EPCOT Festival of the Holidays for First Timers: What You Really Need to Know
Planning the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays for first timers? Learn what to do, what to prioritize, what to skip, and how to plan your Christmas EPCOT day.
Estimated reading time: 27 minutes
There are a lot of reasons to visit Disney World during the Christmas season.
You can go to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. See Magic Kingdom covered in Christmas decorations. You can go to Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios. The resorts are gorgeous. There are Christmas trees everywhere.
And technically, you can start doing a lot of that in November.
But if you are planning your first Christmas trip to Disney World, I would seriously consider waiting until after Thanksgiving.
Why?
Because that’s when the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays begins.
And I think it is worth waiting for.
I’ve been to all four of EPCOT’s major festivals, and Festival of the Holidays is completely delightful. It’s festive without feeling like just another version of Christmas at Magic Kingdom. The food is fun, the Christmas decorations are beautiful, and EPCOT uses the World Showcase better during this festival than it does at almost any other time of year.
You can learn about Christmas and holiday traditions from around the world. And then eat your way through the Holiday Cookie Stroll. You can ride through a ridiculously festive version of Living with the Land.
And then there is the Candlelight Processional.
Oh my goodness.
If you do nothing else specifically for Festival of the Holidays, do that.
But we’ll get to it.
What Is the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays?
Festival of the Holidays is EPCOT’s Christmas-season festival. In 2026, it runs from November 27 through December 30. Like EPCOT’s other festivals, the festival itself is included with your regular EPCOT admission.
Throughout the park you’ll find Holiday Kitchens serving seasonal food and drinks, holiday entertainment, storytellers sharing traditions from different countries, the Holiday Cookie Stroll, special decorations and activities, and seasonal additions to regular EPCOT attractions.
And unlike Food & Wine or Flower & Garden, this is a relatively short festival.
That’s important when you’re planning your trip.
Disney World begins celebrating Christmas well before Thanksgiving. Festival of the Holidays does not.
So if you’re deciding between, say, a mid-November Disney Christmas trip and an early-December one, this festival is one very good reason I’d choose December.
What Is There to Do at Festival of the Holidays?
This is another EPCOT festival where you absolutely do not need to do everything.
Actually, I don’t think you need an enormous amount of extra time to enjoy this one.
That’s one of the things I like about it.
You can have a relatively normal EPCOT day, add several festival experiences, and walk away feeling like you really experienced Festival of the Holidays.
For a first visit, these are the things I would pay the most attention to:
- Candlelight Processional
- Holiday Storytellers
- Holiday Cookie Stroll
- Living with the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses
- Holiday Kitchens
- Christmas decorations and PhotoPass opportunities
- The gingerbread Spaceship Earth
- Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition scavenger hunt, especially if you’re visiting with kids
And if I were prioritizing those?
Candlelight Processional isn’t just #1.
It’s #1 by a mile.
The Candlelight Processional Is Absolutely Incredible
I have seen a lot of Disney entertainment.
The Candlelight Processional is one of the best seasonal shows Disney does. Period.
Actually, I think it’s the best seasonal festival show at Disney World. It isn’t even close.
The show takes place at the America Gardens Theatre and tells the Christmas story with a celebrity narrator, a huge choir and a live orchestra. Disney describes it as the story of Christmas retold by a celebrity narrator and massed choir, but that description doesn’t remotely convey how impressive it is when you’re actually sitting there.
It’s enormous.
You have the orchestra in front of you. The Voices of Liberty are front and center. You have this massive choir filling the stage behind them. And then you have the celebrity narrator telling the story of the birth of Jesus between the music.
I’ve seen it twice now, and both times it was phenomenal.
One year our narrator was Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Another time we saw Ashley Eckstein, who voices Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Both were wonderful.
And unless you are a giant Scrooge, there’s a pretty decent chance this thing is going to make you cry.
I’m serious.
There is something about hearing the Christmas story told with a full orchestra and hundreds of voices singing behind it that is incredibly moving.
Even if you don’t cry, I would be shocked if you weren’t at least a little bit awed by it.
Your Celebrity Narrator Matters More Than You Think
This is one part of Festival of the Holidays that I would research before you choose your EPCOT day.
Disney uses different celebrity narrators throughout the festival, and some are much more popular than others.
