Last weekend we attended the Epcot International Festival of the Arts. When I was younger Epcot was definitely the park that I thought could be missed on a trip to Disney. Now, I think Epcot has some great family events that make it a must visit park. Whether you have a Disney pass or are just buying a ticket for the day, I think the International Festival of the Arts is a great day out for the family.

Here are ten things I recommend doing at the festival:

Performances

1. Attend one of the Disney on Broadway performances – This to be honest was the main reason that I attended the festival. I love Broadway and I think Disney musicals are a great way to introduce kids to Broadway. Each weekend at the festival they have different performers who performed in Disney shows on Broadway performing songs from a variety of Disney musicals.
2. Take in the Art Defying Gravity show – The Art Defying Gravity show takes place on the main stage in front of the park. Acrobats perform in a series of tricks that really do defy gravity.

Visual Art

1. Be part of a work of art – Sprinkled throughout the park are famous paintings that have cut-outs allowing you to become part of the painting. We became a part of Washington Crossing the Delaware.
2. View art work – There are vendors set up throughout the park showcasing their artwork. There are Disney paintings, photographs, jewelry, dyed cloths and more. The kids really like looking at the different type of art.
3. Paint on a wall – In the expression section there is a giant mural that you can paint a section of. You receive a number and you paint that section. The art work unfolds throughout the day as different people fill in different sections of the painting. You can return later in the day to see what was painted.
4. View chalk art – Watch as artists create amazing chalk art pieces on the ground in front of you.

Dining

1. Eat at one of the pop up restaurants – There are pop up restaurants in all of the countries in world showcase. We ate at one of the shops in Mexico and had an amazing chicken roulade and ceviche. The kids had freshly made pop tarts that looked like a work of art.
2. Buy a paint palette cookie – Kids and adults alike will love this giant chocolate chip cookie shaped like a paint palette. The cookie comes with three globs of icing that look like paint and a paint brush so you can paint the icing on.

Exploration

 

1. Get country stamps – Kids can get a free picture of a paint palette from one of Kidcot fun stops in world showcase. They can then decorate their palette and collect stamps from all the countries in the world showcase.
2. Do the Figment Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt – What do you get when you combine Figment with a Masterpiece? You get a fun time for kids as they search for figment around the park. You can purchase a map at Disney Traders and fill it in once you find all the locations. Trade it in at the end of your hunt for a prize. The cost is $6.99. You could also just hunt for the figment paintings on your own. If you do the kidcot stops, you will find a bunch of them.