Okay, Food & Wine Festival fans, IT’S ON…
Booking for the 2014 Epcot Food & Wine Festival Special Events is officially open to the public! Have you perused the menus? Are you busy booking your Demonstrations and Seminars?
Well, guess what? Now you’ve got two BRAND NEW EVENTS to consider: Epcot Food & Wine Late Nights LIVE! AND the Epcot Food & Wine Premium Package!
Epcot Food & Wine Late Nights LIVE!
UPDATE: The Food & Wine Late Nights Live! event will no longer be offered on Tuesday evenings. The text below reflects this change.
Epcot Food & Wine Late Nights LIVE! is an after-hours street party, running every Thursday (beginning September 25th) throughout the Festival.
From 9:45 pm – 1:00 am, guests will enjoy the late-night atmosphere of World Showcase between the United Kingdom Pavilion and Showcase Plaza!
The cost is $79 (plus tax), and includes music, entertainment, and a live DJ to add to the festive atmosphere, along with six items from several of the Festival marketplace booths.
If you are entering Epcot for the event only (after the park closes) Epcot admission is not required.
Epcot Food & Wine Premium Package
Running Mondays through Thursdays throughout the Festival, the Epcot Food & Wine Premium Package gives guests the opportunity to “sip and savor dozens of unique, fresh flavors from six continents.” The Premium Package is offered exclusively to guests staying at Walt Disney World Resorts, the Swan & Dolphin Resorts, and Golden Oak.
Seafood Fisherman’s Pie from Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival
There is a LOT going on here, so be sure to read all of the inclusions below!
The cost is $199 (plus tax) and includes an in-room gift bag with a select bottle of wine, a Food & Wine Festival wine glass, truffles, and a “Premium Package Area credential.”
A themed Food & Wine Magic Band and a $50 gift card is also included, as well as access to Premium Package Areas around World Showcase where Premium Package guests will order items from select marketplace booths and have them delivered directly. No waiting in line!
Additionally, the Premium Package includes admission to one Epcot Food & Wine Late Nights LIVE! event.
Epcot admission is required for the Premium Package.
“Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce
Remember, booking for all special events is open as of 7:00 am ET TODAY!
Visit www.epcotfoodfestival.com to book your choice of special events and seminars and demonstrations. Or dial (407) WDW-FEST (939-3378) to book those, or either of the two new events.
And don’t forget to order your copy of the The DFB Guide to the 2014 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival e-Book! In addition to all the best Food & Wine Festival tips and information, you’ll also be able to check out exactly what’s happening at the Festival during your stay!
So… are you ready? Happy planning, everybody!!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Hummmmm, It’s difficult to tell from Disney’s official marketing copy for the Late Nights LIVE! event… if there’s going to be six items only, that we can eat as many as we want of… or if there’s going to be many items, that we can only eat six of. I suspect the latter.
I like the idea very, very much. Cool concept, I’d like to stay in Epcot until 1am… but really, if it only includes six food booth items (6 x $5 = $30), with more items sold separately, that’s going to have to be one heck of a good DJ.
$79 for no alcohol and just some recorded music and snacks?
Lol…
I can’t find the Late Nights LIVE on the website anywhere to book it?!!?!
Looking forward to this! According to the booking cast member, there will be 10 Premium areas throughout the marketplaces – sounds neat.
I’m curious about whether the credential will be dated. It’s only for resort guests, but I’m switching resorts, so I hope it’s valid through my whole stay. (I did have to select which Late Night Live! event date I wanted.)
Sounds like fun! I think it’s worth the extra $$ just to get to stay so late at the park!
I wonder though if the six food booth items are of our own choice, or if they were pre-chosen by Disney (probably not good for vegetarians if it’s pre-chosen).
How do we book this? Disney Dining knows nothing about this as of this morning.
I was able to book over the phone for Late Night Live. Very excited and I agree totally worth the money just to stay in the park that late, think of all the awesome pictures on the walk out!
Intrigued by the premium package…I am also wondering if the access to the premium area is valid for the duration of your stay (Mon – Thurs only). Also wondering if the late night event includes alcohol a la Harambe Nights?
I would think it would be duration of stay or else why would there be more days of the premium package then nights of the event?
That settles it. I’m staying at the wrong hotel… 🙂
Is the charge for the Premium Package, of 199. per person or per couple or per room? If it’s per person…how would they do the in-room gift bags? One for each person, probably not.
I just booked the premium package. It’s $199 per person and you get one gift bag and one $50 gift card per room.
Alan — That was my experience, too! On hold for an hour, cast member can’t find anything about it, then I got hung up on. People have been able to book, though, so you should be able to book when you do find a cast member who knows about the event.
I saw a posting on a board that said the following about the late night event:
The open marketplaces are Canada, Greece, Hawaii and Dessert & Champagne. Disney Parks Blog did indicate some other items would be available.