And when somebody enormously popular is narrating?
It can affect crowds.
A lot.
Neil Patrick Harris is probably the classic example. Brendan Fraser has also drawn enormous interest. There are certain narrators where people will line up a very long time for standby seating.
So don’t simply put EPCOT on Tuesday because Tuesday works best with the rest of your itinerary.
Once Disney releases the Candlelight narrator schedule, look at it.
You may discover someone you would absolutely love to see.
Or you may discover that the day you randomly selected has one of the most popular narrators of the entire festival.
Either way, that’s useful information to have before your trip.
I Would Seriously Consider the Candlelight Processional Dining Package
We did the Candlelight Processional Dining Package and had lunch at Garden Grill before our show.
I would do it again.
The package combines a meal at a participating EPCOT restaurant with guaranteed seating for a Candlelight Processional performance later that day. Disney has already confirmed that the dining packages will return for the 2026 festival.
You’re paying more for the experience, obviously.
But this is one of those times when I think the extra money can buy something extremely valuable at Disney World:
time.
Instead of spending a huge chunk of your EPCOT day standing in a standby line hoping to get into Candlelight Processional, you have guaranteed seating.
For an average narrator on a less-crowded night, you may decide you don’t need it.
But if your heart is set on seeing one of the most popular narrators?
Get the dining package.
Seriously.
This isn’t where I would try to save $20 and then spend an hour or more of my vacation standing in a line.
Don’t Skip the Holiday Storytellers
The Candlelight Processional gets most of the attention—and deservedly so—but one of my other favorite parts of Festival of the Holidays is the entertainment throughout World Showcase.
Different countries celebrate the season with storytellers and performers representing their own holiday traditions.
And I LOVE this.
This isn’t simply EPCOT sticking Santa Claus in twelve different countries.
As you make your way around World Showcase, you encounter different stories, customs and characters connected to the holidays.
Some are versions of Santa or Father Christmas. Others represent completely different traditions.
It is exactly the sort of thing EPCOT does particularly well because World Showcase is already built around experiencing different cultures.
Disney officially describes these offerings as opportunities to discover holiday traditions from around the world, and that’s exactly how I’d approach them.
You don’t need to see every single one.
Pick a few that sound interesting, check the day’s performance times, and work them into your trip around World Showcase.
And yes, you can also see regular old Santa Claus. Ha.
Let’s Talk About the Cookies
Okay.
It’s an EPCOT festival.
Obviously there is food. 😂
Festival of the Holidays has Holiday Kitchens throughout EPCOT serving seasonal dishes and drinks inspired by holiday traditions from around the world.
And the food I’ve tried has been good.
But this is the one EPCOT festival where the festival food itself isn’t necessarily the main attraction for me.
At Food & Wine, food is literally the point.
With Flower & Garden, I think the Outdoor Kitchens serve some of the best festival food EPCOT offers.
At Festival of the Arts, the presentation of the food is part of the fun.
Festival of the Holidays?
Give me the cookies.
The Holiday Cookie Stroll Is the Bomb
I love the Holiday Cookie Stroll.
Love it.
This is one festival food activity I would absolutely recommend to a first-timer, particularly if you’re already planning to spend most of the day at EPCOT.
The exact cookies can change, but the basic idea is wonderfully simple. You buy designated cookies at participating locations and collect stamps in your Festival Passport. Once you’ve collected the required stamps, you can redeem them for a completion treat.
For 2025, Disney required five qualifying cookies, and the Cookie Stroll is already confirmed to return for the 2026 festival.
But here’s the important part:
The cookies are really good.
This isn’t something I’d do solely because I wanted the completion prize.
I’d do it because… cookies.
Christmas cookies.
At EPCOT.
Come on.
You also don’t need to inhale five cookies in 45 minutes. Spread them throughout the day. Share them. Make it part of your trip around World Showcase.
This is supposed to be fun, not the EPCOT Christmas Cookie Olympics.
Definitely Go Inside CommuniCore Hall
This would be very easy to walk right past if you didn’t know it was there.
Don’t.
In recent festivals, CommuniCore Hall has housed an enormous gingerbread version of Spaceship Earth.
And when I say enormous, I mean enormous.
The 2025 display was accompanied by a Celebration Countdown light show every 15 minutes, and it was one of those wonderfully over-the-top Disney Christmas details that is absolutely worth popping inside to see.
