Disney’s Biggest Broadway Stars Share Their Favorite Parts of Walt Disney World
With the 2025 International Festival of the Arts underway at EPCOT, the park is teeming with creativity and imagination.
Since 2017, the festival has been a way for Disney to spotlight the arts, bringing together festive foods, amazing artwork, and interactive exhibits to help guests unleash their creativity.


2025 Festival of the Arts
This year, however, the Festival of the Arts is paying particular attention to Disney Theatricals, which turned 30 years old last year. To celebrate, a new exhibit titled Once Upon a Stage has arrived at CommuniCore Hall.
Broadway Comes to Walt Disney World
Inside the exhibit guests can see props, puppets, and costumes from Disney’s biggest Broadway plays. Additionally, they learn more about the amazing men and women who make the shows possible.
In honor of the start of the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Arts and the new Once Upon a Stage exhibit, Playbill sat down with some of Disney on Broadway’s biggest stars to learn their personal connection to Walt Disney World.
Michael James Scott
Michael James Scott, who currently plays The Genie in Disney’s Aladdin, revealed that he grew up watching Winnie the Pooh as a kid.
“That was my entryway into Disney and into what the art of animation can do,” he explained.


Photo: Disney
When asked what his favorite part of Walt Disney World was, Scott quickly had an answer.
“Oh, you’ve gotta do Pandora! The Avatar ride. It is such a good example of what Disney does when creating the world of a story,” he explained.


Photo: Christy Weinberg
“From the foundation up, they think of everything. Pandora is like going into a whole new world, the music, the story, the smells, the sights, what you’re feeling, the emotion, it is just incredible.”
Cassie Levy
Cassie Levy, who currently plays Elsa in Disney’s Frozen, grew up enthralled by Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.
“For me, it was Belle in Beauty and the Beast. It was the first show I did at summer camp, I was nine years old, and I played Belle, and it was what made me say ‘theatre is it for me.'” she told Playbill.


Photo: Holmdel Theatre Company
Her favorite part of Walt Disney World- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!
Patti Murin
Levy’s Frozen co-star, Patti Murin, who plays Anna in the show, grew up loving Snow White.


Photo: Deadline
“But when I was a kid, I just loved Snow White and her spirit. I wanted all of the animals to come to me,” she said.
As for her favorite part of Walt Disney World, it is the Magic Kingdom!


Main Street, U.S.A.
“I think everyone should make sure to go to the Magic Kingdom, and really spend time in the original park that was here. All the other ones are so fun, and it’s amazing how they add rides, attractions, and shows as their catalog expands,” she explained. “But that original park, with the castle, is special. Walking in and seeing Main Street… I think nothing is better than that feeling.”
John Riddle
Her Frozen co-star, John Riddle, who plays Hans in the production, agrees.


Photo: The Muny
“If someone is visiting Disney World for the first time to experience the Festival, what should they make sure to do while in the parks?
The fireworks at Magic Kingdom. I can’t wait to take my three year old nephew, it’s one of the most magical things I’ve ever seen. I mean come on, who doesn’t love Tinkerbell?!”
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