Walt Disney World has revealed dining package details and dates for the 2024 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, as well as the full food booth lineup and a sneak peek at new Figment merchandise! This post covers everything we know about our favorite event of the year, plus preliminary crowd predictions for January and February 2024 and speculation about the status of CommuniCore Hall.
For those unfamiliar with it, the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is a global celebration of the visual, culinary, and performing arts. It’s technically the newest special event of the year at Walt Disney World, even though 2024 is its 8th year! After flying under the radar for a while, EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts has finally come into its own in the last couple of years–fueled largely by Figment.
Nevertheless, the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts remains a really short event. It’ll run from January 12 through February 19, 2024, making it about on par with Festival of the Holidays and significantly shorter than Flower & Garden or Food & Wine–by a measure of months. It also occurs during what we think is one of the best times of the year at Walt Disney World, but more on that in a bit in the crowd commentary. For now, let’s start with all the new details Walt Disney World has released…
2024 Disney on Broadway Concert Series
Some of Broadway’s brightest stars are coming to Walt Disney World as the Disney on Broadway Concert Series returns for the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts with three daily shows. For the first time in forever, two original leading ladies from a certain icy kingdom will perform together on the America Gardens Theatre stage.
Performing songs from many of your favorite Disney shows, these stars never fail to inspire. Here’s the full lineup for the Disney on Broadway Concert Series at the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts:
- Caissie Levy and Patti Murin (“Frozen”): Jan. 12, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23
- Heidi Blickenstaff (“Freaky Friday” and “The Little Mermaid”) and Gavin Lee (“Mary Poppins” and “Beauty and the Beast”): Jan. 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24
- Ashley Brown (“Mary Poppins” and “Beauty and the Beast”) and L. Steven Taylor (“The Lion King”): Jan. 26, 28 and 29; Feb. 1, 3, 5 and 6
- Kissy Simmons (“The Lion King”) and Josh Strickland (“Tarzan”): Jan. 27, 30, 31; Feb. 2, 4, 7 and 8
- Mandy Gonzalez (“Aida”) and Michael James Scott (“Aladdin” and “Tarzan”): Feb. 9, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19
- Bradley Gibson (“Hercules” and “The Lion King”) and Shoba Narayan (“Aladdin”): Feb. 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19
Showcase Plaza is also home to a kaleidoscope of performances daily, where you’ll find musicians, live painting and the thrilling acrobatic feats of Art Defying Gravity.
2024 Disney on Broadway Dining Packages
Choose from 8 unique eateries at EPCOT offering 2024 Disney on Broadway Concert Series Dining Packages. Here’s what’s included with your meal:
- At Spice Road Table: 2 small plates, a shared tagine, a shared dessert platter and a nonalcoholic beverage
- At Other Participating Restaurants: An appetizer, entrée and dessert—or one full buffet/family-style meal (where applicable)—as well as a nonalcoholic beverage
The prices listed below do not include tax or gratuity.
| Adult (ages 10 and up) |
Child (ages 3 to 9) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Norway Pavilion Breakfast Lunch / Dinner |
$66 $78 |
$42 $50 |
| Biergarten Restaurant Germany Pavilion |
$60 | $34 |
| Coral Reef Restaurant The Living Seas |
$73 | $29 |
| Garden Grill Restaurant The Land Pavilion Breakfast Lunch / Dinner |
$58 $73 |
$37 $47 |
| Le Cellier Steakhouse Canada Pavilion |
$99 | $39 |
| Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue (same-day dining packages only) American Adventure Pavilion |
$36 | |
| Rose & Crown Dining Room United Kingdom Pavilion |
$61 | $26 |
| Spice Road Table Morocco Pavilion |
$50 | $21 |
The 2024 Disney on Broadway Concert Series Dining Packages can be booked online beginning December 19, 2023. Advance Dining Reservations are highly recommended (by Disney).
We typically do NOT recommend these. (The extended finale is the only exception–it’s difficult to discern in the schedule above, but there are double the performers on February 19, 2024). We’ve seen Disney on Broadway concerts countless times and never once had an issue getting seats. I guess if you absolutely need a prime view, it’s not a bad option–but it strikes us as a waste of money. To each their own, though.
2024 Food Studio Booth Lineup
More than 15 Food Studios throughout EPCOT blend touches of delectable flavors with an artistic twist – including tempting new dishes and drinks to savor. After debuting last year, Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food and Little Sparks of Magic (phew) will also be returning to the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts!
Here’s the full list of Food Studios for the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts:
The Artist’s Table (American Adventure Pavilion)
Treat your senses to artistically elevated comfort foods—like dumplings, hummingbird cake and more. Pair your dish with beer or a glass of wine.
Cuisine Classique (Near Test Track) – NEW! (Actually, returning)
Enjoy carefully crafted classics, like beef Wellington and roasted mussels—as well as a flavorful beer or cocktail.
The Craftsman’s Courtyard (Near Disney Traders)
Indulge your appetite when you order steak or pork belly sandwiches from the grill.
Deco Delights (Near Port of Entry)
Satisfy your sweet tooth with sleek desserts inspired by the art deco era— from the gilded glamour of the roaring 1920’s to the bright pastels of Miami Beach.