You don’t need to budget an hour.
Just go look at it.
Take some pictures.
Marvel at the fact that somebody looked at Spaceship Earth and thought, You know what this needs? Gingerbread.
Disney Christmas logic. I approve.
Ride Living With the Land at Night
This one is important.
Living with the Land gets a holiday transformation called Glimmering Greenhouses, with Christmas lights and decorations throughout the greenhouses. Disney also adds holiday-themed narration to the attraction.
It is completely delightful.
But I specifically recommend riding it after dark.
The lights obviously become much more impressive once the sun goes down, and this is one of the rare times when I would actually think strategically about getting a Lightning Lane for Living with the Land.
Normally?
You probably don’t need one.
During Festival of the Holidays, when you specifically want to ride Glimmering Greenhouses at night?
Absolutely.
If you’re using Lightning Lane Multi Pass anyway, keep checking for an evening Living with the Land return time.
This is such an easy festival experience to add to an EPCOT day, and it’s completely different from the regular version of the attraction.
Don’t Forget That EPCOT Itself Is Decorated for Christmas
One of the reasons Festival of the Holidays is so enjoyable is that you don’t have to be actively “doing festival things” every second to experience it.
EPCOT is decorated for Christmas.
There’s a huge Christmas tree in World Showcase. You’ll find holiday decorations throughout the park. Spaceship Earth gets beautiful seasonal lighting. And there are some fantastic holiday PhotoPass opportunities.
I would absolutely stop for some of those photos.
Christmas at Disney World is one of those occasions where I’m willing to stand in a PhotoPass line that I’d probably walk past during a normal trip.
You’re already there.
You’re already wearing the Christmas ears.
Get the picture.
There Is Also an Olaf Scavenger Hunt
If you’ve read my other EPCOT festival guides, you know Disney loves a scavenger hunt.
Festival of the Holidays has Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition, which sends you around EPCOT looking for Olaf and the holiday traditions he’s discovered around World Showcase.
In 2025, there were 13 locations to find, and after completing the hunt, guests could redeem their map for a prize.
This is especially cute for families with kids because it gives them something to look for while the adults are wandering World Showcase.
Would I make it a must-do for every first-time visitor?
No.
But if your kids love scavenger hunts—or Olaf—it can be a really fun way to experience the festival.
And that really gets at why I like Festival of the Holidays so much.
There is plenty to do.
But unlike some EPCOT festivals, I don’t think you need to build your entire day around trying to experience all of it.
You need to know what matters.
And for me, a few things matter a lot.
Candlelight Processional.
The holiday storytellers.
The Cookie Stroll.
Glimmering Greenhouses.
Then let everything else make an already wonderful Christmas day at EPCOT even more festive.
How to Plan Your First Festival of the Holidays
Knowing what you can do at Festival of the Holidays is one thing.
Figuring out how to fit it into an actual Disney World vacation is something else entirely.
And this is where I think Festival of the Holidays is surprisingly easy.
You don’t need to turn EPCOT into an all-day Christmas checklist. There is no pressing need to eat at every Holiday Kitchen, see every storyteller, find every Olaf, and somehow squeeze Candlelight Processional into the middle of all of that.
You can still ride Guardians of the Galaxy. You can still wander World Showcase. And you can absolutely still eat at your favorite EPCOT restaurant.
Festival of the Holidays can fit around all of it.
But there are a few things I would plan in advance.
How Much Time Do You Need for Festival of the Holidays?
I don’t think Festival of the Holidays requires an entire additional EPCOT day.
That’s a pretty significant difference from how I feel about Flower & Garden.
During Flower & Garden, I can make a very strong argument for two EPCOT days because there is just so much to see. The topiaries, gardens, butterfly garden, Outdoor Kitchens, Garden Rocks and everything else can easily fill the spaces between regular EPCOT attractions.
Festival of the Holidays feels more manageable.
If you give yourself one full EPCOT day, you can ride plenty of attractions and still experience the parts of the festival that matter most.
Watch two or three holiday storytellers as you make your way around World Showcase. Grab some cookies throughout the afternoon. Stop inside CommuniCore Hall, and then ride Living with the Land after dark.
Finish it all with Candlelight Processional.
That’s a pretty fantastic EPCOT Christmas day.
