Tell me about food and wine festival!

[luv]

You guys are bumming me out with all this avoid the weekend talk. I'm going on a girls trip from oct 17-20 (Thurs-sun). There's no way we can avoid the weekend with our schedules. Is it really that bad? We plan on doing all 4 days at Epcot. We are big drinkers and eaters lol. I can't wait!!!

It is more crowded on weekends, but it's pretty crowded a lot of the time.

If you are really big eaters and drinkers, don't let the crowds stop you!

 

[armyfamilyof5]

We are locals that aren't interested in getting our drunk on so we go and start our journey around the World Showcase at 11 with empty tummies and we're done by 3 or so and get the heck out of there as I think it gets crowded, espcially by the Rose and Crown for some reason, and yes, some people are a bit tipsy by then!

 

[dreamfinder]

The weekends will just be more crowded. If you plan to start hitting up WS as soon as it opens, and have a plan in advance, then you should be ok. The later in the day you get, the more crowded it will be, and lines get longer. Planning ahead and maybe splitting up to wait in 2 different lines at once can help cut down the wait time. (Not sure how the limits in liquor would apply)

 

[mbtohill]

DW and I LOVE F&W. Going 10/1-10/4. Third year in a row for us.

We spend two full days walking and grazing and people watching. The best part for us is just the pure relaxation, as we go for 8 days every year with our daughters in May and this trip is our RELAXING DISNEY TRIP.

As far as tips, most of the good ones have been covered. We spend Wednesday and Thursday in the parks and crowds are non-existent. Start slowly, I'm a beer drinker so I go with the 6 oz. tastings at first to insure I get to try a bunch of different ones. TRY EVERYTHING, that's the wonderful thing about F&W, so many different tastes to experience!!

134 days and counting

 

[Epcotfan21]

Honestly, last year we went Thursday-Sunday and we found that truly the only bad day was Saturday. We're going back again this year but have already agreed that Saturday will be spent at other parks. We couldn't tell much difference between the crowds on Thursday, Friday or Sunday.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Yes, weekends at F&W are horrendous -- the lines for attractions and rides are the same as always, its World Showcase and F&W that is very crowded. This is a festival that was designed for the locals, and it is far and away the most successful special event WDW does --- on weekends, not only are you dealing with Disney Resort Guests, but also all the FLorida locals that come in for Food and Wine (mostly the wine)....and you will also have 15-bus caravans that come up from the major universities in the fall with their frats and sororities specifically for Food and WIne (mostly wine). Its great fun, but its a chaotic and very very busy mess. If you are there on one of the weekend saturdays that is loaded with frat boys, you are in for a MISERABLE afternoon.
If you absolutely can not do any other day, go do F&W's food kiosks at 11:00 (some even open earlier) and then get out of there and go do something else....

 

[ShookieJones]

We will be in disney for the first few days (leaving oct 4), what an I expect at epcot? Should I plan another day? What's not to miss?

Expect to see me tearing up every booth in sight. I'm there the same time.


Last year was our first F&WF and it was one of the highlights of our trip.

I think I hit about half the booths and I have to tell you there wasn't a bad morsel in the bunch.

I don't know how you feel about cold alcoholic beverages, but the souvenir mug I scored from Canada was sweeeeet!! Not to mention the frosty libation contained within went famously with the 'shroom filet! yeah that's what I'm talking about.

It definitely lived up to the hype. We were on the DDP and using the snack credits for the booths was a HUGE win!

Enjoy yourself and if you see that mug up in the upper left hand corner of this post mowing down some of vittles make sure to wave "hi" just watch your fingers.

 

[mrdisman]

I'm joining this thread because I am curious too.
This will be my first year for F&W.
Is one day at EPCOT enough, or should I plan for 2?

One day is never enough beachy...

 

[abeachchick]

One day is never enough beachy...

lol, ok.
I will plan for 2 full days

maybe 2 and a half.

 

[mrdisman]

lol, ok.
I will plan for 2 full days

maybe 2 and a half.

Now you are talking

 

[Predsfan75]

We love the F&W. The Kalua pork sliders in Hawaii is my favorite dish

 

[rael ramone]

To 'sample' everything foodwise, you need several days, so it's best to get the menus beforehand if possible so you can focus on the stuff that really interests you - no need to try everything just to say you did. Some stuff (canadian cheese soup, potstickers outside china) is also available elsewhere. Hit the 'familiar' foods at 11am and if you want a F&W dinner the less familiar booths will have shorter lines. If you try something and don't like it, don't finish it, throw it out. Get your hands on the cookbook. Items that weren't prepared correctly in the booths can be good when made at home. Keep in mind that costs add up and many samples are real small.

