We’ve Gotta Share Some BAD NEWS about the EPCOT Festival of the Arts

We are big festival fans — EPCOT festivals that is! The 2024 Festival of the Arts is underway and we have experienced it ALL!

There’s live entertainment, food, merchandise, a scavenger hunt, and of course, ART! It’s a beautiful celebration of creativity and imagination. We visited the festival on opening day where we tried every food booth, conquered the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine, and watched a Disney on Broadway concert. It was a fabulous day in the parks, but, alas, nothing is perfect. Here’s our bad news about the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts.

Ok, the festival isn’t perfect, but we only have three things that we found not-so-great (and one is completely out of Disney’s control). That’s a pretty awesome percentage of “good stuff” happening at this festival! Before we get into it, you can watch our video about the festival right here!

We definitely recommend checking it out. But without further adieu, here are the three things that we wish were better.

Only 2 Plant-Based Dishes

One form of art that is showcased at the Festival of the Arts is culinary arts. The dishes at the booths may be loaded with color, are plated beautifully, and are loaded with flavor!

There were a TON of options and something for nearly everyone — except our plant-based friends. We were quite disappointed to only see TWO plant-based options throughout all the food studios. Disney’s plant-based options are not just for those with a special diet, they are usually just as flavorful and delicious as all the other items. So whether you choose plant-based or not, this was pretty unfortunate!

We will say that Wild Mushroom Risotto was pretty fabulous. But between that and the Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with hummus, chermoula, and zhoug dips, there were no other plant-based options.

ALL the Souvenirs You Can Buy at the 2024 Festival of the Arts

Florida Weather

The weather is obviously out of Disney’s hands (or is it 🤔). But Florida weather, during the time of year, when the festival happens, can be just as unpredictable and wet as in the summer. In fact, on the day we went, it was quite gloomy and cold.

And yes, it does rain in Florida during the winter (and it can be so much worse because it’s a cold rain)! This is really unfortunate because many artists come to the festival to create the most amazing and beautiful chalk art. But what happens when chalk gets rained on? It very un-magically disappears into a swirl of colorful sadness. We saw this happen to one artist in particular recently.

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The possibility of cold and rainy weather might keep some people away from this festival, but it’s totally worth venturing out in the elements for. (Just be prepared to see some heartbreaking, melting chalk art.)

EVERYTHING You Need to Know about the 2024 Festival of the Arts

It’s Short

The 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts runs from January 12th through February 19th, making it one of the shortest EPCOT festivals. Whereas, the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival is scheduled to run for 90 days this year!

This super short timeline makes it challenging for folks to get there for it. If you want to participate in the Festival of the Arts, you have to be quick! This is a real bummer for people traveling from far away to Disney World.

Overall, three negatives do not ruin this festival — it’s an all-around fun time! And in the meantime, keep following AllEars for more Disney news!

Your Guide to the BEST Eats and Drinks at the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts

Which is your favorite EPCOT festival? Let us know in the comments!

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