Food and wine festival planning help!

[Keith]

Ive always wanted to be at EPCOT For the food and wine festival but somehow our dates have just never worked out that way, until this year

FINALLY this year we'll be there at the right time so I'm really looking forward to it

Thing is, I'm also a bit overwhelmed! They sent out the booklet with all the events and there seems to be so much on!

IVe no real idea where to start because we'll have to move other things around to do things that are really worth doing at the festival.

So I thought I'd ask if anyone who's been in the past has any recommendations? things to definitely go to? things to miss? Things to book in advance and so on?

If I had to express a preference to help assess the best events for me, I'm more interested in the wine tastings, vineyard lectures etc than I Would be trying LOADS of different foods (though I'd like to try a bit I guess!).

What about the party for the senses? worth it?

Any and all ideas would be very welcome

[Slowhand]

I just enjoy walking around World Showcase to visit the additional countries who haven`t got a permanent location at Epcot... Ireland, Bulgaria etc.etc..
You can sample food from most [if not all] of those countries for around $5 or so.
Beware though the portions are not large and if you eat your way around the World, you can easily spend a fortune!!!

[Keith]

ooo ok so a much around the world kinda experience?

What about the wine tasting etc? Are they just walk up, pay and try a few or are there more organised events?

[Slowhand]

Although I`m quite a wine tippler Keith, oddly enough I`ve never been to the wine tasting sessions.
Many of the "new" countries have wine from their region where you can just "walk up and pay up" as you say.
From memory, there is an organised wine tasting though which takes place in the buildings just behind Spaceship Earth [can`t think of their name right now] but as I said, I`ve never done it yet.

[Keith]

oo ok thanks! Well it all sounds fun

[uscwest]

Keith, I couldn't begin to explain all the different things that go on. When are you going? There are usually a couple of different places where you can pay $5 - $ 10 and sample a handful of different wines. Though pricey ($135/pp) the Party for the Senses to us is well worth it. Sometimes we manage to go to two of them during our stay. This time we will only be doing 1 however. We have never done one of the special dinners however. There are LOTS of different foods around the world show case and when we go we normally don't make an ADR that day or those days as we normally do multiple days to try and get it all in.

[Tink]

Since it is your first time going, I'd think carefully about spending any extra on the ticketed events. We were sorely disappointed in the Party for the Senses that we attended.

There are about 30 or so food/wine/beer booths to choose from throughout the world showcase. You pay for your samples of course. They are changing it up this year from what I've heard, so there are (supposedly) no free wine seminars anymore. You'll need to pay for those. I don't know if we will. We'll take a look at the listing and see if any interest us.

One thing that we will do, if Andrea Immer (master sommelier) is there leading a seminar we'll attend. She is fabulous. (I think she's remarried and her last name may now be Robinson)?

Resign yourself to the fact that you will spend a fortune. If you only try the wines, or if you try wine and food, regardless-you will spend a fortune.

Eat to the Beat Concerts can be fun. Check out who is on when you are there and you may want to go and see them. I find it more fun to watch the audience. Depending upon the group, the audience transforms before your very eyes. You can see them shedding the years and returning to uni days, or high school days... pay attention to the teens who may be with their parents. They look horrified.

If you do choose to do a ticketed event, be certain that you understand what it is you are buying. Some of the descriptions are a little confusing sometimes and those events are not cheap.

Enjoy the FWF. It's a great time to be in the World Showcase!

[Keith]

Keith, I couldn't begin to explain all the different things that go on. When are you going? There are usually a couple of different places where you can pay $5 - $ 10 and sample a handful of different wines. Though pricey ($135/pp) the Party for the Senses to us is well worth it. Sometimes we manage to go to two of them during our stay. This time we will only be doing 1 however. We have never done one of the special dinners however. There are LOTS of different foods around the world show case and when we go we normally don't make an ADR that day or those days as we normally do multiple days to try and get it all in.

Thanks John! We'll be there late oct, early november. Sounds good! Is the party for the senses just somewhere special to watch eat to the beat then a meal and is the meal a set menu??

[Keith]

Since it is your first time going, I'd think carefully about spending any extra on the ticketed events. We were sorely disappointed in the Party for the Senses that we attended.

There are about 30 or so food/wine/beer booths to choose from throughout the world showcase. You pay for your samples of course. They are changing it up this year from what I've heard, so there are (supposedly) no free wine seminars anymore. You'll need to pay for those. I don't know if we will. We'll take a look at the listing and see if any interest us.

Right! ok interesting. Well I love trying different wines so perhaps I'll just wander round and do those wine passport things for $20?

One thing that we will do, if Andrea Immer (master sommelier) is there leading a seminar we'll attend. She is fabulous. (I think she's remarried and her last name may now be Robinson)?

ah yes I've seen her name (Robinson now as you say). She's doing a few things I believe

Resign yourself to the fact that you will spend a fortune. If you only try the wines, or if you try wine and food, regardless-you will spend a fortune.

sure, can quite imagine that nevertheless, it's a time we don't usually visit so I'd like to make the most of it

If you do choose to do a ticketed event, be certain that you understand what it is you are buying. Some of the descriptions are a little confusing sometimes and those events are not cheap.

yes I must admit that's why I've asked here. Although the booklet is huge, there really isn't an awful lot of detail as to what extra there is in the ticketed events

[Tink]

The wine flights or walk abouts as they are sometimes called are fun and they do give you the chance to try more than one at a go.

There is usually one in the Australia exhibit. Some others elsewhere, depending upon what is going to be done this coming season. They sometimes change things at the last minute.

You'll have a great time regardless of what you choose to do. It's a busy time with loads of choices.

I don't know how they are going to do the food demonstrations this year. Last year there were loads of complaints about a certain group holding the front of the line for every demonstration. (And I do mean every!). WDW is supposedly trying to put something in place to prevent that from happening again this year. We'll see.