The holidays bring out the best thing about Epcot – celebrating various cultural traditions worldwide. And you can experience the different holiday traditions from around the world at the Epcot International Festival during the holiday season, from delicious foods to unique festivities.
- Epcot celebrates Christmas by hosting the Epcot International Festival, which provides the experience of various holiday traditions through decorations, music, cuisine, and other special events.
- The candlelight procession is an endearing way to celebrate and experience the Christmas story.
- Performers bring their local traditions to life at the Epcot Christmas festival.
No matter what your family traditions are, the Epcot International Festival will immerse you in the sights, stories, sounds, and flavors, of celebration this holiday season.
2 Ways To Best Enjoy Christmas at Epcot
If you think Epcot is only for kids, get that out of your mind now because there’s always something for everyone at the Epcot International Festival.
1. Enjoy International Cuisine
Do you want to experience the international cuisines of the holidays? Yes, please!
At Epcot, the food is a must-do with the loveliest Christmas feasts, cakes, cookies, and candies. You’re guaranteed to find something to try from every country because each Holiday Kitchen is dedicated to that nation.
You can enjoy your Christmas supper served in America, fruitcakes served in Italy, and an entire kitchen booth dedicated to cookies.
2. Party With Disney
Everyone loves playing festival games, and Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition is one of the crowd favorites. The scavenger hunt game focuses on finding your favorite snowman, Olaf, hidden around the World Showcase countries. Each figure represents Olaf and a festive custom from that nation.
As you party with Disney, you also get a wonderful opportunity to learn about many cultures while working towards a fun prize. You can visit each nation, enjoy the decorations, and even speak with cast members to learn where Olaf might be lurking if you take a break from the feast.
You can also travel to France this season to see Belle getting ready for the holidays in her iconic red velvet gown. When you match their outfits, the Disney Princesses will definitely adore you. So make the most of your time with Belle, and you can even clothe your child like a Disney Princess.
The Candlelight Processional is worth your time and lives up to the hype. It showcases the retelling of the Nativity Story and is delivered by a famous speaker while featuring a full orchestra and chorus.
Each person has a story. And fortunately for us, the Christmas storytellers from the World Showcase will share their most memorable holiday tales with you to take you back to their home country and time.
For the holidays, Living with the Land is decked out and has twinkling lights at night. This boat ride is a great way to enter and exit the crowds at Epcot.
Things You Must Do at Disney During Christmas
Epcot Festival of the Holidays greatly enhances the holiday magic at Disney World, which makes Christmas there unlike any other.
1. Maximize Your Very Merry Party Hours
Disney Very Merriest After Hours includes snickerdoodle cookies, hot cocoa, popcorn, Mickey ice cream bars, and other delicacies at the Magic Kingdom. The holidays are packed with unique stage performances four times per night, fireworks at 11:15 p.m., two Once Upon a Christmastime Parade rounds, Club Tinsel dance parties, and more.
2. Take a Cookie Stroll
This delightful holiday custom is back! You can buy five cookies from the approved cookie stroll places listed in the Festival Passport at Epcot during the holiday season. Make sure to get a stamp for every cookie you buy!
The cookies for the Epcot Christmas festival are:
- Alfajores – Port of Entry
- Black and White Cookie – between Morocco and France
- SNICKERS – Doodle Cookie – Canada
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookie – America
- Gingerbread Cookie – Port of Entry
- Linzer Cookie – Germany
- M&M’s Sugar Cookie – Sunshine Seasons
- Sugar Cookie – Connections Café
3. Enjoy the Christmas Concert
This year’s Epcot Center Christmas Show is back! This performance is part of a series called JOYFUL! It is the Celebration of the Season that honors Kwanzaa and Christmas. The songs in this program are a blend of upbeat gospel, jazz, rhythm and blues, and other genres.
4. Visit the Gingerbread City
Take a stroll through the gingerbread city to visit different memorials in the world. You can go to the Capitol Building, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the five-foot-tall Washington Monument — few of the iconic American structures honored in this city.
Conclusion
There are so many things to do at Epcot over the holidays that you simply cannot fit in one day. We strongly advise staying longer than a single day during the holiday season. There is always something new around the corner, with so much to see, experience, and learn!
Stay for two days: one for dining at the Candlelight Processional and the other for exploring the Christmas kitchens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Light Show at Epcot?
At Walt Disney Imagineering, the lighting design team is still exploring the creative and practical potential of the new Spaceship Earth lighting. They were moved by the vivid hues and dynamic movement in the 1991 Walt Disney Animation Studios classic “Beauty and the Beast” for their most recent limited-time sequence. They included both in the show’s programming.
Be on the watch for other amusing subtle easter eggs like rising champagne bubbles and the multicolored spotlights from the song’s finale, in addition to a spectacular tri-colored tribute to France, the setting and inspiration for the timeless fairy tale.
Does Epcot Have Christmas Lights?
Since 2019, Living with the Land has been transformed for the holidays with dazzling Christmas decorations. As you travel through the Epcot greenhouses, you will see a cluster of snowmen, vibrant wreaths, a Mickey reindeer head, and sparkling lights.
What Days Is Epcot Least Busy?
Mondays and Wednesdays are among the least busy days at Epcot. However, if you are visiting during the holiday season, you will surely find crowds on all the days of the week.
