As much as I love fall, I unapologetically switch to holiday music on November 1. Our tree is usually up and decorated by Veteran’s Day. I count down the days to when Starbucks launches its annual holiday menu. The holiday season is my favorite time of year, so I choose to stretch it out as long as I possibly can.
Luckily, Disney World feels the same way, with the holidays starting earlier and earlier each year – or at least it starts talking about the holidays earlier and earlier. We’re barely into October, and holiday merchandise is already available! If you are heading to Disney World this November and December, this is the month you’re probably making those final touches on your trip – your 60-day Advance Dining Reservation window has opened up, you’re making ground transportation arrangements, and you’re researching the best strategies for tackling each of the four theme parks.
At EPCOT, the holiday season signals the return of many fan-favorite offerings. 2023 will be no different, and tons of details are emerging to help you plan your upcoming trip.
International Festival of the Holidays: November 24 to December 30
Perhaps the largest offering EPCOT brings back yearly is its International Festival of the Holidays. EPCOT is in a sort of perpetual festival mode these days, with its four festivals essentially rolling from one to the next with just a week or two off in between. Its holiday-themed festival will take place this year from November 24 through December 30, on par with previous years’ dates.
The EPCOT International Festival of the Holiday’s biggest draw is the Holiday Kitchens. This year, the festival will feature nearly two dozen kitchens and additional locations offering limited-time food and drink items. The Holiday Kitchens is also home to the annual Holiday Cookie Stroll, where guests can purchase designated treats across World Showcase in order to redeem a free dessert at the end.
Like other EPCOT festivals, the Festival of the Holidays also includes seasonal merchandise, including spirit jerseys, Minnie Ears, and more. For entertainment, be on the lookout for Santa Claus himself, greeting guests in the Odyssey Pavilion from November 24-December 24 (he, of course, has to get back to the North Pole that day!). Storytellers can also be found throughout World Showcase, each telling a different story of how the holidays are celebrated across the globe. Over at World Showcase Plaza, JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season performs daily, celebrating both Christmas and Kwanzaa with Gospel, R&B, and holiday songs.
EPCOT’s festivals typically include some sort of scavenger hunt, and this year’s Festival of the Holidays includes Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt. Purchase your map and game pieces at either Creations Shop, Disney Traders, or World Traveler at International Gateway, and you’re off to the races! Tip: Each purchase includes a special prize, which you can redeem whether you complete the map or not. I suggest picking up your prize at the same time as the map.
Click here for over 75 ideas for Disney holiday gifts!
Festival of the Holidays Food Booths
Nochebuena Cocina (2022 – Near Port Of Entry)
Food Items:
- Tamale with chorizo, plant-based cotija cheese and spicy red chile sauce (Plant-based)
- Pernil: Mojo pork with tostones and ketchup-mayonnaise
- Spiced Chocolate Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item)
Beverage:
- Ponche Navideño: Mexican Christmas punch with apples, pears, guava, oranges, dried hibiscus, brown sugar, tamarind, cinnamon sticks, and clove (Non-alcoholic beverage) (New)
- 81Bay Brewing Co. Horchata Beer
Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen (Mexico)
Food Items:
- Giant Tostada de Chorizo: Giant tostada with chipotle black bean purée, ground chorizo, salsa verde, queso cotija, crema Mexicana, and pickled onions (New)
- Tamale de Barbacoa: Shredded barbacoa beef in a corn masa topped with mole negro, queso cotija, crema Mexicana, and pickled onions (New)
- Dulce de Leche Churro sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar
Beverages:
- Apple Margarita: Centinela Blanco Tequila, apple purée, black tea-cinnamon cordial, and Nixta Corn Liqueur topped with whipped cream and holiday salt (New)
- Horchata Margarita: Cinnamon-infused Ilegal Mezcal, Abasolo Corn Whiskey, Agua de Horchata, and cinnamon-horchata rum
- Holiday Cerveza: Mexican Artisanal Craft Lager with black currant liqueur (New)
Bavaria Holiday Kitchen (Germany)
Food Items:
- Pork Schnitzel with mushroom sauce, spätzle, and braised red cabbage
