EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, Sept. 25 - Nov 16 2015

[pepperandchips]

Just got a call from someone with Disney. He booked my culinary demonstration that was part of my Premium Package reservation. He only gave me the option of booking a 2 p.m. beverage or the 5 p.m. culinary demo. He said it had to be Monday through Thursday of that week. Also, he confirmed (if you want to call it that) that my Dessert party would be the date of my existing reservation.

Thanks for the heads up! Just called and my cm booked ours too. Got just what I wanted easy peasy 5 minute call. Already in MDE.

 

[Tozzie]

I am on the phone with Disney Dining and I am beyond frustrated. i am trying to book my seminar and get clarification for the time of the desert party since a pister a few pages back stated the desert parties are 1 hour and if the time is 830 then you are only getting a half hour.After being cdisconnected twice i am now on hold for almost 20 minutes as the castmember is insisting the dessert party for th PP is not the same as the Illuminations sparkling desert party. I want to scream. she still cant figure out the desert party thing.

 

[rsimon]

We got a call too for the premium package deminar. Got ours booked.

 

[ksromack]

Some Info on the: Epcot Food and Wine Festival Tasting Sampler
You have to call the festival number to book the Sampler.
You will pick up your packet starting at 9 am the DAY OF at the festival center in futureworld(cannot be picked up in advance).
Price was 62.85 with tax.
The 8 credits must be used for the day purchased-No carryovers. A list of exclusions will be listed when you pick up your package.
I could not get a straight answer on how the credits would work as far as, would it be on a card, paper vouchers.....

I am considering booking ONE of these and having dh and I sharing the 8 credits. The only thing holding me back is the "exclusions". We're already going to have the DDP which will leave us 6 snack credits each to use for food items.....I really don't care about the seat for the concert.....I'm assuming we'll get some sort of arm band or something for that? I could pay that forward to someone..... The pin might be a fun thing to have, commerating the anniversary and all. REally it boils down to those exclusions for the credits.....looking at previous years drink menus and several of those are credit worthy

 

[ksromack]

I am on the phone with Disney Dining and I am beyond frustrated. i am trying to book my seminar and get clarification for the time of the desert party since a pister a few pages back stated the desert parties are 1 hour and if the time is 830 then you are only getting a half hour.After being cdisconnected twice i am now on hold for almost 20 minutes as the castmember is insisting the dessert party for th PP is not the same as the Illuminations sparkling desert party. I want to scream. she still cant figure out the desert party thing.

I have NOT booked the PP but I DID book the Dessert Party for Tuesday, Sept 29. My time says 8pm with Illuminations starting at 9pm.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

First time for F&W and we are excited foodies. Have wanted to go for years but DHs boss always denied fall vacay requests. Finally got November dates approved so we will be there last 4 days of F&W.
We have a 6 yr old DS who will be along. Plan to hit F&W lunchish each day. Does that sound like a good strategy? Anyone else bring younger kids before & have tips? DS is a patient kid & well mannered but he has his limits. Watching mom & dad eat for hours on end (my preference) will probably stretch them

 

[MatzoBelle]

Do beverage seminars include crackers or any other foods? Thanks.

 

[karrit2000]

They serve a basket of crackers at the beverage seminars. There are about 6-8 crackers per basket shared between 3-4 people. That's it. Not sure if they serve the crackers at the non-wine beverage seminars. They are basic Keebler or Pepperidge Farms Butter &/or Wheat style crackers.

 

[MatzoBelle]

Thanks a lot for the quick reply, karrit.

 

[mara512]

Beyond frustrated 5 calls later and still can't book my deminar!

 

[Tozzie]

I can't believe how botched this whole thing was, the first cast member who I spoke to managed to mangle my reservation it wasn't until I got off the phone and checked MDE and only had a wine seminar and no PP showing that I blew a gasket.


She managed to cancel my premium package and credit my credit card when I finally got a supervisor I asked how she was able to do this since the PP is allegedly not refundable, dead silence so she straighten out my PP and told me to wait for the phone call regarding the wine seminar.

I no sooner hung up when I got the phone call about the seminar and then I asked about the Time of the Dessert party, first the CM tried to tell me it was different from the dessert Party when I explained to him it wasn't and his answer was well the reservation is for 830 I wasn't buying it so I told to please find out and call me back with the answer, he told me or you can wait and ask the Festival people at the Festival, um, no that is unacceptable. I finally got a supervisor who was able to find out from dining that since the parties are different days and they were having trouble in the beginning that they just used 830 as a generic time but it did indeed start at 8 pm and that was the time I was permitted to enter the area. Why oh why can't all the cast members have the same info?

 

[Biceratops]

I think it would be fun if the F&W MagicBand had the sound of Mickey Mouse saying "Bottoms Up!" when you scan it.

I finally got a supervisor who was able to find out from dining that since the parties are different days and they were having trouble in the beginning that they just used 830 as a generic time but it did indeed start at 8 pm and that was the time I was permitted to enter the area. Why oh why can't all the cast members have the same info?

