UPDATED January 16, 2026

A dedicated Festival area has come to Disney World’s EPCOT to serve as the new “home base” for EPCOT’s seasonal Festivals and live events! CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza are housed in EPCOT’s World Celebration, bringing EPCOT International Festivals “to the center of Walt Disney World,” as Disney states. This new area opened on June 10th, 2024. 

EPCOT hosts four seasonal Festivals throughout the year: the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts (the first Festival of the calendar year), Spring’s EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival, the original EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, and the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.

The new spaces play an integral part in these events, which are highlights for Walt Disney World guests throughout the year!

COMING SOON to CommuniCore Hall and Plaza!

The 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is currently running from January 16th – February 23rd, 2026. And CommuniCore Hall and Plaza is part of the celebration!

Once Upon a Stage at CommuniCore Hall

CommuniCore Hall in World Celebration is once again hosting a walk-through exhibit in 2026: Once Upon a Stage: The Magic of Disney on Broadway!

The exhibit features costumes and props from Disney stage musicals, along with a behind-the-scenes look at how the animated classics The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin came to life on the Broadway stage!

Displays featuring sets, costumes, props, and more elements from Disney’s Broadway plays populate the space. You can walk though at your leisure anytime from 9AM to 9PM.

Explore the Once Upon A Stage Exhibit HERE!

And outside of the Hall, you’ll even find one of the Festival’s Food Studios.

Click here to see what Opening Bites is serving for the Festival of the Arts!

Musical Performances at CommuniCore Plaza

Live music is performed DAILY in CommuniCore Plaza!

Check the My Disney Experience app for performance times!

Visual Art in Performance at CommuniCore Plaza

Visual Art in Performance gives guests the chance to enjoy viewing a high-energy artist painting Disney characters LIVE onstage “in a matter of minutes” at CommuniCore Plaza!

In 2025, performances took place on Thursdays through Sundays and on select Mondays. (Stay tuned for 2026 showtimes!) You can also check the My Disney Experience app for showtimes during your visit. 

CommuniCore Plaza

CommuniCore Plaza provides an outdoor space where guests can come to relax and experience all that the Festivals have to offer… such as enjoying some of your chosen Festival foods in a seated area with some shade.

The (literal!) spotlight is on an area that hosts large-scale concerts or intimate performances which extends out into the gardens nearby.

There is additional space behind the stage that further expands CommuniCore Plaza.

Even outside of Festival seasons, the stage is put into use year ’round! For instance…

CommuniCore Plaza Stage

As part of the CommuniCore opening celebration, a BRAND NEW Encanto stage show has made its debut! ¡Celebración Encanto! is a sing-along that features beloved songs — and characters! — from the film.

¡Celebración Encanto! is a 20-30 minute family-friendly show that features 2 hosts and four dancers telling the story of Disney’s popular animated film Encanto through the film’s songs.

It’s interactive, not only encouraging audience members to dance and sing along where they stand, but the performers also invite kids and adults alike up to the stage during certain numbers. And the whole show finishes with a dance party with Mirabel and Bruno where everyone is encouraged to participate.

The show is running several times a day and takes place on the new CommuniCore Plaza stage.

Communicore Hall

CommuniCore Hall is housed within the plaza, and is the first fully-purpose built structure in Festival programing!

Designed with flexibility in mind, this hall will be able to host a wide variety of experiences with food, art, live music, and more.

Ultimately, it will also help extend the festival experience and give presenting chefs new ways to connect and experiment.

Mickey and Friends Meet-and-Greet

Along with providing dedicated spaces for EPCOT’s seasonal Festivals, CommuniCore Hall is also the location of a new year-round Mickey & Friends Meet-and-Greet!

So, who are the “& Friends” that hang out with Mickey in this space?

Well, we initially saw Minnie and Goofy greeting with Mickey, but be aware that the “& Friends” in the space may vary, so be ready for a surprise!

And rest assured that Mickey himself will always be present to SEE YA, PAL!!!

P.S. While you’re waiting to see Mickey, make sure you take a good look around the greeting space.

It is POSITIVELY PACKED with nods to the earliest days of EPCOT Center (and current favorites, too)!

Disney has decorated the queue space with artwork to commemorate the various stages of EPCOT, and you can see 11 HIDDEN SECRETS in the area here!

Check out Mickey’s NEW Meet-and-Greet Spot HERE!

Festival Area Gardens

As the seasons — and seasonal Festivals — change throughout the year, is reflected in a World Celebration hub divided into several different gardens, according to Disney. In early December 2023, these areas started to open for guests!

The planter above is based on the five ring EPCOT logo. The gardens will also evolve with the seasons! They offer plenty of shade and seating for guests, and each one has its own identity, with the ability to change to go along with the Festivals throughout the year.

At night, lighting immerses guests in an evening experience that will also change through the seasons.

The gardens also offer exciting new views of Spaceship Earth!

Not only do we cover every aspect of each and every seasonal EPCOT Festival here at DFB… we also happen to be HUGE Festival fans, right along with you! We can’t wait to share this new area with all of you as it grows to play a role in EPCOT’s Festivals.