I miss the Food & Wine Festival we used to have!

[holden]

Me too. Even the food gets more disappointing each year…

 

[goofyintoronto]

I use to love F&W and went every year! I haven't been since before the pandemic now, and im wondering if i should just give the Festival/Arts a try since it gets really good reviews. Something to think about.

 

[gmi3804]

I use to love F&W and went every year! I haven't been since before the pandemic now, and im wondering if i should just give the Festival/Arts a try since it gets really good reviews. Something to think about.

The Festivals are all but indistinguishable from each other beyond the logos and a few (i.e., a handful) of themed displays or activities. They exist now to sell stuff from food booths so they don't lose revenue from people who don't want a sit-down meal.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I use to love F&W and went every year! I haven't been since before the pandemic now, and im wondering if i should just give the Festival/Arts a try since it gets really good reviews. Something to think about.

I'm a former F&W fan, who hasn't been since they discontinued the culinary demos. I tried the Festival of the Arts in 2022, and now it's a regular event for me-I really enjoy it.

 

[drenalin'junkie]

TBH, they are still awesome. Some of us just miss the in person extras. My first festival was in 1994. We've done a couple hundred days in them since. They were on an upward trajectory til maybe the last 5. Still worth the time and money for sure.

 

[Harmacist]

I wonder if the length of the two big festivals is hurting them. FW used to be a 1-2 months now it's 5 months, FG is 4 months. At that length it may be a little harder to do these events, like having celebrity chefs, wineries coming, gardening shows etc. By having Holdiays and Arts be the 1 to 1.5 month events they can add more uniqueness to them (artists, Storytellers) since it's condensed. Let's be honest it's probably just budget cuts...

FW-a lot of food booths, musical acts
FG-not quite as many food booths with some nice topiaries/flowers. Also a butterfly garden and musical acts
Holidays-Some food booth, Christmas decorations and storytellers, Candlelight Processional.
Arts-some booths, artists throughout, and broadway music.
Honestly FW and is bringing the least to the table IMO now.

 

[gmi3804]

TBH, they are still awesome. Some of us just miss the in person extras. My first festival was in 1994. We've done a couple hundred days in them since. They were on an upward trajectory til maybe the last 5. Still worth the time and money for sure.

Could you tell which festival you were at if you didn't know, and didn't look at the logos or stores? How does F&W feel any different than F&G?

 

[drenalin'junkie]

Arts, F&G and F&W are still pretty distinct to us. It can kind of muddle together now that they run 24/7 365 pretty much but the theming and food are varied.
They also run during different seasons. Art is generally cooler. F&G is perfect maybe a bit blustery and F&W is at the transition from Dante's inferno to normal summer.

 

[RedHead0186]

Could you tell which festival you were at if you didn't know, and didn't look at the logos or stores? How does F&W feel any different than F&G?

The type of food offered is different. F&G takes on a bit more of a 'healthy'/'earthy'/plant-based vibe for it's booth. F&W seems a little more decadent (I know I'm oversimplifying a bit, just trying to make a quick point).

 

[Simba's Mom]

I remember in February 2023 there was less than 2 weeks between when the Festival of Arts ended and Flower and Garden began. And one year, DH ran a half marathon in early October (I forget the name-that year it was late at night) and the Food and Wine had just begun. A few years ago, I went in July, and was in Epcot for the first day of F&W.
What I wonder about is how the Epcot restaurants are reacting to the ever-expanding existence of the Festivals. I wouldn't be surprised to see more restaurants decrease their # of hours or close altogether. Much as I enjoy the Festival of the Arts, it means I eat at Le Halles less often, and I miss it.

 

[drenalin'junkie]

I see the festivals both draw people and spread the food sales among more Disney places vs. people leaving to eat offsite.
Enough for Disney to justify the addition and extension of festivals.

 

[Skippyboo]

I don’t like the staggered booth openings that they do now with F&W . Some booths on opening day , then a couple more several weeks after and this year more booths weeks after that. That’s great for locals but stinks if you’re only there for a short time.

 

[gmi3804]

I remember in February 2023 there was less than 2 weeks between when the Festival of Arts ended and Flower and Garden began.

 

[gharter]

I miss how much fun the Food & Wine Festival used to be. I loved the daily wine tastings and speakers from those wineries. The daily cooking with chef classes etc. we went to the Party of the Senses several times and it was so much fun.

Completely agree. We loved the winemaker lead tastings and the food and wine pairing lunches. It's still fun, but its just kiosks.

 

[OhhBother]

We loved the Parisian breakfast. They had the most decadent hot chocolate. And Party for the Senses was always amazing!

 

[sdedalus]

We just returned from 3 days at festival. We have been going for years. Nice trip but we agreed that if they don't bring back the demos and the luncheons, next year will be our last F&W.

 

[Harmacist]

I think F&W is now just: if I'm at EPCOT and it's there, nice. I'm not planning trip in the fall just for it. I once specifically planned a trip to correspond with F&W, there's no need to day that now. Honestly the other 3 festivals have more appeal, there is at least a little uniqueness to each. My girlfriend and I are going in December and February just because we've never done those festivals.

 

[Mazz519]

We to miss the old F&W, we did it this past September and to be honest it wasn’t that great, In the past we did all the classes, special lunches, mixology classes and it was great, this year and last it was just food booths, probably won’t be going back for the F&W unless they start offering seminars again

 

[goofyintoronto]

I'm a former F&W fan, who hasn't been since they discontinued the culinary demos. I tried the Festival of the Arts in 2022, and now it's a regular event for me-I really enjoy it.

honestly im ok without the culinary demos. im perfectly fine with just buying food from each country and calling it a day. but now im intrigued with the Festival of the Arts and will probably consider that for my next disney trip!

 

[tony67]

Yeah I am long done with the food and wine festival - its the same stuff year after year - portions get smaller prices go up and its not great. Oh fisherman's pie again in Ireland - what a surprise.

Even before the pandemic it was going down hill - making the beers smaller in Germany during F&W and still charging the same price was a total money grab. Did it reduce the drinking or did it just increase the profits?

The only good thing was the seminars and unique meals.
Yeah the booking process and rising fees was a bit of a scam, but I always felt I got my moneys worth at those events.
I don't recall ever feeling cheated at one - but maybe I chose wisely.

I got to make sushi with Morimoto- how cool is that.
Dinner with Todd English at blue zoo - yeah I don't like the guy but it was still cool.
The tiki event at Trader Sam's was well worth doing every year.
The Tequila tasting at Mexico was really good the first year.
So many things over the years that made it worth going to year after year.

Lots of amazing mixology classes and amazing stories about the companies.
Meating the founders of all these cool companies and getting to hear the backstories
One of the folks from the Bacardi family taking about the history and leaving Cuba etc..

What happened?