Who doesn’t love a good Festival at Epcot? The food, drinks, kiosks, merchandise, and activities make Epcot’s festivals a highlight of anyones vacations! Back for it’s 5th year, Epcot’s Festival of the Arts runs Jan 8th to Feb 22, 2021.
The festival includes visual, performing, and culinary arts that run daily and are included in your regular park admission. Although 2020’s festivals were cut short, or modified, this one felt the most normal! I was lucky enough to be there on opening weekend and want to share some great highlights with you!
The Art
Everywhere you turn you see artist showcases and their works of art. Everything from original paintings, to prints, chalkwalk art, 2D or 3D artwork, and so on. Lots of these booths have the artist as well so you can chat with them on their inspiration or have them sign a piece you have purchased! In 2021, there will be over 100 Disney and visiting artists displaying their work.
Interactive Events
Bringing back interactive events in 2021 makes this Mousekemom very happy! My family participated in helping paint a mural by the numbers. You walked up to a kiosk and picked a color with a number on it and a paint brush. In a social distance line we were than told to stand by a number and we took turns painting 5 squares each, with our number and paint color we choose. After painiting our squareas we were given what the mural was was going to look like. The kids loved this one and really wanted to know when it would be completed! This activity was free too!
Other activities such as Spin Art Experience, located in Showcase Plaza (across from the El Artista Hambriento Food Studio). Guests can jump on a stationary bicycle connected to a spinning drum, where you spread paint onto paper, choose from four colors and mix to your heart’s desire. There was also a stationary table-top option to create your own spin art. Either option costs $19 (if you want to include a frame, it’d cost $25), and your finished piece is ready for pickup after drying for 15 minutes. We watched cast members disinfect the bicycle after every use.
In 2021, the event is bringing back free Animation Academy classes, where you can learn to draw some of your favorite Disney characters. These classes take place daily at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the America Gardens Theatre. Guests simply pick up a clipboard with paper and a small pencil and find an available socially distanced seat. A Disney animator will walk you through how to draw a Disney character, with instructions filmed on the big screens so you can easily follow along.
Performances
Throughout the day you can catch a variety of performances at the World Showplace Events Pavilion. We caught the Art Defying Gravity duo which the kids loved!
Also at the American Pavilion are musical acts such as Mariachi Cobre, the Jammitors and Voices of Liberty! We caught the voices of Liberty singing some Disney Favorite tunes!
Food and Drinks
Let’s be honest for this Mousekemom it is all about the Food and Drinks! My Family took one for the team, and experienced as much food and drinks as our stomachs could handle, you’re welcome! Here is what is being offered for the 2021 Festival:
- Refreshment Port (Showcase Plaza)
- Food:
- Lobster Poutine: Lobster, Lobster Bisque Cheese Sauce, Pickled Jalapeños and Citrus Cream (NEW)
- Beverages:
- Barrel of Monks Brewing Raspberry Beret, Boca Raton, FL (NEW)
- Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, CA
- Food:
- Citrus Blossom (Showcase Plaza)
- Beverages:
- Orange Cream Shake in a Souvenir Orange Bird Sipper Cup (nonalcoholic)
- Lost Coast Brewery Tangerine Wheat Ale, Eureka, CA
- Florida Orange Groves Winery Selections: Key Limen, Strawberry Blush, Orange Sunshine, Sparkling Key Lime, Sparkling Cranberry, Sparkling Blueberry
- Beverages:
- The Deconstructed Dish (Showcase Plaza)
- Food:
