Originally Posted By jlghk I learnt from the internet that International Food & Wine Festival would take place in Epcot in Oct. What is this Festival all about? a variety of cuisines/wines for the guests to choose? is that all? Whatelse would people do in this Festival?
Originally Posted By Labuda jl, you can read about it here: <a href="http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/ep/foodwine.htm" target="_blank">http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/e p/foodwine.htm</a> and on Disney's official site here: <a href="http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/calendar/specialeventslisting/eventSubListing?id=FoodWineSubListingSpecialEventPage" target="_blank">http://disneyworld.disney.go.c om/wdw/calendar/specialeventslisting/eventSubListing?id=FoodWineSubListingSpecialEventPage</a>
Originally Posted By TDLFAN This festival is EPCOT's most over rated event. Small food stands offering very small samples of food from around the World at very high prices.. Then..the alcohol aspect of it. Funny thing is..most guests have no clue about the wines or the food. Most won't know the difference between a Medoc, bordeaux, or chardonnay even after trying them!
Originally Posted By trailsend Oh, TDLFAN ~ BOO! This is a great time to go to EPCOT and for that matter, people who won't normally go anywhere near WDW, this is a great time to get them to go. It's fun, a slower pace, the environment is terrific and we have purchased some great wines.
Originally Posted By Boardwalkbum >>Funny thing is..most guests have no clue about the wines or the food. Most won't know the difference between a Medoc, bordeaux, or chardonnay even after trying them!<< Another great aspect of the F&W Festival is the opportunity to learn what the differences are between various wines, grapes, lagers, ales...etc. Tastings (which do have an additional charge in many cases and usually sell out weeks in advance) abound and not all require an surcharge. There are (in many cases) recipie cards available from the some 25-30 tasting booths which dot the world showcase. There are free culinary demonstrations several times daily. It is as trailsend put it, a terrific environment. It is a chance to sample cuisine from different cultures that most folks might not be exposed to. There are also some fantastic specialty dinners and lunches which are well woth looking into. These almost invariably are expieriences with top chefs, vinters & brewers and can be quite intimate. This year will be our 5th F&W since '00. I am glad to say that I'll actually be there for opening day this time around. There will be 15 friends from a few different parts of the country reveling there this coming weekend and on through the week. We all look forward to this every year and we have a blast. I highly reccomend this time of year for a visit, and this Festival in particular.
Originally Posted By Chelledun This year will be the first time I visit during the F & W and I'm very excited to try something new!
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>Another great aspect of the F&W Festival is the opportunity to learn what the differences are between various wines, grapes, lagers, ales...etc.<< Yes, but the percentage of guests who actually take the time to sit thru those seminars and truly learn the arts of good wines has got to be less than 1% of the folks who go to EPCOT to stuff their mouths with fu-fu food and unpronounceable wine brands. BTW... Universal also hosts their "Beer Festival" at Universal Orlando, and they seem to be more in tune with what their patrons like over there... Cerveza baby! Something that most patrons at WDW do identify with all the more. I don't fall for it nor do I care for this alcohol fest. But to those of you who are into this type of jolly merriment at Disney, then more power to you.
Originally Posted By Boardwalkbum >>Yes, but the percentage of guests who actually take the time to sit thru those seminars and truly learn the arts of good wines has got to be less than 1% of the folks who go to EPCOT to stuff their mouths with fu-fu food and unpronounceable wine brands.<< The Festival,like all things, can only be what you make of it. Participation is not mandatory. >>Universal also hosts their "Beer Festival" at Universal Orlando, and they seem to be more in tune with what their patrons like over there... Cerveza baby! Something that most patrons at WDW do identify with all the more.<< I'd say that about 70% of the booths offer a tasty, hoppy beverage. The beer festival at UO is a cool event but really, its apples and oranges. I'm not quite sure its fair to characterize the event as an "alcohol fest". Booze has always flown freely around the World Showcase. I think the food is really the main focus here. Dont get me wrong....to each his own. I get that you dont "dig" the Festival TDLFAN, but it is a neat environment for people to experiment with thier taste buds whereas they might not have done so otherwise. >>This year will be the first time I visit during the F & W and I'm very excited to try something new!<< Enjoy Chelledun! Check out the allearsnet.com link posted by the ever-helpful Labuda above if you havent already done so. Check out the sample menus from past years and that will give you some idea of what to expect.
Originally Posted By trailsend <<>> to stuff their mouths with fu-fu food and unpronounceable wine brands<<>> <---enjoying it already TDLFAN ~ you have fun at Universal!!! I'm staying with EPCOT!!
Originally Posted By LuvDatDisney The Food and Wine Festival is a fun, wonderful way to sepnd time at Epcot in the fall ... and even learn about some new cuisines and wines too. I will admit some folks do use it as an excuse to get toasted, but Disney security is pretty good at dealing with them. And, let's face it, those are the same folks who aren't great outside of WDW either. My only beef with Disney is that the prices of the samples is starting to get crazy. $1-3 is fair. Now the average sample will set you back between $3-5, which means if you enjoy sampling (like I do), by the end of the day I've spent enough for a really great dinner at California Grill with room left over for a Ghirardelli sundae for dessert!
Originally Posted By trailsend <<>>Ghirardelli <<>> oooooooooooooooooooo!!! I LOVE that place!!!!!!!!!!!
Originally Posted By TDLFAN ^^^TOO fattening for me. >>TDLFAN ~ you have fun at Universal!!!<< Hardly. I don't have an AP for that resort NOR do I drink beer. Universal (especially their CityWalk) attracks an undesirable type of crowd... too many hoodlum kids and rowdy behavior there. Not my cup of tea, just like phoney wines fests.
Originally Posted By Labuda Anybody who's going this year willing to pick me up all the recipe cards you can find that do NOT involve fish?
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I always enjoy the Food and Wine Festival. It really is one of the best times to be at Epcot.
Originally Posted By happyface I leave tomorrow. I would be happy to get the recipe cards for you. I intend on hitting every stand
Originally Posted By Labuda Groovy, happyface - thanks much! Email me when you get back and I'll give you my snail mail & see how much I owe you for postage.
Originally Posted By mickey_ring Managed to wander in to the Australian wine tasting area last time. Authentic Aussie music drowned out the info about the wines, but I did determine that they are dry, dry, dry...
Originally Posted By GalDisney I will be attending the event for the frist time this year. I am not interested in the wine but i am interested in seeing the different foods offered.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Soon you too will find out how overrated and over priced those food samples are.
Originally Posted By trailsend GalDisney ~ enjoy the Festival. I can only think of 1 right now that doesn't. So the rest of us can't be wrong.
