With no Party for the Senses this year, my wife and I are attending this event for the first time this year. We've been considering it for years, but just never bit the bullet. How would you say it compares to Party for the Senses?
Fun! I think you'll enjoy it. I know I've enjoyed both.
The obvious difference is that the Classic is ideally held outdoors and hopefully weather cooperates. It allows them to spread the event out a bit more and after dark the lights on the palm trees along the causeway and elsewhere create a really fun atmosphere.
At the Classic there are some tables with seats (typically seating ~6-8), but far fewer than PFTS. The majority - in my recollection (& it has been a few years) - were standing/bar height tables. The year I went, I also found that larger groups would "commandeer" a table and occupy it the whole night (as I recall PFTS had similar challenges before it offered guaranteed tables as an option). It was tough to find a seat for two (& we were looking to sit down with food and then move along) but we never had trouble finding a standing table (we did share sometimes).
At Classic there are FAR more wine stations than food. As such, the food lines can get long but move pretty quickly. The Shula's booth in particular (typically offering a filet) is almost always long. Todd English is typically at the bluezoo station and people wanting photos with him can also slow that line down a bit.
And the food and beverage stations are separate. In other words, at the Shula's booth you can pick up the steak but would have to go to another station to find a wine and, in my recollection, there weren't any recommended pairings for the food items.
The amount of wine was almost overwhelming. I certainly enjoy my wine but am not particularly well-versed. We just ended up kinda wandering and trying what sounded interesting and didn't have a big line. The wine stations are generally staffed by either reps of the winery or distributor. I found their interest in talking about the wine to vary pretty considerably (and in some areas it is pretty loud). Some seemed a little "snooty" to me. Pours are quite small. I'm not great at judging volume but I'd say the pours are smaller than what you get at a typical EPCOT F&W stand. I could never figure out what the proper "etiquette" was - were you supposed to stand there and taste and then if you liked it they'd fill you up? No one else seemed to be doing that -- I don't know. There are "dump buckets" at every station. You also carry the same glass from station to station (vs. them having anything pre-poured that you just pick-up). There are some spots with pitchers of water you can use to rinse your glass but as the night went on those were harder to find full.
Definitely an adult, cocktail party/bar atmosphere (though we did see some kids), but I'd say PFTS is as well. That's all I can think of. Will come back and add more if I think of anything else. I am definitely considering it for this year but haven't purchased tickets yet. I had been hoping there might be a "phase 2" of F&W with the return of PFTS and some special events after 10/1 but we don't seem to be headed in that direction, unfortunately. Maybe I will see you at the Classic. Fingers crossed for good weather and that you enjoy!!
I may look like Pooh bear after a BIG jar of honey.
