Torn between Tutto Italia and skipping restaurants altogether for F&W booths

[LucyBC80]

Right now I have a 7:30pm reservation for Tutto Italia for October 2nd but with F&W going on while I'm there I'm considering dropping it and sticking with small plates at the various booth around the World Showcase. While I have one full day and two half days at EPCOT planned and I know it's plenty of time to experience all food booths, I'm wondering if using a meal credit (I have the dxdp) at Tutto Italia will be a waste.

What are your experiences with this particular restaurant?

Plus, are they usually part of the Eat To The Beat concert package?

 

[EdmondD]

I have not been to this restaurant, but I personally really enjoy the opportunity to try numerous dishes at the Festival. I would pick that every time. Of course, if the lines are particularly long that evening you end up killing a lot of time standing in line. But my experience has been the waiting (which has always been minimal for us) is well worth the food. Plus it's just more fun to be out and walking around on a nice evening than sitting in a restaurant.

 

[brertoad]

Using a DxDP meal credit at Tutto Italia is one of my favorite ways to use the DxDP.
I really like Tutto Italia, I love their calamari, lasagna, and cannoli. I don't think it would be a waste at all.

Tutto Italia is listed for the eat to the beat concert package.

 

[djs7685]

Tutto Italia is one of my favorite meals in Epcot and F&W is always great so I'd say you can't go wrong either way, but I'd personally keep the reservation if I had 2 other half days to enjoy the F&W booths.

In my experience, the service has always been excellent at Tutto Italia with last year's waiter being one of the best out of our entire trip but that can always vary. I had a ribeye steak on my last visit and the rest of my family tried various pasta dishes and no complaints from us. The cannoli is a must for dessert!

 

[goofyintoronto]

Tutto isnt bad, but its not as good as Via Napoli for pasta and pizza in my opinion. Honestly, i'd ditch tutto for F&W in a heart beat. There's a ton of amazing food to try at F&W, its awesome. Its a lot of fun. F&W is my favorite thing about going in the fall.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Tutto will probably always be there, but how often do you get to go to the F&WF? If not much, then do the booths.

I am not sold on any Italian food that I’ve had at WDW except for Il Mulino. I’m fairly confident that I can cook anything Tutto serves, and mine will be at least 10 times better.

 

[loves to dive]

I don't do the meal plan so can't speak to that but when I'm there for F&W, the only TS meals I have are the special pairing meals during the festival. Otherwise almost all my food other than breakfast comes from the booths for the entire trip. I go to Epcot every single day of the trip for at least a few hours and have tried to get something from every booth and in 5 years of going to F&W for a week have yet to do it. I'm not a big meal portion eater so it works for me.

 

[Kae]

Sample foods. Eat to the beat you can hear without getting a seat unless its someone you really want to see.

 

[Minnesota!]

Have only done F&W one time, but I would do the booths vs. a restaurant. I like having a selection.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Sample foods. Eat to the beat you can hear without getting a seat unless its someone you really want to see.

Yes totally agree. Let me tell you, I went to see Boyz II Men in November. I love them. What a great concert! There was a HUUUUUUUGE lineup when I got there. Just massive. Epcot was so packed. I really didnt think i'd get a seat, but I got one. Up close too! My point is, be prepared for crowds if its a popular singer/group. Epcot will be so crowded. And also, if its someone you want to see, show up early! I got lucky with my seats considering i showed up 30-45 min before the show. I should've arrived earlier than that.

 

[gharter]

The last few years, we will graze for lunch and snacking around the afternoon. We will still have a later ADR about 7ish or 8 if we don't care to watch illuminations that night. This works well for us, but we also spend 3 days at EPCOT for F&W.
The food at Tutto Italia is not bad. I don't feel you would be wasting a TS credit to eat there.

 

[jillt2ph]

I am in the minority commenting here, but I just don't get the fascination with the food at the booths. I like basic food, with minimal sauces etc so not a lot of it appeals to me. And it makes me long for the days of old when you could casually stroll around World Showcase with a little space around you!

I used a DlxDP credit at Tutto Italia on a solo dinner last October and enjoyed the entire experience. TONS of food, since you start with the olives and the breadsticks, so I just went with the ceasar salad app, Chicken Parm for dinner, and then the stracciatella gelato for dessert. My server was attentive, but not overly much as they can sometimes be when you are dining alone.

 

[gharter]

I wish there were more people like you who didn't like the food at the booths, then the lines wouldn't be so long for the rest of us. Thats why choices ar good things.

 

[rosiebean]

My extended family was very underwhelmed with Tutto a few years ago. Food was just ok and service was really indifferent (in an almost empty restaurant for an early lunch). We much prefer the food booths at F&W! Have been four times and always do that over TS in Epcot now.

 

[lovin'fl]

If you are also doing 2 half days at Epcot for F&W then I say go to Tutto. But I say this as someone who has been to 5 F&W and 2 F&G events and am now past the 'gotta try every booth' phase.

 

[chuff88]

We will be at Epcot on 10/5 and we’re in a similar situation. I had book a lunch ADR for Via Napoli and ended up cancelling it in favor of eating at F&W booths all day. We are also on the DxDP and figured it would be a good way to use some credits at the end of our trip.

 

[bucky1023]

While i enjoy trying all of the different booths, i generally book at least one sit down meal while i visit during F&W. I hate that there is really no place to sit and eat you dishes and you have to stand at tall tables. After walking around all day I like to sit down in the cool and have someone serve me.

 

[DISNEY1975]

If youre young and energetic do the booths! Personally I like t TS. Waiting in lines, sometimes long, in the FL heat and standing while Im eating is just not my thing anymore. Let me sit for a moment, be waited on in the AC before my family forces me to walk another 10 miles around the lagoon!

 

[disneynanacat]

The last time we went with DxDP was during F&W. I underestimated how much we'd eat at the booths and booked dinner at Flying Fish. We showed up at Flying Fish and nobody was hungry at all. We still ordered but had to take our food to go because we just couldn't eat another bite.lol I was pretty embarrassed but the server must've been used to it because he just laughed and seemed very understanding. We pigged out on it much much later that night!lol

 

[tinabina919]

I went the same week last year and honestly the heat made it hard to try all the booths that I had planned. It was just too hard to walk around, wait on lines and eat in that heat. I think a break at a TS would be a great option, especially if you have other days planned there.

Don’t worry though, it wasn’t too hot to keep us away, we will be back the same week this year. Bringing the same list and hoping to cross a few more booths off!