Late November – December 30, 2024
During the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, which takes place from November 24 through December 30, 2023, discover a festival featuring the joyous holiday traditions of the 11 World Showcase nations. The event surrounds you in the wondrous sights, sounds and flavors of the season as celebrated by cultures near and far.
Guests will be able to enjoy live musical productions, savor seasonal food & beverage specialties at the expanded Holiday Kitchens, and take a festive global tour as costumed performers bring time-honored traditions to life throughout World Showcase!
The following details the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays for 2023 to use for planning purposes. Details will be posted when 2024 information is released.
Candlelight Processional Holiday Kitchen Cookie Stroll Holiday Storytellers Meet Santa Holiday Character Topiaries Entertainment Holiday Scavenger Hunt MFL Tips
Candlelight Processional
Normally showing nightly to park guests at 5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., the Candlelight Processional is a breathtaking retelling of the Christmas story in words and music complete with a 50 piece orchestra, choir and celebrity guest narrator. Candlelight Processional Dining Packages with reserved seating may be booked by calling (407) WDW-DINE.
Holiday Kitchens
During the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays there are delicious Holiday Kitchens food and beverage kiosks. There will be more than 15 kiosks in total. These will be similar to what Guests experience during the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival and the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival.
Guests can also enjoy a special Cookie Stroll around the World Showcase. Guests can purchase cookies at several festival booths and keep track of these cookies in the Festival Passport with stamps. After collecting and sampling 5 different cookies, guests can collect a special complimentary cookie from Holiday Sweets and Treats. The Cookie Stroll can be completed all on one day, or you can take several visits to complete the adventure. Once you have collected 5 stamps then you get to sample the complimentary completer cookie!
2023 Epcot Festival of the Holidays Menus
Holiday Cookie Stroll
Enjoy an array of sweet treats during the Holiday Cookie Stroll. Purchase 5 cookies from any of the official cookie stroll locations featured in your Festival Passport. Be sure to collect a matching stamp for each cookie purchased. Once you’ve collected 5 stamps, bring the stamped Passport to Holiday Sweets & Treats to receive a specialty treat! Collect all the stamps anytime between now and December 30, 2023.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Holiday Storytellers
International holiday traditions unfold at Walt Disney World when storytellers such as Pere Noel in France, La Befana in Italy, and others, share the traditions of the season and spread the message of goodwill in short presentations that take less than 15 minutes. Storytellers appear in each country’s pavilion throughout the day. Check the times guide for a daily schedule.
- Canada: The Canadian Holiday Voyageurs will take guests on a musical journey across the Great White North, exploring unique holiday traditions from the various regions of Canada.
- United Kingdom: Father Christmas tells tales of Christmas past dating back to 15th century England
- France: Pere Noel awaits your visit as he unfolds magic of Christmas with a letter from a child.
- Hanukkah: Located between Morocco and France, Guests will discover an entertaining celebration of Hanukkah along World Showcase promenade, where a storyteller recounts traveling abroad to explore the diverse music and traditions of Hanukkah around the world.
- Japan: Daruma vendor tells the story of the Daruma doll and the Japanese customs of the New Year.
- Italy: La Befana is Italy’s good Christmas witch. She comes down the chimney of the little bambinos (children) and leaves them treats. La Befana remembers the Epiphany and her first Christmas 2,000 years ago.
- China: Enjoy the Chinese Lion Dance, which brings good fortune during the celebrations of Lunar New Year and Lantern Festival.
- Norway: Sigrid, a beautiful farm girl, will give you all details of celebrating Christmas in Norway, and tell you of the mischievous Julenissen, or Christmas Gnome. Be forewarned though, Julenissen has been known to play a little trick or two on the storyteller herself.
- Mexico: Celebrate with mariachis and dances with a holiday fiesta. Share in the music, dance and traditions of the season.
Santa Meet and Greet
Get ready for Christmas with Santa Claus through December 24. Whether you know him as St. Nick, Père Noël or Father Christmas, a visit with jolly Santa Claus brings good cheer to the season. Guests will find Santa in the Odyssey Pavilion this year.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Character Topiaries
Festive red, white and green topiaries feature beloved Disney characters and can be found in several locations during the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Light Show
A festive light show takes place at Spaceship Earth. The light display invokes some of the sights of winter, including snowflakes, northern lights and warm candles.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Attraction Holiday Overlays
Living With The Land
To celebrate the season, a fun holiday overlay occurs at Living with the Land in The Land pavilion.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Entertainment
Various entertainment artists perform throughout the park.
Taking place at the World Showcase Plaza, this holiday show features the group Joyful. The show blends Gospel music and inspirational music. Performances take place daily at World Showcase Plaza. Our video above shows what Guests can expect during their performance.
Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition
Guests will be able to search around World Showcase hunting for holiday traditions that Olaf has gathered for Anna and Elsa—and lost—along the way! To help him Guests can purchase a Scavenger Hunt map and stickers ($9.99) at participating locations, including Creations Shop, Port of Entry and World Traveler at International Gateway. Guests can search for Olaf in each pavilion, then match the tradition on his sleigh to the location on your sticker map. Once you have found all of the traditions, visit Creations or World Traveler at International Gateway to redeem your map for a gift (while supplies last).
More Holiday Fun
Guests will find an impressive gingerbread display at The American Adventure in EPCOT. From November 24 through December 30, this unique display recreates some classic monuments in America and EPCOT alike with gingerbread versions of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, The American Adventure building with Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue, and even a Festival Marketplace. There are also 6 hidden Mickeys found within.
TheMouseForLess EPCOT Tips
- EPCOT’s holiday tree is located at the entrance of World Showcase Plaza. Its ornaments represent the various countries around World Showcase. You can find another large holiday tree at the American Adventure Pavilion in the center of Santa’s Village.
- If you’ll be visiting the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays during the very busy week between Christmas and New Years, it’s a great time to take in some of the less popular attractions like American Adventure, Impressions de France, and Reflections of China where crowds will be more manageable.
- If you only have time to visit a few holiday storytellers at World Showcase, be sure to stop by Norway, China, Italy and Canada.
- Visit Port of Entry for holiday themed keepsakes or Creations Shop for all of your holiday trimmings.
- Disney offers a holiday edition of its World Showcase Passport. The Holiday Passport features holiday treat and beverage locations, holiday merchandise, and holiday entertainment for each country around World Showcase, as well as any holiday photo ops. There’s also a place to collect the tradition country stamps. You can even get ask the EPCOT Storytellers to sign each country of your Holiday Passport (or your autograph book), and don’t forget to get your photo taken with them. Pickup the booklet at holiday snack & beverages kiosks around World Showcase.
Click if you are curious about holiday events at the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the Disney Resort Hotels.