- Cheese Fondue in a bread bowl with steamed baby vegetables and marble potatoes
- Linzer Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item)
Beverages:
- Possmann Pure Hard Apple Cider
- The Tank Brewing Co. Prost! Festbier
- Köstritzer Schwarzbier Bitburger (New)
- Regional Riesling
- Glühwein: House-made hot spiced wine
- Beer Flight
Shanghai Holiday Kitchen (China)
Food Items:
- Chicken Skewer with creamy peanut sauce
- Beef and Noodle Soup Bowl with slow-braised beef shank, green onion, and house-made chili oil
- Vegetable Spring Rolls with citrus sauce
Beverages:
- Bubble Tea: Classic milk tea with black and white boba pearls
- Brew Hub Year of the Dragon – Dragon Fruit Lager
- Butterfly Lantern with butterfly pea blossom gin, vodka, prickly pear, lychee, soda water, and boba (New)
- Kung Fu Master with vodka, triple sec, mango, orange juice, and soda water
- The Lucky Mo with citrus vodka, peach schnapps, piña colada mix, orange juice, and soda water
Tuscany Holiday Kitchen (Italy)
Food Items:
- Montanara: Fried house-made pizza dough with pomodoro sauce, parmesan, and fresh basil (New)
- Farfalle Salmone Affumicato: Farfalle pasta with smoked salmon and cream sauce (New)
- Torta Caprese: Flourless chocolate torta with chocolate sauce and vanilla cream (New)
- Dolce Pizza: Fried house-made pizza dough with sugar and cinnamon (New)
Beverages:
- Prosecco
- Moscato
- Chianti
- Italian Sangria (Red or White)
- Italian Margarita with tequila and limoncello
- Peroni Pilsner
American Holiday Table (American Adventure)
Food Items:
- Slow-roasted Turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce
- Blackened Catfish with Hoppin’ John and comeback sauce
- Gingerbread Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item)
Beverages:
- Crooked Can Brewing Company Bah HOPbug IPA (New)
- 3 Daughters Brewing Eggnog White Porter
- Playalinda Brewing Co. Peppermint Chocolate Stout
- Beer Flight
Funnel Cake (American Adventure)
- Holiday Cinnamon Celebration Funnel Cake topped with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon cookie crunch, cream cheese whipped cream, and gold dust inspired by the culinary treasures of the Kingdom of Rosas in Disney’s all-new animated musical film, “Wish”
Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen (Japan)
Food Items:
- Sushi Tree: Sushi roll with krab meat and cream cheese topped with Aonori seaweed, Ikura salmon roe, and spicy mayonnaise
- New Year Celebration Soba: Buckwheat soba noodles in a hot dashi soup with yuzu, shrimp tempura, and chopped green onion
- Sweet Potato Mochi Cake: Gooey sweet potato mochi cake with purple sweet potato cream, strawberry, black sugary syrup, and sesame seeds (New)
Beverages:
- Ichigo Milk Boba: Cranberry and yuzu cream drink featuring Japanese calpico soft drink and popping strawberry boba pearls (Non-alcoholic Beverage)
- Japanese Christmas Punch: Shōchū, plum wine, cranberry, and lemon
- Choya Sparkling Plum Wine (New)
- Sapporo Premium Beer
Tangierine Café: Flavors Of The Medina (Morocco)
Food Items:
- Grilled Kebabs with carrot-chickpea salad and garlic aïoli
- Lamb Kefta
- Chermoula Chicken
- Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with hummus, chermoula, and zhoug dips (Plant-based)
Beverages:
- Bold Rock Orchard Frost Hard Cider (New)
- Gulf Stream Brewing Company Holiday Snakebite (New)
- Woodchuck Winter Chill Hard Cider
- Fig Cocktail with fig vodka and white cranberry juice
- Hard Cider Flight
L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen (2022 – Between France And Morocco)
Food Items:
- Pastrami on Rye with house-made pickles and deli mustard
- Smoked Salmon Potato Latke
- Potato Latkes (Plant-based)
- Rugalach: Pastry filled with raspberry jam, walnuts, and cinnamon (New)
- Black and White Cookie (Plant-based) (Cookie Stroll Item)
Beverages:
- Brooklyn Brewery Winter IPA
- Frozen New York Whiskey Sour featuring Manifest Whiskey and Manischewitz Blackberry Wine
Le Marché De Noël Holiday Kitchen (France)
Food Items:
- Crème de Saumon Fumé en Brioche à l’Aneth, Concombre: Cream of smoked salmon in house-made dill brioche bread with cucumber (New)
- Rôti de Jambon Sauce Moutarde à l’Ancienne, Patate Douce Rôties: Roasted ham with mushrooms, pearl onions, bacon, mustard sauce, and roasted sweet potatoes
- Bûche de Noël au Pain D’Épices, Ganache Chocolat au Lait et Noisettes: Gingerbread Christmas log with milk chocolate and hazelnut ganache (New)
Beverages:
- Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini: Grey Goose La Vanille Vodka, vodka, chocolate milk, and whipped cream
