What is the best time to visit Disney World? Any time there’s a festival at EPCOT.
You could visit Walt Disney World any time of year, but savvy travelers will want to strategically plan around four key events:Â EPCOT’s festivals.
The first one of 2023, EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, just started. Each one features unique experiences you won’t find at other times.
“That steak dish and that beer cheese soup at Canada for Food and Wine, you’ll only find it during Food and Wine. That Candlelight Processional entertainment, only time that you’re gonna see it is if you come during Festival the Holidays,” Dave Kesting, general manager of EPCOT Festivals, told USA TODAY. “So they all have similar components, but each one has a different star of the show.”
All of the experiences are included with the price of park admission. And there are only a few weeks of the year when there isn’t a festival going on. So guests who don’t time their trips accordingly miss out on the extra value for their tickets.
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How many festivals does Disney World have?
EPCOT hosts four festivals each year:
- EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
- EPCOT International Flower Garden Festival
- EPCOT International Food Wine Festival
- EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
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What are the dates?
The only 2023 dates announced so far are for EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, Jan. 13 through Feb. 20.
Last year, Flower  Garden ran March 2 through July 4, Food Wine ran July 14 through Nov. 19 and Festival of the Holidays ran Nov. 25 though Dec. 30.
What is Festival of the Arts at EPCOT?
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is a weeks-long celebration of visual, performing and culinary arts, featuring more than 100 Disney and visiting artists.
“This is one of the few times where you can meet some of those artists,” Kesting said, citing renowned artist and conservationist Wyland and “Beauty and the Beast” star Paige O’Hara as examples. “You know the voice of Belle is also an artist, and to meet the voice of Belle and have that person sign your artwork is on some people’s bucket list.”
Guests can also see take drawing lessons from Disney artists and see Broadway stars live in the festival’s popular Disney on Broadway concert series, among other activities.
“One of our most highly rated experiences during Festival of the Arts is the Expression Section, which is our paint-by-numbers art mural that evolves throughout the day and throughout the week as guests paint and actually get to contribute to that piece of art,” said Ric DeCicco, business relations manager for EPCOT Food Beverage.
Is EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Festival worth it?
For many fans, the answer is yes because EPCOT International Flower Garden Festival offers more than head-turning topiaries. There’s a butterfly house with live butterflies, there’s the Garden Rocks concert series, and there are Outdoor Kitchens that serve up snack-size garden-to-table cuisine. Â
“Next to each outdoor kitchen, our horticulture team plants the ingredients of that food that’s being made … You can actually see the ingredients that you will be eating,” Kesting said, noting that it’s inspired some guests to go home and grow their own plants. “The gardening bug bit them because they came for the food and were exposed to the gardens.”
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Is EPCOT Food and Wine free?
Entertainment experiences like Eat to the Beat concerts and other EPCOT International Food Wine Festival activities are free, but the actual food and drinks at its Global Marketplaces are not. Guests pay for those à la carte.
“We keep it small portions that are designed for share-ability … lower price points so people can explore,” Kesting said. “Just close your eyes and open your mind, and the world of culinary will come to life if you just allow yourself to try a few items that you may never thought you liked.”Â
Accommodations may be available for guests with dietary restrictions or food sensitivities.
“If they have a dietary need, they can let the cast know, and (the cast is) going to reach out to one of the chefs and one of our festival chefs will go through and make sure based off of the dietary needs if a dish is safe, if there’s anything they can have from those kiosks or if there’s a way we can make that dish for them safe, so they can at least have part of it,” said Chef Kevin Downing, executive chef of EPCOT Festivals.
How long is Festival of the Holidays at EPCOT?
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays runs about a month, traditionally from around Thanksgiving to nearly New Year’s. During the event, guests can learn how various cultures from around the world celebrate different holidays and try traditional foods ranging from yule logs to latkes.
Many guests make a point to visit EPCOT during the festival to catch its Candlelight Processional, in which celebrity narrators tell the Christmas story alongside a live chorus and orchestra. Last year’s narrators included Josh Gad, Mariska Hargitay, Simu Lu and Angela Bassett.
How much does a day at EPCOT cost?
Disney World recently increased prices to all of its theme parks except Disney’s Animal Kingdom. One-day, one park EPCOT tickets now range from $114 to $179 daily, depending on the time of year. The previous starting price was $109.
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