EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, Sept. 25 - Nov 16 2015

[FoodieFriend]

I am really curious on how well the sampler package is going. This week every time I have walked by the areas there has been practically no one in the areas. At most there seems to be one couple. So there are more Cast Members then customers. I am sure service is great, but... it seems to me they need more "action" LOL! (I had considered it, but after seeing how lonely they looked I decided that as a solo I would prefer to be out with people! So far I have not had any issue finding a place to eat! )

Hm, just wondering if you mean the premium package because I didn't think the tasting sampler had a designated area. If you are asking about the premium package, I did a write up about it on this thread & the premium package thread. one of the advantages of the PP areas is that it's not over crowded. it was a wonderful package & i'm hoping they will continue offering it in the future because we would definitely purchase it again. most of the CMs that work there are very friendly & chatty, so i'm sure if there was someone traveling solo, they would keep you company.
to each their own, we loved it & thought it was worth it. I did notice by Thursday there were more non-PP guests walking into the PP area looking for seating/shade.

 

[DeeJ79]

I wish I found this board sooner when tickets were still available!!! We weren't sure if it'd be worth the $59 cost that I found since I really couldn't find more details about it.

 

[sunflare]

I wish I found this board sooner when tickets were still available!!! We weren't sure if it'd be worth the $59 cost that I found since I really couldn't find more details about it.

Depends on what day you want. I've had good luck finding packages online for any of my trip days.

 

[DeeJ79]

We'll be down there the 28th-Nov 3rd.

 

[Beach710]

What are the Premium Package seating areas used for on the weekend (Fri-Sun).

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

What are the Premium Package seating areas used for on the weekend (Fri-Sun).

Open seating for anyone in the park

 

[Disbug]

I have a question about the sampler package... we arrive the 24th of this month. I want to do a sampler package mainly for the F&W credits, not necessarily concerned about the Eat to the Beat seating. What if I buy it for the 24th but can't get to EPCOT until the 25th or even 26th? Will they still let me get it? (Knowing I would give up the concert seating.)

The entitlements for the sampler packager are good until the last day of the festival Nov. 16, 2015! However, they do have a date printed on them (for the concert, I am sure); you are asked to pick it up on the date you select for the package. I don't think they would hold it until the next day, because they have a ton of the lanyards to give out specifically for that day. You might want to wait to purchase until you are sure you can make it to the Festival Center to pick up your package.

 

[angel0321]

We'll be down there the 28th-Nov 3rd.

If it's the Sampler you're looking for, they still have availability: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/food-wine-festival-tasting-sampler/

The Premium package runs Mon-Thurs, where 1 of those nights you attend Illuminations Dessert Party. From the website, it appears you'd need to call, but from your travel dates, I'm not sure if you'd find this valuable or not. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/food-wine-premium-package/

Cheers!

 

[Mousetopia]

If you use the tabs for the higher price items such as the slushie in France or the Filet in Canada then the sampler is a good value and no there is nothing you are missing.

...and I personally put a value on no worries no waiting on line seating for the concert..for me it wil be a value!

 

[pepperandchips]

Hm, just wondering if you mean the premium package because I didn't think the tasting sampler had a designated area. If you are asking about the premium package, I did a write up about it on this thread & the premium package thread. one of the advantages of the PP areas is that it's not over crowded. it was a wonderful package & i'm hoping they will continue offering it in the future because we would definitely purchase it again. most of the CMs that work there are very friendly & chatty, so i'm sure if there was someone traveling solo, they would keep you company.
to each their own, we loved it & thought it was worth it. I did notice by Thursday there were more non-PP guests walking into the PP area looking for seating/shade.

We did enjoy the premium package every day of our Monday- Thursday week last week and encountered other folks in the areas a few times (was that any of you, DISers?). Mostly it seems like they had the areas set up with one or two tables with seats and one or two high tops. The more "in demand" areas had more room in my opinion. The CMs did a lot of double duty as information-givers, passport stampers (they have stamps for all the booths represented in that area and sometimes the stamps for nearby booths you couldn't order from at the PP register), and bouncers. The only time we really noticed a problem with folks coming into the reserved areas was when they set up the PP area roped off using the same stanchions that indicated the last switchback of the Patagonia line and people kept ducking under to sit at the bench and tables closest to the line. I think it was honest mistakes based on the way the line was set up. I still think they would probably need to pay some of the CMs who are the PP hosts to do crowd control, directions, stamps, etc even if the PP areas did not exist. And based on the number of other families we saw in the PP areas in the limited hours they are open (12-8, 4 days a week) I am sure the PP revenue more than adequately covers Disney's costs.

Unrelated: the churros at our dessert party were also soggy/stale and our dessert party was held near the entrance to world showcase beside one of the port of entry gift shops. I loved the Lamington served at the dessert party and the tiny Rice Krispies (perfect size!) but aside from that I was underwhelmed. There was a decent fruit cobbler (mostly crust) and some other assorted lackluster sweets. Honestly I have to say my favorite offering was the fresh fruit topped with whipped cream. (Both were meant to be ice cream toppings I think). The whipped cream was real fresh whipped cream, not cool whip. I did indicate that I was disappointed with the dessert party in my survey and I lamented the loss of the live entertainment we had (Bryan Malpass, anyone?!) at Late Nights Live.