- Deconstructed Reuben: Rye Popover, Corned Beef, Gryuère Panna Cotta and Brined Brussels Sprouts with Broken Thousand Island Dressing
- Deconstructed BLT: Crispy Pork Belly, Soft-poached Egg, Brioche, Watercress Espuma and Tomato Jam
- Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake: Whipped New York-style Cheesecake with Fresh Florida Strawberries and Sugar Cookies
- Beverages:
- Rainboba: Fruit Bursting Boba with Sparkling Water (nonalcoholic)
- Deconstructed Breakfast: Twinings of London Chai Tea Shake with Maple Syrup garnished with a Waffle Crisp and Candied Bacon (nonalcoholic)
- Deconstructed Breakfast: Twinings of London Chai Tea Shake with Cream Bourbon garnished with a Waffle Crisp and Candied Bacon
- Food:
- Decadent Delights (Showcase Plaza)
- Food:
- Raspberry Soft-serve Ice Cream (New)
- Lemon Soft-serve Ice Cream (New)
- Artist Palette Cookie
- Beverages:
- North Coast Brewing Co. Scrimshaw Pilsner, Fort Bragg, CA
- M.I.A. Beer Company Deco IPA, Doral, FL
- Saugatuck Brewing Co. Peanut Butter Porter, Douglas, MI
- Beer Flight also available
- Food:
- Pop Eats (Showcase Plaza)
- Food:
- Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese (New)
- Tomato Soup with French Onion and Bacon Grilled Cheese (New)
- Shrimp Ceviche with Lime Mint Foam (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Almond Frangipane Cake layered with Raspberry Jam and Belgian Chocolate
- Pop’t Art: Modern-designed Sugar Cookie with Strawberry Filling
- Beverages:
- #RainbowSherbetGlitterDreamAle by Playalinda Brewing Co., Titusville, FL
- Popping Bubbles Cocktail
- Tomato Soup Can Bloody Mary
- Food:
- Refreshment Outpost
- Food:
- Plant-based Bratwurst with Spicy Turmeric Aïoli, Coffee Barbecue Jackfruit and Slaw
- Warm Brown Sugar-stuffed Pretzel with Banana Soft-serve Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce
- Beverages:
- Frozen Slushy Coca-Cola or Minute Maid Lemonade in a Souvenir Spike The Bee Sipper Cup (nonalcoholic)
- Playalinda Brewing Co. Blue Raspberry Blonde, Titusville, FL (New)
- Food:
- Cuisine Classique (Germany)
- Food:
- Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with Parsnip Purée, Broccolini, Baby Tomatoes and Aged Balsamic
- Coq au Vin: Chicken Roulade with Violet Mustard, Candied Carrots, Pancetta Crisp, Marble Potatoes and Beurre Rouge Sauce (New)
- Opera Cake: Almond Joconde, Coffee Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache (New)
- Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate-Chip Cookie
- Beverages:
- 3 Daughters Brewing Rosé Hard Cider, St. Petersburg, FL
- 81Bay Brewing Rosé Blonde Ale, Tampa, FL
- Frozen Rosé
- Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva Art Series, Logrono, Spain
- Domaine Savary Chablis, Burgundy
- A Play on Rosé Flight
- Food:
- The Artist’s Table (The American Adventure)
- Food:
- Beef Wellington: Mushroom Duxelle, Prosciutto and Puff Pastry with Red Wine Demi-Glace and Fennel Cream
- Pan-Seared Scallop with Chorizo, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis and Parmesan Crisp (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate-Chip Cookie
- Beverages:
- Sipping Chocolate Flight: White, Milk, and Dark Chocolate (nonalcoholic)
- Saugatuck Brewing Co. Neapolitan Milk Stout, Douglas, MI
- Lexington Brewing Company Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale, Lexington, KY
- Lindemans Framboise Lambic, Belgium
- Âme du Vin Côtes de Provence Rosé
- Writer’s Block Pinot Noir, Lake County, CA
- Symphony in Chocolate Flight: Mozart Cream Liqueurs paired with Sipping Chocolates
- Beer Flight also available
- Food:
- Mosaic Canteen (Morocco)
- Food:
- Mediterranean Flatbread with Zaatar Pesto, Artichokes, Roasted Peppers, Sundried Tomatoes and Fennel Cream (New)
- Harissa-roasted Rack of Lamb with Baba Ganoush, Picholine Olives, Toybox Tomatoes, Preserved Lemons and Pomegranate (New)
- Mouskoutchou: Orange Cake with Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Orange) (New)
- Beverages:
