Disney4me

Shanghai Holiday Kitchen is back at the Festival of the Holidays this year! 2025 Shanghai Holiday Kitchen The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially begun, and there is a lot to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. But don’t let it overwhelm you. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to one spot in particular — the Shanghai Holiday Kitchen — to give you the FULL scoop! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu The new BBQ Char Siu Pork Fried Rice is joined by the returning Beef Noodle Soup Bowl and Vegetable Spring Rolls on the Shanghai Holiday Kitchen menu. Shanghai Holiday Kitchen In keeping with previous years, SEVERAL drinks are up for grabs here, including the new Tiger Bubble Milk Tea. It’s joined by Brew Hub Year of the Dragon: Dragon Fruit Lager and a few cocktails: the Butterfly Lantern, the Lychee Martini, and the Peach of Longevity, all returning from last year! Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats We are definitely intrigued by the new BBQ Char Siu Pork Fried Rice, made with Chinese La Chang sausage, egg, yellow onion, green onion, and sesame for $9.50. BBQ Char Siu Pork Fried Rice Fried rice isn’t new to this booth, but this year’s iteration is, and we’re excited to try the new flavors! Overall, it wasn’t awful, but it also wasn’t a stand-out for us. The fried rice tasted a bit overcooked, but the flavors were yummy. The pork was also a bit tough but also had good flavor. You only get two thin slices of meat, but the portion of fried rice is pretty decent. We would definitely be willing to give this dish another try, though, as we think it could be absolutely delicious with the right cook on the fried rice and pork. BBQ Char Siu Pork Fried Rice The returning Beef Noodle Soup Bowl is made with slow-braised beef shank, green onion, and house-made chili oil. This dish costs $9.75. Beef Noodle Soup Bowl This dish usually comes in a massive portion. The pieces of beef were HUGE, and there were plenty of noodles. However, in the past, the dish lacked flavor, and we thought it was bland for an Asian noodle soup. It impressed us more than most noodle dishes we have had at EPCOT, but it won’t stand up to an authentic Asian noodle soup. Beef Noodle Soup The Vegetable Spring Rolls with citrus sauce are also back this year! Vegetable Spring Rolls These come in at $6.25. We enjoyed these spring rolls, but we think they are a bit expensive for what you get. We were impressed with the flavors and textures. They were super crispy, even after likely sitting out for a while, and there was LOTS of filling inside. It was super flavorful with lots of fresh vegetable flavor. Surprisingly, this was our favorite dish at the booth! Vegetable Spring Rolls Drinks In terms of drinks on this menu, this booth is not short of options! We got the new Tiger Milk Tea with Assam black tea, whole milk, brown sugar syrup, and tapioca boba for $8.75. Tiger Milk Tea The most prominent flavor in this drink is the black tea. We didn’t get much of the brown sugar flavor, but we still enjoyed the drink. The tapioca pearls have a gummy texture, but they don’t add any additional flavor. We think it is a bit expensive for what you get, but if you are looking for some boba tea, you will enjoy this one! Tiger Milk Tea Next up is the returning Butterfly Lantern made with Butterfly pea blossom gin, vodka, prickly pear syrup, lychee syrup, and white boba for $14.75. This cocktail is…just okay. The pear is pronounced with just a touch of the lychee, but it’s not a great combination and comes off as a bit medicinal. The gin doesn’t carry a strong presence, either. But it sure is pretty! Butterfly Lantern Also available here is the Peach of Longevity for $14.75. Aside from having a cool name, this drink also features Peach Schnapps, citrus vodka, piña colada mix, and orange juice. Beer drinkers can give Brew Hub Year of the Dragon: Dragon Fruit Lager a try for $5.75 for a 6-ounce pour or $10.00 for a 12-ounce pour. Peach of Longevity You can also find the Lychee Martini made with Vodka, lychee syrup, and vermouth for $14.50. OVERALL Shanghai Kitchen has some good options, but overall, the items are didn’t wow us. We really enjoyed the Vegetable Spring Rolls, but they are just your classic spring rolls you can get from your local Chinese restaurant. The BBQ Char Siu Pork Fried Rice was a bit disappointing as our rice was overcooked and the pork was tough. The Tiger Milk Tea was also just okay. It wasn’t anything unique, but it is a great option if you are looking for boba tea! Shanghai Holiday Kitchen Spread That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Everything you need to know about the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays The full line up of this year’s Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators REVIEWS of ALL the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays FOOD BOOTHS! And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 Holiday Guide e-book! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

