Official Wine and Dine 2017 thread

[roxymama]

Our ADR day is Saturday, please leave a CA Grille brunch reservation for us....TYIA

No problem...I did not book that brunch. We are doing no ADRs that day. I was able to get back into the system via my phone and can tell you that there are times for that brunch still available (at least for a party of 4, I didn't check further.)

 

[lovingeire]

My ADR day is tomorrow! I am anxious to get everything booked!

 

[Patsydust]

I have a couple of questions:
- If you register for the Challenge and you don't do the 10k, are you still able to do the half?
- what if you arrive into Orlando on the Saturday before the Half and the Expo is closed/finished....how do you get your bib?

thanks.

Yes, of course! You paid for it. TBH you can probably get the challenge medal too, if you want it. They go off of bib color. People will have a special bib and you walk up the medal givers and they'll give it to you. I've heard different things about picking up for the Bib. I really recommend trying to make plans to not miss the Expo. But I know for example, for the princess, you had to sign up to pick up your bib right before the race and Disney made a big deal of it. But I've heard from others that it is a breeze and you just go to the right tent and pick up before hand. Personally, I would call runDisney and make sure you get 100% information on emergency bib pick up. Don't wanna take any risks of not being able to run.


BTW! Question for myself! I've been hearing about this after party in Epcot! Never did the Wine and Dine before! I heard it's fantastic and as it gets later there are few crowds and people being able to do rides with small lines and having the park practically to themselves?! Can people confirm this experience? Oh and are the Food and Wine festival kiosks open this late too? Thanks!!

 

[Ariel484]

Yes, of course! You paid for it. TBH you can probably get the challenge medal too, if you want it. They go off of bib color. People will have a special bib and you walk up the medal givers and they'll give it to you.

This is not correct. They will confirm that a challenge runner has a 10K time (via laptop) before giving a challenge medal.

 

[Patsydust]

This is not correct. They will confirm that a challenge runner has a 10K time (via laptop) before giving a challenge medal.

This surprises me, because my last race, there was a line of people and they just gave them via bib. I'm sorry for the misinformation from me. It's a bummer though, when people pay for for the challenge and can't make the 10k! Thanks for the update on procedure Ariel!

 

[soniam]

Wow! Ohana was already really booked up in the evening on the 1st. Bummer We've never eaten there. I will have to keep trying.

 

[buzzrelly]

I was just making my ADRs and totally forgot about going to the Expo What I would like to do is do a KTTK tour on the morning of 11/2 and then head over to DHS for the afternoon/evening. How important is is to be at the Expo first thing when they open? Would it be okay to just swing by around 1pm?

 

[soniam]

I was just making my ADRs and totally forgot about going to the Expo What I would like to do is do a KTTK tour on the morning of 11/2 and then head over to DHS for the afternoon/evening. How important is is to be at the Expo first thing when they open? Would it be okay to just swing by around 1pm?

What time does the Expo open? I just realized while taking a shower, aka waking up, after doing my ADRs, that I had forgotten about it too?

EDIT: I guess what time does it close too? We might eat lunch and then go over. I hate to give up a morning of smaller crowds at the park. How long does it take if you are just getting your bib? Thanks

 

[buzzrelly]

I just realized while taking a shower, aka waking up, after doing my ADRs, that I had forgotten about it too?

I'm glad I'm not the only one!

 

[lovingeire]

BTW! Question for myself! I've been hearing about this after party in Epcot! Never did the Wine and Dine before! I heard it's fantastic and as it gets later there are few crowds and people being able to do rides with small lines and having the park practically to themselves?! Can people confirm this experience? Oh and are the Food and Wine festival kiosks open this late too? Thanks!!

The rides definitely had short lines last year. We walked on Soarin a few times. And the F&W booths are open for eating. They seemed a little crowded at first, but the crowds thinned out as time went on. There were also characters out to meet. Last year we had done a signature/celebratory meal for dinner and weren't hungry. This year we are doing brunch and then napping so we're ready for the party.

I was just making my ADRs and totally forgot about going to the Expo What I would like to do is do a KTTK tour on the morning of 11/2 and then head over to DHS for the afternoon/evening. How important is is to be at the Expo first thing when they open? Would it be okay to just swing by around 1pm?

What time does the Expo open? I just realized while taking a shower, aka waking up, after doing my ADRs, that I had forgotten about it too?

EDIT: I guess what time does it close too? We might eat lunch and then go over. I hate to give up a morning of smaller crowds at the park. How long does it take if you are just getting your bib? Thanks

Unless you're really desperate for merchandise it doesn't matter what time you show up. And actually at Dark Side they seemed well stocked on merch. So maybe they are learning. We normally uber over to WWOS for opening just to get it done and out of the way, but I might take it easy this time around and just take the first bus over. We plan to eat at F&W for lunch.

 

[lovingeire]

Had no trouble with ADR's this morning. There seemed to be plenty of times available for everything! Our official schedule is:

1st - no ADR, MNSSHP
2nd - Chefs de France @ 6:20pm
3rd - Tiffins @ 5pm
4th - Trattoria al Forno @ 5pm
5th - Cali Grill Brunch @ noon
6th - Be Our Guest @ 6:15pm
7th - Bon Voyage Breakfast @ 9:20am

 

[buzzrelly]

Unless you're really desperate for merchandise it doesn't matter what time you show up. And actually at Dark Side they seemed well stocked on merch. So maybe they are learning. We normally uber over to WWOS for opening just to get it done and out of the way, but I might take it easy this time around and just take the first bus over. We plan to eat at F&W for lunch.

Great, thanks! I think we will do our tour and then head over after, before going to DHS. I think we will actually have a car so this might be fairly convenient.

