The 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays returns to EPCOT from November 27 through December 30, 2026, bringing Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other seasonal traditions from around the world together for one of Walt Disney World’s most atmospheric annual events.
The 34-day festival begins the day after Thanksgiving and fills EPCOT with Holiday Kitchens, cultural storytellers, live music, seasonal attraction overlays, scavenger hunts, Christmas decorations and one of Walt Disney World’s longest-running holiday traditions: the Candlelight Processional.
The 2026 Candlelight Processional lineup is particularly strong, with returning narrators including Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, Gary Sinise, Jodi Benson and Simu Liu joined by first-time participants including Benjamin Bratt, Robin Roberts, Jason Kelce, Josh Groban and Lacey Chabert.
Elsewhere around EPCOT, Living with the Land transforms into Glimmering Greenhouses, Santa Claus meets guests inside CommuniCore Hall, Goofy dons his own Santa suit at The Odyssey, the Holiday Cookie Stroll returns, and World Showcase comes alive with storytellers representing traditions from Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Hanukkah celebrations.
There is even a new reason to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. For the 2026 holiday season, Disney is replacing the attraction’s normal six-song playlist with three seasonal songs.
Unlike Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or Disney Jollywood Nights, Festival of the Holidays does not require a separate event ticket. Festival entertainment and activities are included with valid EPCOT admission, although food, beverages, scavenger-hunt maps, Candlelight Processional Dining Packages, merchandise and certain tours cost extra.
Here is our complete guide to the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.
What Is the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays?
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays is the park’s annual celebration of seasonal traditions from cultures around the world.
Food is an important part of the event, but unlike the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, the festival is not built primarily around eating and drinking.
Its central idea is tradition.
World Showcase performers explain how different countries and cultures celebrate the season. Holiday Kitchens serve dishes inspired by celebrations around the world. The Candlelight Processional presents the Christmas story with a celebrity narrator, orchestra and enormous choir. JOYFUL! incorporates Christmas and Kwanzaa through gospel and R&B music. A Hanukkah storyteller explores Jewish traditions.
Even familiar EPCOT attractions become part of the celebration.
Living with the Land glows with Christmas lights after dark, Spaceship Earth receives seasonal lighting, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind gets a temporary holiday soundtrack.
During the festival, guests can:
- Watch the Candlelight Processional
- See Holiday Storytellers throughout World Showcase
- Sample food and drinks from Holiday Kitchens
- Complete the Holiday Cookie Stroll
- Meet Santa Claus and Goofy dressed as Santa
- Ride Living with the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses
- Experience holiday music aboard Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- See JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season
- Hear the Voices of Liberty perform as Dickens Carolers
- Explore the Gingerbread Spaceship Earth display
- Complete Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition
- Explore Scentsy’s Festive Fragrances
- Shop for seasonal EPCOT merchandise
- Enjoy EPCOT’s Christmas trees, garlands, lights and pavilion-specific decorations
It is one of the easiest Walt Disney World holiday events to add to an existing vacation because virtually everything takes place during normal EPCOT operating hours.
The History of the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
Although the name EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays is relatively modern, EPCOT’s Christmas traditions stretch back decades.
One of them is even older than EPCOT itself.
The Candlelight Processional Begins at Walt Disney World
The Candlelight Processional was part of Walt Disney World’s very first Christmas season in 1971.
The production was originally presented at Magic Kingdom and followed the tradition Disney had already established at Disneyland in California.
Candle-bearing singers, a live orchestra and a narrator combined to tell the Biblical Christmas story through readings and traditional music.
The Walt Disney World version remained at Magic Kingdom for more than two decades.
In 1994, Disney moved the Candlelight Processional to EPCOT.
America Gardens Theatre offered a more suitable permanent performance venue, and the move allowed Disney to present multiple performances throughout the holiday season rather than treating Candlelight as a much more limited special event.
That decision eventually made Candlelight one of the defining pieces of EPCOT at Christmas.
For 2026, Disney describes Candlelight as celebrating its 55th year at Walt Disney World and 32nd year at EPCOT.
Holidays Around the World
EPCOT’s broader holiday celebration eventually became known as Holidays Around the World.
The concept was a natural fit for World Showcase.
Instead of decorating every pavilion with identical American Christmas imagery, Disney could use each country to explore the traditions, folklore, foods and celebrations associated with that culture.
