***Epcot Food And Wine Festival Info 2008***

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Exquisite Evenings always sound interesting but the price tag is starting to frighten me ... we could eat at Vicky and Al's for less than they were charging for those evenings last year.

I hear what your saying, but they'll never offer the stuff at V&A's that you can get at the EE's and you get way more food and booze than at V&A"s. I do wish the price wasn't so up there, but still, we are suckers and we go. Its our guilty indulgence. We've bit the bullet the past three years and done Italy, Tuscany & Australia and we loved them all. Never thought I'd like let alone LOVE emu, but it is to die for.

 

[kabuki]

I hear what your saying, but they'll never offer the stuff at V&A's that you can get at the EE's and you get way more food and booze than at V&A"s. I do wish the price wasn't so up there, but still, we are suckers and we go. Its our guilty indulgence. We've bit the bullet the past three years and done Italy, Tuscany & Australia and we loved them all. Never thought I'd like let alone LOVE emu, but it is to die for.

Hi! Did you ever do a review of any of the EE's? My husband and I have considered paying the price and doing one this year but would love to have some more info on it.

 

[TDC Nala]

I have never done the Exquisite Evenings either since I can hit two signature dinners for what they charge for one of those.

 

[dizneykid]

We are also hoping to attend either an Exquisite Evening or a Signature Dinner this year. We tried for Italy last year but it was a last minute thought and they were sold out by then.

 

[kabuki]

Good morning Jeanne! Good Morning Chelsi!

Free is good ... we haven't made it to many of the freebies yet. I have a feeling we'll be doing that this year.


Off to get some work done now ... see ya later!

Good Morning Brenda!

We love the free wine classes and now that they have the wait inside it makes a happy break from the Orlando heat. It's a nice start to the day - grab a glass of bubbly, line up and learn/drink some good wine and your off.

 

[iluvwdw_2002]

what are EE and Signature Dinners? Never been to the F&W festival and was curious about these events.

Thanks a mil!

 

[lehto]

Good Morning Brenda!

We love the free wine classes and now that they have the wait inside it makes a happy break from the Orlando heat. It's a nice start to the day - grab a glass of bubbly, line up and learn/drink some good wine and your off.

And if you time it right, you can spend a whole day just bouncing between the classes

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Hi! Did you ever do a review of any of the EE's? My husband and I have considered paying the price and doing one this year but would love to have some more info on it.

I'm not much into tossing myself out there with trip reports and reviews. There are plusses and minuses to the event, but as a whole we enjoy it. I could definitley get together a review and post some pics as well if that would interest you.

what are EE and Signature Dinners? Never been to the F&W festival and was curious about these events.

Thanks a mil!

Check this link out and it explains what ALL of the extra events are that the F&W Festival has:

http://allears.net/tp/ep/fw07/fw07.htm

 

[dizneykid]

And if you time it right, you can spend a whole day just bouncing between the classes

We did this last year, but after a couple of classes, Marcel and I felt alot like YellowBeard (step, step - stagger, stagger - roll).

Got to build up the tolerance level for this year!!

 

[oybolshoi]

We did this last year, but after a couple of classes, Marcel and I felt alot like YellowBeard (step, step - stagger, stagger - roll).

YELLOWBEARD!!!!!

I love that movie ... and here I thought I was the only person who even knew about it! I'm still trying to find a copy so that I can force Jay to watch it!

 

[TDC Nala]

are you kidding, I own a VHS of Yellowbeard. And a book.

 

[oybolshoi]

are you kidding, I own a VHS of Yellowbeard. And a book.

I can't find an available for sale copy of Yellowbeard anywhere ...

I didn't know there was a book ...

I've forced my husband over the years to sit through my VHS copies of Kentucky Fried Movie, Airplane, Airplane II, Amazon Women on the Moon, Hysterical, and Delirious. Now that I think about it, I'm fortunate he agreed to marry me once he knew that these were among my favorites.

Luckily we both agree on Monty Python.

and now back on topic ... KeepMovingForward, I'd love to hear what you have to say about the EEs you've attended. If the menus and pics look even halfway appealing I could see my way towards making a reservation and perhaps selling a kidney to afford the cost.

 

[dizneykid]

Brenda,

Just looked, Amazon has YellowBeard for around $11.00.

 

[oybolshoi]

Brenda,

Just looked, Amazon has YellowBeard for around $11.00.

So let it be posted ... so let it be purchased.

Jason thanks you!

