2020 Epcot Festival of the Holidays Info & Tips
Epcot International Festival of the Holidays features Christmas entertainment around World Showcase, starting November 27, 2020 at Walt Disney World. This event guide offers tips for making the most of Candlelight Processional and the Holiday Storytellers (mostly versions of Santa) during this seasonal celebration.
Of course, one thing that would never go missing from an Epcot festival is the food. We’ve covered that extensively in our Food Guide to the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays (and our individual booth reviews), so we aren’t going to spend too much time rehashing that here. Starting only a week after Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival ends, many of the food booths from that event are recycled for Festival of the Holidays, albeit with new menus.
Consequently, it’s easy to view this seasonal event as an extension of the popular fall Food & Wine event at Epcot, simply rebranded for Christmas. Some Walt Disney World fans joke that the other seasonal events are all “Epcot Food & Wine Festival Lite.” They’re not wrong. However, they’re also not totally right…
The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays is about so much more than eating, and if you focus solely on the food, you’re missing the heart of the event. There is a ton to enjoy during the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays–with or without food.
October 2020 UPDATE: Unfortunately, during the phased reopening of Walt Disney World, entertainment is significantly limited due to physical distancing requirements. As a result, the Candlelight Processional has been cancelled for 2020 and Holiday Storytellers will not appear.
Those are two big blows, as they were the heart & soul of Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays. Walt Disney World has not yet announced what, if anything, will take their place. We’ll keep you posted.
Holiday Storytellers – These international storytellers share winter traditions from their native countries and (in a few cases) religions. In the European countries, these are mostly versions of Santa Claus. In addition to the Santas, representatives at the American Adventure describe the celebrations of Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. In other countries, different traditions are recounted, usually with an emphasis on entertaining performances.
The Storytellers can be hit or miss, and whether you want to spend the time seeing listening to their stories will depend upon your personal preferences. If you are on the fence, we’d recommend starting your tour around the World Showcase in Mexico and continuing to Norway second as the most engaging Storytellers are near the beginning of the tour that way. If you don’t enjoy those countries’ Storytellers, chances are that you won’t enjoy any of the rest. (For our Holiday Storytellers at Epcot Tips, click here.)
Candlelight Processional – A retelling of the Christmas story with a celebrity narrator, mass choir performing seasonal melodies, and a 50-piece live orchestra. If last year’s schedule is any indication, Candlelight Processional will run nightly from Thanksgiving through December 30 (in which case, it’d kick off the night before the rest of the event), with performances at at 5:00, 6:45, and 8:00 p.m. You can find the celebrity narrators for each night by clicking here (opens in new tab).
One tip for Candlelight Processional is to book a dinner package if you’re visiting when one of the popular narrators is in town. They’re not too much of a premium if you were already planning on eating a table service meal, and will save you tons of time. We were there for the second night of Neil Patrick Harris’ run a couple of years ago, and we saw people waiting in line FOUR HOURS before the show. (For more info on Candlelight Processional, click here.)
Chip and Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree – Naturally, there’s a paid scavenger hunt, as is the case with other festivals at Epcot. For the holidays, it’s Chip and Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree, which is akin to the Figment and Ratatouille ones during other festivals at Epcot. Chip and Dale are collecting ornaments for their Christmas tree, and you go around looking for them as they gather ornaments from holiday decorations in each World Showcase pavilion. Once finished, you receive a festive ‘reward.’
Now, here’s how we’d approach a day at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays…
Strategy, Tips & Itinerary
With all of that out of the way, our planning recommendation for the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays is pretty simple. We’d recommend rope-dropping the park (see our morning strategy for Epcot here), and doing as much as possible in Future World before 1 p.m.
Around then, bounce to World Showcase, and grab the Turkey Poutine from Refreshment Port before continuing on with your schedule of Holiday Storytellers. In between these performances, make some time to grab snacks at the various Holiday Kitchens, and schedule time for a few attractions, as well. (Mid-afternoon would be a great time for a Frozen Ever After FastPass+.)
Our rationale for doing actual attractions in addition to the Holiday Storytellers is that all of the Storytellers perform outside, with zero shade. Moreover, all of the lines for the Holiday Kitchen are outdoors, in unshaded areas. Ditto the tables for the food. Are you spotting a trend yet?
