FESTIVAL FRIDAY

​Written by Victoria Johnson

Today my day started off at Hollywood Studios.  Groot stayed home today so I was flying solo.  A Fast Pass* was had for "For The First Time In Forever:  A Frozen Sing Along Celebration".  If you are a big Frozen fan like me, you do not want to miss this show!  Check the MyDisneyExperience app for Fast Pass availability and times.  In fact any of the main attractions that you absolutely don't want to miss, obtain your Fast Passes first and then plan the remainder of your day around those times.  Fast Passes are hard to come by and the more popular the attraction the harder they are to get.

After the show, I made my way to the Skyliner to go to Epcot.

Festival of the Arts started on Friday, January 17th at Epcot/World Showcase.  If you have never been, it is definitely a not miss opportunity.  Enjoy delicious food, beautiful art, amazing shows-such as the Disney on Broadway concert series, featured artists, and other hidden "gems".  You never know who you might run into in the parks during the Festival of the Arts- Paige O'Hara (the original voice of Belle in Beauty and the Beast), your favorite Disney Broadway stars and more!

There is so much to see and do during the festivals at Epcot.  This trip was dedicated to finding little hidden paintings on the buildings in the different countries, like the one you see above.  Characters are painted on the buildings only during the Festival of the Arts.  Some are hard to locate and will take some investigating, but others are visible the minute you walk into the country plaza, or even walk right by them without even noticing.  This is a great game for families or a bunch of friends.  You can create your own "stakes" and make it a scavenger hunt of sorts.  

I couldn't stay for as long as I wanted as it started to rain and I had to head out.  I did, however, make it all the way around the showcase.  I started at France and worked to the right, ducking into a few stores along the way to step out of the rain.

The next time you are at Epcot's World Showcase during the Festival of the Arts (which runs from January 17th-February 24th) see what "surprises" you find on the buildings and share them with us here or on our Facebook Group page, Universal_Disney_Nutz.  We would love to see what you spy out there!

Next week will bring back Tasty Tuesday, with some of the foods from the Festival.  I'm thinking lunch, dessert (which those who know me is my favorite part of the festival), and a non-alcoholic specialty drink. Tune in next time to see what I snack on!

*Fast Passes:  Disney FastPass+ service lets you reserve access to select attractions, entertainment, and more.  With the purchase of a ticket or Annual Pass, you can make selections as early as 30 days before you arrive to the property-starting at 7AM EST.  Plus if you are staying at a Disney Resort Hotel, Disney Springs Area Hotel, or other select Good Neighbor Hotels, you can make FastPass+ selections up to 60 days prior to your check-in for the ENTIRE length of your stay; and the best part? There is no extra charge for this benefit!

If you are unsure on how to make your FastPass+ selections, feel free to ask anyone in our Facebook Group, or email us at castlevacationsbyudn@gmail.com and one of our travel specialists will be more than happy to help you finalize these details!