DCA Food & Wine 2020 Festival Superthread - Read First Post for Updates - Updated with Full Menus

[heathpack]

We were there for soft opening on Thursday.

Cheese soup was excellent
Fried chicken waffle was good
Pepperoni pizza egg rolls were good
Garlic Mac and cheese was excellent in husband’s eyes but too much for me
Bahn mi was good
Aperol cocktail was my favorite tasting hands down!

We also did a Friday mixology seminar, $25, the hosts were from Lamplight Lounge and the drink we made was the Six Tentacles. The drink was good but the seminar was annoying. It was supposed to be 1:30-2:15. The first 30 min was mostly the hosts telling us all the different things we should order from Lamplight Lounge (ie an extended commercial) and naming the things we had before us on the table (yes, I know what a lime looks like!). We didn’t start making our drinks until 2pm, and they talked about some of the ingredients but I don’t feel like I learned why (for example) the particular type of whiskey was used in this drink vs some other one, or if the passion fruit liquid X (can’t remember the name) was a brand (brand X?) or a type of spirit (spirit X?) or a mixer (mixer X?). We also weren’t given a printed recipe card or similar. By the time we made our drinks, we were left with 5-7 min to guzzle them down. It’s not like they were rushing you out the door and it was ok to linger. But we had a lunch reservation at Blue Bayou at 2:40. Would have been INFINITELY more enjoyable if they discussed the unknown/exotic ingredients in detail, then made the drink so you could be enjoying it while the hosts continued discussing ingredients, mixology concept, glassware etc. Skip the commercial for the Lamplight Lounge, or at least keep it to a minimum after we had cocktails in hand.

Enjoyed the drink though.

 

[midnight star]

Question. A remember 2 years ago during Food and Wine, they had different vendors outside of Disney sell items like hot sauce. Do they not do those anymore? Or did I miss them?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

FYI if you are a passholder and want to buy the sip and savor pass, buy inside Kingswell Camera shop corner!...

Agree. We bought our lanyard and AP pin with no wait. The CM was very friendly and helpful!

Reviews of some of the items I tried:...
Brunch Fried Chicken and Waffle: 1 Star
YUCK! The chicken was super dry. Lacked flavor too. The little bit of moisture it did have made the waffle soggy. It had these OJ bubbles, which had a nice sweet flavor. I really didn't care for this item at all. Kind of sad I wasted a tab on it...

You are the second person I know to say this about the Chicken and Waffle. Pretty sure we'll give this one a pass now.

Details........the sip and savor is $56 including tax. Is tax added if you pay at the kiosks (no sip and savor)?

People have posted that they were charged tax for food if they didn't use a tab. It couldn't hurt to budget for tax anyway. Then if you aren't charged, you'll have change leftover.

 

[Paigesmom2013]

Newbie here, but where are all the vendors set up at DCA? Also, where can you watch the Jammin Chefs?
I'm going with hubby and two kids so I"m guessing we will just walk by all the yummy treats...

 

[dina444444]

Question. A remember 2 years ago during Food and Wine, they had different vendors outside of Disney sell items like hot sauce. Do they not do those anymore? Or did I miss them?

I saw a couple of outside vendors yesterday. But it was super crowded so I don’t remember the names of the vendors.

 

[dina444444]

Not sure if it was stated up thread, but no mobile order for the booths for this festival. However, you can from any of the booths for the other booths.

 

[harmon54]

Couple quick questions - can anyone confirm that tax is added to price of food if not using a tab? May be a better deal to get another sip and savor pass for the $6.50 items if tax is added.
Also - does anyone know if you can use the sip and savor tabs on garden grill or Sonoma terrace items?

 

[dina444444]

Couple quick questions - can anyone confirm that tax is added to price of food if not using a tab? May be a better deal to get another sip and savor pass for the $6.50 items if tax is added.
Also - does anyone know if you can use the sip and savor tabs on garden grill or Sonoma terrace items?

The prices include tax already so if it’s listed as $6.50 you pay $6.50.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Tips from today:
- Absolutely hunt around for the shortest order line. The berry and artichoke booths were both very low every time we passed by.
- There were massive lines at every booth when we arrived at 10:30. We bought our sip and savor from a random merch cart, no line.
- Lines ebbed and flowed a lot during the day. All were DESERTED at 6:00pm. Weather (chilly and drizzly)? Everyone over watching the new parade? Sunday night clear-out? Not sure, but it was notable.
- A lot of the pick-up lines LOOKED intimidatingly long, but they moved fast.


I can’t remember the actual names for half this stuff, so I’ll try to come back tomorrow and edit and add that in. Highlights were the bahn mi, the artichoke/tapenade toast, and the banana tart thing, which was amazeballs. Daughter’s favorite was berry pudding. Fried artichokes were meh, wouldn’t get them again. Everything else was good. It’s all overpriced, of course, but still fun.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

The prices include tax already so if it’s listed as $6.50 you pay $6.50.

This. You can use tabs at Garden Grill, but you get a tasting portion, not the regular size that’s listed with a larger price on the menu.

