As the 2025 Epcot International Festival of the Arts is set to welcome guests to the celebration of the culinary, artistic, and musical arts, this year’s event is focused on the intersection of those three crafts. When the visual mixes with the melody and enhances the overall flavor, the magical memories will last forever.
Ahead of the festival’s start, I had the opportunity to chat with Chef Kevin Downing and Rick DeCicco, Proprietor of Epcot Festivals and Business Relations. After getting a visual preview of some of the specialty menu items and that infamous Figment Popcorn bucket, it was clear that 2025 has raised the bar on the special offerings.
Anyone who has seen the social media previews appreciates that the visual component is woven into many of the special food and beverage offerings. From the reimagined rose dessert to the grilled octopus dish, the camera will definitely “eat” (and share) the dishes.
When asked about the visual complexity of the 2025 Epcot International Festival of the Arts menu, Chef Kevin explained, “we are really trying to showcase food as the culinary art form. During Flower and Garden, the ingredients are the talking points. At Food and Wine, it is more about the culture, regions, and trends. At the Holidays, it is about countries’ traditions. In this one festival, it is our chance to showcase what we do as chefs.”
“It celebrates food as an art form. We do not necessarily get to do that during our other festivals. We spend a lot of time making these plates look like something a guest would get from a signature dining location at Walt Disney World.”
While many of the dishes are elevated for a marketplace setting, the Disney culinary team appreciates that they are inviting guests to step a little out of their comfort zone. It does not mean that people need to skip the Mickey pretzel. Instead, it is an opportunity to try something new.
Chef Kevin said, “I think that we have an opportunity to provide some unique culinary offerings and guests know they do not have to spend a lot of money to try the new dishes. Whether the guest is thrilled by trying something new or finds that it was not their favorite, we can play into those feelings and push the boundaries a little.”
In many ways, that sentiment is another element of the intersection between culinary and theater. One booth in particular puts that idea front and center.
As Rick DeCicco explained, “when we developed this festival, we developed it based on three guiding principles or what we called three pillars, the culinary arts, the visual arts, and the performing arts. Anytime we can blend those three together into what I call our perfect trifecta it is a win.”
“With this year’s festival, we are celebrating the new CommuniCore Hall facility with Once Upon a Stage with 30 years of Disney on Broadway. As with all our activations, we focus on the story that we want to tell. The Opening Bites marketplace is a celebration of show stopping delights with the Disney on Broadway inspired dishes. From the soft-shell crab slider to the cheddar and chive scone with salmon to the Enchanting Rose dessert, these dishes are stunningly beautiful. Guests are rushing to see our incredible culinary art. It is a moment where the camera always eats first.”
While the theme influenced food items are plentiful, the Disney culinary team appreciates that the menus need to be inclusive of all types of food preferences. One aspect that is always apparent on all Disney festival menu is the vegetarian and vegan options.
As Chef Kevin explained, “from a plant-based perspective, we want to make sure that we have a good variety of options, both savory and sweet. I think what is really unique about these festival dishes is that you may not know that they are plant-based when you try them. We work hard as a team to deliver an amazing product no matter the parameters.”
Even though innovation and creativity is front and center at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, some tried and true favorites cannot leave the menu. As DeCicco explained, some guests are very vocal about seeing original menu items back year after year.
DeCicco explained, “we are always in the planning phase and looking at the festival as it is happening. We want to keep our team inspired, but there are items that are hard to move away from because they have such a fan following. A great example is the Pop Eats kiosk. For several years, we have been doing the tomato soup can with different grilled cheeses. We constantly hear that we better not get rid of that dish.”
“This Festival is our youngest festival, but there are truly many items that are favorites. This year, there will be 136 exclusive offerings. 59 are food items and 77 are drink. There are 55 new food and beverage items. We are always looking at that sweet spot of new and returning favorites.”
One of the new marketplaces that both Chef Kevin and DiCicco believe will be a huge hit is Fictional Victuals. The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea meets Steampunk vibe is clear with the visually impressive and flavor forward offerings.
As DiCicco explained, “I think about the squid ink pasta dish that Chef Kevin developed and it reminds me of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Captain Nemo. Telling those stories through the visuals with connects all the dots.”
With over 150 food and beverage offerings, it can be hard to narrow the choices down to just a few. Since both Chef Kevin and DiCicco have sampled them all, they had a few suggestions for guests’ first bites.
Chef Kevin suggested, “two areas that I’m excited about are Craftsman’s Courtyard and Fictional Victuals. In Craftsman's Courtyard, our standard Beef Wellington is going to be something entirely different this year. It has all those classic components but presented in a new way that guests are going to enjoy. It very unique and fun.”
“The other one would be Fictional Victuals. It is a unique kiosk that we have worked on for years. The dishes are tied to that Jules Verne fiction and the visuals are quite impressive.”
For DiCicco, he suggested a dish and one item that has become the most talked-about item at recent Festival of the Arts events. The first suggestion is a returning dish, the Deconstructed BLT at the Deconstructed Dish.
“It has been on the menu for many festivals and it check so many boxes for me. From the tomato jam to the soft poached egg, I know that it is hard for the team to execute in a food studio, but I love it.”
“The other thing that is near and dear to my heart is the Figment Popcorn Bucket. I have been a champion of it from day one. We develop them in house and it takes years to design and produce. I cannot wait to see guests walking around the park that first night with it lit up. It makes my heart feel so good.”
As Epcot International Festival of the Arts begins its run, there are a multitude of reasons to visit, and visit often. The food is a feast for the tastebuds, eyes, and imagination. Ready to indulge in all the deliciousness?
2025 Epcot International Festival of the Arts runs January 17 through February 24, 2025. The festival is included with theme park admission, but food and beverage purchases are extra. Guests should make theme park reservations or visit the Disney Parks website for more information.