlight Magic event at DCA this past Feb. They had allowed snacks from the festival booths in previous years so this was something we weren't expecting. Additionally, they limited the snack choices to what was printed on the voucher.

Here is a link to the discussion: https://www.disboards.com/threads/m...er-and-garden-festival.3963460/#post-66020530

The bad thing for me was that I couldn't read all the fine print to figure out what we could have. So, we ended up choosing popcorn at the end of the night. I hope choices won't be so limited at the EPCOT event.

I was going to say the exact same thing. The vouchers at DCA were pretty useless in Feb. Hard to read and I could get a drink from a churro cart, but not a churro. And no festival booths. I had someone argue with me (either here or on Facebook) that the situation was different (even after I said that vouchers had been useable at the DCA one in 2024) and they would never do that at the Epcot one. But looks like they are...

 

[heathpack]

The vagueness is a little frustrating.

We are staying at BRV and planned to go to MK EEH. Then we got Epcot MM for the same night and were equivocal about keeping it. Finally decided to do so, in order to sample the festival booths. Paid for an ILL for Guardians prior to MM check in.

Then yesterday we find out “no festival booths”. Ok, we were planning Epcot EEH yesterday anyway, we’d just sample Festival booths then. We called and can’t change our ILL, we couldn’t get another one for our Epcot day. Stayed last evening for Epcot EEH and ride wait times were very long, we left, only riding Ratatouille (because we bailed on Luminous) and Soarin.

I am not super interested in foregoing tomorrow’s MK EEH in order to go over to Epcot to get a soda, a popcorn and an ice cream but not be able to ride any rides without a wait. We’d skip it but are stuck with the Guardians ILL. So it looks like we’ll slog over to Epcot to ride Guardians and check into MM, maybe use a voucher and then head back to MK. Sounds fun.

 

[dcfromva]

I was going to say the exact same thing. The vouchers at DCA were pretty useless in Feb. Hard to read and I could get a drink from a churro cart, but not a churro. And no festival booths. I had someone argue with me (either here or on Facebook) that the situation was different (even after I said that vouchers had been useable at the DCA one in 2024) and they would never do that at the Epcot one. But looks like they are...

I realized after the event I could have gotten some soft serve ice cream from the cozy cone location (I need reading glasses and it was just too dark to read on the fly ).

 

[dcfromva]

I am not super interested in foregoing tomorrow’s MK EEH in order to go over to Epcot to get a soda, a popcorn and an ice cream but not be able to ride any rides without a wait. We’d skip it but are stuck with the Guardians ILL. So it looks like we’ll slog over to Epcot to ride Guardians and check into MM, maybe use a voucher and then head back to MK. Sounds fun.

I'm not sure which snacks are going to be allowed at EPCOT--other than no food booths (we haven't seen what the actual vouchers are like for the upcoming EPCOT event).

The attraction wait times are generally petty good during the actual MM party hours. The mixing in times--not so much.
We like to get a reservation for dinner during the mixing in hours.

Also, there are generally some special characters that you can't always find during the day at the party.

 

[speedyfishy]

The vouchers are valid at select festival booths this year.