UPDATED December 4, 2024

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

And, in fact, CommuniCore Hall and Plaza will be incorporated into the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays for the first time when the Festival runs from November 29th through December 30th!

You can stop by and visit the new Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow Holiday Kitchen while you admire a BRAND NEW Gingerbread Display: an 8-foot-tall gingerbread creation Gingerbread Spaceship Earth!

Disney shares that it took over 160 hours to create the display. It lights up and “dances” to music every 15 minutes throughout the day and feature 11 hidden Mickeys that represent the 11 countries of the World Showcase.

CommuniCore Hall is also hosting the Glittering Grove Presented by Balsam Hill, an enchanting Christmas tree forest along with an assortment of souvenirs available to purchase.

And Festive Fragrances presented by Scentsy allows visitors to “stroll through a snow globe garden, inspired by Scentsy’s seasonal aromas” just outside CommuniCore Hall.

CommuniCore Hall is also hosting TWO Holiday Kitchens (Food Booths) for the Festival of the Holidays: Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow and Favorites of Festivals Past.

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.

See why we LOVE EPCOT’s new Encanto show HERE!

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.

The hall boasts  a demonstration kitchen, a mixology bar, and exhibition and gallery space. 

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 Favorites

During your visit to CommuniCore, you’ll spy a quick service window withe the name of Festival Favorites!

Did you ever think, “Gee, I wish there was a place where I could get some of EPCOT’s famous Festival dishes even when a seasonal Festival isn’t taking place in the park?” Well, that’s where Festival Favorites comes in!

This simple quick service window, which is tucked into EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall, serves an assortment of fan-favorite Festival food and drink items… no matter the time of year!

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.