Party for the Senses-disappointment

[Chim Chiminy]

We attended the event on October 13.

The Party For the Senses. PFTS is a Food and Wine Festival event, where in you attend a party with food prepared by different top chefs and sample wines from around the world. Entertainment is provided by Cirque de Soleil. Tickets for this event are Non refundable.
I told my parents back in August that Jason and I would not be attending this year, not in the budget, but we can always go some other year and if they plan to attend they should book it quickly because it sells out.
So what do they do?????
What was that??? Did you guess right??
They bought tickets not only for themselves, but for Jason, myself and the kids. Non refundable.
And while the gesture was nice, we were not thrilled. Honestly, for the kids??? They would have preferred riding Test Track over and over.
I was stressed about this. It is a dress up kind of event.......with people walking around with their wine glasses drinking for 2.5 hours.
So all four of us were a tad upset over it.
My mom mistakenly thought we were upset because they didn't get my BIL a ticket.......so she and my dad went to the event organizers to try and get him in. BIL didn't care about going........When my dad was unable to get him in, the event was overbooked!, she got upset at my dad because he should have bought it for BIL in the first place. Even though we weren't sure what dates he would be there.

Now, knowing it is overbooked......how do you overbook something like that? And knowing that seating is hard to get..........we are all anxious.

We arrive an hour early to check in and wait. A mass of people pile in behind us. 1500 of our closest friends. And everyone is saying the same thing. Limited seating, they overbooked (CMs at check in were telling people this), we will have to run for a table. I tell J and Nate to go ahead of us, don't stop and get a plate and glass, run ahead for a table and we will catch up.
It was absolute pandemonium, people kept telling me to hold onto Brenne tight because we will get trampled, people don't watch out they just want a table.
And we did get pushed around a bit. And people pushed and trampled over mom who was in her wheelchair. There were others in wheelchairs and ECVs who were run over too. It was awful.
And in the end, even though J and Nate were among the first into the building, they did not get a table with chairs. We got a table, bar height, that you could stand at.
I was so upset and dissapointed that I sat Brenne's glass down hard on the table (unintentional) and it shattered, which just added to the anger. My son went to get a new glass and plate for her and the CMs wanted him to bring the shattered bits of glass to prove it had broken.........

I was so mad about the set up, I had to calm down for about twenty minutes before I could try and salvage the evening and enjoy it.
Our Disney waiter/busboy was sympathetic, he got the kids some sodas, and told us the pandemonium would calm down and we would be able to enjoy the evening.
And we did enjoy the food, just not the fact that we had to stand to eat it. My disabled parents had to stand to eat theirs, and when my mom finally had to sit in her wheelchair, she couldn't stand any longer, people acted like she wasn't there.......they would stand directly in front of her so she couldn't see the stage where Cirque was performing. Our tables where right near the stage and people just crowded right in front of her. I had to send Brenne right up to the edge of the stage so she could enjoy it.
As to the kids and the cost. Brenne(8) sampled two entrees, only ate one completely. For dessert she had four truffles and some chocolate and marscapone cake. Definately not worth the cost for her. Nate(14) sampled quite a bit and ate so much dessert the pastry chefs recognized him. We let him try a sip of a couple of wines.......
Once we all calmed down a bit we did enjoy all the foods offered. Jason and I had elk, and a Hong Kong style Duck bun---which was delish! Elk was a bit gamey for me. Somehow I missed the quail and ostrich dishes.........Enjoyed many different preperations of scallop and shrimp.......and some delish risotto with mushrooms. Enjoyed a nice selection of artisan cheeses, except the one from France which smelled and tasted like dirty feet. Found a wine I actually like! And had some very tasty desserts.
We actually left a little early, had enough to eat and just wanted to get out of there. In the three hours of standing, the only sitting I did was to go to the restroom! My back was absolutely killing me.

Would I do it again? Only if they change the set up and go to assigned tables or guarenteed tables. The food was fab, but not being able to sit? For the cost????

We did thank my parents for the evening and kids apologized for their complaints, they did enjoy it. My parents were disappointed in the set up as well and mom intends to send a letter.

