2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Guide: Dates, Shows, Food, and Santa

24 days ago in "Epcot International Festival of the Holidays"

Posted: Thursday November 13, 2025 1:20pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays brings festive food, live entertainment, Storytellers, and more from November 28 to December 30, 2025. Here is your guide to everything happening at EPCOT for the holidays.

2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

Candlelight Processional

You can end your evening with the Candlelight Processional at America Gardens Theatre. A full orchestra, herald trumpets, and choirs retell the nativity story with classic hymns joined by a clebrity narrator.

Shows: 5:00pm, 6:45pm, 8:15pm
Runtime: ~50 minutes
First-come, first-served seating
Dining packages available for reserved seating

EPCOT Candlelight Processional

2025 Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators

Nov. 28-29 - Constance Wu (NEW)
Nov. 30-Dec. 2 - Jordan Fisher
Dec. 3-4 - 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)

Storytellers Around World Showcase

You can learn holiday traditions from around the world as the Storytellers return to World Showcase. Performers share cultural tales and ceremonies throughout the day.

EPCOT Holiday Storytellers 2021 - Norway pavilion

Here's where you can stop and listen:

Mexico - Las Posadas Celebration
Norway - A mischievous Barn Santa
China - Chinese Lion Dancer
Italy - La Befana
Japan - Daruma Storyteller
Morocco-France walkway - Hanukkah Storyteller
France - Père Noël
United Kingdom - Father Christmas
Canada - Canadian Holiday Voyageurs

Showtimes update daily in the My Disney Experience app.

JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season

JOYFUL! mixes gospel, jazz, and R&B with holiday music in a lively show performed by D'Vine Voices. You'll hear upbeat arrangements of Christmas and Kwanzaa songs throughout the day.

Holiday Kitchens

Food is a major part of the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, with Holiday Kitchens serving a wide range of seasonal dishes and drinks. Some kitchens return, and others bring new dishes to try.

You can see the full menus here, including returning favorites and new creations.

Cookie Milk Shake

Cookie Stroll

You can join the Holiday Cookie Stroll by buying any five designated cookies and collecting stamps in your Festival Passport. When you complete the stroll, you can pick up a special surprise at Holiday Sweets and Treats.

A fan favorite returning this year:

Coffee-Mocha Cookie with coffee-infused buttercream, cocoa nibs, and chocolate-covered espresso beans.

Holiday Fun at CommuniCore Hall

CommuniCore Hall becomes a holiday hub with several festival-only offerings:

Meet Santa Claus throughout the day
Gingerbread Spaceship Earth display, a large-scale gingerbread version of EPCOT's icon
Celebration Countdown presented by CITIZEN, a light show running every 15 minutes
Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow, where you can try cookies like:
- Prototype Cookie: sugar cookie with orange-cranberry icing and dark chocolate
- Ginger-Molasses Cookie with cream cheese icing
- Gingerbread Milk Shake
- Hot Cocoa by Joffrey's

Gingerbread Spaceship Earth

Odyssey Pavilion

Odyssey features more seasonal moments, including:

Glittering Grove presented by Balsam Hill, a display of illuminated faux trees
Santa Goofy, greeting you in his holiday outfit
Holiday Hearth Desserts, serving sweets like:
- Red Velvet Cake Pops
- Reindeer Chow with M&M'S Holiday Blend
- Cocoa Peppermint Warmer with peppermint schnapps

Scentsy Festive Fragrances

You can walk through Festive Fragrances along the path between Imagination! and World Showcase. Holiday-themed ornaments release familiar scents like Perfect Peppermint, Christmas Cottage, Sleigh Ride, and Silver Bells.

Olaf's Holiday Tradition Expedition

Olaf returns with a scavenger hunt across EPCOT. You can buy a map and stickers, then look for Olaf in 13 locations. Complete the hunt and redeem a gift at Creations Shop or World Traveler.

Living with the Land - Glimmering Greenhouses

Living with the Land adds holiday lights, décor, and seasonal narration. It's a calm seasonal ride and a good way to take a break from the crowds.

Living with the Land Glimmering Greenhouses 2024

Where to See Santa

You can meet different versions of Santa across World Showcase:

France Pavilion - Père Noël
Norway Pavilion - Barn Santa
CommuniCore Hall - Santa Claus, 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM.

