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2024 Guide to the Festival of the Arts at Epcot

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2024 Guide to the Festival of the Arts at Epcot

Disney’s Festival of the Arts is back for 2024, and we couldn’t be more excited!

Held from January 12 – February 19, 2024, this celebration of art is the perfect bridge between the decorations of the Festival of the Holidays and the bright florals that the Flower and Garden Festival bring.

Here’s a guide to when it is, what you can do, and how to best experience it.

What is the Epcot International Festival of the Arts?

With nearly year-round festivals, you may be wondering what makes the Epcot International Festival of the Arts unique or worth checking out on your next visit.

The answer is lots.

The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is a celebration of the visual, culinary, and performing arts.

festival of the arts festival map

It’s packed full of things to see and do and taste and experience, and the wide variety of offerings is what makes this festival unique.

It’s also why it is quickly becoming a favorite of guests (and us!).

In fact, about the only thing we don’t like about this festival is how short it is!

With only about 5 1/2 weeks of fun, you’ll have to be quick if you want to check it out.

Below, you’ll see exactly what you can expect to find if you attend.

Festival of the Arts banner 2023

How much does it cost?

Attending the festival is free with Epcot admission, but some events are an extra charge.

When is it?

Aside from the beautiful art you’ll find during the festival, you are also very likely to find beautiful weather, too.

Festival of the Arts is held in January and February. This year it will be held January 12 – February 19, 2024.

festival of the arts entrance 2023

Even though winter in Florida isn’t typically cold, it is definitely cooler than the summer. That makes it that much easier to stroll through the park, taking in all the sights, sounds, and tastes.

Festival of the Arts Map

Map

Here’s the map for a previous International Festival of the Arts. We will update with the 2024 map as soon as it is available.

What exactly takes place during the festival?

The focus for this festival is all about the arts, with offerings broken up into 3 categories: Culinary Arts, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts.

Here’s what you can find for each:

Culinary Arts

Food *is* art, and for this festival, the chefs of Epcot create visual masterpieces that are both a feast for the eyes and the stomach!

In 2024, there are 16 food booths (or Food Studios as Disney likes to call them), including 1 new one: Cuisine Classique near Test Track.

Food booths (AKA Food Studios) & Menus

Here is the full list of booths for 2024:

  • The Artist’s Table (American Adventure): Treat your senses to artistically elevated comfort foods—like dumplings, hummingbird cake and more. Pair your dish with beer or a glass of wine.
  • Cuisine Classique (Near Test Track Presented by Chevrolet®)- NEW!: Enjoy carefully crafted classics, like beef Wellington and roasted mussels—as well as a flavorful beer or cocktail.
  • The Craftsman’s Courtyard (Near Disney Traders): Indulge your appetite when you order steak or pork belly sandwiches from the grill.
  • Deco Delights (Near Port of Entry): Satisfy your sweet tooth with sleek desserts inspired by Art Deco, from the gilded glamour of the roaring 20’s to the bright pastels of Miami Beach.
  • The Deconstructed Dish (Near Port of Entry): Rediscover your favorite dishes fragmented and presented in a playful way—like a BLT and key lime pie.
  • El Artista Hambriento (Mexico): A fiesta of flavor awaits! Delight in classic Mexican fare—from savory carne asada to chilled lobster with chipotle aïoli.
  • Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food and Little Sparks of Magic – NEW!: Sweeten your day with colorful treats, like rainbow cake or a sugar cookie with a fun twist. You’ll also find a variety of beers and hard ciders.
  • Goshiki (Japan): Celebrate the Japanese culinary arts with delectable dishes featuring “the 5 colors” of Japanese cuisine. Highlights include sushi donuts, daifuku mochi and sake.
  • Gourmet Landscapes (Canada): Savor stunning dishes artfully composed with the finest ingredients that have been farmed and foraged from the land. Enjoy wild mushroom risotto, roasted bone marrow and more.
  • L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise (France): Discover delicious French treats and baked goods, from savory to sweet—including salmon served hot or cold and warm brie in a bread bowl. Pair your dish with a French wine or frozen martini.
  • L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy): Indulge in Baroque cuisine, prepared with rich color and dramatic flavor. This food studio serves up fried mozzarella, pasta and more.
  • The Painted Panda (China): Enjoy decorative cuisine inspired by magnificent Chinese art, like General Tso’s chicken shumai or the char siu pork bun. Plus, sip bubble tea, Chinese-inspired cocktails and other refreshing beverages.
  • Pastoral Palate (Germany): Help yourself to hearty dishes inspired by the rustic settings where Bavarian Folk Art is painted. Indulge in a red wine-braised beef short rib and black forest cake.
  • Pop Eats (Near Port of Entry): Delight in mouthwatering masterpieces inspired by the most captivating pop art of the 20th century. Highlights include tomato soup with grilled cheese.
  • Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco): Take your taste buds on a Moroccan adventure as you enjoy delectable dishes like grilled kebabs, stoned-baked Moroccan bread and more. Pair your dish with hard cider or the chai tea mint mimosa.
  • Vibrante & Vívido: Encanto Cocina (Between Morocco & France): Feast on authentic Colombian cuisine inspired by the Disney animated film Encanto—like an empanada with chorizo or mango cheesecake.
grilled cheese and tomato soup pop eats at festival of the arts