 

[BriarRosie]

First off....I'm going to the 10/18 PFTS. I don't know how often I'll get to see TDC Nala, because the systematic grazing I did last October worked well for me.

I tend to balance what I want to spend. I'll give up the most expensive events if it meant I could book a moderately expensive event and lots of the smaller ones, like the food and wine pairings. I won't know until I see the dratted schedule this year.

We very much want to try a signature dinner - it's just the last couple of trips the only thing that's been offered is the Pacific Northwest or some offshoot of it, and that's the least appealing thing we can think of.

Well, you think a vegetarian menu was appealing to a girl from Stockyardville? I mean, I love my red meat, but I was up for the challenge of a signature meal that did concede to one fish course....wait for it....just for the halibut. Unless The Powers That Be (TPTB) price this event out of my range, I tend to want to book the Sunday night signature dinners.

Last year we would have been all over the luncheons at Citricos, Flying Fish, Jiko, and Blue Zoo but none of them were offered during our visit. We would have liked to have tried that South African wine tasting, too.
C'mon Epcot .... get that program info released so we can take out a third mortgage to finance our feeding frenzy!

Did you even give my review of the South African Wine Event a cursory glance? LOL! I thought it needed to improve to be worthwhile. I agree with TDC Nala that I'd rather go to Boma instead. I think Chelsi agreed with my assessment of the event since she attended it, too.

A wine and cheese event ... a substantial one that warrants the price tag ... would be right up our alley. But we're not going to pay upwards of $60pp to attend a wine / cheese pairing like the ones they offered last year - too much money and not a whole lot to show for it was what I was told by those who did attend.

Especially when you see what they give for free cheese at DCA's food and wine seminars! I would never want to book a wine and cheese event at the WDW festival now. I'm too spoiled by free cheese.

And we won't do another Sweet Sunday, either, unless the person hosting it is some kind of pastry god or goddess - once was enough.

I liked my Sweet Sunday, much MUCH better than the first one I did...and I had Keegan Gerhard doing the first one! I think this year I'll skip Sweet Sundays in order to fit a food and wine pairing in. Maybe I'll alternate attending from year to year.

Exquisite Evenings always sound interesting but the price tag is starting to frighten me ... we could eat at Vicky and Al's for less than they were charging for those evenings last year.

It used to be Epcot's Exquisite Evenings, or EEE. I said it should stand for Excruciatingly Expensive Evenings, for it was pricey when I went to it a few years ago. I enjoyed mine, but I feel I'd be just as happy at Vicki and Al's Diner, too.

Hi! Did you ever do a review of any of the EE's? My husband and I have considered paying the price and doing one this year but would love to have some more info on it.

I don't remember doing a review for it, but it was really good. You met the group at the Guest Relations outside Epcot, and cars took us around backstage towards the World Showplace building. They had a reception with "hoover doovers", I mean hors d'oeuvres (hehe) before ushering us to our seats. They curtained off most of the PFTS area to make it more intimate. It was a multi-course meal, paired with wines, similar to signature dinners and such. I can't say if the meal I had really surpassed the signature dinners I've done. I can't justify the expense, even though everything was fantastic.

YELLOWBEARD!!!!!

I love that movie ... and here I thought I was the only person who even knew about it! I'm still trying to find a copy so that I can force Jay to watch it!

are you kidding, I own a VHS of Yellowbeard. And a book.

And this is yet again another reason I think you both would get along so well.

 

[Dancind]

I need to take notes while I am reading this thread. We will be at PFTS on Oct. 11, our first time. This will be my third F&W (not bad for traveling from NM), and my husband and daughter's second. I discovered the free wine tastings last year, we missed those the first time, so DH and I will be hanging out over there quite a bit. So if anyone has a teen that needs a friend, we have a 17 year old that will be available.

Oybolshoi, I just read some of your reviews from 2007. DH and I just did the gustation menu at Le Bistro in May, on our 20th anniversary. I have to assume that they have agreed with you about the amount of food, because I think they have cut it by half. Our filets looked like McDonald's patties. And I would say the wine pourings were maybe 1-2 ounces. It was ridiculous to not feel full or even have a slight buzz after spending all that money and sitting there for almost three hours. Yes, we got the slow waiter too. And our anniversary dessert was "Happy Anniversary" written on a plate with chocolate syrup. Maybe you only get the little tart if it's your honyemoon. Some of the dishes being served around us looked pretty good, and were decent portion sizes too. So if anyone decides to go, avoid the degustation menu!