- 1906 Reserva Especial Dark Amber Lager (New)
- Maeloc Blackberry Hard Cider (New)
- Food:
- Vibrante & Vívido Food Studio (Between Morocco & France)
- Food:
- Chilled Seafood Cocktail with Octopus, Scallops, Shrimp, Black Garlic Aïoli, Tomato-Coconut Sauce and Serrano-Lime Oil (New)
- Blue Corn Pupusa-stuffed with Cheese and topped with Shredded Pork, Guajillo and Árbol Chile Sauce, Cabbage Slaw and Aji Amarillo Crema (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)(Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Blue) (New)
- Passion Fruit Mousse with Dragon Fruit Jam (New)
- Beverages:
- Coconut and Passion Fruit Smoothie (nonalcoholic) (New)
- Frozen Piña Colada (New)
- Passion Fruit Daiquiri (New)
- Food:
- Festival Favorites (World Showplace)
- Food:
- Remy’s Ratatouille with Eggplant, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomatoes and Red Pepper Piperade (Plant-based) (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Red) (New)
- Charcuterie with Meats and Cheeses featuring Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Beef
- Lemon Blood-Orange Tart
- Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate-Chip Cookie
- Beverages:
- Blue Sky Black Cherry Boba Freeze (nonalcoholic)
- 3 Daughters Brewing Strawberry Blonde Nitro, St. Petersburg, FL
- Breckenridge Brewery Nitro Vanilla Porter, Breckenridge, CO
- M.I.A. Beer Company Milk Stout Nitro, Doral, FL
- Cold Fashioned Coffee Cocktail
- Neapolitan Beer Flight
- Food:
- The Painter’s Palate (World Showplace)
- Food:
- Prime Steak Tartare with Pickled Vegetables, Parsley Salad, Béarnaise Anglaise and Sous Vide Quail Egg (New)
- Salt-roasted Beet Tartare with Pickled Vegetables, Parsley Salad and Béarnaise Aïoli (Plant-based) (New)
- Pistachio Cake with Cherry Mousse and Morello Cherries (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Green) (New)
- Beverages:
- Kalimotxo: Red Wine Cocktail with Pibb Xtra (New)
- Frozen Rusty Nail Cocktail (New)
- Pinord La Dama Reserva Familiar Brut Rosé, Spain
- Food:
- Masterpiece Kitchen (Canada)
- Food:
- Wild Mushroom Risotto, Aged Parmesan, Truffle Shavings and Zinfandel Reduction
- Salmon and Cream Gâteau with Egg Yolk Cream, Paddlefish Caviar and Micro-Herbs
- Vanilla, Rose Water, and Pistachio Panna Cotta (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Pink)
- Beverages:
- Weihenstephaner Original Lager, Freising, Germany
- Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque Brut Champagne
- The Meeker Vineyard Winemakers’ Handprint Merlot, Sonoma County, CA
- Pinord La Dama Reserva Familiar Brut, Spain
- Classic Sidecar with a Chocolate Twist
- Food:
- L’Art de la Cuisine Française (France)
- Food:
- Crème de Brie en Petit Pain: Warm Creamy Brie in a House-made Bread Bowl
- Croissant à la Truffle Noir d’Hiver: Black Winter Truffle Croissant (New)
- Moelleux à la Framboise et aux Chocolats Valrhona: Molten Chocolate and Raspberry Cake with Pure Origin Valrhona Chocolates (New)
- Trio de Macarons: Assortment of Three House-made Macarons in a Gift Box
- Beverages:
- Frozen French Martini: Grey Goose, Vodka, Chambord Liqueur, Pineapple, Orange, and Grape Juice with Lemon-Lime Foam
- Charles Lafite, Brut Méthode Traditionnelle Champenoise, French Sparkling Wine
- Château La Gordonne, Vérité du Terroir, Côtes de Provence Rosé (New)
- Bordeaux Merlot and Cabernet Blend, Baron des Chartrons, 2015 (New)
- Food:
- El Artista Hambriento (Mexico)
- Food:
- Chile Relleno: Fried Poblano Pepper filled with Flank Steak, Black Beans and Tomatoes drizzled with a Poblano Cream Sauce (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (New)
- Pork Belly Pastor: Pastor-marinated Pork Belly atop Boniato Purée with Charred Pineapple and Crispy Cilantro (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (New)
- Taco de Chocolate: Chocolate Candy Shell filled with Mexican Chocolate Mousse with a touch of Chile topped with Tropical Fruit (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (New)
