Let’s Talk about the 2022 Festival of the Arts
Believe it or not, the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts offers more than just a Figment popcorn bucket.
Let’s talk about the highlights of this year’s festival!
What Is the Festival of the Arts?
EPCOT hosts four festivals annually. The newest of them is The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, which debuted in 2017.
At the time, it only operated four days a week, but its immediate popularity forced Disney to reconsider.
This festival highlights the performing arts, but Disney has also expanded the premise.
Many of the noteworthy elements highlight visual and culinary wonders. If you’ve embraced Instagram culture, the Festival of the Arts represents your happy place.
You’ll find so many social media-worthy visuals on display here.
The catch is that Disney sneaks this festival into the schedule between the Festival of the Holidays and Flower and Garden.
So, it only runs for five weeks, and we’re reaching the end of the first week already.
So, you must visit the park by February 21st to enjoy the festivities.
Let’s Talk About the Performing Arts
Among the highlights each year are the life-sized paintings. Disney allows you to insert yourself into famous images from works of art.
We’re talking about The Scream, Mona Lisa, and Washington Crossing the Delaware, among others.
Historically, my favorite was Birth of Venus at the Italy pavilion; however, Disney is doing a Peter Pan Storybook this year at the bridge to the World Showcase.
You can insert yourself into Mermaid Lagoon and Skull Rock here. These are terrific photo ops.
The other performing art is the DISNEY ON BROADWAY concert series.
Disney brings performers from Broadway plays down south to sing show tunes at America Gardens Theatre.
We’ve already had Arielle Jacobs and Adam Jacobs, the real-life brother/sister stars of Aladdin.
Performers from plays such as Newsies, Freaky Friday, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, and The Lion King will sing memorable Disney classics.
EPCOT becomes less crowded in January, but DISNEY ON BROADWAY still sells out regularly.
You can guarantee seating by booking a dining package.
Participating restaurants include:
- Biergarten Restaurant
- Coral Reef Restaurant
- Garden Grill Restaurant
- Rose & Crown Dining Room
Prices range from $57 to $69, $22 to $43 for kids.
Visual / Culinary Arts
When people think about the visual or culinary arts, what they really mean is either chalk drawings or food.
The chalk drawings are exactly what you think.
Disney employs artists who sit in spots around the World Showcase and create magical pieces of art using only chalk.
It’s extremely impressive.
Some of them are even in 3-D, which blows my mind.
EPCOT also hosts Kid’s Chalk Art close to the Land pavilion.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., kids can create their own chalk drawings for other guests to see.
The culinary arts come in the form of Food Studios. These are the popup food kiosks EPCOT operates at each festival.
Food Studios work slightly differently in that they emphasize aesthetic appeal.
For example, one of the cookies you’ll find at The Artist’s Table looks like a palette. The cookie works as the palette, while red, yellow, and blue icing looks like giant drops of paint.
Disney serves this with a small stick. The conceit is that it’s a paintbrush that allows you to spread the colors around like you’re working on a delicious canvas.
You get to play with your food, and it’s glorious.
Disney also hosts a festival passport with food stamps. At The Festival of the Arts, the stamps come in colors: Green, Orange, Pink, Red, and Yellow.
Once you collect all five, you receive the Artist’s Palette Cookie, which is like a better version of the cookie I just described.
Please remember that you don’t need to collect the stamps all at once, just by the end of the festival.
One more note: I already discussed the Figment popcorn bucket in a previous article. Still, I’d be remiss if I discussed The Festival of the Arts without it.
Yes, Pop Eats offers this Figment popcorn bucket… when it’s in stock. Currently, EPCOT has run out of its initial inventory.
Due to supply issues, we have no way of knowing when it will return.
Presuming that Disney does get more, you should know that lines have remained in the 90-minute range.
The demand for these popcorn buckets remains unimaginably high.
There’s still time to experience the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! Head to our DVC Rental Store Confirmed Reservations page to view discounted DVC Villa accommodations that are up to 65% off Disney prices!
