Book the Candlelight Processional Dining Package

Over our three-night vacation with a 4-day Park Hopper I spent close to 8 hours in EPCOT. On our first day our primary goal was to see Whoopi Goldberg as the narrator for the Candlelight Processional. The 45-minute performance welcomed celebrities to read the Nativity Story. A live orchestra played Christmas songs while a 150+ person chorus and the Voices of Liberty American Pavilion based group sings along. Whoopi has been a longtime performer and one of the most popular, so the World Showcase area was especially busy on Saturday evening. The best way to avoid having to line up hours in advance to guarantee seating was to book a Dining Package at one of the participating EPCOT restaurants.

Queues were located to each side of in the American Adventure Pavilion stage. Arriving to the queue earlier would have gotten us better seats in the reserved section, but we were able to check in just before the show and find a bench toward the back, with a view slightly obstructed by the shade trees.

Plan in Advance for Performance Times and Attractions,

We booked Lighting Lane for Living with The Land just before our 2pm meal at Garden Grill, but in hindsight an evening time slot would have been better to see the “Greenhouses Aglow.” We followed lunch with a Lightning Lane for Soarin’, also located in The Land. The timing of the meal and Lightning Lanes was perfect to lessen walking and save time.

Over the three days we made our way across World Showcase a few times, stopping to watch some of the entertainment. The “Barn Santa” in Norway was one of the many “Holiday Storytellers” sharing holiday traditions from around the world. Many of these themed shows in the Country Pavilions have remained the same since our first Festival of the Holidays visit in 2018, including the Italian witch “Befall” and the Mexican Mariachi band that switched to holiday songs during this season.

Many of the photopass photographers offered to add Magic Shots. (Clearly I missed the instructions on this one.)

Use the Olaf as a Guide to Really Take in The Holiday Decor

On my last morning I took the Skyliner from Art of Animation Resort to Epcot. The long lines from the resorts moved quickly and the trip took just ½ hour.

These seasonal scavenger hunts have been a tradition in our decade of visiting Epcot. The benefit of an early morning visit was nearly empty Pavilions, great for both finding the snowman and experiencing the differences in sights, sounds and smells that each replicated location offered. It was also a perfect way to see the holiday decorations (though an empty park at night would have been even better.) Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt

Skip a Regular Meal to Snack & Drink at the Festival Kiosks

On Sunday we returned to Epcot as part of a “Four Parks in One Day” self-imposed challenge. The main Holiday goal on this day was to sample food and drinks from the dining Kiosks throughout the park.

The new CommuniCore area was a hub for the festival, with tons of new shaded seating and live music. A festival hall offered seasonal merch, decorations and food. We pieced together a dinner from the snack-size kiosk offerings, including potato latkes from the L’Chaim kiosk, and a plant-based Tamale from the NoChebuena kiosk.

Garden areas scattered throughout the park had seating and playground areas. Some sponsors have areas with interactive displays for most festivals. 

Overall, building an itinerary for the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays will depend a lot on if you are regular visitors or new to the Parks. Many families with young children think of EPCOT as more of an adult-oriented park, but the holidays are the perfect time for all ages, with child-oriented entertainment and festive decorations. Contact me at jennifer.erving@academytravel.com for help planning your next trip.

Read more blog posts about EPCOT in Walt Disney World-