The Deconstructed Dish (Near Port of Entry)
Rediscover your favorite dishes fragmented and presented in a playful way—like a BLT and key lime pie.
El Artista Hambriento (Mexico Pavilion)
A fiesta of flavor awaits! Delight in classic Mexican fare—from savory carne asada to chilled lobster with chipotle aïoli.
Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food and Little Sparks of Magic
Sweeten your day with colorful treats, like rainbow cake or a sugar cookie with a fun twist. You’ll also find a variety of beers and hard ciders.
Goshiki (Japan Pavilion)
Celebrate the Japanese culinary arts with delectable dishes featuring “the 5 colors” of Japanese cuisine. Highlights include sushi donuts, daifuku mochi and sake.
Gourmet Landscapes (Canada)
Savor stunning dishes artfully composed with the finest ingredients that have been farmed and foraged from the land. Enjoy wild mushroom risotto, roasted bone marrow and more.
L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise (France Pavilion)
Discover delicious French treats and baked goods, from savory to sweet—including salmon served hot or cold and warm brie in a bread bowl. Pair your dish with a French wine or frozen martini.
L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy Pavilion)
Indulge in Baroque cuisine, prepared with rich color and dramatic flavor. This food studio serves up fried mozzarella, pasta and more.
The Painted Panda (China Pavilion)
Enjoy decorative cuisine inspired by magnificent Chinese art, like General Tso’s chicken shumai or the char siu pork bun. Plus, sip bubble tea, Chinese-inspired cocktails and other refreshing beverages.
Pastoral Palate (Germany Pavilion)
Help yourself to hearty dishes inspired by the rustic settings where Bavarian Folk Art is painted. Indulge in a red wine-braised beef short rib and black forest cake.
Pop Eats (Near Port of Entry)
Delight in mouthwatering masterpieces inspired by the most captivating pop art of the 20th century. Highlights include tomato soup with grilled cheese.
Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco Pavilion)
Take your taste buds on a Moroccan adventure as you enjoy delectable dishes like grilled kebabs, stoned-baked Moroccan bread and more. Pair your dish with hard cider or the chai tea mint mimosa.
Vibrante & Vívido: Encanto Cocina (Between Morocco & France)
Feast on authentic Colombian cuisine inspired by the Disney animated film Encanto—like an empanada with chorizo or mango cheesecake.
Additional Locations
Delight your appetite with mouthwatering morsels, nibbles and noshes from these year-round food stops—each offering special menu items in addition to the regular menu.
- Refreshment Port (near Canada): Serving poutine, the Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie and refreshing beverages
- Refreshment Outpost: Serving delicious beers from breweries in Louisiana, Florida and New York
- Funnel Cake: Serving a specialty funnel cake
- Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company (all 4 in-park locations): Serving a unique art-inspired beverage at each location
- Swirled Showcase: Serving soft-serve ice cream in a dish or waffle cone
Expect full menus for the Food Studios at the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts to be released sometime in December.
If you’re up for a delicious challenge, don’t miss the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine. This fun food stroll highlights yummy sweet and savory offerings in all the colors of the rainbow. Your handy Festival Passport will show where to make your picturesque purchases and receive stamps in your passport. Once you’ve collected five stamps, bring your passport to Deco Delights Food Studio to receive a complimentary surprise.
The Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine can be completed at your leisure – so you can enjoy a new treat every time you visit throughout the festival.
Interactive Arts at EPCOT
Want to get in on the art yourself? You’re in luck, as the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts offers oodles of opportunities to engage in the creative process.
At Animation Academy–held daily at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. in America Gardens Theatre–learn drawing skills from some of the best in the business as they teach you how to draw a Disney character. At Expression Section: A Paint by Numbers Mural, join fellow artists to leave your creative mark on a larger-than-life wall mural.
Kid’s Chalk Art takes place on the bridge to World Showcase Plaza daily from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. allowing little ones to create their very own chalk masterpieces. And what would a visit to the festival be without artful photo ops? From Botticelli to Renoir, these life-size tableaus beckon you to become part of the painting.
PhotoPass will also offer limited-time Magic Shots created for the colorful celebration.
2024 EPCOT Festival of Arts Merchandise
Figment will once again take center stage as the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts celebrates all things imagination! This lovable ambassador of whimsy is featured on festival merch, ranging from household items and décor to apparel and trading items.
If I’m being honest, I don’t know if there’s any Spirit Jersey design I’d conceivably buy. Between the exorbitant prices and style, I’m just not a fan. But if I were going to buy one, this Figment Spirit Jersey is pretty close to my optimal design. Swap out the text (big Home Goods sign vibes on that) for a simple “Figment” in his iconic sweater font, and I’m on board. I love the character graphics.
I’m also a big fan of this coffee mug.
Simple yet colorful and whimsical. This is Figment merchandise done right. Not over the top or garish–just right. Since I love this, I’m guessing it won’t be dishwasher safe, making it a nonstarter for us since we don’t live in the 1930s. (C’mon Disney, even Carousel of Progress has a dishwasher midway through the 20th century!)
