I Go to Disney World Every Day and These Are the Biggest Mistakes I've Made at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

It’s almost time for the last EPCOT festival of the year!

The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays typically starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs until the end of the year, celebrating holiday customs from around the world. The park gets decked out with seasonal decor, and Disney rolls out a variety of exclusive entertainment options for this short festival. But take it from someone who spends a lot of time in EPCOT — you don’t want to make my mistakes when visiting!

Go for the FULL Day

My first and biggest piece of advice for the Festival of the Holidays is to go the whole day! Unlike the Food & Wine Festival, this isn’t really a festival that you can just pop into for the evening — they’ve got stuff happening all. day. long.

If you only come in the evening, you’ll miss daytime offerings like the holiday storytellers and the performing musicians. If you only come in the daytime, you’ll miss the opportunity to see the iconic Candlelight Processional. You could fill an entire day with activities at this festival!

Plan for the Weather Appropriately

Weather during the Festival of the Holidays can be rather unpredictable, so it’s important that you check the weather while packing, and then plan for a variety of scenarios. It may be rainy, windy, warm, or cold during this time of year, and it could even be all four of those things within a single day.

Often we find that December in Disney World brings cooler temperatures in the morning and evening, but the sun will heat things up during the day. In that case, layers are helpful! And the wind can be particularly strong in EPCOT when it’s whipping across the lagoon.

Don’t Skip on Entertainment

Perhaps the best thing about the Festival of the Holidays is the stellar entertainment! From holiday storytellers that narrate tales of festive customs in their respective countries to the fantastic spectacle that is the Candlelight Processional, you don’t want to miss out on the shows during this event!

Showtimes for all the various entertainment offerings will be listed in the My Disney Experience app and in the guidebook for the festival. Make sure to take a look at the list and decide which offerings you’d like to work into your day.

Know the Booth Operating Times

If you’ve been to an EPCOT festival before, you know that the food booths aren’t open all day long, for the most part. Most booths open at 11AM (unless they serve breakfast), and then run until shortly before park close.

Unlike the rides, you may not be able to get in line for a booth at 8:59PM. They’re typically a little bit quicker to close and clean up for the day. So if you’re hungry, make sure to snag those eats BEFORE you start settling down for the fireworks.

Pace Yourself With the Holiday Cookies

And of course, I’ve got to warn you that you need to pace yourself when it comes to the holiday cookies! Yep, this is the advice that nobody wants to hear, but it’s true. Not all of these cookies are created equal, and the sugar crash after trying all of them can be overwhelming. Our team knows from experience.

The holiday cookie stroll that takes place each year is a great rite of passage, but it’s best to complete it with a friend! Cookie safety is important.

Stay tuned to AllEars for more tips and tricks for the Festival of the Holidays!