Food & Wine Crowds?

[MKN]

Hi everyone!! I'm in the midst of planning for our upcoming Nov trip :sohappy: We're going the 2nd week (Jersey week). How bad are the Epcot crowds during food & wine? We're most likely going to be in Epcot on Fri at park opening, and Sat later in the afternoon (planning to take the morning off). I have 2 little ones, so we'll have a double stroller. Is FW less crowded than WS? We'd probably spend Sat in WS. Are the food & wine booths located in the country pavilions, or are they in a separate area?

THANKS!!

 

[MissM]

The booths ring around all of World Showcase in the walkway area. So between the booths, the crowds and the lines, it's very busy in WS. Especially weekends. On weekends you get locals coming out so it's quite a popular event.

Future World will be a little less busy since the food booths are in WS, however, they do set up events and demonstrations at the old Wonders of Life pavilion for example.

 

[wbc]

It gets to be rather busy at night on the weekends... for that time of year. I wouldn't say it's any more busy than the summer time. Definitely not like Christmas.

Being unmarred and without kids, it's my favourite time of the year to go WDW.

 

[MKN]

Thanks for your replies. I've been obsessing over these details... I really need to just calm down & tell myself it will be fine!

 

[xdan0920]

When are you leaving for your trip? How long are you staying? I was there for F&W last year for the last weekend of it, and I will be there the same time as you this year. If you give me a couple more details I can hopefully give you some good tips.

 

[MKN]

We going Tues 11/8 to Mon 11/14. I originally wanted to do Sun thru Sat, but airfare is completely crazy. We'll be doing MK Wed, Thurs & Sun and Epcot on Fri & Sat. With 2 little kids, we're planning on doing a mid-day break, and really want to see all of MK. I was really looking forward to noshing around WS on Sat, but I was concerned about crowds & having to maneuver strollers. We'll just have to deal with the crowds or leave if it gets too crazy.

I appreciate any tips you may have

 

[xdan0920]

We going Tues 11/8 to Mon 11/14. I originally wanted to do Sun thru Sat, but airfare is completely crazy. We'll be doing MK Wed, Thurs & Sun and Epcot on Fri & Sat. With 2 little kids, we're planning on doing a mid-day break, and really want to see all of MK. I was really looking forward to noshing around WS on Sat, but I was concerned about crowds & having to maneuver strollers. We'll just have to deal with the crowds or leave if it gets too crazy.

I appreciate any tips you may have

Yes airfare is insane. We are flying back on Sunday the 13th and it is crazily expensive, the most we have ever paid to fly home from Orlando by quite a bit. However my wife is a teacher, so we have no choice.

Now for my advice....

World Showcase on that saturday is going to practically shoulder to shoulder with people. The lines are going to be 20,40, 60 people deep for the F&W booths. You would be way better served to switch the MK on Thursday to Epcot. You will get so much more enjoyment out of the F&W and Epcot in general if you go during the week. Judging from my experience last year, the weekend was at least 5 times busier then thursday. We managed to eat at nearly every booth we were interested in trying in just that one day. When we went back on saturday we got maybe 3 booths in 2+ hours. Then we gave up and left. We headed over to MK, and with the bigger crowds at Epcot on sat, it left MK at a manageable level.

On a different note, I am not sure how young your children are, or how tight your budget is, but Mickey's Christmas Parties will be starting while you are there. They are a ton of fun, but I suppose if you have really little ones it might be a little too long of a day, plus since it is hard ticket, you will spend 200+ for the 4 of you. Here is a link to the info if you are interested.

http://wdwmagic.com/Events/Mickeys-...ristmas-Party-confirmed-dates-and-pricing.htm

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

 

[GeoDonJac34]

I absolutely agree about avoiding Epcot on the weekends during F&W. We have gone every Oct. for eight years, and one thing we have learned is to do Epcot during the week if you can.

 

[MKN]

Yes airfare is insane. We are flying back on Sunday the 13th and it is crazily expensive, the most we have ever paid to fly home from Orlando by quite a bit. However my wife is a teacher, so we have no choice.

Now for my advice....

World Showcase on that saturday is going to practically shoulder to shoulder with people. The lines are going to be 20,40, 60 people deep for the F&W booths. You would be way better served to switch the MK on Thursday to Epcot. You will get so much more enjoyment out of the F&W and Epcot in general if you go during the week. Judging from my experience last year, the weekend was at least 5 times busier then thursday. We managed to eat at nearly every booth we were interested in trying in just that one day. When we went back on saturday we got maybe 3 booths in 2+ hours. Then we gave up and left. We headed over to MK, and with the bigger crowds at Epcot on sat, it left MK at a manageable level.



If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Were the quick service restaurants similarly packed on Sat, or were the longest lines for the booths? I guess my big issue is that I don't want to miss EMH at MK. We're staying at the Poly & kids are up super early, so I feel confident that we'll be at rope drop. I feel that getting a Park Hopper is a lot of extra $$, considering we'd probably only use it on Thurs to hop to Epcot in the afternoon. I've read that it takes almost an hour via monorail, so I don't think we'll want to burn lots of time commuting...

I'm still on the fence with MVMCP... DD will be 6, but doesn't like the loudness of fireworks, so we were planning on watching those from the beach. DS will be under 3, so would get in for free. I don't know if we'd ever go back around the holidays again, so maybe we should do it. So many decisions!!

Thanks so much for your input -- I really appreciate it!

