Music, Memories, and a Touch of Magic

A few weeks ago, my sister asked if my husband and I could get her into EPCOT for their Eat to the Beat Concert Series because one of her favorite musicians—Ben Rector—was performing! Naturally, we rallied a group of girls and headed to EPCOT on Monday, September 22.

The Shows

Ben played three shows that day (5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:00 PM). We caught the first and last shows, arriving at the park around 3:00 PM to grab some bites around the world before lining up at 4:30 PM to snag great seats.

What We Ate

Of course, no EPCOT trip is complete without sampling the festival food! Here’s what made our list:

• Festival Favorites: Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies
• Canada: Filet Mignon with Mushrooms & Potatoes
• Ireland: Shirley Temples at the pub
• Italy: Tortellini alla Vodka
• Snack Cart: Classic Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich

In Between Sets

Between the first and last show, we strolled the World Showcase, rode the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros in Mexico, and soaked up the atmosphere before heading back for the evening performance—Ben’s sixth and final EPCOT show of his two-day run.

Ben Rector’s Performance

Ben was as authentic as ever, filling the space with both music and meaningful moments. At the 5:30 PM show, he gave a sweet shoutout to his wife and kids in the audience. During the 8:00 PM show, he let the crowd vote on a bonus song—“Sailboat” won, which felt especially meaningful to one of our friends who has a sailboat tattoo as a tribute to how the song helped her through a tough season.

At one point, a girl behind me leaned over and whispered, “Do you work for him, or are you just a fan?” I had to laugh. (But seriously—Ben, hire me?!)

My favorite song of the night was "Sunday," which, of course, was a crowd favorite. Not only did Ben play his own songs, but he mixed in a little Disney magic too!

The Band

Guitarist/Pianist: Austin Goodloe

Saxophonist: David Besonen

Bassist: Ian Martin Allison

Drummer: Jared Kneale

After the Shows

We couldn’t leave EPCOT without one more adventure—so we ended the evening with the quintessential nightcap ride: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Nothing like blasting off through space with Star-Lord’s mixtape to close out a day filled with music, memories, and magic. 🚀🎶

A Personal Note

Although Ben didn’t play “The Men That Drive Me Places,” my sister told me how much that song made her think of our dad. On my drive home later that week, I listened to it alone, and the tears came. There are so many similarities:

Howard drives a minivan to the cruise ships from Fort Lauderdale

It's been that way since 1994

Does his business on a flip phone with the most obnoxious ringtones

I didn't ask, but I could tell he's from New York

He spoke proudly of his daughter and that this fall she'd be in college

And that he always wished he'd gotten his degree

You can tell he came from nothin', built a future out of hustlin'

And somehow I'm the one you people pay to see

Our dad passed in 2015, the year Ben released this song. When we were growing up, he drove an Airport Shuttle van in Ft. Lauderdale, and the business on a flip phone is a spot-on description of those years. He's not from New York, but up north (Canada)... and any chance he got, he'd speak proudly of us (his daughters). We were daddy's girls, for sure! He never got his degree, but was so proud of us for chasing ours!

Over the years, he launched many businesses -- he was a self-starter and a hustler. So Ben, our dad's name is Frank (not Howard), but this song could have been easily about him... and for that, thank you!