Food & Wine Festival info & opinions needed

[marker]

I've already booked my September trip for my daughter and I for next year for September 20-27. I'm thinking I might overlap the Food & Wine Festival. Therefore I am seeking information.

Is that a good time to be there or does it make Epcot extra crowded?

Will it effect the ability to get ADRs at Epcot restaurants?

What goes on? What's the price? Is it worth it?

When will they officially set the dates.

My daughter has expressed interest (she'll be 21), but I'm still evaluating. Any useful info would be definitely appreciated.

[mritty]

Epcot will be more crowded in the evenings and on the weekends, as locals take advantage of the festival as well as tourists who come down specifically for it.

There are two main goings-on at the F&WF. The first is the sampler booths. About 20ish of them, I think, from all over the world, line the World Showcase Lagoon. They offer appetizer-sized food samplers from their respective countries, generally for $3-$5 each. When I went, I simply skipped lunch and dinner and snacked my way around the world.

The second is the various seminars and demonstrations that take place. These are available at an additional cost, and will show you (for example) cooking demonstrations, food & wine pairings, different types of teas, etc. I think you have to book these fairly far in advance.

There is no additional price to get "in" to the Festival, as it happens entirely within Epcot. Just normal Epcot admission. You do, however, have to pay for the food & wine booths, as well as for (some of?) the demonstration and seminars.

Hope that helps!

[mini-V]

An additional event taking place during F&WF is the Party for the Senses. It's a hard ticket event in addition to entrance to Epcot. We attended this about 3 years ago, and have tickets for one evening this year. It's an expensive evening, (about $135. pp) but a special event...adults only. Each evening has different chefs show casing their favorite food and wine. The area is set up by color - red, yellow, blue, and green so you can see what foods are being offered and what area of the room you'll be able to find it. You're given a plate with a section cut out to hold your collectible wine glass. You go from area to area tasting the various offerings. Last time, I got hooked on one particular wine and just kept returning. It's a very upscale evening and you can be assured you will not go home hungry. Cirque du Solei performs live, and there is live music.
2008 - Cirque will not be performing this year, although there will be performers doing similiar entertainment.

[kellpooh]

I have done the Food and Wine Festival 2 times, and would like to try again. This year's festival started on Sept 26th...so you may or may not catch it at the time you are going. If you go on to allears or disneyworld.com you can call up the Booth Menus, which will tell you all the countries represented and the foods/beverages offered. It will also give you the listing of the other special events offered. The Festival Dates are usually announced in May or June I believe because tickets for the special events usually go on sale on August 1st.

Yes, it does make EPCOT more crowded. If you go in October, it is more crowded also due to the Festival and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. But i still think it's fun to go and see what they have for ya to munch.

[disneydame2004]

There are also free seminars in the Festival center.

Some of the lines for the food booths were more than 30 minutes long after 7 p.m. on Friday night.

[mini-V]

DH and I stopped by Epcot for lunch on Wednesday. The crowds were light (the longest line was 20 min. for Soar'n) and there were barely any lines for the food kiosks. As one would expect, the weekends are busier than the weekdays.