And yes, the 'Drunk N Stumble' festival can be called that for a reason. For every person who really wants to see how a rieslings oak notes and cherry undertones pairs with Argentine Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Mashed Boniato, theres someone who's there expressly to get hammered. And with gift cards that you can wear on your wrist that you can load up with $1500, it's real easy.

 

[The Incredible Schmulk]

I'm getting bummed too. Also doing a girls' weekend (probably 11/1-11/4) and there is no way we can change it with work schedules :-(

The weekends aren't that bad, at least as compared to every other day of the week during the festival. If you're going to go in on a Saturday, just make sure to get there at open (11 AM) and plan on leaving Epcot no later than 4 PM. I will definitely be more crowded, but it's still manageable.

If you're interested, maybe look into the seminar and tasting schedule when it comes out and see if anything interested you for the afternoon. Heading over to the Festival Center later in the day for a wine tasting or cooking demonstration would be a great way to continue the fun without having to start elbowing your way from booth to booth. Some of them are very reasonably priced. We missed out on it, but I'm pretty sure the whiskey tasting last year was less than $20. Like mentioned earlier, just make sure to make your reservations for these events as soon as they are announced. They go fast!

 

[SPMTCP2003]

Alright, I've got one for all you foodies who I know will have an answer for me! I feel I've spent way too much time searching for something that may just not be out there yet.

I'm wanting to research the various F&W seminars that they will be holding this year so that I can try to make reservations for some, but I can't seem to find any info. Is the listing not out yet? And would I call Disney Dining to make reservations? (I guess that would be on the flyer with all the other info...)

Thanks for the help!!

 

[alissafalco]

Alright, I've got one for all you foodies who I know will have an answer for me! I feel I've spent way too much time searching for something that may just not be out there yet.

I'm wanting to research the various F&W seminars that they will be holding this year so that I can try to make reservations for some, but I can't seem to find any info. Is the listing not out yet? And would I call Disney Dining to make reservations? (I guess that would be on the flyer with all the other info...)

Thanks for the help!!

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2013/...and-wine-festival-menu-items-and-food-photos/

 

[LucyK]

I'm taking notes for our trip next year! I have draw a rough schedule and I have 2 1/2 days for EPCOT in total but I might up it to 3 full days to truly enjoy F&W.

 

[Mac4life30]

Hit the World Showcase at 11:00 on a weekday for shorter lines.

If you are offended by drunks, don't go.

I have to honestly say I have never seen someone drunk at DIsney. If anything they might be tipsy but nowhere near what occurs at HHN at Universal.

 

[experiment624]

I have to honestly say I have never seen someone drunk at DIsney. If anything they might be tipsy but nowhere near what occurs at HHN at Universal.

You're lucky then, they're there and in force. We enjoy the food, we will embibe a beer or two over the course of the entire day, if even, but we aren't huge drinkers. Last year was probably the first time I saw people wasted out of their minds. Earlier in the day it was funny, but as the day went on it was just plain scary and disturbing that people were permitted to get so terribly trashed.

We had a guy vomit next to us in line at the Germany beer station, another guy passed out and fell on my husband, another guy fell flat on his face and had blood pooring out of his nose and bloody teeth and we had to call for medics because the people in his group all just stood there dazed and nearly about to pass out themselves. (we went every weekend for the entire event, so these happened over that time, not all in one day)

Stick around long enough, you'll see what we're talking about.

 

[Mac4life30]

You're lucky then, they're there and in force. We enjoy the food, we will embibe a beer or two over the course of the entire day, if even, but we aren't huge drinkers. Last year was probably the first time I saw people wasted out of their minds. Earlier in the day it was funny, but as the day went on it was just plain scary and disturbing that people were permitted to get so terribly trashed.

We had a guy vomit next to us in line at the Germany beer station, another guy passed out and fell on my husband, another guy fell flat on his face and had blood pooring out of his nose and bloody teeth and we had to call for medics because the people in his group all just stood there dazed and nearly about to pass out themselves. (we went every weekend for the entire event, so these happened over that time, not all in one day)

Stick around long enough, you'll see what we're talking about.

I apologize you had to see that however I am glad it doesn't stop you from going.

 

[michmousefan]

Years ago, when the beer tasting seminars were free -- this one was at The Rose & Crown patio -- there was a guy who clearly was there on a Sunday afternoon just to drink as much beer as possible and started cracking open the bottles that were on each table before the presenter even got going. He was already hammered when he arrived; it didn't take long for security to show up and escort him out. The free tastings stopped soon after that, at least on that sort of scale.

Another reason to keep your touring time to weekdays -- take your chances with the rest of us tourists! Leave the weekends for the locals.