Sing it with me, friends! “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…” Wait, what’s that you say? You’ve never tried fire-roasted chestnuts? 2025 Chestnuts and Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen Well, it’s a good thing, then, that the Chestnuts and Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen is back at the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays so you can give ’em (and more!) a try! Even though there is SO MUCH to do at the Festival (like take a Cookie Stroll, check out the Candlelight Processional, listen to Holiday Storytellers around the park, and more), we hope you’ll take a moment to join us at Chestnuts and Good Cheer as we bring your our FULL review! Menu Something unique about the menu at Chestnuts and Good Cheer is that the food items are all entirely plant-based: Cinnamon-glazed Almonds, Pecans, and Cashews are up for grabs, each as an individual serving. They join the booth’s namesake dish: Fire-roasted Chestnuts. 2025 Chestnuts and Good Cheer Menu This most traditional of holiday noshes is accompanied by a traditional drink, too: Eggnog is available in both non-alcoholic and boozy versions. Or you might opt for a Chestnut Praline Imperial Ale. Let’s get in the yuletide spirit and dig in! Eats It’s your choice of Cinnamon-glazed nuts here at Chestnuts and Good Cheer. You can try Almonds, Cashews, or Pecans. Cinnamon-glazed Nuts from Chestnuts and Good Cheer No matter which you select, a bag is $6.00. Now, Cinnamon-glazed Almonds are fairly easy to find in Disney World theme parks throughout the year. Cinnamon-glazed Almonds And, just as in the other parks, they’re beloved here during the Festival of the Holidays for being fragrant and flavorful, with their irresistible candied glaze. Even with the crunchy candy coating, the nuts inside remain easy to chew and won’t hurt your teeth. Simply pick your favorite nut for your preferred tastes: The Cinnamon-glazed Almonds (pictured above) or the Cinnamon-glazed Pecans (pictured below). Cinnamon-glazed Pecans This booth is a great representation of a standard offering. They taste super fresh, perfectly crisp on the outside with that cinnamon-and-sugar coating, but the nuts themselves are on the soft side. The pecans are our favorite of the two; they almost remind us of getting a pecan pie in a little bag with purple hearts all over it. Not a unique item, but definitely a delicious one, and a minor elevation of one of our favorite snacks in Walt Disney World due to the freshness and the fact that an entire festival booth is devoted to them. You can’t go wrong with these! BUT, if you’re looking for something warm and familiar, yet still unique to the Festival, you can opt for the Festival-exclusive Cinnamon-glazed Cashews! Cinnamon-glazed Cashews These are my personal favorites (simply because I’m that person at the holiday party who picks EACH AND EVERY CASHEW out of the bowl of mixed nuts). But, hey, you might be a Pecan Person, and that’s okay. Even better, actually, if it means more cashews for me if we ever meet up at a festive gathering. Of course, the headliner item is the Fire-roasted Chestnuts. Fire-roasted Chestnuts A batch is also $6.00, and the Chestnuts are also plant-based, just like the variety of glazed nuts. This Holiday Kitchen even lives up to its name by roasting the Chestnuts directly beside the Food Booth! It seems that there may be a reason why the song raving about “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” seems to have long outlasted the actual dish at your holiday gatherings these days. Nat King Cole makes these things sound delicious, but year after year, we come back to them at this Holiday Kitchen, and we just can’t get on board. Chestnut You do get a moment to enjoy the nicely roasted and flavor from the shell of chestnut, complete with a sprinkle of cinnamon. But the dry yet somehow also mealy texture of the nut itself just never sits right, and we have yet to find a reason to recommend them, unfortunately. Drinks Is Jack Frost nipping at your nose? Okay, if you’re in Orlando, proooobably not. But you can try chasing him away anyway with some classic Eggnog just in case! Eggnog The non-alcoholic version of this drink is $4.00. But of-age guests may opt to try it spirited with your choice of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky or Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey for $12.25. The non-alcoholic version of the eggnog (which is what we grabbed) is pretty much your basic eggnog with no doctoring up. (If you love regular eggnog from the grocery store, you’ll enjoy this because that is exactly what it tastes like.) A sprig of cinnamon lends to the aesthetics, but does little for the flavor. Of course, if you add your choice of spirit, you’ll experience more unique flavors. Chestnut Praline Imperial Ale by Southern Tier Brewing Co. (which originated in Lakewood, New York) is also up for grabs. Chestnut Praline Imperial Ale You can order a 6-ounce pour for $6.00 or a 12-ounce pour for $9.75. If