Not sure about Sonoma Terrace. It says on the pass, so I’m sure you could find a picture online and look. I’m in bed or I’d check ours.

@harmon54, I thought I had a quote from you here but I must have deleted it.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

From this week's MP DLR Update (3/2-8/20) -- underlined section for those asking about sales tax:

Make the most of the Sip & Savor Pass
Back for 2020 is the Sip and Savor pass, in versions for both the general public as well as Disneyland Resort annual passholders. The pass provides eight tasting portions of selected food and beverage items from the 13 Festival Marketplaces, plus the Paradise Garden Grill and a few participating outdoor vending carts.
The "Sip and Savor Pass" is $56 to the general public (average $7.00 per dish), and $51 to Disneyland Resort annual passholders (average $6.38 per dish). Because sales tax is not applied to the price of the Sip and Savor Pass, but is to the food items, you also get an 8 percent advantage when you use the pass because you aren't paying sales tax. The passport itself is a plastic credential with eight snap-off tabs, strung on a lanyard. Passholders receive a special lanyard for their pass, and, while supplies last, a special Annual Passholder car magnet.
A special note about the Paradise Garden Grill – the restaurant menu signs picture and give the price for the full-size portion of the Festival entrées, but customers who redeem a Sip and Savor tab receive a tasting-size portion of each dish. This is clearly disclosed in several places, but some customers seem surprised when their dish isn't as large as the full-size entree the person next to them receives.
If you are an annual passholder and use all eight tabs to purchase one each of the eight most expensive items at the Festival, at best you save $14.50 (plus tax) compared to paying cash. You "save" every time you use a tab for an item that sells for $7.00 or more, but every $6 dessert or non-alcoholic beverage you buy with a tab eats into that savings. And while several outdoor vending carts accept the Sip and Savor pass for their special Festival offerings, you're better off paying cash and saving a tab for a pricier item elsewhere.
When the Sip & Savor pass debuted in 2016, we deemed it a waste of money, but the offer has gotten a bit better over the years. For 2020, our advice is again to decide what dishes you're interested in trying, then crunch the numbers to decide if this is a good deal for you. To get the most value from the pass, you need to be prepared to pay separately for less-expensive items, which will raise your overall spending. The Sip and Savor Pass is valid for the entire festival, so you can return each weekend to try new dishes and use up the tabs.
For 2020, you can purchase the pass at the following locations:

• Seaside Souvenirs
• Elias & Co.
• Kingswell Camera Shop
• Rushin' River Outfitters
• The Studio Store in Hollywood Land
• Every Festival Marketplace Kiosk

 

[Skyegirl1999]

From this week's MP DLR Update (3/2-8/20) -- underlined section for those asking about sales tax:

Make the most of the Sip & Savor Pass
Back for 2020 is the Sip and Savor pass, in versions for both the general public as well as Disneyland Resort annual passholders. The pass provides eight tasting portions of selected food and beverage items from the 13 Festival Marketplaces, plus the Paradise Garden Grill and a few participating outdoor vending carts.
The "Sip and Savor Pass" is $56 to the general public (average $7.00 per dish), and $51 to Disneyland Resort annual passholders (average $6.38 per dish). Because sales tax is not applied to the price of the Sip and Savor Pass, but is to the food items, you also get an 8 percent advantage when you use the pass because you aren't paying sales tax. The passport itself is a plastic credential with eight snap-off tabs, strung on a lanyard. Passholders receive a special lanyard for their pass, and, while supplies last, a special Annual Passholder car magnet.
A special note about the Paradise Garden Grill – the restaurant menu signs picture and give the price for the full-size portion of the Festival entrées, but customers who redeem a Sip and Savor tab receive a tasting-size portion of each dish. This is clearly disclosed in several places, but some customers seem surprised when their dish isn't as large as the full-size entree the person next to them receives.
If you are an annual passholder and use all eight tabs to purchase one each of the eight most expensive items at the Festival, at best you save $14.50 (plus tax) compared to paying cash. You "save" every time you use a tab for an item that sells for $7.00 or more, but every $6 dessert or non-alcoholic beverage you buy with a tab eats into that savings. And while several outdoor vending carts accept the Sip and Savor pass for their special Festival offerings, you're better off paying cash and saving a tab for a pricier item elsewhere.
When the Sip & Savor pass debuted in 2016, we deemed it a waste of money, but the offer has gotten a bit better over the years. For 2020, our advice is again to decide what dishes you're interested in trying, then crunch the numbers to decide if this is a good deal for you. To get the most value from the pass, you need to be prepared to pay separately for less-expensive items, which will raise your overall spending. The Sip and Savor Pass is valid for the entire festival, so you can return each weekend to try new dishes and use up the tabs.
For 2020, you can purchase the pass at the following locations:

• Seaside Souvenirs
• Elias & Co.
• Kingswell Camera Shop
• Rushin' River Outfitters
• The Studio Store in Hollywood Land
• Every Festival Marketplace Kiosk

The receipt on the left was paid for with a credit card. No tax. The receipt on the right was paid for with Sip and Savor tabs. Also no tax. The price listed is the price you pay.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

View attachment 478186
The receipt on the left was paid for with a credit card. No tax. The receipt on the right was paid for with Sip and Savor tabs. Also no tax. The price listed is the price you pay.