Yes, I Would Plan a Disney World Trip Around Festival of the Holidays
This is an easy one for me.
Yes.
A big yes.
I don’t necessarily plan Disney trips around Food & Wine. If I’m there while it’s happening, great.
But I absolutely think Festival of the Holidays is worth planning around—particularly if your goal is to experience Christmas at Disney World.
And that leads to one of the biggest pieces of advice I would give someone planning their first Disney Christmas trip.
Should You Wait Until After Thanksgiving for Festival of the Holidays?
I would.
Disney starts Christmas ridiculously early.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party begins in early November. Holiday decorations start appearing around the parks and resorts, and Jollywood Nights also begins before Thanksgiving.
So it’s entirely possible to take what feels like a full-blown Disney Christmas vacation in November.
But Festival of the Holidays starts later.
For 2026, it begins November 27 and runs through December 30.
If I were deciding between an early- or mid-November trip and a trip beginning after Thanksgiving, I’d wait.
Because otherwise you’re missing an entire piece of Christmas at Disney World.
No Candlelight Processional or holiday storytellers. No Cookie Stroll or Glimmering Greenhouses.
You’re also missing all those smaller festival experiences that make Christmas at EPCOT feel completely different from Christmas at Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios.
Obviously, there can be reasons to choose earlier November dates. Your schedule may dictate when you travel. Prices and crowds matter. And if your primary goal is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party rather than the entire Disney World Christmas experience, your priorities may be different.
But if you have flexibility?
I’d wait for Festival of the Holidays.
Choose Your EPCOT Day Around the Candlelight Processional
This is probably my biggest planning tip for the entire festival.
Don’t choose your EPCOT day and then see who’s narrating Candlelight Processional.
Do it the other way around.
Once Disney releases the narrator schedule, look at who’s performing during your vacation.
If there’s someone you really want to see, make that your EPCOT day.
This matters even more if your dates overlap with an especially popular narrator.
Some Candlelight narrators have genuine followings. Neil Patrick Harris is famously popular. Brendan Fraser has been another major draw. Disney also regularly brings in actors, musicians and other celebrities who may have a particular appeal to your family.
And because Candlelight Processional is held at the America Gardens Theatre, those crowds don’t exist in isolation.
A hugely popular narrator can make that entire part of World Showcase feel busier.
So this is one of those rare occasions where an entertainment schedule can actually influence how I structure my Disney itinerary.
Decide About the Dining Package Early
Once you’ve chosen your narrator, I’d make the next decision:
Do I want the Candlelight Processional Dining Package?
You don’t automatically need it.
If you’re flexible about which performance you see, don’t mind waiting, or you’re visiting when demand isn’t especially high, standby may work perfectly well.
There are circumstances, though, where I would absolutely buy the package.
Have a narrator you desperately want to see? Dining package.
Visiting during a particularly crowded week? Dining package.
Traveling with someone who can’t comfortably stand around waiting for an extended period? Dining package.
And if Neil Patrick Harris were narrating?
Yeah.
Dining package. 😂
I would much rather enjoy lunch at Garden Grill and know I have guaranteed seating than spend a ridiculous portion of my EPCOT afternoon protecting my place in line.
That’s not just buying a meal.
That’s buying back vacation time.
I Wouldn’t Try to Schedule Every Holiday Storyteller
This is where I would deliberately not over-plan.
Once you see how many holiday storytellers and performances are happening around World Showcase, it’s tempting to start building some elaborate spreadsheet.
11:35 Père Noël.
12:10 Norway.
12:45 Italy.
1:20 Japan.
No.
Please don’t do this to yourself. 😂
Pick a couple that particularly interest you, then leave yourself enough flexibility to stumble across others.
That’s part of what makes this festival so much fun. You can be walking through World Showcase and suddenly realize there’s a holiday performance about to begin.
Stop and watch it.
That’s not your touring plan falling apart.
That’s the festival.
Use Lightning Lane to Make Room for the Festival
This is another reason I think Lightning Lane can be particularly valuable during an EPCOT festival.
It isn’t necessarily about cramming more rides into your day.
It’s about protecting time.
If Lightning Lane lets you ride several of your priority attractions without spending hours in standby lines, you’ve suddenly created room for Père Noël. Or another Cookie Stroll stop. Or the gingerbread Spaceship Earth.
