Walt Disney World has released the full list of food booths for the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, and details about the scavenger hunts (feat. Olaf and cookies). This post covers all the details we know thus far about the Christmas cuisine at EPCOT’s next fest.
This year’s EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays will run from November 24 until December 30, 2023. In essence, Festival of the Holidays is a continuation of EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival, right down to repurposing 15 of the food booths from that event (which ends shortly before Festival of the Holidays starts). Unlike that, the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays is not primarily about the cuisine–this is not simply the Christmas Food Fest.
Festival season isn’t the only thing happening at EPCOT right now. The Disney100 “celebration” began at the end of September and that’ll kick into high gear in early December 2023. It remains to be seen how this year’s EPCOT Festival of the Holidays changes in light of Disney100, opening of World Celebration, and the new Luminous: The Symphony of Us nighttime spectacular.
Our hope is that with World Celebration opening, we’ll once again see more Christmas decorations in the front half of EPCOT. But with construction crews scrambling to have Communicore Hall & Plaza done this calendar year and Disney100 still ongoing, we might have to wait until Christmas 2024 before seeing a full holiday decor package in World Celebration. (See our Ultimate Guide to the Disney100 Anniversary Event at Walt Disney World for everything you need to know about that event.)
Regardless, the focus of Festival of the Holidays is not food or whatever’s supposed to be the selling point of Disney100. It’s in the decorations, live music, entertainment, family-friendly activities, global Santa Clauses (and other storytellers), and more. You can read about the slate in our EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Entertainment.
Additionally, for all things Candlelight Processional–including the full lineup of narrators and reduced slate of dining packages–see our Guide to Candlelight Processional at EPCOT. You could spend an entire day in EPCOT just enjoying the holiday entertainment without ever purchasing a snack (and we will do exactly that later in the season…well, maybe just one Yule Log).
Turning back to Disney100, food and festival season, it is worth noting that the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays will feature four booths–Char & Chop, Wine & Wedge, Bubbles & Brine, and Swirled Showcase–that just debuted for Disney100 and are running for the remainder of Food & Wine Festival and Festival of the Holidays.
Aside from those, here’s the newly-released food booth lineup for the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays:
American Holiday Table (American Adventure Pavilion)
Enjoy a savory salute to the season—with traditional dishes reminiscent of grandma’s cooking for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Bavaria Holiday Kitchen (Germany Pavilion)
Willkommen! Help yourself to heartwarming holiday cuisine and German beverages.
Bubbles & Brine (near Port of Entry)
Indulge in succulent seafood that pairs beautifully with Champagne.
Char & Chop (near Disney Traders)
Stop by this butchery-inspired holiday kitchen for gourmet meats.
Holiday Hearth Desserts (The Odyssey Pavilion)
Cozy up with sweet treats, hot cocoa, blissful brews and more.
Holiday Sweets & Treats (near Port of Entry)
Rock around the Christmas tree with cookies, hot cocoa and specialty sips sure to top the “nice” list.
L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen (between the Morocco and France Pavilions)
Propose a toast to life as you enjoy classic deli noshes with a side of New York flair.
Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen (Mexico Pavilion)
Feliz Navidad! Take your taste buds south of the border to celebrate the season.
Nochebuena Cucina (near Test Track presented by Chevrolet)
Spice up your holiday with delicious dishes packed with bold Latin flavors.
Le Marché de Noël Holiday Kitchen (France Pavilion)
Feast on très magnifique fare from France. Plus, refresh your spirit with specialty cocktails.
Shanghai Holiday Kitchen (China Pavilion)
Have yourself a merry little meal, with popular Chinese plates and potables.
Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen (Japan Pavilion)
Please your palate with festive dishes and drinks from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Swirled Showcase (near Port of Entry)
Cool off with whimsical frozen treats and chilled Christmas-time beverages.
Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco Pavilion)
Embark on a culinary adventure to Morocco—featuring grilled kebabs, hard cider and more.
Tuscany Holiday Kitchen (Italy Pavilion)
Mangiare! Savor a seasonal take on some of the world’s best-loved Christmas-time food and beverages.
Wine & Wedge (near Disney Traders)
Snack on artisanal cheeses and accoutrements—which pair well with wine, port and more.
Yukon Holiday Kitchen (Canada Pavilion)
Jingle your bells with delightful dishes and libations for winter in the Great White North.
Additional Locations
Discover mouthwatering morsels, nibbles and noshes from these year-round food stops—each offering special Christmas-time menu items in addition to the regular menu.
- Funnel Cake (American Adventure Pavilion)
- Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company (multiple locations at EPCOT)
- Refreshment Outpost (between the China and Germany Pavilions)
- Refreshment Port (near Canada)
On a final food note, the Holiday Cookie Stroll also returns to the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. Purchase 5 cookies from any of the official cookie stroll locations featured in your Festival Passport—and be sure to collect a matching stamp for each cookie purchased.
Once you’ve collected 5 stamps, bring the stamped Passport to Holiday Sweets & Treats to receive a specialty treat. The Holiday Cookie Stroll is fun for all ages and can be completed at your leisure between November 24 and December 30, meaning that you can do this ‘challenge’ over the course of multiple visits to EPCOT during the Christmas 2023 season.
Speaking of challenges, you can set off on an adventure with Olaf for his Holiday Traditions Expedition Scavenger Hunt, a fun way to explore World Showcase. Just purchase your map and stickers from select festival merchandise locations and seek out the “tradition” that Olaf has found in each pavilion.
Whether or not you complete the quest, you can redeem your map at Creations Shop, Disney Traders or World Traveler at International Gateway for a special festival holiday keepsake.
There’s also new merchandise for the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays…
Snuggle up in the Festival of the Holidays Spirit Jersey featuring soft, faux shearling and glimmering gold touches.
Spirit Jerseys aren’t my jam, but I’m a sucker for a good shearling. This looks incredibly comfortable and I actually like the graphic on the back. It’s still decidedly ‘not for me’, but I can appreciate the effort even if I wouldn’t personally purchase it. And that’s a lot more than I can say for most Spirit Jerseys.
The Festival of the Holidays Cookie Stroll Cookie Jar is the perfect place to stash those holiday-inspired sweets.
Do people still use cookie jars? (Honest question. They feel like a 1950s thing, but what do I know!)
Whether you’re drinking warm apple cider or taking a peppermint mocha to go, you’ll sip in style with the Festival of the Holidays Mug and CORKCICLE Tumbler, both sporting this year’s signature motif of World Showcase icons. Find these and many more treasures throughout the park in locations such as Creations Shop in World Celebration.
I recently acquired a CORKCICLE coffee mug and now I see what all the hype is about. With that said, I would never pay the obscene retail prices for these products (that tumbler is probably gonna be like, what, $40?) but I respect the quality. Conversely, I absolutely will buy that 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays mug so long as it’s dishwasher safe. There’s about a 50/50 chance of that being the case, which is incredibly frustrating in the year 2023, when only a chump is out there washing dishes by hand!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited to experience the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays? Looking forward to any of the food booths or merchandise at this year’s event? Think there will be any pleasant surprises once World Celebration opens? Any tips you want to share to make the most of the experience? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
