Epcot Festival of the Arts 2026: Best & worst new food
The Festival of the Arts brings new food to Epcot for 2026, and we break down the best and worst new menu items debuting at this year’s event.
Epcot Festival of the Arts 101
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts debuted in 2017, making it one of Epcot’s newest seasonal celebrations. Known for blending visual, performing, and culinary arts, it has quickly become a guest favorite. Like the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, it only lasts a month or so. This contrasts with the longer Epcot festivals, such as Food & Wine and Flower & Garden. 2026’s dates for the Epcot International Festival of the Arts are Jan. 16 – Feb. 23.
For the Epcot Festival of the Arts, the park features interactive photo ops, a museum-quality exhibit, unique food creations, paint-by-numbers murals, the ever-popular Figment popcorn bucket, Disney artwork displayed throughout, and the Disney on Broadway Concert Series. New for this year, the festival also spotlights the Disney Lorcana trading card game in a huge way.
Each year, the Food Studios at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts highlight culinary creativity at its best, mixing the artistry of flavor with stunning presentation. For the 2026 event, guests can expect to enjoy more than 20 Food Studios throughout Epcot.
Payment changes at food & beverage locations
We noticed two changes regarding food and beverage payments at the 2026 Epcot International Festival of the Arts. They include:
- Most, if not all, of the festival food and beverage locations are cashless. Guests are being encouraged to purchase Disney gift cards to pay for festival items. However, you cannot use cash to reload or buy a Disney gift card at the festival booths. Guests have to go to a store that sells gift cards.
- Every 2026 Epcot International Festival of the Arts Food Studio displays a price that does not include tax. In the past, most Epcot festival locations displayed a price with tax included. Guests should plan for this change.
All the new food at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts 2026
Using Walt Disney World’s definition of “new” food options at the 2026 Epcot International Festival of the Arts, there are 30 “new” options available. We applaud the chefs at Walt Disney World for their creativity and adaptability.
However, in fairness, a significant minority of the “new” items for 2026 are slight modifications of previous items or items from other festivals appearing “new” at the 2026 Epcot International Festival of the Arts. In fact, some “new” items are former Festival of the Arts that did not appear last year but in previous years.
Based on this pattern, we focused our dining adventure on the truly new items for 2026. In determining the best and worst new food items at this year’s Epcot International Festival of the Arts, we decided for tie-breaking purposes that “truly new” food options would win. Sure, we enjoyed all the “sort of new” items on the event’s opening day as well. Still, the 30 new 2026 Epcot International Festival of the Arts food options include:
1. Steakhouse Lobster Caesar Salad at The Artist’s Table: Romaine and red oak lettuces, warmwater lobster, radish, herbed breadcrumbs, and house-made Caesar dressing – $8.99
2. Peppercorn-crusted Striploin at The Artist’s Table: Grilled asparagus, potatoes au gratin, and au poivre butter – $9.29
3. Dark Chocolate Torte at The Artist’s Table: Flourless chocolate cake, whipped cream, and raspberries – $6.49
4. Sparkling Spectacle Gâteau at Deco Eats: Vanilla bean mousse with a golden caramel center and apricot jam on a hazelnut cookie – $5.99
5. Deconstructed Key Lime Pie at The Deconstructed Dish: Key lime curd, key lime gelée, toasted meringue, and graham cracker crumbs with waffle cone triangles – $5.29
6. Chile Relleno Taco at El Artista Hambriento: Flour tortilla filled with seared beef tenderloin, poblano pepper, black beans, and salsa roja – $8.75
