Celebrate Christmas all around the world at Epcot

Christmas in 2018 comes to life in spectacular fashion at Epcot, with a celebration of the season around all 11 of the World Showcase nations.

Between 18th November and 30th December, Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays brings seasonal cheer, fun and plenty of yuletide excitement to Florida! Included in the regular admission price, you will be able to explore the different ways that each country and culture celebrates the Christmas season, and be enchanted by the seasonal decorations that adorn the World Showcase. Undo your belt a notch and join in the Christmas celebrations as you travel through the global regions and sample the delicious regional speciality food and drinks served up at the Holiday Kitchen kiosks! You’ll have to make sure you leave enough room to try as many of these seasonal recipes as you can!

“I was so excited to get to visit the parks and see the lavish holiday decorations. Epcot does an amazing job! Be sure to wander the World Showcase and make a quick stop in each country so you can see all of them.”

It wouldn’t be Christmas without some traditional storytelling, and the Holiday Storytellers at Epcot bring that to life with seasonal gusto! Listen as you are regaled with stories relating to each country’s celebrations, which have in the past included Lion dancers and the Chinese New Year in China, Sigrid telling the story of Julenissen the gnome in Norway, and Father Christmas talking about Christmas in the UK.

There will be fun for all the family at Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree; a scavenger hunt which everyone can get involved in. For $6.99 (plus tax) pick up a map and stickers from various locations around the park and then look out for Chip and Dale in each World Showcase pavilion! Help the cheery chipmunk duo to collect ornaments for their Christmas tree by marking the corresponding point on your map with the stickers. One you have matched every ornament up, take the completed map to World Traveler or Disney Traders to swap it for a seasonal surprise!

Don’t forget to pay a visit to the Future World Fountain Stage, in front of the iconic Spaceship Earth sphere. Here you can be enchanted by the Joyful! A Celebration of the Season show – a performance of Gospel, R&B and traditional holiday songs that celebrates both Christmas and Kwanzaa. With these shows occurring several times every day, you are bound to get in the festive spirit!

“A delightful holiday treat! Christmas music plays throughout the park and there are several Christmas vocal performances too. Just sitting out and looking around at Epcot makes you feel warm inside and adds the extra touch of joy for the Christmas season.”

There is more singing over at the America Gardens Theatre with the Candlelight Processional, which is held from 22nd November (Thanksgiving) to 30th December. This is a not-to-be-missed event, with a 50-piece orchestra and large choir accompanying a celebrity narrator who tells the story of the Nativity. Although there are three performances per night, this is one of the most popular events of the season at Epcot, so you may want to get in line early to avoid disappointment. If you’d rather not queue for too long, then you can head behind the theatre and try to get a standing vantage point of the show.

The celebrities who are scheduled to narrate the Christmas story are:

• Chita Rivera: 22nd and 23rd November
• Helen Hunt: 24th and 25th November
• Alfonso Ribeiro: 26th and 27th November
• Robby Benson: 28th, 29th and 30th November
• John Stamos: 1st and 2nd December
• Neil Patrick Harris: 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th December
• Whoopi Goldberg: 7th, 8th and 9th December
• Bart Millard: 10th, 11th and 12th December
• Blair Underwood: 13th and 14th December
• Gary Sinise: 15th, 16th and 17th December
• Pat Sajak: 18th, 19th and 20th December
• Auli'i Cravalho: 21st, 22nd and 23rd December
• Edward James Olmos: 24th and 25th December
• Jodi Benson: 26th and 27th December
• Cal Ripken Jr: 28th, 29th and 30th December

To guarantee seating for the Processional, you might want to consider booking a dining package – either breakfast, lunch or dinner at one of the Epcot eateries. There is a wide variety of choice, which can be seen in further detail on the Disney site.

“The musicians of the Candlelight Processional are phenomenal, and there's something very inspiring and spiritual - regardless of religious preferences - about all the instruments and voices coming together for a massive live audience under twinkling lights. It’s a very moving and uplifting performance and the best part? It comes with your EPCOT admission!”

To round off your evening don’t forget to catch the nightly IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth firework display, over the World Showcase Lagoon. This show has been running since 1999 and tells the history of our planet through a music, light and firework spectacular, though it has been announced that IllumiNations is set to end after summer 2019, to make way for a new show. This Christmas, take the opportunity to catch this spectacular show with a special seasonal finale to mark the holiday period.

If you have been to Epcot over Christmas in the past, or plan to go this year we’d love to hear from you! Which seasonal food did you find the tastiest, and which Holiday Storyteller did you enjoy the most? Get in touch on our social media channels!