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Epcot International Festival of the Holidays

Jamie Rumph
epcot international festival of holidays

The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, previously called Holidays Around the World runs daily from November 18th through December 30th.  This newly reimagined festival favorite is full of old favorites and some new and exciting additions this year!!!

How to Best Enjoy the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays

Table of Contents

  1. Have an idea of which of the 12 Holiday Showcase performances you can’t miss.
  2. Don’t miss the Candlelight Processional which happens 3 times nightly at the American Garden Theater.
  3. Know which foods and drinks you’d like to try at the holiday kitchens ahead of time.
  4. Make Candlelight Processional dining reservations if you want a reserved seat at the show.
  5. Make a plan for entertaining the kids. I use Chip & Dales Christmas Tree Spree game to keep them wanting to explore the world.
  6. Use the touring plan below to plan your day.

Decorations for the Holidays

Epcot is home to quite a few great holiday displays including one of the 9 iconic large trees.  This tree sits at the entrance of World Showcase and shows holiday greetings in many languages.  Stop here for your picture with this huge tree and you stroll into the World Showcase and get ready to fill your tummy with holiday goodness from around the world!

Throughout Epcot, many of the attractions will have nods to the holidays as well.  One of my most favorite is the additions to Living with the Land!

Holiday Kitchens for the International Festival of the Holidays

In 2016 Epcot expanded the Holidays Around the World to include Holidays Kitchens.  These kitchens operate the same as the other festivals throughout the year, offering guests small bites around the World Showcase that are traditional to the country you’re visiting.

There are 16 Holiday Kitchens to try out.

Future World East

Taste Track

Showcase Plaza

Holiday Sweets and Treats Booth

Refreshment Port – Near Canada

Feast of the Three Kings

World Showcase

Yukon Holiday Kitchen – Canada

Le Marche De Noel Holiday Kitchen – France

L’Chaim! – Between Morocco and France

Sapphire Holiday Kitchen – Morocco

Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen – Japan

American Holiday Table

Fife & Drum Tavern – The American Adventure

Tuscany Holiday Kitchen – Italy

Bavaria Holiday Kitchen – Germany

Refreshment Outpost – Near Africa Outpost

Shanghai Holiday Kitchen – China

Las Posadas – México

Festival Food Extras

Joffery’s Coffee & Tea Company

France

Fountain View Cafe

Norway

UK Beer Cart

UK Tea Caddy

Canada

Gluten-Free options by country

Disney does an amazing job of providing options that are food allergy-friendly and GOOD!

Unfortunately, the Festival of the Holidays lacks very many gluten-free options around the World Showcase.  Most of the options will be as you enter the World Showcase at Feast of the Three Kings which isn’t as much fun when you have to consume it all in one place!

Festival Entertainment

The Candlelight Processional

The Candlelight Processional takes place nightly at the American Garden Theater and is one of my most favorite Epcot Holiday traditions.

The processional starts each year on Thanksgiving evening and runs through December 30th.  The lineup of narrators varies from well-know beloved artists like Whoopi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris.  But no matter who narrates the Candlelight Processional, while you’re visiting, you won’t’ want to miss it.

The Candlelight Processional tells the Christmas Story while a 50 piece orchestra and choir (made up of Cast Members) accompany the narrator in telling the story of the coming of our savior.

Show Times: 5:00 pm, 6:45 pm, 8:15 pm each evening

Location: American Garden Theater, World Showcase

Schedule of Artists

What is “Candlelight Processional Dining Package”

When you make a reservation with a Candlelight Processional Dining Package each person in the dining party will be allowed a guaranteed spot at one of the nightly shows. The reserved showtime is based on the dining time selected.

If you don’t have a dining package you’ll look for these standby entrance signs to line up for your showtime of choice.  You will need to get in line 30-45 minutes prior to showtime to be admitted to the show.  For the most popular narrators like Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Patrick Harris and John Stamos, I’ve seen guests line-up more than 2 hours in advance.

What you need to know about the Candlelight Processional Dining Package:

Participating Restaurants:

Holiday Cookie Stroll Continues This Year

Nothing says Christmas like cookies!  This year at the International Festival of the Holidays you can participate in the NEW Holiday Cookie Stroll!

