During Food & Wine festival do you skip TS at Epcot?

[forever a child]

I have never been in Epcot while the food & wine festival was going on. Are there enough "sampler" type food choices that you skip booking a TS meal? By "sampler" I mean small portions...I didn't expect any free food at Disney, LOL. I just mean can I try a bunch of the different types of food and fill up, thus avoiding the need for a TS. And are there a lot of great choices that would justify me wanting to try the different foods INSTEAD of getting a TS.

What should I expect? Would I still want to book a TS regardless? Just not sure what the choices will be. Any advise welcome!

[WDWRox]

I've been there several times during the Food & Wine festival and I can't recall seeing any food stations that you didn't have to pay for. I naturally tend to steer clear of World Showcase anyway unless I'm heading over to a dinner or lunch. The walkways get pretty packed with people, and if it's raining.....it's miserable.

[forever a child]

I've been there several times during the Food & Wine festival and I can't recall seeing any food stations that you didn't have to pay for.

I don't think I was very clear in my posting...by "sampler" I meant small portions...I didn't expect any free food at Disney, LOL. I just mean can I try a bunch of the different types of food and fill up, thus avoiding the need for a TS. And are there a lot of great choices that would justify me wanting to try the different foods INSTEAD of getting a TS.

Sorry about not being very clear. I just edited my post to clarify.

[WDWRox]

Oops, my bad. I don't think I'd skip the TS if I were you. There are a number of different food and drink carts all throughout WS, but I wouldn't use them as a substitute for a meal.

[VWL Mom]

Here is a link for the 2010 menus to give you an idea of the offerings:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/special-events/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival/marketplace/

We tend to spend the afternoon trying sharing some of the items and slowly make our way around. We then have dinner around 7P but IMO you could very well start later in the day and forego dinner if its only adults involved.

BTW, most offerings this year ranged from $4 - $7.

[retiredfigment]

We went to the F&W this year. We did not do a TS and did not miss it at all. It was fun to try only the different foods. Most were a nice portion and my DD and I split them so we could try alot.

[WishesFan13]

I think if you're an adventurous eater you will be able to make a meal at the kiosks. That's actually what dh and I are planning to do next year since we ate at so many different places last time. You may find long lines depending on the time of day so don't wait until you're too hungry before you start your line waiting.

[Melanie]

Oh yes, I definitely think there is enough foods to enjoy and therefore not do a TS meal. That's all the fun of going during F&WF, in my opinion.

[BugeyedMuggy]

We have found such a variety of foods we have always had to cancel our ressies for dinner because we were too full for a TS. You may get hungry later in the evening and can do food court that nite.

[DisneyFr33k]

We only go during the F&W Festival and have been over half a dozen time so far. What we do is eat a very light breakfast or no breakfast at all. We've been on the dining plan, so we use ALL our snack credits sampling items at the food kiosks around the WS. We do this as soon as they open - 11-11:30am and count this as our lunch. The portions can vary in size depending on what you are trying, but they do have pictures of them before you order. We always fill up doing this and have a 6 or 7pm TS lined up for dinner. We print the list (posted online) of menus of what will be offered at each kiosk ahead of time so we know which ones we want to stop and try. I'll stop now, I could talk for hours about this, so PM me if you have any questions.

[dmallan]

We only go during the F&W Festival and have been over half a dozen time so far. What we do is eat a very light breakfast or no breakfast at all. We've been on the dining plan, so we use ALL our snack credits sampling items at the food kiosks around the WS. We do this as soon as they open - 11-11:30am and count this as our lunch. The portions can vary in size depending on what you are trying, but they do have pictures of them before you order. We always fill up doing this and have a 6 or 7pm TS lined up for dinner. We print the list (posted online) of menus of what will be offered at each kiosk ahead of time so we know which ones we want to stop and try. I'll stop now, I could talk for hours about this, so PM me if you have any questions.

This is what we do as well. Use our snack credits for tastes at lunch time, and then book a TS meal at 7 or 8. It worked out quite well for us last year.

[TheVBs]

We're hoping to do the same, try the booths in place of a meal. I figured if the DDs aren't interested in enough there to fill them up, we can always pick them up something extra at a CS. Would lunch be a better time to do this, rather than dinner?

[dmallan]

We're hoping to do the same, try the booths in place of a meal. I figured if the DDs aren't interested in enough there to fill them up, we can always pick them up something extra at a CS. Would lunch be a better time to do this, rather than dinner?

F&W booths are definitely less crowded at lunch time.

[Melanie]

F&W booths are definitely less crowded at lunch time.

I definitely concur! Be there at opening (11am) and enjoy shorter lines until about 2pm when it starts getting crowded.

[forever a child]

I definitely concur! Be there at opening (11am) and enjoy shorter lines until about 2pm when it starts getting crowded.

That's a good plan! Sample the food for lunch and have a late TS meal. That's what I was hoping to hear. Thanks everyone...I will definitely be looking over the link with the foods available. Thanks everyone!

[TheVBs]

Thank you for the advice! We'll definitely plan this for lunch then. :mickey:

[Scar]

There are a number of different food and drink carts all throughout WS, but I wouldn't use them as a substitute for a meal.I disagree (as do many others.) Last year I was there for 3 days and ate 90% of my meals at the F&W Kiosks, literaly. This year I was there for a week and probably ate 60% of my meals there. Practically filled up my passport.

[AHOTE]

We go to Food & Wine mid October every year and we do the dining plan. We skip our TS meal that day and use that credit and do a signature dining restaurant usually on the day we arrive. We use our snack credits as we move around the World Showcase. Generally all the smaller portions are sufficient throughout the day. We share a CS meal at breakfast and if we’re still hungry at the end of the day we’ll share another CS meal or we seek out a dessert in Norway or France. We go during the week and we’ve found that Tuesday through Thursday are the least crowded. Friday after 4PM through the weekend you’ll experience heavy crowds. We’ve learned to go with the flow, we don’t rush around, we take time to enjoy all it has to offer.
:wine: :eat: :beer:

[forever a child]

We go to Food & Wine mid October every year and we do the dining plan. We skip our TS meal that day and use that credit and do a signature dining restaurant usually on the day we arrive. We use our snack credits as we move around the World Showcase. Generally all the smaller portions are sufficient throughout the day. We share a CS meal at breakfast and if we’re still hungry at the end of the day we’ll share another CS meal or we seek out a dessert in Norway or France. We go during the week and we’ve found that Tuesday through Thursday are the least crowded. Friday after 4PM through the weekend you’ll experience heavy crowds. We’ve learned to go with the flow, we don’t rush around, we take time to enjoy all it has to offer.
:wine: :eat: :beer:

Thanks for the advise. This sounds like a great plan!:mickey: