There’s always a lot going on around the holidays at Disney World. In addition to announcing Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Disney has also announced dates for the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.
This festival takes place at EPCOT during the holiday season. This year it will run from November 27 – December 30, 2026. A lot of the festivities take place around the World Showcase, but there are decorations all over the park. Throughout the World Showcase guests can see the Holiday Storytellers. The storytellers entertain and educate guests on the different cultures that celebrate the holiday season.
Holiday Storytellers
- Mexico Pavilion – Las Posadas Celebration
- Norway Pavilion – A Mischievous Magical Barn Santa
- China Pavilion – Chinese Lion Dancer and Si-Zhu Trio
- Germany Pavilion – Adventskalender
- Italy Pavilion – La Befana
- Japan Pavilion – Daruma Storyteller
- Between the Morocco and France Pavilions – Hanukkah Storyteller
- France Pavilion – Père Noël
- United Kingdom Pavilion – Father Christmas
- Canada Pavilion – Canadian Holiday Voyageurs
In addition to the storytellers, guests might also see Santa Claus traveling around the World Showcase during the festival. Santa will also be greeting guests at CommuniCore Hall. As a special treat, Goofy will be dressed as Santa and he’ll be posing for pictures at The Odyssey.
Other Activities and Experiences During the Festival
- See Gingerbread Spaceship Earth which will light up every 15 minutes, featuring a new song and light shows with holiday flair.
- Candlelight Processional – This is probably the most popular thing guests like to do during this festival. Each day of the festival the story of Christmas is narrated by a celebrity narrator and accompanied by a mass choir and full orchestra. The list of narrators will be released at a later date.
- JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season – This performance blends gospel, jazz, and R&B to highlight holiday traditions.
- Voices of Liberty – These talented singers perform as the Dickens Carolers and perform classic holiday music in the style of Victorian-era England.
- Festival Kitchens – These stands will serve holiday inspired food and drinks from around the world.
- Holiday Cookie Stroll – Guests who purchase 5 qualifying cookies from select Holiday Kitchens, and collect the stamps in the Festival Passport, can redeem the stamps for a special treat.
- Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Scavenger Hunt – Guests who purchase and complete the scavenger hunt around the World Showcase will receive a fun holiday keepsake.
- The Lights on Spaceship Earth – The park’s icon comes alive at night with holiday lighting and effects.
- Living with the Land – This ride gets a makeover with twinkling lights and seasonal decorations.
Needless to say this is a fun and festive time to visit EPCOT. Make sure to grab a Festival Passport to see everything that is going on while visiting the park. Are you planning to visit EPCOT this holiday season? What is your favorite thing to see/experience during the Festival of the Holidays?
Thanks for reading!
Liz
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Liz
I love all things Disney, but my main love is for Disney World and I'm always planning for the next trip. Before becoming a Disney blogger, I was a radio DJ, so I guess I'm just continuing in the communication industry, just in a different form. I love talking Disney and I could talk about Disney all day. That's why I started blogging and created the Facebook group. The Disney community is full of friendly, helpful, and happy people...and I love being a part of it! If there is any Disney subject you would like to see covered just let me know! Need help planning your Disney vacation. Feel free to contact myself or Melissa at Never Stop Dreaming Travel Co. We love helping people plan their trips! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to check out our Countdown to Disney app! Feel free to email me with suggestions of things you would like to see in the app :-)