- Beverages:
- Mexican Craft Beer: Tulum Artisanal Lager crafted with Citrus notes and made with Mexican Caribbean Seawater
- Diego Pomegranate Margarita: Ojo de Tigre Mezcal, Pomegranate-Prickly Pear Juice, Blackcurrant Liqueur and Rose Petal Liqueur with a Hibiscus Salt Rim
- Frida Carrot Margarita: Casa Noble Blanco Tequila, Carrot Juice, Ginger Cordial, Lime Juice and Agave Nectar
- Food:
- Goshiki (Japan)
- Food:
- Stone Garden: Red Bean Mousse with Chocolate Rocks and Arare Rice Cracker Pebbles (New)
- Sushi Donut: Donut-shaped Sushi featuring Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp, Cucumber and Sesame Seed over a decorated plate of Wasabi Aïoli, Sriracha and Eel Sauce
- Vegetable Gyoza: Vegetable-filled Spinach Gyoza with Tofu atop Mashed Potatoes with a Kamaboko Fish Cake, Pepper Strings and Tonkatsu Teriyaki Sauce
- Beverages:
- Haiku Draft Lager (New)
- Masu Sake in a Traditional Personalized Wooden Cup
- Pink Snow: Sake, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry Juice and Calpico dusted with Snowflake Confetti (New)
- Food:
- The Painted Panda (China)
- Food:
- Old Shanghai Shi Zi Tou: Pork and Water Chestnut Meatballs served with Taro Root (New)
- Sichuan Red Hot Mala Shrimp (New)
- Beverages:
- “Panda” Bubble Tea: Classic Milk Tea with Black and White Boba Pearls (nonalcoholic)
- Jasmine Draft Beer
- Fortune Cookie: ByeJoe Spirit, Amaretto and Piña Colada Mix
- Kung Fu Punch: Vodka and Triple Sec
- Sea Butterfly: Butterfly Pea Flower infused Cocktail with Lychee Syrup, Vodka, Light Rum and Magic Boba Pearls
- Food:
- L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy)
- Food:
- Arancini: Sweet Sausage fried Risotto Balls with Pomodoro Sauce (New)
- L’Aragosta: Lobster Ravioli with Vanilla-Saffron Cream Sauce and Shredded Chili Peppers (New)
- Bomboloni: Cream-filled Italian Doughnut with Raspberry Sauce and Powdered Sugar (New)
- Beverages:
Peroni Pilsner- Pinot Grigio
- Chianti
- Prosecco
- Rosa Regale
- Moscato
- Italian White Sangria with Prosecco
- Italian Red Sangria with Cabernet Sauvignon
- Italian Margarita with Tequila and Limoncello
- Amaretto Bellini: Amaretto, White Peach Purée, and Prosecco
- Bergamotto: Italicus Rosolio Di Bergamotto, Prosecco and Cerignola
- Food:
- Funnel Cake (The American Adventure)
- Red Velvet Funnel Cake topped with Cream Cheese Icing and Pixie Dust (New)
- Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
- Showcase Plaza – Caramel Canvas Latte: Artisan Latte with Peanut Butter Syrup, Caramel and Dark Chocolate Sauce topped with SNICKERS Original Candy Pieces paired with a doughnut
- The American Adventure – Color-Me-Latte: Made for a true artiste with Espresso, Swiss Chocolate Syrup and Dark Chocolate Sauce sprinkled with M&M’s Candies paired with a doughnut
- Future World East – Starry Night Latte: Paint the sky with this Espresso beverage with Dulce de Leche, White Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Sauce topped with MILKY WAY Bar Pieces paired with a doughnut
- Canada – Creative Twist Latte: Stretch your imagination with this Latte with Brown Butter Toffee Syrup and Swiss Chocolate Syrup topped with TWIX Bar Pieces paired with a doughnut
For the Kids
An absolute favorite for my kids is the Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt. A lot like of scavenger hunts, you purchase a map for $7.99 and you get a map of the locations and stickers. You have to match the correct sticker of a painting to the correct location. You have to search in each location for a piece of art work to properly match everything. Once completed you can turn it back in and claim your prize. This keep my kids walking and searching in the countries while Mom and Dad could drink!
Epcot is a favorite for this Mousekemom and a must do on everytrip!
Contact our favorite Agents at Kingdom and Cruise to experience Epcot’s Festivals!