Holiday guide ·
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays 2026
The 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays runs November 27 to December 30. It brings Holiday Kitchens, the Holiday Cookie Stroll, storytellers around World Showcase and the Candlelight Processional three times a night, at 4:45, 6:30 and 8 PM, with a different celebrity narrator every few nights. EPCOT is expected to close at 9 PM through the festival.
- Festival
- 34 days
- Candlelight
- 3 shows nightly
- Narrators
- 13 named
- Park close
- 9 PM
Who narrates the Candlelight Processional on your night?
Every candle is one night of the festival. Tap a night to see its narrator, EPCOT's hours and how busy the park looks. Taller candles mean busier days.
Friday, November 27
Auli'i CravalhoNew in 2026
Narrates Nov 27 to 28 at 4:45, 6:30 and 8 PM, America Gardens Theatre
- EPCOT 9 AM to 9 PM typical
- Extended Evening Hours
- Crowd forecast 10 of 10
The full 2026 narrator lineup
| Nights | Narrator |
|---|---|
| Nov 27 to 28 | Auli'i Cravalho |
| Nov 29 to Dec 1 | Gary Sinise |
| Dec 2 to 3 | To be announced |
| Dec 4 to 5 | Whoopi Goldberg |
| Dec 6 to 7 | Robin Roberts New |
| Dec 8 to 9 | Jason Kelce New |
| Dec 10 to 12 | Neil Patrick Harris |
| Dec 13 to 14 | To be announced |
| Dec 15 to 16 | Lauren Daigle |
| Dec 17 to 19 | Ralph Macchio |
| Dec 20 to 21 | Henry Winkler |
| Dec 22 to 23 | Lacey Chabert New |
| Dec 24 to 25 | Jodi Benson |
| Dec 26 to 27 | Simu Liu |
| Dec 28 to 30 | Eva Longoria |
Shows at 4:45 PM, 6:30 PM and 8 PM nightly. Disney has not yet named the narrators for December 2 and 3 or December 13 and 14.
How do you get a seat at the Candlelight Processional?
The Candlelight Processional retells the Christmas story with a 51-piece orchestra, the Voices of Liberty and a choir of more than 150 Disney cast members and community singers, led by that night's celebrity narrator. It plays the America Gardens Theatre, the outdoor theater in front of The American Adventure, and it is included with EPCOT admission. There are two ways in.
Admit one · Standby
Free with park admission
Seating is first come, first served for each show, and Disney notes it often fills up fast. Arrive well before showtime on a popular narrator's night.
Reserved seat · Dining Package
Dinner plus a guaranteed seat
A meal at a participating EPCOT restaurant with reserved seating for one show. It is the only way to guarantee a seat.
Planning dinner around it? Our EPCOT restaurants guide ranks every table-service spot in World Showcase, and the Dining Plan calculator tells you whether prepaid meals make sense for your party.
Where are the Holiday Storytellers around World Showcase?
Storytellers perform each day of the festival. Starting in Mexico and walking toward Canada, tap a stop to hear whose story waits there.
Stop 1 · Mexico
Las Posadas Celebration
The Mexican tradition that retells Mary and Joseph's search for shelter.
- Mexico Las Posadas Celebration The Mexican tradition that retells Mary and Joseph's search for shelter.
- Norway A Mischievous Magical Barn Santa Norway's farmhouse gnome, who guards the barn and expects his porridge.
- China Chinese Lion Dancer and Si-Zhu Trio Lion dance and si-zhu, traditional Chinese silk and bamboo music.
- Germany Adventskalender Germany's countdown to Christmas, one little door at a time.
- Italy La Befana The kindly witch who fills stockings on the eve of the Epiphany.
- Japan Daruma Storyteller The Daruma doll and the New Year wishes it carries.
- Between Morocco and France Hanukkah Storyteller The Festival of Lights and the story behind the menorah.
- France Père Noël Father Christmas the French way, and Babette's Christmas letter.
- United Kingdom Father Christmas Britain's Father Christmas and the traditions he brings.
- Canada Canadian Holiday Voyageurs Holiday songs in the spirit of Canada's voyageurs.
Santa roams World Showcase too. He greets guests in CommuniCore Hall, and Goofy dresses as Santa for photos at The Odyssey. Keep an ear out for the Voices of Liberty as the Dickens Carolers, singing in Victorian style, and for JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season, a gospel, jazz and R&B show.
What will the Holiday Kitchens serve in 2026?
Disney has not posted the 2026 menus yet. Last year the foodie guide landed on November 13, two weeks before opening, so expect this year's around the same time. Holiday Kitchens are standalone booths selling small plates and drinks from holiday traditions around the world, and they are the festival's main cost beyond admission. These were the 17 kitchens in 2025.
Festival Passport
The Holiday Cookie Stroll
Buy five cookies marked for the stroll at participating kitchens and collect a stamp for each. A full passport trades for a special treat, picked up at Holiday Sweets & Treats in 2025. Pace it over the day, since five cookies in one lap is a lot of sugar.
