2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: August 30 to November 12, 2018

[NOLA_Tink]

I'm excited about the Sunday Brunch event while we're there! However, I'm really disappointed in the Mix It, Make It option:
Decorate Your Own Halloween Cupcakes - Trick or Treat - We're all about the treats! Learn from renowned cake master Bronwen Weber on how to decorate your own Halloween cupcakes!
Seriously, why would I want to pay $39/person to decorate a Halloween cupcake? I can use YouTube for that. LAME!! (Sorry to sound so negative; I'm really excited about the other stuff we're planning to do at F&W.)

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I just noticed that the Sunday brunches are taking place in World Showplace and not the Festival Center as they used to. I think this could be a great change and make the event feel more exclusive, which it should for $130 each. In the festival center you always had all the people lined up on the other side of the potted plants they put up as a border - watching for free, could hear the noise of people in the shop, scooters backing up, etc.

 

[pepperandchips]

The Parisian Breakfast just looks okay to me. We are planning on eating there for dinner one night anyway so we may skip that. I'm thinking we might just not do any special events and instead just enjoy the booths. I will say that the Mix It, Make it looks fun.

What are the lanyards for the booths?

We focus our trips around the booths, too. We've occasionally done special events but really what we are there for is the booths.

The lanyards you're probably thinking of are the Festival Tasting Sampler, which was $69.23 last year including tax, and come with a pin. The sampler itself is 8 coupons that you can use for most items at the booths, but as the math works out to $8.65 per coupon, you really have to watch what you're using them on. I mainly use them on the higher priced drinks like frozen alcohol slushes and champagne.

Dom perignon and drink flights have been excluded in the past. I'm not sure if the tasting sampler is coming back - haven't seen anything yet this year.

 

[ChanduTail]

I assumed private tables (and would hope so for the price) but now that you point it out, the description isn’t very clear.

I don't think it will be private tables. There's no general admission this year, which to me means the only private tables will be in the Wine View Lounge, and the rest of the seating will be at large group tables in order to accommodate everyone.

We did the Wine View Lounge in 2016 & it was a great experience, but I'm not sure it was a $349 kind of great experience. I'd rather go to V&A. However, if we were going to Party for the Senses, we would still do it. Unfortunately, the only party we can make it to is on our arrival day & that's too much of a risk.

 

[gottalovepluto]

We focus our trips around the booths, too. We've occasionally done special events but really what we are there for is the booths.

The lanyards you're probably thinking of are the Festival Tasting Sampler, which was $69.23 last year including tax, and come with a pin. The sampler itself is 8 coupons that you can use for most items at the booths, but as the math works out to $8.65 per coupon, you really have to watch what you're using them on. I mainly use them on the higher priced drinks like frozen alcohol slushes and champagne.

Dom perignon and drink flights have been excluded in the past. I'm not sure if the tasting sampler is coming back - haven't seen anything yet this year.

I think the tasting sampler info came out super close to opening last year & the details we didn’t get until people purchased them & reported back to the blogosphere.

 

[Haley R]

We focus our trips around the booths, too. We've occasionally done special events but really what we are there for is the booths.

The lanyards you're probably thinking of are the Festival Tasting Sampler, which was $69.23 last year including tax, and come with a pin. The sampler itself is 8 coupons that you can use for most items at the booths, but as the math works out to $8.65 per coupon, you really have to watch what you're using them on. I mainly use them on the higher priced drinks like frozen alcohol slushes and champagne.

Dom perignon and drink flights have been excluded in the past. I'm not sure if the tasting sampler is coming back - haven't seen anything yet this year.

Hmmm I don't drink any alcohol so I'm not sure the Tasting Sampler would be worth it for me. I would only get it for the pin and that would be an EXPENSIVE pin!

 

[FeralCatRogue]

Has anything been posted about the different world show case events such as the family meal traditions or hibachi experience?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Has anything been posted about the different world show case events such as the family meal traditions or hibachi experience?

I don’t believe so. I’m on the lookout for them...

 

[randumb0]

Is anyone going to try and book Sam's Grotto?

 

[karrit2000]

Is anyone going to try and book Sam's Grotto?

