Epcot Festival of the Arts: A Complete Guide

The Epcot Festival of the Arts takes place annually at Walt Disney World Resort in January and February.

It features various forms of arts, including performing arts, culinary arts, painting, drawing, and more.

Sound like something you’re interested in? Check out this guide for help planning your visit to the Epcot Festival of the Arts.

2024 Epcot Festival of the Arts overview

The next Epcot Festival of Arts takes place from January 12 through February 19, 2024.

The event is included in the cost of park admission, so there is no need for an extra ticket, even if you’re an annual passholder!

Where to stay for the Epcot Festival of the Arts

If you’re visiting Disney World mainly for the Epcot Festival of Arts, maximize your time by booking a resort nearby.

Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, as well as the Boardwalk Inn and Villas, are all within walking distance.

If you’re more of a Marriott fan, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels are also within walking distance.

Next best would be to connect to Epcot via Skyliner. For that, the 2 closest resorts via Skyliner are Disney’s Riviera Resort and the Caribbean Beach Resort.

However, Pop Century and Art of Animation are also on the Skyliner route; they’re just a bit further and require a transfer compared to Riviera and Caribbean Beach.

Before you book your trip, be sure to continue reading through this guide.

There are some experiences that are only available on specific dates – mainly performances and artist meet-and-greets – so you may want to read through to see if that helps you choose your dates.

And with that, let’s move on to all of the fun offerings at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts.

Disney on Broadway performances

One of big draws for the Epcot International Festival of the Arts is the Disney on Broadway concert series. 

These concerts feature performers that you see in Broadway productions singing medleys from Disney Broadway productions.

The Disney on Broadway performances take place at the America Gardens Theatre at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8 PM.

Dining packages are available that combine dinner and reserved seating at the Disney on Broadway show.

Dinner includes 1 appetizer, 1 entree, and 1 dessert or 1 buffet, depending on the restaurant chosen.

Here’s the schedule and performers for the 2024 Epcot International Festival of the Arts:

Dates	Performers
January 12, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22 & 23	Caissie Levy and Patti Murin, both from Frozen on Broadway
January 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24 & 25	Gavin Lee (Beauty & the Beast) and Heidi Blickenstaff (The Little Mermaid)
January 26, 28 & 29 February 1, 3, 5 & 6	Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) and L. Steven Taylor (The Lion King)
January 27, 30 & 31 February 2, 4, 7 & 8	Josh Strickland (Tarzan) and Kissy Simmons (The Lion King)
February 9, 11, 12, 15, 18	Mandy Gonzalez (Aida) and Michael James Scott (Aladdin)
February 10, 13, 14, 16 & 17	Bradley Gibson (The Lion King) and Shoba Narayan (Aladdin)
February 19	Bradley Gibson (The Lion King), Mandy Gonzalez (Aida), Shoba Narayan (Aladdin), and Michael James Scott (Aladdin)

Visual artist meet-and-greets

Another feature from the festival that you might want to schedule your trip around are the artist meet-and-greets.

Disney hasn’t released the lineup or schedule for the 2024 festival yet, but here’s the list from 2023 to give you an idea of who might be available.

In addition to meeting your favorite artist, you can also buy artwork from some of them at the galleries set up around Epcot.

The artist meet-and-greets occur all around Epcot and Disney Springs, with artists rotating each day. As soon as the 2024 schedule is available, I’ll be sure to update this section.

Fun photo ops & magic shots

The Epcot Festival of Arts includes fun photo ops around Epcot where you get to step into life-sized replicas of famous artwork like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or photo props like the Peter Pan storybook seen above.

Plus, with it being Disney’s 100th birthday, I bet there will be a few unique photo ops available in 2024.

If you love getting photos to cement your memories at Disney World, I recommend adding the Memory Maker PhotoPass to your vacation package. Or if you have an annual pass, springing for the add-on.

The Memory Maker pass gives you free downloads of ride and PhotoPass photos for up to 45 days after the photos are taken.

This includes the super popular Magic Shots, where special elements are added into your photo, like Tinkerbell in your hand or Stitch breaking through the ground.

It also includes access to borders and graphics that you can add to your photos before downloading them to add a little extra razzle dazzle.

If you purchase Memory Maker at least 3 days before your trip, the advance purchase price is $185. But, if you just want Memory Maker for 1 day, it’s $75 in advance.

Lastly, if you decide during or after your trip that you want Memory Maker, the price increases to $210.

Use the Disney Dining Plan or a gift card to stay on budget

It is super easy to go off the rails budget-wise trying all sorts of food and drink, plus buying souvenirs, when attending a festival at Epcot.

If this is something you struggle with, I recommend employing one of two strategies: the Disney Dining Plan or a pre-loaded gift card.

The Disney Dining Plan returns on January 9, so you can use it at the Epcot Festival of Arts if you’re attending in 2024.

If you get the Quick Service plan, which has 1 snack credit per day, you can use your snack credit on the festival snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.

