Official Wine and Dine 2017 thread

[croach]

And speaking of the magic holiday discounts, I came up with nada. I posted in the discount resort thread, but back when I booked our hotel for this trip I almost booked Beach Club at a price that felt a little higher than I wanted. But decided to try out WL because it was in line with what I wanted to pay for a deluxe for this trip. And then I was gonna switch (or keep WL) with a Fall discount. Well, no luck unless I upgraded my room category by A LOT. So now I'm just thinking of it like I got my Fall discount by booking WL to begin with. Justification!
Figures that although I'm bombarded with discount codes all the time for the wrong time of year, my time comes around and the pickings are sparse.

I like the Wilderness Lodge, better than Beach Club really. But Beach Club obviously has the F&W benefit for that time of year. But I do want to get over to Wilderness Lodge to try the new bar/dining thing. I have a DVC offer to stay at Wilderness Lodge with pretty good rates if I take their DVC tour - sorely tempted to do it!

 

[roxymama]

I like the Wilderness Lodge, better than Beach Club really. But Beach Club obviously has the F&W benefit for that time of year. But I do want to get over to Wilderness Lodge to try the new bar/dining thing. I have a DVC offer to stay at Wilderness Lodge with pretty good rates if I take their DVC tour - sorely tempted to do it!

I hear such great things about it and have fond memories of watching the Samantha Brown "Great Hotels" special on it several times in my youth (It's on youtube...I've watched it again recently.) So I am super happy about my final choice. Plus we are doing Mickeys' BBQ one night and then spending a full day after the 10k race just doing geyser point and swimming and Ft. Wilderness and boat over to resort hop and dinner at Ohana, etc.
I did see a Copper Creak studio discount pop up for my nights that is only $4 per night more than our WL room. However it A) disappeared and B) I'd rather have two regular beds than a queen and a fold out.
How's that for being long-winded?

 

[roxymama]

I waited too long to apply the discount and ended up switching my first hotel (Pop to ASMusic) to save over $100 for 3 night. My second resort is POR and we were only able to save 50 total. Not what I was looking for but it'll make do. That'll pay for the Rivers of Lights dining package at Tiffins. Would have upgraded to a deluxe if the price was right but there was next to nothing left that I liked.

I've always wanted to try POR or POF...I hope you have an awesome time! My hubby really wanted to do a deluxe this time, but the price difference for POR makes it seem real appealing after looking at the deluxe prices! Hey and $50 is $50 right?

 

[lisatav]

I've always wanted to try POR or POF...I hope you have an awesome time! My hubby really wanted to do a deluxe this time, but the price difference for POR makes it seem real appealing after looking at the deluxe prices! Hey and $50 is $50 right?

They're my favorite moderates! I've booked POR for the princess 1/2 too. You can run between both resorts, I think the whole loop is 2 miles.

 

[CP3uhoh]

Ok, I have be warned. I'll be in Florida in August this year and will need to keep training for the WnD challenge... If I survive August, November should be a breeze

You can come train in Houston. November in Florida is refreshing

 

[Bulldogmommy]

Whew, it was a hot 7 miler this morning at 5:35 am in Louisiana. I have a question for veteran Wine & Dine runners. Mainly tell us about the after party. Which rides were opened, music, etc. Many thanks in advance.

 

[cavepig]

Whew, it was a hot 7 miler this morning at 5:35 am in Louisiana. I have a question for veteran Wine & Dine runners. Mainly tell us about the after party. Which rides were opened, music, etc. Many thanks in advance.

Reading off last year's paper guide we picked up at the expo, but of course can change but will give you an idea:

Rides
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
Soarin
Frozen

DJ Dance Party at the Fountain Stage - Dance music not typical World Shocase music was piped in all over as well.