It hasn't shown up as being offered this year yet. I'd love to do it but so far it's never been offered when I'm scheduled to be there. I think the dates last year were all early in the festival. If they don't offer any of the events I normally have booked in the past I may end up finally doing the Cheese Seminars. I usually go for the Lunches and Pairings in France, Italy, Mexico, Morocco and the Parisian Breakfast. I don't do Asian so I never book the Japan events. The Signature Dining events at the other restaurants usually don't appeal to me either. PFTS was a one & done for me, too expensive and too frenzied to try and enjoy everything offered.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Thank you! Paris is my favorite city, so hoping to feel transported via Epcot! My Mom is a celiac, so hopefully at least good mimosa's for her & I can eat enough for the two of us. We'll be prepared to share a table - appreciate the insight!

Warning. There is probably nothing besides cheese she can eat. This is a bread lovers fantasy

Maybe they have some substitutes but the normal offerings are not celiac friendly

 

[Dug720]

Anyone else notice that the special F&W giftcard this year is $250 with a Lanyard and medallion. Last year it was $200 from what I have been reading

Where are you able to purchase that? I might have to budget for it!

 

[karrit2000]

Where are you able to purchase that? I might have to budget for it!

They are usually available for purchase at the Festival Center Gift Shops and at least one of the Festival Shops (the two permanent merchandise kiosks) along the central pathway between Future World & World Showcase. I don't know if any of the other "official" F & W Festival shops have them. It's supposed to be a Limited Edition type item so they don't normally sell them in too many locations.

 

[Dug720]

They are usually available for purchase at the Festival Center Gift Shops and at least one of the Festival Shops (the two permanent merchandise kiosks) along the central pathway between Future World & World Showcase. I don't know if any of the other "official" F & W Festival shops have them. It's supposed to be a Limited Edition type item so they don't normally sell them in too many locations.

Thank you!!

 

[dachsie]

Is it typical of them to announce the things they announced for booking next week and not the dinners and Parisian Breakfast events? I am worried they wont offer them I guess

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Is it typical of them to announce the things they announced for booking next week and not the dinners and Parisian Breakfast events? I am worried they wont offer them I guess

We'll probably get the information on Monday.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Is it typical of them to announce the things they announced for booking next week and not the dinners and Parisian Breakfast events? I am worried they wont offer them I guess

I feel like the only thing “typical” from year to year is feeling ill-prepared, with incomplete info, yet pressure to book. I agree with Dis_Yoda they’ll probably release the rest on Mon. I imagine they have far too much $$$ to make to give up those events.

 

[GoGoBeans]

Also...has anyone done the Sunday brunch with a chef? Our Sunday would be with Tiffani Thiessen, but I already have Cali Grill brunch booked that day and I'm not sure which would be better.

We’re there the same time is you and also have brunch at California Grill booked. While I’m tempted to do the F&W brunch because I’m a big Tiffani Amber Thiessen fan, I’m not going to do it. We did a lot of the demenairs last year and I found them lame. So while it would be neat to listen to her for 30 minutes and get a picture, it’s not worth the cost. California Grill is cheaper, brunch likely much, much better and bottomless mimosas. The F&W brunch mentions only a toast.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

The F&WF info is currently down on the WDW website, so maybe they are adding details. I hope.

We have decided not to do the cheese seminar because it starts at 9:45 AM. I love wine and cheese as much as the next guy, but not that early in the day. We are on the fence about PFTS. It really depends on what else might be happening that would be a better use of that money.

We did the Trader Sam's event last year. It was fun, but we were the last people to check in because we were stuck on the monorail. That meant we were the last ones into the Grotto and ended up at the bar. Those bar stools are easily the most uncomfortable things on the face of the earth, which made it hard to concentrate on the event. It is also a LOT of alcohol. It was a "one and done" for us. it was also really, REALLY hard to book. I called on early booking day and it wasn't available. Then on the day booking opened for everyone the system was down. I called THIRTY times that morning. Finally around noon I was able to book Sam's for the date we wanted.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We’re there the same time is you and also have brunch at California Grill booked. While I’m tempted to do the F&W brunch because I’m a big Tiffani Amber Thiessen fan, I’m not going to do it. We did a lot of the demenairs last year and I found them lame. So while it would be neat to listen to her for 30 minutes and get a picture, it’s not worth the cost. California Grill is cheaper, brunch likely much, much better and bottomless mimosas. The F&W brunch mentions only a toast.

We did Cali Grill brunch on Mother's Day and it was outstanding. I am not a Tiffani Thiessen fan so we had already decided not to do that one.