Before reading this post, you must be WARNED.

The 2023 Festival of the Arts has officially begun and we’re experiencing it ALL so we can share the latest & greatest details with you. But as you read this post and see all of the amazing art you’ll be able to check out at the Festival, get a peek at the mouth-watering food, and admire all of the Festival merchandise, you may find yourself booking a Disney World trip without even realizing it! So, basically, read this at your own risk!

Festival Dates

The 2023 Festival of the Arts will only run from January 13th, 2023 through February 20th, 2023. It’s definitely on the shorter end when it comes to EPCOT Festivals, so don’t wait too long to come and visit!

See our full page on the Festival here!

Getting Started and Crowds

We started our morning BRIGHT and early in EPCOT — okay, maybe not so bright. It was pretty cloudy and raining when we showed up to the park. It doesn’t look like that stopped any of the crowds, though!

Ah! There’s the organized crowd! pic.twitter.com/cBUnypiMnm

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 13, 2023

If you want to be one of the first people in the park to grab that Festival-exclusive merchandise, pick up a Festival map, and snap some great photos with the Festival signs, it’s important that you arrive early! Crowds were huddled under Spaceship Earth as they made their way into EPCOT.

Inside Creations, people were gathered looking for exclusive festival merchandise — and maybe hiding from the rain. We’ve seen a few sneak peeks of the merch — you can check it out here.

Now that the Festival of the Arts is finally here, we’ll be keeping an eye on the crowds throughout the day so you know what to expect!

Click here for a full look at what Disney World crowds are like in January

Festival Booklet

Just as you’ll find with other Festivals, the Festival of the Arts has its own unique Passport/booklet. If you’re all about turning off your phone as much as possible when on vacation, then picking up this booklet will be great for you. It contains all of the Festival menus in it and other Festival information.

Plus, it’ll be your key to collecting your FREE prize if you complete the Festival of the Arts food challenge (more on that later!).

Want a look at all of the food menus WITH prices?! We’ve got ’em here!

Signs and Decor

As you enter EPCOT from the front entrance (remember you could enter back through the International Gateway too) you’ll find signs and decor featuring the many colors of the rainbow with a certain purple dragon playing a prominent role — it’s FIGMENT!

You’ll find rainbows and paint-themed decorations abound at the front of the park, creating the perfect spot to snap a selfie with the family and friends before eating your way through the park!

Throughout EPCOT, keep an eye out for other Festival of the Arts signs!

You’ll also want to look for banners and other pieces of decor.

PRO TIP! Check out the little train village near the Germany pavilion. The town there changes out their mini flags to correspond with the EPCOT Festival going on at that time — it’s a special hidden detail you can show off to your friends!

Now, let’s get into the 3 arts that form the core of the Festival — Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Culinary Arts!

Performing Arts

In terms of the performing arts, one of the main things you’ll find is the Disney on Broadway Concert Series. The series brings Disney on Broadway performers to the America Gardens Theatre in EPCOT, where you can hear them sing amazing Disney on Broadway songs for FREE! Performances take place at 5:30PM, 6:45PM, and 8PM on each night.

Want to make sure you get a good seat? You can reserve a Disney on Broadway Dining Package that’ll give you reserved seating and the ability to eat at some of EPCOT’s most popular restaurants.

Aside from that, you’ll find musical performances in World Showcase Plaza on select days, Visual Art in Performance (where you can watch an artist paint a Disney character LIVE on stage in a matter of minutes), and Art Defying Gravity (where you can see some thrilling acrobatic acts)!

Check out ALL of the entertainment confirmed for the Festival here

Visual Arts

More of a visual arts person? There’s plenty of that too!

Figment Scavenger Hunt

If you want an interactive art experience, participate in Figment’s Brush with the Masters. This is a special scavenger hunt where you’ll search for hidden Figments in artwork scattered throughout the World Showcase Pavilions.

Finish the scavenger hunt, and you can return your map to get a prize! The experience costs $9.99 — get your map at Creations Shop, Port of Entry, or World Traveler.

