EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays turns World Showcase into a tour of holiday traditions from around the world — storytellers, Holiday Kitchens, a cookie stroll, and the Candlelight Processional at America Gardens Theatre. The season dates below come straight from Disney's event page and show the day we checked them; restaurant-by-restaurant package prices live on the Candlelight Processional dining package page, not here.
EPCOT · Walt Disney World
Quick facts
Source-verifiedverified September 16, 2026- Season
- Disney lists the 2026 Festival of the Holidays as November 27 through December 30, 2026 (checked 2026-09-16).
- Candlelight Processional
- The Christmas story told by a celebrity narrator with a massed choir and 50-piece orchestra at America Gardens Theatre
- Guaranteed seating
- Comes with a Candlelight Processional dining package — restaurants, prices and booking date on the package page
Details verified September 16, 2026 against Disney's official pages and may change — always confirm on disney's site before buying.
Season dates Disney has published
2026 Festival of the HolidaysSource-verified
Disney lists the 2026 Festival of the Holidays as November 27 through December 30, 2026 (checked 2026-09-16).
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays — Walt Disney World event page · checked 2026-09-16
Dining packages for this festival
Participating restaurants, prices and what’s included are on each package’s own page.
Candlelight Processional Dining PackageSource-verified
Disney lists the 2026 season as November 27 to December 30, 2026 (checked 2026-09-16).
What the festival is
Festival of the Holidays is EPCOT's winter festival: the World Showcase pavilions and the rest of the park celebrate holiday traditions from cultures around the globe. It layers seasonal entertainment, food and family activities onto a regular EPCOT day rather than replacing it.
- Holiday storytellers share legends and lore from around the world, and there are Santa Claus and Goofy-as-Santa photo opportunities.
- JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season pays tribute to Christmas and Kwanzaa with gospel, R&B and holiday songs.
- Holiday Kitchens serve seasonal dishes around the park, and the Holiday Cookie Stroll ends with a treat.
- Living with the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses and Olaf's Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt are the family activities Disney lists for the festival.
How guaranteed Candlelight Processional seating works
Without a package, Candlelight Processional seating is first-come, first-served and limited by the theater's capacity. The way to a guaranteed seat is a Candlelight Processional dining package: you eat at a participating EPCOT restaurant, pick up a seating badge after the meal showing your show date and time, and enter the theater through a separate queue.
Which restaurants take part, what each costs for adults and children, and when Disney opens booking change by season — so they live on one page, the Candlelight Processional dining package page, with every price tied to the season and the day we checked it.
Planning dining and crowds around the festival
Package reservations and regular table reservations are different bookings. If you just want dinner at an EPCOT restaurant during the festival, our dining reservation calculator shows when Disney opens booking for your date; if you want the guaranteed show seat, watch the package itself.
Our EPCOT crowd calendar scores each day from wait-time observations we collect every 1–5 minutes, so you can pick a festival day from measurements instead of rules of thumb.
Pick your festival day with measured EPCOT crowd data
Our EPCOT crowd calendar publishes a measured crowd level for every day, updated daily from the posted waits we record every 1–5 minutes. When the festival is running, each festival day's level appears there, alongside how busy comparable days were.
Candlelight Processional dining packages sell out
Guaranteed Candlelight Processional seating only comes with a dining package, and popular dates go fast. Mickey Alerts watches the package and texts you when one shows as available for your date — you complete the booking with Disney, and an alert never guarantees a package.
FAQ: EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
When is EPCOT Festival of the Holidays?
Disney lists the 2026 Festival of the Holidays as November 27 through December 30, 2026 (checked 2026-09-16).
How do I get guaranteed seats for the Candlelight Processional?
Book a Candlelight Processional dining package. Disney's package page says it includes one guaranteed seat per person at a same-day show along with a meal at a participating EPCOT restaurant. Without a package, seating is first-come, first-served and limited by capacity. Participating restaurants, prices and the booking date are on our Candlelight Processional dining package page.
Does Mickey Alerts book the dining package for me?
No. Dining packages are alert-only: we text you when a package shows as available for your date and you complete the purchase with Disney. An alert never guarantees a package.