Disney4me Posted June 27, 2017 Report Share Posted June 27, 2017 You’re going to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival! Hooray! Ok. Now what? In 2017, the Epcot Food and Wine Festival will take place August 31 through November 13. That’s 75 days of discovering new dishes, enjoying interesting wines, and learning about exciting cocktails and craft beers. But unless you’re independently wealthy, you probably won’t be enjoying the entire two and a half month stretch. Luckily, we know a thing or two about planning a GREAT Epcot Food and Wine Festival trip. We’ve even compiled our best tips in our DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Food and Wine Festival, available right now for pre-order. To get you started on everything from choosing your dates, to what to pack, and how you pay for it all, let’s check out our best tips for Preparing for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, From Start to Finish. 1) Schedule Your Dates It may seem basic, but get the calendar out and decide when you’d like to visit. But really, it’s not so basic, right? There are all kinds of things to consider: When are crowds the largest? What’s the weather like? And OMG is Hanson going to be there this year??? (Spoiler Alert: Yep. They are.) OMG! Hanson! (©Hanson) Unfortunately, with respect to schedules, if you have to plan in advance, you’re going to have to do so with some unknowns. Disney always puts out the final schedule of events, for everything from Special Events to Demonstrations and Seminars, pretty much at the last minute. Even Eat to the Beat is coming later and later (although we do have that full lineup — see it here!) Beverage Seminar Our suggestion? Plan as much as you can based upon weather, crowds, and a general idea of when Special Events have taken place historically. For a look back at all of the details of previous Festivals, check out our Disney Food and Wine Festivals Page. Of course, if you have the luxury of waiting until the last minute, stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog and join the DFB Newsletter. We’ll have every date you need as soon as they’re all available. 2) Buy the DFB Guide to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival I know. It’s like, “Hmmmm, DFB. Do I really need to buy your book?” But yeah. Ya kinda do. We take our work here at DFB very seriously. We know you guys look to us to provide all of the latest Disney food news and information you need to plan your visits and trips. And that goes double for Food and Wine! So our work on the festival never really stops, as we offer you the most comprehensive coverage you can find on the festival anywhere. And here’s the thing: it doesn’t all fit on Disney Food Blog. So we dive deep in the DFB Guide to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. Want to know when and where and how many times your favorite chef appears? We can tell you. How about a complete schedule of every event happening every day of the festival? No problem. Wait, will your favorite beer be at the Hops & Barley Booth in 2017? We can tell you that. How about pictures of nearly every food item that will be served at the booths? You betcha. And what about extra fun and helpful stuff, like touring strategies and crawls? Yep, we have that too. There’s no better source out there for festival coverage. No. Better. Source. Believe me, we’ve looked! So for the price of one visit to the Canada Booth (less actually!), get your pre-order of the 2017 DFB Guide to the Food and Wine Festival, and have everything you need at your fingertips. And even better — pre-order now, and the 2016 version is yours for FREE as an immediate download! Use code ENJOY for a 20% discount. 3) Look at Disney Food Blog’s Food and Wine Festival Pages For All the Details I can’t say this enough: check out our full list of Epcot Food and Wine pages, starting with our Main Festival Page. We cover it all. Every event, every menu item, every detail of the Food and Wine Festival from start to finish. Wanna Know Everything That’s Going to Be at the Morocco Booth? We Can Tell You! So when you’re planning for your trip, be sure to visit our Main Festival Page, where you’ll find links to everything — Booth Menus, Special Events, Low Cost Seminars and Demos — even the Eat to the Beat Concert Schedule. Bookmark the Main Page and check back frequently for updates. Preparation Area at Chef’s Showcase We’ll be bringing them to you right up to the beginning of the festival — and beyond! 4) Ready — Set — Call! Booking dates for Epcot Food and Wine Festival events are some of the most highly anticipated pieces of info we await each year. The reason for this is that some special events and even low cost seminars will sell out on the first day of booking. So if there are particular events or personalities you’re especially keen to experience or see, you’d best be on the horn early on opening day. Chef Warren Brown Do keep in mind that certain groups — Annual Passholders, DVC Owners, Golden Oak Residents, and Disney Chase Visa Cardholders — have been able to take advantage of early booking windows for some events (mostly seminars and demos) during previous years. If you belong to one of these groups, pay close attention. We’ll be telling you the day that phone lines will open so you can book before the general public gets access. Champagne Tasting So, just what can you expect the day the lines open? It can be a little crazy. Expect long waits and Cast Members who don’t necessarily have all the information (although many are totes awesome and try their very best to assist you however they can.) For more details, check out this helpful post on what to expect on peak booking days. REMEMBER: You will be able to book some events online at epcotfoodfestival.com on booking day! We suggest having two phones on hold with the Disney dining line, and trying to book online as well. 5) Essentials for Your Packing List So you’ve made your reservations and you’re ready to pack — hooray! You’ll be strolling the World Showcase Promenade, enjoying a Le Passion Martini in no time. La Passion Martini Slush But what should you take? We’ve got a couple of suggestions to make your trip even more awesome! (You knew we would.) Comfortable Shoes. Well, this goes for any visit to Disney, but especially when you’re walking hither and yon in Epcot. These Shoes Are Made For Walkin’. (No. Seriously. They Are.) You’re going to be doing a lot of walking as you cover all the booths. And if you plan to do Special Events, Culinary Demos, or Beverage Seminars, that’s even more steps on your Fitbit as you hit the booths in World Showcase, and then walk allllllll the way back to Festival Center for your scheduled events. Be sure that you’ve chosen wisely when it comes to footwear. Sorry, but leave the Louboutins at home. Start