MickeyBlog is LIVE From EPCOT’s 2024 Festival of the Holidays 🎄

We’ve been celebrating the holidays at Disney World for a while now with events such as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Disney Jollywood Nights…but now it’s time for more holiday fun! 

The Festival of the Holidays officially kicks off in EPCOT beginning today and MickeyBlog is there to check out all the Holiday Kitchens (aka booths), Christmas cookies, live entertainment, and more. 

This post will be updated throughout the day, so follow along with us to see all there is to enjoy at the Festival of the Holidays!

Festival Dates

The 2024 Festival of the Holidays is the shortest of the EPCOT festivals, lasting from November 29th through December 30th. 

You only have about a month to check out the Festival of the Holidays, so let’s get into it!

EPCOT Hours

On November 29th, EPCOT opens at 9AM, with Early Theme Park Entry available to select guests staying in Disney World hotels beginning at 8:30AM. 

The park is scheduled to close at 9:30AM. 

Unlike other Disney World holiday events, EPCOT festivals do not require a separate ticket for entry — just a valid park ticket and a park reservation for EPCOT, unless you have date-based tickets. 

It’s also important to know that while you can enter EPCOT as early as 8:30AM (depending), the World Showcase and all the food booths typically do not open until around 11AM. 

While you wait, stop into Creations Shop to check out the festival merchandise!

Festival Passport

If you need a guide to all things festival, look no further than an EPCOT Festival Passport! This free guidebook features everything you need to know about the festival.

You can typically find it at food booths, entrance points, and other spots around EPCOT.

In addition to being a cute souvenir, it’s also extremely useful. Inside, you’ll find information about all the Holiday Kitchens (booths)…

…live entertainment…

…merchandise…

…and, of course, the Holiday Cookie Stroll!

Click here to see more photos of the Festival Passport!

Festival Merchandise

It’s time to go shopping! We headed into Creations Shop to check out all the new merchandise.

First up is this pair of Festival of the Holidays Ears…

…a Spirit Jersey…

…a T-Shirt…

…a Figment-inspired Holiday Sweater…

…a Lug Crossbody Bag…

…a Cookie Stroll Cookie Container…

…a Festival of the Holidays Mug…

…a Festival of the Holidays Throw Blanket…

…and a Festival Pin.

There are also exclusive Annual Passholder items, like this Hooded Shirt…

…and this Mickey Snow Globe Pin.

And don’t forget to grab a festival-themed gift card!

You can find the Festival of the Holidays merchandise collection at Creations Shop, World Traveler, and various other locations around the World Showcase. 

Click here to see all the 2024 Festival of the Holidays merchandise!

Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition

For festival fun outside of the realm of food, Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition is a must-do! This scavenger hunt features hidden Olaf figures all over the World Showcase. 

You can participate unofficially by locating all 13 hidden Olafs on your own, or you can purchase a game board and earn a prize.

Game boards can be purchased for $9.99 at Creations Shop, Disney Traders, and World Traveler. You can redeem your board (completed or not) for a prize at those same spots.

This year, the prizes are stencils for latte art!

There are four different stencil designs available to choose from, including Olaf, Sven, Elsa, and Anna, and they each come with a second Spaceship Earth stencil!

You get one prize per purchased game board.

Here’s what it should look like on your latte!

Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition is inspired by Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, which features Olaf exploring different holiday traditions. In EPCOT, you can spot Olaf statues celebrating each pavilion’s holiday customs!

After all that fun, shall we eat?

Click here to see more about Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition!

Food & Drinks

We’ve been making our way around the World Showcase as we try out new and returning dishes, with some of our favorites including the Slow-Roasted Turkey from the American Holiday Table…

…the Sushi Tree Roll from Shi Wasu…

…Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl from Bavaria…

…and the Empanada de Pollo from Las Posadas.

Check back with MickeyBlog for more reviews!