I'm not sure how MP is doing the math, but every year they say the same thing, i.e. using the tabs saves you money because all of your money is going toward food, none toward tax. And if you have an AP discount, you save even more.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I'm not sure how MP is doing the math, but every year they say the same thing, i.e. using the tabs saves you money because all of your money is going toward food, none toward tax. And if you have an AP discount, you save even more.

Yeah, every year they say the same thing, and every year they are wrong. The booth prices as shown include sales tax. If there are festival items available at non-booth and non-cart locations such as the tasting portions at the Paradise Grill each festival or the Festival of holidays items at Sonoma Terrace and Smokejumpers, those menu listings don't include tax so you have to factor that into your pricing expectation when deciding whether to use a tab or pay additionally.

 

[asumom]

So. If you find the shortest line and order, do the booths have a separate pick up line.....how does this work? Thanks

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I'm not sure how MP is doing the math, but every year they say the same thing, i.e. using the tabs saves you money because all of your money is going toward food, none toward tax. And if you have an AP discount, you save even more.

It’s not an issue of math; they’re just incorrect, at least when it comes to the booths (also the cart with the empanadas). There’s clearly no tax added on the receipt when paying by credit card since the tax line says zero and the prices are exactly as listed.

So. If you find the shortest line and order, do the booths have a separate pick up line.....how does this work? Thanks

They do have different pickup lines. They are marked with arrows at each cart. You order at the register and pick up at the window. If you order a bunch at one booth, you carry that receipt around to the other booths and go directly to the pickup line. Hope that helps!

 

[Not Your Mom]

Tips from today:
- Absolutely hunt around for the shortest order line. The berry and artichoke booths were both very low every time we passed by.
- There were massive lines at every booth when we arrived at 10:30. We bought our sip and savor from a random merch cart, no line.
- Lines ebbed and flowed a lot during the day. All were DESERTED at 6:00pm. Weather (chilly and drizzly)? Everyone over watching the new parade? Sunday night clear-out? Not sure, but it was notable.
- A lot of the pick-up lines LOOKED intimidatingly long, but they moved fast.

View attachment 478178
I can’t remember the actual names for half this stuff, so I’ll try to come back tomorrow and edit and add that in. Highlights were the bahn mi, the artichoke/tapenade toast, and the banana tart thing, which was amazeballs. Daughter’s favorite was berry pudding. Fried artichokes were meh, wouldn’t get them again. Everything else was good. It’s all overpriced, of course, but still fun.

After seeing you tube reviews vary widely and some people not like what they ordered I am wondering if you can exchange something you hate after one bite for another item? Has anybody tried this? Or will they give you a tiny sample of some things before you order?I hate to waste food, but also wont finish something that is horrible......

 

[ImDMous]

After seeing you tube reviews vary widely and some people not like what they ordered I am wondering if you can exchange something you hate after one bite for another item? Has anybody tried this? Or will they give you a tiny sample of some things before you order?I hate to waste food, but also wont finish something that is horrible......

The portions are already very small, they are tastings, a couple bites at most. I think this would just be unrealistic on the scale they are operating on. If you take a bite and don't like it, see if someone else in your group wants the other bite.
Maybe someone else had tried? I haven't and probably wouldn't unless it was just completely different then what was described on the menu.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

After seeing you tube reviews vary widely and some people not like what they ordered I am wondering if you can exchange something you hate after one bite for another item? Has anybody tried this? Or will they give you a tiny sample of some things before you order?I hate to waste food, but also wont finish something that is horrible......

They're called "tasting portions" for that exact reason. They're meant to give you the option to try interesting things without a ton of food waste if you don't like them. They ARE the "tiny sample," essentially. (The price point doesn't reflect that, but that's a different issue than waste.)

Allowing exchanges or something would be a logistical nightmare. Unless there's something actually wrong with the item you receive (like gristle in a piece of meat, for instance), I can't imagine trying to exchange it, and even in that case, it'd be an exchange for the same item, just without the "flaw."

I think that in this type of situation, with things being prepared elsewhere and then transported and all of that, there's a lot of inconsistency in quality of the individual offerings. In the past, when we've been often enough to order the same item on multiple occasions, we've seen that firsthand. Sometimes, the item will be markedly fresher, hotter/colder, have far more or less garnish/sauce, etc... which can significantly affect the quality. When you add to that the differences in people's individual palates and preferences, there's going to be a lot of variety in item reviews.

 

[asumom]

It’s not an issue of math; they’re just incorrect, at least when it comes to the booths (also the cart with the empanadas). There’s clearly no tax added on the receipt when paying by credit card since the tax line says zero and the prices are exactly as listed.


They do have different pickup lines. They are marked with arrows at each cart. You order at the register and pick up at the window. If you order a bunch at one booth, you carry that receipt around to the other booths and go directly to the pickup line. Hope that helps!

Thank you! Yes, very helpful.