But if you have the regular Disney Dining Plan, you can take advantage of both the snack credit and table service credit at the festival. I recommend using the table service credit on a Disney on Broadway dining package.

Now that the Disney Dining Plan has changed from previous years’ allotment, it’s not as big of a saver for the festivals.

If you know you want to try more than one or two items per day, a better option would be to load a Disney gift card with your dining and souvenir budget. And once you’re out, you’re out!

Get a MagicBand+

Isn’t the Festival of the Arts MagicBand+ pictured above so cute?!

If you’re staying at a Disney World resort, you can order your MagicBand in advance at a slight discount. Both MagicBand and MagicBand+ are available for purchase.

Alternatively, you can pick one up once you get there or use one you already have!

The MagicBands make it easier to access rides via Genie+ or lightning lanes if you have any. Plus, you can hook it up to your credit card for quick and easy payment.

And the MagicBands interact with the golden character statues placed throughout the park.

I suspect, but have not yet confirmed, that they will also interact with the new nighttime show, Luminous: The Symphony of US, that will be in place just a few weeks before the festival starts.

Grab a Festival of the Arts passport

Once you get to Epcot, grab a festival passport near the entrance or at most souvenir shops.

This pocket-sized booklet includes menus for all of the festival booths, as well as an overview of free and premium activities, such as the Figment scavenger hunt.

It’s totally free and much easier to quickly check menus and schedules compared to the MDE app.

Musical performances

At the World Showcase Plaza, various musicians will play solo throughout the day.

Showtimes for the musicians will be available in the My Disney Experience app.

Acrobatic performances

Each week, Saturday through Wednesday, you can see acrobats perform at the World Showcase Plaza.

Performance times will be available on the My Disney Experience app under ‘Art Defying Gravity.’

Expression Section: A Paint-by-Numbers Mural

Over in the World Nature neighborhood in Epcot, you can participate in a paint by number mural from 11 AM through 5 PM daily.

At the Expression Section as Disney calls it, you’ll be given a small pot of paint and a number.

Then, paint in a few squares with your given number. It’s that easy! By the end of the festival, a fun mural will be revealed – and you can say you helped out.

The best part: this activity is totally FREE!

Animation Academy

The popular Animation Academy activity, which is currently held at Rafiki’s Planet Watch in Animal Kingdom, will also be held at Epcot during the festival.

In this FREE activity, you can learn how to draw a Disney character from real Disney artists!

The experience takes place at the America Gardens Theater at 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM daily.

This year’s list of artists providing the lessons include:

1. Brian Blackmore
2. Luke Consolo
3. Matthew Dewater
4. Justin Dring
5. David Holbrook
6. Hannah Loflin
7. Alex Maher
8. Michael Montgomery
9. Andy Quiles
10. Sarah Schmidt
11. Lon Smart

I’ve participated in the Animation Academy in the past and had a blast learning how to draw Minnie Mouse!

I highly recommend this activity. Not only is it free, but it makes for a great souvenir that you can frame at home.

Watch artists create art LIVE!

If you’d rather see art being created instead of creating it yourself, then you’ll want to check out Art in Performance.

On select dates, mostly Thursday-Sun, you can watch a Disney artist draw or paint a character.

The demonstration takes place in the World Showcase Plaza throughout the day, with times available on the My Disney Experience app.

This year, the artists include:

Dates	Artists
January 12-15, 18-21, and 25-28	Trevor Carlton
February 1-4, 8-11, 15-19	Stephen Fishwick

Kids chalk art

A super fun activity for kiddos at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts is chalk art!

Head on over to the bridge by the World Showcase Plaza between 11 AM to 5 PM daily for this fun activity where kids have free reign to draw all over the sidewalk with chalk!

Chalk art galleries & surprises

Speaking of chalk artists, along the bridge to the World Showcase, there are also galleries filled with chalk art made by professional artists. Perhaps in a few years, one of the kids will join them!

Plus, throughout the World Showcase, you just mind find a few surprise chalk drawings of Disney characters.

Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt

In true Epcot fashion, a scavenger hunt is available during the festival – this time featuring everyone’s favorite Epcot character, Figment!

For $9.99 (plus tax), pick up a map with stickers at Creations Shop, Port of Entry, or World Traveler.

Embark on your adventure to find Figment hiding in various works of art around the World Showcase by following the map. Each time you find Figment, add a sticker to your map.

If you find all of them, bring your completed map to Disney Traders or World Traveler to trade it in for a special surprise!

Available while supplies last.

Epcot Festival of the Arts food & drink

As with all of Epcot’s festivals, there are plenty of limited edition food and drink available. Food and drink are, after all, culinary art!

Be sure to check out these food booths, or food studios as Disney refers to them, for some super tasty treats.

The 2024 menu isn’t out yet, as of November 17, 2023, but the list of booths is! Check below to see what’s returning and what’s new for 2024.

Mexico

In the Mexico pavilion, you’ll find El Artista Hambriento with delicious Mexican fare like carne asada and coconut flan.

