Hey y'all! Mary-Grace here coming at you LIVE from Epcot's second year of THE International Festival of the Arts. It is my absolute favorite festival at Epcot! And I'm going to give you the lowdown of why that is with my TOP 5 things to do while you're there...
TRY ALL THE FOODS:
So if you tune into my Instagram stories (@mgrivero) you'll know I'm a HUGE foodie! And I will never steer you wrong when it comes to trying yummy foods. Although she may be young, this festival is quickly catching on to the yummy and aesthetically pleasing trends of previous festivals with its ever delightful food selections. Every stand has a little something different to appeal to everyone. I'm a huge fan of savory dishes, so some of my personal favorites this year include the mushroom risotto, the trio of savory croissant doughnuts, and for all my 21+ friends make sure to try the pomegranate mule for a refreshing spin on this classic cocktail.
BE A PART OF HISTORY:
Did you ever paint by numbers as a kid? It was definitely one of my favorite things to do. Well guess what? You can do it all over again on a MUCH larger scale. One of the biggest features of the Festival of the Arts is the giant community mural. Head over to the stand right at the front of the world showcase, grab your brush, your color sample, and paint your squares on this big and beautiful mural. Then when you're done you get a postcard of a picture of what the mural will look like when it's complete!
MEET THE DESIGNERS OF YOUR DREAMS:
Have you ever wondered, How is it that every time you think of the Pirates of the Caribbean you instantly remember that certain smell or maybe you've thought "I wonder what the process is behind putting together an animated film" If you've ever asked yourself anything like this then you'll definitely want to check out the free seminars at The Odyssey. There are two seminars a day: one at 1:30 PM & the other at 4:30 PM. Each seminar is led by a Disney imagineer who talks about different artistic topics that range in subject, but are all relating to Disney. If you're anything like me and love to know a little bit about how things are created or what goes through the heads of the people responsible for the creation of that Walt Disney magic, then you should definitely make plans to attend!
WATCH THE WORLD CLASS ARTISTS AT WORK:
The arts are alive at the Festival of the Arts! And you are lucky enough to get a front row seat to witness the creative genius . All around the World Showcase there are stands with various art pieces and their creators are right there with them. The best part is that the artists are so friendly and are open to answering any questions you may have about them or their artwork. And if you purchase any of their pieces, they are there to sign them for you to REALLY make it a feature in your home. If you're really lucky, you might even spot some artists at work on another piece right there, too!
BECOME AN ANIMATOR:
Did you ever want to be a Disney artist, but never really thought you had the artistic chops to do so? Well, guess what? Your time to shine has come! If you were ever fortunate enough to experience the Animation Academy on either coast, then you'll be super excited to know that IT'S BACK at WDW for the festival! Intermittently throughout the day until roughly 5 PM, the Disney sketch artists are there to guide you in your drawing endeavors. There, you can learn to draw one of your favorite Disney characters just like the sketch artists do every day. And the best part? Once you're done, you can take your newfound skills and your new masterpiece home!
If any of these things intrigued you, then it is definitely worth making a stop by Epcot to experience the fun of the International Festival of the Arts! I hope you have the absolute time of your life, and are inspired to bring a little bit of the artistry and magic home with you!
Xoxo, MG
Hope you loved our first featured Blog and Blogger. A special thanks to Miss Mary- Grace for taking the time to explore Epcot's International Festival of The Arts and write up this blog to share with all our friends!
If you have an idea for a featured blog post please refer to the contact page on my website!
-Nicole Ashley