The best EPCOT festival of the year has arrived. There are multiple festivals at EPCOT throughout the year, the most famous of which is the International Food and Wine Festival. But for many Disney fans, myself included, EPCOT's best festival is the Festival of the Holidays.
Lasting only one month this year, from November 29 to December 30, you can enjoy enthralling live entertainment, traditional decorations everywhere, storytellers sharing holiday traditions, and delicious holiday food and drink. If you and your sweetheart love the holiday season, this festival absolutely needs to be on your list.
The Best Live Entertainment at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
Each World Showcase pavilion has a Holiday Storyteller, sharing the history and origin of international holiday traditions, in many entertaining ways.
This is perhaps my favorite part of the festival. Not only is each Holiday Storyteller entertaining, but they also share their traditions in such a way that can't help but inspire a feeling of joy. Each performance lasts about fifteen minutes, and the storytellers perform on a small stage not far from the main promenade. This makes it easy to grab something to eat or drink from a nearby Holiday Kitchen while you watch the storyteller.
There is also an incredible vocal group singing holiday favorites and carols, with a Gospel spin. Joyful! A Celebration of the Season is an energetic and heartfelt performance. It's hard to resist putting your hands in the air or dancing along.
Showtimes are usually at 1:05pm, 2:10pm, 3:15pm, and 4:20pm. The stage is at a new location for 2024! Now that all the major construction is complete, we get to enjoy the CommuniCore Hall and the Communicore Plaza. Joyful is now located at the new CommuniCore Plaza Stage. There isn't much shade in this area so plan accordingly.
Be sure to download the MyDisneyExperience app to look up showtimes for all of the entertainment in EPCOT, including the Holiday Storytellers. Generally, you can time it out to catch 2-3 storytellers one after another at neighboring World Showcase pavilions.
During our 2024 visit we were able to enjoy the entertainment and storytellers with this itinerary:
- Joyful! A Celebration of the Season at 1:05 p.m.
- Pere Noel France Storyteller at 2:20 p.m.
- Hanukkah Storyteller at 2:50 p.m.
- La Befana Italy Storyteller at 3:25 p.m. (we left a little early)
- Voices of Liberty at American Adventure at 3:45 p.m.
Is the Candlelight Processional Dining Package Worth It?
The Candlelight Processional, the hallmark of entertainment at EPCOT during the holidays, is back to its full spectacle. For many Disney fans, the Candlelight Processional is a time-honored tradition. It features a live orchestra, the incredible vocal choir Voices of Liberty, and a larger choir comprised of Disney Cast Members. Each night a celebrity narrator shares the biblical story of Christmas. It's a beautiful show.
Some guests wait an hour or more in line to get their seats. Others book a Candlelight Processional Dining Package. Depending on the restaurant, packages are generally $59 – $85 per person, and include a meal along with guaranteed seating at the Processional.
This package may be worth it if you both really want to see the Candlelight Processional or want to see a particular celebrity narrator. To get the most value, I would recommend selecting the Biergarten buffet in the Germany Pavilion, or the Rose and Crown Dining Room in the United Kingdom Pavilion, or even La Crêperie de Paris in the France Pavilion.
The 2024 lineup of celebrity narrators:
- Josh Gad, November 29 and 30
- Nico Santos – New!, December 1 and 2
- Chrissy Metz, December 3 to 5
- Whoopi Goldberg, December 6 and 7
- Tituss Burgess – New!, December 8 to 10
- Brendan Fraser, December 11 and 12
- Ralph Macchio – New!, December 13 and 14
- Gary Sinise, December 15 and 16
- Neil Patrick Harris, December 17 and 18
- Pat Sajak, December 19 to 21
- Gloria Estefan, December 22 and 23
- Edward James Olmos, December 24 to 26
- Sterling K. Brown, December 27 and 28
- Jodi Benson, December 29 and 30
The Best Eats of EPCOT's Festival of the Holidays
I love the food that is available during the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. The weather is usually brisk enough to enjoy the hearty holiday favorites. And I love tasting traditional holiday foods from around the world.
The 2024 menu has just been released. Here are some of the new eats we enjoyed this year!
- Empanada de Pollo: Fried corn tortilla filled with chipotle chicken and potatoes topped with chile rojo salsa, crema Mexicana, and queso fresco at Mexico
- Tamal de Puerco con Mole: Shredded pork in corn masa topped with mole negro, queso fresco, crema Mexicana, slivered almonds, and sesame seeds at Mexico
- Holiday Margarita: Dos Hombres Mezcal, tequila, cranberry lime juice, allspice and orange blackcurrant liqueurs at Mexico
- XO Fried Rice: Chinese sausage, onion, green onion, mushroom, egg, and house-made Hong Kong XO Chili Sauce at China
- Lychee Martini: Vodka, lychee syrup, and vermouth at China
- Gingerbread Funnel Cake: Vanilla ice cream, gingerbread crumbs, whipped cream, and red and green sprinkles at American Adventure
- Rôti de Jambon Sauce Moutarde à l’Ancienne, Pommes Darphin: Roasted ham with mushrooms, pearl onions, bacon, white wine mustard sauce, and darphin roasted herb potatoes at France
- Bûche de Noël au Chocolat et Caramel: Chocolate fudge Christmas log with a caramel cream center at France
- Spiced Cranberry Punch: Pol Rémy Sparkling Wine, cranberry juice, orange juice, and spiced brown sugar at France
- Coffee Mocha Cookie topped with coffee-infused buttercream, cocoa nibs, and chocolate-covered espresso beans at Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Kitchen
Here are some returning favorites that are fan favorites at this year's EPCOT's Festival of the Holidays:
American Holiday Table
- Blackened Catfish with Hoppin' John and Comeback Sauce
L'Chaim Holiday Kitchen
- Pastrami on Rye with House-made Pickles and Deli Mustard
- Smoked Salmon Potato Latke (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Potato Latkes (Gluten/Wheat Friendly; Plant-based)
Yukon Holiday Kitchen
- Beef Bourguignon with Crushed Potatoes
Date Ideas for EPCOT's Festival of the Holidays
Treat your sweetie to the Holiday Cookie Stroll. There are five participating Holiday Kitchens around World Showcase, each with a different specialty cookie for you to purchase. When you order your cookie, present your festival passport to receive a stamp. Once you've enjoyed all five cookies, head to the Holiday Sweets & Treats booth to receive a specialty cookie.
Discuss your family's heritage, like your ancestry or traditions, and enjoy the Holiday Storyteller that most closely represents your heritage. Watch together and discuss anything you learned or anything that you remember from your childhood.
Browse the menus in the Festival Passport. Are there any food items you remember from the holidays of your youth? Try it together and discuss any memories.
Hop aboard the Living with the Land Boat Ride for some festive decorations and narration in the last half of the ride, and a relaxing way to rest your feet.
Grab a cocktail or festive beer at one of the Holiday Kitchens before claiming your spot for the Luminous: A Symphony of Us fireworks show. This stunning fireworks and special-effects spectacular can be viewed from the World Showcase Plaza.
Tips and Information for the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
- Be sure to make your park pass reservation as soon as possible.
- The closer it gets to Christmas Day the busier the theme parks get.
- If you want to watch the fireworks show, pay attention to the wind. Notice any flags around World Showcase, like the American flag atop the American Adventure pavilion. Whatever direction the flag is blowing will show you the direction of the wind, so find a spot on the lagoon with the wind at your back so any firework smoke is blowing away from you.