And if you made it through this post and know who we would contact to send a letter regarding the lack of seating, please share it.

 

[Joan1]

Sorry you were disappointed but the Party of the Senses is supposed to be a stand around / walk around type of event, always has been. If you are interested in other Food and wine events there are plenty where you get to sit and be served the food / wine

If you want to write to Disney you do so through here
https://secure.disney.go.com/wdw/contact/contactUs?id=ContactUsPage

Someone else posted an actual email but can't find it at this time

 

[Chim Chiminy]

We realized the idea must be to mingle about, but having that mix of some tables with chairs, some stand up bar type tables with no seating......and not enough of either for the amount of people there. I sure as heck don't want to walk around with a plate of food and glass of wine trying to eat and drink while walking.
AND no seating for the disabled or in wheelchairs? They could have A. allowed the disabled in first OR B. allowed them in last so that they weren't being trampled.
We were very disappointed in the set up and we heard the same complaints from complete strangers throughout the evening.
People were circling around like vultures just waiting for an empty chair or table and it did not make for a fun and relaxing evening.

We heard the complaints as we left from strangers, and we had CMs before the event telling people to run, don't walk if you want a table of any kind.

Added from another thread I posted on:
You know, we were told that they added tables this year but it still wasn't enough. People were wandering around like zombies looking for anyplace to put their plate down and eat. About halfway through, there were people seated around the perimeter of the stage......even while performances were taking place!
And we had a problem with people setting their dirty dishes onto our (stand up)table. One woman even licked her spoon clean, then sat it onto my sons plate! I wanted to bop her on the head.
My parents were specifically told by an event CM that the event was overbooked.....I don't understand how they can do that knowing there are not seats for everyone. It was crazy.

 

[amylovesdisney]

Even knowing the set-up beforehand, I don't think you can be completely prepared for the reality. I've been to many large cocktail-type events and there was something about this event last year that convinced me it was not our scene. We are true foodies & love food/wine pairings but this event needs more "breathing space" to truly enjoy it.

The lighting, performance and sheer number of attendees can be very overwhelming. I'm glad DH & I attended on our trip last year but we now know we can definitely skip this in the future!

 

[suzimar57]

wow - i had really wanted to do this PFTS this year, but DH read some reviews last year and said no, too expensive, no assigned seating, and there will be too many people doing exactly what you described...

i feel sorry for your experience, but now not so bad we didnt' book it

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Hi there! You and I have been chitchatting on the "PftS, any pictures yet?" thread.

I copied and pasted a post I have on my Dolphin review thread that I posted a few weeks ago. We attended the 9/29 PftS. I mentioned in my review of the Dolphin that PftS was a disappointment for us as well, and this is our 3rd event. A poster asked if i could please elaborate, and this is what I posted...

-------------------------

LOL, I just PMed a fellow foodie that frequents this board, and told her I probably won't post my negative review of PftS after all. I hate to sound like a "Negative Nelly" and I just recently posted a bad review of Blue Zoo (I used to LOVE that place, but our visit last May was "eh") that many people did not agree with. I just know how I feel when I read reviews from the same person over and over that are negative. In my defense, I posted rave reviews for Flying Fish, Jiko, Boma, V&A's etc!

I copied and pasted from my PM that I just sent her this morning...here it is...the sentences in the asterisks are comments that I am inserting for this post, were not sent in the original PM.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but DH and I both remarked how there was no food item that we just *had* to go get a second serving of. *the past two years there were!* There was a LOT of red meat and game (which I LOVE, don't get me wrong) and also, the wine selections were different...some booths only had red, others only had white. My DH only drinks reds, so going to a booth to get a white for me and a red for him was difficult. *last two years each booth had selection of red and white, usually multiple selections of each* Cirque Du Soleil seems to perform less and less each year...I dunno... just did not seem worth the $287 for the two of us. The next day, DH even said to me, "You notice how we aren't even talking about last night?" Meaning it was just not memorable. *also, just an aside...there were no "tv chefs" there. I recognized many names, because I am a subscriber to many food magazines,but my DH did not. Last year we met Cat Cora and the year before we had a great, lengthy conversation with Ming Tsai. Again, this is not what made the evening "not so great" I am just adding that to my review. Also, in years prior, there weren't so many "Disney" chefs. Nothing against Disney chefs, but in years prior there were only a few Disney chefs. At that price, I was expecting more of a gathering of reknowned chefs from the world or at least the USA.*

