First time at Food and Wine

[luvkatiebug]

My sister and I will be taking an adult only trip to Food and Wine in October, and I was just wondering the time frame for tickets and such. We will probably book a hotel late spring (once our school calendars come out for next year), and I didn't know when the tickets went on sale for things. What do we need to buy tickets for?

We may also do the MNSSHP while we are there. Same question, when should we purchase? Thanks. So very excited to do this. :mickey:

[Lindslou]

I'm trying to remember exactly when the tickets for events open up (I went 2 years ago and 3 years ago) but I'm thinking it was maybe 60 - 90 days out from when the F&W festival begins. You need no tickets to enjoy the festival booths (other than your park admission). If you want to do a separate ticketed event (culinary demonstrations, wine seminars, cheese seminars, food and beverage pairing meals) there will be a separate charge. These go from very affordable (we did a culinary demonstration including a meal for $15 or $20) to very expensive (truffle meals etc go for $200pp). Make sure you get your passport (free) so that you can track the foods and beverages you try along the way and get your passport "stamped." DH has a goal of getting a passport at every booth every time we go! Keep checking the F&W Festival website for updates on when tickets will become available. or check in with me... I'm going this fall as well (also an adult only trip) so we'll be obsessively seeking this information come spring as well.

[VWL Mom]

Lindslou gave you some great info. Last year the F&Wdates were officially announced on Jan 17th. I know the events were announced late last year but now sure when, events started booking on July 30th. The MNSSHP dates were announced Feb 25th and tickets went on sale April 8th.

[cer]

We went to the 2015 Food and Wine Festival for the first time on the very last day of the festival.

One of the things I found to be extremely beneficial to me was I went online (I think it was on the Disney Food Blog) and researched each booth and the food offerings of each. They had excellent descriptions and pictures of the offerings. It was very thorough. I made a list of each of the booths that I thought would have food we'd enjoy and I listed each food. It worked well for us.

Another thing, depending on how you like to 'do' Disney, we were there right at 11 when the booths opened and also went on a weekday in order to avoid the crowds. We got all we wanted done and were out of there by 2-ish in order to avoid the influx of locals who might show up after work for happy hour and dinner.

We did not do any of the paid events, so I cannot comment on that, but we really enjoyed the booths.

If you have a Disney Chase Visa, make sure you go to the Chase Lounge located in the American Pavilion during the festival for a nice break and a cool place to sit down, have something to drink and take a restroom break.

[VWL Mom]

DFB just posted the Food and Wine dates as Sept 23 - Nov 14.

[luvkatiebug]

Thanks so much for the great info. I will be checking back later for specific event dates so My sister and I can see what we might want to see. I have never been during this time and I am so excited!

[Lindslou]

Thanks so much for the great info. I will be checking back later for specific event dates so My sister and I can see what we might want to see. I have never been during this time and I am so excited!

It's the best time of year to go! Not crazy hot but still hot. Food and Wine Festival, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, crowds are relatively low! Love that time of year at WDW.

[PETE FROM NYC]

MNSSHP ticket on sale in May.; Food and wine, too many drunks.

[WiltonJohn]

DFB just posted the Food and Wine dates as Sept 23 - Nov 14.

I am trying to get a firm answer from Disney about the dates for the 2016 F+W Festival... but everyone I've talked to there is saying that the dates will not be released until the middle to end of March. Not good for our vacation planning needs.

Does ANYONE have actual "from Disney" dates for the start and end (not the daily schedule offereings or anything like that)?

best,

..................john

[missouridisney]

We went first week of November this past year, my two daughters first time. We went on the weekend AWFUL so crowded you couldn't walk around. Lines were so long you couldn't get anything to eat. I think it was a marathon weekend. It was definitely nit enjoyable. So I would try to avoid the weekend.

[BrerGnat]

I am trying to get a firm answer from Disney about the dates for the 2016 F+W Festival... but everyone I've talked to there is saying that the dates will not be released until the middle to end of March. Not good for our vacation planning needs.

Does ANYONE have actual "from Disney" dates for the start and end (not the daily schedule offereings or anything like that)?

best,

..................john

No. They have not been officially released yet. When they are, we will post them on the site.

[MNNHFLTX]

Another thing, depending on how you like to 'do' Disney, we were there right at 11 when the booths opened and also went on a weekday in order to avoid the crowds. We got all we wanted done and were out of there by 2-ish in order to avoid the influx of locals who might show up after work for happy hour and dinner.
I think this is the number one piece of advice that should be heeded for the Food and Wine Festival. It doesn't matter if it's a weekday or weekend; the crowds are astronomical after 4 p.m. It is hard to walk around, let alone brave the lines for food and drink. Hit Epcot early and then head to another park or back to the resort after 3 p.m.