DCA Food & Wine: no thanks!

[VandVsmama]

I know that the DCA Food & Wine festival is really popular. We’ve been twice now in as many years. I just don’t care for it very much. Im going to whine for a moment. So bear with me.

First of all, yet again they are playing really annoying music in that large main walkway between Carthay Circle entrance to the festival and the entrance to Pixar Pier. It doesn’t sound like Disney park sort of music.

Second, there is nowhere to sit down while you eat. So you have to eat standing up. Or eat and walk.

Third, the eating and walking thing doesn’t work for most people. This means that they walk at a snail’s pace and they stop walking altogether in the middle of the walkway. Drives. Me. Crazy.

Fourth - drunk people.

Fifth - SO MANY people. So many people that Monsters, Inc had a wait of 30-45 min. Even Ariel’s had a 30-40 min wait on Saturday evening this past weekend. Holy cow!

 

[midnight star]

The table situation is very annoying. I am one of those people who couldn’t find a place to sit and eat, and had to walk at a snail’s pace in the walkway to eat ..sorry if anyone got caught behind me! Lol

And I agree, it’s made the lines a little more crazy at DCA, but DL seems somewhat nicer.

 

[Daisybelle]

It was fine during the week (rain kept people away, I'm sure) but I just didn't see much that made me want to spend that much money on an item. We tried a couple of things but that was it.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We agree that the music loop is weird. Much prefer the live bands -- Phat Cat Swinger is fun. Yes to the need for more tables. We manage to find little places to eat because I am notoriously bad at trying to eat and walk at the same time. Let's just say the ducks love me for providing so many snacks on the walkway for them. We can manage to find seating, but it isn't always easy. Drunk people? Don't get me started.

 

[imjen]

Is Friday a little better than Saturday or Sunday? Unfortunately those are the only choices we have, the first weekend of April. I don't really care about the F & W festival, I'm just hoping to avoid long ride lines. I'm guessing if we rope drop and have max pass we can get most of the big rides done by lunch? Is WOC annoying with noisy drunks? In October we were at Epcot's F&W festival on a Friday and we left early in the evening due to crowds and annoying loud/drunk people.

 

[Gaugersaurus]

Is Friday a little better than Saturday or Sunday? Unfortunately those are the only choices we have, the first weekend of April. I don't really care about the F & W festival, I'm just hoping to avoid long ride lines. I'm guessing if we rope drop and have max pass we can get most of the big rides done by lunch? Is WOC annoying with noisy drunks? In October we were at Epcot's F&W festival on a Friday and we left early in the evening due to crowds and annoying drunks.

Lower tier APs are blocked on Saturdays in April which could lead to lower crowds. However, this could be offset by the people who bought the SoCal resident tickets as they will most likely be making trips on the weekends. I'd say mornings on Saturday will be fairly pleasant with crowds increasing as the day goes on but If you RD and maxpass you should be able to ride each ride at least once without long lines.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

And make use of SR on the rides that have it!

 

[BrianL]

I enjoyed it for my part, but I do think it is a bit disorganized and too cramped. It may be those construction walls causing a lack of space though. I liked the locations that were more spread out away from the main "strip" of booths. I did think thought that the food was delicious and better than Epcot in general. The music loop doesn't bother me (they do the same at Epcot for festivals) but it was much too short considering we heard the same song so often while waiting for WoC.

 

[LizzyS]

Nowhere to sit or at least stand a table would rule me out of this thing, tbh.

 

[ashley0139]

Sixth - the food is really expensive for how much you get and is not that great.

I've never particularly noticed drunk people at DCA though.

 

[DLgal]

The music is annoying. I'll give you that.

I was there Saturday as well.

Didn't notice long lines for anything. In fact, I thought it was really slow. We were there from 9:30am until about 3pm, then went over to DL. We rode everything we wanted in DCA with MaxPass or a very short standby wait. Little Mermaid wasn't even open Saturday morning, so maybe that is why the line was so long later in the day.