Even on a November or December afternoon, it can be in the 80s at Walt Disney World. If you do happen to get lucky with more favorable temperatures, you still have to deal with that Florida sunshine. The weather this time of year is delightful, but the potential for getting sunburnt doesn’t go away just because the temperature drops below 70 degrees.
The good news is that sunset occurs around 5 p.m. this time of year, so you can save a lot of your Holiday Storyteller and snacking experiences until around that time (note that some Storytellers end early, so make note of show schedules in advance).
The Holiday Kitchens all close at 8 p.m., so you’ll definitely want to grab the last of your snacks by that cut-off point. We’d recommend grabbing a surplus of items and grabbing a viewing spot for the fireworks.
Alternatively, you might opt for the last showing of Candlelight Processional (that’s the one we’d recommend attending) at 8:15 p.m., in which case you’ll want to line up before 8 p.m. to watch that–or just hang out in the American Adventure courtyard and enjoy the performances from afar.
It is possible to do the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays entertainment in addition to regular Epcot attractions. However, as we note in our 1-Day Epcot Ideal Day Plan, the park is already pretty much a 2-day park, and doing the above as your second day at Epcot just makes things so much easier, and will allow you to have a much slower pace.
That’s what we recommend, and usually when we visit Epcot around Christmas-time, it’s primarily to enjoy the holiday offerings. We’ll also do some regular rides and shows if we have time, but there are so many seasonal offerings that they can easily take up the whole day (or, at least the entire afternoon and evening).
Epcot Holiday Kitchens
As we noted earlier in the post, our separate Food Guide to the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays covers everything you need to know about what to eat (and what not to eat) at this event. Accordingly, all we’re going to cover here menus and our rankings of the various Holiday Kitchens (ordered from best to worst):
- Yukon (Canada) Holiday Kitchen
- American Holiday Table Kitchen
- Sapphire (Morocco) Holiday Kitchen
- Le Marché De Noël (France) Holiday Kitchen
- Shanghai (China) Holiday Kitchen
- Bavaria (Germany) Holiday Kitchen
- Tuscany (Italy) Holiday Kitchen
- Feast of the Three Kings Holiday Kitchen
- L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen
- Holiday Sweets & Treats Kitchen
- Las Posadas (Mexico) Holiday Kitchen
- Shi Wasu (Japan) Holiday Kitchen
Each one of those links above opens a new window with our full review of each Holiday Kitchen.
If you don’t care what we think, here are the menus:
BAVARIA HOLIDAY KITCHEN (GERMANY)
Food:
- Potato Dumpling with Mushroom Sauce
- Sauerbraten, Red Cabbage and Spätzle
- Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl with Fresh Steamed Baby Vegetables and Marble Potatoes featuring Melissa’s Produce (Vegetarian) (Kid-Approved)
- Black Forest Roulade with Cherry Whipped Cream
- Peppermint Sugar Cookie (Vegetarian)
Drinks:
- Possmann Pure Hard Apple Cider, Frankfurt, Germany
- Possmann Pure Hard Black Currant Apple Cider, Frankfurt, Germany
- Schöfferhofer Pomegranate Hefeweizen, Frankfurt, Germany
- Cider Flight
- Regional Riesling
- Glühwein: House-made Hot Spiced Wine
AMERICAN HOLIDAY TABLE (THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE)
Food:
- Slow-roasted Turkey with Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Cranberry Sauce
- Hand-carved Smoked Ham with Green Beans and Sweet Potato Casserole (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Chocolate Pecan Tart with Whipped Cream and Caramel Sauce (Vegetarian)
- Red and Green Chocolate Chip Cookie (Vegetarian)
Drinks:
- American Heritage Milk Chocolate Gourmet Hot Cocoa with Wondermade Marshmallows (non-alcoholic)
