If you’re heading to Disney World in November, you’re in for an exciting time!

The holiday season kicks off this month in Disney World, with decorations going up, exciting events happening, and more. The weather is pretty mild this time of year compared to the spring and summer months, and *hopefully* we won’t see huge crowds until around Thanksgiving! This makes it an ideal time to visit the parks, especially if you’re ready to get in the holiday spirit. So, let’s talk about the 5 best things to do in Disney World in November!

1. Festival of the Holidays

The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays takes place from November 26th through December 30th, 2021. So, if you’re in EPCOT the day after Thanksgiving, you can eat even MORE food at all of the Holiday Kitchens! We don’t know all of the menus for the kitchens yet, but we do know all of the booths! Like the returning Mele Kalikimaka and L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen as well as a brand new booth, Chestnuts & Good Cheer, which will serve things like roasted nuts.

Another food aspect of the festival is the Holiday Cookie stroll! You can pick up 5 different cookies at certain booths around the World Showcase, and once you’ve tried all of the cookies, you get another free cookie as your prize!

Some of the cookies on this year’s stroll include the Snickers-Doodle Cookie and a classic Black and White Cookie.

We can’t wait to try all of these cookies for ourselves!

Click here to see ALL of the Holiday Kitchen menus when they’re released for Festival of the Holidays!

Another exciting part of the festival is a special scavenger hunt called Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition. Olaf can be found hiding around the World Showcase, and once you find all of the hidden Olafs, you get a prize!

To do the scavenger hunt, you can go to the Creations Shop, Port of Entry, or World Traveler at International Gateway in EPCOT to buy the map and stickers for $9.99.

Also at the festival this year is the famous Candlelight Processional! It takes place at America Gardens Theater and has narrators tell the story of Christmas while an orchestra and choir create some amazing music. This year, some of the celebrity narrators include Jodi Benson and Pat Sajak!

There are also dining packages available for the Candlelight Processional that will guarantee you a seat for the show. You can book the packages now, depending on availability.

Click here to see all of the announced entertainment for Festival of the Holidays!

We’ve also seen a sneak peek at the merchandise coming for the Festival of the Holidays!

Definitely make sure and check out all these special items if you’re in EPCOT during the festivities.

Click here to see more about EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays!

2. Disney’s Very Merriest After Hours

This year, instead of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (which was canceled last year), Magic Kingdom is hosting Disney’s Very Merriest After Hours. It’s a separately ticketed event that will feature festivities like Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks and Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.

There will also be a brand new stage show called Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories. The only way you’ll be able to catch all of this entertainment is by going to the After Hours event.

At the event, snow will be falling on Main Street, U.S.A., special holiday treats will be available, and certain attractions, like Jingle Cruise and Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, will receive holiday overlays.

Very Merriest After Hours takes place on select nights starting November 8, 2021 through December 21, 2021. Tickets are available online now and range from $169 to $249 depending on the date. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can get a $10 discount on select event dates in November.

Click here to see more about Disney’s Very Merriest After Hours event!

3. Eat all of the new holiday treats

The holiday season at Disney World means special decorations, merchandise, events, and (most importantly, in our opinion) FOOD!

There are a TON of new and returning holiday treats coming to locations around Disney World, and we can’t wait to try them ALL! We’re going to see a bunch of different variations on Thanksgiving food, more fall flavors like pumpkin and apple pie, and returning sweets like the Frozen Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate.

One of the best ways to spend your time in Disney World in November is to sample as much of this seasonal food as your heart desires! It’s only around for a limited time, and you might just discover a new favorite treat.

Click here to see a FULL list of all the holiday eats and treats coming to Disney World!

4. Celebrate Thanksgiving

Of course! The biggest holiday in November is Thanksgiving, and many people like to celebrate in Disney World. Some people go visit relatives on turkey day, others go visit Mickey. It’s a great place to celebrate the holiday though because there are going to be several Thanksgiving dishes around Disney World!

In Animal Kingdom, there will be items like the Open-Faced Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich and a Thanksgiving Dinner, which won’t even be available until Thanksgiving Day.

In Disney Springs, you can head on over to Raglan Road to have their special Thanksgiving meal which will have Butter & Herb Roast Turkey, Roast Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Duck Fat Roasties, Honey Glazed Carrots, Bacon-Braised Brussels Sprouts, Sausage Meat & Walnut Stuffing, and Red Wine Jus with Cranberry Sauce. That’s a big plateful!

Or, if you’re looking for something a bit smaller, you can grab something like the Holiday Turkey Burger at D-Luxe Burger or the Gobbler Poutine at The Daily Poutine.

And, don’t forget that places like Liberty Tree Tavern and The Diamond Horseshoe in Magic Kingdom serve Thanksgiving food on their regular menus, so they would be a great spot for a dining reservation on Thanksgiving Day!

Click here to see why you should watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year!

5. Dress up for Dapper Day

Good ol’ Dapper Day is happening this November in Disney World! The fall outing will take place on November 20th in EPCOT and November 21st in Magic Kingdom. If you don’t know what Dapper Day is, it’s when people are encouraged to dress in their most dapper clothing (which can be anything from vintage to chic looks) and visit the Disney parks!

Anyone and everyone can dress up! You just have to have your own park admission and a park reservation to join all the other dapper dressers in the parks (bonus if you also get to watch the Dapper Dans perform!).

Also taking place is the Dapper Day Pop-Up Shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort Marketplace. The pop-up shop will be held from Thursday, November 18th through Monday, November 22nd. New fashions and more will be available to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dapper Day!

You can learn more about the event on the Dapper Day website.

Click here to learn more about Dapper Day!

Those are the 5 the best things to do in Disney World this November! Stay tuned to DFB to stay updated on all things, Disney.

Click here to learn more about the holidays at Disney World!

Will you be in Disney World in November? If so, tell us what you’re looking forward to the most in the comments!

The post The 5 Best Things to Do in Disney World in November first appeared on the disney food blog.