One of my favorite festivals at Epcot is the International Festival of the Arts. The Festival of the Arts is a celebration of visual, performing, culinary, and other arts. It runs from January 18-February 25, 2019. I love the opportunities this festival gives park-goers to get in touch with their creative side. There is so much to see and do in such a small amount of time. Here are some of my tips to get the most artful experiences out of your day at Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts.
Spend Less Time and Money at the Food Booths
As a vegetarian, I was a little disappointed to see how few offering were available to me (outside of the sweets) at Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays. There were no offerings for vegans. After my disappointment subsided, I focused more on the entertainment and other offerings the holiday festival had to offer. It also gave the opportunity to revisit some of my favorite places to eat that I had neglected during the Food and Wine Festival.
There is more hype with the food offerings at the festivals than it sometimes deserves. It’s understandable at the Food and Wine Festival, but it shouldn’t be the main attraction at some of the other festivals. The novelty of the food booths have worn off for me and if I’m going to an art festival then I want to spend my time and money on the art.
I don’t think that means the food booths should be avoided completely. There are a couple of things that I’m excited to try this year. Yet, I wouldn’t spend the whole day trying to taste EVERYTHING and missing some amazing performances and seminars in the process.
Get Involved and Learn Something New
The teacher (and student) in me absolutely loves all the interactive and learning experiences that this festival has to offer. Here are some of the activities that I’m looking forward to participating in this year:
Complimentary 30 minute seminars are held everyday at 11:30 AM and topics range from photography, cosmetology, animatronics, film music scores and much more. I wish I could go to all of them!
Hands-on workshops are taught by artistic experts. Interactive workshops are held on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 1:30-2:45. Guests have the opportunity to learn new arts and crafts like turning Disney park maps in flowers. These are an extra cost of $39.
For the kids and the kids at heart, make sure to add your artistic pixie dust to the wall mural near the entrance to the World Showcase. The kiddos also have the opportunity to take part in an animation academy and Figment’s art scavenger hunt.
Research Available Experiences
The Festival of the Arts has so much going on that it is impossible to do everything. Therefore, it is essential to plan. Do some research about the artists and performers featured this year and decide which ones deserve your attention. Some might only be there on select days so make sure you plan your visit on a day that offers the most of what you are looking forward to doing at the festival.
I recommend checking out the list of complimentary seminars, interactive workshops, and Broadway performers on Disney’s website to make sure you pick a date that has the most interest for you.
A Single Park Day
With so much to see and do, it could be overwhelming to try to park hop too. I would strongly recommend spending the entire day at Epcot. There are activities and performances going on through out the entire day. One of the things that I love about this festival is that I feel submersed in the arts. It is a relatively leisure day for me when I make it only about experiencing the offerings at this festival. Traveling from one park to another takes a lot time out of the day and can be stressful. There are enough activities to keep the whole family entertained and educated for the whole day.
Do you have any great tips for Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts?
