Tell me about Epcot crowds during Food And Wine

[JulieBarlow]

I keep reading that Epcot gets super busy at weekends during Food & Wine Festival. Can anybody tell me if this is every weekend? And is it all areas of the park? And does it make the ride queues longer or does it mainly just clog up the World Showcase area? The crowd calendar doesn't take F&W into account when doing it's predictions but seems to have Fridays and Saturdays as busy days for Epcot with Sundays as the quietest day of the week Trying to figure out if we should risk doing Epcot on a Sunday or just steer clear entirely.

 

[bcrook]

I keep reading that Epcot gets super busy at weekends during Food & Wine Festival. Can anybody tell me if this is every weekend? And is it all areas of the park? And does it make the ride queues longer or does it mainly just clog up the World Showcase area? The crowd calendar doesn't take F&W into account when doing it's predictions but seems to have Fridays and Saturdays as busy days for Epcot with Sundays as the quietest day of the week Trying to figure out if we should risk doing Epcot on a Sunday or just steer clear entirely.

I was there for a weekend last October (14th - 18th?) We had a great time all day Friday and didn't even notice crowds. Lines were reasonable everywhere including food, WS, and rides. Saturday the volume steadily increased all day, and by 5:00 pm all of EPCOT was really crowded. The food lines were four times longer than Friday. WS was crowded (but not more crowded than a July day). I just didn't like the more crowded feel around the food kiosks.

Sunday everything was very comfortable again. My suggestion would be to visit a different park Saturday after 1:00 pm.

 

[ToddyLu]

Completely agree with PP. I have been trying to change an ADR for Coral Reef from 5:40 to after 6 on a Fri night 10/28 for two months at least and no such luck. We will not be going to Epcot Sat. Our plan for that Sat is DHS (EMH) in the morning or AK, then dinner at WCC, then to MK in evening for MSEP and Wishes.

Plus some of the weekends with MNSSHP the other parks close early and the MK closes at 7. That funnels everyone into EPCOT int he evening. I expect that to happen on 10/28 our first night. We will have dinner at 5:40 then after 7 everyone in the other parks wil start arriving to EPCOT since it closes at 10 that evening. Just something to consider as well. SInce I am expecting that--as soon as we get to EPCOT I will try to get FPs for something to ride after dinner. Probably Soaring or Test Track IF they are available. Then there is the Concert on some nights. That is always nice over at the American pavillion. The list is up for performers. Billy Ocean was awesome the last time we were there.

 

[DisneyLandMan]

I was there in 09, and i can definitely say that the lines and crowds are heavier than normal, but that season at WDW is one of the slower seasons. Let's just say even with all the crowds, it was still not as bad as some of the other times i've been in the parks.

 

[burberryplaid]

We were there the first Saturday of F&W last year and it was awful! It was so bad that we couldn't even use our cell phones because all the broadband was being sucked up by all the people (AT&T) In addition, I was sure I'd see some drunken fool fall into the lagoon!

When we went back to Epcot on Monday it was dead..a much better experience.

We won't go on weekends for F&W anymore...

 

[HadesTX]

We went the Saturday before Columbus Day last year & it was not overly busy until about 4pm. Then WS was packed! We ended up leaving & going to another park.

We're going on a Saturday again this year & will leave around 4pm again.

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
We were at the F&W festival last October on a Saturday or Sunday, I can't remember which day, and it was wall to wall people. I've never seen it that crowded. The lines for the food were ridiculous, so long!! I'll never go on a weekend again.

 

[chrysano]

Then WS was packed! We ended up leaving & going to another park.

We're going on a Saturday again this year & will leave around pm3 again.

 

[Chellymouse]

Based on last year's crowd level in the middle of Oct and the fact that DH and I tried to book a long weekend for this year with no luck....I would say Epcot is likely to be pretty busy. Last year on Sat, we went to Epcot for am EMH and we wound up leaving the park by 2pm. The lines for the F&W kiosks were nearing 30-40 minutes in some places and it was wall to wall people. Ride lines were about average, but we left as we had done our riding prior to WS opening. Friday and Sunday weren't as busy, but still pretty busy nonetheless. If you are really wanting to eat and drink around the world, during the week really is better.

 

[pwdebbie]

We were there Saturday evening, Nov. 6, 2010 -- It was either the last weekend or second-to-last weekend of the festival. Crowds were awful -- shoulder to shoulder much of the time. Dh had wanted to get a particular beer but after fighting the crowds for a short distance, he decided he didn't want that beer that much. We left. Never had to deal with such a terrible crowd at Disney before. Not just the number of people, but also their behavior. Definitely would not have wanted to have children there that night.

 

[mountdew1]

It ends up working alot like a popular local restaurant/bar. The locals will pack it in Fri/Sat evening to eat and drink. Other times, not so much. Alot of the crowd will be on the WS promenade, and not a whole lot else. But navigating the walkways, and getting food during those busy hours can be rough. You will get some locals on Sunday, but how often do you go out on a Sunday night? Probably not very often.

 

[TDC Nala]

Stay out of WS on Saturdays. Lines for everything. The food booths, the regular food and drink vendors, the CS restaurants, the bathrooms - everything. Friday is OK until late afternoon/evening. Sunday is OK but more crowded than weekdays. Mon-Thurs are ideal.

On Saturday, October 1, a "pub crawl" internet group based in Miami is hosting a drink around the world at Epcot. They have more than 200 guests signed up.

 

[HadesTX]

On Saturday, October 1, a "pub crawl" internet group based in Miami is hosting a drink around the world at Epcot. They have more than 200 guests signed up.

Well foot. That's the only day we can do Epcot. Hopefully they'll do this a little later in the afternoon when we're leaving.

 

[TDC Nala]

Well foot. That's the only day we can do Epcot. Hopefully they'll do this a little later in the afternoon when we're leaving.

There's an extra whammy on October 1. The Wine & Dine Half Marathon will be run right after park closing, ending at Epcot, and then there will be a party in WS for marathon participants and their guests. So the guests of marathon runners are likely to be in the park for the day, or at least toward the end of the day.

If you're only interested in Future World attractions much of this may not affect you. The crowds that come in for the festival are not generally there to go on attractions in Future World.

If you are planning on touring WS on a Saturday during the festival, get there at 11 when they open. Then you may at least be able to hit a few booths before the lines get long.

 

[HadesTX]

There's an extra whammy on October 1. The Wine & Dine Half Marathon will be run right after park closing, ending at Epcot, and then there will be a party in WS for marathon participants and their guests. So the guests of marathon runners are likely to be in the park for the day, or at least toward the end of the day.

If you're only interested in Future World attractions much of this may not affect you. The crowds that come in for the festival are not generally there to go on attractions in Future World.

If you are planning on touring WS on a Saturday during the festival, get there at 11 when they open. Then you may at least be able to hit a few booths before the lines get long.

I just found the facebook page for the pub crawlers... 257 confirmed right now & 175 maybe. We'll be gone before they'll be 'faced most likely.

We were there last year right at Columbus Day & it wasn't horrible, so I'm hopeful this one won't be either. If it is, we'll head out after our Le Cellier lunch. We're pretty easy & will switch parks as needed.

Thanks for all the info! Very helpful.