7. Tostada de Cangrejo at El Artista Hambriento: Crispy corn tortilla topped with guacamole, lump crab, mango, crispy onions, and hot sauce – $9.50
8. Passion Fruit Paleta at El Artista Hambriento: Tropical passion fruit ice pop filled with sweetened condensed milk and topped with chili-lime seasoning – $6.50
9. Popcorn, Popcorn Chicken and Waffles at Figment’s Inspiration Station at The Odyssey: rainbow popcorn, popcorn chicken, mini mozzarella, and maple syrup – $6.79
10. Figment Fantasy Cake at Figment’s Inspiration Station at The Odyssey: Sponge Cake filled with Strawberry Whipped Cream topped with a White Chocolate Ganache, Orange Icing, and White Chocolate Figment Wings – $5.79
11. Color Scheme Cake at Figment’s Inspiration Station at The Odyssey: Fruit-flavored rainbow-hued cake topped with Skittles POP’d Sour and Original and Sour freeze-dried candy – $5.29
12. Chapter 1: Beach Oysters at Fictional Victuals: Grilled oysters, mustard seed-peppercorn sabayon, and creamed spinach – $7.99
13. Chapter 2: Plate of Impossible Bites at Fictional Victuals: Roasted turkey breast, onion and bacon custard tart, cherry gel, brown butter toast milk foam, and pineapple-toffee butter – $7.49
14. Chapter 3: Tea Treat at Fictional Victuals: Twinings Earl Grey Tea Treat Chocolate Pot de Crème, lemon madeleine, rose and raspberry jam, and a tea biscuit crumble – $5.99
15. Taiyaki at Goshiki: Crisp, flaky fish-shaped chocolate-flavored pastry filled with custard and served with whipped topping – $7.75
16. Tokyo Kawaii Roll at Goshiki: Crispy shrimp tempura wrapped in multicolor sushi rice and topped with refreshing yellow yuzu sauce and tangy plum sauce – $9.75
17. Wagyu Bun at Goshiki: Steamed bun filled with sweet-and-savory minced American wagyu beef – $10.75
18. Gâteau de Crabe, Bisque de Homard, Crème Citron et Aneth at L’Art de la Cuisine Française: Crab cake, lobster bisque, and lemon-dill sour cream – $11.95
19. Oranges Confites at L’Art de la Cuisine Française: Chocolate-orange éclair, orange cream, chocolate ganache, crispy hazelnut, and candied oranges – $8.95
20. Polenta Pasticciata at L’Arte di Mangiare: Polenta, bolognese, Parmesan, mozzarella, and tomato sauce – $8.00
21. Raspberry Spuma at L’Arte di Mangiare: Vanilla sauce, mint whipped cream, and puffed rice – $5.50
22. General Tso’s Chicken Shumai at The Painted Panda: Dumplings filled with chicken, asparagus, onion, and water chestnut topped with General Tso’s sauce – $10.75
23. Char Siu Pork Bun at The Painted Panda: Sweet-and-savory Cantonese-style BBQ pork in a steamed bun – $8.75
24. Croque Monsieur-inspired Grilled Cheese at Pop Eats: Black Forest ham, Gruyère, and béchamel sauce served with tomato soup – $6.79
25. Liquid Nitrogen Minnie Cake Pop at Swirled Showcase: Cotton candy sponge cake, white chocolate ganache, and colorful chocolate splats – $4.79
26. BBQ Chicken Pizza at Connections Eatery: Two slices of freshly baked pizza topped with smoked chicken, sweet barbecue sauce, cheese blend, peppers, and red onions – $12.29
27. Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich at Connections Eatery: Spicy hand-breaded chicken, roasted garlic aïoli, and southern slaw on a toasted brioche bun – $13.19
28. Hazelnut Praline Boller at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe: Cardamom bun with hazelnut cream – $5.79
29. Wild Berry Funnel Cake at Funnel Cake Stand: Funnel cake sandwich with vanilla ice cream and powdered sugar topped with brown sugar brandy-wild berry compote, whipped cream, and dark chocolate sauce
30. The Architecture of Drip at Sunshine Seasons: Blueberry-flavored gelato topped with scoops of banana and berry whipped cream, a waffle cone, and sprinkles – $10.99
Best new food
Not every new item can earn the title of the best. However, some new Epcot Festival of the Arts food offerings stood out. Some high-quality new food options surprised us. However, one new food offering did not surprise us; we went into the opening day of the event assuming it would be good! That being said, two new food items at the festival stood out above the rest.