China

At the China pavilion is The Painted Panda, you can get bubble tea, plus dishes like char siu pork buns and General Tso’s chicken shumai.

At the Refreshment Outpost between China and Germany, beers from Florida, Louisiana, and New York will be featured during the festival.

Germany

In the Germany pavilion is Pastoral Palate, serving dishes such as red wine-brained beef short ribs and wild boar cassoulet.

Italy

By the Italy pavilion is L’Arte di Mangiare, where you can get classic Italian food like ravioli and fried mozzarella.

American Adventure

In the middle of the World Showcase, by American Adventure, is Artist’s Table, serving up American comfort food like hummingbird cake, dumplings, meatloaf, and more.

The Funnel Cake stand will also have a limited-time flavor.

Japan

At the Japan pavilion is Goshiki, which specializes in the 5 colors of Japanese cuisine. Here you’ll find fun treats like sushi donuts and daifuku mochi.

Morocco

At the Tangierine Café in the Morocco pavilion, you can get grilled kebabs, almond phyllo pockets, chai tea mint mimosas, and more.

Between Morocco and France is Vibrante & Vívido: Encanto Cocina with Colombian food, such as chorizo empanadas and spicy ajiaco soup.

France

Near the France pavilion is L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise, serving French treats such as black winter truffle croissant and warm brie in a bread bowl.

Canada

At the Canada pavilion, you’ll find Gourmet Landscapes, with mouthwatering meals made from foraged ingredients, like wild mushroom risotto and beet tartare.

Plus, at the Refreshment Port, you’ll find poutine with a twist and other fun Canadian inspired snacks and drinks.

Test Track

Over by Test Track is Cuisine Classique, a new food studio that offers classic dishes like beef Wellington.

It replaces Moderne, which had avant garde food items like compressed watermelon.

Disney Traders

Nearby Disney Traders is The Craftsman’s Courtyard where you can get grilled sandwiches with ingredients like pork belly.

Port of Entry

Near Port of Entry are 3 fun food studios to check out.

Deco Delights features art deco-inspired desserts – think gold and pastels!

The Deconstructed Dish takes apart classic favorites, like BLTs, french onion soup, and key lime pie, and presents them in a new and unexpected way.

Pop Eats specializes in classic food, like grilled cheese with tomato soup or almond frangipane cake, presented with a pop art twist.

Joffrey’s Coffee

There are multiple Joffrey’s locations throughout Epcot. Each location will have a limited-time drink or coffee for sale during the festival.

Odyssey

At Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food, and Little Sparks of Magic, you can find colorful food, like fruit pizza and rainbow cake, as well as the super duper popular Figment popcorn bucket.

The Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine

Another fun way to taste your way around the festival is on the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine.

This fun food stroll involves trying at least 5 snacks from a specified list.

Each time you try one of the treats, you’ll get a special stamp that you add to your festival passport. Once you try at least 5 of the treats, you can trade your passport in for a free artist palette cookie!

The 2024 list of treats for this food challenge are not yet available. Last checked November 17, 2023.

However, below is a list of the treats from 2023 so you can get an idea of what the options might be.

1. Red Stamp: Blood orange-braised beet tartare with mustard vinaigrette, pickled clamshell mushrooms, and golden beets from Gourmet Landscapes
2. Orange Stamp: Pan-seared scallops with vanilla butternut squash purée, brown butter cauliflower purée, and lime foam from Moderne
3. Yellow Stamp: Chorizo and potato empanada with turmeric aïoli and annatto aïoli from Vibrante & Vívido
4. Green Stamp: Deconstructed Key Lime Pie with flexible key lime curd, “key lime” mousse, graham cracker cake, and meringues from The Deconstructed Dish
5. Blue Stamp: Orange mousse with lemon cake and raspberry meringues from Deco Delights
6. Indigo Stamp: Almond frangipane cake layered with raspberry jam and Belgian chocolate from Pop Eats
7. Violet Stamp: Pop’t Art, a sugar cookie with a blueberry filling from Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey

You don’t have to complete the stroll in one visit, so you can take your time over your vacation or come back throughout the month if you’re a local.

Epcot Festival of the Arts merchandise

Last up, don’t forget to pick up a souvenir or 2 to remember your visit to Disney World for the Epcot Festival of the Arts. 

Festival merchandise includes spirit jerseys, Munchlings, tumblers, MagicBands, hats, and other fun offerings. Many of them feature Figment and the Orange Bird, two characters that are unique to Disney World.

You can get your merch at souvenir shops in the parks or at shopDisney.com.

For a super unique souvenir, many artists sell paintings, drawings, dolls, sculptures, and other forms of art, at booths spread throughout the festival.

Have you been to the Epcot Festival of the Arts yet?

The Epcot Festival of the Arts is quickly becoming one of my favorite Disney events, thanks to cooler weather, lower crowds, and lots of fun food and art.

Will you be visiting this year or have you gone in past years? Let me know what your favorite part of the Festival of the Arts is in the comments below.

This post was originally published February 5, 2022. It was last updated November 18, 2023.