Follow Along For the First Day of EPCOT’s 2025 Festival of the Holidays

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Disney Jollywood Nights have already come and gone…but Disney World is not done celebrating the holidays just yet! 

Today marks the first day of the Festival of the Holidays in EPCOT, and MickeyBlog is right there to show you some of 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 2025 Festival of the Holidays lasts from November 28th through December 30th, making it the shortest of the EPCOT festivals.

With only a month to check out the Festival of the Holidays, let’s get right into it!

EPCOT Hours

On November 28th, EPCOT opens at 9:00 AM, with Early Theme Park Entry available to select guests staying in Disney World hotels beginning at 8:30 AM. 

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

We arrived for Early Entry, and there was already quite a line forming to enter EPCOT!

EPCOT festivals do not require a separate ticket — you only need a valid park ticket and a park reservation if applicable. 

If you do end up at EPCOT early, note that the World Showcase and most food booths typically do not open until 11:00 AM.

Festival Passport

The Festival Passport is KEY to all EPCOT festivals! 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.

While the festival passport is already a cute souvenir, you can’t deny its usefulness. 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 2025 Festival Passport!

Festival Merchandise

For festival merchandise, we stopped by an outdoor festival marketplace to see all the offerings this year!

And don’t forget to grab a mini festival-themed Disney gift card! You can activate one with a minimum of $15, finding them at Port of Entry, Creations Shop, World Traveler, and Gateway Gifts.

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 2025 Festival of the Holidays merchandise!

Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition

If you’re looking for more festival fun, Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition is a must-do! This scavenger hunt features hidden Olaf figures all over the World Showcase. 

The inspiration behind this scavenger hunt is Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, a 2017 holiday short that features Olaf exploring different holiday traditions. In fact, each Olaf statue celebrates a corresponding pavilion’s holiday customs.

You can participate unofficially by locating all 13 hidden Olafs on your own, or you can purchase a game board and earn a prize. This year’s prizes are Frozen-themed plates!

Game boards can be purchased for $11.99 at Creations Shop and Disney Traders. You can redeem your board (completed or not) for a prize at those same spots.

After all that fun, shall we eat?

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

Food & Drinks

This year, there are many returning Holiday Kitchens (booths) coming to EPCOT for the Festival of the Holidays!

Check back with MickeyBlog for our food reviews!

Click here to see all of the Festival of the Holidays menus!

Holiday Cookie Stroll

Anyone want some cookies? 

Play a cookie scavenger hunt by participating in the Holiday Cookie Stroll, which tasks guests with purchasing at least 5 cookies (out of a possible 13) to qualify for a prize.

The full Holiday Cookie Stroll list is in your Festival Passport, which is where you must obtain 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:

• Prototype Cookie — Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow
• Ginger-Molasses Cookie — Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow
• Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie — Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow
• Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookie — Holiday Hearth Desserts
• Hazelnut Linzer Cookie — Bavaria Holiday Kitchen
• Chocolate Cookie — American Holiday Table
• Mickey-shaped Almond Black and White Cookie — L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen
• Rugelach — L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen
• Maple Leaf Shortbread 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 — Sunshine Seasons

Once you collect 5 stamps, stop by Holiday Sweets & Treats for your prize!

Watch our video below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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. 

A German storyteller is also new this year — the Adventskalender, who explores German holiday traditions in Micha’s Adventskalender Puppetry theater. 

JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season

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

You can catch performances throughout the day at 2:00 PM, 3:05 PM, 4:05 PM, and 5:10 PM.

Characters

We had to start with the most important person of the holiday season — Santa Claus! This year, he’s located in a NEW spot in CommuniCore Hall.

Santa will be meeting guests daily through December 24, 2025, at 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, and 4:00 PM.

Santa Goofy can be found at The Odyssey pavilion this year! He can be found there daily through December 30, 2025, at 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM and 4:10 PM to 7:10 PM.

Stay tuned for more characters!

Living with the Land — Glimmering Greenhouses

Living with the Land receives a special holiday overlay for the season, known as Glimmering Greenhouses!

This holiday makeover comes with special lighting, props, decor, and more.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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, located at the America Gardens Theatre. On select evenings, experience a 50-piece orchestra, herald trumpets, the Voices of Liberty, and a celebrity narrator telling the story of Christmas. 

Take a look at the celebrity narrators below:

• Nov. 28-29 – Constance Wu (NEW)
• Nov. 30-Dec. 2 – Jordan Fisher
• Dec. 3-4 – Susan Egan (replacing Jennifer Garner) (NEW)
• Dec. 5-6 – Ashley Eckstein
• Dec. 7-8 – Ralph Macchio
• Dec. 9-10 – Leslie Uggams (NEW)
• Dec. 11-13 – Marlee Matlin
• Dec. 14-15 – Henry Winkler (NEW)
• Dec. 16-17 – Lauren Daigle (NEW)
• Dec. 18-19 – Gary Sinise
• Dec. 20-22 – Brendan Fraser
• Dec. 23-24 – Luis Fonsi
• Dec. 25-26 – Joel Smallbone (NEW)
• Dec. 27-28 – Brie Larson (NEW)
• Dec. 29-30 – Sheryl Lee Ralph (NEW)

This show is typically performed on select nights at 5:00 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:15 PM. Tonight’s celebrity narrator is Constance Wu.

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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