Croque Monsieur-inspired Grilled Cheese
Location: Pop Eats (between World Showcase and Imagination! Pavilion)
At Pop Eats, guests can enjoy this upgraded grilled cheese with a decorative can of tomato soup for under $7. The item features a larger-than-expected portion size. The soup makes a nice touch. This represents a considerable improvement over last year’s pimento cheese version, which many guests enjoyed.
The Gruyère offers a much deeper flavor profile than standard cheddar, and the addition of béchamel sauceensures every bite is indulgent. While the classic grilled cheese remains on the menu for purists, this Croque Monsieur Grilled Cheese is the clear standout for those wanting a more “grown-up” version of a festival staple.
Peppercorn-crusted Striploin
Location: The Artist’s Table (The American Adventure)
Over at The American Adventure section of Epcot’s World Showcase, guests can find a menu designed to be a steakhouse three-course meal. However, the standout festival item is the Peppercorn-crusted Striploin. Guests can also order the Steakhouse Lobster Caesar Salad and the Dark Chocolate Torte, both excellent new Festival of the Arts items.
Still, the Peppercorn-crusted Striploin comes medium to medium well grilled in an open area for guests to see and smell. This is clearly the star of The Artist’s Table Menu this year. The striploin is served with grilled asparagus, potatoes au gratin, and a rich au poivre butter. The au poivre butter added a luxurious, peppery finish that tied the whole plate together. The potatoes au gratin were cheesy and soft, essentially a “Signature Dining” side dish served at the Festival of the Arts.
Honorable mentions at Festival of the Arts
Since this year’s event involves many standout dishes, we wanted to mention two more that are close to the top, but not quite there.
Hazelnut Praline Boller
Location: Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe (Norway)
The base of this treat is a traditional Norwegian cardamom bun, which provides a warm, spicy foundation that smells incredible before you even take a bite. The presentation is where the “art” truly comes in. Adorned with a white chocolate disc featuring the festival’s mascot, Figment, the bun is encrusted with a generous layer of hazelnut praline pieces. The contrast between the soft, spiced dough and the crunchy, sweet praline creates a texture profile that is much more engaging than your average bakery snack. If you’re a fan of Ferrero Rocher or Nutella, this is essentially the high-end, artisanal version of those flavors. It’s an “elevated” snack that fits perfectly into the festival’s theme of culinary creativity.
Gâteau de Crabe, Bisque de Homard, Crème Citron et Aneth
Location: L’Art de la Cuisine Française (France)
If this Festival of the Arts’ new food item had not cost over $12 with tax, it might have made our “best” list. However, the smaller portion size and higher price point make it an honorable mention.
This consists of a crab cake, lobster bisque, and lemon-dill sour cream. The lobster bisque pairs well with the crab cake. However, to make it a Festival of the Arts food item, a decorative piece on top could have been left out.
Worst new food
With every theme park food festival, some new food items sounded better in the practice kitchen than they turned out for guests. Additionally, price points were a significant factor in determining the worst items at the Epcot Festival of the Arts. Several new food items were priced close to $10 or more, which is on the pricey side for an Epcot festival. Though the Chile Relleno Taco almost made our “worst” list, we found two “new” items that we would suggest skipping.
Char Siu Pork Bun
Location: The Painted Panda (China)
We have seen a variation of this item at the China location before. In those cases, it offered an average option for Epcot guests. However, we tried this new item several times. Each time, it lacked any consistent BBQ flavor. Additionally, the pork portion was either slight, lacking flavor, or both.
Wagyu Bun
Location: Goshiki (Japan)
In fairness, we have seen wagyu buns in Japan numerous times. Sometimes, the quality is okay, and other times it is below average. The only thing that makes this “new” food for this year’s Epcot Festival of the Arts is the item’s purple color. Sadly, for almost $11 (before tax), this fails to impress. It comes ready to go, wrapped in the paper. The paper almost always sticks to the bun, leading to a potential mess before you even start to dine.
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts 2026 runs through Feb. 23. With so much to do, eat, and see, we wish you only bites of the best food and none of the worst!
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