840: Our Full Review of EPCOT’s 2026 Festival of the Arts: What’s Worth It (and What Isn’t)

Main Street Magic - A Walt Disney World Podcast

Jeremy Stein

Disney Springs, Disney World, Citywalk, Magic Kingdom, Society & Culture, Universal Dining, Walt Disney World, Islands Of Adventure, Universal Studios, Universal Orlando, Disney Resorts, Disney, Hollywood Studios, Places & Travel, Walt Disney, Disney Dining, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Wdw, Kids & Family

4.6 • 783 Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2026

⏱️ 122 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We’re sharing our full review of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, one of our favorite and most creative festivals of the year. Running from January 16 through February 23, 2026, this festival blends food, visual art, and live entertainment in a way only EPCOT can — and we’re breaking down everything you need to know before you go. We start with the basics, including when to visit, how long to plan for, and why this is one festival that truly benefits from multiple days. We also share practical tips like where to stay for easy access (hello, BoardWalk and Skyliner resorts), why weekends can be especially crowded, and how being comfortable, budgeting ahead, and sharing dishes can seriously improve your experience. From there, we dive into the heart of the festival — the visual art and galleries, interactive elements, and live entertainment offerings. We talk about the Once Upon a Stage: The Magic of Disney on Broadway exhibit and the Disney on Broadway Concert Series at the America Gardens Theatre, featuring show-stopping performances and Broadway talent like Adam Jacobs and Isabelle McCalla. Of course, no Festival of the Arts review would be complete without food. We cover the food studios, festival merchandise, and the always-fun Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine, including how it works, whether it’s worth doing, and tips for completing it at your own pace. If you’re wondering whether Festival of the Arts is worth a dedicated visit — or how to tackle it the right way — this episode has you covered.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	In this episode, we're sharing our full review of the Epcot International Festival of the Arts,
0:04.5	breaking down the food studios, drinks, art, and entertainment.
0:07.9	Today's January 23rd, 2026, and this is episode 840 of the Main Street Magic podcast.
0:14.7	Jeremy and Rhonda are more than a little fond of Disney World,
0:18.8	so they made this podcast to share it all with you
0:21.9	Reports and resorts
0:24.5	Top 10 lists of all sorts
0:26.6	Main Street Magic's bringing it home for you
0:32.1	Hello and welcome to another episode of Main Street Magic
0:34.7	I'm your host Jeremy Stein and as always I'm joined by my lovely wife Hey, guys. If you want to be part of the community and join the conversation, get the latest theme park news, as well as live streams from the parks and resorts, head to Facebook and search for the Main Street Magic community and ask to join. Make sure you check us out on the web at Mainstimagic.com as well as follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at Maine STMagic and on TikTok at MSM podcast.
0:59.7	Planning a trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World can be overwhelming and at times just downright frustrating.
1:04.9	But don't worry because mouse dining removes the frustration of booking Disney dining reservations,
1:09.5	alerting you when they spot availability for your
1:11.3	desired restaurant, date, meal, and time.
1:14.5	Visit MSMFriends.com to use this free service.
1:18.2	And don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you can get brand new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
1:23.0	Are you ready for your bucket list trip?
1:24.7	Our trusted partner, MEI Travel, will handle the planning so you can focus on the memories.
1:29.1	They offer free vacation planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating memorable vacations.
1:35.1	Visit Mainstmagic.com forward slash travel for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.
1:41.8	Hello, everyone.
1:43.0	I hope everyone is staying nice and warm for these colder days.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jeremy Stein, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jeremy Stein and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.