you’re into tasting craft beers, this is a fun one to try! You first get a sweeter praline taste like a dessert, but then it fizzles into a hard beer flavor. It’s got a bit of a “weird beer” thing going on. Again, it really could be cool and memorable for you to try, but we suggest ordering the smaller cup size just in case it’s not your vibe. OVERALL Overall, this is a booth you need to go to for two reasons. First, the nuts here are very tasty, and just a fun thing to snack on throughout the day. Secondly, it feels like a holiday MUST to try these — especially the chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Cinnamon-glazed Nuts from Chestnuts and Good Cheer Thanks for joining us at the Chestnuts and Good Cheer! And don’t forget that we’ve got LOTS more to check out at this most festive of all the EPCOT Festivals! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Candlelight Processional and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2025 Festival of the Holidays booth Menus Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! And don’t forget to pick up our DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which items from Chestnuts and Good Cheer would you most like to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

If you are reading this post while hungry, BE WARNED. Seriously, we’re not joking! You’re willing to keep reading? Okay, well then — we’ve got some DELICIOUS details to share with you! 2025 Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially begun, and there is a lot to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. But don’t let it overwhelm you. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to one spot in particular — the Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen — to give you the FULL scoop! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen was a serious contender for our FAVORITE food booth at the Festival of the Holidays last year, so we’re especially excited to check out the offerings, which include the returning Sushi Tree Roll and Toshikoshi Soba. But we’re likewise intrigued to try the new Strawberry Bun! Shi Wasu menu Featured on the drinks menu is the new Yuzu Refresher, as well as the returning Japanese Punch and Chocolate Nigori. Sapporo Premium Black Beer makes a return, too. Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats TA-DA!!! It just doesn’t feel like the holidays at EPCOT without grabbing a Sushi Tree Roll! Sushi tree roll This Insta-worthy Christmas tree-shaped sushi roll with crab meat and cream cheese is garnished with spicy mayo and colorful rice pearls. It costs $7.50, and just so happened to make our Best of the Fest list in years past. Once again, this is a pretty solid treat, but this year, we’re not really considering it a must-have. It’s a really fun shape, and it’s a festival icon, but the sushi quality is just fine. Plus, the flavor similarity to crab rangoon may make it appealing to those who don’t usually try sushi but want to try something new. Not to be outdone, the Toshikoshi Soba also ranked on our Best Of the Fest list for two years in a row! It comes in at $7.50. Toshikoshi Soba This dish is made with Buckwheat soba noodles in hot dashi fish-based soup, topped with shrimp tempura and chopped green onion, and we still LOVED it. The shrimp tempura is crunchy and adds a nice savory flavor to the fish-based soup. Meanwhile, the buckwheat noodles are mild in flavor. Toshikoshi Soba And finally, the newcomer for this booth is a Japanese take on a holiday dessert: The Strawberry Bun for $7.95. Strawberry Bun This treat is a soft pink dessert bao filled with sweet strawberry cream and finished with a light coconut sauce… and WE WERE OBSESSED. The light and airy cream filling had a taste reminiscent of strawberry milk tea, which, combined with the pillowy bao bun, created a sweet and delicious dessert. Drinks In terms of drinks on this menu, we tried the new Yuzu Refresher for $7.00. Yuzu Refresher This is a non-alcoholic drink made with Yuzu, passion fruit, Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, and popping green apple boba pearls. This drink was tasty, though its sweetness levels lend it more to being a fun drink for kids than an adult mocktail option. Also up for grabs is the Japanese Punch with Shōchū, plum wine, cranberry, and lemon juice for $8.25. Japanese Christmas Punch The returning Chocolate Nigori has the “Creamy texture of Nigori Sake and rich sweetness and gentle bitterness from chocolate,” and it costs $14. Finally, Sapporo Premium Black Beer is available for $5.75 or $9.75, depending on your portion size. OVERALL Shi Wasu is an overall winner in 2025. The two returning entree options both retain what made them special in previous years, while the new Strawberry Bun is a delightfully delicious addition to the festival’s dessert options. 2025 Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen Spread That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Everything you need to know about the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays The full line up of this year’s Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 Holiday Guide e-book! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