Characters
Donald
Mariachi Trio at certain times
Mulan & Mushu
Snow White & Dopey
Pinoccio & Geppetto
Tiana, Naveen & Louis
American Music Machine @ American Gardens theater at certain times
Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu
Remy & Emile
Mary Poppins & Bert
Alberta Bound in Canada at Certain Times

Merchandise
had 4 locations

Dining in addition to all the FOod & Wine Booths
Fountain View Starbucks
La Cantina
Kringla Bakeri & Beer Cart
Refreshment Post
Germany Beer Cart, Pretzel Cart & Sommerfest
Gelati in Italy
Fife & Drum Tavern
Kabuki Cafe
Morocco Juice Bar
Crepe in France
Yorkshire, Rose & Crown Pub & UK Beer Cart
Popcorn in Canada

Party was 10pm- 1:00am but you could get in at 8pm with the party ticket. Then we used that ticket (which they mailed to us ahead of time last year) to get a wristband at certain locations in epcot, they had 3 wristband locations set up.

While you could be in before 10 on your party ticket or even regular park ticket, all food booths shut down at 9 and then there was this odd lull after Illuminations waiting for stuff to re open or characters to pop out. I'm not sure if rides ever stopped during that lull as we took random pics then lined up for Pinoccio and Gepetto. Character lines were pretty crazy long and didn't move very fast in my opinion. We did Single rider test track when we left and it was short. We didn't stay till 1, we were exhausted.

 

[Bulldogmommy]

Thank you so much! That's exactly what I was looking for!

Reading off last year's paper guide we picked up at the expo, but of course can change but will give you an idea:

Rides
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
Soarin
Frozen

DJ Dance Party at the Fountain Stage - Dance music not typical World Shocase music was piped in all over as well.

Characters
Donald
Mariachi Trio at certain times
Mulan & Mushu
Snow White & Dopey
Pinoccio & Geppetto
Tiana, Naveen & Louis
American Music Machine @ American Gardens theater at certain times
Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu
Remy & Emile
Mary Poppins & Bert
Alberta Bound in Canada at Certain Times

Merchandise
had 4 locations

Dining in addition to all the FOod & Wine Booths
Fountain View Starbucks
La Cantina
Kringla Bakeri & Beer Cart
Refreshment Post
Germany Beer Cart, Pretzel Cart & Sommerfest
Gelati in Italy
Fife & Drum Tavern
Kabuki Cafe
Morocco Juice Bar
Crepe in France
Yorkshire, Rose & Crown Pub & UK Beer Cart
Popcorn in Canada

Party was 10pm- 1:00am but you could get in at 8pm with the party ticket. Then we used that ticket (which they mailed to us ahead of time last year) to get a wristband at certain locations in epcot, they had 3 wristband locations set up.

While you could be in before 10 on your party ticket or even regular park ticket, all food booths shut down at 9 and then there was this odd lull after Illuminations waiting for stuff to re open or characters to pop out. I'm not sure if rides ever stopped during that lull as we took random pics then lined up for Pinoccio and Gepetto. Character lines were pretty crazy long and didn't move very fast in my opinion. We did Single rider test track when we left and it was short. We didn't stay till 1, we were exhausted.

 

[Golfjbc89]

thank you! i've been looking for this information too. were lines bad for the 4 rides?

 

[snowybelle]

thank you! i've been looking for this information too. were lines bad for the 4 rides?

And to piggyback on this question -- how were the meet and great lines?

 

[Bulldogmommy]

And to piggyback on this question -- how were the meet and great lines?

I did read and see youtube videos that is was rather crowded and lines were long. My impression however was that many were tired and headed back to hotels. If you got staying power, I would imagine the crowds would thin out closer to midnight.

 

[cavepig]

thank you! i've been looking for this information too. were lines bad for the 4 rides?

During the party we only did Test Track single rider on the way out at like midnight I think and it was short. Regular line said 30 maybe. Frozen said over an hour when we walked by it, but people said it did get way shorter by end of party. Not sure on Soarin as we did it before the party with about a 30 minute wait at like 8ish. Oh and Spaceship EArth was nobody when we left but passed on it since we were too tired and had ridden other times already during the trip.

And to piggyback on this question -- how were the meet and great lines?

