This week in Disney history we will take a look at some of the milestones that happened in the history of the Walt Disney Company during the week of March 5th-March 11th. All of the factoids are here to inform you and broaden your knowledge so that you too can “be in the know” of Disney History. History and Disney are 2 of my greatest passions and I hope you all enjoy reading and learning about the history of Disney each and every week. This article is designed to share some of the things that help shape and mold the beautiful company we know and love today.
Original photo of Journey into Imagination at Epcot (I thank imagineeringdisney.com for allowing me to use their photo)
This Week In Disney History March 5th-March 11th.
On March 5th, 1983, the attraction Journey Into Imagination debuted to the public at Epcot. The attraction was about the Dreamfinder teaching Figment and guests to use their imaginations. In 1999, the attraction was updated and reimagined with a change in name to Journey into YOUR Imagination. In 2002, it was reimagined again as guests were unhappy with the changes, becoming Journey Into Imagintion with Figment.
On March 6th, 2013, the 20th Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival began.
On March 7th, 1942, former Walt Disney Company CEO, Michael Eisner, was born in Mount Kisco, New York. His reign as CEO of the Walt Disney Company began in 1984 and ended in 2005.
On March 8th, 1983, former President Ronald Reagan visited EPCOT Center and made a speech about what the promises of Epcot would bring and why it was so important to Walt Disney.
On March 9th, 2014, the new daytime parade Festival of Fantasy debuted at Magic Kingdom. The parade still runs daily at 3:00 PM.
On March 10th, 2009, D23: the first official Disney Fanclub, was founded. The “D” stands for Disney, and “23” pays homage to when the Walt Disney Company was created in 1923.
Finally, On March 11th, 2007, the Disney Broadway show ‘Tarzan‘ celebrated its 350th show performance.
“Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things.”-Walt Disney
Our latest photo report brings us to Epcot between events, as the Festival of the Arts moves out for the topiaries and food booths of the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival 2017…
The security procedures here were improved, adding a second metal detector, so now there is one for each line.
A monorail ride in shows the departure of the Festival of the Arts and the arrival of the Flower and Garden Festival.
A moral stand just above the flower beds, marking the quick transition between the two seasonal events.
It also isn’t often that you see one hour lines for the attraction…
MouseGear
A lot of merchandise in MouseGear has moved around again. Candy and snacks have mostly moved to the Innoventions side of the store.
Some new summer housewares.
Some new mugs for sale inside MouseGear.
These gian Winnie the Pooh character mugs retail at $19.99 each.
Candy Peal Pinwheels can now be found for sale at most locations. Several different versions are available including Toy Story, Dumbo, Cars, and Mickey Mouse.
The start of the 2017 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is only a few weeks away. Today, Disney shared a sneak preview of new products created this annual springtime celebration that returns to Walt Disney World Resort from March 1 to May 29.
This year, guests will find new artwork from Disney Design Group including stylized images of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and pastel-colored, geometric patterns featuring Figment.
New merchandise will include apparel, headware, home décor, and souvenirs. Five Dooney & Bourke handbags will be released, including, by popular demand, a larger sized Weekender bag. A Shellie May plush bear dressed in gardening attire and three Figment-inspired garden decorations will also be offered.
For Disney pin collectors, look for a limited release logo pin along with several limited edition pins. The four-pin, limited edition pin set features Disney characters such as Orange Bird or Judy Hopps from Disney’s “Zootopia.”
Annual Passholders will find several unique products such as apparel for women and men; a TERVIS wine goblet; a collectible coin; and a limited edition pin. For the first time, there is also a limited release logo pin created only for Passholders. In order to purchase these items, Passholders must present a valid Annual Pass at time of purchase.
Disney also announced the return of the Egg-stravaganza to Epcot. From March 1 to May 29 (or while supplies last), you can search for special hidden “eggs” themed to Disney characters. Maps and stickers can be purchased for $5.99, plus tax. To participate, visit Pin Central – Future World, Disney Traders at the entrance to World Showcase, or World Traveler at International Gateway.
