Prices of F&W events

[Simba's Mom]

Does anyone else think that Disney is turning the F&W into a major, money-making item? What happened to the days when you could attend the 45 minute demonstations for free? Or even last year, when I remember paying $6 per event (I think that was a discount price). Now even those events are rapidly getting more expensive And the events that last a few hours-typically over $100 pp. Disney's having more and more of the big events. Yikes, I guess the day I spent the entire afternoon in the festival center, attending seminars, etc. because it was raining out are long gone.

 

[JimmyV]

Sadly, for all the marketing they do to make F&W appear to be a "real" food and wine event, it is far from that. I stopped thinking of it as a food and wine event several years ago. Now, I just consider it to be a time to go to WDW when they have extra food booths. There hasn't been a wine seminar worth attending in ages. Even for free or $10. And the celebrity chef dinners are so few and far between that it makes planning to attend one almost impossible. If you are lucky, there might be one event in the whole week that you are there. (I suppose if you are a local, you can jump on these.) If you want a "real" food and wine festival, try Aspen, South Beach or Pebble Beach. Once you hit one of those, you will appreciated just how "Mickey Mouse" the WDW event is. However, if you can visit during the weekend that the Swan and Dolphin host their event, try to go. It is by far the best event of the entire festival.

 

[TDC Nala]

Most of the "regulars" are currently priced out of the Festival Center seminars/demonstrations. When they cost 5 bucks it was not too bad. This year they move up to $9-$13 per person depending on the date and the presenter. Unless you really want to see the chef, they are just not worth it.

I'm signing up for six or seven of the "special" events though. If I can get in.

 

[karrit2000]

I took off a year from the F & W Fest two years ago when they first started charging for the "deminars". I returned last year and paid to attend 4 of the deminars. I won't be doing that again. The wine ones were less than spectacular and I felt we were cramped in worse even than when they had been free. The culinary ones were OK but I'd rather take that money to spend at the boths. We tried the French Regional Lunches and the Grand Marnier event and really enjoyed those so we will be attending again this year if we can book them. I also hope to get one of the F & W pairings in Italy & the Dessert Pairing there.

Unfortunatey Disney has turned this into a money making venture and only seems willing to continue it as a pay as you go event rather than what it once was. I believe someone at some point said that the Beverage laws in FL had changed to where they had to start charging rather than offering free tastings. They've taken it to extremes based on what they are charging for what previously were free events. I sadly miss the free tastings they used to have in the Australia exhibit area. I'd even welcome the return of the Wine Walk About that you had to pay for.

 

[JimmyV]

I believe someone at some point said that the Beverage laws in FL had changed to where they had to start charging rather than offering free tastings.

That can't be right because the South Beach Food and Wine Festival has a tasting tent that is a "pay one price" ticket for unlimited tastings at the various tasting tables. It may be that the event organizer needs to get a "festival" permit or something of the sorts to do this and WDW chooses not to. Not sure. Also, the Swan and Dolphin event is not run like Disney's and presumably, they are not breaking the law.

 

[TDC Nala]

That can't be right because the South Beach Food and Wine Festival has a tasting tent that is a "pay one price" ticket for unlimited tastings at the various tasting tables. It may be that the event organizer needs to get a "festival" permit or something of the sorts to do this and WDW chooses not to. Not sure. Also, the Swan and Dolphin event is not run like Disney's and presumably, they are not breaking the law.

I think they mean "free tastings" as in the fact that Epcot admission would not be considered your payment for the tasting. The Epcot admission is just to get you into the park. They would have to charge a further admission to the tasting.

 

[JimmyV]

Yes. But they don't have to charge by the taste, or by the tasting which is what is suggested by the "FL law" comment. They could simply sell patrons a single ticket that allows access to tasting seminars and tasting booths, if they wanted to. The question is, what should the charge for that be? Nominal? (Which is about all the current wine selections are worth), or $200, or $600-$900 like more significant food and wine events such as Aspen and South Beach? As I said above, WDW is marketing this like a "full on" food and wine event, but presents it as a month or so when you can get some meat on a stick that isn't otherwise available. If they fill their booking quotas, then they have no reason to change. But this event is getting very tired very fast.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I paid for wine seminars and was fine diong it until the group of CMs I ran into last year. I really hate that having guests interferred with thier lives so much and won't be bothering them by paying to attend seminars again. (I can be treated rudely every week at an airport I don't need to be reminded of that treatment at Disney)

And if you are in a wheelchair I feel very sorry for you as your view of the seminar will be the CM's clearing the unused places and blocking your view of the presenter (Bad show Disney)

I am still thinking about PFTS this year.....

 

[mountdew1]

The counter point to the prices for the events is that you can now attend them. As a PP said, they would camp out all day and attend a bunch of sessions. Well, things like that dramatically reduce the number of guests who can attend. And there were locals who would sit there all day Sat and Sun attending every free session. So it may not any longer be as good a value for those who want to attend many, but the other guests who could attend none now have the chance.

Now regarding the value for the cost, that I cannot speak to. Are the wine samples you receive during the tasting the same size as from the kiosks? If so, then $9-12 for 3 samples is pretty much in line with what you would pay. But if they are smaller, then yeah it is sounding less and less like something worth while.

Either way, for the casual guests who comes from middle america, the food selection during F&W is still leaps and bounds above what most towns offer. So even if it is not the great deal it once was, for many people the chance to try new wines and foods for cheap is a great deal.