In addition to the booths above, you can also find festival treats at the following locations:

  • Refreshment Port (near Canada): Serving poutine, the Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie and refreshing beverages
  • Refreshment Outpost: Serving delicious beers from breweries in Louisiana, Florida and New York
  • Funnel Cake: Serving a specialty funnel cake
  • Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company (all 4 in-park locations): Serving a unique art-inspired beverage at each location
  • Swirled Showcase: Serving soft-serve ice cream in a dish or waffle cone
figment liege waffle festival of the arts

Though all Epcot festivals feature food booths, there’s special attention paid to the food presentation at Festival of the Arts. Almost too pretty to eat!

Italy

Like this Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie, which is served with a paintbrush, so you can “paint” with your frosting:

Festival of the Arts cookie

To help you keep track of what is available, you can pick up free maps and festival Passports at any food kiosk. You can also find electronic listings of menus in the My Disney Experience app.

festival of the arts passport 2023

Festival of the Arts Gift Cards

Like with the other festivals, Disney offers cute gift cards that fit around your wrist. These can be handy if you want to stick to a wine or snack budget (which is something we always do).

festival of the arts gift card 2023

Just kidding. I’m sure they are handy for that, but we don’t participate in hateful things like “wine budgets.”

One of the complaints we have with the Food and Wine Festival is how tricky it can be to eat while standing and holding your flight of beer or glass of wine.

Because January and February are typically slower times of the year, that makes finding a place to sit and enjoy your food and drinks at the Festival of the Arts a little bit easier, which is a definite win in our book.

vibrante and vivido encanto cocino festival of the arts booth 2022

Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine

If you love sampling goodies at the Epcot festivals, you can’t go wrong with participating in this fun addition.

Much like the Cookie Stroll found during the Festival of the Holidays, the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine offers guests an exclusive culinary prize for trying 5 vibrant food items (and getting 5 stamps in your festival passport!).

Wonderful walk of colorful cuisine 2023
Wonderful walk of colorful cuisine 2023

Here are what you needed to collect for 2023 (at least 5 of the 7):

  • Gourmet Landscapes – Red Stamp: Blood Orange-Braised Beet Tartare with Mustard Vinaigrette, Pickled Clamshell Mushrooms and Golden Beets
  • Moderne (NEW) – Orange Stamp: Pan-Seared Scallops with Vanilla-Butternut Squash Purée, Brown Butter Cauliflower Purée and Lime Foam
  • Vibrante & Vivido: Encanto Cocina – Yellow Stamp: Chorizo and Potato Empanada with Turmeric Aïoli and Annatto Aïoli
  • The Deconstructed Dish – Green Stamp: Deconstructed Key Lime Pie: Flexible Key Lime Curd, “Key Lime” Mousse, Graham Cracker Cake and Meringues
  • Deco Delights – Blue Stamp: Orange Mousse with Lemon Cake and Raspberry Meringues
  • Pop Eats – Indigo Stamp: Almond Frangipane Cake layered with Raspberry Jam and Belgian Chocolate
  • Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food and Little Sparks of Magic (NEW) – Violet Stamp: Pop’t Art: Sugar Cookie with Blueberry Filling
deconstructed key lime pie festival of the arts

And the best part is, you don’t have to do it all in 1 day. As long as you finish by the last day of the festival, you can snag the prize!

VIDEO: Why Festival of the Arts is our Fave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VcjtNEzGHQ

Figment Popcorn Bucket

The insanely popular Figment popcorn bucket is back for 2023.