Happy Hanukkah! We’re greeting you from the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, and more specifically from a place that has offered up some of our favorite Festival eats year after year: the L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen! 2025 L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen From latkes to rugelach to pastrami on rye and beyond, the L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen serves up classic dishes to celebrate the Festival of Lights and more. You’ll find it conveniently located next to the Hanukkah Storyteller who performs between the Morocco and France Pavilions throughout the Festival. Please join us as we bring you our full review of the L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen! Menu The L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen delivers a menu primarily comprised of returning items, with just one exception. Pastrami on Rye, Potato Latkes, a Smoked Salmon Potato Latke, and the Rugelach are all back this year. There is also a new cookie for the Holiday Cookie Stroll: the Mickey-shaped Almond Black and White Cookie. 2025 L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen Menu The Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout and the Frozen New York Whiskey Sour return for the beverage options. And so we say, “To life!” Let’s dig in… Eats The Pastrami on Rye is back, served with house-made pickles and deli mustard. This hearty helping is $6.00, and it made our Best of the Fest list last year! We love how there’s just enough mustard to give you that pungent, bitter mustard flavor that perfectly complements the pastrami. The pastrami is nice and juicy and works so well against the rye, which is crisp and dry on the outside. Pastrami on Rye That said, the returning Smoked Salmon Potato Latke has also ranked on our Best of the Fest list! It costs $6.25. We might have loved it even more if it hadn’t been mixed with onions and microgreens, but that could’ve just been us. However, we still loved it. The latke is well-cooked. Then you’ve got the salmon that just works with the potato cake. Smoked salmon potato latke The plant-based Potato Latkes return, as well. For $4.75, you receive two fairly large latkes. The perfectly fried latkes are nicely crisped on the outside, with some zest from the dill-heavy sour cream drizzled atop. I LOVE and look forward to these latkes every year; however, even I have a little trouble finishing both as I try to eat my way around the Festival of the Holidays. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you might want to consider sharing if you’re hoping to try a lot of dishes from the various Holiday Kitchens. Potato Latkes There is one new-ish item on the L’Chaim menu this year. Yes, they’ve consistently served a Black and White Cookie here, but it’s received a Mickey makeover this year! Meet the Mickey-shaped Almond Black and White Cookie! It’s $4.00. And, remember, it’s also eligible for a stamp in your Festival Passport if you’re participating in the Holiday Cookie Stroll. This is just a nice and simple almond cookie. There’s almost a fruity taste at the back of the throat, though. Mickey-shaped Almond Black and White Cookie The Rugelach also returns for $4.25. L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen’s take on the classic features raspberry jam, walnuts, and cinnamon. This one is also part of the Holiday Cookie Stroll. Rugelach It’s pretty delicious, and we’ve been fans of it in the past. If we had to choose between the two cookies here for the Cookie Stroll, this is the one we’d pick. Drinks The Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout is back on the Drinks menu this year. You can try a 6 ounce pour for $6.00, or a 12 ounce pour for $9.75. It tastes like a chocolate stout, with a rich chocolate flavor, maybe more than any other chocolate stout we’ve tried. Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout The Frozen New York Whiskey Sour has made its way back as well. This combination of Manifest Whiskey and Manischewitz Blackberry Wine costs $12.75. This is our favorite drink at this food booth. Frozen New York Whiskey Sour It’s nice and tangy, with blackberry combined with that whiskey sour taste. It being frozen also means it keeps a bit longer. OVERALL L’Chaim is one of those food booths we always enjoy returning to at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, and this year is no different. Everything here is solidly good, including all the food and drinks. This booth generally has a lot of hype, and we totally get why. Thanks for joining us at L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen! And don’t forget that we’ve got LOTS more to check out at this most festive of all the EPCOT Festivals! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Candlelight Processional and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2025 Festival of the Holidays booth Menus Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! And don’t forget to pick up our DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which items from the L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen would you most like to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

