Credit: Ed Aguila, Inside the MagicThe EPCOT International Festival of the Arts celebrates various artistic forms, including Broadway shows and food presented as art. The festival has consistently featured a diverse blend of visual art, live performances, food, and hands-on experiences. Each part has its own space, creating a variety that attracts different interests and prevents one activity from overshadowing the others.
The 2026 Festival of the Arts, from January 16 to February 23, prominently features Disney Lorcana, a collectible trading card game. Guests will find a Quest Distribution station at the World Showcase entrance, replacing the chalk art activities. This leads to various Lorcana activities, with life-size cards displayed around the park for a scavenger hunt experience. The Morocco Pavilion includes a special area for the Collection Quest and photo spots with Lorcana branding, making the integration of Lorcana hard to miss.
For guests who are not interested in trading card games or who want to enjoy the traditional Festival of the Arts, the focus on Lorcana changes the feel of the festival. The card game is not just one of many activities; it is a key part of the festival that influences much of the interactive experience.
The Quest Distribution Takeover
The World Showcase bridge has traditionally marked the transition to the festival atmosphere, previously featuring chalk art activities. This year, the space is dedicated to Disney Lorcana, with a Quest Distribution station showcasing artwork and messaging that emphasizes scarcity and urgency. Guests who arrive later risk missing out on questbooks, which are essential for participating in the Ink & Find scavenger hunt and the Collection Quest. Without these questbooks, guests cannot fully engage with the festival’s interactive elements.
Massive Cards Turn EPCOT Into Lorcana Territory
The Ink & Find scavenger hunt scatters life-size Disney Lorcana cards throughout EPCOT. These installations are not subtle nods to the card game. They are large-scale representations that guests encounter repeatedly as they navigate World Showcase. Finding these cards and matching ink types to map locations becomes a structured activity that gives purpose to pavilion exploration.
For Lorcana players, this integration creates treasure hunt excitement. For guests unfamiliar with or uninterested in the card game, the constant presence of Lorcana can feel like the festival has been co-opted by a commercial product that dominates the visual landscape. The cards cannot be ignored or avoided. They occupy prominent positions designed to draw attention and encourage participation.
Completing the scavenger hunt rewards guests with limited-edition promo cards featuring characters like Stitch, Rapunzel, and Donald Duck. These are reprints from previous Lorcana sets with modified backgrounds and special park promo markings. For collectors, these exclusive cards represent valuable additions that are not available through standard purchases. For non-players, the reward holds little meaning, making the entire activity feel designed exclusively for an audience already invested in Lorcana rather than the broader festival population.
The Morocco Pavilion Collection Quest
The Morocco Pavilion now houses the Illumineer’s Lounge, a dedicated Lorcana space where guests open booster packs and trade cards with other visitors. After collecting four cards, participants receive another limited-edition Magical Places promo card featuring characters like Stitch, Rapunzel, and Donald Duck.
The Collection Quest provides depth for serious Lorcana players. However, it also dedicates significant Morocco Pavilion space to an activity that serves a narrow audience segment rather than the general festival population.
Why the Lorcana Integration Feels Different
The Festival of the Arts has long featured sponsored elements and promotional activities, such as food studios and merchandise booths. However, the integration of Lorcana feels different due to its scale and significance. It occupies the World Showcase bridge entry and features life-size cards throughout the park.
A dedicated lounge takes over the Morocco Pavilion, with photo ops and a questbook system making Lorcana a key interactive experience. While traditional elements of visual arts, culinary creativity, and Broadway performances remain, they now coexist with Lorcana at every turn, reshaping the festival’s focus and audience.
Planning Around the EPCOT Lorcana Presence
For guests wanting to engage with Lorcana activities, early arrival at the Quest Distribution station is essential. The “While Supplies Last” warning means questbooks and promo cards will likely run out during popular weekends. Budgeting significant time for the scavenger hunt is necessary.
For guests who have no interest in the card game, adjusting expectations becomes important. The 2026 Festival of the Arts has made Lorcana central to its interactive programming. Traditional festival elements remain, but the overall experience has been reshaped around trading card game integration that cannot be avoided.
An EPCOT Festival Transformed
The 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts represents a significant departure from previous years. Disney Lorcana does not complement the festival. It dominates it. From entry point to scavenger hunt to dedicated lounge space to photo opportunities, the trading card game has been woven into the fabric of festival participation in ways that make it inescapable for anyone seeking the interactive experiences Disney has created.
Whether this integration enhances or detracts from Festival of the Arts depends entirely on individual perspectives toward Lorcana itself. For players and collectors, the festival has become a must-attend event offering exclusive cards and structured activities. For guests seeking the traditional celebration of diverse artistic mediums, the 2026 festival may feel like it has lost balance in favor of promoting a single commercial product that now defines much of the interactive experience.