Purchase five select holiday cookies and mark your passport with a stamp for each one.  When you’ve collected all five stop by Holiday Sweets and Treats to receive a special complimentary Santa Mickey cookie.

Locations:

Don’t forget to collect your Disney holiday cookie jar!

Live music daily on the Foutain Stage

Joyful!

Holiday IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

Holiday Storytellers & Holiday Traditions Around the World

Each country shares the holiday traditions and culture of their county.  It’s a fun way to learn more about how holidays are celebrated around the world.

*Times are subject to change.  Please check the times guide upon entrance to Epcot.

Mexico

Norway

China

Germany

Italy

American Adventure:

Japan

Morocco

Between Morocco and France – Hanukkah

France

United Kingdom

Canada

Festival Merchandise

Each year the festival offers endless merchandise to commemorate your experience.

Throughout the World Showcase are Holiday Markets.  They offer some artisan memorabilia as well as Festival-themed merchandise.

All Festival Merchandise can be found at MouseGears and throughout Epcot and the World Showcase. If you don’t find what you’re looking for ask a Cast Member to look up where else in the park you may find the item. They are generally very good at locating things for you!

Kid-Sized Festival Fun

Kidcot Fun Stops

Kids can stop in each country to pick up their Ziploc brand suitcases and touring cards in each country.  (Not specific to the festival)

New Family Play Zone 

A new playground inspired by “Ralph Breaks the Internet” located near Test Track.  This is a great place for kids to safely run off some energy while parents sit and relax for a bit.

Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree

The festival scavenger hunts are a favorite in our house! It’s a great way to keep the kids interested and moving around the World Showcase!

The cost of the map with stickers is $6.99 and can be picked up at Pin Central, Disney Traders or World Traveler.  This festival I have even seen them scattered around the World Showcase at various Holiday Markets.

Get the Festival of the Holidays 2018 Map Here

Festival Passport

Enjoy checking off your list in your Festival of the Holidays Passport as you make your way around Epcot and the World Showcase.

Touring Plan for the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays

Start your day at Epcot by arriving 30 minutes prior to the park opening.  Daily park hours can be found here.

The World Showcase opens daily at 11 am.

Holiday Kitchens are open from 12 pm to 8 pm each day.

You can enter the World Showcase prior to 11 am and go as far as Norway on the left side of France on the right side.  Keep in mind that doing so will result in missing a large part of the festival prior to the Holiday Kitchens and entertainment beginning.

The only reason I suggest entering World Showcase prior to 11 am would be to ride Frozen Ever After in Norway.  The wait times can be long if you don’t’ have a FastPass.  You could skip all of Future World upon entry to Epcot and go straight to Norway to ride Frozen Ever After but keep in mind this will result in a lot of extra walking and backtracking to cover all of Epcot.

In this park touring plan we’re focusing on covering the International Festival of the Holidays and only riding the main attractions at Epcot.  If you’re more focused on the Epcot attractions this is not the touring plan for your day.

See all Epcot touring plans here.

Note about FastPass+ at Epcot:

Epcot operates on a tiered FastPass system meaning the most popular attractions Soarin, Test Track and Frozen Ever After are in Tier One and all of the other Fast Pass attractions are in Tier Two. You can read more about the tiered FastPass system and how it works here.

In this touring plan, I have chosen Frozen Ever After as the tier one FastPass selection simply for ease of moving through the park without much backtracking and additional walking.

At park opening head directly to:

*All FastPass attractions and anything time-sensitive will be noted in red.  This plan is very time-sensitive due to all of the Holiday Storytelling shows and their limited showings.  You will need to make choices and see only some of the shows if you’re only visiting Epcot for one day.

I prefer to enter the World Showcase and head right towards Canada.  I find going towards Mexico is more crowded

Choose which Holiday Storytellers and traditions you’d like to see prior to arrival.  If you have some you don’t want to miss be mindful of the time as you move around the World Showcase.  You won’t be able to see them all and personally, we see most of them in passing rather than stopping to see the whole show in each country.

*Check times guide for daily schedule or look at the entertainment guide online to ensure you don’t miss it.  You will want to find a spot 30-45 mins prior to show time to get a spot upfront.  Because the viewing area is so large it’s not hard to get a good viewing location.

For additional information on visiting Disney World during the holidays and help planning your Disney World vacation go here.

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