- Le Joyeux de Noël: Vodka, Grey Goose Vodka, cold brew coffee, sea salt caramel toffee, and peppermint (New)
- Blood Orange Mimosa: Pol Remy Sparkling Wine, orange juice, and blood orange (New)
Yukon Holiday Kitchen (Canada)
Food Items:
- Seared Salmon with butternut squash purée, maple-bourbon glaze, and fennel-arugula salad (New)
- Beef Bourguignon with crushed potatoes
- Snickerdoodle Cookie made with SNICKERS bar pieces (Cookie Stroll Item)
Beverages:
- Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee (Non-alcoholic Beverage)
- 81Bay Brewing Co. Peanut Butter Banana Porter
- Playalinda Brewing Co. Maple Cookie Blonde Ale
- Collective Arts Coffee Maple Porter
- Regional Icewine
- Regional Red Wine
- Frozen Joffrey’s Coffee with Tap 357 Whisky
- Beer Flight
Holiday Hearth Desserts (The Odyssey Pavilion)
Food Items:
- Mint Chocolate Mousse Wreath (New)
- Apple Caramel Crumb Cake (New)
- Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle (New)
- Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
- Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie
- Mouse Crunch made with M&M’S chocolate candies
- Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item)
Beverages:
- Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (Non-alcoholic Beverage)
- Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate with TWIX cookie bar pieces and whipped cream (Non-alcoholic Beverage) (New)
- Wicked Weed Brewing Jack Frost IPA (New)
- BrewDog It’s a Beaut Stout (New)
- Wicked Weed Brewing Milk & Cookies Imperial Milk Stout
- Peppermint Cocoa: Hot cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee with peppermint schnapps
- Beer Flight
Holiday Sweets & Treats (World Showcase Plaza)
Food Items:
- Peppermint Sundae: Chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, and peppermint candy
Beverages:
- Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee (Non-alcoholic Beverage)
- Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea (Non-alcoholic Beverage)
- Breckenridge Brewery Christmas Ale
- Brew Hub Sugar Plum Red Ale (New)
- Left Hand Brewing Co. Chai Milk Stout (New)
- Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee with assorted liqueurs (Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream Liqueur, or Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey)
- Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea and whipped cream vodka
- Beer Flight
Refreshment Port
Food Item:
- Turkey Poutine: Sweet potato fries with turkey gravy, cranberry relish, and crispy onions
Beverages:
- Gingerbread Milk Shake (Non-alcoholic Beverage)
- Eggnog (Non-alcoholic Beverage)
- Keel Farms Hard Pumpkin Cider (New)
- Pasek Cellars Cranberry Wine
- Gingerbread Milk Shake with Whipped Cream Vodka
- Firenog: Eggnog with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
Refreshment Outpost
Food Items:
- Peanut stew with sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and roasted peanuts (Plant-based)
- DOLE Whip Raspberry
Beverages:
- Ciderboys Caramel Apple Hard Cider (New)
- 81Bay Brewing Co. Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Ale (New)
- Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co. Gingerbread White Stout (New)
- Pumpkin Spice Ginger Cocktail featuring Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka (New)
NEW! Swirled Showcase (Between Canada And Port Of Entry)
Food Items:
- Mickey-shaped Liquid Nitro Cake
- Soft-serve in a Waffle Cone: Vanilla, apple-cinnamon, and salted caramel
- Cream Soda Float with vanilla soft-serve
- Fanta Grape Float with vanilla soft-serve
Beverages:
- Frozen Apple Pie (Non-alcoholic Beverage)
- Cinnamon Apple Cider (Non-alcoholic Beverage)
- 3 Daughters Brewing Toasted Coconut Porter
- 3 Daughters Brewing Toasted Coconut Porter Float with salted caramel soft-serve
- Berry Fizz Fragolino Red Sparkling Wine Float with vanilla soft-serve
NEW! Bubbles & Brine (Near Port Of Entry)
Food Items:
- Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with prosecco cocktail sauce and grilled lemon
- Jonah Crab Claw Cocktail with stone-ground mustard sauce
Beverages:
- Moët & Chandon Impérial
- Veuve Clicquot Rosé
- Dom Pérignon
NEW! Wine & Wedge (World Showcase Plaza)
Food Items:
- Assorted Artisanal Cheeses and Accompaniments
- Boursin Fig & Balsamic Soufflé with fig tapenade
- Southern Pimento Cheese with bread-and-butter pickled vegetables and grilled bread
- Artist Palette of Wine and Cheese: Assorted artisanal cheeses and accompaniments paired with Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Hartley Apple Brandy, and Florida Orange Groves Winery Black and Blue Port
