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AVP
02-20-2009, 03:26 PM
Lots and lots of information about the 2009 event, including dates and pricing not currently available on the official Web site, is available in my MousePlanet Blog (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/blog.php?b=361).

I already know that several MousePlanet staff and readers are going to be at the May 17th Sweet Sundays event!

Edited to add: I'm adding a Roll Call chart as people report they are going to certain events. Hopefully you can meet some of your fellow MousePlanet readers at one or more events:

April 30 - Behind the Scenes With: Lasseter Family Winery
Smoke Tree Rancher (Laura)

May 9 - Napa Rose Cooking School
Hubby of KarenW2

May 10 - Sweet Sundays: Cake Monkey
Toocherie + mom

May 16 - Napa Rose Cooking School
Tony

May 17 - Sweet Sundays: MILK
Tony
AVP
cstephens
Toocherie
Smoke Tree Rancher (Laura) + Steve

May 20th - Celebrate the World Dinner: France
Toocherie & friend

May 27 - Celebrate the World Dinner: Italy
Toocherie and bennette

June 5 - TASTE
Tony
AVP

June 7 - Sweet Sundays: d bar desserts
Toocherie and bennette

AVP

adriennek
02-20-2009, 03:32 PM
I really really don't get why they have the wine tasting class in the middle of three weekdays in a row. I know Doc and I would seriously consider it but the timetable makes it impossible. Bummer. :(

Adrienne

bennette
02-20-2009, 06:55 PM
That's exactly what I thought. I guess if I was here on vacation, maybe. But I can't see sitting for two hours drinking in the middle of the day. It's not entirely fun and it's not exactly responsible.

I'm pretty sure I asked for an advanced class on the survey last year; I don't recall indicating it was worth three full days of my life. :|

AVP
02-20-2009, 08:29 PM
That's exactly what I thought. I guess if I was here on vacation, maybe. But I can't see sitting for two hours drinking in the middle of the day. It's not entirely fun and it's not exactly responsible.

I'm pretty sure I asked for an advanced class on the survey last year; I don't recall indicating it was worth three full days of my life. :|To be fair, is drinking for six hours any more fun or responsible?

As I understand it, the Advanced Wine Class is either identical to or extremely similar to the class Michael Jordan presents to Disneyland Resort restaurant CMs, and I know that is a multi-day class. I wish they had scheduled these to be more convenient - three consecutive weeknights, three consecutive Sundays - but I'm afraid that may not have been possible given Michael Jordan's schedule during the Festival. He is one of a small handful of people who bear the majority of the responsibility for organizing this event, and this may have been the only way to make it happen.

AVP

stan4d_steph
02-23-2009, 12:18 PM
Anyone else considering doing the events on April 24, either the Festival Wine Reception or the Winemaker Dinner?

disneyfn
02-23-2009, 02:02 PM
Well I see I won't be attending Sweet Sundays this year. What use to be free with admission now cost $185! Come on DCA. With this economy, give me a break and put it back to free with admission.Seems this is becoming a pay as you go event.I'll go to Mcdonalds on harbor instead and save about $180.

AVP
02-23-2009, 02:24 PM
Anyone else considering doing the events on April 24, either the Festival Wine Reception or the Winemaker Dinner?Sorry Steph, alcohol-related events are wasted on me. :(

AVP
02-23-2009, 02:26 PM
Well I see I won't be attending Sweet Sundays this year. What use to be free with admission now cost $185!I think I'm missing something - this is a new event for 2009. If you're talking about the complimentary culinary demonstrations, they are still doing those every day, we just don't have the schedule for them yet.

AVP

AVP
02-23-2009, 02:34 PM
Oh, and I have a pricing update:

Napa Rose Cooking School: $450
Advanced Wine Class: $100

AND, all events are now "plus tax, gratuity included."

AVP

adriennek
02-23-2009, 02:41 PM
Advanced Wine Class: $100

$100 for all 6 hours??? That's a heckuva deal!!! I sooooo wish we could do it. I don't need it 6 hours in one long stretch - I don't think my palette would get anything out of that. But like you said, A - weeknights or 3 consecutive weekends would make it a lot more doable for a lot of people.

Adrienne

cstephens
02-23-2009, 02:45 PM
Napa Rose Cooking School: $450

Do you remember if that price went up? I was thinking it was $400 last year, but I'm not sure.

bennette
02-23-2009, 03:11 PM
To be fair, is drinking for six hours any more fun or responsible?

AVP

I wasn't thinking about six hours straight being any more responsible, I promise! (No comment on the fun, those are small portions and I do a lot of spitting to stay "fresh.") But three days, in the middle of the day, is a lot to ask. I get how important Michael is; I'm sure few of us would consider the class at all if he wasn't the one teaching it.... But it's hard to get around the fact that the current schedule just won't work for most people.

Christyvoltron
02-23-2009, 04:01 PM
In this economy the $450 for cooking school is way steep. I wish you could have an option to not get the chef's coat since we don't need three each. Looks like the winemaker dinners are still the best bargain.

disney_leonard
02-23-2009, 06:32 PM
Do you remember if that price went up? I was thinking it was $400 last year, but I'm not sure.

