The 2020 EPCOT Festival of the Arts runs from January 17 – February 24. Since its debut in 2017, the festival has become a crowd favorite due to the mixture of performing and visual arts, food and drink, photo opportunities, craft experiences and other unique attributes. Read below to find out ten must do’s at this year’s festival.
1. Pick up a Festival of the Arts Passport
First things first, to make the most of the festival pick up an event passport near the EPCOT entrance.
There is no way to do and see everything in a day and reviewing the festival passport allows you to prioritize your time accordingly. The comprehensive booklet includes food menus, free and paid experiences, specialty merchandise available for purchase and a performance schedule. Take it from me, you don’t want to miss out on all that the festival has to offer due to a lack of knowledge.
2. Enjoy Food & Drink
You can’t talk about any EPCOT festival without discussing food and drinks. The Festival of the Arts feature nearly two dozen booths and kiosks showcasing cuisine and beverage offerings with creative and cultural themes. Booths are located in each country of the World Showcase as well as other parts of EPCOT.
There are SO MANY food options and it can be overwhelming. Look for large menu boards near the kiosk to quickly review your options.
Review your passport for a checklist of every menu item. Want to keep track of what you sampled? Passport stickers all you to mark each booth as you visit and serve as a fun keepsake.
If you’d like to plan your menu prior to your visit, you’re in luck. Sign up for the Main Street Luxe newsletter to receive access to our Resource Library – which includes a PDF of all of the 2020 Festival of the Arts menu offerings categorized by location.
3. Peruse, Create and Buy Artwork
Given the name of the event, it’s no surprise that the art is front and center. Artists of various mediums are featured and rotated throughout the event allowing for a fresh perspective and experience throughout the duration of the event.
Take some time to watch chalk art being created in real time.
There are also pop up booths referred to as Festival Markets featuring various Disney and outside artists with fine art, jewelry and sculptures available for purchase. Items are available in varying styles, sizes and price points.
Experiences such as the Spin Art Experience allow you to take a spin (see what I did there?) at creating your own work of art in various mediums.
4. Take a Picture at the Butterfly Wall
Selfie walls and other colorful backdrops have popped up all over Walt Disney World Resorts over the past few year. The festival features a fun butterfly wall near The Land Pavilion. What’s really fun is that there are five painted wings on the wall which allows photo opportunities for larger groups.
5. Paint a Giant Mural
Have you ever wanted to contribute to a giant paint-by-numbers mural? Well, you’re in luck! Stop by the Expression Section in World Showcase Plaza. Cast members will hand you a foam paint brush, a small cup of paint,and instruct you to paint four squares of the mural that correspond to the number on top of your paint container.
The area might be a little crowded, but don’t worry. A cast member will guide you to an open spot featuring your number.
Up close it may not look like much but once you’re done painting your squares, yet another cast member will hand you a post card showcasing what the design will look like once completed. Even though the mural is massive, it is completed and replaced relatively quickly due to the large number of people contributing.
6. Enjoy a “Disney on Broadway” Show
Another key staple of any EPCOT Festival is entertainment at the American Gardens Theater. The Festival of the Arts features the “Disney on Broadway” concert series. The series stars performers singing tunes from Disney musicals.
Shows occur nightly at 5PM, 6:45PM and 8PM. Concerts are included in the price of EPCOT admission, however, it is open-seating and first come, first served. If you’d like to guarantee admission to a particular performance and time slot, “Disney on Broadway” dinner packages are available at an additional charge.
7. Interact with Living Statues
A fun and interactive experience for performers and park guests are the living statues located in Future World East near the temporary Mouse Gears merchandise location. The living statues perform daily from 11:30AM-4PM daily.
The performers stand perfectly still while adorned in themed costumes such as “Motion” and “Sea” pictured above.
When guests draw near to take a closer look or take a picture, the statues engage in silliness and mild pranks.
8. Get a Passholder Exclusive Magnet and Merchandise
Each season, a free magnet is exclusively available for Annual Passholders. This iteration of the magnet takes an artistic twist with Mickey Mouse on a watercolor background. Magnets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the temporary Mouse Gears location in Future World East.
Additionally, there is also passholder exclusive merchandise available for purchase.
9. Become a Work of Art
The EPCOT Festival of the Arts showcases life-sized frames and scenes that allow you to take a step into famous paintings and other works of art! Select from a variety of options such as “Mona Lisa”, “Peter Pan’s Storybook”, “Sunflowers”. Photopass photographers are on-hand to capture your memories.
The photo ops can be found in the United Kingdom, France, The American Adventure, Italy and Mexico.
10. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts have become a staple during EPCOT’s seasonal festivals and the Festival of the Arts is no exception. The “Disney Figment’s Brush with the Masters” has you search EPCOT’S World Showcase for classic works of art.
The map is the shape of an artist’s palette and features the World Showcase countries on one side and stickers of the artwork you are looking for on the other.
Maps can be purchased for $7.99 + tax at Pin Traders – Camera Center, Pin Traders, World Travelers and various kiosks around World Showcase. Purchases are eligible for a 10% passholder discount.
Conclusion
EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts features visual and performing arts, interactive experiences, photo opportunities, food, drink and so much more.
What experience seems most interesting to you? Let me know what you think.