- Orange Blossom Brewing Cranberry Kringle Pilsner, Orlando, FL
- Shipyard Eggnog White Porter, Clearwater, FL
- JDub’s Season’s Greetings Peppermint Milk Stout, Sarasota, FL
- Holiday Beer Flight
- Cocoa Candy Cane: American Heritage Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa with Peppermint Schnapps
YUKON HOLIDAY KITCHEN (CANADA)
Food:
- Seared Salmon with Crown Maple Whisky Glaze, Parsnip Silk, Apple Chutney and Hazelnut Croquant
- Traditional French Canadian Tourtiere with Canadian Ketchup
- Maple Bûche de Noël: Maple Mousse rolled in Gingerbread Chiffon Cake with Cranberry Sauce and Pecan Crumble (Vegetarian) (Kid-Approved)
- Gold Chocolate Chip Cookie (Vegetarian)
Drinks:
- Frozen Coffee (non-alcoholic)
- Unibroue Éphémère Strawberry and Rhubarb
- Inniskillin Riesling Icewine
- Inniskillin Pearl Vidal Icewine
- Inniskillin Gold Oak Icewine
- Ice Wine Flight
- Frozen Coffee with Tap 357 Whisky
FEAST OF THE THREE KINGS
Food Items:
- Pastelón: Sofrito-marinated Beef with Sweet Plantains and Olives (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Queso Fresco-stuffed Arepa topped with Shrimp, Crushed Avocado Aji and Tomato Sauce (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Arepas topped with Melted Queso Fresco (Vegetarian) (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (Kid-Approved)
- Tres Leches Rice Pudding with Pumpkin Seeds (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Green and White Sugar Cookie (Vegetarian)
Beverages:
- Coquito: Tropical Eggnog (non-alcoholic) (Kid-Approved)
- M.I.A. Beer Company Trey Reyes Mango Golden
- Coquito: Tropical Eggnog with a Bacardi Gold Dark Rum Floater
HOLIDAY SWEETS & TREATS
Food:
- Peppermint Sundae: Chocolate Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, and Peppermint Candy (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (Kid-Approved)
- Holiday Tree Sugar Cookie (Vegetarian)
- Holiday Cookie Stroll Completer Cookie – Red and Green Mickey Sugar Cookie (Vegetarian)
Drinks:
- Hot Cocoa
- TG Lee Eggnog (non-alcoholic)
- Chocolate Apple Shake featuring Twinings Winter Spice Tea (non-alcoholic)
- Shipyard Eggnog White Porter, Clearwater, FL
- Hot Cocoa with Assorted Cordials (Baileys Irish Cream, Frangelico Liqueur or Fireball Cinnamon Whisky)
- Firenog: T.G. Lee Eggnog with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
- Chocolate Apple Shake featuring Twinings® Winter Spice Tea and Butterscotch Schnapps
L’CHAIM! HOLIDAY KITCHEN
Food:
- Pastrami on Rye with House-made Pickles and Deli Mustard
- Potato Knish with Herb Sour Cream (Vegetarian)
- Chicken and Matzo Ball Soup
- Black and White Cookie (Vegetarian)
Drinks:
- Egg Cream: Milk, Chocolate Syrup and Seltzer (non-alcoholic)
- Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Lager
- Blue Cosmo Cocktail
REFRESHMENT OUTPOST
Food:
- Warm Caramel Stuffed Salted Pretzel with Soft-serve Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce (Kid-Approved)
Drinks:
- Shipyard Eggnog White Porter, Clearwater, FL
REFRESHMENT PORT
Food:
- Turkey Poutine: Sweet Potato Fries with Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Relish and Crispy Onions
Drinks:
- Eggnog Shake (non-alcoholic)
- Eggnog Shake with Baileys Irish Cream
FIFE & DRUM (THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE)
Food Items:
- Holiday Apple Pie Sundae with Soft-serve Ice Cream, Caramel Sauce and Crunchy Streusel Topping (Kid-Approved)
Drinks:
- Budweiser Reserve Collection Copper Lager
TASTE TRACK
Foods:
- Croissant Doughnut tossed in Cinnamon Sugar
- Croissant Doughnut with Chocolate and Holiday Sprinkles (Kid-Approved)
- Croissant Doughnut with Eggnog Pastry Cream and Gingersnap Crumbs
- Gelato
Drinks:
- Pancake Milkshake
- Banfi Rosa Regale Sparkling Red
LE MARCHE DE NOËL HOLIDAY KITCHEN (FRANCE)
Food:
- Napoléon de Saumon Fumé, Brioche à L’aneth: Smoked Salmon Napoleon in a Dill Brioche
