Food And Wine newbee

[mrs.jacksparrow]

Hi,

I have no idea what this Food and Wine is. I have never been interested in it. But here I am going to be in EPCOT On Wednesday November 6th from 11 am till closing.

Do we need extra tickets to attend? Are there tents? Are there ways to buy food cards? ARe the beer and wine areas seperate? Is it more croweded at night or at lunch?
Does it effect the ride cues at all? Does it effect the atmosphere of the park???

ARe there things for kids to do if we attend?

I am sorry for all the questions but I have absolutely no idea about this event, all the years reading this website I never glanced at anything about F&W becuase it did not interest me. I tried to seach on line and nothing mentions hours, or price or where exactly it is held etc etc.

I want to know so we can get excited!!!!!!! you know......When in Rome! :mickey:

[Capt_redshirt]

Do we need extra tickets to attend?
There is no need to have tickets for the food booths. but if you wanted to see some of the chefs talk or some of the parties you may need to pay.
Are there tents?
There are booths all around the world showcase full of food options.
Are there ways to buy food cards?
yes they offer a mini gift card thats on spring lanyard that you can load up. you can also use cash credit and disney dining snack points
ARe the beer and wine areas seperate?
the beer and wine are available at each countries area. there is also a wine and beer booth as well.
Is it more croweded at night or at lunch?
Its more crowded on the weekends and towards the evening when people are out of work.
Does it effect the ride cues at all?
No they have it set up so its not really in the world pavilions its designed perfectly.
Does it effect the atmosphere of the park???
Honestly i think it makes it better.
ARe there things for kids to do if we attend?
Well kinda.... they can enjoy the food if they like to try new things but the only real thing thats different is the cranberry bogs by ocean spray.

[SBETigg]

It affects the atmosphere in WS in that it can be incredibly crowded and hard to get around. A lot of people prefer not to bring small children to WS around evening hours because the crowds are up and there is drinking, more than usual. Though I can't say it gets bad, some people have mentioned the the number of people imbibing does make them uncomfortable. The alcohol is a big part of the F & W experience. The food samples alone, though, make it worth a visit, and it's not bad at all earlier in the day on weekdays. In general, the atmosphere is more party-like than usual around WS.

It does affect the queues in that crowds tend to be up and rides can have longer waits. Especially Maelstrom seems to have a much longer wait than usual during F & W Fest but the F & W crowds do sometimes affect waits in FW too.

There are a number of extra kiosks(Food and Wine booths) set up all around WS (which you can see on various websites if you Google). Typically, you get in line at a booth, order, pay, then go to a window with your receipt to collect what you ordered, then go find a place to eat it at one of the number of tables set up (usually tall meant for standing to eat or drink) around WS.

[Polynesian Dweller]

We've gone every year since F&W started and will again this year. Friday night through Sunday mid afternoon are the only times we've seen it very busy and would suggest avoiding Saturday altogether. Lots of smaller kids around and enjoying themselves. We too find that other than the times above the atmosphere is better around WS.

One thing about the F&W gift cards for food. They are just another Disney gift card and can be used anywhere on property that accept Disney gift cards including paying off your room.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

The F&W fest is an amazing experience if you are a bit adventurous, food wise. We don't have kids, but by far prefer the day crowd. I prefer my Disney experience sans the party/barfy atmosphere and we found, at night, that there were waaay too many drunk, loud guests for our taste.

To each their own . . .

[JerseyDad]

The F&W fest is an amazing experience if you are a bit adventurous, food wise. We don't have kids, but by far prefer the day crowd. I prefer my Disney experience sans the party/barfy atmosphere and we found, at night, that there were waaay too many drunk, loud guests for our taste.

To each their own . . .

.....exactly ....the KEY is to be adventurous!! It's a great opportunity to try foods that you may never otherwise have a chance to taste ...and based on my many F&W visits ...all were delicious.

[greengeen]

I wouldn't dream of doing Epcot 11am to closing during F&W (or ever, really). I would do F&W in the World Showcase from 11am until about 1pm, before the drunks show up. I'd take a three hour break at my resort, swimming or napping, and then either 1) go to another park, like Hollywood Studios, and stay for dinner or 2) go to Future World at Epcot and stay until Illuminations, but avoid the World Showcase. People just get obnoxiously drunk later in the day. I seriously wish Disney would do something about that.

[Pirate Granny]

There are free passports that the kids can get stamped at each both. We didn't find that many drunks...

[mrs.jacksparrow]

Thanks for all the input!!! We will be doing the ALL day thing...but hey you only live once!

[DonaldDuckUSA]

Honestly, I've never seen THAT many drunk people. I've seen people talking about getting drunk, but I've never seen anyone act offensively, but that's up to opinion and experience I suppose.

I have overheard girlfriends telling their boyfriends to slow down, which is always hilarious to me.

Also, I thought they shut down the booths several hours before park closing? Sure, people may keep drinking afterwards, but at least then it's somewhat contained and off the general loop around WS.

I haven't had any terrible experiences. We LOVE the food and wine festival, but I echo everyone else when saying it's best on Sundays and weekdays. We enjoy ourselves more when the Florida residents (like ourselves!) aren't there. Also, we try to get in when WS opens. The lines are shorter.

[SBETigg]

Also, I thought they shut down the booths several hours before park closing? Sure, people may keep drinking afterwards, but at least then it's somewhat contained and off the general loop around WS.

To my experience, the F & W booths are open until regular park closing, but are not open during EMH.

[NJGIRL]

We have been going to food and wine for years, we were at the first one and almost every year since . IMO the past couple of years has made me not so fond of the festival.

First off the World Show Case is unbelievable crowded from 5:00 PM on, even during the week. On Saturday and Sunday (starting when they open at 11:00 am) the crowds are so big it is hard to get around. It is wall to wall people.

The festival attracts a lot of what I call "drinking groups". People in these groups wear the same shirts and travel to each booth together. Since they stay close to their group this clogs up walkways too.

All of the above I can deal with, but the one thing I have been seeing is a lot of drunk people. I have seen people being overly loud and using very bad words in front of kids. People throwing trash in the gardens. Two years ago I saw a drunk getting sick by in a flower bed by Germany. I have never seen Disney security step up to control the situations. I have even seen it spill over into a restaurant before.

I'm all for a good time and will have a couple of drinks, but I just don't want to deal with that kind of behavior at Disney. We are paying too much to get into the parks and only have a limited amount of time on vacation and fighting through crowds of people who have had too much to drink is not so appealing anymore.

Like any event, when it becomes popular, it attracts more people. I feel this event has grown and it is an "anything goes" atmosphere with some people.


We are only spending one day in EPCOT this next trip and plan on staying in Future World most of the day and only going into the World Showcase for our dinner reservation.

BTW I used to be one of the biggest supporters of this event. It was fun and the Eat to the Beat is a favorite of mine, but it has changed through the years and I don't believe for the better.

[Dsnygirl]

It looks like your questions were well answered, so all I will add is that I think you will love it!!

Because you are going on a Wednesday evening, I don't think you will have to deal with the crazy crowds that hit on the wknds, nor the amount of crazy drinking that happens on those wknd nights. (Although I have to say, we've been there MANY wknd nights, and although you might be aware of a few that have had a few too many, I've never experienced any over-the-top drunken people, or anyone acting loud or obnoxious... just a bit more lively, ya know?)

The ambience is great... very festive, very different than your "normal" Epcot night. We enjoy it a great deal, and wish we could go every year!! The food is wonderful, and it is by far one of the most unique things to do at Disney!