The event will also return to Disneyland Resort, but no details are available as of yet.
You can look for these items and more at the Festival Center located in Future World between Mission: SPACE and the Universe of Energy. The location will have expanded operating hours during opening week, Wednesday, March 1 to Sunday, March 5. During the remaining weeks of the Festival, the center will be open Friday through Sunday. Guests may also find additional products in select merchandise locations throughout Epcot.
WDWNT.com is proud to introduce our very first limited release t-shirts celebrating EPCOT Center’s greatest pair!
These shirts will only be available for a limited time, and once that time is up, they’re gone (just like the original Journey Into Imagination, sadly).
The two different shirts are available at the two different links below:
Our latest photo report brings us to Epcot for the Festival of the Arts, new merchandise, and more!
It’s a Zoo Out There
A slew of new open edition pins were released recently, including Zootopia and compact mirror designs.
There is no actual mirror in these pins, but the silver works sort of like one. I don’t know, these seem kind of dumb to me…
This one actually has a mirror, which makes sense.
The last piece of history pin for 2016 was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, so I had to have it.
It has been out for a few weeks now, but the new Mickey Mouse Bubble Glow Wand is proving popular with guests.
And now, some ducks.
Security at the Speed of a Sloth
Since December, the security screening at Epcot has been a disaster, with everyone going through the metal detectors. Guests with bags now have their bag inspected while they go through the detector, which is some cases takes 1-2 minutes per guest. I hate to say this, but the Universal Orlando process where bags go through a screening machine (I believe Disneyland Paris has this as well) works a million times better than this. Safety is obviously important, but it shouldn’t take anyone 30 minutes to get into a park.
Epcot turnstiles are often mess as well, as never quite enough seem to be open at peak times. The annual pass holder entry lines are a mixed bag, more often than not being longer that the regular lines, especially in January.
Here is the line for guests with bags to go through security from another day.
And here is an annual pass holder entry line on a Festival of the Arts weekend…
Around Our World
Work continues on Choza Tequila outside of the Mexico pavilion, which will open sometime this year.
A new group called Wies N Buam is now performing in the Germany pavilion at Epcot.
The new Dixie napkin holders are suddenly appearing everywhere around the resort.
I finally decided to try to the flavored popcorn at the cart by Imagination! on a recent visit to the park.
I ordered the Buffalo Bleu Cheese…
It was really great, I will be back for more!
Someone I was meeting up with said they would be there in 45 minutes, so I wanted to waste 45 minutes…
WHAT ARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, BOB?
It was about 30 degrees outside and these were on…
For 2017, Epcot has introduced a brand new park event: The Epcot International Festival of the Arts. The event is the third such event for the park as the Flower & Garden and Food & Wine Festivals have existed since the mid-1990’s. In more recent years, food booths were expanded to both the Flower and Garden Festival and the seasonal Holidays Around the World event at Epcot, and with the debut of this Arts festival, food booths, or “food studios”, are also a part of the fun.
This event also differs in many ways, offering a Disney on Broadway concert series, free & paid seminars, interactive art opportunities for guests, photo-ops, and live art performances throughout the park. The event is also only taking place on weekends, Friday through Monday, January 13th until February 20th, 2017.
This guide and review will hopefully provide you with all of the information you will need to tackle the rather large event should you be attending it.
First tip: pick these up. There is a lot happening at this festival, so the times guide and passport are important for even the most seasoned park veterans.
As you can see, the times guide is pretty big, detailing all of the entertainment, seminars, art workshops, and artist appearances for the weekend.
Food Studios
A selection from one of the Food Studios
Similar to other Epcot festivals, this one offers several temporary “food studios” (otherwise known as booths or kiosks) with special food & drink menus. We have reviews of each of the food studios for you, including pictures and our thoughts on every single food item & most of the alcoholic beverages:
Paid art workshops are available on event days and range from drawing to ink and paint classes, as well as things such as floral arrangement, watermelon carving, and more. Free versions of these events called seminars are also available, so be sure to check out the times guide each weekend. The workshops are hands-on experiences where guests can take something home, while the seminars are passive learning experiences.
