As I have started many of my posts this year, the Disney holidays will look a bit different, given the current pandemic situation. That said, Disney is doing a phenomenal job of still bringing the magic to us without compromising the health and safety of Guests.
The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays will not doubt be just the perfect amount of festive fun and cheer for all. Let’s dive in and see what’s in store!
Overview
This year, the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays kicks off on November 27 and runs through December 30, 2020.
Starting off with the basics, you’ll find several Holiday Kitchens located throughout World Showcase, including three kitchens inside World ShowPlace Events Pavilion. Delight in festival favorites from around the world! More on all the goodies Disney has in store for us, later in this post.
Character Sightings
As you make your way around the world, be sure to catch your favorite characters traveling through World Showcase to spread holiday cheer. Keep an eye out for Queen Anna and Elsa in the “Frozen Holiday Promenade,” and Mickey Mouse and his pals making merry on the “Mickey and Friends Holiday World Tour.” And don’t forget about Santa Claus! When Santa visits EPCOT during this festive time of year, he’ll take a grand horse-drawn tour around World Showcase, calling out happy holiday wishes to all. So exciting!!
Entertainment
Looking for some musical entertainment? Be sure to catch the following performances through the World Showcase:
- Voices of Liberty (American Gardens Theater)
- Mariachi Cobre will bring to life Las Posadas, a celebration of Mexican holiday customs through music and dance (Mexico Pavilion)
- JAMMitors will grace the Mill Stage with their playful percussion (Canada Pavilion)
- JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season will bring you on an uplifting journey through R&B, gospel, contemporary and traditional Christmas and holiday music (World Showplace)
- Gingerbread Capital City! A patriotic display has gingerbread replicas of some of the nation’s most iconic landmarks including the United States Capitol Building, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and a 5-foot tall Washington Monument (World Showplace)
Holiday Cookie Stroll
The Holiday Cookie Stroll returns this year, with a complimentary cookie as reward for completing the confectionary collection. The delicious array of sweet treats to choose from will include cookies from five different locations throughout the park.
Pick up your Festival Passport, which lists the five official Holiday Cookie Stroll locations. Each stop will offer a delicious cookie for purchase and a stamp for your Festival Passport. Once you’ve collected all five stamps, bring your Festival Passport to the Sweets & Treats Holiday Kitchen to receive an adorable complimentary Minnie Peppermint Cookie! The Holiday Cookie Stroll can be completed at your own leisure, and you can even bring back your stamped Festival Passport to EPCOT at any time during the festival to complete your stroll.
Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition
Join in a festive adventure around World Showcase to round up holiday traditions Olaf misplaces. You can purchase the expedition map at Mouse Gear, Disney Traders or World Traveler at International Gateway, then look for hidden Olafs throughout the World Showcase pavilions. Once you find them all, you’ll receive a gift worth melting for (while supplies last).
Festival Foodie Guide
Refreshment Port (Showcase Plaza)
Food Items:
- Turkey Poutine French Fries with Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Relish, and Crispy Onions
Beverage Items:
- T.G. Lee Eggnog (non-alcoholic)
- T.G. Lee Eggnog with Spiced Rum
Citrus Blossom (Showcase Plaza)
Beverage Items:
- Orange Cream Shake in a Souvenir Orange Bird Sipper Cup (non-alcoholic)
- 81Bay Brewing Co. Cinnamon Cranberry Orange Wheat Ale, Tampa, FL (New)
- Florida Orange Groves Winery Selections
Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Kitchen (Showcase Plaza)
Food Items:
- Kālua Pork with Okinawa Purple Sweet Potatoes and Mango Salad (New)
- Lomi Lomi Salmon with Tomatoes, Onions, Salmon Roe, Yuzu Mayonnaise, and Yucca Chips (New)
- Haupia: Hawaiian Coconut Pudding with Candied Macadamia Nuts and Coconut (New)
Beverage Items:
- Kona Brewing Co. Big Wave Golden Ale, Kailua-Kona, HI
- Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Pineapple Wine, St. Petersburg, FL
- Melon Breeze with Spiced Rum (New)
Holiday Sweets & Treats (Promenade Refreshments):
Food Items:
- Peppermint Sundae: Chocolate Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, and Peppermint Candy (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Minnie Peppermint Cookie (Cookie Stroll)
Beverage Items:
- Hot Cocoa (non-alcoholic)
- Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings® Peppermint Cheer Tea (non-alcoholic)
- Shipyard Eggnog White Porter, Clearwater, FL
- M.I.A. Beer Company Coquito Beer, Doral, FL (New)
- Hot Cocoa with Assorted Alcoholic Cordials (Baileys Irish Cream, Frangelico Liqueur or Fireball Cinnamon Whisky)
- Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings® Peppermint Cheer Tea and Whipped Cream Vodka
Refreshment Outpost:
Food Items:
- Warm Brown Sugar-stuffed Pretzel with Soft-serve Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce
Beverage Items:
- Frozen Slushy Coca-Cola® or Minute Maid® Lemonade in a Souvenir Spike The Bee Sipper Cup (non-alcoholic)
- 3 Daughters Brewing Spicy Apple Cinnamon Hard Cider, St. Petersburg, FL
Bavaria Holiday Kitchen (Germany)
Food Items:
- Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce, Spätzle, and Braised Red Cabbage
- Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl with Steamed Baby Vegetables and Marble Potatoes
- Linzer Cookie (Cookie Stroll)
Beverage Items:
- Possmann Pure Hard Apple Cider, Frankfurt, Germany
- Ayinger Brewery Celebrator Doppelbock, Bavaria, Germany (New)
- Regional Riesling
- Glühwein: House-made Hot Spiced Wine
American Holiday Table
Food Items:
- Slow-roasted Turkey with Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, and Cranberry Sauce
- Holiday Pot Pie with Jackfruit, Mushrooms, Carrots, Peas, Onions, and Puff Pastry (Plant-based item) (New)
- Pumpkin Gingerbread Cheesecake with Cranberry Whipped Cream and Candied Pumpkin Seeds (New)
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookie (Cookie Stroll)
Beverages Items:
- Bell’s Bright White Ale, Comstock, MI
- Shipyard Eggnog White Porter, Clearwater, FL
- Playalinda Brewing Co. Peppermint Chocolate Stout, Titusville, FL
- Chalk Hill Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
- Martin Bay Vineyards & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen (Between Morocco & France)
Food Items:
- Pastrami on Rye with House-made Pickles and Deli Mustard
- Smoked Salmon Potato Latke
- Potato Latkes (Plant-based item)
- Sufganiyot: Mini Jelly-filled Donuts
- Black and White Cookie (Plant-based item) (Cookie Stroll)
Beverages Items:
- Shmaltz Brewing Company Hanukkah Beer: Golden Jelly Doughnut Pastry Ale, Clifton Park, NY
- Blue Cosmo Cocktail
Festival Favorites (World Showplace)
Food Items:
- Blackened Bass, White Cheddar Grits, and Okra with Tomato and Onion Stew, Seasonal Southern Delights
- Duck Confit and Dumplings with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Fig Reduction, Alpine Haus
- Gingerbread Cookie (Cookie Stroll)
Beverages Items:
- Coquito: Tropical Eggnog (non-alcoholic)
- Frozen S’mores (non-alcoholic)
- Coquito: Tropical Eggnog with Bacardi Gold Dark Rum
- Frozen S’mores with Whipped Cream Vodka
Holiday Hearth (World Showplace)
Food Items:
- Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (New)
- Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth® Cookie (New)
- Snowball Cookies (New)
- Peppermint Bark
- Stollen: Holiday Fruit Cake
- Mouse Crunch (New)
Beverages Items:
- Gingerbread Milkshake (non-alcoholic) (New)
- Hot Cocoa (non-alcoholic)
- Gingerbread Milkshake with Whipped Cream Vodka (New)
- Cocoa Candy Cane: Hot Cocoa with Peppermint Schnapps
Prost! (World Showplace)
Food Items:
- Charcuterie and Cheese Plate
Beverages Items:
- M.I.A. Beer Company White Christmas IPA, Doral, FL
- 3 Daughters Brewing 70 Degree Winter Weizen, St. Petersburg, FL
- Playlalinda Brewing Co. Gingerblonde House Ale, Titusville, FL (New)
- Ciderboys Mad Bark Apple Cinnamon Hard Cider, Stevens Point, WI(New)
- 3 Daughters Brewing Blueberry Peppercorn Hard Cider, St. Petersburg, FL (New)
- Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards 1911 Honey Crisp Hard Cider, Lafayette, NY (New)
Yukon Holiday Kitchen (Canada)
Food Items:
- Seared Scallops with Parsnip Silk, Apple Chutney, and Hazelnut Croquant (New)
- Beef Bourguignon with Crushed Potatoes (New)
- Maple Bûche de Noël: Maple Mousse and Cranberry rolled in Gingerbread Chiffon Cake
- Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie (Cookie Stroll)
Beverages items:
- Frozen Coffee (non-alcoholic)
- 81Bay Brewing Co. Maple Cinnamon Coffee Beer, Tampa, FL (New)
- Regional Icewine
- Regional Red Wine
- Frozen Coffee with Tap 357 Whisky
Holiday Beverages in the English Garden (Behind The Tea Caddy)
