Epcot Food and Wine Festival

[SulleyanBoo]

whats it like?
This will be my first time and it will be my birthday.

Also, what time is a good time to show up for it and do you pay for sampling or do they give samples of food and drinks for free? I can't see that happening so that's why I am asking.

I've heard great things, so im really looking forward to it.

 

[wdwmagic]

Here are some food pics from this year
http://www.wdwmagic.com/events/inte...sep2012-2012-food-and-wine-festival-foods.htm

 

[lostpro9het]

Food has been great and beer had been great. The biggest complaint that I've heard, and I heard a lot of folks walking around grumbling about it, is the thimble of wine you get when you order it from a kiosk. I'm not a big wine drinker myself so I didn't experience it but it seems others didn't like it.

 

[The Incredible Schmulk]

Opposite of the PP, I did not have that experience last year (first week of November). At opening, they were not busy at all for us. It got busier as the day went on and we went there for 3 straight days. We avoided Friday and the weekend.

Yeah, we've been to about six of them now, as recently as last year, and I can't recall ever waiting longer than 10 minutes at a kiosk for anything. We usually start at 11 AM when the booths open and leave some time between 1 and 3 PM, and in that time frame, even on a Sunday last year, we didn't run into any issues with inordinately long waits.

Now, finding a good place to sit after getting your food is a different situation...

 

[SulleyanBoo]

So it typically gets more crowded from 5 pm and on?

 

[The Incredible Schmulk]

So it typically gets more crowded from 5 pm and on?

I'd say it gets more crowded from around 2 or 3 PM on, really. Depending on the day, those crowds can start getting pretty prohibitive to having a good time. The waits at the booths might not be that bad, but getting from booth to booth and then finding a comfortable place to stop and sample your buys gets a bit tough.

I'd recommend to anyone who'd ask to do the festival for lunch and not dinner. Get there as it opens, browse til your stomach is content and then jet the hell out of there before it gets overrun.

 

[SulleyanBoo]

lol good advice. Thank you!

 

[dreamfinder]

So it typically gets more crowded from 5 pm and on?

It will definitely pick up as people venture over for dinner. Be if AK/DHS people bailing due to lack of good in park restaurants, or locals coming out to eat after work.

 

[SulleyanBoo]

Thanks! Still planning on going around 5:30 I am expecting large crowds but we are going for my birthday and just want to have a good time. We aren't in a rush or anything like that, and I'm glad I know what to expect.

 

[SulleyanBoo]

Just wanted to UPDATE on this in case anyone is going today, this week or in the near future.
We went Friday, October 26th at 5 pm until about 9pm and it was incredible. The weather (a little windy) but mostly perfect! The crowds were not as bad as I imagined. Plenty of walking/breathing room and I did not wait more than a few minutes in the lines. I thought it was supposed to be extremely packed but maybe everything was just spread out well. I had an absolute amazing time and it was my birthday so it was so much fun. The longest lines were in Germany and Italy.

Here are some pics too!
I highly reccommend doing the food and wine festival. By far, one of my most fun Disney expereinces I have ever had!

(you can see the crowd activity here a little bit)

Mexico! One of our last stops of the night lol (mango margarita= to die for)