Ultimate Guide to the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

It’s official — the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has started and we couldn’t be more excited to check out all the new and returning eats!

Not only that, but there’s a TON of entertainment and activities to take in while you’re taking a break from snackin’ around the world. We’re ready to experience it all and we’re taking you with us — so let’s see what this year’s EPCOT Festival of the Holidays is all about!

We’re ready to kick off this exciting day — are YOU ready to follow along?

It’s time for EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays! Make sure you’re following along with us today! pic.twitter.com/AHwpbavlCP

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

We’ve got our festival passport, filled with all the important details for this year’s event.

There’s going to be so much to see today, so let’s go!

Crowds

Let’s start things out with a crowd report! We arrived in time to rope drop EPCOT, but so did a BUNCH of other Disney World guests.

There was a pretty hefty line first thing in the morning, but thankfully, it moved fairly quickly.

Later in the morning, we spotted a VERY long line to get into the Mexico Pavillion. It was stretched out into the main walkway!

We spotted some lines at a few of the booths as it got into the lunchtime hours. Shanghai Holiday Kitchen was a bit of a wait in China…

…and there was a really long line inside Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie. (There’s a festival snack in here this year!)

By the time it got around to about 2PM, we were starting to see a LOT of guests in the World Showcase. Remember those Mexico crowds? Well, check them out now!

The China Pavilion was a little bit better, but it’s possible that people haven’t made it that far back yet.

Don’t forget — besides being the opening day of a festival, it’s also Thanksgiving break. Lots of families take advantage of the time off to go on vacation. We’re expecting some long lines at food booths this evening as well!

Merchandise

We had quite the experience looking for festival merchandise this morning. Surprisingly, the new collection was not available at Creations Shop like usual, but we were able to find the items at Port of Entry. This year’s collection features Olaf and Sven frolicking in the snow, and includes items like a Spirit Jersey…

…a mug covered in a similar print with the festival logo and tiny Spaceship Earths all over…

…and of course, we can’t forget about the Christmas tree ornament!

This year’s collection also has a long-sleeve tee, perfect for that winter weather.

Need a new collectible? There’s a Festival of the Holidays MagicBand that’s a limited edition of 1000. (Keep in mind that this is just a regular MagicBand, not the MagicBand+.)

And speaking of collectibles — it wouldn’t be a festival collection without a new pin!

Finally, we’ve got a NEW item for the Festival of the Holidays. This year is the first time that this particular festival has had a Dooney & Bourke bag.

Later in the morning, we spotted two Festival of the Holidays pins hidden in Creations Shop. There’s a fun Sven and Olaf design…

…as well as a fun Passholder-exclusive snow globe pin! It’s limited edition.

And then over at the Chestnuts and Good Cheer holiday kitchen, you can find this Chip and Dale spork.

Find this Chip ‘n’ Dale spork at the Chestnuts and a Good Cheer booth! pic.twitter.com/2AzDT5SwEa

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

There’s plenty of merchandise to check out this year, so be on the lookout for it during your visit.

Ride Overlays

If you haven’t been to EPCOT during the holiday season before, then you may not know that there are some special seasonal ride overlays! The biggest one is at Living With the Land, where the greenhouse gets decked out in lights and festive decor.

We spotted stockings, wreaths, lights, and so much more hidden throughout the ride. This one is particularly fun to ride at night when the lights get turned on.

Even the lab gets festively decorated with stockings and snowflakes. We love it!

The other big ride overlay is over at Journey Into Imagination with Figment! For the past couple of years, Figment has been dressed up in his festive best.

That’s right, he’s got an “ugly” Christmas sweater! We should start a petition for them to sell that sweater in the gift shop.

Even Figment is in the holiday spirit today!! Check out his little sweater 🥹 pic.twitter.com/KnngKYDyvA

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

Make sure to check out the ride overlays during your visit!

Food Booths

This year, there are plenty of holiday kitchens to visit all around EPCOT, each with unique holiday food and drink options. Let’s dig in!

Chestnuts and Good Cheer

We’re starting off our rounds at Chestnuts and Good Cheer! It’s located in World Discovery, between Test Track and Creations Shop.

