2018 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: August 30 to November 12, 2018

[GoGoBeans]

What time does the Italian Wine Pairing luncheon start? We have Via Nappoli ADRs for 1:50 PM on our last day and if the times are similar we could just replace that ADR for the event.

Starts at noon, per DFB last year's event ended at 2:30.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Can someone with experience tell me if the hibachi experience is worth it? This will be our first ever f&w. We’ve eaten at Teppan Edo and thought it was just okay; just tasted like normal hibachi.

We did this a few years back and LOVED IT!! It was NOTHING LIKE a regular meal there.

Clever food combos, sake and plum wine pairings, excellent service, great explanations for each course... we’d do it again in a heartbeat but the time doesn’t work for our upcoming trip.

 

[karrit2000]

What time does the Italian Wine Pairing luncheon start? We have Via Nappoli ADRs for 1:50 PM on our last day and if the times are similar we could just replace that ADR for the event.

The Italian Regional Lunch which is the one with just wine pairings starts at Noon but is held in the Tutto Gusto Wine Bar attached to Tutto italia on Mondays & Wednesdays. The Food with Wine vs. Beer Pairing is the one held in Via Napoli and starts at 1:30PM on Tuesdays & Thursdays.

 

[Haley R]

We did this a few years back and LOVED IT!! It was NOTHING LIKE a regular meal there.

Clever food combos, sake and plum wine pairings, excellent service, great explanations for each course... we’d do it again in a heartbeat but the time doesn’t work for our upcoming trip.

Worth the $190? I guess with this being my first F&W I'm just not interested in spending that amount of money.

 

[joeyvee]

Any info any where for the Signature Dinners yet?

 

[FeralCatRogue]

Can someone with experience tell me if the hibachi experience is worth it? This will be our first ever f&w. We’ve eaten at Teppan Edo and thought it was just okay; just tasted like normal hibachi.

I quite enjoyed it last year you get a lot of courses and some really really high end food options. I'm not much of a drinker but every course had sake or another beverage.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Worth the $190? I guess with this being my first F&W I'm just not interested in spending that amount of money.

I went a couple years ago and am booked it again this year. It was well worth it and you got your money's worth.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...nus-epcot-night.3385336/page-11#post-54651708

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Any info any where for the Signature Dinners yet?

Discontinued as confirmed by Disney Food Blog and multiple individual CMs on calls today.

 

[TeresaWen]

Thanks once again to these boards. Without them I would still be thinking I had a month before the mad booking rush. Now I am all set! And excited again.

 

[TeresaWen]

Hopefully the sampler will be back. I sure drank my money’s worth in sparkling wine

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

So good you were able to call back and get the Italian lunch you wanted and that it has wine. Cheers!

Overall I'm pretty happy with what I was able to put together, despite a lack of actual F&W events. I've got:

California Grill brunch
Italian Regional lunch
Eat to the Beat Via Napoli for Plain White Ts
Cake Decorating at Amorette's
Highway in the Sky with Hallowishes

We did Cali Grill on Mother's Day and really liked it, and we did Highway in the Sky last year in March.

We are doing:
Wine tasting at Old Key West
Mediterranean Lunch
Italian Regional Lunch
DVC Member dinner at Wine Bar George (which we may cancel, depending on the Moonlight Magic event)
Mixology demo at Top of the World
MK After Hours (I was hesitant to commit on this but since there are NO chef signature dinners there won't be a conflict)
Parisian breakfast

 

[ksromack]

So good you were able to call back and get the Italian lunch you wanted and that it has wine. Cheers!

Overall I'm pretty happy with what I was able to put together, despite a lack of actual F&W events. I've got:

California Grill brunch
Italian Regional lunch
Eat to the Beat Via Napoli for Plain White Ts
Cake Decorating at Amorette's
Highway in the Sky with Hallowishes

We got ADRs for California Grill brunch as well....and I'm pretty happy about that. Signed in BEFORE 7am EST and got all of my December ADRs booked within a half an hour (and still before the 7am "booking opening").

Starts at noon, per DFB last year's event ended at 2:30.

Thank you!

The Italian Regional Lunch which is the one with just wine pairings starts at Noon but is held in the Tutto Gusto Wine Bar attached to Tutto italia on Mondays & Wednesdays. The Food with Wine vs. Beer Pairing is the one held in Via Napoli and starts at 1:30PM on Tuesdays & Thursdays.

Got it.

I'm not finding last year's reviews of the Italian Regional Lunch. I found one from 2012 and at that time it looked like 2 of the courses had shellfish. I'm allergic so that would be a bad thing. I did see mention that 2 of the courses this year would involve truffles and after having fresh truffles less than a month ago in real live Italy I am all for that one. I KNOW dh and I did an Italian event in the 2015 F&W and it was wine with food pairings. Is this the same or at least very similar event? I'm having a hard time deciding between the Italian Regional lunch and the Parisian Afternoon. The Parisian Afternoon is about half the cost but then there's the truffles......and wine.......

