Good morning, folks! We presented these on an impromptu basis a few weeks back, but Mrs. All in WDW and I took pen to paper this past week and spruced them up into a final list of “must do’s”.
The end result is our “take” on what “rules” you should follow when you plan your trip to, and then “attack”, Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival! Enjoy!
Rule #1: And, this is VERY important … hydrate. Drink lots of water. It is HOT out there – especially when you’re standing in long lines.
Drink water!
Rule #2: Use sunblock! Last year, I got terribly sunburned on my first day at the “party”. This year, I was smarter and much happier.
Rule #3: The companion to Rule #2. Seek shade at every opportunity!
Rule #4: If you’re in a party of two or more, one of you stand in line for food and one of you seek a table. In these crowds, places to eat are hard to find. Mrs. All in WDW and I have a system. She grabs the table, and I grab the “grub”.
Rule #5: When at all possible, combine Rule #3 and Rule #4. Find a shady table!
Rule #6: Share a table! If someone asks to share your table, by all means say ‘yes’. It might be you looking for a place to cut your filet next time!
Rule #7: Unless you’re a crazy blogger looking to snap pictures of everything as soon as the festival opens, DON’T come on opening weekend. The lines are Ca-RAZY long!
Wow! It must be busy if Singapore’s line is THIS long!
Rule #8: Hit the festival at “rope drop”. Be there right at 11:00 AM, when World Showcase opens, and make Food & Wine your “lunch”. You’ll avoid long lines. Sometimes, you’ll even get to enjoy an early opening!
Rule #9: Decide on a budget and load it onto a gift card. When you start going from booth-to-booth, the dollars can disappear quickly!
Loaded and ready to “rock ‘n roll”!
Rule #10: Don’t try to eat and drink everything. You’ll “burst” … and be “broke”!
Rule #11: Follow All in WDW! We’ll supply you with Top 25 “target menus”, pictures, and reviews, so that you don’t have to break Rule #10. Oh, and request or download The All in WDW Food & Wine 2013 e-Lists! Take all our information to Epcot with you! Sorry, somehow this rule turned into a terribly shameless plug!
Rule #12: Watch Rick Howard’s Travel with Rick Food & Wine festival video-casts. Get first-hand reviews of what’s good and what’s great!
Rule #13: At all costs, do NOT order a Singapore Sling! Ever! Unless you love cherry cough syrup, that is.
Rule #14: Everyone’s tastes are different. This rule is actually my favorite. It’s also the reason I LOVE the Food & Wine festival. Everyone’s tastes are different, and I love the conversation that this fact generates. Just keep in mind – there’s no wrong choice. There are just different choices … based on personal taste!
Rule #15: Finally, by all means, try China’s Mongolian Beef! It IS the All in WDW 2013 Food & Wine Festival “Champion”, after all!
#1: Mongolian Beef (China)
First rule for me is to get there, someday!
Easy for me to say, I guess, but it’ll happen. It took me all the way ’til 2011 to make my first trip!