The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays 2026 runs from November 27 through December 30, 2026. The festival is included with regular EPCOT admission and brings Holiday Kitchens, the Candlelight Processional, World Showcase storytellers, the Holiday Cookie Stroll, Living with the Land: Glimmering Greenhouses and other seasonal entertainment to the park.
If I were planning one EPCOT day during the festival, I would build it around one major holiday experience, usually Candlelight Processional, then leave enough flexibility to explore World Showcase, try a few Holiday Kitchen dishes and catch storytellers as I encounter them.
This is a relatively short EPCOT festival, so I would treat it differently from a normal park day. You can still ride the major attractions, but the reason to visit during this window is the combination of food, entertainment and holiday traditions around World Showcase.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays 2026 at a glance
| 2026 detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Festival dates | November 27-December 30, 2026 |
| Location | EPCOT at Walt Disney World |
| Separate festival ticket? | No, festival offerings are included with valid EPCOT admission unless otherwise noted |
| Candlelight Processional | Nightly at 4:45 PM, 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM |
| Holiday Kitchens | Returning throughout EPCOT |
| Holiday Cookie Stroll | Returning in 2026 |
| Living with the Land holiday overlay | November 27-December 30 |
| Olaf scavenger hunt | Returning |
If you’re deciding which EPCOT festival lines up with your trip, my EPCOT festival calendar shows how the major events fit into the year.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays 2026 dates
The 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays begins Friday, November 27 and ends Wednesday, December 30.
That gives you just over a month to visit, making it much shorter than some of EPCOT’s other festivals.
The festival begins shortly after the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival ends and runs through most of the Christmas season, but it does not continue through New Year’s Eve.
Disney can change entertainment schedules and individual offerings, so I would check the official EPCOT Festival of the Holidays page shortly before your visit.
Is EPCOT Festival of the Holidays included with admission?
Yes. You do not need a separate Festival of the Holidays ticket.
You need valid admission to EPCOT, and a theme park reservation may also be required depending on your ticket or pass type.
Most of the festival entertainment and atmosphere is included once you’re inside the park. Food, beverages, scavenger hunts, dining packages and other optional purchases cost extra.
If you’re still comparing park costs, see my guide to EPCOT admission prices.
Candlelight Processional 2026
The Candlelight Processional is the experience I would plan around first if it’s important to you.
The show retells the Christmas story with a celebrity narrator, massed choir, 50-piece orchestra, herald trumpets and the Voices of Liberty.
For 2026, performances are scheduled every night from November 27 through December 30 at:
- 4:45 PM
- 6:30 PM
- 8:00 PM
Performances take place at America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase.
2026 Candlelight Processional narrators
Disney has announced a strong narrator lineup for 2026:
| Dates | Celebrity narrator |
|---|---|
| November 27-28 | Jordan Fisher |
| November 29-December 1 | Gary Sinise |
| December 2-3 | Benjamin Bratt |
| December 4-5 | Whoopi Goldberg |
| December 6-7 | Robin Roberts |
| December 8-9 | Jason Kelce |
| December 10-12 | Neil Patrick Harris |
| December 13-14 | Josh Groban |
| December 15-16 | Lauren Daigle |
| December 17-19 | Ralph Macchio |
| December 20-21 | Henry Winkler |
| December 22-23 | Lacey Chabert |
| December 24-25 | Jodi Benson |
| December 26-27 | Simu Liu |
| December 28-30 | Eva Longoria |
Narrators and appearances can change, so verify the lineup before choosing a trip date solely around one person.
Do you need a Candlelight Processional dining package?
No, but a dining package guarantees you a seat at the Candlelight Processional performance assigned to your package.
Guests without packages can use the standby line, but admission is based on availability. Popular narrators can make that less predictable.
For 2026, advance dining packages became bookable October 14.
Current adult prices vary significantly by restaurant. A few examples are:
| Restaurant | 2026 adult package price |
|---|---|
| Regal Eagle Smokehouse same-day package | $43 |
| La Crêperie de Paris | $59 |
| Spice Road Table | $63 |
| Biergarten Restaurant | $75 |
| Chefs de France | $89 |
| Le Cellier Steakhouse | $109 |
Those prices exclude tax and gratuity and can change. The full current list is on Disney’s Candlelight Processional Dining Package page.
I wouldn’t automatically buy a package. If Candlelight Processional is the main reason you’re visiting EPCOT that evening, guaranteed seating can be valuable. If it’s more of a bonus, I would be more comfortable trying standby.
Holiday Kitchens at EPCOT in 2026
Holiday Kitchens are returning for the 2026 festival. These seasonal food booths serve dishes and drinks inspired by holiday traditions from different cultures.
One important planning note: as of October 26, Disney has not released the complete 2026 Holiday Kitchen menus yet.
Disney’s official dining page currently shows examples from the 2025 festival while specifically noting that 2026 offerings are subject to change. I would therefore avoid building a 2026 food plan from last year’s menu.
Once the menus are published, the official Holiday Kitchens page is the place to check the current dishes and prices.
My strategy for Festival of the Holidays food
The festival is an easy place to overspend because each individual plate feels like a small purchase.
I prefer choosing a few things I genuinely want rather than trying to turn every Holiday Kitchen into a required stop.
- Choose three to five dishes in advance. Leave room for one spontaneous find.
