Disney in a Minute: What Is an EPCOT Festival?

EPCOT Festivals comprise a series of four seasonal events held throughout the year at Disney World. Each Festival has its own theme, but some components are common to all. You’ll find pop-up food booths, special entertainment, themed merchandise, scavenger hunts, and interactive exhibits no matter which Festival you’re attending. Here’s a quick rundown of each Festival and its focus, in order of their debut. See the linked guides for more details about offerings unique to each Festival.

Flower & Garden (Spring)

The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival runs from early or mid-March to sometime in June. The first of the festivals, it debuted in 1994. The topiaries sculpted to look like your favorite Disney characters are amazing (and a personal favorite), while the flower gardens throughout EPCOT are designed to showcase incredible vibrancy and beauty.

• Theme: Gardens everywhere! Look for topiaries and themed gardens.
• Food booths are called: Outdoor Kitchens
• Food Stroll: Garden Graze (focus on plant-based dishes)
• Scavenger Hunt: Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration Scavenger Hunt, The Egg-Stravaganza Hunt
• America Gardens Theater hosts: Garden Rocks Concert Series
• Our guide: Guide to the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival

In the summer, there’s no EPCOT Festival; Flower & Garden ends in June, and the next Festival doesn’t begin until late August. This period is sometimes referred to as “diet EPCOT”.

Food & Wine (Fall)

When Flower & Garden proved itself to be a big success, Disney – always quick to capitalize on successful ventures – moved the Walt Disney World Village Wine Festival from Disney Springs (then called Walt Disney World Village) to EPCOT. The newly renamed EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival began in 1996. This festival became so popular that it runs longer than any other, from late August to mid-November. It’s a treat for the senses, but mostly the tastebuds! Dozens of food booths offer small plates (at a price!) from around the world.

• Theme: Global Cuisine
• Food booths are called: Global Marketplaces
• Food Stroll: Emil’s Fromage Montage (cheese-focused)
• Scavenger Hunt: Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak, Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit
• America Gardens Theater hosts: Eat to the Beat Concert Series
• Our guide: Guide to the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

Festival of the Holidays (December)

Later in 1996, Disney premiered what was then called the Holidays Around the World celebration. Now called the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, this festival offers the chance to learn about different holiday traditions and meet figures like Father Christmas, Père Noël, and more. Another main attraction is the Candlelight Processional, a reading of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator, accompanied by a full choir and orchestra.

• Theme: Holidays around the world
• Food booths are called: Holiday Kitchens
• Food Stroll: Cookie Stroll (cookie-focused)
• Scavenger Hunt: Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition
• America Gardens Theater hosts: Candlelight Processional
• Our guide: Guide to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

Festival of the Arts (Winter)

The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts takes place mid-January to mid-March. The newest of the festivals, its theme is a celebration of the visual, culinary and performing arts. Throughout EPCOT you’ll find chalk drawings, places to pose inside famous paintings, even artwork you can help to complete. And of course, spectacular works of culinary art you can taste!

• Theme: The Arts
• Food booths are called: Food Studios
• Food Stroll: Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine (colorful-food focused)
• Scavenger Hunt: Figment’s Brush With the Masters Scavenger Hunt
• America Gardens Theater hosts: Disney on Broadway Concerts
• Our guide: Guide to the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts

Here are a couple of things to know when you plan to attend a festival.  Grab a free Festival Passport when you enter the park to help plan your day. Know that weekends tend to be very crowded. And mentally prepare for your pocketbook to take a hit as you sample the delicious booth offerings around the festival. (Portions are small, prices are not, so think about sharing!) All that said, EPCOT’s festivals truly add extra Disney magic to your time in the park. They’re a terrific reason to visit!

Disney in a Minute is a series of short posts designed to help you better understand a Disney term or planning topic. Do you have a Disney term that you think needs a little more explanation? Let us know in the comments!