It’s the most wonderful time of the year……tell the truth, you just sang that! No judgment here, I did as well! The holidays are already such a special time- now imagine adding Disney magic to the mix! Walt Disney World goes all in during the holidays and I am there for it! From Christmas trees galore, to the lights, life size gingerbread treats and the sounds of Christmas music playing in the background, it is my favorite time to visit the parks! Epcot is host to The Festival of the Holidays, where guests are able to experience the holidays as they are all around the world. Storytellers assemble around the world showcase to tell their holiday story and entertain the crowd, festival booths offer up traditional holiday food and drink, and park guests can even meet Santa! The crown jewel of the Epcot festival has to be Epcot’s Candlelight Processional. Imagine being in the middle of a theme park and witnessing a 50 piece orchestra, a full choir and a celebrity narrator telling the Christmas story. It is truly an unforgettable experience, I have goosebumps thinking about it now. Disney just released the list of narrators for this year’s performances, and it is pretty impressive!
Chrissy Metz(new this year!) : November 24-25
Luis Fonsi (new this year!): November 26-27
Ann-Margaret (new this year!): November 28-29
Simu Liu : November 30- December 2
John Stamos: December 3-5
Neil Patrick Harris : December 6-8
Marlee Matlin: December 9-11
Brendan Fraser (new this year!): December 12-14
Eva Longoria (new this year!): December 15-16
Joey McIntyre (new this year!): December 17-18
Sterling K Brown ( new this year!) : December 19-20
Jordan Fisher ( new this year!) : December 21-23
Steven Curtis Chapman: December 24-26
Audra McDonald (new this year!) : December 27-28
Lisa Ling: December 29-30
As you can imagine, this special performance is very popular, especially for specific narrators ( im looking at you Neil Patrick Harris). Lines begin to form hours before performances, and seating for each performance is limited. If you have your heart set on being in the audience for one of these processionals, I recommend considering booking a dining package that will give you access to reserved seating for an assigned performance time ( performances are slated for 5:15p, 7p and 8:30p daily). Dining packages are available at the following eateries around Epcot,click on each one to view their offerings.
With the exception of Regal Eagle all of these selections may and can be secured with a reservation starting on October 17, 2023 or at your 60 day mark, whichever comes first. Regal Eagle is a popular quick service location located in the America pavilion, and they offer a limited number of same day dining packages. If you are interested in going this route, I recommend checking Regal Eagles hours ahead of time and arriving right at open on your Epcot day as these will run out.
I utilized the Candlelight Processional dining package last year and can attest to the value. I had a great meal at Garden Grill with the adorable antics of Chip and Dale, and then was able to bypass the long stand by line and arrive 20 minutes before the performance to a great seat in the front row. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that you save room for dessert as my second favorite feature of Festival of the Holidays is the Cookie Stroll. Collect stamps in your passport with each cookie purchase to receive a prize when you complete the stroll. For all the details about what you can expect this season at Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays check out: Disney’s Official Festival of the Holidays website
Magic of the Mouse 