It’s certainly no secret that Disney World tends to get a little crowded during the holiday season — and by a little, we mean a lot.
We’re not kidding about the crowds!
Between Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Jollywood Nights, and EPCOT festivals that run throughout November and December, there are plenty of reasons why people want to visit the Most Magical Place on Earth during this time of the year. And, on November 16th, there was one reason, in particular, that we saw some of the WORST crowds we’ve ever seen at EPCOT.
If you were at EPCOT on Sunday, November 16th, are you okay?! The crowds were out in full force, and it all stemmed from who was performing at the Eat to the Beat concerts at the Food and Wine Festival. The Beach Boys came to play their hits — but they weren’t alone! Major Disney fan John Stamos (yes, Uncle Jesse himself) joined in on the fun, too. And, it looked like the word had gotten out because we hadn’t seen crowds like this in a while.
Crowds waiting for The Beach Boys
As part of the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, the Eat to the Beat concert series features iconic bands and artists performing Fridays through Mondays, while local bands perform Tuesday through Thursday evenings. These concerts are free with EPCOT admission and take place three times nightly. Folks line up pretty far in advance for popular acts, and this was certainly the case for The Beach Boys and John Stamos. When we stopped by before the 5:30 PM show, the line stretched all the way through the China Pavilion…
Line backed up in China
…and eventually ended in the Norway Pavilion. That’s almost half of the entire World Showcase, which is quite the feat. Cast Members we spoke with said they had never seen crowds for an Eat to the Beat show like this — not even Boyz II Men, which historically gets pretty crowded.
End of the line all the way in Norway
Of course, we had to stay to watch some of the show, and we’re glad we did! The Beach Boys played some of their hits, accompanied by John Stamos. But, if you don’t want to wait in line, you can avoid the chaos!
Dining Packages are available to pair breakfast, lunch or dinner (either a three-course meal or full buffet with a beverage — non-alcoholic or alcoholic for of-age guests — based on location) at a participating EPCOT restaurant with guaranteed priority seating for an evening show on the same date. The exception is Spice Road Table, where each guest receives 2 small plates and a nonalcoholic beverage (or alcoholic beverage for Guests 21 and older), and a shared tagine and a shared dessert platter for the table.
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are playing a second night, Monday, November 17th, and that will be the final show for this year’s concert series. The EPCOT Food and Wine Festival ends on November 22nd, but the Festival of the Holidays will begin on November 28th!
John Stamos
We’ll be on the lookout for more updates you need to know about Disney World crowds and beyond. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more.
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Any idea why the Skyliner station at EPCOT was working perfectly on the 16th, but they were not letting passengers board, redirecting passengers to buses?
We were there! The crowds were crazy but the concert was AMAZING!