Hi there, it’s Katy with Minnie’s Travel Boutique. Something that I have wanted to experience for quite some time is the EPCOT Festival of the Arts at Walt Disney World® that occurs each year during January and February. This event is one of the shortest festivals that Epcot offers; however, one that I believe should not be missed. After reviewing my family’s schedule these last few months, I finally narrowed down a weekend that worked well to take a group along with me once again for another Disney adventure. We spent two days in the parks at Walt Disney World® with one whole day completely dedicated to Epcot so we could experience as much as of the festival as possible. On a funny side note, we went during one of the coldest weekends in Florida, I think ever. During our day at Epcot, the high was only 44 degrees — can you believe it? My son and I were at Walt Disney World® all bundled up and at times using hand warmers, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying another magical visit.
As soon as we entered Epcot, we headed towards The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Near this attraction is the area for the Expression Section: A Paint by Numbers Mural. This is one of the free experiences available to guests during the festival. You are handed a little cup of paint with a number on the lid. When you approach the mural, you are told to find your number corresponding with the paint lid and paint up to seven squares. Disney Cast Members make sure guests are evenly spaced to avoid crowding. When finished, there is a designated bin to throw away your paint containers and a bucket to recycle your paint brush. Afterwards, you get a bookmark with what the mural will look like once finished — very fun.
It wouldn’t be a true Walt Disney World® visit without rides and fun places to stop and eat. So, all of us in the group traveled around Epcot’s World Showcase trying all sorts of delicious snacks from food carts specifically offered during the festival. A popular spot was the Deconstructed Dish. Here, we tried the Deconstructed French Onion Soup, Deconstructed Key Lime Pie, and the Deconstructed Apple Pie a la Mode. All were fantastic! For this magical treat, everyone in our group was able to enjoy a little of each dish. We also tried the Traditional Poutine, Gnocchi Poutine, and the Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie from the Refreshment Port. Safe to say, our favorite from this stop was the Traditional Poutine.
We also stopped at the World Showcase gift shop and bought ourselves a “Figment’s Brush with the Masters” scavenger hunt map, a $9.99 experience. All around Epcot you search and find paintings with Figment hiding in each, and once you complete your map, return it to the gift shop for a prize. This year’s prize is your choice of one “paint your own figurine,” featuring Figment, Mickey, Minnie, and Daisy, and pack comes with a paintbrush and four paints. I choose the Mickey head to paint.
Another fun thing we found as we walked around during the festival was the Artful Photo Ops. There are life size painting portraits that you step inside to reenact famous paintings. Such as “The Scream” and “Mona Lisa.” On the inside of the portrait, it has a mini photo of what the painting looked like so you could mimic and create your own. Unfortunately, we missed the interactive experience Chalk Full of Character due to rain from the previous days washing away most of the art. Disney Cast Members told us more artists would return and redo some of their work.
Overall, EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts was a great experience, and I wish we had more time to enjoy all the festival had to offer. That’s why you keep going back for more, right? After all, the magic calls all year long. The question is, will you answer? Until next time. And as Mickey Mouse would say, “I’ll see ya, real soon.”
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Minnie’s Travel Boutique has over 20 travel agents located throughout the country. Our travel agency’s knowledge of Disney products has earned us the distinction of being named an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. We were given this special designation by Disney as a result of our agency’s ongoing focus and commitment to planning customized, magical trips to the Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line® and other Disney vacation destinations worldwide.