You can choose six complimentary items total, food or beverages. So you can have 4 food items and 2 beverages or 3 food items and 3 beverages, you get the idea.
I have no idea if this is accurate because Disney phone agents are not always accurate but it sounds like it could be. It was also not specified whether or not you could purchase additional items.
On the premium package: Does anyone know if you get your gift bag and magic band early if you check into your hotel a few days ahead of Tuesday? Or do you not get the items until Tuesday?
Wait, what?! One per room??? That should be one per person!! What if your room has one person or one has six?? That dramatically changes the value proposition here . . .
It would make no sense for a room with multiple persons paying the full amount to receive only one magic band…and it better be a gift card per person or there will be cancellations.
The problem is that if you call and ask you get a different answer depending on who you talk to.
As I booked for one person I’d likely keep it, but anyone who has multiple guests in a room is going to be VERY upset if it’s one gift bag per room. Some items could be shared like the bottle of wine and the candy, but each person booking should get a gift card, wine glass, magic band and credential.
Have just booked the premium package and you get a magic band per person but only one goodie bag and I think it is ready for pick up when you check in at your resort.
Can someone tell me how this is possible a good deal? If I go with someone and stay in the same room, and we both pay $199 for the premium package, but only get one goodie bag that includes only one glass and one gift card, etc., how is this good?? I would expect if I paid $199 and so did someone I went with and we were in the same room that we would both get a bag. Or maybe one goodie bag with TWO glasses, TWO bottles of wine, etc. What if I went with a girl friend and we lived in two parts of the country and weren’t sharing the glass?? It sounds like a rip-off in true Disney fashion to me. Overpriced.
I don’t see how they can do one bag per room and charge everyone $199 a person…..
I was seriously thinking about booking this tonight, but now with what I’ve read here, Idk…
Also, pp was right….6 things at $5 each and charging $79 for the party seems even more steep than usual Disney event pricing to me…
hmmm….
Sounds great, but I just can’t make the numbers work for my hubby and me. 2 tickets to the late night party, $160, 1 $50 gift card, (that’s $210 so afar) and maybe $100 MAX for the bottle of wine, glass, truffles, and bag. Maybe. ($310 now). It’s just not worth $90 for me to not wait in a few booth lines. If it were 2 gift cards and 2 bottles of wine, etc., then I’m all in.
I personally don’t see how they can charge one person $199 for all the stuff, then charge someone else, who just happens to be sleeping in the same room, the exact same price and not give them everything the first guest got. Not cool, disney, not cool.
I agree with Melissa. I really want to book this but I am going to wait until more information comes out. The brochure specifically states that EACH $199 package includes in-room gift bag with a select bottle of wine, a Food & Wine Festival wine glass, truffles, a “Premium Package Area credential.”, a themed Food & Wine Magic Band and a $50 gift card.
I forgot to mention, my boyfriend & I are staying in the same room so I just cannot justify spending $400 on two packages if they aren’t going to give you the same thing in each package….
AJ — do you have info about whether you get access to the premium areas for your entire length of stay (Monday-Thursday), or do you max out after so many days?
The F&WF Premium Package for the two weeks we’re there is sold out (oct 6 – 16). Also, for those with kids, if you want your child to be with you in the “premium areas” you have to buy them a $199 ticket as well. I’m actually getting a little fed up with the huge amount of “what am I going to do with my kid” during tastings, demos, seminars, pairings, and the other events I managed to get booked before they sold out.
Please note — there is nothing to our knowledge in the Disney literature that says that the gift bag is per room. It would be our understanding that it’s one gift bag per ticket. Please check with the Disney cast member you speak to to confirm this.
It’s quite possible the Disney Dining Cast Member gave me wrong info about one gift card per room (they get information wrong quite regularly). I would suggesting calling and asking yourself and see if, by now, the correct info has propagated to the cast members.
As I put in my earlier post, you only get a goodie bag per room but you get a magic band per ticket I checked when I booked. You get tickets for the after show party which you don’t have to use on the same day as the premium package. So you get the 10 tastings during the day and then the 6 in the evening
What do you mean 10 tastings during the day? The Disney literature says you have access to premium areas, it mentions nothing about how many items you can buy within the area. It also doesn’t specify how many days you have access to the premium areas. All of this is very unclear.
I booked the premium package this morning for the end of October. Cast member said all the components of the package (gift bag, gift card) were per person and would be available at check-in. There is also apparently a non-alcoholic option for the gift bag if needed, but they weren’t sure what it was (perhaps sparkling cider?).
They also confirmed that the “six items” for the late night event means that you will get six food/drink items. It will not be a menu of six items that you can get multiples of. According to the cast member I spoke with, you’ll have to pick up your six tickets at the Festival Center and can then redeem them at the stands open during the party.