Tap a circle for each cookie.
CommuniCore and World Discovery
- Experimental Prototype Cookies of TomorrowCommuniCore Hall
- Favorites of Festivals PastCommuniCore Plaza
- Connections CaféWorld Discovery
- Connections EateryWorld Discovery
On the way to World Showcase
- Holiday Hearth DessertsThe Odyssey
- Swirled ShowcaseNear Imagination!
- Mele Kalikimaka Holiday KitchenNear Imagination!
- Nochebuena CocinaNear Imagination!
- Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday KitchenNear Imagination!
The Cookie Stroll reward stop
- Holiday Sweets & TreatsNear Point of Entry
Around World Showcase
- Las Posadas Holiday KitchenMexico
- Shanghai Holiday KitchenChina
- Refreshment OutpostOutpost
- Bavaria Holiday KitchenGermany
- Tuscany Holiday KitchenItaly
- Le Marché de Noël Holiday KitchenFrance
- Yukon Holiday KitchenCanada
Visiting before the holidays too? The EPCOT Food and Wine Festival 2026 guide covers the fall festival that comes right before it, and our drinking around the world guide prices every pavilion stop.
What else is at the 2026 festival?
- Gingerbread Spaceship EarthA gingerbread model of EPCOT's icon, presented by Citizen.
- Lights on Spaceship EarthHoliday lighting on the geosphere after dark.
- Glimmering GreenhousesA festive Living with the Land, plus a Behind the Seeds tour. Tour bookings opened September 24.
- Scentsy's Festive FragrancesA holiday scent garden between Imagination! and World Showcase, back for a third year.
- Olaf's Holiday Tradition ExpeditionA holiday scavenger hunt around World Showcase.
What are EPCOT's hours during the Festival of the Holidays?
EPCOT opens at 9 AM, and Disney has signaled a 9 PM close on regular festival days in 2026. That is half an hour earlier than the 9:30 PM holiday closings of past years. Early Entry for resort guests starts at 8:30 AM, and Extended Evening Hours for guests of Deluxe, Deluxe Villa and other select hotels run to 11 PM on most Mondays. New Year's Eve hours are set separately and usually run late.
EPCOT hours in November 2026 → EPCOT hours in December 2026 →
What are the best days to visit the festival?
Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas week run busiest, and the early December weekdays are the sweet spot. Each day below is colored by EPCOT's crowd forecast.
Calmer Busier · numbers are the crowd forecast, 1 to 10
Calmest days
- Mon, Nov 304 of 10
- Tue, Dec 14 of 10
- Wed, Dec 24 of 10
- Thu, Dec 34 of 10
- Mon, Dec 74 of 10
Busiest days
- Fri, Nov 2710 of 10
- Sat, Nov 2810 of 10
- Mon, Dec 2110 of 10
- Thu, Dec 2410 of 10
- Fri, Dec 2510 of 10
The full picture is on the EPCOT crowd calendar, which updates daily.
Festival of the Holidays FAQ
- When is the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays 2026?
- The 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays runs from November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, through December 30, 2026. That is 34 days of Holiday Kitchens, storytellers around World Showcase, and the Candlelight Processional every night.
- Who are the Candlelight Processional narrators in 2026?
- The 2026 lineup is Auli'i Cravalho, Gary Sinise, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Roberts, Jason Kelce, Neil Patrick Harris, Lauren Daigle, Ralph Macchio, Henry Winkler, Lacey Chabert, Jodi Benson, Simu Liu and Eva Longoria. Robin Roberts, Jason Kelce and Lacey Chabert are new this year, and two runs, December 2 and 3 and December 13 and 14, were still to be announced.
- What time is the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT?
- There are three performances each night, at 4:45 PM, 6:30 PM and 8 PM, at the America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase. Standby seating is first come, first served, and a Candlelight Processional Dining Package adds reserved seating.
- When can you book the Candlelight Processional Dining Package?
- Candlelight Processional Dining Packages open for booking on October 14, 2026. Each package pairs a meal at a participating EPCOT restaurant with reserved seating for one of the three nightly shows.
- Is the Festival of the Holidays included with park admission?
- Yes. The storytellers, the Candlelight Processional, the decor and the entertainment are included with EPCOT admission. Holiday Kitchen food and drinks, the Holiday Cookie Stroll and dining packages cost extra.
- What time does EPCOT close during the Festival of the Holidays?
- Disney has signaled EPCOT will close at 9 PM through the 2026 festival, half an hour earlier than the 9:30 PM holiday closings of past years. Early Entry starts at 8:30 AM, and Extended Evening Hours for guests of Deluxe, Deluxe Villa and other select hotels run to 11 PM on most Mondays. New Year's Eve hours are set separately.
Rope Drop News · unofficial, not affiliated with Disney. Festival details can change, so confirm with Disney before you go. Hero photograph by elisfkc under CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.
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