Guests might encounter Father Christmas in the United Kingdom, Père Noël in France, La Befana in Italy or a Norwegian Christmas storyteller several pavilions apart.
That international approach remains one of the strongest parts of the modern festival.
Holiday Kitchens Arrive
As EPCOT’s other festivals became increasingly food-focused, the park’s holiday celebration began developing its own marketplace program.
Holiday Kitchens expanded significantly in 2016, bringing small plates, desserts and beverages inspired by seasonal traditions to temporary locations around the park.
The concept followed the successful marketplace format already established by Food & Wine and Flower & Garden but gave it a winter identity.
German holiday food, American Christmas dinner, Jewish dishes, Latin American specialties, Canadian cuisine and seasonal desserts could all become part of one trip around World Showcase.
Festival of the Holidays Debuts in 2017
In 2017, Disney formally transformed Holidays Around the World into the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.
The new name reflected how much the event had grown.
It was no longer simply a collection of World Showcase storytellers and decorations.
Holiday Kitchens, scavenger hunts, live entertainment, Candlelight Processional, special merchandise and additional activities had turned EPCOT’s Christmas celebration into a full seasonal festival comparable to the park’s other major annual events.
That basic format remains in place today.
When Is the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays 2026?
The 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays runs from November 27 through December 30, 2026.
That gives guests 34 days to experience the event.
The festival begins the day after Thanksgiving and ends before New Year’s Eve.
This is worth remembering because Walt Disney World’s broader Christmas season extends beyond Festival of the Holidays.
Some holiday offerings begin before November 27, while others continue after December 30.
For example, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind’s holiday soundtrack runs from November 25, 2026 through January 6, 2027.
Festival of the Holidays itself, however, ends December 30.
How Much Does EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Cost?
There is no separate ticket for EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.
The festival is included with valid EPCOT admission.
That includes entertainment such as:
- Candlelight Processional standby seating
- World Showcase Holiday Storytellers
- JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season
- Voices of Liberty Dickens Carolers
- Living with the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses
- Holiday displays and decorations
- Spaceship Earth seasonal lighting
Additional purchases include food and beverages, Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition map, festival merchandise, Candlelight Processional Dining Packages and the Behind the Seeds: Glimmering Greenhouses tour.
What’s New and Notable for Festival of the Holidays 2026?
Festival of the Holidays is built around recurring traditions, but 2026 includes several noteworthy changes.
The biggest is at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, where Disney is introducing three different holiday songs instead of the attraction’s normal soundtrack.
The Gingerbread Spaceship Earth display also receives an enhanced Celebration Countdown presented by CITIZEN, with new music and lighting moments presented every 15 minutes.
Scentsy’s Festive Fragrances returns for its third year with all-new scents inspired by holidays and celebrations around the world, including Noche Buena and Diwali.
Candlelight Processional also welcomes five announced first-time celebrity narrators.
Those additions join the returning Holiday Kitchens, Cookie Stroll, storytellers, Santa experiences, JOYFUL!, Glimmering Greenhouses and other festival staples.
Holiday Storytellers Around World Showcase
The Holiday Storytellers are one of the experiences that best explain what Festival of the Holidays is supposed to be.
Rather than simply placing Christmas decorations around World Showcase, performers present stories and customs connected to the countries represented by EPCOT.
The 2026 lineup includes 10 storyteller experiences.
Mexico – Las Posadas Celebration
Mexico celebrates Las Posadas with music, dancers, piñatas and Mariachi Cobre.
Las Posadas traditionally commemorates Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging before the birth of Jesus and is celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Latin America during the days leading up to Christmas.
The EPCOT presentation turns that tradition into a lively musical performance rather than a conventional storyteller monologue.
Norway – A Mischievous Magical Barn Santa
Norway’s presentation pairs storyteller Sigrid with a mischievous Barn Santa.
The performance draws from Scandinavian folklore surrounding the nisse, a small household or farm spirit associated with Christmas.
Much of the humor comes from Sigrid attempting to discuss Norwegian traditions while the Barn Santa proves that the folklore may be more real than she realizes.
It remains one of the festival’s most entertaining storyteller performances for children.
China – Chinese Lion Dancer
The China Pavilion features a colorful Chinese Lion Dancer performance.
Lion dancing is traditionally associated with celebrations including Lunar New Year and is performed to bring good fortune and happiness.
The combination of movement, elaborate costume and percussion makes this one of the more visually energetic cultural presentations around World Showcase.