Beverages:
- Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese
- Hartley Apple Brandy
- Florida Orange Groves Winery Black and Blue Port
- Flight
NEW! Char & Chop (Near Disney Traders)
Food Items:
- Roasted Porchetta with lemon-parsley salsa verde and shaved fennel salad
- Grilled IMPOSSIBLE Spicy Sausage with herbed polenta, puttanesca sauce, and ricotta
- Meat Assorti: Trio of shaved meats with baby arugula, pickled mustard seeds, truffle oil, and grilled ciabatta
Beverages:
- Krombacher Pilsner
- North Coast Laguna Baja Vienna Lager
- Motorworks Brewing Midnight Espresso Coffee Porter
- GoGi ‘Birdie’ Pinot Noir
- Bloody Mary with Seaside Grown Bloody Mary Mix and Kurvball Barbecue Whiskey
- Beer Flight
Connections Café (World Celebration)
Food Item:
- Holiday Sugar Cookie (Cookie Stroll Item)
Connections Eatery
Beverages:
- So Many Wishes: Pomegranate-green tea, hibiscus, lemon, and a dash of stardust (Non-alcoholic beverage)
- Coquito Milk Shake (Non-alcoholic beverage)
- Coquito Milk Shake with Bacardí Superior Rum
Sunshine Seasons (The Land Pavilion)
Food Item:
- Jingle Sugar Cookie made with M&M’S chocolate candies (Cookie Stroll Item)
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
- Horchata Cold Brew: A holly jolly blend of Joffrey’s Shakin’ Jamaican Cold Brew and horchata topped with whipped cream and cinnamon (Non-alcoholic Beverage) (Spirited version available with Creamy Spiced Rum)
Click here to read the FULL foodie guide to the holidays at Walt Disney World.
Candlelight Processional
If there’s one thing Walt Disney World fans love more than Mickey Mouse himself, it’s the Candlelight Processional. The tradition of a Candlelight Processional at Disney theme parks dates back to Walt’s days in Disneyland, where the shows began in 1958. EPCOT has had its own Processional since 1994, which continues to be one of the most popular entertainment offerings.
This year offers a long lineup of new celebrity guest narrators, including Brendan Fraser, Audra McDonald, Joey McIntyre, and Sterling K. Brown. Here is the full lineup:
- Chrissy Metz (NEW): Nov. 24-25
- Luis Fonsi (NEW): Nov. 26-27
- Ann-Margret (NEW): Nov. 28
- Ashley Eckstein: Nov. 29
- Bart Millard: Nov. 30-Dec. 2
- John Stamos: Dec. 3-5
- Neil Patrick Harris: Dec. 6-8
- Marlee Matlin: Dec. 9-11
- Brendan Fraser (NEW): Dec. 12-14
- Eva Longoria (NEW): Dec. 15-16
- Joey McIntyre (NEW): Dec. 17-18
- Sterling K. Brown (NEW): Dec. 19-20
- Jordan Fisher (NEW): Dec. 21-23
- Steven Curtis Chapman: Dec. 24-26
- Audra McDonald (NEW): Dec. 27-28
- Lisa Ling: Dec. 29-30
Another popular offering is the Candlelight Processional Dining Packages. These dining reservations come with guaranteed seating at one of that evening’s performances, saving you time by skipping the standby queue. The dining packages are available at select EPCOT restaurants (head over to Disney’s website for more details). Reservations for the dining packages open on October 17.
Click here for Disney stocking stuffer ideas!
Additional Tips
Walt Disney World doesn’t get too involved with seasonal overlays of its rides and attractions (that’s more common over at Disneyland), but there’s one ride at EPCOT that has seen some extra joy in recent years: Living With the Land. One of my personal favorite rides in Disney World, Living With the Land, transforms into a winter wonderland during the holidays, with festival lights found throughout the greenhouses. If you have never been on Living With the Land at night, this is the time to do so!
This holiday season will also include the debut of EPCOT’s newest nighttime show, Luminous The Symphony of Us. Be prepared to deal with additional crowding around World Showcase throughout December as fans visit the park to check things out. If Luminous is something you want to prioritize, you may want to consider a Genie+ reservation to access a designated viewing location. Otherwise, be prepared to line up early to grab a spot around the lagoon. Traditionally, viewing for EPCOT’s nighttime shows is good all around the lagoon, but the jury is still out on where the best spots are for Luminous.
Don’t forget that the construction walls are finally coming down in World Celebration on December 5! The final phase of EPCOT’s transformation is set for completion in the coming weeks, and at long last, the park will be without any trace of construction walls for the first time in years. I would expect to find a much smoother experience getting around the park.
Be sure to follow along for more holiday news and planning tips!