EPCOT Holiday Storytellers 2021 - Père Noël France pavilion

Discuss on the Forums

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DCBaker14 hours ago

In addition to December 25 and 31, new Magic Kingdom park reservations for Annual Passholders are also currently unavailable on December 30:

DCBaker1 day ago

Jollywood Nights is now showing as sold out on December 22.

Splash4eva2 days ago

Thank you

HauntedPirate2 days ago

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure it does not run after NYE.

DCBaker2 days ago

What the Holidays Mean and Banded Nutcracker from "Holidays in Hollywood" at Jollywood Nights is now available on streaming:

Splash4eva2 days ago

Does the Christmas parade still run the weekend of 2-4th?

DCBaker2 days ago

Disney has confirmed Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade showtimes for December 22-31: 12pm and 3pm. Disney also says Fantasmic! will have 3 showtimes on Saturday, December 27: 6:30pm, 8pm and 9:30pm.

Cooldip2 days ago

With today’s update, looks like WDW Christmas Week December 26-29, 2025 Hours are… MK 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM EPCOT 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM DHS 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM DAK 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM

wdwmagic3 days ago

Magic Kingdom Reaches Capacity for Annual Passholders on New Year's Eve 2025 https://www.wdwmagic.com/events/holidays-at-the-magic-kingdom/news/04dec2025-magic-kingdom-reaches-capacity-for-annual-passholders-on-new-years-eve-2025.htm

Horizons '834 days ago

At this point in my life, I am not interested in trying to do everything in a day. To your point, I specifically seek out the after hour party nights and go to the parks during the day (typically a 1 or 2 crowd level). It's much more enjoyable and if you have a desire for more parks after 6PM, you can hop on the monorail and visit Epcot for the remainder of the night.

Sirwalterraleigh4 days ago

To each their own… I’d lose interest in ride hopping rather quickly…it’s just me. Sometimes the spirit moves me…but typically it’s more ambience than line skip schemes In the end…I’m not eager to support block pricing for half the day that is now 5-6X as much as 2010 Did the Disneyland thing in a hole in the travel schedule and found it rather underwhelming…so I’m good for another 10 years (which I my case may be permanent)

Touchdown4 days ago

Who said I ran? I didn’t run, in fact I only “walked with a purpose” 2 times, one was leaving the hub after fireworks (that’s more out of habit because I want to ditch the chaos that always is no matter how light the crowds are) the other after my last ride to make it back for the castle show the rest of the time it was a leisurely pace enjoying the sites. Also, you skipped over the over 2 hours I hung out on MSUSA and the hub soaking in the entertainment I didn’t just “pound out the park” I simply walked its entire length with only backtracking once the whole night, and that was because even without trying I had 25 min to kill at the end of the night to do one reride.

Sirwalterraleigh4 days ago

We did that at “star wars night” in Disneyland in April And at the end…I wondered what the point of running from ride to ride was? You shot past the point…it’s not a ride park. That’s cool for an ACE convention…but if you’ve been…repeatedly…why pound rides? 🤷🏻‍♂️ Actually the best play often is to go in when the park opens and stay until the close…avoid payout the block pricing ransom…enjoy your day when crowds are always light. Then take it easy after

Touchdown5 days ago

To people who knock the holiday parties for being overpriced, I just finished one now, got in at 3:50pm I then did: 1. Jingle Cruise (40 min wait, the longest of the whole day) 2. Pirates (15 min) 3. Tiana (15 min) 4. CBMJ -6:00 pm, park closes to day guests- 6:15 watched the Frozen show 5. Space Mountain: Christmas Rave Edition (15 min) 6. Tron (20 min) 7. Speedway (10 min) 8. TTA (5 min) -8:00, entertainment break, Parade, Castle Show, Fireworks- 9. Mansion (walk on) 10. Peter Pan (5 min) 11. Mermaid (walk on) 12. Dumbo (walk on) 13. Pooh (5 min) 14. SDMT (10 min) 15. Space (walk on) 11:55 Castle Show So in 8 hours for less then the cost of a day ticket I did the Magic Kingdom (when the only regrets I have are missing animatronic shows and a 3-D movie it’s a good day) got some free* snacks, got to see the best Disney Firework Show anywhere, a darn good parade and a castle show. No Lightning Lane, space around me for the fireworks and comfortable midways not to mention 6.5 hours of nighttime in the MK I really fail to see how this is a rip off, especially since I didn’t have a day ticket. It’s why even though I’m down here to visit the competition I still buy a party ticket.