Also, as everyone congregated in the area outside, waiting for the doors to open, black rain clouds were rolling in and thunder was sounding. We were told by the people giving the wristbands the doors would open at 6 pm. At 5:55, it started to rain...HARD...at about 6:10, everyone was getting mad. I was not too dressed up, but many women had their hair done nicely, were wearing heels, cocktail dresses, etc. An image that is still in my mind is of an older couple...the woman was in a wheelchair...and they just sat there in the rain as it poured down. Then, as they opened those big brown gates FINALLY, everyone just RAN, trying to get cover. The woman in the wheelchair and her husband didn't have a chance. There really should have been a separate area for handicapped. *again, this is not my complaint about it being "not worth the money" but wanted to add they seemed to have some glitches, as it was the first night. They could SEE that it was getting ready to pour, and not only did they not open the doors early, they did not open them on time, either!*

*plus, you checked in and got a wristband, but after they opened the big brown gates, and people were trampling each other to get in, you then had to show your wristband to get a ticket, in order to get your plate and glass. It was mass confusion. Last year, I don't remember that...or why didn't they give you the ticket when they gave you the wristband?*

*On a positive note, I will say that it seemed less crowded this year.*

Robert P...have you ever attended a PftS before? I am just saying....even if the price stayed the same, I think it was lesser quality. BUT, to have the price increase so drastically (it was $95 in 2005) and have the quality decline (whether it truly declined or it was just or perception, I cannot say...but isn't the saying "perception is reality? LOL) I can say that we will most likely not attend next year.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

So,,,ironically, I felt it was LESS crowded this year, but I still was not happy!

 

[Chim Chiminy]

Thanks wildernesslodgelover for your review as well.

We thought it odd too that when we checked in, we were given a wristband.
Then when the huge gate opened, and a crowd surge followed, you had to stop and get a ticket.
Why not give the tickets at the same time as the wristband?

Then, being pushed along and trampled, you traded in your ticket for a plate and wineglass. (another complaint is that the kids tickets said "exchange for a special edition kids glass. It was just a plain old glass. Nothing on it, like the wineglasses had. Weird)
So, you get your plate and wineglass then get pushed along to another station and get handed a Party guide.
Then pushed on along into, what we called, the cattle holding room. It was a room with a big black curtain draped across. People were pushing and shoving.......I was holding on to DD for dear life. My poor dad, who himself is disabled, was trying to position himself so people would stop pushing onto and trampling mom in her wheelchair.

Once that black curtain opened, it was like all @#ll broke loose. Absolute pandemonium with people hurtling through to find a table.

I hope I don't sound like a Debbie Downer, we enjoyed the festival booths and each restaurant we ate at. Value for $$ spent just wasn't there.

 

[DVC Grammy]

Thanks Chin Chiminy for your review.
I don't usually read threads that sound as if they might be negative, but DH and I have been talking about attending the PFTS next year (didn't think of it for our upcoming F & W trip).
I am so glad I read your post!

I guess I've never realized that it's mostly a standing party, without guaranteed seating. Unfortunately, with arthritis of the spine, standing for any length of time is impossible for me (even O! Canada and the China movies push my limit). And given your mom's experience in a wheelchair while there, that option isn't appealing either.

Well since I'm a "silver lining" kind of gal, look at all the money we'll save!

 

[davinakb]

We've done it four years in a row, and are well aware it's a cocktail type party, standing, walking, drinking. Always look forward to it.