But, good news! No need to wait in line this year. You can purchase the popcorn bucket via Mobile Order in the My Disney Experience app.

figment popcorn bucket mobile order

When ordering through the app, look for a location called “EPCOT Souvenir Release.” From there, select your return time and complete your purchase. The popcorn bucket costs $25 and is limited to 2 buckets per Disney account.

figment popcorn bucket confirmation

When you are notified that your order is ready, return to the pickup location inside of the Odyssey building (currently home to the Inspiration Station booth) to retrieve your bucket. You will be assigned a pickup window number that you can locate once at the pickup station.

figment popcorn bucket pickup

Performing Arts

What would an Epcot festival be without entertainment? Here’s what you can find at this year’s Festival of the Arts:

Disney on Broadway

One of the highlights of Festival of the Arts is the Disney on Broadway concert series at the American Garden Theatre, which is located at The American Adventure pavilion in the World Showcase.

disney on broadway concert series festival of the arts 2022

We’ve seen some fantastic artists during these concerts.

Every pair of artists performs a different set list based on the shows they’ve participated in, plus a sprinkling of a few other songs from Disney’s Broadway shows.

Broadway Concert Series Festival of the Arts

We’ve found that not every show is equal. Some artists focused on signature songs from shows, while others stuck to some of the lesser-known numbers.

If your trip lands on dates where you can see multiple shows with different performers (they rotate every couple of days), we recommend trying to do that.

During this time of the year, the smaller crowds mean that it is a lot easier to find a seat for one of these concerts than it is for things like the Candlelight Processional during the holidays.

festival of the arts america gardens theater schedule 2023

If you don’t care about how good your seat is, you can likely walk up and grab a spot shortly before the show starts.

For guests that want to be up closer, we recommend lining up 30–45 minutes early, or, for a truly up-close experience, consider one of the dining packages (more on those below).

Standby line for Disney on Broadway

In 2024, the Disney on Broadway Concert Series runs daily (at 5:30, 6:45, & 8 p.m.) at the American Garden Theatre.

Here’s the full lineup for 2024. Note that the last concert is special in that it showcases 4 performers instead of the usual 2:

  • Jan. 12, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23
    • Caissie Levy (“Frozen”) & Patti Murin (“Frozen”)
  • Jan. 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25
    • Heidi Blickenstaff (“Freaky Friday” and “The Little Mermaid”) & Gavin Lee (“Mary Poppins” and “Beauty and the Beast”)
  • Jan. 26, 28, 29, Feb. 1, 3, 5, 6
    • Ashley Brown (“Mary Poppins” and “Beauty and the Beast”) & L. Steven Taylor (“The Lion King”)
  • Jan. 27, 30, 31, Feb. 2, 4, 7, 8
    • Kissy Simmons (“The Lion King”) & Josh Strickland (“Tarzan”)
  • Feb. 9, 11, 12, 15, 18
    • Mandy Gonzalez (“Aida”) & Michael James Scott (“Aladdin” and “Tarzan”)
  • Feb. 10, 13, 14, 16, 17
    • Bradley Gibson (“Hercules” and “The Lion King”) & Shoba Narayan (“Aladdin”)
  • Feb. 19
    • Special, extended finale performance featuring Gonzalez, Scott, Gibson & Narayan

Disney on Broadway Concert Series Dining Packages

If you want a guaranteed seat without having to get there too early, you can do a Dining Package. Reservations for the 2024 Dining Packages open up on December 19.

Here’s how they work:

Dining Packages give you priority seating at one of the concerts, although, for most concerts, they are not necessary.

The seating for these packages are in the very first few rows of the theater. Unless you want the very front-row center, there isn’t any need to line up early.

disney on broadway dining package

The following prices exclude tax and gratuity.

RESTAURANTADULT (AGES 10 & UP)CHILD (Ages 3 TO 9)
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Norway Pavilion
$66.00 Breakfast
$78.00 Lunch/Dinner
$42.00 Breakfast
$50.00 Lunch/Dinner
Biergarten Restaurant
Germany Pavilion
$60.00$34.00
Coral Reef Restaurant
The Living Seas
$73.00$29.00
Garden Grill Restaurant
The Land Pavilion
$58.00 Breakfast
$73.00 Lunch/Dinner
$37.00 Breakfast
$47.00 Lunch/Dinner
Le Cellier Steakhouse
Canada Pavilion
$99.00$39.00
Regal Eagle Smokehouse
America Pavilion
*Available as same-day dining package
$36
Rose & Crown Dining Room
United Kingdom Pavilion
$61.00$26.00
Spice Road Table
Morocco Pavilion
$50.00$21.00

Visual Art in Performance

If you love visual arts, this performance is for you!

