My two favorite things about this festival are the Disney on Broadway performances and the amazing Disney artwork that is for sale. I usually visit the festival multiple times so that I can see different Broadway performers. I also plan a spending budget to pick up some new, small artwork to add to my collection.

Unfortunately, this year there are no Disney on Broadway performances. Instead, in the American Gardens Theater you can take an animation class, hear Mariachi Cobre, or the Voices of Liberty singing the Disney Songbook. While these are all fine, at a time when Broadway has been closed for 9 months, I really would have rather heard Broadway performers performing hits for their shows.

Ron and I visited the festival on Friday, January 15, 2021. We arrived within minutes of park open and crowds were very light. The longest wait we had all day was 16 minutes for Soarin’. Frozen Ever After was posted at 15 minutes but the actual wait was 10 minutes!

After our visit to The Land Pavilion we went to get in line for the Expression Section: A Paint By Number Mural on that day we were finishing a piece by Disney Imagineer Jessica Hillis. We each received our paint and sponge brush and then were assigned an area to paint in. We were told to paint 7 squares, which we did.

Later we wandered around World Showcase enjoying all the artist’s booths as we went. I purchased some of the postcard reproductions of art from Sam Carter, Joey Chou, and Jerrod Maruyama, I have several pieces of his. I also purchased a few pieces for gifts for some of my best Disney friends who aren’t able to make the festival this year.

When we were in World Showplace, I spent a lot of time admiring the work of Dave Avanzino. There are a few of his pieces I want, I just need to save up the money!

We didn’t stick around for the Voices of Liberty concert because it would have been a 2 hour wait. Instead, at 3pm, we park hopped (yay!) to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where we enjoyed our afternoon and evening.

If you are a lover of Disney Art, the Taste of the Epcot International Festival of the Arts is still worth the trip. If you come for the Broadway concerts, I’d say wait til next year. Of course, I am always available to help you book your next Walt Disney World vacation just Email me and we will get started!

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Disney on Broadway Concert Series

The popular Disney on BroadwayConcert Series returns to America Gardens Theatre with three daily performances headlined by Broadway stars who reprise favorite songs from past performances in award-winning shows. This year’s talent-rich lineup includes Kissy Simmons, who starred as Nala in “The Lion King,” and Kevin Massey of “Tarzan.” The show-stopping schedule currently features:

• 17, 20, 21, 24 and 25 – Kissy Simmons and Alton Fitzgerald White (“The Lion King”)
• 18, 19, 22, 23 and 25 – Heidi Blickenstaff (“The Little Mermaid”; “Freaky Friday”) and Gavin Lee (“Mary Poppins”)
• 25 – Special performance featuring Simmons, White, Blickenstaff and Lee
• 26, 28, 29; Feb. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9 – Kara Lindsay (“Newsies”) and Kevin Massey (“Tarzan”)
• 10, 12, 13, 18, 19, 22, 23 and 24 – Ashley Brown (“Mary Poppins”; “Beauty and the Beast”) and Josh Strickland (Tarzan)
• Additional January and February performances still to be announced.

All shows are included with theme park admission. The best way to experience a performance is by reserving aDisney on BroadwayDining Package, which guarantees seating for one show on the day of the dining experience. Packages are available to book starting Nov. 14, 2019, at participating Epcot restaurants; guests can visit ArtfulEpcot.com or contact their certified Disney travel agent (me) to handle the planning for them.

Food Studios at Epcot International Festival of the Arts

Twelve festival Food Studios plus additional food and beverage locations will take culinary arts to the next level with scrumptious, imaginative dishes – artistically sculpted and ready for camera closeups.

Yes, this may be my favorite festival because I am all about the arts. I’ve been on stage since I was 5 acting in plays and musicals, dancing in recitals, singing wherever I can, playing in bands and now teaching and directing whenever I have the opportunity as well. The Arts are integral to the lives of every human being and the Epcot International Festival of the Arts celebrates it all.

Still not sure about visiting? Check out my Top 5 Must-Dos at the festival. Now is the time to plan your Disney vacation, Email me, my services are FREE to you!

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Disney on Broadway Concert Series

New this year, the Disney on Broadway Concert Series expands to seven days a week during the festival, providing more opportunities than ever before to bask in live Disney magic. Each week, different pairs of Disney on Broadway stars will take the America Gardens Theatre stage to sing favorite songs from award-winning Disney on Broadway productions. The lineup will rotate regularly, featuring music from shows such as “The Lion King,” “Frozen” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Performers this year include:

Kerry Butler (“Beauty and the Beast”) and Kevin Massey (“Tarzan”)
Meredith Inglesby (“The Little Mermaid”) and Steve Blanchard (“Beauty and the Beast”)
Arielle Jacobs and Adam Jacobs (“Aladdin”)
Heidi Blickenstaff (“Freaky Friday”) and Gavin Lee (“Mary Poppins”)
Ashley Brown (“Mary Poppins”) and Josh Strickland (“Tarzan”)
Kissy Simmons and Alton Fitzgerald White (“The Lion King”)
The concert series is included with park admission; showtimes are 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m. nightly. The Disney on Broadway Concert Series Dining Package is available at participating Epcot restaurants and guarantees show seating; package bookings open Nov. 8, 2018, at Disneyworld.com. Reservations can also be made by calling (407) WDW-DINE.