• We also found the event less crowded (even though it was a sell-out) or at least better organized. There was additional seating outside, and tables and chairs set up in the foyer (which in the past was lounge style with sofas and such). Even noticed a few bar stools at a couple of the high-top tables.
• There was a greater presence of servers clearing tables and such, and more staff to hand out food, keeping lines moving.
• Food was good, a few out of the park things. It did seem to me that there were fewer entree dishes than in past years. YMMV.
• Wine variety worked for us, having been at the classes all week and the South African wine adventure on Friday night.

We enjoyed the event as always, but as they continue to raise the cost, TPTB seriously need to consider making it a hard-ticket event that pays your way into the park, say after 5 pm or something. FWIW.

 

[50 years Too!]

My husband and I attended PFTS for the first time on Sept 29.
I knew ahead of time (thanks to the boards) about the seating situation.
We really enjoyed not being tied to one table, but I can see if a group of people were trying to stay together, or if handicapped persons were in your group, that it would be difficult.
We always found a standing table near the area we were grazing, so for us it worked out wonderfully.
I found the food choices to be really yummy and several were not something I'd be able to eat at a friend's party! (No meatballs, or spinach dip in the place)
We definitely will be back next year.
I guess I just wanted to give another perspective, I totally understand why the op was unhappy.
Deb

 

[Pumbaa_]

Thanks for sharing your review of the PFTS. Sorry you were diappointed int he experience.
I am moving your thread to the Review board.

Thanks,

 

[Minniespal]

Thanks for sharing your review of the PFTS.

 

[BriarRosie]

I was at the same PFTS as you. But I have the perspective of someone who has gone to this event a couple of other times in previous years, and I have to say that you pretty much experienced the status quo.

I didn't arrive early for the cattle call because I was running late getting ready, but I did arrive before the official starting time of 6:30 and found that they already opened the flood gates. My friends were at the far back of the room, and the only surprising thing for me was that they didn't keep the larger tables back there as they had in the past. They were mostly four-tops with some standing tables strewn about, too.

In the past, I've been able to share a table, bringing any samples back to eat there, but often I'd find myself losing track of where I want to try my next food item. This year, I mostly abandoned my friends to mingle more at standing tables. If you saw a crazy woman taking photos of her food, that was me.

I thought the event was about the same as it always is, with a wide variety of food and wine I'd rarely have a chance to try any other time. As for visiting chefs, Rick Tramonto from Chicago was there. Most people won't know who he is, but anyone from the Chicago area would know him.
The Disney chefs have always made an appearance at this event, so I knew to expect that, as well.

While I thought mostly everything was good, there were only a couple of dishes that really made me take notice. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but I can understand that your needs didn't fit the event. I found it daunting the first time I tried the event, but when I knew what to expect, I didn't let that affect my enjoyment of the event.

 

[MadamMim]

Hi Liz. I'm really sorry to hear about the difficulties you had, for such an expense it could only be a let down. As I was reading your review I was thinking of my own parents; my father has had multiple strokes and while he is doing really good, he isn't always very steady on his feet and a shoving crowd wouldn't have been good for him, nor standing all evening, which my mother could never do due to a career in nursing that has taken its toll on her back. Now, they are food lovers and on the surface such an event would appeal to them greatly and if they could be comfortable during the event I'm sure they would consider it money well spent.

I was also thinking about how I went to a similar event with one of Cirque's traveling shows. It's called Tapis Rouge and you get preferred seating for the show along with nibbles before and during intermission (with various other goodies thrown in too). It's also a very 'cocktail' style setup, where you go to varrious stations to select your goodies and wine and champage, but they have enough seating for everyone as well, with bar style tables that have chairs placed next to them so that while you have freedom of movement and can mix and mingle all you like, you can also take a moment to sit and enjoy your food and drink. This is what I've always assumed the PFTS was like and have been jealous of my friends who've gone. Now I'm not so sure I'm missing out on much other than feeling clausterphobic and sore.

I realize that Liz's post is just one person's opinion, that many other DISers really love PFTS and go back every year, and that it could have been an 'off' night. But the seating situation alone would make it very difficult for me to attend, so the other bits would just be icing on a worrisome cake as it were. I in no way think that PFTS or the people who do go and do enjoy it is in any way bad or wrong; just that it's not for my family and I'm glad that I got to hear Liz's experience. Thank you Liz.