You’ll find a plant-based tamale, a Cookie Stroll item, and MORE at Nochebuena Cocina! Nochebuena Cocina The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially begun, and there is a lot to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. But don’t let it overwhelm you. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to one spot in particular — the Nochebuena Cocina — to give you the FULL scoop! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu Over at the Nochebuena Cocina, you’ll find both sweet and savory dishes! Returning for 2025 is the plant-based Chorizo Tamal, and new for this year is the Pan de Jamón, Traditional Latin Christmas bread, rolled ham, raisins, and green olives. You can also get one of the Cookie Stroll cookies here! The menu! Drinks for this year include a non-boozy Ponche Navideño, which is a Christmas punch with apple, pears, guava, oranges, dried hibiscus, brown sugar, tamarind, cinnamon sticks, and cloves served warm, and Left Hand Brewing Co. Mexican Hot Chocolate Milk Stout. Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats First up, we grabbed the returning plant-based Chorizo Tamal with cotija and spicy red chile sauce. You can grab this for $5.50! Plant-based Chorizo Tamale Last year, we found this dish to be overpowered by the spicy red chile sauce. This year, the sauce itself is mildly sweet, but very deep, rich, and robust, and actually spicy. We found the tamal to have a biscuit-like texture that we really loved. For a plant-based dish, this is top notch! Plant-based Chorizo Tamale Next up is the new Pan de Jamón: Traditional Latin Christmas bread, rolled ham, raisins, and green olives. This dish is $6.00. Pan de Jamón The bread had a nice crispy crust, and there’s a decent portion of olives and raisins throughout that add a chewy texture. The ham was savory and salty — very delicious! It’s an interesting combination of ingredients, so you have to be a little adventurous to enjoy this dish. It’s ham and bread! And for dessert, you can add to your Cookie Stroll collection with the returning Cinnamon-spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookie for $3.50. The chocolate was rich and sweet, but we didn’t get any of the cinnamon-spiced taste coming through on the flavor side of things. Cinnamon-spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookie The icing on top added a little crispy layer that really livened up the texture overall. If you’re a chocolate fan, this cookie might be one of your favorite items! The cookie Last year, this cookie was very good! You can taste the chocolate far more than the cinnamon, so if you’re looking for a cinnamon cookie, this isn’t really it. It’s very soft, chewy, and very delicious. Drinks Of the two drinks on the menu this year, we checked out the festive Ponche Navideño – a Christmas punch with apple, pears, guava, oranges, dried hibiscus, brown sugar, tamarind, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. This drink costs $4.00 Ponche Navideño This was absolutely delicious! It’s very fruity and tastes a lot like sangria without the alcohol. It’s served warm, and it will warm you up nicely, which we love for cooler days. The cinnamon, brown sugar, and fruit all went together SO well. The drink! There is also a holiday stout — the Left Hand Brewing Co. Mexican Hot Chocolate Milk Stout. We didn’t order this, but if you’re a stout fan, you might want to check it out! You can get a 6 oz. pour for $6.00 or a 12 oz. pour for $9.75 OVERALL Ultimately, we were most impressed here by the tamal and the beverage. The cookie was fairly good, and the bread was decent, but not topping our list for favorite items. The booth has some pretty good offerings, so you might want to add this stop to your list. Nochebuena Cocina Spread That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from! We’ll be reviewing more booths at the festival, so stay tuned. Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Everything you need to know about the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays The full line up of this year’s Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 Holiday Guide e-book! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays has officially begun! We are eating our way through all the festival booths, enjoying the special entertainment, and checking out all the exclusive merchandise. Plus, we’re stopping by to meet exclusive characters like Santa Claus and Santa Goofy. And one character has a NEW look that we WEREN’T expecting! It’s Figment! You may or may not know that we have a slight obsession with the one and only Figment here at DFB. And in particular, we love Figment in his special holiday sweater. During the holidays, Figment wears a precious holiday sweater on Journey Into Imagination With Figment. Yes, it is 100% a must-do for us anytime we are in EPCOT during the holidays. But you won’t believe what we just spotted! You can now MEET Figment in his holiday sweater! That’s right, Figment is wearing an adorable holiday sweater at his meet in greet at the exit of Journey Into Imagination. While it isn’t quite the same sweater that he is wearing during the ride, we will happily take it and obsess over how cute he is wearing it! How cute is he!?! For comparison, here is Figment on Journey Into Imagination. Close enough for us! Figment on Journey Into Imagination You can check the My Disney Experience app for his meet and greet times and be prepared for cuteness! You can either find him after you exit Journey Into Imagination, or you can also go through ImageWorks to meet him. Next bucket list item is to meet Figment in his holiday sweater while wearing our own Figment holiday sweater! We love you Figment! Stay tuned to DFB for all your Disney World news and even more coverage of the 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays! EVERYTHING You Need to Know About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays! DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What is your favorite character to meet in EPCOT? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

If you go to Disney World without these essentials, good luck! FuelRod We go to Disney World every day, and we’ve tested dozens of products to find the best of the best for the parks. With Amazon’s Black Friday deals happening now, we had to share that many of our favorites are on sale — including one super rare deal! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Get our favorite poncho for 41% off! FROGG TOGG Poncho This has been a lifesaver in the parks for us! Traditional, plastic ponchos in the humid Florida weather get so sticky and moist, but that does not happen with FROGG TOGGS. The material is breathable, and we love that it comes with its own bag so it doesn’t get the rest of our stuff wet when we’re done with it. You’d think it would be expensive for the quality, but it’s under $15 right now! View on Amazon This FuelRod deal can’t be beat. Fuel Rod and adaptors FuelRods are some of our favorite portable chargers. Not only are they reliable for long days in the parks, but there are stations where you can exchange for a fully charged FuelRod! This has saved us many times in Disney World, and you can get a pack of two for 25% off on Amazon. View on Amazon We love this Power Strip for our hotel rooms! One Beat Extension Cord and Power Strip The number of outlets per room has improved over the years, but it may not be enough for all of the phones, smart watches, MagicBand+, iPads, computers, or any other tech you might bring. Each person typically comes with several devices, but you can charge them all in one place with a power strip like this! It has three regular outlets, two USB-A ports, and two USB-C ports in one package. View on Amazon Or, you can grab this game-changing Loungefly Organizer. HOYOFO Mini Backpack Organizer Spending an entire day in Disney World requires many items. But if you don’t have any way to organize them, it turns into a 30-minute dig just to find a hair tie. That’s why we’re huge fans of the Loungefly organizer! It fits a ton of stuff and keeps everything in its place. This is rarely on sale, so grab it at a discount while you can. View on Amazon Don’t forget to stay cool! The Mini Fan is on sale now. JISULIFE Handheld Mini Fan This may look like just a fan, but it’s actually so much more. Not only are the battery-operated fan blades there to keep you cool throughout the day, but this also acts as a portable charger AND flashlight. What’s not to love? View on Amazon This MultiCharger can charge all of your devices at once. MultiCharger for all your other devices, too! We’ve been using this for years, and it’s perfect if you still have several USB-A cords for your devices. You can charge several MagicBands or other devices all at the same time using this super compact tool. It will barely take up any room in your carry-on! View on Amazon We love the INIU Portable Charger! INIU Portable Charger Phones have become pretty impressive when it comes to battery life, but if you plan to be out in Disney World all day, you’re going to need backup. That’s where a portable charger comes in, and the INIU one is slim, so it doesn’t take up too much room in your park bag. Charge three devices at one time — there is one USB-A slot and two USB-C slots. View on Amazon You can grab this mini umbrella at 21% off during Black Friday BAODINI Travel Mini Umbrella At Disney World, you’ll be exposed to all of the elements. To stay safe from rain or sun, we highly recommend this mini umbrella that’s under $13 right now! It doesn’t hold up the best in high winds, but it’ll keep you covered in light rain and sunshine. View on Amazon SUPER RARE: The Waist Fan is finally on sale! AMKEN Waist Fan Ever since we bought and reviewed this waist fan as a new way to stay cool in Disney World, we haven’t seen it on sale often. That’s why we’re stoked to share that it is 23% off now! It has three speeds of airflow, and we did notice a difference in the parks. We’ll try anything to stay cool in the Florida heat, and you should give it a go on your next trip! View on Amazon We’re always on the hunt for the latest and greatest Disney souvenirs and essentials, so don’t forget to stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more! View the full article