Maybe it just gives you time to sit down somewhere with a Christmas cookie because you’ve been walking around EPCOT for nine hours.
And during Festival of the Holidays, I have one particularly weird Lightning Lane recommendation:
Living with the Land.
Try to grab an evening return time.
The regular attraction is great during the day. Glimmering Greenhouses is something else after dark.
That’s exactly the kind of thing Lightning Lane can help you accomplish without letting the festival take over your entire touring plan.
Don’t Eat So Much Festival Food That You Miss EPCOT Food
I feel like I keep saying this in these guides.
But somebody needs to say it. 😂
EPCOT already has fantastic food.
Festival booths don’t make Via Napoli disappear. Les Halles is still there, too, along with all the fantastic snacks and restaurants around World Showcase.
So unless trying Holiday Kitchen food is your primary reason for visiting, I wouldn’t make every meal a festival booth meal.
Try the things that sound genuinely delicious.
Do the Cookie Stroll if that appeals to you.
Share portions, and leave room for the regular EPCOT food you actually want to eat.
This is particularly important if you’re also doing a Candlelight Processional Dining Package. That’s a real meal. Plan your festival snacking accordingly.
Five Christmas cookies plus three Holiday Kitchen dishes plus lunch at Garden Grill sounds charming at 9 AM.
By 4 PM, you may have regrets.
Festival of the Holidays Works Really Well With Kids
I actually think this is one of the easier EPCOT festivals to enjoy as a family.
Kids don’t have to care about culinary demonstrations or appreciate horticulture to understand:
Christmas cookies.
Olaf.
Christmas lights.
Santa.
Storytellers.
Presents.
Even Glimmering Greenhouses has that immediate visual appeal.
Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition gives younger kids something to actively search for while you’re exploring World Showcase. Meanwhile, the storytellers can make the different countries feel much more interesting than simply walking from pavilion to pavilion.
I wouldn’t expect every child to sit through every storyteller or be emotionally overwhelmed by Candlelight Processional.
But there are plenty of ways to make the festival part of a family EPCOT day without turning it into an adults-only experience.
How Festival of the Holidays Changes the Rest of Your Disney World Trip
This is something I think gets overlooked in festival planning.
Festival of the Holidays doesn’t just change your EPCOT day.
It can change when you take the entire vacation.
If you’re planning a Disney World Christmas trip, you may already be juggling Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Jollywood Nights, resort decorations, gingerbread displays, holiday dining and regular park days.
Adding Festival of the Holidays gives you another reason to choose dates after Thanksgiving.
Once you’re there, I’d also think carefully about where your EPCOT day falls within the trip.
On one of my Festival of the Holidays trips, we had attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party the night before our EPCOT day.
That matters.
A late Christmas party followed by an aggressive EPCOT rope drop is not necessarily my definition of Christmas magic.
You don’t have to maximize every morning of a Disney vacation, especially during a trip when you’re attending hard-ticket events that run late into the night.
I’ve actually tested how to structure an EPCOT festival day after a late Christmas party, and I’ll link that touring case study here because it’s a much better example of how real vacation planning works than pretending everyone wakes up refreshed at 6 AM after staying at Magic Kingdom until midnight.
The goal isn’t to win Disney World.
The goal is to have a fantastic vacation.
What Can You Safely Skip?
This is where I give first-timers permission to stop trying to complete Disney World.
You can skip most of the Holiday Kitchens.
Olaf’s scavenger hunt isn’t essential. Neither are festival merchandise or the PhotoPass opportunities if photos aren’t important to you.
You certainly don’t need to watch every storyteller.
And yes, you can even skip the Cookie Stroll.
I mean, I question this decision because cookies, but you are technically allowed. 😂
What would I not skip?
Candlelight Processional.
I would also try very hard to see at least a couple of the World Showcase holiday storytellers and ride Glimmering Greenhouses after dark.
Those are the experiences that make this feel like Festival of the Holidays, rather than simply EPCOT with Christmas decorations and seasonal food.
Biggest Festival of the Holidays Mistakes
The biggest mistake might happen before you even arrive:
Going too early for the festival.
If Festival of the Holidays matters to you, make sure it has actually started before you book your Christmas vacation.
Another big mistake is failing to check the Candlelight narrator schedule before choosing your EPCOT day.
