Quick visit to Food and Wine, opening weekend

[Tink]

Oh! My! GOSH!!!! Can you say busy??

We arrived at EPCOT before noon. The place was as busy as we've ever seen in on a non-Christmas season weekend. Jammed in Future World!

We stopped by the Festival Center in Future World before heading to the World Showcase. Nothing new, and nothing remarkable here this year.

Basic offerings of wine, cookbooks, and other festival related merchandise. If you've not been before, stop by and have a look. The poster this year is a low key three empty wine bottles...not exciting, but appropriate to the purpose. We liked the glass counter saver with the image better than the poster.

There is a little booth here where you can get some wine selections and light food selections.

We headed to the World Showcase and the queues were already pretty impressive! Donald and Daisy "greet" you on the crossover.

Today was just a nosey around day for us. We'll be returning the last weekend of October for our "official" stay.

We did sample some escargot from France. It was properly buttery and garlicy and luscious. Three for less than $5. We'll be back!

We also tried the Korean booth. Last year we loved the lettuce wraps. This year, not so much. Herself liked them quite a bit, but I found them less tasty than last year. They have bulgogi this year (beef barbecue) instead of the short ribs. This is an improvement. It would have been nicer if it were served hot.

Italy FINALLY is offering something other than pizza. Nothing too remarkable, but at least it's a bit of a change from previous years.

The pulled pork from Hawaii smelled lovely. We'll try that at the official visit.

Germany was having beer problems. This is a serious issue! The usual large selection of beer on offer at the US pavilion is not there this year. Sam Adams seems to have completely pulled out. So, one of the two areas to get a good selection of beer options is Germany. They couldn't keep their kegs from kicking, and those that were up and running were not the beers that most people wanted. Also, the workers here seemed to be the most challenged of the festival. Extremely slow moving and completely uniformed as to their product. Guests were telling them how to pull a beer, and giving them information on what beer is which. "No, that's not an amber. An amber isn't black..." Those were the sorts of comments you heard.

I imagine all will be righted as the festival moves into full swing. There are always some problems to work out.

China was a very popular booth, as was Mexico.

Mostly we simply strolled and took it all in. It was a beautiful day with absolutely no humidity, full sunshine, breeze and about 80˚. Could not have asked for a better day.

The dessert booth didn't have anything too impressive. Mousse by any other name is still mousse (and boring as far as I'm concerned). Brazil has some interesting choices.

Greece finally has something to offer other than spanikopita and Greek salad! YAY!!!

All in all a good nosey around day. Stay tuned for a more complete report (and maybe some photos!) toward the end of this month.

[Britchick]

looking forward to it! why do you think it's so busy?

[catrancher]

We did sample some escargot from France. It was properly buttery and garlicy and luscious. Three for less than $5. We'll be back!

Oh, lordy! I'll take several helpings thank you.
At least I know I won't have to share. Just the thought of them makes my DW throw up just a little bit.

Sam Adams seems to have completely pulled out.

No Boston Lager? Say it ain't so!
A day without Sam is a day without sunshine!

Tom (... quick. Back to my refrigerator. I know there's some Sam Adams in there!)

[Tink]

It's busy Brit because it's the opening weekend of Food and Wine and the 40th anniversary at MK. (Another park that was JAMMED)!

Each weekend through the end of the Food and Wine festival will be very busy. It should be peaceful and quiet during the week though. That's why most visitors go during the week, leaving the chaos of the weekends to the locals!

Tom, we love escargot. Even the boy! He calls them those "little bread things with the garlic..." LOLOL.

Today is the perfect day to go weather wise, which is why we'll avoid it. It's just about 72˚ right now so everyone and their brother will be out.

[Slowhand]

Thanks for the roving report Tink.
I so wish that we could make it to the F&WF this year but it now seems very unlikely that we will.

It must be great to be living on the doorstep so that you can come and go as you please....I am so envious.

[Tink]

For things like the Food and Wine festival, living here really is a treat. We can stop by for a taste of two or three booths on a given day/evening and then move on to come back another day...

When Herself's Da was alive he used to call us and say, "Yeah, but did you have YOUR dinner at EPCOT?" LOL. He loved to go for a bite here and there during the weeks of the festival.

So sorry to hear you won't be able to make it over! Hope all is well with you and Mrs. Slowhand.

[Johnie]

We were there Fri. It was fairly quiet till 4 the it got crazy. The ribeye taco in Mexico was my favorite.

MK was an absolute madhouse yesterday.