 

[TigerKat]

Oybolshoi, I just read some of your reviews from 2007. DH and I just did the gustation menu at Le Bistro in May, on our 20th anniversary. I have to assume that they have agreed with you about the amount of food, because I think they have cut it by half. Our filets looked like McDonald's patties. And I would say the wine pourings were maybe 1-2 ounces. It was ridiculous to not feel full or even have a slight buzz after spending all that money and sitting there for almost three hours. Yes, we got the slow waiter too. And our anniversary dessert was "Happy Anniversary" written on a plate with chocolate syrup. Maybe you only get the little tart if it's your honyemoon. Some of the dishes being served around us looked pretty good, and were decent portion sizes too. So if anyone decides to go, avoid the degustation menu!

Sad to read this, we were planning this for our next trip.

 

[kabuki]

I'm not much into tossing myself out there with trip reports and reviews. There are plusses and minuses to the event, but as a whole we enjoy it. I could definitley get together a review and post some pics as well if that would interest you.



Check this link out and it explains what ALL of the extra events are that the F&W Festival has:

http://allears.net/tp/ep/fw07/fw07.htm

I can relate to the putting yourself out there with review part. I have had a couple strange things said back when I have done them!
If you have the time to put one together that would be fantastic. Thank you for the offer!

 

[kabuki]

I can't find an available for sale copy of Yellowbeard anywhere ...

I didn't know there was a book ...

I've forced my husband over the years to sit through my VHS copies of Kentucky Fried Movie, Airplane, Airplane II, Amazon Women on the Moon, Hysterical, and Delirious. Now that I think about it, I'm fortunate he agreed to marry me once he knew that these were among my favorites.

Luckily we both agree on Monty Python.

and now back on topic ... KeepMovingForward, I'd love to hear what you have to say about the EEs you've attended. If the menus and pics look even halfway appealing I could see my way towards making a reservation and perhaps selling a kidney to afford the cost.

Delirious is the most quoted movie in our house. Not a day of driving goes by without a "MY SHOE" reference from trash on the side of the road!
And DON'T sell a kidney .. it helps with the the drinking.. you need to pick something else!

 

[kabuki]

First off....I'm going to the 10/18 PFTS. I don't know how often I'll get to see TDC Nala, because the systematic grazing I did last October worked well for me.

I tend to balance what I want to spend. I'll give up the most expensive events if it meant I could book a moderately expensive event and lots of the smaller ones, like the food and wine pairings. I won't know until I see the dratted schedule this year.



Well, you think a vegetarian menu was appealing to a girl from Stockyardville? I mean, I love my red meat, but I was up for the challenge of a signature meal that did concede to one fish course....wait for it....just for the halibut. Unless The Powers That Be (TPTB) price this event out of my range, I tend to want to book the Sunday night signature dinners.



Did you even give my review of the South African Wine Event a cursory glance? LOL! I thought it needed to improve to be worthwhile. I agree with TDC Nala that I'd rather go to Boma instead. I think Chelsi agreed with my assessment of the event since she attended it, too.



Especially when you see what they give for free cheese at DCA's food and wine seminars! I would never want to book a wine and cheese event at the WDW festival now. I'm too spoiled by free cheese.



I liked my Sweet Sunday, much MUCH better than the first one I did...and I had Keegan Gerhard doing the first one! I think this year I'll skip Sweet Sundays in order to fit a food and wine pairing in. Maybe I'll alternate attending from year to year.



It used to be Epcot's Exquisite Evenings, or EEE. I said it should stand for Excruciatingly Expensive Evenings, for it was pricey when I went to it a few years ago. I enjoyed mine, but I feel I'd be just as happy at Vicki and Al's Diner, too.



I don't remember doing a review for it, but it was really good. You met the group at the Guest Relations outside Epcot, and cars took us around backstage towards the World Showplace building. They had a reception with "hoover doovers", I mean hors d'oeuvres (hehe) before ushering us to our seats. They curtained off most of the PFTS area to make it more intimate. It was a multi-course meal, paired with wines, similar to signature dinners and such. I can't say if the meal I had really surpassed the signature dinners I've done. I can't justify the expense, even though everything was fantastic.





And this is yet again another reason I think you both would get along so well.

Lori!

I did agree with you about the South African wine event, I hope they do something like it again but make it better with the food being a BIG thing to upgrade. It reminded me of Taste at Disneyland!

Thanks for the quick EE review! All info you put out is much appreciated especially with "hoover doovers",