If you’re looking for a convenient way to pay, there will be mini festival-themed Disney Gift Cards. Load it with as little as $15 and wear it on your wrist for quick and easy scanning when you purchase all your festival delights.
Kids of all ages will want to engage in Figment’s Brush with the Master’s Scavenger Hunt. On this journey throughout World Showcase, you’ll help Figment learn all about art. To get started, purchase your map and stickers at Creations Shop, Port of Entry, or World Traveler. Then, search for Figment hiding inside art inspired by famous works at each World Showcase pavilion—just look for the Figment-themed picture frame.
Every time you find Figment, add the corresponding sticker to the pavilion on your map. Once your journey is complete, return your map to Disney Traders or World Traveler for an artful little keepsake.
2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts Crowds & Commentary
Let’s start with a “bold” prediction: CommuniCore Hall won’t be ready for the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts. I know that Walt Disney World has claimed that the EPCOT overhaul will wrap up at the end of this year, but they’ve also been careful with how they’ve worded the World Celebration updates.
Based on that verbiage, seeing the glacial pace of progress, and it being absent from the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts announcement, my guess is that CommuniCore Hall won’t be ready until Flower & Garden. Disney will hang the “mission accomplished” banner on the EPCOT overhaul while CommuniCore Hall is still behind (progress!) walls.
Hopefully I’m wrong, but it seems like we’d be hearing about something–either Figment’s Inspiration Station or entertainment–occurring at CommuniCore. Instead, the former is at the Odyssey again and the latter is in Showcase Plaza. Who knows, though, maybe CommuniCore will be done with everything else in December and those locations will change. I’m skeptical having watched work on CommuniCore, as construction is crawling.
Finally, festival crowds. These have been up and down in the last few years, but generally up. As a refresher, we’d just generally remind you that large swaths of winter are no longer the off-season at Walt Disney World, at least not in the same way they were in 2019 and earlier.
For January and February 2024, there are essentially two countervailing forces. The first is the conclusion of the overhaul, filling in of the Giant EPCOT Dirt Pit and debut of Luminous: Symphony of Us. That technically happens in December, but will still be “new” as of Winter 2024, especially as many locals will be blocked out until the new year.
The second is the exhaustion of pent-up demand. Crowds really started to drop off after Easter this year, and have been down year-over-year pretty consistently since then. The 2023 event was already slower than the 2022 event, and if that trend continues, the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts would be slower than last year.
I’m skeptical that’ll be the case. I think there’s actually going to be a localized form of pent-up demand for EPCOT among Floridians and fans who have avoided the park for the last 3+ years while it’s been a maze of construction walls. We’re already seeing that a bit with the Disney100 “celebration” (air quotes) and expect it to only get worse once the walls are down.
Not significantly so, as global pent-up demand for Walt Disney World is fizzling out, but a little bit. That’ll be doubly true if there’s a good ticket deal for Florida residents–and there probably will be. (Also, when it comes to all of this, we’re talking “feels like” crowds–attraction wait times probably won’t be too bad. Certainly better than this holiday season or peak tourist times.)
When it comes to crowd levels as measured by wait times, we’d expect that January 8, 2024 through February 15, 2024 will be among the least busy dates of the year (minus the MLK holiday weekend) at Walt Disney World as a whole. All bets are off starting February 16, though.
In fact, our list of the 10 Best and 10 Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2024 & 2025 has two different sets of Winter 2024 dates on the ‘best’ list and one set on the ‘worst’ list–starting February 16, 2024. (Unfortunately, the latter of the two ‘best’ weeks is after EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts ends; choose the earlier one if you want to experience this exceptional event!)
To be sure, that good month-plus window won’t be “dead” or off-season by the standards of 5 years ago, but it should be the best time to visit since mid-August through September of this year. Just keep in mind that contemporary crowds are worse than historic ones–so if you’re one of the people who found this early fall to be “too crowded,” you will undoubtedly feel the same way about those Winter 2024 dates.
Ultimately, we recommend planning a winter Walt Disney World trip during that date range and around the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts. So long as you stay away until after Marathon Weekend wraps up and avoid the two holiday weekends, you should be in pretty good shape. EPCOT will definitely feel busier as locals pack the park, but most of them don’t do rides, so the wait times tend to be manageable. They also arrive late, so taking advantage of Early Entry or rope drop can be hugely advantageous.
Beyond the crowds, the weather tends to be fantastic, there’s a more laid back vibe to the parks, and it can be enjoyable even if attendance is elevated. There are so many good reasons to visit in January and February that we’d recommend strategically picking one of the better weeks (see our January 2024 Crowd Calendar or February 2024 Crowd Calendar) and going. Regardless of what happens with wait times and crowd levels, it’ll be a good time. We cannot wait to get back and experience the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts again!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you attended the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts in the last few years? What was your experience with crowds or lines for anything other than Figment popcorn buckets? Are you excited to experience the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts or will you be sitting this one out? Excited that Figment’s Inspiration Station is returning? What about the Figment-centric merchandise? Think that CommuniCore Hall actually will open, and the demonstrations or seminars will return? Any tips you want to share to make the most of the experience? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!