Just booked this- you have to choose your Late Night when you book the premium package. The CM was not initially sure that the $50 was per person but she did confirm that it was.
I love their new policy of crowding the parks beyond capacity and then charging an exorbitant amount for “Premium” experiences that used to just be part of your admission … and given how fast people sign up for this stuff, I certainly don’t see the trend reversing any time soon.
I’m wondering if there will be a way to get an Epcot Food and Wine Magic Band without buying the premium package? I just booked my Late Night Event today, I called twice yesterday and the Cast Members knew nothing about it to book it.
Hahahah John! Isn’t that the truth!! So I’m seeing this as a fast pass for some of the booths, a magic band, a few truffles and a bottle of wine? Eh, no thanks. I have never ever had any issues standing in line for food and wine festival. It’s all part of the experience. And you still have to pay for the food, the $199 doesn’t include it and it’s only for select booths???! $200 fast passes lol. I can’t wait to see reviews though. To each their own. Disney knows people will lap it up when it says “premium” on it. I’m also excited to see reviews for the late night party.
I booked today after asking many questions. The cast member I got was very knowledgable and twice when she didn’t have an answer up me on hold and found out.
Here’s what’s included: EACH person receives the $50 gift card, bottle of wine, magic band, festival glass, credentials for either the Tuesday or Thursday late night party (must chose the date during booking) and truffles in your room at check in. Monday-Thursday you have access every day to the premium areas of the booths which include delivery from at least 6 of the booths. She was not able to confirm which booths.
The late night party includes food and alcohol, DJ, dancers and entertainment from 9:45pm to 1am. She could not tell me if the booths were open to be handling the food service or it would be buffet style, perhaps opening the old millennium village area.
Has anyone had to ask about split weeks yet? I arrive on Thursday and leave on Tues. Wondering if I can utilize the Monday/Tuesday of the following week, or will I just get access to the exclusive areas on Thursday?!
Thanks!
Venessa,
$200 fast passes? Well, it’s $50 of a gift card, so now we’re down to $150. And it’s an $80 late night party that includes 6 food/drink items, so you can decide whether to credit $30 (only food value) or $80 or somewhere in between. And then you get a bottle of wine- let’s call that $10. So now we have somewhere between $90 and $140 of value before the magic band, the convenience of a private area with no lines for food, and some truffles. So maybe your LOL is misplaced.
Patrick,
Woah, you got me there buddy! But I still stand to my opinions 🙂 To each their own. I personally see no value seeing I have no interest in a wine I prob won’t like, truffles or a limited selection of booths. I don’t mind standing in line one bit and love socializing with the guest at the event. And I used to be a CM at Epcot so Epcot after Hours is nothing new to me. I can def see the appeal though!!
I received a call from Guest Services. They’ve cancelled the Tuesday night parties. I was offered Thursday party, or Champagne Dessert Party to replace. We were lucky that we had Thursday open – we are very excited to try this new offering!! Will post a review when we return.
Has anyone gotten information on which “select marketplace booths” are included in the Premium Package and/or which items are being offered at the party?
Has anyone attended this event yet? Will be going in late October and would love to see a first hand review for the Premium Package along with Late Nights Live.
Dustin — We’ll have a review on Saturday!
Hi, Dustin. My husband and I attended the party this evening as part of the premium package. We were only able to use the premium areas today because we just came into town late yesterday. We HIGHLY recommend this package. I had read about issues at past festivals stating how hard it is to find a table and chairs after getting your food. This solves that completely. Each premium area services the 4 closest kiosks, so you can just go from one to the next all around World Showcase and get pretty much anything in the passport. You will be greeted by 2-4 friendly cast members at each area. They provide a menu listing all items in the 4 kiosks they service. You place your order, pay, and within a few minutes (not joking) your food and drinks will arrive. Some of these areas are better appointed than others. For instance, the one in front of China had benches, tables and shade, but the one for France had no shade and no chairs, just tables.
The late night party was great fun. The kiosk lines were all fairly short, and tonight it was really not crowded. They had a live acoustic duo that we really enjoyed, a dj playing dance and Latin music, and then inside the tent where they do special events they had another live act with a band playing ballads. There was no food in the tent, but there was a bar where you could redeem the ticket for your souvenir cup plus tables, chairs, and a/c.
The kiosks that are open during the party are Hawaii, desserts & champagne, refreshment port, Greece, Canada, and Ireland. You will get 5 vouchers for food and wine at these kiosks, and some things at some kiosks will require money. For example, refreshment post was providing the souvenir cup drink, but if you want a Dole whip or cronuts you have to pay for them. I believe the rest of the kiosks offered everything else for a voucher.
Thank you for the detailed response, Wendy. You have made us feel a lot better about our Premium Package purchase already – sounds like a great time! Hopefully we will get as much enjoyment out of it as you and your husband have.
Will look forward to the official write up on Saturday, AJ!