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Explore the colorful wonders of the Epcot International Festival of the Arts at Walt Disney World. It’s our favorite Epcot festival of the year! We made a quick one-night, one-and-a-half-day trip to Epcot specifically to see this festival and get our annual pass-holder magnet. We stayed in a new good neighbor hotel that I will feature this week too!
The Epcot International Festival of Arts is in action from Jan. 12 through Feb. 19, 2024 – similar dates each year– and the Festival features visual, culinary, and performing arts from across the globe.
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Epcot Festival of Arts
Step into a world where creativity knows no limits and imagination comes to life at the 2024 Epcot International Festival of the Arts. This annual celebration of artistic expression has again transformed Epcot into a vibrant tapestry of colors, performances, and culinary delights. In this blog post, we’ll take you on a virtual journey through the highlights of this year’s festival, showcasing the magic that unfolds at the intersection of art and entertainment.
The Art
Disney’s Imagineers have outdone themselves in creating immersive environments that captivate and inspire. One of the festival’s main draws is the incredible array of artistic talent. The festival features a curated collection of works from local and international artists, spanning various mediums such as painting, sculpture, and digital art. Visitors can meet the creators, gain insight into their creative process, and even purchase unique pieces to take a bit of the magic home.
Talented artists bring iconic works to life through live performances, transforming static images into dynamic expressions of movement and emotion. It’s a breathtaking spectacle that showcases the synergy between visual and performing arts.
Epcot becomes a stage for diverse performances, from Broadway-style musicals to acrobatic displays and theatrical productions. The festival lineup features a mix of established performers and emerging talents, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The integration of live music, dance, and theater enhances the overall immersive experience of the festival.
The Food and Drink
Just as art can be savored visually, the Epcot International Festival of the Arts invites guests to indulge their taste buds in a culinary journey inspired by art. The festival’s Food Studios offer a delectable selection of dishes that are not only delicious but also visually stunning. From artistically plated desserts to savory dishes that resemble masterpieces, the food at the festival is a celebration of both taste and presentation.
This year, they had 22 stands with exceptional food and drink items for the festival on top of the standard quick service and sit-down restaurants. Our favorites from this year’s festival were Mexico, China, Pop Eats, Figment’s Inspiration Station, and Japan!
Have you ever heard of people drinking (and eating) around the world at Disney? That’s at the World Showcase! Epcot’s World Showcase has eleven permanent countries centered around a beautiful lagoon. During festivals such as the Festival of Arts, they add dozens of food and drink stands throughout the showcase.
What are the eleven countries represented in Epcot?
Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada are the permanent countries represented in Epcot at Walt Disney World.
How does the Epcot Art Festival work?
Upon entering Epcot for any Festival, you want to grab a “passport” and look through the menus. Once you know the items you’d like to try, start walking! The Epcot loop is about 1.2 miles, and we usually walk around it at least twice to see all the options and work off some of the calories. We always start in Mexico – yes, we are those people! (Unless we come in the back entrance, it’s France!)
All around the World Showcase, you can immerse yourself in fantastic art- visual arts with galleries and artists from all over the world, culinary arts with delicious items almost too pretty to eat and drink, performing arts where you can watch the artists create the art right in front of your eyes- meet, chat, and have your art signed by the artists, shop for keepsakes you won’t find anywhere else, and take super fun photo ops around the festival that aren’t there any other time of the year! And again… look at that food and drink. Yum!
Pro Tip: Go into the Port of Entry gift shops or the official Festival gift shops, buy a wristband gift card, and load it up with funds. Most items are $5-17 at the stands, and it’s super easy to order and scan your wristband gift card instead of pulling out cash or swiping a credit card dozens of times – plus, you can set a budget much easier!
Each stand will also have a menu to show you the items and pricing with ingredients. Plus, there are some photos of the food and drinks. Next, you stand in line to place your order, get your receipt, then hand it to a lovely cast member, and they give you the food when it’s ready. Your next step is to find a table (or a trash can- IYKYK) and enjoy it! Don’t forget to snap a photo, as the food and drink are usually worthy of an image. Then, at the night’s end, it helps you remember what you tried and you can mark it off on your passport!
We loved the “Chalk Full of Characters” element of the festival. Throughout the entire World Showcase, you can look for unique chalk drawings of Disney characters tucked away in hidden corners of each country. We found a few!
We also collected our Annual Pass holder magnet, which featured Hei Hei – my favorite! We walked through the new Moana Journey of Water area twice, and it was Mark’s first time seeing it and my first time at night – such a beautiful addition!
The 2024 Epcot International Festival of the Arts is a testament to Disney’s commitment to celebrating creativity in all its forms. As you wander through the park, surrounded by breathtaking art, mesmerizing performances, and delectable treats, you can’t help but feel the magic in the air. This annual event continues to be a must-visit for art enthusiasts, Disney fans, and anyone looking to experience the enchanting fusion of imagination and artistic expression. As someone who went to art school, this festival is a dream come true while visiting the happiest place on earth – it’s a must do!
p.s. All of the custom Minnie Ears and Disney shirts you see in our photos were either purchased on Amazon, Etsy, Hot Topic, Target, or at the official Disney stores! Find ALL of our affiliate links on our SHOP!
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They used to have chalk artwork on the sidewalks/walkways. That was my favorite. To see the beginning of a piece of art in the morning and to see it’s progress later in the day and then its completion in the evening was wonderful.
Looks awesome!🤗