Germany – Adventskalender
Germany explores seasonal customs through Micha’s Adventskalender Puppetry.
The puppet-theater presentation incorporates German Christmas traditions and the familiar concept of the Advent calendar into an experience designed for the entire family.
Italy – La Befana
Italy introduces guests to La Befana.
According to Italian folklore, La Befana is a kindhearted old woman who visits children on the eve of the Epiphany.
Her story provides an excellent example of why EPCOT’s festival goes beyond Santa Claus and December 25.
Different cultures have developed their own gift-givers, legends and seasonal dates, and Festival of the Holidays gives those traditions a stage.
Japan – Daruma Storyteller
The Japan Pavilion features the Daruma Storyteller.
Guests learn about Daruma dolls and Japanese customs associated with the new year.
Daruma dolls symbolize perseverance and good fortune, making the presentation especially appropriate as one year gives way to another.
Hanukkah Storyteller
Between the Morocco and France pavilions, guests can find EPCOT’s Hanukkah Storyteller.
The presentation explores Hanukkah traditions and music, incorporating stories gathered from Jewish celebrations around the world.
It helps broaden the festival beyond Christmas and reflects the variety of traditions represented during the winter holiday season.
France – Père Noël
The France Pavilion features Père Noël.
His presentation revolves around a Christmas letter from a child named Babette and explores French Christmas customs through the eyes of someone eagerly awaiting the holiday.
The setting in the France Pavilion makes this one of World Showcase’s most naturally atmospheric Christmas presentations.
United Kingdom – Father Christmas
In the United Kingdom, Father Christmas shares British holiday traditions.
The character predates the modern American image of Santa Claus and provides another example of how familiar holiday ideas developed differently across cultures.
Canada – Canadian Holiday Voyageurs
Canada’s Holiday Voyageurs use live music to explore Christmas customs from different regions of the country.
The performance blends storytelling and traditional songs rather than focusing on a single holiday character.
Performance times vary throughout the day, so trying to see every storyteller requires some planning.
Check the My Disney Experience app on the morning of your visit rather than attempting to walk around World Showcase in geographic order.
Meet Santa Claus at CommuniCore Hall
Santa Claus returns to CommuniCore Hall for the 2026 holiday season.
Santa meets guests daily during Festival of the Holidays through December 24, 2026.
The indoor location provides a traditional Santa experience in the center of EPCOT while also offering an air-conditioned—or, depending on December weather, heated—break from touring the park.
Check the My Disney Experience app for the day’s appearance times.
Because Santa’s final day is Christmas Eve, guests visiting from December 25 through December 30 should not expect this particular meet-and-greet to remain available.
Goofy as Santa
Santa is not the only one wearing the red suit.
Goofy dressed as Santa meets guests at The Odyssey every day from November 27 through December 30.
A Disney PhotoPass photographer is available to capture the interaction.
The extended dates make Goofy an especially useful character option for guests visiting after Christmas Eve, when the traditional Santa Claus meet-and-greet at CommuniCore Hall has ended.
Candlelight Processional 2026
The Candlelight Processional remains the centerpiece of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.
Presented nightly at America Gardens Theatre, the production combines a celebrity narrator, the Voices of Liberty, a massive choir, herald trumpets and a full orchestra to tell the Biblical story of Christmas.
The narration alternates with traditional Christmas music as the choir fills the theater behind the narrator.
It is both a Disney World attraction and a continuation of a tradition that has been part of the resort since its first Christmas season in 1971.
For 2026, Candlelight Processional is presented three times each night at:
4:45 PM
6:30 PM
8:00 PM
The complete 2026 narrator schedule is:
- November 27–28: Jordan Fisher
- November 29–December 1: Gary Sinise
- December 2–3: Benjamin Bratt — new for 2026
- December 4–5: Whoopi Goldberg
- December 6–7: Robin Roberts — new for 2026
- December 8–9: Jason Kelce — new for 2026
- December 10–12: Neil Patrick Harris
- December 13–14: Josh Groban — new for 2026
- December 15–16: Lauren Daigle
- December 17–19: Ralph Macchio
- December 20–21: Henry Winkler
- December 22–23: Lacey Chabert — new for 2026
- December 24–25: Jodi Benson
- December 26–27: Simu Liu
- December 28–30: Eva Longoria
Standby seating is included with EPCOT admission.
However, popular narrators can generate extremely long standby lines.
Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg and other particularly popular narrators have historically attracted guests well before showtime.
If a specific narrator is central to your trip, a Candlelight Processional Dining Package can remove much of that uncertainty.
Candlelight Processional Dining Packages
Candlelight Processional Dining Packages combine a meal at a participating EPCOT restaurant with guaranteed seating at one same-day Candlelight performance.
For most participating restaurants, the package includes an entrée and dessert or a buffet, plus a nonalcoholic beverage—or an alcoholic beverage for guests 21 and older.
Spice Road Table uses a slightly different shared-menu format.
Participating 2026 restaurants and adult package prices include:
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall: $87 adult / $59 child
- Biergarten Restaurant: $75 adult / $40 child
- Chefs de France: $89 adult / $37 child
- Coral Reef Restaurant: $82 adult / $34 child
- Garden Grill Restaurant: $73 adult breakfast or $86 lunch/dinner; $46 child breakfast or $55 lunch/dinner
- La Crêperie de Paris: $59 adult / $31 child
- La Hacienda de San Angel: $86 adult / $37 child
- Le Cellier Steakhouse: $109 adult / $44 child
- Nine Dragons Restaurant: $70 adult / $30 child
- Rose & Crown Dining Room: $68 adult / $31 child
- Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya: $85 adult / $40 child
- Spice Road Table: $63 adult / $26 child
- Teppan Edo: $89 adult / $40 child
- Tutto Italia Ristorante: $85 adult / $36 child
- Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria: $71 adult / $33 child
Regal Eagle Smokehouse also offers limited same-day packages for $43 per adult and $26 per child when available.
A dining package guarantees a seat, but it does not guarantee a specific seat within the reserved section.
Guests are still seated on a first-come, first-served basis within that section.
Reservations opened October 14, 2026.
JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season
JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season returns to the CommuniCore Plaza Stage every day from November 27 through December 30.
The production celebrates Christmas and Kwanzaa through a combination of gospel, R&B and holiday music.
It provides one of the festival’s most energetic live-music experiences and offers a very different sound from the classical arrangements heard during Candlelight Processional.
Because CommuniCore Plaza sits near the center of EPCOT, JOYFUL! is also easy to add to a day without making a long detour through World Showcase.
Check the My Disney Experience app for daily showtimes.
Voices of Liberty Dickens Carolers
The Voices of Liberty receive their own seasonal transformation during Festival of the Holidays.
The renowned a cappella ensemble performs as the Dickens Carolers, presenting classic holiday songs with Victorian-inspired styling.
Their close harmonies work especially well with traditional Christmas music.
Performances take place in and around The American Adventure, making them easy to combine with Candlelight Processional later in the day.
2026 Holiday Kitchens
Holiday Kitchens return throughout EPCOT for the 2026 Festival of the Holidays.
These temporary food locations serve small plates, desserts and beverages inspired by seasonal traditions around the world.
They operate similarly to the Global Marketplaces at Food & Wine, but the menus tend to lean toward comfort foods, Christmas desserts, warm drinks and dishes associated with specific winter celebrations.
As of October 30, 2026, Disney has not yet released the complete 2026 Festival of the Holidays Foodie Guide.
Disney has confirmed that the Holiday Kitchens are returning but says full menus will be released closer to the festival.
That means individual dishes and even some kitchen names from previous years should not yet be treated as confirmed for 2026.
What Did the Holiday Kitchens Look Like in 2025?
The previous festival gives a good idea of the variety guests can expect.
The 2025 lineup included locations such as:
- Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow
- Favorites of Festivals Past
- Holiday Hearth Desserts
- Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen
- Shanghai Holiday Kitchen
- Bavaria Holiday Kitchen
- Tuscany Holiday Kitchen
- American Holiday Table
- Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen
- L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen
- Yukon Holiday Kitchen
- Holiday Sweets & Treats
- Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Kitchen
- Nochebuena Cocina
- Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen
Menus ranged from pork schnitzel, cheese fondue and turkey dinners to latkes, rugelach, Latin Christmas bread, Canadian beef bourguignon, holiday cookies, mulled wine, eggnog and seasonal beers.
Those are useful examples of the festival’s culinary style, but the 2026 dishes will be added to this guide once Disney releases them.
Holiday Cookie Stroll 2026
The Holiday Cookie Stroll is officially returning in 2026.
The concept is simple.
Pick up a complimentary Festival Passport and purchase five qualifying cookies from participating locations.
