The Holiday Cookie Stroll will be returning to this year’s Taste of Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, making guests with a sweet tooth (or two) very, very happy. That being said, there are a few changes to be aware of if you’ve had the chance to enjoy the Stroll in years past. Let’s take a few moments to go over the changes and get ready.
New Completer Cookie
The Holiday Cookie Stroll is back this year, and it’s kept the same 5 core cookies, but gained a new completer cookie.
The new Peppermint Minnie Cookie (this year’s completer) is a welcomed change as last year’s Santa Mickey Sugar Cookie (pictured above) was thin, dry, and less than stellar. I’m looking forward to celebrating my cookie eating accomplishments by trying the peppermint-y Minnie version.
Cookie Hide and Go Seek
I had a slight moment of panic yesterday when the Holiday Kitchens for this year’s Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays were released. A kitchen was missing, and I began to lament. My groaning wasn’t because I loved everything offered at the booth in years past; it was for the possible loss of my very favorite Holiday Cookie Stroll cookie: the beloved Chocolate Crinkle Cookie. We even made the cookie for Saturday Snacks back in April; my love for this cookie runs deep.
As I dug through the festival information released by Disney, finding that cookie among the offerings was my main goal. Finally, after clicking and clicking, I found that my concerns were all for naught. While we are losing the Feast of the Three Kings Holiday Kitchen this year, the Chocolate Crinkle Cookie will be making its way across World Showcase Lagoon to American Holiday Table. Whew. Crisis averted. Take that, 2020.
A few of the cookies will be joining the Chocolate Crinkle in finding new digs this year. The Linzer Cookie will still be found at the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen (Germany pavilion), the Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie will again be available at Canada‘s Yukon Holiday Kitchen, and L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen (located between the Morocco and France pavilions) will still offer the cake-like (and delicious!) Black-and-White Cookie (pictured above).
As I mentioned earlier, the Chocolate Crinkle will now be found at The American Adventure. The Gingerbread Cookie (pictured above), which was available at American Holiday Table last year, has been bumped to the Festival Favorites booth inside World Showplace, an indoor venue located between the Canada and United Kingdom pavilions. We’ll definitely get a workout making our way around World Showcase for the Stroll.
The Return of Paper Festival Passports
The Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, taking place now, saw the arrival of a digital festival passport. The digital version was completely understandable as I’m sure that the pandemic caused many adjustments behind the scenes for the teams at Walt Disney World. I was just happy to have a version of the festival; I could make do without a paper festival passport and its fun little stickers.
According to the info released by Disney, the Taste of Festival of the Holidays will see the return of the paper festival passports. Guests completing the Holiday Cookie Stroll will once again be charged with the mission of getting a stamp for each cookie purchased. Once the Cookie Stroll stamps are all collected, guests will have the chance to stop by Holiday Sweets and Treats to show their completed cookie page and collect their complementary Minnie cookie.
The cookies on last year’s Stroll were $2.50 each. This year’s prices have not been released as of yet, and I’m personally hoping that there isn’t an increase. I can stomach $10 for a fun (and sweet!) in-park activity, but if the price escalates, I’d have to re-think the value.
If you’ve not had the chance to participate in the Holiday Cookie Stroll and you’d like to read about my adventures completing the stroll last year, click here.
The 2020 Taste of Epcot International Festival of the Holidays begins November 27th. The Holiday Cookie Stroll can be enjoyed throughout the festival, and doesn’t have to be completed all in one visit (unless you want to, of course).
Will you be completing the Holiday Cookie Stroll this year?