New Found Glory performs at Epcot to honor late lead guitarist Chad Gilbert
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. —
The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to the theme park in Walt Disney World for the past 30 years. Guests flock to Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to sample tasty bites and beverages and get the opportunity to listen to world-famous bands and musical artists.
Video above: Remembering those we lost in 2026
For the past several years, rock band New Found Glory has been a mainstay at the festival’s Eat to the Beat concert series.
When the music lineup was announced a few months ago, New Found Glory was slated to perform Sept. 28-29 at Epcot. However, on Sept. 20, the band’s guitarist and backing vocalist Chad Gilbert died at age 45.
Many speculated that New Found Glory would cancel or postpone their scheduled trip to Epcot, but the band assured fans the show would go on.
“Our shows at Epcot were dates he was so excited for and he was actively planning to be on stage with us there. He had already worked on the setlists with us and was practicing as much as possible to be ready. Because of how much he wanted to play these shows, taking the stage at Epcot feels like the right way to honor him, and what he would want us to do. Our plan from the beginning with him was to announce our Epcot sets ahead of time, so we feel it’s only appropriate to share them with you now as we prepare to play in his memory,”
the band wrote on social media. “Every note we play and every word you sing at Epcot is for Chad. Thank you all for wrapping us in so much love, understanding, and support as we come together to honor his legacy.”
Because of Gilbert’s love of Disney, they performed in his honor Monday evening.
“What an honor to Chad. These sets won’t be easy for them at all,” fan Sean Michael Fulton said.
“Such an amazing band and Chad was an awesome dude,” fan Luke Husz said.
The band displayed Gilbert’s customized Mickey Mouse guitar on stage.
The band pre-released their set list for Monday evening, which included “Part of Your World,” from “The Little Mermaid,” which they initially covered for Disney’s “A Whole New Sound” pop-punk album.
Covering the song was special to Gilbert.
“In approaching this song, I sat with the lyrics and melodies for a while. I realized that to make people feel what Ariel’s feeling, we needed to match the energy of the music with the rebellious thoughts of the song, along with her hope for adventure. When she sings about wanting to dance, the music is upbeat and fun, but when she expresses her longing for freedom, the rhythm drops so you really feel the pull of the heart. Our band’s biggest goal has always been to show and encourage young adults, the young at heart, and any person that has a dream but faces self-doubt that there is another world out there that will accept them for exactly who they are. To not be afraid to take the next step,” he said in a 2024 interview.
New Found Glory did announce that they are canceling their upcoming Aftershock Festival appearance to give themselves time to process and grieve.
The shows at Epcot this week were a way to show their respect to their beloved bandmate.
Gilbert died “peacefully in his sleep,” his wife Lisa Cimorelli announced.
He had been diagnosed with cancer several times in the past five years, most recently with stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma.