 

[gharter]

What time does the Italian Wine Pairing luncheon start? We have Via Nappoli ADRs for 1:50 PM on our last day and if the times are similar we could just replace that ADR for the event.

Probably not going to work unless you walk out early. having done it last year, I would not leave early. It starts at 12 and it says it is done at 2:30. Last year was closer to 3. And it was worth every penny.. Back for year 2.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Hopefully the sampler will be back. I sure drank my money’s worth in sparkling wine

I did the same. We may be why the Food Blog is reporting it isn’t returning.

 

[FeralCatRogue]

I'm not finding last year's reviews of the Italian Regional Lunch. I found one from 2012 and at that time it looked like 2 of the courses had shellfish. I'm allergic so that would be a bad thing. I did see mention that 2 of the courses this year would involve truffles and after having fresh truffles less than a month ago in real live Italy I am all for that one. I KNOW dh and I did an Italian event in the 2015 F&W and it was wine with food pairings. Is this the same or at least very similar event? I'm having a hard time deciding between the Italian Regional lunch and the Parisian Afternoon. The Parisian Afternoon is about half the cost but then there's the truffles......and wine.......

They tend to change up the menus, but if you tell them your allergies before hand they tend to be good about allergies from what I've heard. But I have not done the italian one, I've done the parisian and hibachi.

 

[gharter]

We got ADRs for California Grill brunch as well....and I'm pretty happy about that. Signed in BEFORE 7am EST and got all of my December ADRs booked within a half an hour (and still before the 7am "booking opening").


Thank you!


Got it.

I'm not finding last year's reviews of the Italian Regional Lunch. I found one from 2012 and at that time it looked like 2 of the courses had shellfish. I'm allergic so that would be a bad thing. I did see mention that 2 of the courses this year would involve truffles and after having fresh truffles less than a month ago in real live Italy I am all for that one. I KNOW dh and I did an Italian event in the 2015 F&W and it was wine with food pairings. Is this the same or at least very similar event? I'm having a hard time deciding between the Italian Regional lunch and the Parisian Afternoon. The Parisian Afternoon is about half the cost but then there's the truffles......and wine.......

We did the Italian tasting last year and I don't recall shellfish. I just recall it was really fun! Was looking for photos from last years event and don't find them to see what the food was.

 

[karrit2000]

We got ADRs for California Grill brunch as well....and I'm pretty happy about that. Signed in BEFORE 7am EST and got all of my December ADRs booked within a half an hour (and still before the 7am "booking opening").


Thank you!


Got it.

I'm not finding last year's reviews of the Italian Regional Lunch. I found one from 2012 and at that time it looked like 2 of the courses had shellfish. I'm allergic so that would be a bad thing. I did see mention that 2 of the courses this year would involve truffles and after having fresh truffles less than a month ago in real live Italy I am all for that one. I KNOW dh and I did an Italian event in the 2015 F&W and it was wine with food pairings. Is this the same or at least very similar event? I'm having a hard time deciding between the Italian Regional lunch and the Parisian Afternoon. The Parisian Afternoon is about half the cost but then there's the truffles......and wine.......

They are very accommodating in regards to allergies. There are many with seafood allergies that attend. They gladly make substitutions for whatever you can't eat. My mom can't have seafood of any kind with alcohol. She also can't have anything with any type of seeds or nuts due to digestive issues. They always come up with some really great substitutions for her. The Italian Regional Lunch is one of the really good ones in my opinion. They seem to change things around a bit every couple of years but it is always wonderful. They also change the menu around at least weekly if not for every pairing. Food with Wine vs. Beer they definitely change the menu for each day although they always serve the Pizza. Mom is served a white pizza without the Tomato. The Parisian Afternoon is nice but if I had to choose one I'd go for the Italy events over that one. The French Family Meal Traditions is another really good one.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We did the Italy lunch in 2014 and I don't recall shellfish in any of our courses. The menus change, so you can't base your menu on what you see in prior reviews. Having said that, a friend who has a shellfish allergy did that Italy lunch and they were lovely with substituting dishes for her. Another friend did the tequila lunch and they subbed for her seafood allergy, too.

Does anybody have any sort of details on the Japan pairing? Not the Hibachi, the other one. That is the only one we MIGHT be interested in that we didn't already book.

 

[ksromack]

Probably not going to work unless you walk out early. having done it last year, I would not leave early. It starts at 12 and it says it is done at 2:30. Last year was closer to 3. And it was worth every penny.. Back for year 2.

Oh, I'd drop the 1:50 pm Via Napoli ADR if we do the Italian Regional Lunch. I don't think I could take more food after that lunch! It would probably work out better to do the F&W event. We'll have to check out of BWI and have them store our bags before lunch.....then we'll be free to roam EPCOT until we have to check in with DME probably around 4:30pm.

 

[Missyrose]

How much is Italian Regional lunch this year?