Each purchase earns a stamp in the passport.
After collecting five stamps, bring the completed passport to the designated redemption location and receive a special completion treat.
You do not have to eat all five cookies in one afternoon.
The same Festival Passport can traditionally be used over multiple visits during the festival, making the Cookie Stroll much more manageable for guests visiting EPCOT more than once.
Disney has not yet announced the complete 2026 cookie lineup or completion prize.
For reference, previous years have included everything from Linzer cookies and rugelach to Spaceship Earth-shaped cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies and maple shortbread.
Gingerbread Spaceship Earth
One of EPCOT’s newest Christmas traditions returns to CommuniCore Hall.
Disney pastry chefs create an elaborate gingerbread recreation of Spaceship Earth, combining one of the park’s most recognizable icons with the gingerbread displays traditionally found at Walt Disney World resorts during the Christmas season.
The display is more than a static model in 2026.
The Celebration Countdown presented by CITIZEN activates every 15 minutes, combining the gingerbread Spaceship Earth with new holiday music and lighting effects.
The countdown gives guests a reason to remain in CommuniCore Hall rather than simply walking past the display.
It also pairs naturally with the Santa Claus meet-and-greet inside the building.
Living with the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses
One of EPCOT’s best holiday attraction overlays requires no separate ticket or additional purchase.
From November 27 through December 30, Living with the Land becomes Living with the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses.
The basic attraction remains unchanged.
Guests still travel by boat through The Land pavilion’s working greenhouses and learn about agriculture, hydroponics, aquaculture and sustainable growing techniques.
What changes is the atmosphere.
Holiday lights, decorations and seasonal displays fill the greenhouses, becoming increasingly impressive once darkness falls outside.
Because much of the greenhouse is made of glass, the attraction feels dramatically different after sunset than it does during the day.
For that reason, save Glimmering Greenhouses for the evening if your schedule allows.
Behind the Seeds: Glimmering Greenhouses Tour
Guests who want a closer look can book the separate Behind the Seeds: Glimmering Greenhouses walking tour.
The one-hour tour takes guests into the greenhouse complex after dark to explore the seasonal lighting at ground level while learning about crops associated with holiday foods and the agricultural systems used inside The Land.
For 2026, tours are offered from November 27 through December 30 at:
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
The holiday tour costs $59 per person plus tax.
Valid EPCOT admission is also required.
The normal daytime Behind the Seeds tour continues operating separately.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Holiday Music
One of the biggest EPCOT holiday changes for 2026 happens aboard Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
From November 25, 2026 through January 6, 2027, Disney replaces the attraction’s normal six-song soundtrack with a three-song holiday playlist.
The seasonal tracks are:
- “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams
- “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
- “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses
The songs are shuffled, so different rides can produce different soundtracks.
Outside the holiday period, Cosmic Rewind normally randomly selects from “September,” “Disco Inferno,” “Conga,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “I Ran (So Far Away)” and “One Way or Another.”
The 2026 holiday tracks begin two days before Festival of the Holidays and continue one week after the festival ends.
That means guests visiting EPCOT between December 31 and January 6 can still experience the holiday version of Cosmic Rewind even though Festival of the Holidays has concluded.
Spaceship Earth Holiday Lighting
The programmable lighting installed across Spaceship Earth’s exterior has given EPCOT another way to celebrate seasonal events.
During Festival of the Holidays, the geodesic sphere receives festive nighttime lighting sequences.
The lights turn Spaceship Earth into part of the park’s Christmas environment without physically covering the structure in conventional decorations.
Because the lighting becomes visible only after dark, make a point of returning toward World Celebration in the evening even if you spent most of the afternoon working around World Showcase.
Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition
Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt returns for Festival of the Holidays 2026.
The activity sends guests around World Showcase searching for Olaf.
The story is that Olaf has been collecting holiday traditions to share with Anna and Elsa but has misplaced them around EPCOT.
Guests purchase a map and sticker set and then search the pavilions for Olaf and the holiday item associated with each location.
Once Olaf is found, place the matching sticker on the map.
After finishing—or when you have simply searched as much as your family wants to—you can redeem the map for a festival keepsake.
Disney has confirmed the scavenger hunt’s return but has not yet published the final 2026 price or prize.
The hunt is especially useful for families because it gives children something active to look for while adults explore World Showcase, sample Holiday Kitchen dishes or watch the storytellers.