I don't need to sit down to eat a few bites of (for the most part) finger foods. Why does one need to sit down? It's a festival. Not a restaurant. But if you do want to sit down, there are plenty of tables at the Wine terrace as well as the Sonoma Terrace. We never had a problem finding a stand up table or bench if we needed one.

We got 8 items and found that they were good values with the AP Sip & Savor pass, but OOP, some things (like the tiny pizza egg rolls) were a ripoff at $7. For that price, they needed to be twice as large. I think the desserts are the best OOP value. That chocolate, caramel, peanut parfait thing for $4.50 was AMAZING!!!

 

[ImDMous]

We were there Friday from around 2 - 5. We got a table in the Wine Bar area next to WCT for our base of operations, but there were standing tables available in several spots throughout the booths. I guess I just didn't notice the music, I didn't hear anything that annoyed me. We get the Sip and Savor pass and split it between the 2 of us. The tenderloin slider and the cheese soup in a mini bread bowl were delicious. The corn nuggets weren't bad, a little too sweet for me. We still have some tabs left for another visit.
The mead at the booth near Goofy's Sky School and Paradise Park was delicious! It's a local meadery for us, but had never tasted that flavor of theirs before, sweet and tangy, like a good berry pie.
We have been there on weekends when it's busier, but we always seem to be able to find a table, sometimes you just have to be in the right place when someone leaves.

 

[midnight star]

I haven’t noticed any drunk people either..but I don’t notice much at the park. Like I didn’t realize special music played until reading this? Lol I’ll try and listen for it when I go Saturday.

 

[DLgal]

I haven’t noticed any drunk people either..but I don’t notice much at the park. Like I didn’t realize special music played until reading this? Lol I’ll try and listen for it when I go Saturday.

I also didn't notice any drunk people

But that music is godawful. It's like terrible, schmoozy elevator music.

 

[seesclubhouse]

This being my 3rd year in a row attending, I've grown to love DCA Food and wine festival. Music grew on me, and sip and savor pass splits the cost of items down greatly(Im surprised DW Epcot FWF hasn't implemented it yet.) Maxxpass your ride and enjoy some good grub is usually my game plan. Although I'm the kind of person who can go to the parks and not ride a single ride and still enjoy myself. full disclosure I live in Alaska and just come down every other month so yes; get where your coming from with having only limited time to enjoy a vaca. I enjoy the experience of Disney none the less. Never had huge issues with disruptive people enjoying drinks and I've seen my fair share of inebriates in the park. crowds? Just wait till SWGE opens lol

 

[BrianL]

I also didn't notice any drunk people

But that music is godawful. It's like terrible, schmoozy elevator music.

They had like this one song I like, and I always noticed when they played it, which was often. The loop is really short.

 

[DLgal]

They had like this one song I like, and I always noticed when they played it, which was often. The loop is really short.

Was it the one that sounds like Gwen Stefani? That is the only one that I can tolerate.

 

[BrianL]

Was it the one that sounds like Gwen Stefani? That is the only one that I can tolerate.

It is the song The Wire, by Haim. I really no nothing about them other than that song, which I once saw them do on Conan. I remember thinking it was pretty good for recent music.

 

[DLgal]

It is the song The Wire, by Haim. I really no nothing about them other than that song, which I once saw them do on Conan. I remember thinking it was pretty good for recent music.

Ah, yes. That is the DCA Food & Wine Festival anthem (in my world).

 

[DLgal]

LOL...that is Gwen Stefani. I never knew the actual playlist artists and songs until just now. I looked it up on You Tube. Surprised to see Snoop Dogg on there too. I thought it sounded like him, but was like "nah...Disney wouldn't play his music in the park."

So, going by the list, I only like a few songs:

Sunshine by Matisyahu
California Dreamin by Freischwimmer
Where Would I Be by Gwen Stefani