EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays started on November 25th, and I went during opening weekend to check out everything the festival has. This celebration is jam-packed with activities that make it hard to accomplish everything, but here are the three things you must do.
Explore the Holiday Kitchens
The Holiday Kitchens are sprinkled throughout the park, and each booth has delicious food items. I suggest grabbing a festival passport and pick between three to five spots you want to try. Please make sure the Noche Buena Cocina is on your list because it is a brand-new kitchen at this year’s festival. Doing the Holiday Cookie Stroll is a great way to explore different booths and grab a sweet treat.
I am a firm believer that food brings people together and that eating as a group can create memories that last a lifetime. Many holidays this time of year have food at the focal point, bringing the whole family to the same table where everyone can enjoy a meal together and catch up on life. Your family can do the same at this festival while traveling to each booth.
Make Time for Storytellers
Several pavilions in World Showcase have holiday storytellers that educate guests on how their culture celebrates and what traditions they follow. It’s hard to see every performance, so creating a list of the ones you want to see is essential. For example, this is my list.
- Hanukkah Storyteller – Between Morocco and France Pavilions
- A Mischievous Magical Barn Santa – Norway Pavilion
- La Befana – Italy Pavilion
- Father Christmas – United Kingdom Pavilion
Do you have a favorite holiday storyteller?
Enjoy the Holiday Entertainment
Entertainment offerings are all over the park and really get everyone in the holiday spirit. At the entrance of World Showcase, guests can find JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season. In World Discovery, you can enjoy the syncopated sounds of the funkiest percussionists around, the JAMMitors. You definitely don’t want to miss the Canadian Holiday Voyageurs at the Canada Pavilion. The Voyagers explore holiday customs from the various regions of Canada on a musical tour of the Great White North.
When I visited, I watched JOYFUL! a Celebration of the Season, for the first time. The cast was so full of life, and they were all extremely talented. The group got the crowd to sing along and dance. I also saw characters while walking through the park, and they were dressed in their holiday best; they all looked adorable.
@wdwinfo EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays has begun! Let’s take a look at what the best EPCOT festival has to offer. #epcotfood #disneychristmas #disneyparks #disneyworld50 @disneyparks ♬ I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Amazon Original) – Camila Cabello
After my first visit to the festival, these experiences were the ones that made it on my must-do list. I will be returning since it is my favorite seasonal event at EPCOT, and this list might change, but I doubt it.
What’s on your must-do list when visiting EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays? Let us know in the comments.