Saturdays at Epcot during F&W

[Ashley Marie]

Just how bad are they? I know locals are more likely to come out to F&W on a Saturday.

More concerned about ride wait times than lines at the food booths, but obviously a major difference in crowds would affect both...

 

[BrianL]

It will be busy, though I don't think it has a huge impact on the ride lines. World Showcase will be packed though, and even making it around the lagoon will take forever. Rides in Future World may have a bit longer of a wait time, but they are not mobbed. Soarin' and Test Track will see the most action of course. In WS, Frozen will be mobbed and even the Three Caballeros could have a significant line (that does move very fast though).

 

[gharter]

the few times we have been there on a Saturday, I didn't notice a big difference in ride wait times. It was when WS opened that the crowds seemed to show up later afternoon and into the evening.
For F&W, I think most of the locals are there for F&W, not the rides.

 

[OneinThree]

Just how bad are they? I know locals are more likely to come out to F&W on a Saturday.

More concerned about ride wait times than lines at the food booths, but obviously a major difference in crowds would affect both...

From someone with much "local" experience, locals will ride the attractions, but generally won't stand in a long line for them. The impact they have during F&W on Sat nights has more to do with er, making a mess of WS, sadly.

 

[DespinaVictoria]

Hijacking the thread...Just recently moved to FL & want to go to F&W for the first time. Best month / day of the week to go? Only interested in the booths not rides since I go frequently. TIA!!

 

[Gentry2004]

Hijacking the thread...Just recently moved to FL & want to go to F&W for the first time. Best month / day of the week to go? Only interested in the booths not rides since I go frequently. TIA!!

Avoid the beginning and the end of F&W, and go on a Mon-Thu.

 

[mikebb]

If we're doing F&W on a Friday or Saturday, we try to get there early in the day and get out before 5-6pm. After that and the crowds become unreasonable (and more "adult"). We haven't noticed a huge impact on ride wait times vs. other days of the week or time of the year.

 

[jaysmom4285]

When we've been there for F&W, we make it a point to have lunch in the WS by snacking at the various food kiosks. If you get to the WS early, around 11-11:30, you'll almost have the place to yourself and can check out the food booths at your leisure. If you must go on a weekend, use that tactic. Weekend late afternoons and evenings are a crowded mess that is best avoided. Weekdays are much more tolerable.

 

[JB212]

We ended up in Epcot last October on a Saturday during F&W and it started off ok but around 1pm there was a huge surge into World Showcase. We were half laughing, half horrified, it looked like an actual zombie hoard coming towards us. So we left and went to swim at the hotel.
In November we went on a Friday during F&W and it was busy but manageable.

 

[jerseygal]

We avoid Fridays and Saturdays exclusively, plan all of our F&W trips that way. Sometimes we will go to F&W on a Sunday, but early as others have said, we hit the food booths early! ENJOY!

 

[ars0525]

Hijacking the thread...Just recently moved to FL & want to go to F&W for the first time. Best month / day of the week to go? Only interested in the booths not rides since I go frequently. TIA!!

I usually go early in the festival & a Sunday. Yes it will be warmer temps, but less people. I go at RD for the rides so I am walking into WS about 11:30am to start at booths. I am not a drinker at WDW so I am just there for the food part.

Took a BF one year--we went Sunday in September to eat at the booths & had a nice time with minimal waiting/crowds. Came back a few weekends later & he couldn't believe the long lines of people just for the food booths! I was like now you know why I said let's do it early.

 

[winthropf]

Here are pictures from Saturday and Tuesday of my October 2016 trip. I will let you be the judge.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

The locals aren't there to do the rides. Won't be much difference at those. But there will be long lines for every food or drink sales point (not just the booths) and large crowds in World Showcase from about 1-2 PM on. Unless there is bad weather.

 

[heidijanesmith]

Here are pictures from Saturday and Tuesday of my October 2016 trip. I will let you be the judge.

Totally agree with above! The pics say it all. Avoid Fri and Sat at all costs.

 

[ClapYourHands]

How are Sundays? We'll be there the first weekend of November, and mostly interested in the rides, though I'm sure the kids will want to see illuminations.

 

[winthropf]

Sundays are not as bad as Saturday unless the Saturday was a rainout. Rides are not impacted by the locals coming for F&W. Illuminations should not be impacted by locals since they will be going to work on Monday morning.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

The last 2 years we did a weekdays and Sundays and they were both great! My 6 year old at the time wanted to go back to Epcot on a Friday while my wife and our little one went back to the Contemporary. Big HUGE mistake! It was not fun. At all. We ended up leaving WS and riding Figment and Nemo and they were walk ons. The next night again she wanted to go ride TT so I figured Saturday can't be as bad as Friday was. Oh how wrong I was! But I will say this. We grabbed a bite at a booth and were standing at a table and a really nice couple asked to join us. We forgot about the crowds while we got to meet new people and enjoy some great food. They were all about my daughter, asking her all about her favorite rides and such.

 

[emi6891]

Those pictures say it all. Saturday afternoons are very crowded and lines for food can get very long. Unless they run out of a certain food item, the food lines do tend to move fairly quickly though. If you are planning for a Saturday, I recommend going early in the day and looking at the menus ahead of time to plan what you want to eat the most. Disney Food Blog is a good source for full menus with prices, pictures and reviews. If I recall correctly, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean booths seemed to build much longer lines, so try to hit those earlier in the day. Also be aware that some booths have 2 sides to order and pay and depending on the direction you are coming from, the line may be shorter on the other side.

 

[joyjoy]

Here are some pics of WS during F&W 2017. This is 9 September, the day before Irma hit. All the food booths were open with NOBODY in the park. It was bizarre. Cast Members were standing outside Le Cellier begging us to come in. I don't want to ever have it happen again, but it certainly was a unique experience.

 

[tinkerbella16]

We arrive on the last Saturday of F&W 11/10, and we are going to Epcot that afternoon/evening. We will use our FP's in FW, then we have a dinner ADR at Teppan Edo and then we plan on heading out right after. I am anticipating big crowds that night. I plan on taking a Friendship Boat across the lagoon so we don't have to walk all the way around to Japan.