Holiday Cookie Stroll

The Holiday Cookie Stroll is essentially a cookie scavenger hunt, and who would say no to that?? This year, choose 5 cookies (out of a possible 9) to qualify for a special prize. 

You can see the full Holiday Cookie Stroll list in your Festival Passport, which is where you must also get a stamp for each eligible cookie purchased — if you want to get that prize.

Here’s a full list of the eligible cookies this year:

• Spaceship Earth Tile Gingerbread Triangle — Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow
• Almond Linzer Cookie — Bavaria Holiday Kitchen
• Snickerdoodle Cookie — American Holiday Table
• Black and White Cookie — L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen
• Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie — Yukon Holiday Kitchen
• Coffee Mocha Cookie — Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Kitchen
• Cinnamon-Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookie — Nochebuena Cocina
• Holiday Sugar Cookie — Connections Café
• Peanut Butter Cookie with Festive Red & Green M&M’s Milk Chocolate Minis — Sunshine Seasons

Once you collect 5 stamps, stop by Holiday Sweets & Treats for your prize! This year’s prize is a Gingerbread Cookie with sprinkles and M&Ms add-ons. 

Click here to read more about the Cookie Stroll!

Entertainment

Holiday Storytellers

The Holiday Storytellers are a key element of the Festival of the Holidays! These storytellers are located in the World Showcase pavilions, where they tell lively stories about their holiday traditions and cultures. Note that adverse weather can affect their performances, so your mileage may vary!

You can find the Los Posadas Celebration in Mexico, where you will hear a Mariachi Cobre performance. 

Over in Norway, a mischievous Magical Barn Santa visits with Sigrid.

See a Chinese Lion Dancer ring in the Lunar New Year in China!

A kindhearted witch known as La Befana visits children on the Eve of Epiphany in Italy. 

Over in Japan, learn about the Daruma doll and Japanese New Year customs from the Daruma Storyteller.

The Hanukkah Storyteller talks about traveling the world and experiencing the music and traditions of Hanukkah.  

Visit France to learn more about Christmas from Père Noël…

…or stop by the United Kingdom pavilion to hear from Father Christmas!

The Canada Holiday Voyageurs can be found performing on the Mill Stage daily. 

JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season

JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season can now be found on the CommuniCore Plaza stage, featuring gospel and R&B music paying tribute to Christmas and Kwanzaa.

You can catch performances throughout the day at 1:05PM, 2:10PM, 3:15PM, and 4:20PM.

Characters

Let’s start with the man of the hour — Santa Claus! This year, he’s located in the Odyssey pavilion again. 

A sign displayed Santa’s meeting times, which today ranged from 11AM to 12PM, 12:30PM to 1:30PM, 2PM to 3PM, 3:30PM to 4:30PM, and 5PM to 6PM. 

And there he is!

Stay tuned for more characters!

Living with the Land — Glimmering Greenhouses

Earlier this week, we already showed you Living with the Land’s holiday overlay, known as Glimmering Greenhouses!

Living with the Land receives a special holiday makeover, complete with special lighting…

…ornaments…

…and lots more!

Don’t forget to check it out during your visit.

Click here to learn more about Living with the Land — Glimmering Greenhouses!

Candlelight Processional

One of the most impactful parts of the Festival of the Holidays is the Candlelight Processional. On select evenings, you can experience a 50-piece orchestra, herald trumpets, the Voices of Liberty, and a celebrity narrator telling the story of Christmas. 

This show is typically performed on select nights at 5:15PM, 7PM, and 8:30PM. Tonight’s celebrity narrator is none other than Josh Gad! You may know him as the voice of Olaf or as LeFou in the live-action Beauty and the Beast. 

Seating can be very limited, so you might want to consider booking a dining package, which guarantees you a spot in a designated seating area.

EPCOT Beacon of Magic

And finally, as darkness falls over EPCOT, Spaceship Earth lights up with a special holiday sequence inspired by Frozen. 

We’ll be updating this post throughout the day, so keep following MickeyBlog for more Disney World news!

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