- Bouchée à la Reine Traditionnelle: Turkey and Mushrooms in a Veloute Cream Sauce served in a Light Puff Pastry
- Bûche de Noël au Chocolat “Christmas Log”: Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Caramel Ganache
Drinks:
- Spiced Rum Punch Slush: Spiced Rum, Rhum Clement V.S.O.P., Orange and Pineapple Juice with Cinnamon
- Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Blend, Château La Grand Moulin, Blaye, Côtes de Bordeaux
- Holiday Kir: Sparking Wine and Monin Cranberry Syrup
- Willm, Brut Blanc de Blanc Sparking Wine
SAPPHIRE HOLIDAY KITCHEN (MOROCCO)
Food:
- Grilled Lamb Kefta Kebab with Whole Wheat Pita, Cucumber, Olives, Tomatoes, Mint Yogurt Sauce and Harissa-cilantro Dressing
- Confit of Chermoula Chicken Drum with Cinnamon Granny Smith Apple, Toasted Almonds, Brussels Sprouts and Pinot Noir Glaze
- “Sfenj” – Warm Beignets with Cream, Cinnamon Sugar, Toasted Almonds and Chocolate Sauce
Drinks:
- Casa Beer
- Kasbah Prestige Red Wine
- The Andalusian “Poinsettia” Cocktail: Sparking Wine, Orange Liqueur and Cranberry Juice topped with Orange Blossom Water
- Walnut Spiced Coffee with Walnut Liqueur and topped with Cinnamon and Whipped Cream
TUSCANY HOLIDAY KITCHEN (ITALY)
Food:
- Cavatappi ai Quattro Formaggi: Baked Four-Cheese Pasta, Parmesan Crumble and Truffle Essence (Kid-Approved)
- Mozzarella in Carozza: Golden-crusted Fried Mozzarella Sandwich and Tomato Sauce (Kid-Approved)
- Crespelle di Mele: Cinnamon Apple Fritters and a Vanilla Sauce Drizzle with Chocolate Caramel Sauce
- Bacio al Cioccolato: Warm Hazelnut Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
- Panettone Mignon: Miniature Traditional Italian Christmas Fruitcake
Drinks:
- Moretti Lager
- Moretti La Rossa Double Malt Beer
- Pinot Grigio
- Chianti
- Prosecco
- Corbinello
- Moscato
SHANGHAI HOLIDAY KITCHEN (CHINA)
Food:
- Pork and Vegetable Egg Rolls (Kid-Approved)
- Mongolian Beef Bao Bun and a Fortune Cookie
- Celebration Barbecue Pork with Steamed Rice and a Fortune Cookie
- Spicy Mala Chicken with Steamed Rice and a Fortune Cookie
Drinks:
- Sweetened Bubble Milk Tea: Mango Flavored Milk Tea with Tapioca Pearls (non-alcoholic)
- Jasmine Beer
- Plum Wine
SHI WASU HOLIDAY KITCHEN (JAPAN)
Food:
- New Year Celebration Soba: Buckwheat Soba Noodles in Hot Dashi Soup with Chicken and Spinach
- Holiday Green Tea “Yule Log”: Delicate Spongecake rolled with Whipped Cream Filling
Drinks:
- Ichigo Milk Boba: Popping Strawberry Boba Cream Drink with Japanese Calpico (non-alcoholic)
- Sapporo Draft Beer
- Cinnamon Apple Cider: Plum Wine, Orange Juice with Lemonade and Apples
LAS POSADAS HOLIDAY KITCHEN (MEXICO)
Food:
- Enchilada de Pollo con Mole: Chipotle Chicken in a Corn Tortilla topped with Mole Negro and garnished with Shredded Oaxaca Cheese and Sesame Seeds
- Tamal de Camarón: Corn Tamal stuffed with Guajillo-marinated Shrimp topped with Mole Rojo and Shredded Cotija Cheese
- Arroz Con Leche: Rice Pudding with Cranberries
Drinks:
- Cerveza Mexicana Artesanal: Allende Mexican Craft Ale served with a Floater of Kahlúa
- Noche Buena Margarita: Libélula Joven Tequila, Cranberry and Lime Juices and Agave Nectar topped with Lime Foam and Sprinkles
- La Posada Margarita: Cazadores Blanco Tequila, Horchata-Cinnamon Liqueur, and Agua de Horchata topped with Cinnamon
Don’t feel bad about gorging yourself at these booths. You’ll be learning about holiday culinary customs in other cultures as you graze, so the argument could be made that you’re doing all this eating to learn. The way we see it, we pretty much have to try all of these snacks. It is our responsibility as citizens of the world. 😉
For comprehensive tips for planning your Christmas-time trip to Walt Disney World, check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World. For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and related articles.