Had no trouble with ADR's this morning. There seemed to be plenty of times available for everything! Our official schedule is:

1st - no ADR, MNSSHP
2nd - Chefs de France
3rd - Tiffins
4th - Trattoria al Forno
5th - Cali Grill Brunch
6th - Be Our Guest
7th - Bon Voyage Breakfast

Awesome! Congrats! What time is your Cali Brunch? I made ours for 12…maybe we can do a Dis Meet up there

 

[buzzrelly]

How did everyone else do with their ADRs? I got everything I wanted

10/31 3:05 pm The Plaza (pre-MNSSHP)

11/1 8:15 am Kona Breakfast
6:30 pm Art Smith's Homecoming

11/2 4:40 pm Mama Melrose

11/3 10:30 am Tusker House

11/4 7 pm 'Ohana

11/5 12 pm California Grill
6:55 pm Via Napoli

11/6 12 pm Be Our Guest (This one will depend on what time my flight out is, since I leave this day)

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

This surprises me, because my last race, there was a line of people and they just gave them via bib. I'm sorry for the misinformation from me. It's a bummer though, when people pay for for the challenge and can't make the 10k! Thanks for the update on procedure Ariel!

I do recall them checking before giving the challenge medals. And perhaps I'm "old fashioned" (is that the right term?!?!), but I feel like the medal is earned by RUNNING the race, not PAYING for it. You get the t-shirts just for paying for it!

 

[CP3uhoh]

Regarding the EXPO, I went last year on Thursday afternoon (2ish?). Took no time at all, seemed to have any merch you might want too. Probably a 15-minute wait for a pic with Lumierre, but walked right up to bib/bag and shirt etc...if I recall people were saying very crowded in the morning. I had no idea but got lucky at that time so planning the same.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Got out ADRs this morning too without issues. November reservations:

2d - 8:25 Be Our Guest breakfast. Wanted something closer to 8 so may cancel.
3d - 12:30 Yak & Yeti
4th - 5:05 Sci-Fi Dine In
5th - 12:30 Cali Grill brunch/6:40 Via Napoli
6th - 5:15 Flying Fish
7th - Universal day
8th - 8:55 Bon Voyage breakfast/5:00 Teppan Edo
9th - 5:00 'Ohana then Christmas party
10th (departure day) - 11:30 Be Our Guest/3:05 Beaches & Cream (mainly for ice cream before heading to airport)

We also want to eat at Raglan Road/Morimoto but not sure when. Perhaps Monday instead of Flying Fish.

 

[PrincessV]

Yes, of course! You paid for it. TBH you can probably get the challenge medal too, if you want it. They go off of bib color. People will have a special bib and you walk up the medal givers and they'll give it to you.

Nope, not anymore. Challenge participants first get their half medal, then are directed to tents where their bib numbers are looked up on laptops and their face is matched against a photo taken at the expo. I assume the laptop also shows if that person had completed the 10K in order to qualify for the challenge... it's certainly possible they don't check, but I see plenty of people not getting challenge medals because they didn't complete both races, but I've never seen one (since rD instituted this system) say they got the challenge medla without finishing all required races.

BTW! Question for myself! I've been hearing about this after party in Epcot! Never did the Wine and Dine before! I heard it's fantastic and as it gets later there are few crowds and people being able to do rides with small lines and having the park practically to themselves?! Can people confirm this experience? Oh and are the Food and Wine festival kiosks open this late too? Thanks!!

My experience last year was that it was very crowded for most of the time. I only did a couple rides: Soarin', for which I had a FP (pre-party) and Frozen (at the end of the night, about a 25min wait), so I don't know how lines were for rides. I found the F&W areas to be very crowded, with long lines at the food booths. Of course "crowded" and "long" lines are in the eye of the beholder - and I wasn't interested in food that late, and I was pretty tired, so I'm sure that colored my perception! By no means was it empty, though.

 

[lovingeire]

Awesome! Congrats! What time is your Cali Brunch? I made ours for 12…maybe we can do a Dis Meet up there

Ours is at noon too! Let's definitely meet up! I know there were others booking too!

My experience last year was that it was very crowded for most of the time. I only did a couple rides: Soarin', for which I had a FP (pre-party) and Frozen (at the end of the night, about a 25min wait), so I don't know how lines were for rides. I found the F&W areas to be very crowded, with long lines at the food booths. Of course "crowded" and "long" lines are in the eye of the beholder - and I wasn't interested in food that late, and I was pretty tired, so I'm sure that colored my perception! By no means was it empty, though.

I also thought it was rather crowded at the food booths. Most definitely was before the party officially started. We had Test Track FastPasses so did that. Watched Iluminations. We got in line for Remy and Emile first thing and I just watched the lines at the France booth and they never seemed to go down till we were done with the picture. (I had wanted a slushie to drink in line, but the booth was closed during Illuminations and the line was insane after.) I found as we made our way around World Showcase towards Mexico the lines actually got shorter. It was kind of random that the Canada/UK/France side was so crowded.

 

[PrincessV]

We got in line for Remy and Emile first thing and I just watched the lines at the France booth and they never seemed to go down till we were done with the picture. (I had wanted a slushie to drink in line, but the booth was closed during Illuminations and the line was insane after.) I found as we made our way around World Showcase towards Mexico the lines actually got shorter. It was kind of random that the Canada/UK/France side was so crowded.

Funny - whenever I think of what lines looked like that night, I flash back to the booth in France! It was crazy. And yep, I agree - lines got better as we got closer to MX... though that may have been because it was the end of the party, too. Still, I think maybe I'll go the opposite direction this year, lol!

 

[Nhebron]

So how does the transport work to the Expo? Are there buses leaving from all the resorts? What about the parks?
I actually wanted to go to AK first and then expo. Could I take a bus from AK? Thanks!