Overall I would recommend this package as well as the sampler. While every family is different, we got a lot of value from both.

 

[Mousetopia]

I am really curious on how well the sampler package is going. This week every time I have walked by the areas there has been practically no one in the areas. At most there seems to be one couple. So there are more Cast Members then customers. I am sure service is great, but... it seems to me they need more "action" LOL! (I had considered it, but after seeing how lonely they looked I decided that as a solo I would prefer to be out with people! So far I have not had any issue finding a place to eat! )

The line for the Chase Lounge was HUGE. Saw no reason to even try to get in.

Oh and there is one other chase perk I have not seen mentioned. For "selected" seminars at the Festival Center there's a chase "preferred" seating. Ask if they have it when you pick up your ticket, then they give you a second ticket. All it does is get you in before the rest, but... I guess it's OK! Folks still lined up early, I continued to wait until they opened the door and strolled in at the end of the Chase Seating.

I think you may be confusing premium package with sampler package. The sampler package does not give you special seating areas to eat your samples

 

[Disbug]

I think you may be confusing premium package with sampler package. The sampler package does not give you special seating areas to eat your samples

Actually it almost did... lol! I was asking the CM's a question at one of these seating areas and they volunteered to stamp my book for the 4 booths they were tending. One of the CM's asked me if I wanted to come in and sit down! I smiled then said I wasn't eligible when I realized he was confusing my sampler lanyard with the Premium package. So it could happen...

 

[randumb0]

I really hope they bring back the 3d Dessert Discovery next year

 

[Disbug]

I hope they bring back the Late Night Live Party!

 

[Lsdolphin]

As this past Saturday was originally forecasted to have heavy rain around 6/7PM, I could see that some of the locals would come out early. Yes, Saturdays are really busy at the festival. My husband & I actually were there to finish out the booths + go to our Parisian Afternoon event. We started the booths at 11AM & were able to get through the lines quickly when starting then. At 1PM - they were long but if you plan well, you can make it work or just accept some line waiting.

What did you think of the Parisian Afternoon? We will be going on 10/31.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I did use the wrong term. But... last night I did a survey of all the Premium areas. Most of them were EMPTY, one had both tables full, two others had one table with a couple of guests. Considering this was a holiday week I honestly would have expected more traffic. I can't see how it's profitable unless they are selling a lot of packages to people who really aren't using them... Who knows? The couple running the one of these told me they had basically no business and were bored. (He said that if they offered them this job again next year they would pass LOL!)


I just expected more people in the areas considering they removed the 'you must stay on site' restriction.

 

[pinksand]

Quick Q on the Cranberry Bog - guests cannot put on waders and go in, right? It's just for looking at? I'm fascinated by the Cranberry Bog.

 

[wvaspartan]

Quick Q on the Cranberry Bog - guests cannot put on waders and go in, right? It's just for looking at? I'm fascinated by the Cranberry Bog.

Well you could if you brought your own and didnt mind getting kicked out of the park afterwards...lol....

no you cant...

 

[Dis_Yoda]

What did you think of the Parisian Afternoon? We will be going on 10/31.

It was so much fun! I hope to get my full review of it up soon.

 

[KiniShakenBake]

I did use the wrong term. But... last night I did a survey of all the Premium areas. Most of them were EMPTY, one had both tables full, two others had one table with a couple of guests. Considering this was a holiday week I honestly would have expected more traffic. I can't see how it's profitable unless they are selling a lot of packages to people who really aren't using them... Who knows?

DH and I did a lot of reading (okay, so I did the reading and gave him the executive summary) before we decided to purchase it - and we had decided that the seating was worth a reasonable cost after our last time (which was our first visit to WDW together and as adults) fighting for "tabletop" space on top of trash cans and other such optimal places to share a meal. We looked at all of the inclusions and figured they'd come close to some of the same ones, and ultimately I think they did. Instead of giving us $50 to spend as we wished, they shoehorned us all into a $50 dessert party. They cut out the room requirement and thus cut out the room delivery, which is super-unfortunate, but didn't matter to us because we're staying at Boardwalk and we can trot it back to our room after we pick it up, or have it shipping to the IG and pick it up later. It came with entitlements, which I was super-pumped about that, and I'm going to a pastry seminar that has me pretty excited. DH is REALLY excited for me to go to pastry seminar, too. Heh.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the package offers ease of access for those who purchase it - if they don't use the premium areas as much, or they aren't as hopping as the booths, that's exactly why they are there, so that someone is there to go get your food for you. It's not a restaurant, it's a valet service for food.

Disney needs to decide on what to do with this concept LONG before the scheduling deadline and make sure it's well-publicized ahead of time. Their rollout on it has been absolutely klugey for these first two years, and it's reflecting poorly on the greatness that the package could be. I got a phone call from the cast member I scheduled the package with when I called to get it, about twenty minutes after we hung up. She needed to make sure that I wanted to schedule my dessert party for the Monday the package started, or if I wanted it another day... It involved cancelling and rescheduling it three times to get it right. It took me two more months(!) to schedule my culinary demonstration, that I wasn't aware was included until about a week after I scheduled the package. I'm not complaining - we wanted the seating and for the two of us, the package and whatever they chose to include it was worth it for the runners and the reserved seating. The premium package areas not being full shouldn't reflect on the value of the package. It should actually enhance the value of the package.