- Avoid the dinner rush when possible. Food booth lines can become much less enjoyable when World Showcase is at its busiest.
- Share festival portions. It’s easier to try more things without getting full too early.
- Don’t force a bad line. If one booth has an unusually long wait, come back later or choose another kitchen.
If you prefer one full meal with festival food as an extra, my list of EPCOT restaurants can help you choose a regular dining option.
EPCOT Holiday Cookie Stroll 2026
The Holiday Cookie Stroll is returning in 2026.
The basic idea is simple: use your Festival Passport to find qualifying cookies at select Holiday Kitchens and EPCOT dining locations, purchase the required cookies and collect stamps.
After completing the stroll, you can redeem the completed passport for a special treat.
Disney has confirmed the experience will return but has not yet published the complete 2026 cookie lineup as of October 26.
I would wait for Disney’s final 2026 Cookie Stroll details before deciding which cookies you want to try.
Holiday Storytellers around World Showcase
The storytellers are one of the things that make this festival feel different from simply visiting EPCOT with Christmas decorations.
Performers around World Showcase present holiday traditions, legends and celebrations tied to different cultures.
Disney’s announced 2026 offerings include traditions such as:
- Mexico: Las Posadas Celebration with dancers and Mariachi Cobre
- Norway: Sigrid and a mischievous Barn Santa
- China: Chinese Lion Dancer
- Germany: Adventskalender
I wouldn’t try to schedule every storyteller into one rigid itinerary. I prefer picking a few I care about, then treating the others as discoveries while walking World Showcase.
My EPCOT World Showcase guide can help if you’re unfamiliar with the pavilion layout.
Living with the Land: Glimmering Greenhouses
Living with the Land receives its Glimmering Greenhouses holiday overlay from November 27 through December 30, 2026.
The attraction keeps the familiar greenhouse boat ride but adds holiday lighting and seasonal displays throughout the agricultural areas.
I like this as a break from World Showcase because it gives you something distinctly seasonal without another food or entertainment queue.
See my Living with the Land guide if the attraction is part of your EPCOT plan.
Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition
Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition scavenger hunt is also returning for the 2026 festival.
You purchase a scavenger hunt map, search World Showcase for Olaf as he discovers holiday traditions and return the completed activity for a keepsake.
This is an optional paid activity rather than something required to enjoy the festival.
Other holiday entertainment at EPCOT
The festival extends beyond Candlelight Processional and the storytellers.
- JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season combines gospel, R&B and holiday music with Christmas and Kwanzaa themes.
- Goofy as Santa meets guests at The Odyssey.
- Voices of Liberty perform seasonal music as the Dickens Carolers.
- Spaceship Earth receives special holiday lighting after dark.
Disney also has a seasonal Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind experience scheduled from November 25, 2026 through January 6, 2027, so it begins shortly before the festival and continues after the festival ends.
How crowded is EPCOT Festival of the Holidays?
I wouldn’t assume the park will feel equally busy throughout the entire festival.
In my experience, World Showcase becomes noticeably more congested as the evening goes on, particularly around popular food booths and entertainment.
Weekends and dates closer to Christmas are the periods where I would plan most conservatively.
If I have flexibility, I would rather visit on a weekday and begin my festival loop before the main dinner rush than arrive in World Showcase hungry at the busiest point of the evening.
My guide to the best day to visit EPCOT can help with the broader park-day decision.
A realistic Festival of the Holidays plan
If this is your only EPCOT day, I would not sacrifice the entire park just to chase festival offerings.
- Use the morning for rides. Prioritize the EPCOT attractions that matter most before World Showcase becomes the focus.
- Start festival food before the dinner rush. Try one or two Holiday Kitchens before lines build.
- Choose one entertainment anchor. Candlelight Processional is the obvious choice if you’ve never seen it.
- Do one World Showcase loop. Avoid repeatedly crossing the lagoon for individual booths or storytellers.
- Ride Glimmering Greenhouses after dark. That’s when the holiday lighting makes the biggest difference.
- Leave room for spontaneity. Some of the appeal is finding music, storytellers and decorations as you walk.
If rides are still your main priority, use my one-day EPCOT itinerary as the foundation and layer the festival onto it.
Is EPCOT Festival of the Holidays worth it?
I think the Festival of the Holidays is worth prioritizing if you’re already visiting Walt Disney World during its November 27-December 30 run.
The strongest reason to go isn’t simply that EPCOT has Christmas decorations. Candlelight Processional, Holiday Kitchens, cultural storytellers, the Cookie Stroll and Glimmering Greenhouses give the park experiences that aren’t available during a normal EPCOT visit.
I would be less likely to build an entire vacation around it if your group only cares about rides. In that case, many of the festival’s biggest strengths will be secondary to what you already want to do.
For me, the best version of the festival is a balance: a ride-heavy morning, a slower World Showcase afternoon and evening, a few carefully chosen dishes and one major holiday entertainment experience.
What to check before your visit
Because this festival changes every year, I would check a few things shortly before the trip:
- The final 2026 Holiday Kitchen menus and prices
- The current Holiday Cookie Stroll lineup
- Your Candlelight Processional narrator and performance times
- Holiday Storyteller schedules in My Disney Experience
- Current EPCOT operating hours
You can verify festival details on Disney’s official EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays page.
