Epcot Food & Wine Festival = Booze Fest

[Frontierland's Finest]

I was at Epcot two weekends ago for F&W and I had a interesting experience with a boat full of drunk guest on Grand Fiesta. They clapped and chanted through the whole ride and I one point I thought one of the people were going to jump out of the boat. Also, I walked through the Germany Pavilion on my way back from Mexico and Grand Fiesta and the line to get the highly popular grapefruit beer was ridiculously too long for me to get one, so I settled with a Sam Adams in America.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I love F & W- but not at night. If you go during the day there are less trashed people. I like to enjoy a few drinks but do not get hammered like some people do. It is obnoxious as heck. Weekend nights are the worst.

Actually, everytime we've experienced the problem, it been during the day. We've never been in the WS during the F & W at night...so glad we made THAT decision...

 

[DisneyGigi]

Actually, everytime we've experienced the problem, it been during the day. We've never been in the WS during the F & W at night...so glad we made THAT decision...

There are still some during the day for sure but it was really bad the two nights this past September when we ate at Cape May and had to walk back through the WS. There is no way I would ever take a kid there of the evening when it is going on.

 

[LAKid53]

My advice? If you see drunken behavior you feel crosses the line, report it. Public intoxication is a 2nd degree misdemeanor in Florida.

 

[Horizons '83]

My advice? If you see drunken behavior you feel crosses the line, report it. Public intoxication is a 2nd degree misdemeanor in Florida.

Unfortunately, Disney is private property, I am not sure that counts as Public Intoxication at that point. Maybe if they leave the park and that behavior is caught or reported.

I've seen the security team kick out guests before, but I think that is the extent of the punishment.

 

[marni1971]

I've personally felt this year's festival has been policed much better than previous. Frequenting the park every week for the event, I've noticed fewer instances of idiots who can't hold their booze. Sorry you had an unpleaseant experience.

Even though we attempt to avoid the disaster as much as we can, there are far less serious incidents in fairness than you’d think. The local Sheriff have a presence yes, a smaller one than I imagined, but are rarely needed. Most issues are easily dealt with by area managers, let alone Disney security. It’s noisy. It’s obnoxious. It’s not Epcot. But it’s also not “dangerous”

Not that I condone the mess that is Food and Booze of course.

 

[larryz]

Unfortunately, Disney is private property, I am not sure that counts as Public Intoxication at that point.

One man's "unfortunately" is another man's "thank God!"

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

How does one afford to get drunk at F&W? With the prices I'd have to take a 2nd mortgage!

It is entirely possible for someone to buy less expensive alcohol and drink some of it before entering Epcot.

I've read a number of threads elsewhere about folks doing just that as a way to save money.

I'd like to think WDW wouldn't let someone into the park if they were totally plastered, but a few glasses of wine? I don't think they stop folks for that.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

The public drunks are one thing. You can choose to ignore and not engage. What concerns me most is one of these morons getting behind the wheel of a car as families head out to theirs - at or near closing.

I've got to think there are multiple cases of DWI attributed to F&W. Where said moron's lawyer tries to come back at Disney for serving the moron too much.

I wonder if to date there have been any fatalities attributable to F&W due to these morons.

To be clear, I drink. So this isn't a moral rant. I enjoy drinking. I drink at EPCOT. But I drink responsibly. I (usually) don't make an @ss of myself, and I NEVER EVER get behind the wheel after drinking to excess.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

It is entirely possible for someone to buy less expensive alcohol and drink some of it before entering Epcot.

I've read a number of threads elsewhere about folks doing just that as a way to save money.

I'd like to think WDW wouldn't let someone into the park if they were totally plastered, but a few glasses of wine? I don't think they stop folks for that.

Oh, great...so in addition to the bag checks at the gate which so many on here find intrusive, WDW will be adding breathalyzers to the process...LOL

 

[LAKid53]

Unfortunately, Disney is private property, I am not sure that counts as Public Intoxication at that point. Maybe if they leave the park and that behavior is caught or reported.

I've seen the security team kick out guests before, but I think that is the extent of the punishment.

So is the parking lot at a bar. But the cops will arrest you just the same.

 

[Sundown]

Great replies all. And after reading through them all..yes, I'm seeing a common denominator: weekends.

And to add to the this, yep it was Saturday when I was at the Epcot Food & Wine festival.

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

Honestly the World Showcase is just a rowdy place to be on most nights but during the festival it's certainly amped up. We were at Via Napoli's one night and this lady came in to try and check in at the same time as us and it was obvious that she was at the very least buzzed and the host told her it would be a minute and she said "Ok. Where's a place for me to go drink while I wait?" and the host told her exactly where to go fuel up on some more. I was so agitated I couldn't hardly stand it. It's just not the place for that and I don't care what anyone says. Go to universal and get over yourself.

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

We learned a very important lesson about the F & W festival about 4 years ago (and WE LOVE the festival), if you're there for the week, it's best to stay out of Epcot on the weekends...i.e. Friday thru Sunday. When we were there, there were SCORES of large groups 10 or more/group with matching t-shirts that said things like "drinking my way thru Disney in the Disney font, making total A***S out of themselves. And we're not talking about twenty somethings, we're talking about noodnicks in their 40's & 50's. After that, we made it a point to avoid world showcase at ALL costs during the weekends.

Yeah the matching shirts are as tacky and obnoxious as the behavior of these rejects.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I've never seen any of this but then, I'm immune to most things. I live in NYC.

On October 6th of this year, there was a streamer on youtube that went to party for the senses at Epcot. That Streamer was in Epcot before going into the old Millennium Village building for the event. That streamer was showing more than half of the guests at very packed Epcot were drunk by 6.30 at night with some even having problems standing up. October 6th was on a Saturday.

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

I love the F&W festival and have gone for many years. But I'm also astonished at how drunk some people get. People, this is not a place to get hammered. First and foremost because it's a theme park and families are present. But also... it is a really, really expensive place to get drunk. I mean even if you have a pass already so you're not paying the $99 entrance fee, the cost of alcohol is comparable to a major league sporting event (also a bad place to get drunk, but many people do).

To build on the OP point, the food and beverages are a nice way to add to your appreciation of each pavilion. Getting drunk shouldn't be the primary focus.

Doesn't Disney actually sell "packages" for the festival now though? Like where you can pay a flat rate and get more alcohol that way? I was thinking I seen people wearing shirts or having lanyards or something talking about it. It really wouldn't surprise me honestly.

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

On October 6th of this year, there was a streamer on youtube that went to party for the senses at Epcot. That Streamer was in Epcot before going into the old Millennium Village building for the event. That streamer was showing more than half of the guests at very packed Epcot were drunk by 6.30 at night with some even having problems standing up. October 6th was on a Saturday.

It's so popular among people that like to really get drunk that if you're not a member at BC or BW you won't be getting a room there during it. DVC agents have flat out told me so. I've seen people literally having a hard time standing up for the "walk" back to BW or BC. I wonder if they will let hammered people in to the gondolas? Seems like that could be dangerous couldn't it? I say if there's a chance they may fall out they should be given special access. LOL!

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Ah yes...The Food and WHINE festival..So much Food others WHINE why Epcot is so busy....

 

[xdan0920]

Go to universal and get over yourself.

What an odd sentence.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Wait, lol you go to Oktoberfest and no one is drunk?? Lol around here that's pretty much the Definition of Oktoberfest.

Sorry you didn't enjoy it Op