International Festival of the Arts - EPCOT
Walt Disney World's International Festival of the Arts is being celebrated until February 21st, 2022 at EPCOT! Epcot has always been my favorite park (even before I could drink!) because of the amazing culture in each country and the delicious food options.
Festival of the Arts is very special for well... the art! I have been four times to this festival and still can't wait to go back and see more. They have artists displaying and selling their Disney art pieces, and some artists will paint and draw on the spot.
With the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, there is free nightly entertainment in the American Pavilion. This is great for date night or the entire family- with Disney performers from musicals like "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," and "Frozen" to name a few.
In addition to the art and live entertainment, Disney has also added 18 more booths with varying food and drink options- all inspired by the arts. Disney does such a great job offering something for everyone- including meats, veggies, desserts, cocktails, mocktails, wine, beer, and more throughout the entire park.
As a vegan, I love that they feature a plant emoji next to each item in the festival passport that signifies if something is made without animal meat, dairy, egg, and honey. They also do this for Gluten/Wheat friendly options!
This Festival there are only three vegan options- but they still have the regular EPCOT food offerings in each country. My absolute favorite was the Blood Orange-braised Beet Carpaccio from Gourmet Landscapes. With mustard vinaigrette, pickled clamshell mushrooms, golden beets, crostini, and plant based cheese- this one I have ordered multiple times now.
In Morocco I tried the Carrots Three Ways- barbere-spiced grilled carrots, pickled carrots, and carrot ginger puree. I loved the puree the most, and this was a nice and light option at under $5.
The Plant-based Bratwurst at the Refreshment Outpost is not a new item for Epcot, but it is probably my all time favorite. With spicy turmeric aioli, coffee barbecue jackfruit, and slaw- this is the most filling vegan option available during Festival of the Arts.
Special shout out to Disney for their new nighttime firework show- which I loved even more than the previous Illuminations. The only thing I could critique is that you have to see the visuals on the lake to truly enjoy the show. The best viewing spot is directly in the front of the park right as you enter the countries, where Illuminations was perfectly viewed from anywhere in the countries.
Have you checked out Festival of the Arts for 2022? What was your favorite part?