Paint by Numbers

At the Festival, you’ll also find the Expression Section: A Paint by Numbers Mural. You can pick up a brush to paint a few squares in your assigned color.

Then keep watching as the mural gets filled in and the piece of art comes together thanks to YOUR help!

Chalk Art

You’ll also find some INCREDIBLE chalk art at the Festival at the Chalk Art Galleries in World Showcase Plaza. Keep a close eye on these as they get developed throughout the day — some may even have 3D effects!

Plus, kiddos can create chalk art masterpieces of their own in the bridge to World Showcase Plaza, or you can hunt for Chalk Drawings of Disney characters around World Showplace as part of the “Chalk Full of Characters” experience.

Luca art has returned to EPCOT for Festival of the Arts! pic.twitter.com/LBWf9noskE

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 11, 2023

There’s LOTS to enjoy!

Art

In terms of more “traditional” art, you’ll find all kinds of vendors selling unique pieces themed to Disney and more that you might just HAVE to bring home with you!

For example, Mr. Eyes Art (the artist behind the spooky yet adorable characters at Gideon’s Bakehouse) will be showcasing some new art.

Click here to see a FULL LIST of the artists released for the Festival of the Arts

Photo Ops

Throughout the park you’ll also find Artful Photo Ops you can step into that’ll put you INTO the art!

Here’s a full list of the step-in frames:

• International Gateway: Luncheon of the Boating Party – Pierre-Auguste Renoir
• The American Adventure: Washington Crossing the Delaware – Emanuel Leutze
• Between Italy Pavilion and Germany Pavilion: Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci
• Between Italy Pavilion and Germany Pavilion: The Scream – Edvard Munch
• Mexico Pavilion: An homage to Frida Kahlo
• Bridge to World Showcase: Peter Pan Storybook
• Italy Pavilion Courtyard: Birth of Venus – Sandro Botticelli

Festival Merchandise

In terms of Festival merchandise, there’s PLENTY to pick from, including a Figment-themed spirit jersey…

…Figment mug…

…and even a Figment Munchling! How cute is he?!

We’ll be taking a deep dive into ALL of the merchandise and sharing a full list of items with prices soon, so stay tuned for updates!

Get a first look at the Festival merchandise here

Figment Popcorn Bucket

And don’t forget that the incredibly popular Figment popcorn bucket is coming BACK this year!

Figment wrecked quite a bit of havoc last year, bringing long lines to EPCOT upon his initial release — but Disney has thought ahead this year. The Figment Popcorn Bucket is available on Mobile Order at Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey.

Culinary Arts

While the other arts might be wonderful, you’re probably hungry after admiring them for so long, so let’s enjoy those culinary arts!

There are lots of food booths available this year, including two new ones, and several new eats.

We’ll be sharing full reviews of EVERY SINGLE food booth throughout the day to stay tuned for ALL of our updates!

Click here to see ALL of our Festival of the Arts reviews!

Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine

Finally, if you’re hoping to complete a food-related challenge, check out the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine. With this, you’ll buy at least 5 of the 7 participating dishes. Make sure to get your passport stamped at each booth when you buy a qualifying item.

Once you’ve got all 5, stop by Deco Delights to get a complimentary Artist Palette Cookie as your completer prize!

Click here to see the FULL LIST of participating items

And that’s a look at the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! We’ll be making our way through the park and sharing all of the latest details with you, so keep in mind that this post will be UPDATED throughout the day. Check back for more info!

Want to know how to handle the Festival like a PRO? Grab our BRAND NEW DFB Guide to the Festival of the Arts for 150+ pages of tips, tricks, and advice.

We’ve got ALL of the information you’ll need in there to make sure you enjoy every single minute of the Festival and don’t miss the very best it has to offer!

Click here to get the guide!

Are you planning to visit EPCOT for the Festival of the Arts? Tell us in the comments!

The post Come With Us to Eat and See EVERYTHING at the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Arts! first appeared on the disney food blog.