YOUR THOUGHTS…
Do you have any favorite things from Epcot International Festival of the Holidays/Holidays Around the World at Epcot? Which Holiday Storyteller is your favorite? Do you enjoy a particular Candlelight Processional narrator? Thoughts on the Peace on Earth tag? Any questions? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your thoughts in the comments!
Some of this is incorrect for 2020.
Can anyone tell me if the caramel kiss drink is back this year in Germany?
I went over and looked at the Germany stuff just now and didn’t see caramel kiss anywhere. It was my favorite drink when it was around, but sadly, I don’t think it has came back this year either.
We are traveling to Disney Nov. 8-12 to see the Christmas festivities for the first time. I see we’ll miss the Epcot events because we’re too early, but what should we expect during that time for Epcot? We’re happy to go that weekend, but wondering if there any other key things we should be on the lookout for? (We do have the Christmas Party tickets purchased).
Any ideas about when Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays will begin in 2019? I know it’s early, but we are planning a Nov. 17-25 trip this year. Thanksgiving is late (28th), so I’m wondering if the festival starts weekend before Thanksgiving is or if it’s always that middle weekend of November, regardless of when the holiday is. In years past, it looks like Thanksgiving has always been earlier and the fest has started the weekend prior (~17th). Any insight? We are staying at Wilderness Lodge….also hoping those decorations will be up.
Thank you for the advise, food was awesome! Although I am Italian decent I do not recomend Itally. It was the worst unfortunately. Your snack credits can get you some amazing food. Canada and France not to be missed!!
dougrichards@sasktel.net
Is there a map of the festival so I can pre-plan what I want to drink and how I intend to stuff myself?
Will these kitchens be like quick dining service? This will be my first time going to Disney for Christmas season and remembering so I am not familiar with the Epcot Festival of the Holidays.
We are planning on being at Epcot on Christmas day and I made a reservation at the seafood restaurant (the only place that still had availability) for dinner around 4pm. Now i’m wondering if I should cancel that – would we be better off just noshing our way around the world?
I was wondering the same thing as Becky. If snack credits are able to be used. Tom, I was overwhelmed when I first started planning 10 months ago. Now, only 7 weeks and I feel very confidant, knowing what I do thanks to your blog and my Disney experience. I am not going to over plan, but we have fast passes and reservations for meals, a list of other rides in ea. Park we still want fast passes for. My husband and our 9 year old granddaughter that has never been are the ones going. I am beyond excited. Nothing will ruin this. We’re going to roll with it whatever goes. We’re there to have fun and make memories. Can’t wait!
Oh Judy! I feel like I was reading a passage from my heart! We’ll be there for the first time ever the week of Christmas! Fast passes are secure, dining reservations made and our anticipation is on overload! We’re taking all of our kids and grands this year, first time we’ve all ever been. And the grands don’t know! It’s a Christmas surprise!!
Fondly,
Nancy McMillan
Has anyone heard what the dates are for 2018 yet?
So once you buy park tickets for Epcot, there is not an additional “ticket” charge to get into the International Festival for the Holidays, correct? Only the cost of any food / drinks purchased?
Correct.
Is there an annual pass discount, like at California Adventure? I’ll be in Epcot for the first time this November and would like to budget for this. For instance, at DCA, AP’s could purchase a card with eight tear-off tickets for $60. Is there something like that at Epcot?
Firenog and Cocoa Candy Cane… Sounds like a must try! Our trip can’t come soon enough.
Yum! Going for first time at Christmas this year. Cannot wait to see your food reviews!
Looking forward to a similar post on Disneyland, including the Festival of Holidays booths. We’ll be there Dec 2 and 3. The peppermint ice cream cone at GG is a Must Do, but considering adding the Yule Log at your recommendation.
Hey, thanks for this! I’m going in December next year – I’ve never been there during Christmas, so in a way I’ll be a newbie. What exactly is in the Yule Log? It looks yummy! Also, have you ever tried the Caramel Kiss? I’ve been reading a lot of praise, but I wonder if it’s overly sweet.
Tom, do you know if we can use snack credits for these booths, just like Food and Wine?
You’ll most likely be able to use snack credits on all items at the marketplaces, and on the snacks in counter service restaurants.
I am glad I wasn’t the only one who loved that turkey waffle. I pass by every season, hoping to see it back on the menu…
I want to say last year (or the year before?) they also had a chocolate peppermint sundae at that same spot. I meant to try it, but totally forgot. Point being, historically, that has been an unheralded location for good holiday snacks.