It was $400 (total) last year, up from $350 the year before. With tax (8.75%) it will now be $493.75. That's a ridiculous increase in any economy.

disney_leonard
02-23-2009, 08:45 PM
My math was fuzzy- new total will be $489.37. New tax rate for OC will be 8.75% April 1st (I guess if you make your rezzies before then you can save 1% in sales tax. So $484.87 until April 1.) Still a huge price increase over last year. It is a great experience but really pricey.

cstephens
02-23-2009, 11:10 PM
It was $400 (total) last year, up from $350 the year before. With tax (8.75%) it will now be $493.75. That's a ridiculous increase in any economy.

I disagree, at least until tomorrow morning. It's what the market will bear. At $400, the classes all sold out last year fairly quickly. I expect that at $450, they will all sell out this year, fairly quickly. If people are willing to spend the money for a premium not-run-of-the-mill experience, I'm not sure how I see that as being ridiculous.

If people don't think it's *worth it* for them, that's another matter.

disney_leonard
02-24-2009, 12:18 AM
If people don't think it's *worth it* for them, that's another matter.


You are right but I think Disney is pushing the "what the market will bear" envelope too hard. I took the class last year and it was fantastic. I bored many friends to death talking about it afterward I'm sure. I'll even admit I am considering it again this year but also looking at the fact that I can go to two dinner events and a wine tasting class for less than this one event.

There is a lot of CM time that goes into this 3 to 4 hour event for 14 Guests. But for $6,300 (not including tax) that's a pretty nice gross for a period when the restaurant isn't normally open and they have minimal staffing.

KarenW2
02-24-2009, 01:40 AM
At the price of $450, will they at least include PARKING at the GCH??!! I would think so, since, if you eat at Storyteller's or NR, you get to park there for "free" (tip, obviously), for 5 hours!! Kind of a pricey lunch I'd say!!

Because it's that expensive and I'm not into wine, we're planning on having my hubby take the class and tell me all about it, when he gets home!

Also, do you think if I send him with a Pigma pen, Andrew will sign the jacket for him? We're a couple of his best customers!!

BTW, we had dinner Saturday night with JOHN LASSETER!! Actually, he and his kids were 3 tables over from us, at Mario Batalli's restaurant called Mozza, on Highland & Melrose in LA. We supressed our urges to go over and tell him how much we enjoy his work, since we figure he gets that a lot and he'd probably much prefer a nice, quiet dinner to himself and the kids.

stan4d_steph
02-24-2009, 05:11 AM
Has anyone done the Festival Wine Reception in previous years? I didn't find any reviews here on first look. Thanks!

lhira
02-24-2009, 05:58 AM
Well I see I won't be attending Sweet Sundays this year. What use to be free with admission now cost $185! Come on DCA. With this economy, give me a break and put it back to free with admission.Seems this is becoming a pay as you go event.I'll go to Mcdonalds on harbor instead and save about $180.

Sweet Sundays is priced at $65. You might have been looking at the price of the event just above or below Sweet Sundays. From the description of the event, you do get to sample three sweets with a "light buffet" before the samplings. We are planning on either May 3 or June 7 to see if the price is worth it. There are complimentary events, maybe even Ghiradelli again which was surprisingly good last year.:cool:

disney_leonard
02-24-2009, 08:07 AM
At the price of $450, will they at least include PARKING at the GCH??!! I would think so, since, if you eat at Storyteller's or NR, you get to park there for "free" (tip, obviously), for 5 hours!! Kind of a pricey lunch I'd say!!


Also, do you think if I send him with a Pigma pen, Andrew will sign the jacket for him? We're a couple of his best customers!!



Last year the valet parking was included. They validated the parking stub so all you needed to pay out of pocket was the tip.

I don't see why Chef Andrew wouldn't sign the coat. Some Guests had him autograph the recipe books they gave out. He is a wonderfully friendly guy who clearly loves his work.

disneyfn
02-24-2009, 08:35 AM
I was calculating for my family of 3 which is over $180! for all of us to attend.Sorry if I confused any of you.

AVP
02-24-2009, 09:05 AM
Grrr..... I was in the personal information screen, hit submit to move on to the next screen, and got booted out entirely:


This screen will automatically refresh.

The number of concurrent registrations has been limited to prevent server delays and/or errors. If you are seeing this message, the limit has been met.

The screen will automatically refresh and allow entry as guests currently booking complete and exit their registration.
Please wait; the page will be automatically resubmitted

cstephens
02-24-2009, 09:09 AM
Hmmm, the process went smoothly for me - no glitches at all. Sweet Sundays, May 17.

AVP
02-24-2009, 09:14 AM
And... we're done.

Tony:
Napa Rose Cooking School on May 16th

Tony and AVP:
Sweet Sundays on May 17th (MILK meet!)
Taste on Friday, June 5th

AVP