2021 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts: What You Need to Know
The Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is now open at Walt Disney World Resort, celebrating visual, culinary and performing arts from around the world. Through February 22, 2021, guests can experience this celebration as part of regular park admission, with something to satisfy every palate – and every palette! Learn more about this festival below. We visited the festival on opening day and have been back to experience more! We’ve got all the details on this year’s festival and you don’t want to miss it. Learn more below.
1 – Food Studios Bring Global Culinary Arts to EPCOT
When you think of an EPCOT festival do you think of the food? We do, and even though this festival is the smallest of the four festivals, the Festival of the Arts has got some great offerings for guests to enjoy! Not only that, but the festival invites guests to eat great works of art! There are more than fifteen Food Studios throughout the park that offer imaginative, art-inspired food and drink featuring clever culinary creations cooked up by Disney chefs.
Here are some highlights for items to be on the lookout for:
- NEW! Vibrante & Vívido Food Studio – located between Morocco and France in World Showcase – features a Chilled Seafood Cocktail, Blue Corn Pupusa and Passion Fruit Mousse, along with a Coconut and Passion Fruit Smoothie and more.
- The Artist’s Table at The American Adventure offers a menu including Beef Wellington, a Sipping Chocolate Flight and guest-favorite Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie.
- The Painter’s Palate in World Showplace features Prime Steak Tartare, Pistachio Cake and a selection of cocktails.
- Festival Favorites – also in World Showplace – offers Remy’s Ratatouille, a Lemon Blood-Orange Tart, the Neapolitan Beer Flight and more.
Check out some of the delicious items we tried! (Click on any photo to enlarge).
Learn more about this year’s new offerings from Disney Chef Kevin in the video below:
Click here for full menus from each Food Studio, plus other festival-related foodie fun.
2 – 100+ Visiting Artists Share Their Work During the Festival
The Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts boasts more than 100 talented artists over the course of the 46-day event, featuring pieces in a wide variety of styles and disciplines. Guests can explore Festival Markets throughout the park to purchase new discoveries and, in some cases, meet the artists in person. This part of the festival really makes it stand out from the other festivals at EPCOT. It’s such an amazing experience to be able to not only meet a Disney artist but have them sign their work of art for a very special keepsake.
As you enjoy the festival here are some tips for exploring and enjoying the art shared at the festival:
- Disney-inspired art is available throughout Festival Markets, ranging in styles from classic to whimsical to edgy. Non-Disney art is available, as well.
- Visiting artists create new pieces live during the festival, providing insight into their processes and personalizing work for guests.
- Artists and Festival Markets will rotate throughout the festival, so guests will likely find something new each time they visit.
3 – Event Merchandise – Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of the Festival of the Arts!
Event-specific merchandise is available throughout the park, including shirts, caps, face coverings, trading pins, MagicBands, homeware and more. This year’s festival celebrates the 5th Anniversary of the Festival of the Arts. Look closely at some of the merchandise and you’ll spot Dreamfinder!
4 – A Variety of Visual Arts and Live Performances Await
This year’s festival offers a multi-disciplinary showcase of performances, including music and visual arts. New this year is the chance to see the Voices of Liberty take the America Gardens Theatre stage with a brand-new showcase – the Disney Songbook. Featuring classic Disney tunes, this lively performance celebrates the artistry of Disney composers. We enjoyed this addition so much and it is well worth taking time to watch their performance!
At World Showplace (between the Canada and UK pavilions), Performance artists rotate throughout the festival in World Showplace, including thrilling feats of strength from Art Defying Gravity, a pianist playing favorite Disney songs, and a high-energy onstage performance by a guest artist who paints Disney characters in only a matter of minutes.
Finally, guests can take in the festive atmosphere created by the popular JAMMitors, performing live on the Mill Stage in the Canada pavilion.
5 – Interactive Activities Offer Artful Fun for Everyone
The Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts creates plenty of ways for guests to express their own artistic talents and style.
- The Animation Academy at America Gardens Theatre features a Disney artist giving guests a step-by-step lesson in drawing Disney characters.
- Expression Section: A Paint-by-Number Mural invites guests to work together in completing a larger-than-life piece of art created for the festival by Disney Imagineers.
- Around World Showcase, guests can step into famous artwork in special photo-opportunity installations.
- With Spin Art, guests can create their own art by choosing their favorite colors and then “spinning” them to life via a custom-made stationary bicycle.
- Through Enemy Ink, guests can express their own fashion sense by choosing a color, design and style and then watch as a new t-shirt is printed right before their eyes.
- On the bridge between Future World and World Showcase, guests can discover the work of imaginative chalk artists. Guests can also find chalk drawings of Disney characters tucked away in corners throughout World Showcase. (See photos below).
6 – Search World Showcase on Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt
In Figment’s Brush with the Masters, guests of all ages help Figment learn more about art in a family-friendly scavenger hunt around World Showcase. After purchasing a map and stickers, guests look for Figment hiding inside famous works of art at each pavilion. Upon completing the journey, guests return the map to the park’s Disney Traders for an artful surprise. Take a look below at photos of the prizes which are works of art themselves!
7 – Health and Safety Reminder
As a reminder, Walt Disney World continues to operate with enhanced health and safety policies so everyone can enjoy the magic responsibly. To manage attendance, guests are required to have valid theme park admission and make a park reservation for each day of their visit through the Disney Park Pass system. Please visit Disneyworld.com/Updates for more information.
More Coverage of the 2021 Taste of EPCOT Festival of the Arts!
Click here for our Instagram Story with photos and video from our second visit to the festival!
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