If Magic Kingdom Park is where Disney does Christmas spectacle, EPCOT is where it does Christmas culture. The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays is a lower-key, more food-forward way to celebrate, and for many families it is the better time.
Dates
The festival runs November 27 through December 30, 2026, starting the day after Thanksgiving. Unlike Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, no separate ticket is required. It is included with EPCOT admission, and a complimentary Festival Passport is available.
What is returning
- Holiday Storytellers around World Showcase, sharing how different countries celebrate.
- Candlelight Processional every night at the America Gardens Theatre. It combines a celebrity narrator, a massed choir and orchestra, and the Voices of Liberty. It is the festival's most famous draw.
- Holiday Kitchens, the festival's food and drink booths, serving seasonal dishes inspired by holiday traditions around the world.
- Holiday Cookie Stroll for anyone building a sweet tooth into their day.
- Gingerbread Spaceship Earth display and festive decor throughout the park.
- Santa Claus, who appears around World Showcase and has a greeting location inside CommuniCore Hall.
Reporting also points to new holiday scents in a pavilion and across World Showcase, spanning celebrations from Noche Buena to Diwali.
What we do not know yet
As of this writing, Disney has not announced the 2026 celebrity narrator lineup for Candlelight Processional. Dining package details have also been slow to appear, so ask your advisor to watch for them. UPDATE: NARRATORS:
Nov. 27 & 28 – To Be Announced
Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 – Gary Sinise
Dec. 2 & 3 – Benjamin Bratt (NEW)
Dec. 4 & 5 – Whoopi Goldberg
Dec. 6 & 7 – Robin Roberts (NEW)
Dec. 8 & 9 – Jason Kelce (NEW)
Dec. 10 – 12 – Neil Patrick Harris
Dec. 13 & 14 – Josh Groban (NEW)
Dec. 15 & 16 – Lauren Daigle
Dec. 17 – 19 – Ralph Macchio
Dec. 20 & 21 – Henry Winkler
Dec. 22 & 23 – Lacey Chabert (NEW)
Dec. 24 & 25 – Jodi Benson
Dec. 26 & 27 – Simu Liu
Dec. 28 – 30 – Eva Longoria
Planning tips
Make Candlelight a priority. It is a free, included show, but seats fill up. Arrive early or look into a dining package if you want guaranteed seating once those details are released.
Go before Christmas week if you can. The days right around December 25 are among the most crowded of the year. Early December, outside weekends, tends to feel calmer.
Eat your way around. The Holiday Kitchens are the point. Share items, graze, and treat it like a progressive dinner rather than sitting down at every stop.
Pair it with a Magic Kingdom night. Many families do EPCOT for the food and tradition, and one Magic Kingdom Park evening for the party. That is an easy mix.
Want help sequencing parks, tickets and dining around the holiday season? Reach out to the Villains.
