Festival of the Holidays At Epcot in Walt Disney World
Christmas time is always a special time of year for Disney, because they dress up Magic Kingdom. They bring out the carolers, display a massive tree, and do a nightly castle lighting ceremony; however, that’s just the beginning! They have after hours parties with a parade, fireworks, and free cookie stations all over the park. Hollywood Studios creates snowfall over Sunset Boulevard and has nightly spectaculars. For two years now, Epcot has jumped on board to celebrate the season with another festival. The International Festival of the Holidays premiered in 2017. This exciting festival combines the best of what we love about Epcot Festivals and the joyful spirit of Christmas celebration.
Christmas Celebrated Around the World
Festival of the Holidays is a seasonal celebration of Christmas and other winter holidays. The primary focus is on how Christmas is celebrated in cultures all around the world. In the America Pavilion, there is a little bit of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, and vocal performances in Future World include Kwanzaa songs. In other Pavilions are traditional representations of Kris Kringle, as well as festive music and decor related to that country. This festival is still very new, so there is no telling how it will grow, even in the 2019 holiday season!
The Candlelight Procession
Every December, Disney hosts Epcot® International Festival of the Holidays – Candlelight Processional on select evenings where a chorus carrying candles takes the stage in the American Pavilion. The production includes a 50 piece orchestra, a human Christmas tree, and a celebrity narrator. The show uses song and scripture to tell the story of Christmas according to the Gospel of Luke. It’s a powerful night of song that takes place at the American Gardens Theater. Dinner Packages for the show are available and include reserved seating.
A Kid at Christmas
Epcot has a Festival of the Holidays themed scavenger hunt to involve the children as you tour the World Showcase. Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree involves using a map to locate ornaments that Chip and Dale can hang on their tree. The map is $6.99. In each of the 11 World Showcase Pavilions, you can find Chip and Dale among the decor gathering their ornaments. As you spot them, put a sticker on your map and take the completed map to Disney Traders or World Traveler for a prize!
A New Kind of Christmas Feast
Of all the transformations Epcot goes through during the festivals of the year, this one has got to be the most magical. The spirit of Christmas is everywhere and the sense of global unity that the World Showcase creates is a perfect way to underscore the Christmas narrative. Of course, no festival is complete without food booths, and this seasons booths are all about popular traditional holiday dishes cultures around the world! Not just those of the permanent pavilions, but in many others as well!
Wow, this sounds like a fun Christmas vacation. We were at Disney World many many years ago for Christmas, sure it was decorated etc but there was no where near as much going on as there is today and I certainly don’t remember anything very special at Epcot.
They certainly have more now! It’s so much fun!
I really want to see Epcot
I would love to get back to Disneyworld. Was last there in 1990—too long ago
We have never been, but it sounds like it would be such a grand time for everyone in the fam.
That seems like it would be such a fun time of year to visit! I’d love to go when it was all decorated.
I love the holidays at Disney! It such a great time of year to visit!
I bet it’s amazing to see all of the different way people celebrate around the world. Disney has great ways of celebrating.