Doesn't the show start at 9?

 

[Tozzie]

I think it would be fun if the F&W MagicBand had the sound of Mickey Mouse saying "Bottoms Up!" when you scan it.




Doesn't the show start at 9?

Yes but the dessert party starts at 8

 

[jerseygal]

[

I am considering booking ONE of these and having dh and I sharing the 8 credits. The only thing holding me back is the "exclusions". We're already going to have the DDP which will leave us 6 snack credits each to use for food items.....I really don't care about the seat for the concert.....I'm assuming we'll get some sort of arm band or something for that? I could pay that forward to someone..... The pin might be a fun thing to have, commerating the anniversary and all. REally it boils down to those exclusions for the credits.....looking at previous years drink menus and several of those are credit worthy

Considering the fact that there are EXCLUSIONS and the average price on this sampler per food or drink is $7.38 before tax,$7.86 after tax, IMO unless you are dying to have priority seating to the 6:45 Eat to the Beat show and a pin, this is not such a "DEAL"! Would rather graze,have no restrictions and not be tied to a specific TIME for Eat to the Beat or have to consume 8 "samplers" in one day.

 

[minie_meese]

We have a 6 yr old DS who will be along. Plan to hit F&W lunchish each day. Does that sound like a good strategy? Anyone else bring younger kids before & have tips? DS is a patient kid & well mannered but he has his limits. Watching mom & dad eat for hours on end (my preference) will probably stretch them

We have taken our 2 granddaughters with us a number of times starting when they were in pre-school and they had a great time. Like you we went at lunchtime most days and when they got tired we'd head back to our hotel. Most days we were there till at least late afternoon. One of the girls loved to try the different foods. It is certainly not going to be the same with kids as if it were just adults but we all enjoyed it.

November should be a little cooler to be there during the day. Kids will have their limits with just food and drinks so we paced things and made sure to do some things other than just stopping at the food kiosks. Both girls loved to stop at each of the countries to do mask decorating while we enjoyed food and drinks from the kiosks. If there was entertainment like the drummers in Japan we'd stop and watch. Neither were into characters so we never waited in the lines for them We also made sure to stop and do something in Future World like the aquarium or Spaceship Earth (the past few times we've gotten fast passes here). As they got older we made it a point to get fast passes for Test Track which is right next to the Festival Pavilion.The past few times they also enjoyed doing the Phineas and Ferb Agent P's World Showcase Adventure. It's funny this year we are going and the girls will not be with us. They are very disappointed they have to miss this year's festival.

 

[TDC Nala]

[

Considering the fact that there are EXCLUSIONS and the average price on this sampler per food or drink is $7.38 before tax,$7.86 after tax, IMO unless you are dying to have priority seating to the 6:45 Eat to the Beat show and a pin, this is not such a "DEAL"! Would rather graze,have no restrictions and not be tied to a specific TIME for Eat to the Beat or have to consume 8 "samplers" in one day.

I agree it did not look to me like a deal, which is why I didn't buy it. But I can easily consume 8 samplers in one day (remember some of them can be beverages) and it's not that big a deal having to go to a certain ETTB show. They're not long. Tax is generally included in the kiosk prices, they don't add on tax afterward.

I'm not interested in the pin, but pin collectors might be.

We don't know what the exclusions are, but I'm guessing at least the $35 glass of Dom Perignon and the beverage flights. I can't see them having any food exclusions unless they have new food items that cost a lot more than usual.

 

[NoMoneyThanks2Disney]

Can anyone confirm or deny for me if it's okay to bring food and drink into the theatre area where the Eat to the Beat concerts are? I thought it was an outside area and wouldn't be a problem, but wanted to confirm. TIA!

 

[River Country]

I bought the sampler based on my family's performance at the F&W last year. I think 4 of us spent $200 between food and alcohol, which is about $50/head. I found value in it for my family. The Concert reserved seat is a nice touch and I like the pin. To each his own

 

[SarahInMN]

Just got a call from someone with Disney. He booked my culinary demonstration that was part of my Premium Package reservation. He only gave me the option of booking a 2 p.m. beverage or the 5 p.m. culinary demo. He said it had to be Monday through Thursday of that week. Also, he confirmed (if you want to call it that) that my Dessert party would be the date of my existing reservation.

We did not get a call asking us to book but I called pro-actively after reading posts here. I have now booked a deminar but the cast member is now asking me what night I want to book the dessert party for. I explained what their website says, etc and she is now telling we are supposed to select the night of the dessert party.

I have this fear they are going to book us for the dessert party on the night of our BOG dinner reservations which would tick me off to no end.

She is now checking with her manager. Edited: Manager confirms what the website says: the dessert party is the night your package is booked for.

 

[ksromack]

Do we have a visual on the pin itself? I never considered myself a pin collector but that being said.....I sure do have a lot of pins.