This is where you’ll find the adorable Chip ‘n’ Dale Spork for $2.50. It’s a fun and cheap souvenir!

The menu features different kinds of glazed nuts, as well as some festive beverages we’d like to try.

We picked up the Hot Cocoa with Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, whipped cream, and candied nuts. It’s an updated version of last year’s drink, and you can order it for $11.50.

Other items on the menu include almonds, peanuts, pecans, and chestnuts.

The Donut Box

Next up on our list was Donut Box, where you can order — you guessed it — donuts!

There are four different donut options on the menu, which you can order individually or get in a box for $18.

There’s a Croissant Donut, a Holiday Yeast Donut, a Chocolate Peppermint Donut, and an Eggnog and Cream-filled Donut. That’s a festive breakfast, right there!

If you buy them individually, they cost between $5-$6.

Las Posadas

In Mexico, we’ve got the Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen returning for yet another delicious year!

The menu has a tostada, a tamale, and some churros, as well as local drink options.

The Giant Tostada de Barbacoa is topped with braised barbacoa beef, chipotle black bean puree, salsa verde, queso cotija, crema Mexicana, and pickled onion. It’s $10.50.

A returning option is the Cochinita Pibil Tamal for $8.

The Cochinita Pibil Tamal is back at Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen! pic.twitter.com/pN2zvOGykw

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

And then, of course, there are the Dulce de Leche Churros that are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. You get one churro for $6.25.

Looking for something sweet? Try the Dulce de Leche Churros, back for another year at Festival of the Holidays 😍 pic.twitter.com/WcMjotYjhP

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

We also picked up two of the drinks on the menu — the Pomegranate Margarita for $13.75…

…as well as the Holiday Cerveza made with “Cielito Lindo Artisanal Mexican Beer blended for the holiday season.” You can order this one for $11.

Mexico is usually a fan-favorite at the Festival of the Holidays, so check it out if these items are piquing your interest!

Le Marche de Noel

In France, you’ll find Le Marche de Noel, where you can order French holiday classics.

There are three food items on the menu here, as well as some iconic drinks.

We’re starting off with the Napoleon de Saumon Fumé en Brioche, which is a returning item from years past. Get it for $8.95.

The Rôti de Jambon Sauce Moutarde à l’ancienne, Pommes Dauphine is made with roasted ham, mushrooms, pearl onions, bacon , mustard sauce, and puff potatoes. Order it for $7.75.

For dessert, we got the Macaron en Sucette, Ganache à la Menthe Poivrée et aux Chocolats Valrhona. It’s a macaron lollipop made to look like a little Christmas tree — how quaint! Get it for $9.25.

We also picked up four different drinks. There’s the returning Cranberry Mimosa…

…the new Côté Mas Syrah-Grenache…

…the Spiced Pumpkin Punch…

…and of course, the iconic Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini. This one is a popular drink at the festival!

It’s made with Grey Goose La Vanille Vodka, vodka, chocolate milk, and whipped cream.

Shanghai Holiday Kitchen

Our next stop is Shanghai Holiday Kitchen in the China Pavilion. This year’s menu features three items, a non-alcoholic beverage, and then a few alcoholic options.

We ordered all three of the snacks, starting with the Chicken Skewer with creamy peanut sauce for $6.75.

Next was the Beef and Noodle Soup Bowl with slow-braised beef shank, green onion, and house-made chili oil. Sounds delicious! Get it for $9.25.

Finally, there’s the Vegetable Spring Rolls with citrus sauce. They’re a classic, and you can order them for $5.25.

We also picked up The Lucky Mo, which is made with SKYY Infusions Vodka, peach schnapps, piña colada mix, orange juice, and soda water.

Get the drink for $13.75 — it’s not cheap!

Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

In the Germany Pavilion, a popular stop is the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen. We’re ready to dig in!

To start, we’ve got a favorite here at AllEars — the Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl with steamed baby vegetables and marble potatoes.

Anyone in the mood for some Cheese Fondue? If so, head to the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen! 🧀

Comes in a bread bowl with steamed baby vegetables and marble potatoes for $8.25 pic.twitter.com/uu0VbquWW7

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

Next up, there’s the other returning dish — the Pork Schnitzel with mushroom sauce, Spätzle, and braised red cabbage.

