There’s so much going on in Epcot! They are getting ready for the Festival of the Arts to open next week, adding new rides, attractions, restaurants, and even more. This visit was jam-packed with updates!

Let’s dive into all of the updates and start in Future World at one of our first stops on every visit — Fountain View for Coffee and Cupcakes!

What’s New in Epcot’s Future World

Fountain View

invites you to “love your drink” with the new Starbucks Cinnamon Shortbread drinks on their menu right now in Frappuccino or Latte form.

Going with the “love your drink” theme, there’s new Valentine’s Day themed sweet treats including fun cake pops and a Red Velvet Marble Loaf.

If you’re looking for cupcakes you’ll find the Mickey Oreo Cupcake and Boston Cream Pie Cupcake here right now.

We also spotted a new brand for the gluten-free brownie option here. In the past we’ve seen the OMG It’s Gluten Free brand here, but this time we spotted the Sweet Street brand gluten-free brownie.

Sunshine Seasons, one of our favorite cupcake stops, had three cupcake options yesterday. There’s the Seasonal Cinnamon Apple, Rose Gold, and Vegan cupcake right now.

This seasonal Cinnamon Apple is giving us flashbacks to our dinner at Storybook Dining in Artist Point a few weeks ago!

Look who is back after a brief transformation for the holidays! Welcome back Rose Gold Cupcake! It’s been about a year since I found you and I love you just as much now as I did then.

And, lastly, the Vegan Cupcake is another returning favorite with its giant scoop of ice cream, we mean frosting!! on top!

Electric Umbrella has replaced their sugar-free brownie with a “gluten friendly” brownie.

Taste Track, the festival food booth by Test Track, has remained open since the Festival of the Holidays ended. Their menu is a little different now, they are offering the Cinnamon Sugar Cronut and the Pancake Milkshake we first tasted during last year’s Food and Wine Festival. You can also get soft drinks, water, beer, and wine here.

Construction is moving along on the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride that opens in 2021. 

See all of our photos of the construction on this ride here. 

What’s New in Epcot’s World Showcase

As you walk through the park you’ll find sure signs a festival is about to start in a week! The Festival of the Arts kicks off on Friday, January 18. The food booths are preparing, signs are changing, merchandise tents are getting ready…and our excitement level is high!

We’ll be there on opening day trying all the new eats and drinks for you and bringing you the Best of the Fest. Be sure to follow us for all of the updates!

One of Epcot’s hidden gems, the Wine Walk, may be being discontinued. Right now, that means no new Wine Walks are being sold, but if you have one that you purchased and haven’t finished yet, you can still finish the walk and get your wines. Wine Flights are replacing the Wine Walk in Germany, Italy and France. France is adding a special bubbly option — you can have a Wine Flight or a Champagne Flight!

Read all about this change here. Let us know in the comments what you think of this change — and if you have an unfinished Wine Walk!

Pumpkin Spice fans can still indulge in their favorite flavor — for now — at the Funnel Cake stand in the American Adventure Pavilion. There’s also traditional plain funnel cakes and the specialty Cookies n’ Cream funnel cake at this location.

If you’re looking to try a new sake cocktail, head to the outdoor sake stand in the Japan Pavilion for a seasonal Cinnamon Apple Sangria.

We checked on the progress of the new Signature Table Service restaurant coming to the Japan pavilion — learn more about the construction, location, and progress here.

There’s also a lot of scrims, construction walls, and construction going on in the France Pavilion as they prepare to welcome a Beauty and Beast Sing-Along and a Ratatouille Ride! Learn more about both of these additions and see more construction photos here.

The Tea Caddy in the United Kingdom Pavilion has some new and fun looking candy bars! They are from the Grown Up Chocolate Company and look like a lot of fun.

There’s a Superb Salted Peanut Caramel Chocolate Bar that starts with peanut praline, is topped with salted caramel, then peanuts — and then it’s all coated in milk chocolate!

The Crunchy Praline Chocolate Wonder Bar is a praline topped with a caramelized wafer — and again coated in milk chocolate!

Have you tried the Grown Up Chocolates either in the UK pavilion or in the UK?

Refreshment Port’s current menu includes a couple of poutines — Beef Brisket and Traditional. Pair that with a Stow Away Mary Bloody Mary!

Still missing the chicken nuggets on the Stow Away Mary.

World Showcase is preparing to say goodbye to IllumiNations later this summer, and work is being done in the Lagoon and on the Islands in the Lagoon, we are guessing in preparation for the new “Celebrate Epcot” nighttime show that will debut this fall. Learn more about this change and see more construction photos here!

What’s New in Epcot’s Stores and Shops — New Merchandise!

The Celebrate Mickey merchandise we’ve been finding all over the parks and resorts is in Epcot as well!

How about this hat!? Love the Mickey on this, not sure about the ears, what do you think?

For the chillier days in the park there’s a new Celebrate Mickey Hoodie.

Pin Traders and Collectors, we found this Celebrate Mickey package of pins in Mouse Gear for the first time.

We also saw a new theme “Unlock the Fun” on the arm of the hoodie, in the signs in Mouse Gear, and a very special ornament!

If Rocking the Dots is more your style, you’ll find plenty of polka dotted merch in Mouse Gear as you prepare to Rock those Dots with Minnie on January 22!

There’s some new Mickey Mouse merchandise around Mouse Gear as well. This Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse hat is really cool! Love those yellow shoes.

What do you think of this jolly Mickey?

Take a little reminder of your vacation to work with you when you go home with this pen!

There’s a new Mini Ornament Set featuring four Mickeys from the Mickey Through the Years collection.

That’s all the new food, construction, merchandise, updates, and more that we found this week! Be sure to follow us so you’re updated on our Festival of the Arts coverage on opening day!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Check out our video The BEST Times To Go To Disney World in 2019 (including during the Festival of the Arts)! When you’re done – check out all of our Videos on You Tube!