Scentsy’s Festive Fragrances: A Sensory Wonderland
Festive Fragrances presented by Scentsy returns for its third year in 2026.
The experience is located along the walkway between the Imagination pavilion and World Showcase.
Decorative snow globes introduce guests to fragrances associated with seasonal celebrations from around the world.
For 2026, Disney says the experience features all-new fragrances, with celebrations ranging from Noche Buena to Diwali represented.
It is a small experience compared with Candlelight Processional or the Holiday Kitchens, but it reinforces the festival’s broader focus on traditions beyond a single version of Christmas.
Festival Passport
Pick up a complimentary Festival Passport when you enter EPCOT.
Even guests who prefer using the My Disney Experience app should grab one.
The passport traditionally contains:
- Holiday Kitchen information
- Festival maps
- Entertainment information
- Holiday Cookie Stroll tracking
- Details about festival activities
It is particularly important if you plan to complete the Holiday Cookie Stroll because the physical passport is used to collect your stamps.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Merchandise 2026
EPCOT festivals traditionally receive their own merchandise collections, often including apparel, pins, ornaments, drinkware and Figment items.
Disney has already revealed its broader Walt Disney World holiday merchandise for 2026, but as of October 30 the complete Festival of the Holidays-specific merchandise collection has not yet been formally unveiled.
In recent years, Figment has played a major role in festival merchandise, including holiday sweaters, ear headbands, Loungefly bags, mugs, ornaments, plush and Annual Passholder-exclusive pieces.
Expect the 2026 festival collection to arrive around opening day.
Popular limited-edition items can sell out well before December 30, so guests visiting specifically for merchandise should shop earlier in the festival when possible.
Is Festival of the Holidays Good for Kids?
Festival of the Holidays is one of EPCOT’s easiest festivals to experience as a family.
Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition gives children a reason to explore World Showcase.
Barn Santa in Norway adds comedy to what could otherwise feel like an educational cultural presentation.
The Cookie Stroll turns eating desserts into an activity.
Santa Claus and Goofy provide traditional character experiences.
Glimmering Greenhouses adds Christmas lights to an attraction with no height requirement.
Even the storytellers are short enough that families can stop for one or two without structuring the entire day around scheduled entertainment.
The festival can be enjoyed without purchasing a single alcoholic drink or spending hours moving from food booth to food booth.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Festival of the Holidays 2026
Festival of the Holidays is shorter than EPCOT’s other major festivals, and its placement between Thanksgiving and New Year’s means crowds can change dramatically depending on your visit date.
1. Don’t Wait Until Evening to Start Seeing Storytellers
There are 10 storyteller experiences around World Showcase.
Trying to see all of them in one continuous lap is difficult because performance schedules do not line up geographically.
Check the app early in the day and build a loose route around the performances that matter most to you.
2. Decide How Important Candlelight Processional Is Before Your Trip
If Candlelight is a must-do, decide whether you are comfortable using standby or whether a dining package makes more sense.
For especially popular narrators, the dining package can save a substantial amount of uncertainty.
3. Don’t Assume a Dining Package Means the Best Seat
The package guarantees admission to the theater.
It does not reserve a specific chair.
Guests within the dining-package section are still seated first-come, first-served, so arriving reasonably early remains worthwhile.
4. Save Glimmering Greenhouses for After Dark
You can ride Living with the Land during the day, but the Christmas overlay becomes dramatically more effective once the greenhouse lights are visible against the night sky.
If you only plan to ride once, ride after sunset.
5. Grab a Festival Passport Immediately
The passport makes it much easier to track Holiday Kitchens, the Cookie Stroll and other activities.
Do not discover halfway around World Showcase that you wanted Cookie Stroll stamps but never picked up the booklet.
6. Share Holiday Kitchen Dishes
The festival may be shorter than Food & Wine, but there will still be far more food than one person can reasonably try.
Sharing small plates allows you to sample several cuisines without filling up at the first few kitchens.
7. Don’t Try to Complete the Cookie Stroll in One Sitting
Five cookies may not sound like much.
Five cookies on top of Holiday Kitchen dishes, regular meals and desserts can become a lot very quickly.
If you have multiple EPCOT days, spread the stroll across them.
8. Build CommuniCore Hall Into Your Route
CommuniCore Hall is no longer merely a shortcut through World Celebration during the festival.
