WDW Daily News

Are you ready for a fresh start in 2021? You can grab a paintbrush and indulge their artistic side (and their palate … and maybe their palette) with an inspiring visit to the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, running Jan. 8 – Feb. 22, 2021, at Walt Disney World Resort.

This global celebration mixes visual, culinary and performing arts from around the world into an entertaining blend that’s fun for the entire family. More than 100 Disney and visiting artists will display their work, and guests can show off their own talents by participating in interactive experiences such as a larger-than-life paint-by-number mural or learning to draw some of their favorite Disney characters. Guests can also step into famous works of art, thanks to artful photo ops.

Guests can also discover dishes to feast on with delicious Disney twists and art-inspired menus. And, of course, no visit is complete without finding the perfect piece of artwork or Festival merchandise to bring home.

New in 2021

Voices of Liberty will take centerstage at America Gardens Theatre with a brand-new showcase – The Disney Songbook. From “When You Wish Upon a Star” to “Let It Go,” the ensemble will perform Disney songs and celebrate the artistry of Disney composers and lyricists.

Over at World Showplace, guests can catch live performances by “Art Defying Gravity,” a spectacle of thrilling strength acts, and “Visual Art in Performance,” a high-energy, onstage visual artist who paints favorite Disney characters before their eyes in just a matter of minutes.

Food Studios located around World Showcase are where guests can view – and eat – great works of art. Vibrante &VívidoFood Studio, a new location between France and Morocco, will feature a mouthwatering (and photo-ready) chilled seafood cocktail with octopus, scallops, shrimp, black garlic aïoli, tomato coconut sauce and serrano lime oil. Or, guests can indulge on Blue Corn Pupusa stuffed with cheese and topped with shredded pork, guajillo and árbol chile sauce, cabbage slaw and aji amarillo crema.  

Other ways to enjoy the Festival: Guests can take part in the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine, where they can use the Festival Passport as a guide to purchase five vibrant food items and receive a complimentary, tasty technicolor treat. The popular Figment’s Brush with the Masters returns this year, as well, inviting Guests to help Figment learn about art on a scavenger hunt around World Showcase; guests will be able to purchase a map and stickers for the family-friendly hunt at a variety of merchandise locations.  Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts will run for 46 days and be available with valid admission and a park reservation for the same date.

Disney Princesses Tiana and Moana — of Princes and the Frog and Moana fame — will be getting their own Disney Plus original series premiering in the next few years. Both will be longform musical comedies.

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Star Wars fans who can’t get enough of the franchise may have just gotten the early Christmas present of their dreams, as Disney unveiled a whopping slate of 10 new Star Wars television series coming to Disney+ over the next two years, including some based around characters that are already fan favorites.

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After the success of Pixar’s Coco, Disney Studios is returning to the well of animated musicals built around magic and Latino culture and families — but this time with Hamilton-creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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Disney isn’t messing around. On Thursday, the Mouse House inundated us with a ton of announcements about their upcoming projects on the 2021-22 schedule.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding in huge, exciting ways! Revealed during The Walt Disney Company’s 2020 Investor Day presentation by Kevin Feige, president, Marvel Studios, and chief creative officer, Marvel, get ready for new series coming to Disney+, along with brand new films in the near future.

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While Walt Disney World is currently seeing several new rides and concepts under construction, with major plans for Epcot in the next couple of years, the ride that everybody is really curious about is one that’s over 20-years-old. Splash Mountain is one of the most iconic and recognizable attractions in the Magic Kingdom, but it is set to undergo a major update in the near future that will completely change the ride’s theming.

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One of the most hotly anticipated new attractions coming to Walt Disney World has to be Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster. 

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Everyone at Walt Disney World^® Resort is looking forward to welcoming guests at The Most Magical Place on Earth.

All four Walt Disney World Theme Parks as well as Disney Springs are decorated for the season and feature extended operating hours. On New Year’s Eve, however, these locations will close prior to midnight as they continue to follow health and safety measures put in place during their phased reopening to help foster physical distancing.

New Year’s Eve Hours of Operation
* Magic Kingdom, 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
* Epcot, 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
* Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
* Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
* Disney Springs, 10:00 am – 11:00 pm

The Disney Resorts will offer fun and festive activities. Full details will be provided upon arrival. Additionally, pre-recorded fireworks and other holiday offerings will be available to stream on in-room televisions to help you ring in the new year.

COVID-19 has changed things tremendously for a number of industries, and this is certainly true for theme parks. Disney Parks, like its competitors, was forced to close down locations for a large portion of the year and, while not all of its parks in the US have reopened, Walt Disney World in Orlando is currently operating, with COVID-19-related measures in place.

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