Then there is trying to do everything.
Every storyteller, kitchen, cookie, and attraction. Stopping at all the PhotoPass locations. Trying to squeeze in every scavenger-hunt stop.
You don’t need to.
And finally, don’t ride Living with the Land at noon and think you’ve checked Glimmering Greenhouses off your list.
Wait until dark.
Trust me on this one.
What I Would Do on My First Visit
If I were visiting Festival of the Holidays for the first time, I’d keep this surprisingly simple.
First, I’d choose my EPCOT day based partly on the Candlelight Processional narrator and decide in advance whether that narrator justified a dining package.
Most of the first part of the day would be spent doing my normal EPCOT priorities.
Once World Showcase came alive for the afternoon, I’d start mixing festival experiences into the day rather than switching into some separate “festival mode.”
Along the way, I’d watch a few holiday storytellers, eat some cookies and try one or two Holiday Kitchen dishes that sounded especially good.
I’d stop at the Christmas tree and take some photos, then pop into CommuniCore Hall to see the gingerbread Spaceship Earth.
As the sun went down, I’d ride Glimmering Greenhouses.
And then I’d end the festival portion of my day with Candlelight Processional.
That’s it.
I would not attempt to experience every single thing Festival of the Holidays offers.
And I think I’d leave feeling like I’d experienced the festival completely.
Is Festival of the Holidays Worth It for a First-Time Visitor?
Absolutely.
Especially if you’re already considering a Disney World Christmas trip.
Festival of the Holidays isn’t the EPCOT festival with the most food.
It isn’t the longest festival, and it doesn’t transform the entire park quite as dramatically as Flower & Garden.
But it may be the festival that best uses what EPCOT already does so well.
World Showcase becomes a way to experience holiday traditions from around the world. Living with the Land becomes a Christmas attraction. Seasonal food becomes part of wandering through the countries.
And one of Disney World’s best live entertainment experiences takes place right in the middle of it all.
Candlelight Processional brings together a huge choir, live orchestra and the Christmas story in a way that still manages to feel genuinely moving inside the middle of a theme park.
That’s pretty special.
So if you’re planning your first Christmas trip to Disney World and wondering whether it’s worth waiting until after Thanksgiving so Festival of the Holidays will be happening?
Yes.
A big yes.
Don’t try to do everything.
Pick the experiences that matter most. Leave room for regular EPCOT. Eat some Christmas cookies.
And whatever you do?
Don’t miss the Candlelight Processional.
More EPCOT Festival and Planning Guides
Planning an EPCOT day during a festival can be a little different from visiting during the rest of the year. These guides can help you decide what to prioritize without sacrificing everything else EPCOT has to offer.
- Can a Late Start at EPCOT Still Give You a Full Festival Day? — I tested this during Festival of the Holidays after attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party the night before. It’s a real-world look at how much you can actually accomplish when you combine regular EPCOT attractions, Lightning Lane, festival experiences, and a deliberately late start.
- EPCOT Festival of the Arts for First Timers — Festival of the Arts is one of my favorite times to visit EPCOT. This guide covers Disney on Broadway, interactive art experiences, food studios, the Figment scavenger hunt, and how to make room for the festival without giving up your regular EPCOT priorities.
- EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival for First Timers — Gorgeous topiaries, gardens, butterflies, fantastic food, Garden Rocks concerts, and one of the prettiest versions of EPCOT you’ll ever see. Here’s what I think first-time visitors should actually prioritize.
- EPCOT Food and Wine Festival for First Timers — Food & Wine has an overwhelming number of booths, but you absolutely don’t need to eat your way through all of them. This guide explains how I approach the festival while still leaving plenty of room for the rest of EPCOT.
- Best Rides at EPCOT Ranked — If you’re trying to balance festival experiences with attractions, start here to figure out which EPCOT rides deserve your limited park time.
- EPCOT Lightning Lane Guide — Lightning Lane can be especially useful during a festival because it isn’t just about riding more attractions. It can free up time for storytellers, festival food, Candlelight Processional, and even an evening ride on Glimmering Greenhouses.
- EPCOT Early Entry and Rope Drop Strategies — Decide whether an early start makes sense for your EPCOT day—or whether you’d rather save your energy for World Showcase and the festival later in the day.