Santa Claus and the Gingerbread Spaceship Earth display give the building multiple reasons to visit.
Try to time your stop so you can also see one of the 15-minute gingerbread Celebration Countdowns.
9. Remember Santa Leaves Before the Festival Ends
Festival of the Holidays continues through December 30.
Santa’s CommuniCore Hall meet-and-greet ends on December 24.
If you are visiting after Christmas, Goofy as Santa at The Odyssey remains available through the final festival day.
10. Ride Cosmic Rewind More Than Once If the Soundtrack Matters to You
There are three holiday songs in the 2026 rotation.
One ride does not guarantee the particular song you want.
If hearing all three is important, multiple rides may be required.
11. Use the Storytellers to Actually Learn Something
It is easy to treat the festival as Christmas decorations plus food.
That misses what makes this event different.
Take time for La Befana, the Daruma Storyteller, Las Posadas, the Hanukkah storyteller or another cultural presentation you have never seen before.
The international traditions are arguably the festival’s most EPCOT-specific feature.
12. Visit World Showcase Once During the Day and Again at Night
Festival of the Holidays changes substantially after sunset.
Daytime is better for seeing storytellers and examining pavilion decorations.
Night brings Christmas lights, Spaceship Earth’s seasonal illumination and a much more atmospheric World Showcase.
13. Expect the Week Between Christmas and New Year’s to Be Busy
December 26 through December 30 falls during one of Walt Disney World’s busiest travel periods.
Festival offerings do not disappear, but standby lines, restaurants and World Showcase walkways can become significantly more crowded.
If your schedule is flexible, earlier December dates generally provide an easier festival experience.
14. Don’t Forget That EPCOT Still Has Attractions
Festival planning can easily consume an entire day.
Use rides as natural breaks between scheduled entertainment.
Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Test Track and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind can all break up a day otherwise dominated by food and performances.
15. Check Everything Again Before Your Visit
Festival menus, entertainment times, merchandise availability and operating schedules can change.
This is particularly important for 2026 because Disney has announced the major festival framework but has not yet released the complete Holiday Kitchen menus.
Use this guide to build your plan, then check the My Disney Experience app shortly before arriving.
What’s Still to Come for Festival of the Holidays 2026?
Disney has now announced most of the major entertainment for 2026.
We know the festival dates, Candlelight Processional narrators, storyteller lineup, Santa locations, Cookie Stroll, Glimmering Greenhouses, Scentsy experience and Cosmic Rewind holiday soundtrack.
As of October 30, however, several pieces are still pending.
Disney has not yet released the complete:
- 2026 Holiday Kitchen menus
- 2026 Holiday Cookie Stroll cookie lineup
- Cookie Stroll completion prize
- Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition price and 2026 prize details
- Festival-specific merchandise collection
- Daily storyteller performance times
- Complete daily entertainment schedule
The biggest update will be the Disney Eats Festival of the Holidays Foodie Guide.
Once Disney releases it, the Holiday Kitchens section of this guide can be expanded with the complete 2026 menus rather than relying on previous-year examples.
Celebrating the Holidays Around the World
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays occupies an unusual place in Walt Disney World’s Christmas calendar.
It does not have the parade and fireworks of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
It does not have the old-Hollywood cocktail-party atmosphere of Disney Jollywood Nights.
And unlike Food & Wine, eating around World Showcase is not the sole reason to visit.
Festival of the Holidays works because EPCOT itself is uniquely suited to the idea.
Within a relatively short walk, guests can hear about an Italian gift-giver, watch a Mexican Las Posadas celebration, learn about Japanese New Year traditions, explore Hanukkah customs, listen to Father Christmas in the United Kingdom, eat German holiday food and finish the evening watching hundreds of singers perform the Christmas story with an orchestra.
That is difficult to duplicate anywhere else at Walt Disney World.
The 2026 festival adds enough new material to make another visit worthwhile, particularly with three holiday tracks aboard Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, an enhanced Gingerbread Spaceship Earth display, new Festive Fragrances and a Candlelight Processional lineup that includes several first-time narrators.
But the heart of the festival remains the traditions that return every year.
The best way to experience it is not to race from attraction to attraction.
Pick up a Festival Passport, watch several storytellers, share a few Holiday Kitchen dishes, ride Glimmering Greenhouses after dark, find a cookie or two, and give yourself enough time to see World Showcase actually become part of the celebration.
For current information and last-minute changes, visit the official EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays page.