And of course, we couldn’t resist picking up a Linzer Cookie! This one is on the Holiday Cookie Stroll.

The Bavaria booth is typically a really delicious stop — we highly recommend it!

Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen

Moving on to Japan, we’re stopping at the Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen.

The Sushi Tree is back this year, but the ingredients have been switched up a bit. Get it for $7.50.

A fan-favorite option is the returning New Year Celebration Soba. This year, grab a bowl for $8.50.

Wrapping up the Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen, the New Year Celebration Soba is back! pic.twitter.com/eL2McIPcWj

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

Finally, there’s a Mochi Cake! There hasn’t been a mochi cake on the menu here since 2017, and we’re glad to see it back. It’s a gooey rice cake made with rice flour and served with Hojicha cream, strawberry, tangerine, and sweet red beans.

We also picked up the Ichigo Milk Boba…

…and the Japanese Christmas Punch. Both are new drinks to the booth this year.

So many good things to try this year!

American Holiday Table

Next door to Japan, you’ll find the American Adventure, including the American Holiday Table booth!

Here, we had one returning entree, Slow-roasted Turkey with BEN’S ORIGINAL Stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce. However, if you want to try something new, you can get the Blackened Catfish with Hoppin’ John and comeback sauce.

And the other food item is the Chocolate Crinkle Cookie, which is returning to the Holiday Cookie Stroll from previous years.

L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen

Next up is L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen, which is inspired by Jewish and Hannukkah eats.

The food items on the menu here are returning, including the Pastrami on Rye with house-made pickles and deli mustard…

Anyone down for a sammie? 🥪 L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen has a Pastrami on Rye with house-made pickles and deli mustard. pic.twitter.com/yCXFMREy2g

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

…the Smoked Salmon Potato Latkes (as well as an option without salmon)…

…and some jelly doughnuts, known as Sufganiyot!

L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen has the Sufganiyot — mini jelly-filled doughnuts 🍩 pic.twitter.com/RZj5skrKWV

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

And while we were there, we grabbed one of the drink options as well. The Frozen New York Whiskey Sour featuring Manifest Whiskey and Manischewitz Blackberry Wine

We pretty much loved everything at this booth — good job L’Chaim!

Mele Kalikimaka

Ready to travel to Hawaii for some holiday deliciousness? Mele Kalikimaka is your choice!

All the food items here are returning from years past, so if you’ve got some old favorites, they’ll be here!

The Kālua Pork with Okinawa sweet potatoes and mango salad was the first dish up on our list. Get it for $5.50.

We also got the Lomi Lomi Salmon with tomatoes, onions, salmon roe, yuzu-mayonnaise, and yuca chips. Yum! It’s available for $6.

And finally, we’ve got the Haupia: Hawaiian coconut pudding with candied macadamia nuts and coconut.

You can get this dessert for $4.50.

Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina

Back again for another festival is Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina. This former quick service restaurant has been converted to a perpetual festival booth and now it has some returning items for the holidays.

You can order the Grilled Kebabs in either chicken or lamb, and they come with carrot chickpea salad and garlic aioli. Get an order for $5.75.

Grilled Kebabs with carrot-chickpea salad and garlic aïoli

The other food on the menu is the Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with hummus, chermoula, and Zhoug dips.

Doesn’t that bread look delicious? Get it for $5.

Tuscany Holiday Kitchen

Time for Italy! This booth is offering three new food items that we’re excited to check out.

First there’s the Tortellini in Brodo, which is a five-cheese tortellini with house-made aromatic winter truffle broth and chives. Then we’ve got the Salmone alla Siciliana.

Next up on the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays crawl: Tuscany Holiday Kitchen! 🇮🇹

We tried Tortellini in Brodo (Five-cheese tortellini with house-made aromatic winter truffle broth and chives), Salmone alla Siciliana, and Panettone bread pudding and vanilla cream 😋 pic.twitter.com/iGbqXzPpZJ

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

We finished it off with the Panettone bread pudding and vanilla cream.

Nochebuena Cocina

Headed over to the Italy Pavilion, you’ll find Nochebuena Cocina!