- Twinings® Christmas Tea Toddy served with a Cinnamon Stick (non-alcoholic)
- Twinings® Christmas Tea Toddy and Drambui served with a Cinnamon Stick
Le Marché de Noël Holiday Kitchen (France)
Food Items:
- Rillette de Saumon: Salmon Spread with House-made Bread
- Dinde Forestière, Pommes Dauphines: Turkey with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Onions in a Mustard Cream Sauce with Puffed Potatoes (New)
- Bûche de Noël au Caramel: Christmas Log with Chocolate Cake and Dark Chocolate Caramel Ganache
Beverage Items:
- Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc Fruits Rouges Draft
- Rosé Pétillant Méthode Traditionnelle Champenoise: Rosé Sparkling Wine, Pink Flamingo
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Village de France
- Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini: Grey Goose Vanilla, Vodka, and Chocolate Milk
Sapphire Holiday Kitchen (Morocco)
Food Items:
- Grilled Lamb Kefta Kebab and Grapes with Euro Cucumber, Red Pepper, Pickled Pearl Onions, and Harissa-Cilantro Dressing
- Confit of Chermoula Chicken Drum with Cinnamon Granny Smith Apple, Toasted Almonds, Brussels Sprouts, and Pinot Noir Glaze
- Sfenj: Warm Beignets with Cream, Cinnamon-Sugar, and Chocolate Sauce
Beverage Items:
- Mediterranean Beer
- Kasbah Prestige Red Wine
- The Andalusian “Poinsettia” Cocktail: Sparking Wine, Orange Liqueur, and Cranberry Juice topped with Orange Blossom Water
Tuscany Holiday Kitchen (Italy)
Food Items:
- Biancaneve Italian Flatbread with Mozzarella, Asiago, and Parmesan
- Sacchetti alla Boscaiola: Four-cheese Mini Beggar’s Purses filled with Sweet Sausage, Caramelized Onions, Pancetta, and Cremini Mushrooms with a Creamy Sauce (New)
- Cannoli Siciliani: Crisp Pastry filled with Sweet Ricotta, Chocolate, and Candied Orange
Beverage Items:
- Peroni Nastro Azzurro Pilsner
- Pinot Grigio
- Chianti
- Prosecco
- Rosa Regale
- Moscato
- Italian White Sangria with Prosecco
- Italian Red Sangria with Cabernet Sauvignon
- Italian Margarita with Limoncello and Tequila
Shanghai Holiday Kitchen (China)
Food Items:
- Red-stewed Beef Rice Bowl (New)
- Curry Chicken Rice Bowl (New)
- House-made Crab and Cheese Wontons
Beverage Items:
- “Panda” Bubble Tea: Classic Milk Tea with Black and White Bobas (non-alcoholic)
- Tsigntao Lager
- Jasmine Draft Beer
- Dragonfly: Jose Cuervo Tequila Gold, Vodka, Mango Syrup, and Orange Juice
- Marco Boba: Amaretto, Iced Coffee, Milk, and Boba
- The Lucky Mo: Peach Schnapps, Peach Syrup, Orange Juice, and Piña Colada Mix
Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen (Japan)
Food Items:
- New Year Celebration Soba: Buckwheat Soba Noodles in Hot Dashi Soup with Shrimp Tempura, Fish Cake, and Chopped Green Onion
- Chirashi Sushi Tree: Sashimi-grade Tuna, Salmon, Ikura, and Yellowtail with Vegetables decorated on a bed of Rice
- Ichigo Mont Blanc Tart: Strawberry and Bavarian Cream-filled Tart sprinkled with Konpeito (New)
Beverages items:
- Ichigo Milk Boba: Cranberry and Yuzu Cream Drink with Japanese Calpico and popping Strawberry Boba Pearls (non-alcoholic)
- Sapporo Draft Beer
- Tsubaki Whiskey Sour: Plum Wine with Whiskey, Cranberry Juice, Sugar, and Lemon
Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen (Mexico)
Food Items:
- Giant Tostada de Chorizo: Chorizo served on a Giant Tostada with Chipotle Black Bean Purée, Salsa Verde, Queso Cotija, Crema Mexicana, and Pickled Onion (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (New)
- Tamal de Pollo: Braised Chipotle Chicken served in a Corn Masa topped with Mole Verde, Queso Cotija, Crema Mexicana, and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
- Dulce de Leche Churros: Dulce de Leche filled Churros sprinkled with Cinnamon-Sugar (New)
Beverages Items:
- Tulum Mexican Craft Beer with a Blackcurrant and Ginger Liqueur Floater
- Pumpkin Spice Margarita: Tomba Blanco Tequila, Ojo de Tigre Mezcal, Nixta Corn Liqueur, Pumpkin Spice Purée, and Lime-Agave Juice with Cinnamon-Sugar Rim (New)
- Horchata Margarita: Casa Noble Blanco Tequila, Abasolo Corn Whiskey, Horchata Rum, Agua de Horchata, and a hint of Cinnamon-infused Mezcal Liqueur
Funnel Cake (The American Adventure)
- Sweet Potato Casserole Funnel Cake topped with Marshmallow Topping, Cinnamon-Sugar, Honey-roasted Pecans, and a Caramel Drizzle (New)
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company®– All Locations:
- Caramel Tinsel Latte:A cheerful Chocolatey Latte drizzled with Caramel Sauce and crumbled TWIX® Original, available hot or iced (New)
- Caramel Tinsel Donut topped with crumbled TWIX® Original
