We’re heading into the month of February in Disney World, and there’s a LOT of excitement going on!

We’ve got big events, returning favorites, new food to try, and so much more. So if you’re traveling to see the mouse in February, what do you need to know? Well today, we’re breaking down the top 10 things!

EPCOT International Festival of the Arts

First of all, let’s talk about the BIG event happening at EPCOT — the International Festival of the Arts! It kicked off mid-January and lasts until February 21st, so enjoy those last few weeks while you can.

The festival features food booths with artsy eats from around the world, along with awesome entertainment options like the Disney on Broadway nightly concert series. If you want to enjoy some activities, they have plenty, with everything from photo ops to scavenger hunts to paint-by-number murals. There’s so much to do!

Click Here to See the Full List of Food Booths for the Festival!

Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire

More entertainment options are coming to Disney World this February, including some old favorites. The Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire castle stage show hasn’t been performing in Magic Kingdom since the park closures, but it’s coming back soon, getting revamped to Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire in honor of the 50th Anniversary!

The show will have its first performance on February 25th, and we can’t wait to check out it. There will be new opening and closing numbers, and it will run multiple times a day on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage.

Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade

And speaking of entertainment, let’s talk about the new Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade! This cavalcade is coming to Magic Kingdom on February 11th, and it’s going to be bigger than any cavalcade we’ve seen before, with nearly THIRTY Disney characters.

It will replace the Magic Kingdom Cavalcade, but the 50th Anniversary and other cavalcades will still run throughout the day. During this mini-parade, you’ll be able to see friends like Moana, Merida, Baloo, Marie, Miguel, and so many others!

Click Here to Get More Details on the Cavalcade!

Frontierland Hoedown Coming Back

But that’s not all! A THIRD entertainment option is coming to Magic Kingdom in February — the beloved Frontierland Hoedown. If you didn’t see this show before the pandemic, then you’re in for a treat. Basically, a group of Cast Members and Disney characters will pop up out of seemingly nowhere and start a line-dancing party in the middle of Frontierland.

You’ll once again be able to catch this short show on February 11th. We’ll be there to see what it’s like when it returns — we can’t wait!

Select Tours Are Coming Back

Looking for a special way to add some magic to your Disney trip? How about a guided tour?! Five popular tours are coming back on February 6th and will be available daily, and reservations are open now to start booking them.

Of the five options you can book, one is the Keys to the Kingdom Tour at Magic Kingdom, and the others are all behind-the-scenes options at Animal Kingdom. At this time, the tours at the other parks haven’t returned, although you can still book VIP Tours.

Click Here to Learn More About Which Tours Are Returning!

Two Restaurants Are Reopening

We’re also getting some restaurant reopenings this month! First of all, Jiko at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge reopens on February 17th. The signature restaurant is a steakhouse with a large selection of African wines to choose from — the reopening menu has already been released and reservations are open now.

If you’d like something a little more low-key, make a reservation for The Turf Club Bar & Grill at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort instead. This spot is reopening on February 3rd.

Some Restaurants Are Getting Changes

And in addition to the restaurant reopenings, some restaurants are getting changes this month. Over at Cape May Cafe, the buffets are returning for breakfast and dinner. For breakfast, you’ll have options like pull-apart bread with vanilla sauce, beef hash, an omelet station, and character waffles. For dinner, the buffet will feature “cornbread, seasonal harvest salad, seafood boil, a daily carving station,” and more! These changes start on February 15th.

And nearby at Ale & Compass, lunch will be available again starting on January 31st. During lunch, you’ll also be able to order some returning breakfast items, so brunch fanatics should add this to their list!

Click Here for the Full List of Restaurant Changes and Reopenings!

There’s One Day You Should Avoid Magic Kingdom

Disney World vacations often include trips to Magic Kingdom, and if you’re planning on stopping by, there’s one day you may want to avoid that specific park. When looking at the park hours for the month of February, it’s important to note that Magic Kingdom closes early on February 8th.

How early? Well, they’ll shut down the park at 4:30PM that day! If you’re planning on Park Hopping, it won’t be bad, but there won’t be any fireworks that night, so you may want to move your schedule around.

The Disney Princess Half Marathon is Coming

If you’re traveling to Disney World between February 24th-27th, you’ll want to prepare for big crowds! Not only is the weekend before that Presidents’ Day Weekend, when many students have days off school, but those specific dates are the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend. We envision it being a very busy week!

These runDisney races are incredibly popular, so you may see more guests than usual those days. They’ll run in the mornings and then flood the parks during the daytime to celebrate, so plan accordingly if you’re traveling then.

Crowds Aren’t What You’d Expect

And speaking of crowds, we’ve got to issue a warning. The past few weeks, we’ve seen some pretty strange trends in terms of crowds in Disney World, and we want to make you aware of what you’re getting yourself into.

Crowd levels and wait times seem to be high for the month of January, and that trend may continue as we go into February. Before your trip, you may want to check out the wait times on My Disney Experience and possibly think about purchasing Disney Genie+ to avoid those long waits.

Click Here to Learn More About Disney Genie+ in Disney World!

That’s everything big you need to know about Disney World in the month of February. Stay tuned to DFB for the latest news and updates throughout the month!

Another Disney World Restaurant Reopened Recently — Check it Out Here!

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Are you visiting Disney World this month? Tell us in the comments!

The post 10 Things You Need to Know About Disney World in February first appeared on the disney food blog.