 

[conandrob240]

to attend PFTS next weekend! While the handicapped situation was totally unacceptable and should be brought to the attention of Disney immediately, the rest of this sounds pretty self-inflicted to me. First, the OP already stated they had some family tension and they didn't even want to be there. Second, they should not even allow children at this event. It is a cocktail party type event where people are paying good $ for a special evening out- having kids running around (or even sitting around) is ridiculous. Not where they want to be (I am sure) and not where other adults want them either. Second, the event is designed as a tasting event. Unless you are handicapped, do you really need to sit down to eat your food? Don't you go to cocktail parties? You hold your wine in one hand and you sample your food with the other. If you need to cut something, you ask your SO to hold your wine for a second! Geesh!!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

to attend PFTS next weekend! While the handicapped situation was totally unacceptable and should be brought to the attention of Disney immediately, the rest of this sounds pretty self-inflicted to me. First, the OP already stated they had some family tension and they didn't even want to be there. Second, they should not even allow children at this event. It is a cocktail party type event where people are paying good $ for a special evening out- having kids running around (or even sitting around) is ridiculous. Not where they want to be (I am sure) and not where other adults want them either. Second, the event is designed as a tasting event. Unless you are handicapped, do you really need to sit down to eat your food? Don't you go to cocktail parties? You hold your wine in one hand and you sample your food with the other. If you need to cut something, you ask your SO to hold your wine for a second! Geesh!!

Hi Con...ummm, I think you are being a little harsh. The OP agreed that her kids shouldn't have been there...it was a well intentioned surprise from her parents. Her parents are handicapped. There really should be some accomodations made for handicapped folks. Lots of people are not even legitimately handicapped, but yet cannot stand for long periods. You are told when you book PftS that tables and chairs are available. They just don't tell you they are scarce! I don't enjoy walking and eating, especially when paying $144. I truly hope you enjoy your PftS experience. I did the last two years, but I agree with the OP...this year was not as good. Not the food, not the chefs, not the set up...it just was not worth the price. That is completely MHO, but I am entitled to it, and so it the OP.

ETA-BTW, I am still miffed that you have my $99 POP room! Hmpf!

 

[MadamMim]

Don't you go to cocktail parties? You hold your wine in one hand and you sample your food with the other. If you need to cut something, you ask your SO to hold your wine for a second! Geesh!!

Ok, this just made me because I am totally uncorordinated and suddenly had a mental image of me holding a wine glass and trying to pick up the food with my mouth and then spilling it all over myself (which, admittedly, isn't all that rare when I'm sitting at a table). I'm a classy dame I tell ya. My family doesn't call me 'Grace' for nothin.

 

[conandrob240]

I said that I was appalled about the handicapped situation and I think the OP should write to Disney about it. However, I don't think the rest was harsh at all. There was nothing in the OP about not liking the food or the wine just about 1) the handicapped issue (already agreed that that was terrible), 2) not worth it for kids (duh! Not worth it and inappropriate that kid's are even admitted), and 3) seating (it is a cocktail party not a sit-down dinner). Now, if there are other reviews saying food not good, wine selection not good, etc, those are more of an actual review of the party itself and not of the situation.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

I said that I was appalled about the handicapped situation and I think the OP should write to Disney about it. However, I don't think the rest was harsh at all. There was nothing in the OP about not liking the food or the wine just about 1) the handicapped issue (already agreed that that was terrible), 2) not worth it for kids (duh! Not worth it and inappropriate that kid's are even admitted), and 3) seating (it is a cocktail party not a sit-down dinner). Now, if there are other reviews saying food not good, wine selection not good, etc, those are more of an actual review of the party itself and not of the situation.

Ok, I'll give you that. If you read my review (on this thread) I actually did not find it as crowded as the OP did, but I was disappointed in the food and chefs and wines in general. Again, if I was at a friend's cocktail party, it would blow me away. But in comparison with the past two years, it was a disappointment. Also, I don't pay that much $$$ to go to a friend's cocktail party!