In honor of the last week of the Festival of the Arts for 2023, I thought that I would share my experience at the festival last year. It was a wonderful time, and I loved all of the little details that were scattered throughout the park. I came to truly appreciate the Festival of the Arts, and I have to say, I think I prefer it to the Food and Wine Festival. Some of you will definitely not agree with that, and that’s okay. I guess I just liked how diverse this festival is compared to some of the others. There is truly something for everyone, and I’m so excited to get to share my experience with you.
Last January, I had the opportunity to go to Walt Disney World with my family to experience the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World. While we were there, we also got to experience the EPCOT Festival of the Arts. It wasn’t my first time at the festival, but it was the first time that I took the time to really try to enjoy it. I happened to be there during the festival in 2018, but didn’t know anything about it, so really didn’t take the opportunity to take it all in. I regret that now. It was one of the first years of the festival, and I didn’t do the research ahead of time to see what all was offered. I enjoyed what little bit that I saw, but I still regret not taking enough time to enjoy it. Anytime you’re at EPCOT during a festival, make sure that you take some time to experience at least some of what the festival has to offer.
During the time that I spent at the Festival of the Arts, I learned what a unique festival this truly is at EPCOT. It’s so fun and colorful, and you can’t help but stop to appreciate some of the artwork around you. It’s also one of the most interactive festivals that I’ve had the chance to experience. You have the opportunity to put yourself right in the middle of the artwork itself. The Festival of the Arts is a celebration of art in all forms, from paintings, sculpture, music, food, and more. The only festival food that I got that week was the Pop’t Art, which I made a point to seek out and get. I just had to wait until the coveted Figment Popcorn bucket sold out, since it was being sold out of the same booth. Yes, I was there for the insane line the first day. No, I did not even attempt to snag a popcorn bucket. I had much better things to do with my time, as I will show you.
Probably my favorite thing to do during the Festival of the Arts was to search for all of the hidden characters painted on the walls around the World Showcase. I found the first one by accident on my way into the part from the International Gateway, and I was hooked with finding them all. Peter Pan’s shadow was spying in a window in the United Kingdom Pavilion. Pascal was hiding all over the Germany pavilion. The Aristocats were walking along in the France Pavilion, along with Lumiere, who was hanging out at Chefs de France. Koda was catching fish in Canada, and Abu was trying to take some shiny good in Morocco. There were so many more. I still don’t know if I found all of them, but I definitely gave it my best shot. I’ve included pictures of some my favorites.
It was so enjoyable to look around at all of the art booths scattered throughout the park. Several of them had the artist there to answer questions and sign artwork. It’s pretty cool to hear the artist explain what the inspiration was for a specific piece. I also loved looking at the food coming out of the food booths. Some of them truly look like works of art. I wish that I could have tried more of the food, but I just wasn’t able to get it all in. The Pop’t Art was fantastic though, so I’m very glad that it was the one thing that I chose to get.
The chalk art was also incredible to see. It’s so detailed, it’s hard to believe that it’s all chalk. It was located on the walkway between World Celebration and World Showcase. It changes out throughout the festival, so try to go see it multiple times while you’re there. Some of them are even interactive photo spots! There wasn’t any the week that I was there, which I was a little disappointed about. However, the ones that were there were great! My favorites were the portraits of Belle and Beast, but they were all amazing. I’ve included some pictures here.
One of the most memorable experiences, for me anyway, was getting to paint on the mural. That year, it was located in World Nature across from the Land Pavilion. It’s done in a paint-by-number style, and you get to paint five squares. It’s very simple. Just walk up to the booth, and pick a paint color and brush. The paint has a number on top that tells you what number to paint. Then you go stand in line until a section opens up in front of the mural for you to go work in. If the color you chose doesn’t match the section you get assigned to, a Cast Member will swap it out for a different color. That’s what happened to me. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t get to use the color I chose, but I was excited to get to participate anyway. Once you have painted your allotted number of squares, you exit out the other side of the line, and a Cast Member will take your brush and paint container, and will give you a picture of what the completed mural will look like. Once the mural is complete, it will get changed out for a different one. So, be sure to check it every day you go. You might have a chance to paint on more than one mural!
There are tons of other things to do during the Festival of the Arts that I didn’t do. Like all EPCOT festivals, there was a scavenger hunt. For the Festival of the Arts, Figment takes on the masters and creates his own Figment version of famous artwork. These are hidden all around the World Showcase, and up for everyone to search for. Maps can be purchased at various locations around the park, and when you find Figment, put the correct sticker on the location where you found him. Once your map is complete, you can return it to a couple of designated locations in the park, and a Cast Member will stamp it and you can pick out your prize. While I was there, I didn’t purchase the map and officially participate in the scavenger hunt, but I did find most of the Figments. They were pretty cute. There are also pictures located throughout the park that you can step into for cute photo opportunities. I’ve included pictures of a couple of them, but I never got inside to take pictures. They’re a really fun thing to do with family and friends though, if your group is into doing it.
Just like all of the other EPCOT festivals, the Festival of the Arts is an incredible festival. While it is often overlooked compared to the other festivals, especially since it is the newest and shortest, it is probably the most unique of all of the festivals offered. It’s so incredibly fun and whimsical. I adore going, and I can’t wait until I can go back. I hope that you get to enjoy it as much as I did.
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