2017 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: August 31, 2017 - November 13, 2017

[GoGoBeans]

A few thoughts on what we tried opening weekend.

Loved, loved the loaded mac & cheese from active eats. I could eat that all day long.

The baked shrimp dip from coastal had a good flavor and the crab cake was plentiful. Shrimp were a bit tiny, but there were quite a few in the dish and the scampi was tasty.

In my didn't care for category, I thought the beef from earth had too strong a teriyaki flavor, and I didn't care for the piggy wings either, mostly because I didn't care for the flavor.

Filet from Canada was great. The first time we got it, the cook was perfectly pink and just delicious. The second time, there was no pink and overlooked for my preference but still good.

Empanadas from Patagonia are always my solid staple and did not disappoint. Thought the pork sliders from Hawaii were ample but a bit bland IMO.

The light lab was neat. The cotton candy tonic was fun to see made but tastied like cough syrup according to the kids. The doughnut was super sweet and huge.

The creme brûlée from France was incredible. I'm a bit of a purist and would have prerferred no raspberry jam, but incredible non the less.

Kids liked the chocolate nitro ice cream from the chocolate studio. That was a no-brainer to them.

We mostly hit the stands when they opened for an early lunch. Will be back for an adult only weekend before it's over to fully experience.

We also did a last minute culinary demo which should have been billed as one big Boursin cheese ad. Melissa Maldonado was our chef and she was delightful. The carrot soup was good, albeit a touch cold, and served with a grilled turkey sandwich.

 

[GoGoBeans]

Heheh. Well, to be good scampi, it needs garlic, too!

We enjoyed the scampi. It had a mild, but good flavor. My biggest criticism would be with the bread. Had it been buttery and toasted it would have been much better. It was barely, and I mean barely, toasted. I didn't want to even bother dipping it in the sauce.

 

[gwynne]

Need a little help. I've never done PFTS before. What is the wardrobe expectation? Fancy cocktail dress, casual sundress, jeans and a t-shirt? It's my first time doing the Trader Sam's event too. Am I suppose to adhere to a certain dress code there or is it totally casual? Any help is appreciated!

You will see people in fancy, casual, as well as jeans and t's at the PFTS. Be sure to check the weather, that can affect dress and shoe choice, too.
I generally choose a nice blouse and capris, sandals and a very small cross body bag.

 

[lats118]

Early in this thread, I believe I read that wine would no longer be served at the culinary demos (correct me if I'm wrong). So, for anyone who's been to a culinary demo this year, if wine is no longer provided, what beverage, if any, is served?

 

[Jays2013]

We enjoyed the scampi. It had a mild, but good flavor. My biggest criticism would be with the bread. Had it been buttery and toasted it would have been much better. It was barely, and I mean barely, toasted. I didn't want to even bother dipping it in the sauce.

Thanks! Well, probably worth a try anyway. I agree; it seems it'd be a lot better with toasted bread.

 

[GoGoBeans]

Early in this thread, I believe I read that wine would no longer be served at the culinary demos (correct me if I'm wrong). So, for anyone who's been to a culinary demo this year, if wine is no longer provided, what beverage, if any, is served?

Sadly no wine. Just pitchers of ice water on the tables.

 

[Auntie_Maim]

For things like the scampi dip where I've heard there's not always enough bread for the dip, I may swing by Les Halles on our way into the park and grab a baguette, keep that in my purse in case it's needed.

 

[JerseyJanice]

For things like the scampi dip where I've heard there's not always enough bread for the dip, I may swing by Les Halles on our way into the park and grab a baguette, keep that in my purse in case it's needed.

Excellent idea! You can always bring any leftover bread back to your resort to enjoy with coffee the next morning.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Sadly no wine. Just pitchers of ice water on the tables.

I kinda enjoyed sipping a small glass of wine while watching the demo. Guess I'll just bring my own from a booth!

 

[Tamar]

No wine at the food demos really ticks me off. The cost went up this year, and they took part of the value away. Has anyone been to a demo, and are the sample portions bigger or do we get something else for our money?

 

[Simba's Mom]

We haven't been to the culinary demo we signed up for yet, but I agree about the lack of wine. Really cheap move.

 

[BabyPiglet]

We have been sampling a few booths this past week before Irma hit. So far my favorites were the banana/almond soft serve from the Almond booth and the Shrimp dish from the Mexico booth. In Canada, the filet was cooked perfectly, but the cheese soup was quite bitter. The nitro chocolate mousse was disappointing, as ours was barely cold and definitely not frozen. Looking forward to trying more tomorrow!

 

[OKW Lover]

Wondering if the booths will be operational today (Tuesday).

 

[Tess]

Wondering if the booths will be operational today (Tuesday).

The booths should be open--parks are open (except water parks) so it should be business as usual. After Matthew last year everything reopened normally. I am surmising that would be the case this year, but I am sure someone who is there now will be posting and confirming.

 

[gharter]

As I understand Chase is not a sponsor this year.
The Chase Lounge above American Adventure is closed - correct?
Last year, they had a private viewing area for Illuminations for Chase card holders in front of Italy I believe. Do they have that this year or is that gone as well?
Just trying to figure out a few last details for our trip.

 

[elgerber]

As I understand Chase is not a sponsor this year.
The Chase Lounge above American Adventure is closed - correct?
Last year, they had a private viewing area for Illuminations for Chase card holders in front of Italy I believe. Do they have that this year or is that gone as well?
Just trying to figure out a few last details for our trip.

Both the lounge and the viewing area or gone. I watched twice in Italy, it was open for anyone this year.

 

[gottalovepluto]

As I understand Chase is not a sponsor this year.
The Chase Lounge above American Adventure is closed - correct?
Last year, they had a private viewing area for Illuminations for Chase card holders in front of Italy I believe. Do they have that this year or is that gone as well?
Just trying to figure out a few last details for our trip.

Yep, no Chase sponsorship therefore no Chase festival benefits.

 

[gharter]

Thanks. From what i had read, that's what I thought, but wanted to be sure and hope maybe I was wrong.

 

[pepperandchips]

Anyone successfully used sampler tabs for the cocktails at the Joffrey's kiosks? Just curious. Didn't try it yet myself but would like to in a couple of weeks.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Do the passport books normally run out before the end of the festival? Not attending F&W until 11/6 this year, hoping they will still be available then. My kids favorite part is marking off all the booths we try.