It’s time to see what the Tuscany Holiday Kitchen is cooking up this year at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays! Tuscany Holiday Kitchen! The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially begun, and there is a lot to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. But don’t let it overwhelm you. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re headed over to the Tuscany Holiday Kitchen to see if it’s a hit or miss this year! Menu This year’s menu at Tuscany Holiday Kitchen is a mix of new and returning items. New this year is Salsiccia e Peperoni and the sweet Pizza e Cioccolato. Returning for another year is the Montanara, which is fried house-made pizza dough with pomodoro sauce, Parmesan, and fresh basil. 2025 Tuscany Holiday Kitchen Menu There’s also a variety of drinks at the Italy booth, including beers, wines, sangria, and the Italian-inspired Blood Orange Margarita. Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats First up, we ordered the new Salsiccia e Peperoni, which is sweet sausage, roasted peppers, and focaccia. This is priced at $8.75 and is a snack on the Dining Plan. This one was good, but the bread was a little on the dry side. However, the bread still had great flavors. Salsiccia e Peperoni The sausage had a nice snap with interesting savory flavors. The cooked onions and peppers were a great addition. The tomato sauce wasn’t anything special, but it was good. You need to cut this up because it’s a big snack! Next was the returning Montanara, which is fried house-made pizza dough with pomodoro sauce, Parmesan, and fresh basil. Montanara Last year, we found this dish to be gummy, soggy balls of dough with bland sauce. We hope your experience this year is more flavorful. This dish is priced at $7.50 this year and is a snack on the Dining Plan. And finally, we wrapped up with this year’s sweet treat — Pizza e Cioccolato, which is fried house-made pizza dough with sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate for $7.00. Pizza e Cioccolato These had the potential to be really good, but ours came undercooked. They’re really big bites, and the middle is very doughy (not in a fun way), making them very chewy. They are sweet, with the perfect amount of chocolate. It was so doughy! We liked them, but they’re just undercooked. Drinks You can raise a toast to the holidays this year with Italian Red Sangria for $12.00. Italian Red Sangria The Italian-inspired Blood Orange Margarita also returns this year for $13.00. This drink has been featured at previous festivals and is made with Tequila, triple sec, and blood orange liqueur. Blood Orange Margarita New at this booth for 2025 is a Tiramisu Stout for $7.50. This was super light and easy to drink, with a sweet, foresty stout. If you’re looking for something robust and different, this isn’t that. However, if you want something light, refreshing, and enjoyable, this is it. This was our favorite thing at this booth! Tiramisu Stout Also returning is a booth staple, the Peroni Pilsner — you can get a 6oz pour for $6.50 or a 12oz pour for $12.00. Peroni Pilsner Wine drinkers can choose from Prosecco, Moscato, and Chianti, too. OVERALL Overall, this honestly isn’t our favorite spot. The drinks were really good, but the food was just a little underwhelming. There are so many booths at EPCOT that we’d probably rather find ourselves somewhere else. Tuscany Holiday Kitchen Spread That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Everything you need to know about the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays The full line up of this year’s Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 Holiday Guide e-book! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

Okay, so maybe some people have “visions of sugar plums” dancing in their heads this time of year. But me? I’m dreaming of CHEESE FONDUE in a bread bowl… 2025 Bavaria Holiday Kitchen And THAT is just one of the things that brings us back to the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen! It’s one of the Holiday Kitchens (also known as Food Booths) at the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. Even though there is SO MUCH to do at the Festival (like take a Cookie Stroll, check out the Candlelight Processional, listen to Holiday Storytellers around the park, and more), we hope you’ll take a moment to join us at the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen as we bring your our FULL review! Menu German classics are on the menu at the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen, which is possibly best known for Cheese Fondue in a bread bowl year after year at the Festival of Holidays. The Pork Schnitzel is also back, and this is also where you can find the Hazelnut Linzer Cookie. 