9 Magical Details You Won’t Want to Miss in EPCOT’s ‘Once Upon a Stage: 30 Years on Broadway’ Exhibit
At this year’s EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, Disney opened a new exhibit celebrating 30 years of Disney on Broadway.
Titled Once Upon a Stage, the gallery houses props, puppets, and costumes from Disney’s biggest stage productions. While there, guests can also learn more about the amazing men and women who make the productions possible.
To ensure you get the most out of your visit to Once Upon a Stage, here are nine hidden details you won’t want to miss!
Mufasa Mask Prototype
When visiting The Lion King Puppet Workshop, you will see a hand-crafted lion’s head mask created by Julie Taymor. It is the original Mufasa mask prototype for The Lion King on Broadway!
According to Disney, the artifact has never been on display until now!
Making Magic Out of Natural Materials
The Lion King Puppet Workshop also holds many natural materials used to bring Simba and his friends to life.
For example, you can see features in the Zazu puppet, straw for giraffes, and pom poms for wildebeests.
An Authentic Recreation
The Puppet Workshop display was made as authentic as possible by Arthur Caudros, a puppet dayworker at The Lion King on Broadway. He walked through the exhibit and used it like he would during a normal workday.
He also carefully arranged each item to ensure that they were placed where they naturally belonged.
A Subtle Aladdin Tribute
Moving over to the Aladdin Costume Studio, you may notice a clock next to a bulletin board.
The timepiece is stuck at 3:20, referencing the date the musical premiered on Broadway- March 20, 2014.
Genie’s Pants
Guests can see fabrics from the Disney warehouse that supplies all Disney on Broadway shows throughout the Aladdin Costume Studio.
Here, you can even spot a bold blue fabric bolt in a bin. This is the fabric used to create Genie’s pants!
Hidden Mickeys
Between the Aladdin Costume Stop and The Lion King Mask & Puppet Workshop, Once Upon a Stage houses seven Hidden Mickeys.
According to Disney, there may even be an eighth Hidden Mickey at the tip of a brush!
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Book
When entering Once Upon a Stage, guests will quickly notice the King Arthur book on display. This is an original artifact from the 1994 Broadway debut of Beauty and the Beast and is the oldest item on display.
The book was hand-made by Stan Meter, the senior props designer, for the magical stage production.
Don’t Forget ‘Newsies’
Newsies fans should quickly recognize the Jack Kelly costume now displayed in CommuniCore Hall.
The outfit was worn by Jeremy Jordan for the Disney+ production of the show!
Regal Garments
At Once Upon a Stage, guests can also see Anna and Elsa’s iconic dresses from Disney’s Frozen!
The ornate gowns look beautiful but are much heavier than they look. Anna’s dress weighs 15 pounds, while Elsa’s ice outfit weighs 25 pounds!
Patti Murin, Cassie Levy, and more of Disney on Broadway’s biggest stars have worn the breathtaking garments.
If you plan on visiting EPCOT during the 2025 Festival of the Arts, make sure you stop by Once Upon a Stage! It is an amazing look behind-the-scenes of Disney on Broadway!