Here’s how Disney describes it:

Behold a high-energy, on-stage performance by a guest visual artist painting favorite Disney characters. In just minutes, colorful Disney images magically appear before your eyes.

Visual Art in Performance 2023 trevor carlton

We don’t have the lineup for 2024, but 2023 featured artists included:

Trevor Carlton

  • January 14 to January 17
  • February 3 to February 6
  • February 10 to February 13
  • February 17 to February 21

Stephen Fishwick

  • January 27 to January 30

Trevor Carlton & Stephen Fishwick in a Dueling Artist Format

  • January 20 to January 23
Visual Art in Performance 2023 schedule

This experience takes place in World Showcase Plaza, Thursday through Sunday and on select Mondays during the Festival.

You can find daily showtimes in the My Disney Experience app.

Art Defying Gravity

Witness incredible displays of strength, grace, acrobatics and agility.

Performances take place in World Showcase Plaza, Saturday through Wednesday during the Festival.

You can check the My Disney Experience app for showtimes.

art defying gravity festival of the arts

Visual Arts

With over 100 artists, plus fun photo ops and opportunities to create your own art, there is plenty to see and do.

Photo ops

These fun life-sized paintings are always a hit.

artful photo op festival of the arts 2022

Inside each painting, you’ll find a tip sheet that tells you how you should pose. 

Festival of the Arts photo opp

Be on the lookout for these Artful Photo Ops

Here are the photo ops available for 2023:

  • Mexico Pavilion: Homage to Frida Kahlo
  • Between Italy and Germany: Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci)
  • Between Italy and Germany: The Scream (Edvard Munch)
  • The American Adventure Pavilion: Washington Crossing the Delaware (Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze)
  • International Gateway: Luncheon of the Boating Party (Pierre-Auguste Renoir)
  • Bridge to World Showcase: Peter Pan Storybook
  • Italy Pavilion courtyard: Birth of Venus (Sandro Botticelli)
  • Bridge to World Showcase: Café Terrace at Night and Sunflowers (Vincent van Gogh)
Washington Crossing the Deleware Festival of the Arts

Magic Shots

There are also a bunch of fun, brightly-themed PhotoPass options this year at Festival of the Arts. And, yes, many feature Figment.

Figment Magic Shots

  • Figment Wings: Most Disney PhotoPass locations in Epcot
  • Figment Chalk Art: At the main park entrance and near the entrance to World Showcase under the Monorail beam
  • Figment Flying: Most Disney PhotoPass locations in Epcot
figment magic shots epcot festival of the arts
figment magic shots epcot festival of the arts
figment magic shots epcot festival of the arts

Tiny World Magic Shot: Festival of the Arts Edition

  • Available at the main park entrance during daytime and after dark
tiny world magic shot epcot festival of the arts
tiny world magic shot epcot festival of the arts

Paintbrush Prop + Magic Shot

  • Find after 6 p.m. at the main park entrance
paintbrush prop magic shot epcot festival of the arts
paintbrush prop magic shot epcot festival of the arts

Pixel Stick

  • Find after the sunsets near the Creations Shop on the pathway to World Showcase
pixel stick magic shot epcot festival of the arts

Chalk art

chalk art at epcot's festival of the arts

You’ll once again be able to find artists around the World Showcase creating masterpieces out of chalk.

Chalk artist at work

Both 2D and 3D pieces are available to see.

Chalk artist festival of the arts

Kids can join in on the fun by leaving their own chalk masterpieces from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm at Kid’s Chalk Art, which is offered at the bridge to World Showcase Plaza.

kids chalk art

Paint-by-Number Mural

Back for 2023 is the giant, paint-by-number mural.

paint by number mural festival of the arts

If you have “add some graffiti to a wall in Epcot” on your bucket list, this experience is for you!

Festival of the Arts Expression Section

Ok, this isn’t graffiti, BUT it is an interactive experience that lets you help create a work of art large enough for all to see.

And, don’t be afraid that it will be all filled in before you get a chance to help.

paint by number paint pickup

Disney resets it with a blank one regularly.

You can find it in World Nature on the walkway from the Imagination! pavilion toward Test Track from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

paint by number mural 2022 festival of the arts

Figment’s Brush with the Masters

We are team “love a good scavenger hunt” and Festival of the Arts gets its very own Figment-themed version.

This fun scavenger hunt takes guests on a World Showcase tour while teaching you all about art.

Figment Brush with Master 2023
Figment Brush with Master 2023

Every time you find the Figment-themed picture frame, add the corresponding sticker to the pavilion on your map. Once completed, return your map to Disney Traders or World Traveler for an artful surprise.