Paid art workshops are available by calling 407-WDW-TOUR or by stopping by the Odyssey Festival Showplace where they are held. Tickets for seminars are distributed one hour prior to the event and are given out on a first-come, first serve basis.
The Japan pavilion also offers its own seminars during the festival, including origami and calligraphy.
Art Exhibits
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is home to two art exhibits that celebrate two of the most famous and influential Disney artists of all-time, Mary Blair and Herbert Ryman.
The festival certainly has a lot of offerings which I would consider to be pandering to Disney fans, and art exhibits featuring these two artists certainly fit that bill. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am overjoyed to see the work of Blair and Ryman on display, but it almost feels like a desperate attempt to draw in more annual passholders at the inaugural Festival of the Arts, especially after seeing just how small the two exhibits are.
For as small as they are, I appreciate the effort, but I hope (should the festival return in 2018) that these types of exhibits will be expanded into a larger space next year. For now, they are relegated to rather small areas of the Odyssey Festival Showplace, on the left and right sides of the seminar area.
The exhibits are open Friday-Monday now through February 20th, 2017 as part of the Epcot International Festival of the Arts.
The Future World of Herbert Ryman focuses on his concept art for EPCOT Center, mostly of now gone attractions and ideas for the park/city.
South of the Border with Mary Blair is a celebration of her work on Salads Amigos and The Three Caballeros.
Disney on Broadway Concert Series
Disney Theatrical Productions is bringing an exciting new showcase of music and Broadway talent to the America Gardens Theatre stage. Throughout the six weekends of the festival, different pairings of Broadway artists will perform songs from some of Disney on Broadway’s award winning shows.
Here is the lineup for this series:
Jan. 13-16 and 20-23: Ashley Brown and Josh Strickland performing songs from: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, Mary Poppins and The Little Mermaid
Jan. 27-30 and Feb. 3-6: Kerry Butler and Kevin Massey performing songs from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, Newsies and Aladdin
Feb. 10-13 and 17-20: Kissy Simmons and Alton Fitzgerald White performing songs from Disney’s The Lion King, Aida, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid
Performances will be 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday through Monday of each festival weekend.
We attended the very first show with Ashley Brown and Josh Strickland, which you can watch below:
If you wish to see this, keep in mind you should get there a little early just in case the theater should fill. The show won’t fill easily, but it won’t hurt to arrive 20-30 minutes before showtime, especially on Saturdays and Sundays.
The sets are about 30 minutes in length and the performance we went to that you see above was spectacular. Any fan of broadway will surely enjoy these concerts, a nice change of pace from the once-famous bands offered during the Flower and Garden & Food and Wine Festivals at Epcot. There is also a lot more Disney music in these shows since they are performing songs from Disney on Broadway shows, something more likely to appeal to Disney fans, such as those who read this site.
A dining package with seating for the last show of the night is available, but honestly, it is completely unnecessary for this event and better dining options are available throughout the park, including at the Food Studios.
Other Entertainment
Living statues happen intermittently in front of the Fountain of Nations stage between 10:55am and 5:40pm daily.
Animation Academy, formerly a Disney’s Hollywood Studios attraction inside of The Magic of Disney Animation, is available inside of Innoventions East in the former Vision House location on event days. The shows take place between 9:15am and 6:15 pm and you can check outside of the attraction for exact show times.
There are also community performances and various performance art pieces on the Fountain of Nations stage throughout the day. Please refer to a times guide for showtimes.
Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt
Guest may purchase maps and search for Figment hidden in artwork all around Epcot’s World Showcase in this family friendly scavenger hunt event. A full review of this offering can be found here.
Photo-Ops
The event offers a number of guest photo-ops where you can step into and become part of the artwork. The line for these can be lengthy, so if any of them are on your must-do list, I suggest you tackle them around 11am when World Showcase opens. The two photo-ops in Future World are best done at park open for the shortest wait.
Each of the World Showcase character meet and greets also has an added art easel with a piece inspired by the characters.
