Long Islanders always look forward to winter break, it’s one of the few weeks of the year when we can regroup and have some family fun. This time of year, Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort is offering something wonderful for the entire family.
Yes, you have the world-famous rides, Frozen Ever After, Soarin’, Test Track, and Guardians of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (which I highly recommend), but for anyone with a passion for both art and Disney magic, there’s no better time to visit Disney World than during its annual Epcot International Festival of the Arts. The festival is an event that brings together incredible food, stunning visual art, captivating performances, and the perfect blend of nostalgia and innovation.
This year, the festival is extra special, with the debut of Once Upon A Stage: 30 Years of Disney on Broadway in the freshly made CommuniCore Hall. Long Island has a lot to offer, but this festival is worth every penny and bite. The festival has been running for a few weeks, but you still have time to visit because it ends February 24. The festival showcases some of the best in food and art. You can literally jump right into famous paintings, paint a piece of a large mural showcased throughout the park, watch art demonstrations, and enjoy one of Disney’s creative animators drawing your favorite character right in front of you at the Animation Academy.
This year, the culinary teams have pulled out all the stops and beautifully put together some culinary creations that are as amazing as they are delicious. With nearly 20 extra food booths to try, you will definitely find that perfect dish invoking the chef’s kiss. Some of the new offerings this year include an Enchanted Rose cake made with a milk chocolate rose with a raspberry and rose center, an entire booth dedicated to fictional delights of the tales of Jules Verne, and in the American Pavilion, a Chicken “Pot Pie” with smoked cheddar mornay sauce that everyone is talking about. For my family it’s all about the Rainbow Cake topped with freeze dried Skittles, located in the Odyssey building. It will melt in your mouth with how moist and delicious it is. My kids, who are 11 and 7, devoured it, and wanted more. In fact, they didn’t leave much for my husband, but ended up buying three of them, they were that good.
Speaking of kids - be sure to buy the Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt - it's under $10 each and fun for the whole family, with a special prize at the end. This year is a car decal, and it looks adorable with Figment as the lead. It’s perfect for them to do, while you eat and enjoy around the park. My husband and I look forward to this scavenger hunt every year, it keeps them busy while we enjoy what we love about the World Showcase during the festival. These scavenger hunts are available throughout the year during every Festival at Epcot, so be on the lookout when you go.
Epcot alone is worth the price of admission on any day, but if you are looking for something new and fun to try and do, this is an event you do not want to miss! Besides the demonstrations from artists around the world, food booths offering the best in cuisine, every night there is a live Broadway concert in the American Gardens Theater, which features amazing Disney on Broadway talent like you have never seen before, with a few special guests along the way. If this year is not in the cards and you can't make it down, keep this on your calendar for your next vacation because the Festival of the Arts is only getting bigger and better every year.
Whether it’s a trip just for adults, or the entire family, this festival paints the perfect picture of delight. You can go down, have a vacation and take advantage of all these enchanting offerings because, as Figment would say, imagination is a blast! There is a wonderful world of color, taste, and sound that you can unlock all in one day. You can follow our family page on X under @wdwwishes_ to keep up with Disney news and for more great tips and exciting Walt Disney World events.