We waited 30 min about for Pinocchio and Gepetto. But we were lined up pre party start where the photopass person was, and then it was finally after 10 and no characters where we were, finally she realized her and a huge line of us were in the wrong spot so we all followed her around to where they were but had to go to the end of the line.


Other lines all looked long but I don't know how long since we skipped them, since it's not during a race, the characters were interacting a lot more I thought just by how they were with us and watching some

Hopefully somone else can chime in with more, I just know the later the party went people posted on facebook groups the lines got shorter closer to 1:00am. Like Food booths in the back of World Showcase had long lines that moved but near the front were empty. Everyone was in the back at party start it seemed.

Here's a few pictures from last year in the 10-midnight time frame.



WAiting for PInocchio/Gepetto, the line wrapped around this fence thing.


I'm not sure what this line is for



A food booth I think Line



Frozen line was outside a little I guess looking at this

 

[cavepig]

I did read and see youtube videos that is was rather crowded and lines were long. My impression however was that many were tired and headed back to hotels. If you got staying power, I would imagine the crowds would thin out closer to midnight.

Yes this is what I heard too, so our lines pictured above were from the 10-midnight time. If I went again I would try to nap, which I don't ever, and then get there after 10. We got to EPCOT around 7:45ish I think.

 

[cavepig]

Then there's this line that was like just 2 people, my stamp says 11:56pm and it's closer to the front of World Showcase. So, hopefully this gives anyway an idea of how crowds flowed last year. My take was it was crowded at start especially in the back. Like the Dance party area by the fountain was empty, 0 people, when we left around midnight. So, others coming later or starting in a different area probably saw different crowd flow.

 

[CP3uhoh]

We road test track and soarin with almost no wait from 10-11. There were very few people at the front as other have said. Sort of felt bad for the DJ. World Showcase was packed.

 

[CP3uhoh]

We road test track and soarin with almost no wait from 10-11. There were very few people at the front as other have said. Sort of felt bad for the DJ. World Showcase was packed.

Rode

 

[jeanigor]

thank you! i've been looking for this information too. were lines bad for the 4 rides?

And to piggyback on this question -- how were the meet and great lines?

We rode Soarin' relatively early and had a 20-30 minute wait. Then we snacked around and chatted with friends in for the race from around the country. We went back to France to have our photos with Remy and Emile as I wanted my DLParis bling and Chateau to Castle bling in a fun photo. That line was about an hour. After midnight we were strolling around World Showcase and it was deserted. No line for Pinocchio & Gepetto or Snow White & Dopey. So we took photos and danced around like kids with them.

 

[lovingeire]

thank you! i've been looking for this information too. were lines bad for the 4 rides?

We rode Test Track with a FastPass before Illuminations so didn't try that one, but we walked on Soarin more than once, probably around 10:30ish.

And to piggyback on this question -- how were the meet and great lines?

We lined up for Remy & Emile after Illuminations. We were second or third in line. It says my picture was taken at 10:06.

I did read and see youtube videos that is was rather crowded and lines were long. My impression however was that many were tired and headed back to hotels. If you got staying power, I would imagine the crowds would thin out closer to midnight.

I would agree with this. We got Starbucks around 11 and headed back shortly after that. And I did nap. I'm hoping to nap after lunch this time and be ready for a later night. It's hard to stay out late when you got up before the sun! LOL!

 

[Golfjbc89]

We rode Test Track with a FastPass before Illuminations so didn't try that one, but we walked on Soarin more than once, probably around 10:30ish.

I'm assuming this FP was booked on regular ticket/AP. im only getting park tickets for the full days i plan on being in the park, so not the race day. Guessing there's no FP during the party but just thought I would ask to confirm.

 

[jeanigor]

I'm assuming this FP was booked on regular ticket/AP. im only getting park tickets for the full days i plan on being in the park, so not the race day. Guessing there's no FP during the party but just thought I would ask to confirm.

You are correct, no FP for hard ticket events.