Your Planning NOW! News! The DFB Guide to the 2017 Epcot Food & Wine Festival e-Book is now available for pre-order! And if you pre-order the 2017 edition, you get the 2016 edition (with TONS of great info!) for FREE!!! This 250+-page guide to the Festival offers insider tips and advice as well as all of the details you need to know to plan your best Festival visit ever. Your purchase includes several bonus items as well — including a full daily schedule of events at the Festival and a printable World Showcase Booth Menu Checklist to carry with you as you Eat around the World! Order your 2017 edition today and we’ll immediately send you the 2016 edition for FREE to get started on planning right away! Don’t miss a moment of the fun! Use code Chefs at check-out for a 20% discount! Be sure to stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for all of the latest coverage about the 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival. We’ll have the details FIRST! Elastic Waistbands. We always figure that a Disney Day will involve lots of eating, but that’s even more true at the Food and Wine Festival. So pace yourself, get in an extra workout (or two) — and pack those stretchy pants. Or even better — this Haunted Mansion Skirt. (Hey — comfortable can be cute too, ya know.) Squeeeeee! A Tray. One of the best tips that we can give you is to bring a tray and plan to use it when you’re at the festival. Buying one of everything at the Marketplace Booths is no joke, you guys. It’s not easy to carry multiple paper boats full of food without spilling something (and you can forget about the drinks). Do what the Disney pros do — us! — and pack a tray. DFB Tray FTW! They’re super cheap to pick up on Amazon, and you can jeuge it up any way you like. We personally think they look AWESOME sporting a DFB Bumper Sticker. Get yours here. Sunscreen and a Poncho. Make no mistake — October in Florida is definitely different than in other parts of the country, and sunscreen is still a must. But the weather can also be a little unpredictable, as Florida is going through that weird time of year where the afternoon thunderstorms are a little less sporadic — but can still totally happen. Rain, Rain Go Away. And Stop Turning the Food and Wine Festival Into a Sauna. So pack a poncho or umbrella as well as your SPF 50 so that you’re prepared rain or shine. 6) Going Cashless: Gift Cards and Magic Bands There are a couple super cool fun ways to go cashless at the festival’s marketplace booths. What you decide to use all comes down to preference, but there are definitely some reasons you might want to consider it. Let’s look at gift cards first. Reloadable Gift Cards Prepaid gift cards are a great way to budget. Know you want to spend only a certain amount on festival goodies? Load the card with that amount, keep track on your receipts, and when you’re done, you’re done! Second, festival gift cards are easy to use. They’re small and come attached to a little bracelet that makes them wearable, which makes your transactions at each booth a breeze, and way easier than fumbling with cash or pulling out a credit card at every stop. But if you’d like to simplify your life even further, don’t forget that you can pay for purchases at booths with a tap of your Magic Band. Again, this makes life a whole lot easier as you cruise the booths. And did we mention you can use your Disney Dining Plan snack credits to pay for many of the booth items!? Just keep in mind that it’s mighty easy to rack up a giant bill if you aren’t keeping track. 7) Leave Room to Be Spontaneous There is a lot happening at the festival every single day. While we strongly suggest that you plan ahead for which booths you’d like to visit, and schedule any demos or special events that you’d like to attend, we’d also advise you to leave a little wiggle room for some spontaneity. The Festival Center Information Desk Is Your Stop To Find Out What’s Available Each Day Check in at Festival Center to see what events might still be available the day you attend. Or find out which celebrity chefs are appearing, and see if you can get a wristband for a meet and greet. Sometimes, those impromtu opportunities turn out to be our most memorable experiences. Wanna Know More? Here’s everything we know so far about the 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival! Keep checking back. We’ll bring you all the latest Food and Wine Festival News First! 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Index 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booth and Menu Index2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Special Events2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Low-Cost Seminars and Demonstrations2017 Eat to the Beat Concert ScheduleEpcot Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon2017 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine ClassicFood and Wine Festival 1012016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Menus and FOOD PHOTOS2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Gluten Free Items How to Book Epcot Food & Wine Festival Events To book all special events and demonstrations, call 407-WDW-FEST (939-3378) starting TBD. Join the Disney Food Blog Newsletter to find out as soon as we do about details and booking dates! Culinary Demonstrations and Beverage Seminars and general admission for some special events may be bookable online at www.epcotfoodfestival.com as well as by phone. Tables in Wonderland members, Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members, and Golden Oak Residents may be eligible for a $2 discount (per person, per event) for beverage and seminars and culinary demos taking place Mon-Thurs during the festival. These members will be able to book seminars and demos TBD. Discounts are by phone only at 407-WDW-FEST (939-3378). Stay tuned to DisneyFoodBlog.com and the Disney Food Blog Newsletter for details. Chase Disney Visa Cardholders can book select special events, demos, and seminars on TBD as well. A limited number of seats are available for the booking date. But we’ve talked long enough! Now we’d love to hear from you: what are your top tips for preparing to attend the Epcot Food and Wine Festival? Leave a comment and share your advice with us below! Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com! Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our Newsletter Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook Fan Related posts: 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Tip: How Many Days Should I Budget For the Festival? Epcot Food and Wine Festival Tip: Should I Bring My Kids to the Festival? Epcot Food and Wine Festival Tips: When Should I Visit the Festival? View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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