 

[Tiggerish]

What xdan0920 said about Saturday at WS is absolutely true. I, too, was there for the last weekend of the F&W Fest last year.

We were flying home on Monday, and so we actually had a very enjoyable, uncrowded "nosh around the world" on Sunday night. Probably all the locals turned out on Saturday for the last weekend of the festival becuase they all have to go to work on Monday. If you can make Sunday night at Epcot work for you, that would probably be best (I did not check to see when MK EMH is, though).

And all the F&W merchandise will be marked down to about half off!!

 

[xdan0920]

Were the quick service restaurants similarly packed on Sat, or were the longest lines for the booths? I guess my big issue is that I don't want to miss EMH at MK. We're staying at the Poly & kids are up super early, so I feel confident that we'll be at rope drop. I feel that getting a Park Hopper is a lot of extra $$, considering we'd probably only use it on Thurs to hop to Epcot in the afternoon. I've read that it takes almost an hour via monorail, so I don't think we'll want to burn lots of time commuting...

I'm still on the fence with MVMCP... DD will be 6, but doesn't like the loudness of fireworks, so we were planning on watching those from the beach. DS will be under 3, so would get in for free. I don't know if we'd ever go back around the holidays again, so maybe we should do it. So many decisions!!

Thanks so much for your input -- I really appreciate it!

On that Saturday, Epcot as a whole was a zoo. The WS was just the worst of it. It really is best to avoid Epcot on Friday Night and all day saturday. It is not an enjoyable experience at all.

As far as thue Park Hopper goes, we always get it. But then again there are only two of us right now, and we really like to be flexible. That may change when we have to pay for more tickets though. The monorail from MK to Epcot does not take an hour. I would put it at more like half an hour. And quite frankly it is an attraction in itself.

If you think the kids can handle the hours then I highly reccomend the Christmas Party. It is really a blast. Snow on Mainstreet, hot chocolate and cookies, a few great shows, characters in different christmasy outfits. And if the fireworks are an issue with the noise, maybe take a ride on Buzz Lightyear or Monsters Inc Laugh floor to avoid them.

Tiggerish had a good thought as well, Sunday night would be a good time to visit the F&W booths as well. If you are going to be at Epcot during F&W, you really want to have to opportunity to try out the food at all the booths.

 

[jbmagda]

My wife,4 year old and myself were there at the same time last year. The LAST thing you want to do is go in WS on a Saturday during th food and wine fest! FW was not bad at all, but the WS was full to capacity and many of the people in the WS were very rude and/or drunk.

 

[MKN]

OK, y'all have convinced me!! I like the Sunday at Epcot idea, and we'll just do MK on Sat. The kids will probably be vacationed out by Sun anyway, so DH & I can push them in their strollers while we enjoy food & wine. Yay!! Thanks again for your insight & tips everyone

 

[GeoDonJac34]

A few years back we saw a guy relieving himself on one of the buildings in the world showcase. i never thought I would see that at Disney. I guess he couldn't walk fifty feet to a bathroom.

 

[disneygirl76]

Hi everyone!! I'm in the midst of planning for our upcoming Nov trip :sohappy: We're going the 2nd week (Jersey week). How bad are the Epcot crowds during food & wine? We're most likely going to be in Epcot on Fri at park opening, and Sat later in the afternoon (planning to take the morning off). I have 2 little ones, so we'll have a double stroller. Is FW less crowded than WS? We'd probably spend Sat in WS. Are the food & wine booths located in the country pavilions, or are they in a separate area?

THANKS!!

Hi there! We went to Food and Wine one year, at the very end of the Festival. We were there over the weekend and it wasn't too bad. It was definitely more busy then we were used to. And it felt more "crowded" b/c the extra booths take up additional space where normally the crowds can be. WS is much more busy then FW. The booths are in WS and all around the pavilions.

 

[Tiggerish]

A few years back we saw a guy relieving himself on one of the buildings in the world showcase. i never thought I would see that at Disney. I guess he couldn't walk fifty feet to a bathroom.

Last year was our tenth consecutive F&W Fest, and it's unfortunate but it just keeps getting cruder every year. The past two years, I've seen groups of drunks staggering thru WS, including a bride-to-be and her bridesmaids. I always think, first of all, nice contribution to the family atmosphere of WDW. Secondly, if your aim is just to get drunk, you couldn't possibly pick a more expensive way to do it!!

 

[MKN]

Last year was our tenth consecutive F&W Fest, and it's unfortunate but it just keeps getting cruder every year. The past two years, I've seen groups of drunks staggering thru WS, including a bride-to-be and her bridesmaids. I always think, first of all, nice contribution to the family atmosphere of WDW. Secondly, if your aim is just to get drunk, you couldn't possibly pick a more expensive way to do it!!

Ugh, what's wrong with people!! The way people behave keeps getting worse & worse.

 

[Yanks07]

Last year was our tenth consecutive F&W Fest, and it's unfortunate but it just keeps getting cruder every year. The past two years, I've seen groups of drunks staggering thru WS, including a bride-to-be and her bridesmaids. I always think, first of all, nice contribution to the family atmosphere of WDW. Secondly, if your aim is just to get drunk, you couldn't possibly pick a more expensive way to do it!!

This will be our 10th yr and Our plan has always been go early, so we haven't seen the drunks. After eating our way around World Showcase all afternoon we always do a later sit down @ Kimonos, Bluezoo, Flying Fish etc. as much as we enjoy sampling nothing beats sitting down to eat. Copy that on taking big bucks $$ to get tuned up @ epcot