 

[karrit2000]

Yes. But they don't have to charge by the taste, or by the tasting which is what is suggested by the "FL law" comment. They could simply sell patrons a single ticket that allows access to tasting seminars and tasting booths, if they wanted to. The question is, what should the charge for that be? Nominal? (Which is about all the current wine selections are worth), or $200, or $600-$900 like more significant food and wine events such as Aspen and South Beach? As I said above, WDW is marketing this like a "full on" food and wine event, but presents it as a month or so when you can get some meat on a stick that isn't otherwise available. If they fill their booking quotas, then they have no reason to change. But this event is getting very tired very fast.

No they don't have to charge buy the tasting but that is the way Disney chose to handle it apparently. I don't know what the specific legal details are I was just commenting about what I had read last year about the supposed reason that Disney decided to start charging for what had previously been included "free with your paid admission to EPCOT".

As for selling patrons an all inclusive single ticket that is basically what PFTS is and I choose not to pay that kind of money for a 2 1/2 hour overcrowded party. I did it once when it was still less than $100 and decided I can get a lot more for my $$ doing a special culinary event such as the Pairings or Regional Lunches and have money left over to spend at the booths. I shudder to think what Disney would charge for an all inclusive ticket. Oh, I forgot, they tried that last year with that ridiculously overpriced Grape Getaway event that they ended up lowering the prices on & still didn't sell out.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Yes we agree with you...we have been going to F&W since the beginning and I am getting a serious case of sticker shock this year (add that to the huge prices of the resorts and I might faint!)

We decided not to book any seminars in advance and just spend the money on the food booths...we have more fun that way anyways

 

[dclfun]

I'm in the minority, but I'd rather pay for a ticket to a presentation I'm interested in vs. having to spend my time in a queue line for a long time hoping I might be let in. I live locally and remember years past where I would see the same people getting the free tickets for each other by running to the different locations to pick up time-released tix while someone else held everyone's place in line as I guess that's all they came to the park for- to get free food and wine. It really spoiled the atmosphere. You get what you pay for, and what I want is to learn something, watch a demo, and then to sample something I might want to serve, and all without the stress of trying to play beat the clock.--- Kathy

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The counter point to the prices for the events is that you can now attend them. As a PP said, they would camp out all day and attend a bunch of sessions. Well, things like that dramatically reduce the number of guests who can attend. And there were locals who would sit there all day Sat and Sun attending every free session. So it may not any longer be as good a value for those who want to attend many, but the other guests who could attend none now have the chance.

.

This is actually why I did NOT mind paying. But they replaced the "camping" with "CMs' who failed Disney 101.

Way back before they moved the wine seminars out of the World Showcase some locals never even got out of their seats. And the CMs just let them stay. So the "event" held say 40, but half the seats were NEVER really open.

And then there were the sprinters.... Throw that wine back as fast as possible, push back and RACE back in line. (Wasn't sure if the point was to learn about wine or get a free buzz LOL!)

But unless it's a "REAL" celebrity you can always wait and buy when you get there. Only ONE of the few seminars I went to last year was CLOSE to full. I don't think any of them were the year prior to.

THere are some culinary that sell out but Disney has priced out a lot of the good wine producers that used to do such a great job IMHO and half of them are now lead by either folks from Disney or big distributors (one of whom let the Prision Gurad CM have it last year over how she was treating "OUR" guests LOVED IT!)

So I thought he minimal payment was fine.

And the first year it was, but last year was just unacceptable. I did get a refund on the rest of my seminars after I complained, but...I walked by later and saw the same team treating guests the same way... I guess others are willing to put up with it, but I felt like I was being ordered around Disney by prison guards (or failed TSA agents?)

 

[MickeyNicki]

Yes we agree with you...we have been going to F&W since the beginning and I am getting a serious case of sticker shock this year (add that to the huge prices of the resorts and I might faint!)

We decided not to book any seminars in advance and just spend the money on the food booths...we have more fun that way anyways

 

[karrit2000]

I'm in the minority, but I'd rather pay for a ticket to a presentation I'm interested in vs. having to spend my time in a queue line for a long time hoping I might be let in. I live locally and remember years past where I would see the same people getting the free tickets for each other by running to the different locations to pick up time-released tix while someone else held everyone's place in line as I guess that's all they came to the park for- to get free food and wine. It really spoiled the atmosphere. You get what you pay for, and what I want is to learn something, watch a demo, and then to sample something I might want to serve, and all without the stress of trying to play beat the clock.--- Kathy

I wouldn't have minded paying a nominal fee to secure a spot at a seminar if they had stepped up the size of the pours slightly, brought back the better quality crackers & given the attendees a little more room to sit rather than making it even more cramped. I gave it a try last year and found that I wasn't willing to pay for being squashed at a table with 7 other people when the venue was half empty anyway. It seems that every time they try to "improve" things the schemers figure out a way around the new way of doing things. It was a constant game of one up manship before they finally started charging for the deminars.

 

[TDC Nala]

The event (at least the booth/kiosk in World Showcase portion of it) is still very very popular. It's just the regulars, remembering what it used to be, who are disappointed with the current festival. They don't need to sell a one-time ticket to taste everything at the World Showcase kiosks and they probably won't. (They do have the Party for the Senses which is essentially a one-price thing like what JimmyV is suggesting a proper food and wine festival should do, generally with better and more "upscale" food than the kiosks serve, although the wines will not be any more upscale). And if there are complaints of "drunks" in the WS now, imagine what those complaints would be like if you could pay one price and taste unlimited booze samples. At Epcot there isn't a dedicated spot where everyone is doing festival...you're mixing with other guests who paid to get into the park but aren't partaking in the festival.

 

[mama03]

Wine sample at food presentation:
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Wine samples at winery presentation:
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Vodka samples:
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Food sample at cooking presentation:
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remembering the good ole days at the cave:
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Tequila seminar:
http://