Why We're Already Worried About the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays in Disney World

The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays is coming up soon, and before it arrives, we’ve gotta talk a little smack!

Don’t get us wrong, we absolutely LOVE this festival and all its holly jolly offerings. However, we are a little concerned about some problems that could come up during the fest…so we’re here to prepare you just in case these issues arise!

Prices

One of our most common concerns with any Disney festival is price increases year over year. A huge batch of price increases just hit Disney World in October, making many snacks and dining locations more expensive. So naturally, we’re concerned that they’re going to affect the Festival of the Holidays as well.

Emma at the Tuscany booth in EPCOT (2024)

This likely means that if you’re the type to budget for your festival food with a gift card, you may need to increase that budget this year. You should also be prepared to pay more for souvenirs and more for park tickets to get into EPCOT as well. Basically, just increase your Disney World vacation budget across the board.

Learn More About the Price Increases Here!

Candlelight Processional Narrators

One big change that has already been announced for the festival this year is the lineup of celebrity narrators for the Candlelight Processional. The Candlelight Processional is a show that takes place in the America Gardens Theatre each night, and it’s incredibly popular, largely due to the celebrities chosen to narrate the show and tell the story of Christmas.

Josh Gad performing at the 2024 Candlelight Processional

But for 2025, some notable fan-favorite narrators were missing from the list. Neil Patrick Harris, John Stamos, and Josh Gad were all notably absent from the lineup. Also not on the list for this year are Whoopi Goldberg, Jodi Benson, and Gloria Estefan.

Check Out the Full Narrator Schedule for 2025 Here!

The Festival Timeline

A recurring problem we find with the Festival of the Holidays is that it’s too short! It’s often the shortest of the festivals (barely beating out Festival of the Arts for that title), with only about 5 weeks from start to finish.

Of the holiday offerings in Disney World, it’s the one that starts the latest. Typically, the holiday parties start in the first 10 days of November, and the holiday season “officially” kicks off sometime mid-month. But the festival? It traditionally starts the day after Thanksgiving, so we’re missing weeks of celebration time. There’s SO much to do at the festival too, so we feel like we’re rushing to get everything done during that time.

Here’s Your Guide to the Holidays in Disney World!

Crowds

Last but not least, we’ve got to talk about the crowds! Since the festival kicks off during Thanksgiving week and ends with the new year, it takes place during the busiest time of the entire year. Those last two weeks of December are usually the most crowded and most expensive dates to visit Disney World.

That means you may be facing long lines at food booths, long lines to get into the Candlelight Processional, and fully packed walkways throughout World Showcase. It’s possible to do the festival on a busy day, you just have to pack your patience!

This festival may be short, but she is MIGHTY! You get so much bang for your buck at EPCOT during the holidays. We definitely recommend stopping by if you get the chance, just be prepared with these points in mind!