Interactive Painting Experience
Glidden invites guests to pick up a paint brush and help paint an incredible EPCOT Center mural at the very front of World Showcase towards the Canada pavilion. Guests get to paint a few squares of the paint-by-numbers mural after waiting in what is usually a short line.
Live Art
Guests may encounter a walking chalk art experience, or even Disney artists at work wheel they stroll around the World Showcase promenade on festival days.
A very 80’s EPCOT Center-stly mural is being painted in Future World over the course of the 6 weekends as well. You can watch the artists paint the mural live and in-person.
Event Exclusive Merchandise
Being the first event ever of this kind, the merchandise selection is not nearly as massive as it is for the established festivals, but there is a nice selection featuring Figment.
An annual pass holder t-shirt is available as select locations. Warning: it is available in extremely limited quantities and the shirt runs very big (at least one size larger than advertised, compared to other Disney shirts sold at the parks).
Figment is even on the sleeve of this one.
Visiting Artists & Art Shops
Be sure to check a times guide as there are literally dozens of Disney and independent artists in the various tents around the World Showcase promenade daily. They will be signing their art, but also may be creating some while they are there. The tents are open beyond these hours selling art if you can’t make it while the artist is visiting.
Separately, Tom’s Shoes offers custom painted shoes at their booth.
Enjoy the Festival!
Hopefully all of this information will help in enjoying the first annual Epcot International Festival of the Arts. Personally, I have been loving this eventthus far, enjoying the differences it offers from the other Epcot festivals, and the void it fills that was left by the Festival off the Masters once held at Downtown Disney. While it is the first year of the event and it isn’t quite perfect yet, it is a very strong foundation for the future.
Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival 2017 Passholder T-Shirt
The two annual pass holder exclusive shirts for the event feature Figment, as well as the Monorail and Spaceship Earth. Oh, and some flowers and such, those are kind of important to the event I guess.
Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival 2017 Passholder T-Shirt
Much in the same vein as the annual Egg Hunt and Remy’s Hide and Go Squeak at the Food and Wine Festival, Epcot’s new International Festival of the Art has a paid scavenger hunt event. This particular one features Figment, the park’s mascot of the last nearly 35 years, in a hunt through pieces of artwork hanging around the World Showcase area.
Maps are available at various locations around the park for $6.99 plus tax each. Various merchandise discounts are taken on this item, including the current 20% for Walt Disney World annual passholders.
Basically, Figment is hiding in art all around the World Showcase countries, and you’ll need to spot him if you are participating.
The map and stickers that one receives are very similar to the other hunt events that we mentioned above. As you find Figment in art, just take the corresponding art piece sticker and place it in the frame with the name of the country that you found it in.
Above are the stickers that you can apply to the map, featuring the art without Figment as not to spoil the surprise.
Upon completion, whether you finish or not actually, you can get a Figment art magnet. The is basically what you are paying $6.99 for, and there are four total that you can receive when you go with your purchased map to Disney Traders, located at the very front of the World Showcase promenade, just across from the Pluto meet and greet. It’s a pretty nice prize if you are a Figment fan and will probably have many of you purchasing four maps to collect them all.
Overall, this was my absolute favorite of all of these hunts that I have done (and I have done all of them over the years). The paintings are not super-easy to find, and the creation of witty and cute Figment versions of each of these real-world paintings is the kind of Disney details that we all crave from the parks. Kids and adults alike will have a tremendous amount of fun doing this, and for $6.99, it offers one of the cheapest activities (and souvenirs) that one can partake in at Walt Disney World. I can’t commend Disney enough for putting this together so masterfully for a really wonderful festival offering.
SPOILER WARNING!
For those of you who won’t be making it out to the festival (or hate surprises), I have included pictures below of all of the art with Figment hiding in it. Please also note the amazing Figment frame that some of the art comes in!
Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt
Can you find Figment? Slip into sleuth mode while searching for clues that lead to the elusive little dragon—leave no painting in the World Showcase unturned!
No other details are available as of yet, but it appears that everyone’s favorite purple dragon will be hiding in art around World Showcase during the Epcot International Festival of the Arts.