Culinary Arts

In addition to the concert series, the Epcot International Festival of the Arts will feature 13 Food Studios, plus additional creative food and beverage offerings around Epcot with an expanded selection of delicious new tastes to savor:

The Artist’s Table will feature beef wellington with mushroom bordelaise, fennel cream and roasted baby vegetables.
Smoked salmon and cream gâteau with egg yolk cream, paddlefish caviar and micro-herbs is sure to be a new favorite at The Painter’s Palate.
Pop Eats! will serve up almond frangipane cake with raspberry and chocolate
Red wine-braised short rib with parsnip purée, broccolini, baby tomatoes and aged balsamic will be available at Cuisine Classique.
Guests may fan their inspirational flames by bringing a piece of the festival home with them. Art collectors and Disney enthusiasts alike will find artwork for sale throughout the entire park, from the Art of Disney store to Festival Markets. In addition, special merchandise will be available at Mouse Gear and other Epcot locations featuring the festival’s logo adorning shirts, mugs, totes and other charming items.

Create Art

The 2019 event provides fun every day for the whole family, including mesmerizing performance art, complimentary seminars, hands-on activities and much more:

Everyone’s invited to grab a paintbrush and help create a wall mural along World Showcase Plaza.
Guests of all ages will have the opportunity to literally step inside works of art and take fun photos, such as the “Washington Crossing the Delaware” Artful Photo Opportunity.
The Paint with a Disney Artist program invites guests to learn under the tutelage of a professional (offered select Fridays and Sundays, including continental breakfast, for an additional fee).
A variety of workshops led by professionals will teach different artistic techniques, such as floral design, ink and paint, mixed-media art and more (offered Friday-Monday for an additional fee). As a memento of what they learned, guests will take their creations home with them.
Complimentary 30-minute seminars will give guests helpful instruction for producing their own artwork at home.
More than 50 visiting artists participating in the festival will be available to meet with guests and share insights on their work.
Disney artists’ work will be exhibited across Epcot.
Gravity-defying feats of strength, acrobatics and many performing artists are scheduled throughout the festival.
International musical and variety acts will share their talents with guests, including the return of Bodh’aktan to the Canada stage and Delta Q, a new group performing in Germany.
Guests can join in the fun of Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt by purchasing a map at select merchandise locations.
Details on workshop registration will be released soon. For more information on the 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Arts, visit DisneyWorld.com.

Still not sure? Last year I wrote The Top 5 Must-Dos at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, maybe it will get you excited to visit. If you are ready to plan your visit, it’s not too late. Email Me and we will get started. Remember, my services cost you nothing, I am here to serve you!

The post The 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Arts appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Combining visual, culinary and performing arts from around the world, the first-ever Epcot International Festival of the Arts will create a global masterpiece for six inspired weekends. Held Fridays through Mondays starting Jan. 13 – Feb. 20, 2017, the Festival will feature new art each week, making each weekend original. The festival is included with regular Epcot admission.

What You’ll See at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts

Visual Arts

From the pieces of Disney historical artist Mary Blair and Herb Ryman art of Epcot, to current Disney artists Joe Kaminski and Costa Alavezos, guests won’t only be surrounded by incredible visions, they’ll watch the creative process live.

Performing Arts

In the inaugural year of the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, a collaboration with Disney Theatrical will bring an exciting new showcase of favorite music and Broadway talent to the America Gardens Theatre stage.

Over the six weekends of the festival, park Guests will enjoy different pairings of phenomenal Broadway talent in concert, performing songs from some of Disney on Broadway’s award-winning shows, including ‪The Lion King‪, Newsies, and Aladdin, to name a few.

Culinary Arts

New Food Studios will showcase culinary creations so delicious and intricate, guests may not know if the menus are for admiring or eating. Disney chefs will surely encourage guests it’s the latter.

And there’s more: hands-on experiences for the whole family, favorite Disney characters channeling their favorite artists, and seminars. It’s a colorful, whimsical celebration of a new artful Epcot.

There is still time to plan your trip to the 2017 Epcot International Festival of the Arts, just Email Me to get started.

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