What’s New at the EPCOT Festival of Holidays 2023?

What’s New at the EPCOT Festival of Holidays 2023?

The Festival of Holidays at Walt Disney World returns to EPCOT with fan favorites, outdoor holiday kitchens, specialty merchandise, and other fun additions to add to your holiday lineup. Check out everything that’s NEW for the Festival of Holidays at Walt Disney World this year!

epcot italy disney world at christmas

EPCOT at Christmastime 

One of our favorite places to go as we gear up for the holidays is EPCOT. While we LOVE Hollywood Studio’s kitschy Christmas decorations, EPCOT has a flavor all its own. Lots of them in fact. Combining music, food, decor, and more you can also find a holiday festival as part of the festivities!

When is the EPCOT International Festival of Holidays?

Disney’s EPCOT International Festival of Holidays runs from November 24- December 30, 2023, featuring outdoor kitchens, the Candlelight Processional, Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition and more. Visiting for Christmas at EPCOT is always a treat. Combining all our favorite cultural traditions and amazing holiday treats EPCOT brings together food and fun throughout all four neighborhoods. 

Olaf's Holiday Tradition Expedition

Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition

Cranberry Mimosa France EPCOT

Festival of Holidays Kitchens- *NEW 2023*

The Festival of Holidays opens this year with a whopping 15 kitchens scattered around the World Showcase and the rest of the park! Check out the full Festival of Holidays Christmas Food Menus  for 2023 for all the booths, cookie stroll, and more. While each booth at the Festival often features NEW foods for Christmas at EPCOT, sometimes we get whole new kitchens added to the lineup. Here are the NEW Festival of Holidays Kitchens in 2023 at EPCOT. 

  • Bubbles & Brine – near Port of Entry *NEW*
    • Indulge in succulent seafood that pairs beautifully with Champagne.
  • Char & Chop- near Disney Traders *NEW*
    • Stop by this butchery-inspired holiday kitchen for gourmet meats.
  • Swirled Showcase- near Port of Entry *NEW*
    • Cool off with whimsical frozen treats and chilled beverages.
  • Wine and Wedge- near Port of Entry *NEW*
    • Snack on artisanal cheeses and accouterments—which pair well with wine, port, and more.

Candlelight Processional at Disney's Festival of Holidays

Candlelight Processional Entertainment *NEW 2023*

This retelling of the Nativity Story takes place at the America Garden’s Theater throughout the festival and features new celebrity speakers throughout the festival.  Check out the lineup of celebrity readers for Disney’s Candlelight Processional in 2023. Candlelight Processional Dining Packages are also available beginning October 17. 

  • Location: America Gardens Theatre at EPCOT
  • Dates: November 24 to December 30, 2023
  • Showtimes: 5:15 PM, 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM

2023 Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators 

  • Chrissy Metz (NEW): Nov. 24-25
  • Luis Fonsi (NEW): Nov. 26-27
  • Ann-Margret (NEW): Nov. 28-29
  • Simu Liu: Nov. 30-Dec. 2
  • John Stamos: Dec. 3-5
  • Neil Patrick Harris: Dec. 6-8
  • Marlee Matlin: Dec. 9-11
  • Brendan Fraser (NEW): Dec. 12-14
  • Eva Longoria (NEW): Dec. 15-16
  • Joey McIntyre (NEW): Dec. 17-18
  • Sterling K. Brown (NEW): Dec. 19-20
  • Jordan Fisher (NEW): Dec. 21-23
  • Steven Curtis Chapman: Dec. 24-26
  • Audra McDonald (NEW): Dec. 27-28
  • Lisa Ling: Dec. 29-30

candlelight processional, christmas at epcot

EPCOT Holiday Performances 2023

  • Canadian Holiday Voyageurs | Canada: Head to Canada’s Mill Stage for musical stylings and festive songs from the Canadian Holiday Voyageurs!
  • Chinese Lion Dance New Year Celebration | China: Head to China for an acrobatic celebration to ring in the Chinese New Year. Throughout the Festival of Holidays, you can see these performances throughout the day. 
  • JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season | World Showplace: A celebration of music to bring the songs of Christmas and Kwanzaa to Disney includes Gospel, R&B, and holiday songs performed by the ‘Joyful!’ vocal ensemble.
  • Voices of Liberty – Voices of the Season: A cappella holiday music sets the tone for the season at the America pavilion. Dressed as Dicken’s Carolers this is a great way to get into the classic feeling of Christmas.
  • Las Posadas with Mariachi Cobre | Mexico Pavilion: Grab a seat at American Gardens theater to watch the colorful dancers and the band, Las Posadas, celebrating Mexican Christmas traditions to kick off the season. 
  • JAMMitors: Hang out to see the percussion players with a whole new set of holiday tunes throughout EPCOT.

EPCOT Festival of Holidays Mug 2023

Festival of Holidays Merchandise *NEW 2023*

Tis the season to be shopping! It wouldn’t be the holidays if there weren’t loads of new things to buy in honor of the 2023 Festival of the Holidays at EPCOT. The latest designs are done up in gold and green, and cover ugs, apparel, and accessories. You can sometimes find these on shopDisney.com too! 

Everything New at Festival of Holidays EPCOT 

There it is! Everything we know ( so far) coming to the Walt Disney World Festival of Holidays. While Disney World is always fun during the holidays, the Festival of Holidays is by far one of our favorite events! What’s not to like about Christmas around the World? Festive Treats and Disney Snacks, Sounds of the season, and decorations galore make this a seasonal activity worth fitting into your plans! 
 
Festival of Holidays at Walt Disney World
 

Co-Founder and Director at Polka Dot Pixie Co LLC | Website | + posts

Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer with an MLIS in Information Science and a B.S. in Arch and Design. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.


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