Nochebuena Cocina

For our meal, we got the IMPOSSIBLE Chorizo Tamale with plant-based cotija cheese and spicy red Chile sauce, which is a plant-based item!

Impossible Chorizo Tamale

The Pernil is Mojo Pork with tostones and ketchup-mayonnaise.

Pernil

And there is the Alfajores, which is a vanilla shortbread cookie with dulce de leche and coconut. This one is also part of the Cookie Stroll!

Alfajores

Yukon Holiday Kitchen

If you liked the Yukon Holiday Kitchen in Canada in the past, then you’ll be happy to know that some delicious former menu items have returned.

The Seared Scallops with parsnip silk, apple chutney, and hazelnut croquant are back, as well as the Beef Bourguignon with crushed potatoes. That’s comfort food right there!

And for the Holiday Cookie Stroll, pick up the SNICKERS-Doodle Cookie made with SNICKERS bar pieces.

Holiday Hearth

Inside the Odyssey Pavilion, you’ll find Holiday Hearth Desserts. This booth serves up lots of sweet treats, and we are READY.

The Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with cream cheese icing and the Spaceship Earth Cookie are both returning from past years, but we’ve typically enjoyed them.

The Maple Bûche de Noël is new at this booth, it’s made with maple mousse and cranberry rolled in gingerbread chiffon cake.

Also new at the booth this year is a beer flight. Then to wrap it all up, we have this adorable Gingerbread Cookie.

So many classic holiday desserts to choose from!

Holiday Sweets & Treats

At Holiday Sweets & Treats, we ordered the Beer Flight with a Christmas Ale, a Coquito Beer, and a S’mores Beer. Interesting options!

You can order the flight for $10. The booth is located in the World Showcase Plaza area.

Refreshment Port

There are some “additional locations” outside of the typical holiday kitchens, including Refreshment Port and Refreshment Outpost in World Showcase. At Refreshment Port next to Canada, the Turkey Poutine is back for the holiday season, as well as the Coquito Soft Serve.

The Turkey Poutine is $9 and topped with turkey gravy, cranberry relish, and crispy onions.

For something more refreshing, try the Coquito Soft Serve for $6. This is a returning item that has been pretty popular!

Besides the festival items, there are some additional regular-menu options at this spot.

Refreshment Outpost

Moving around to the African Outpost area of the World Showcase, we’ve got Refreshment Outpost up next. There are a couple of plant-based items on the menu here.

The Peanut Stew is made with sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and roasted peanuts for $5.25.

You can also order a heaping cup of Raspberry Dole Whip here! Delicious and refreshing.

But then, we spotted a surprise that wasn’t on the menu list for the festival — a Cinnamon Frozen Coca-Cola!

This drink is garnished with apple chips and you can buy it for $5.25.

You’ll need to show your Annual Pass in order to purchase this drink, and it comes in an adorable AP-exclusive cup!

Connections Cafe

At the park’s Starbucks location, you can pick up a special item for the Holiday Cookie Stroll — the Holiday Sugar Cookie.

It’s a basic sugar cookie topped with holiday sprinkles. How festive!

Connections Eatery

Next door at Connections Eatery, there are some additional festival items that you might want to try. There’s a non-alcoholic Coquito Milkshake, as well as an adults-only version with Bacardí Superior Rum.

You can also order a Holiday Sangria throughout the festival season.

Sunshine Seasons

Across the way in World Nature, Sunshine Seasons is also a stop for the Holiday Cookie Stroll. This spot is home to the Jingle Sugar Cookie made with M&M’S chocolate candies.

You can pick it up for $3.49. Don’t forget to get the Cookie Stroll section of your passport stamped!

Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie

This year, there’s a special festival treat at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie, the Macaron Christmas Tree!

It’s made with three different green macarons of varying sizes, all stacked together. You can order it for $9.95.

Funnel Cake

In the American Adventure, don’t forget to stop by the Funnel Cake Stand for a special treat — the Peppermint Funnel Cake.

It’s topped with peppermint ice cream, chocolate whipped cream, and crushed peppermint, and you can get one for $9.50.

This was absolutely amazing, and we definitely recommend trying it!

Joffrey’s Locations

Like the other festivals, the four Joffrey’s locations around the park have special holiday drinks for the festival.