Figment Brush with Master 2023

The map costs $9.99 plus tax. You can pick it up at Port of Entry, Creations Shop, World Traveler, or Pin Traders – Camera Center.

Redemption Location Figment Brush with Masters 2023

Artist Booths

With over 100 artists stationed throughout the park, there is a lot of fantastic art to see. You can check out the 2023 artist appearance schedule here.

Festival of the Arts booth

And this isn’t just paintings and sketches.

There are tons of different things!

You can even make your own art, like at this Spin Art booth:

Spin Art

There’s something for just about every taste and style available to look at and purchase.

Animation Academy 

Animation Academy is a popular experience that used to take place at Hollywood Studios and currently is held daily at Animal Kingdom, but Disney also brings it to Epcot for Festival of the Arts.

animation academy festival of the arts 2023

You can draw Disney characters with help from a real animation artist at the America Gardens Theatre. The step-by-step session includes an artist’s board, paper, and a pencil.

Stop by America Gardens Theatre at 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm daily for a session with one of these artists:

  • Will Gay
  • Lon Smart
  • Ron Cohee
  • Matthew Dewater
  • Brian Blackmore
  • Sarah Schmidt
  • David Holbrook
  • Michael Montgomery
  • Alex Maher
  • Andy Quiles
the animation academy festival of the arts 2022

These mini-workshops are led by animation artists that teach you how to draw a Disney character.

Note: These classes are fast-paced and probably not ideal for small children.

When you’re done, you’ll be left with a fun souvenir to take home. 

Animation academy finished product

These sessions can be very popular, so we recommend lining up about 30 minutes before your desired session.

Drawing on Inspiration

If you love classic Epcot attractions and gorgeous art, definitely take a look at this display where you’ll find side-by-side pieces of artwork completed by two Disney Imagineers:

drawing on inspiration

You can find this on the walkway from World Nature (near the Imagination! pavilion) to the World Showcase.

Face Painting

At the face painting station near Refreshment Outpost in World Showcase, you can special art inspired face painting options for the festival.

face painting festival of the arts

Prices start at $25 for the artsy designs.

Merchandise

Fun (and CUTE!) Festival of the Arts merchandise can be found throughout the park.

festival of the arts mug

The majority of merchandise is inspired by Figment and features rainbows of color. Items can be purchased at the festival, with some items also available on Shop Disney.

figment passholder tee festival of teh arts

The festival merchandise this year includes passholder exclusive tees, spirit jerseys, limited edition MagicBands, tumblers, and many more items.

festival of the arts magicband

You can even find this adorable limited edition Fruity Fig Bar Figment Disney Munchlings.

figment munchling festival of the arts

How to Plan Your Time

Since this festival takes place at a time of year that has fantastically mild temps, it’s fairly easy (and comfortable) to fit it into an afternoon and evening if you’d like to spend the morning touring attractions or have a late arrival.

You’ll find that the seminars and workshops are busier on the weekends, as this festival has quickly become quite popular with the locals. So, if you can do a weekday, we highly recommend you do that.

Historical Festival of the Arts Information

There are a few things that Disney used to do for Festival of the Arts that we haven’t seen for several years. And while we don’t anticipate that they will make a return in 2023, we are keeping the information here just in case.

Workshops and seminars (not returning for 2023)

Typically there is a mix of workshops and seminars available during Festival of the Arts. Some are complimentary, and some cost extra.

Get the complete schedule, details, and pricing info on the Disney World site.

Here’s a few highlights from previous years:

  • Ink & Paint Animation program will let participants learn about 2D Cel Animation and paint their own Ink & Paint Cel with a Disney Ink & Paint artist*
  • Workshops that cover a wide variety of artistic skills such as 3D paper crafting, animation, mixed-media art, plus more*
  • Seminars on creating your own works of art

* additional fee to participate

Living Statues (not returning for 2023)

Putting a whole new spin on “rock-hard abs,” these living statues definitely made you look twice. But, although they were fun to see, they haven’t returned for several years.

Living statues

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What questions or other info do you have about the Festival of the Arts?

Please share in the comments.

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Heather Thomas

Olivia Trotter Stegall

Saturday 25th of September 2021

You said the Animation Academy session was fast paced and not for young children. My granddaughter will be just eight and very creative. I am excited to share the Festival of the Arts with her and the family. She would get frustrated if she couldn't keep up. So my question: Is the Animation lesson at Conservation Station also fast paced and possibly not appropriate? Is it more kid-friendly? TIA