There are two special drinks you can buy at each of those Joffrey’s stands, and the first one is the Horchata Cold Brew. It’s $6.49 and made with Joffrey’s Shakin’ Jamaican cold brew, horchata, and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.

We had some trouble getting the Annual Passholder drink at the World Discovery Joffrey’s (the Cast Members didn’t know which drink we were talking about), but we were able to find it at the American Adventure Joffrey’s Location.

It’s called the Happy Snowman, and it’s available for $13.99. It’s alcoholic and has a very strong blue raspberry taste.

Entertainment

Now let’s dive into the many entertainment options at this year’s festival! First up, the ever-important and iconic holiday storytellers are BACK. These performers are stationed around the World Showcase to tell the stories of the holiday season from their respective countries. We first spotted Pere Noel in France.

In Norway, you can encounter “A Mischievous Barn Santa” and hear his holiday tale. The storyteller set here is so whimsical!

In between Morrocco and France, you’ll find L’Chaim and the Hanukkah Storyteller.

For your musical enjoyment, head to the American Adventure rotunda to listen to the Voices of Liberty perform some acapella holiday songs throughout the day.

We also spotted the German holiday band Die-Couchies performing on their couch onstage next to Bavaria Holiday Kitchen. They have shows throughout the day.

At World Showcase Plaza, you’ll find a large outdoor stage. There, a musical group called Joyful! performs multiple times a day, singing gospel, Christmas, and Kwanzaa music.

During the first day of the festival, they had performances at 1:15PM, 2:20PM, 3:25PM, and 4:30PM.

Take a listen — they’re phenomenal!

Pausing for another entertainment break in EPCOT! Here’s Joyful! pic.twitter.com/sHOwMHIXJc

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

And of course, the Jammitors are still drumming away in World Discovery, but this time of year you’ll find them wearing more festive hats than usual. The chimney hat with Santa sticking out the top has to be our favorite!

We don’t know if this entirely counts as entertainment, but there’s one really fun festival detail you’ll want to see in the Germany Pavilion. If you stop by the train village between Germany and Italy, take a close look at the lampposts — they have festival banners! They change out the banners for each festival, so we like to stop and look for them on the first day of a new fest.

One thing you can’t miss — Santa Claus! This year, the big guy is meeting in a designated space in the Odyssey Pavilion. You can say hello and sit in his sleigh for a photo op.

For the first time this year, the Festival of the Holidays has a special holiday nighttime show for Spaceship Earth.

What better way to end your night than with a NEW Spaceship Earth show? 🤩 pic.twitter.com/S3rwOmKnTA

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 25, 2022

You’ll have to wait until it gets dark to watch this one, but it’s a fun addition!

Activities

And finally, we’ve got to talk about the activities. There are two main ones at this festival that you might be interested in. First, we have the Holiday Cookie Stroll, where you purchase five cookies (from a list of 8 options in the festival passport) in order to win a prize.

This year’s cookies include the following: a holiday sugar cookie, a jingle sugar cookie, Aifajores, SNICKERS Doodle Cookie, a black and white cookie, the Chocolate Crinkle Cookie, the Linzer Cookie, and a gingerbread cookie. They’re spread out at food booths and restaurants around the park, and each time you order one, you’ll get the Cast Member to stamp your passport.

Once you collect five stamps, head to Holiday Sweets & Treats to collect your prize. There’s a cookie that looks like an ornament…

…as well as a Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special collectible pin. How cool! And all for eating a bunch of cookies!

The other activity to look out for is Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition, the festival scavenger hunt. You can purchase a map to play the scavenger hunt for $9.99 at Creations Shop, World Traveler, and Port of Entry.

The map comes with a set of stickers and a list of locations where little Olaf statues are hiding around the park. Once you find a statue, mark that location with a sticker!

When your hunt is complete, turn your map back in at one of the redemption locations listed on the front of the map to pick up your prize. This year’s prizes are Frozen-themed coin purses. You can choose one of three designs.

Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition scavenger hunt prizes

That’s a wrap on our visit to the Festival of the Holidays! If you’re planning a trip to the festival soon, we hope you have a BLAST. And, don’t forget to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news!