2025 Bavaria Holiday Kitchen Menu The Beverage Flight is a mix of two beers and a hard cider this year. You may also try a glass of Regional Riesling. But it’s hard to pass up the traditional warm Glühwein while you’re visiting. Let’s give a “Prost” and dig right in! Eats We’ll cut right to the chase: the Cheese Fondue in a bread bowl is BACK, people! It’s the main reason why so many guests make a beeline for Bavaria. Served with steamed baby vegetables and marble potatoes, this dish is $8.50. Cheese Fondue in a bread bowl This beautiful dish of gooey, melted cheese typically makes our Best of the Fest list, and this year isn’t an exception. The veggies were perfectly cooked for the Goldilocks in all of us: not too crunchy, and not too mushy. The cheeses were very creamy and heavy, giving a comforting texture. The one aspect that may be somewhat divisive is the bread. It’s quite soft and a little bit dry, which is perfect for dipping in the cheese. However, as a standalone, it might not be everybody’s cup of tea… er… loaf of bread, as it were. Cheeeeeese But the Cheese Fondue isn’t the only star on the menu, believe it or not. The Pork Schnitzel with mushroom sauce, spätzle, and braised red cabbage is also a Best of the Fest winner from previous years. Pork Schnitzel The $6.75 dish once again lives up to the hype of previous years. The pork was delicious, and the mushroom sauce on top really adds a delicious burst of creamy, slightly earthy flavor. Meanwhile, the cabbage adds an acidity that balances out the heavier flavors. One word of advice: Don’t let the dish get cold, as the pork may become a bit tough. Pork Schnitzel The Hazelnut Linzer Cookie with raspberry jam is also back, this year featuring a Mickey Mouse-shaped take on the traditional hole in the middle. Hazelnut Linzer Cookie It costs $3.75, and if you’re participating in the Holiday Cookie Stroll, this one is eligible for a participation stamp, so be sure to have your Passport handy when you place your order. Hazelnut Linzer Cookie The cookie itself is super soft, and the raspberry jam adds a sweetness that counterbalances its gingerbread taste. Drinks Wow, there are so many beloved items at Bavaria, and that counts for the beverages, too. The star of the show is the Glühwein, or house-made hot spiced wine. Served warm in the traditional manner, it costs $9.75. Glühwein Over the many years it’s been served here, we’ve grown to think of it as Christmas in a cup! It’s cozy and tasty, with the cinnamon flavor taking prominence. The Beverage Flight is somewhat unique here in that it’s a mix of beer and hard cider: Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier and von Trapp Brewing’s Trösten Smoked Dark Lager comprise the beers, and Possmann Pure Hard Cider completes the beverage trio. The Beverage Flight The Flight costs $12.75. But if you prefer, you can simply order any of the drinks individually at 6 ounces for $6.00 or 12 ounces for $9.75. Bavaria Beverage Flight First up is the Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier. (Did you know that, according to the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephaner website, the maker is “The World’s Oldest Brewery”?) Weihenstephaner Kristallweissbier This beer has a lighter flavor to it, which will likely make it a favorite of those who enjoy light beers that aren’t super hoppy. The famous Family von Trapp once again has a showing at the Festival of the Holidays with von Trapp Brewing’s Trösten Smoked Dark Lager. von Trapp Brewing Trösten Smoked Dark Lager On the other hand, as the name would imply, the von Trapp is SUPER HOPPY. Those who enjoy beer, the darker the better, will likely enjoy it. Those who don’t should likely steer clear. The Possmann Pure Hard Cider comes from Kelterei Possmann in Frankfurt, Germany. Possmann Pure Hard Cider This cider is delicious! It’s fruity, almost to the point where it’s reminiscent of a Moscato. It was very tasty and easy to drink. A Regional Riesling is also available for $9.00. OVERALL As has been the case in the past, the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen was yet again a hit at this year’s Festival of the Holidays thanks to two strong entrees, a sweet dessert, and a drink selection that will keep everyone from light cider lovers to dark beer aficionados happy! 2025 Bavaria Holiday Kitchen spread Thanks for joining us at the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen! And don’t forget that we’ve got LOTS more to check out at this most festive of all the EPCOT Festivals! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Candlelight Processional and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2025 Festival of the Holidays booth Menus Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! And don’t forget to pick up our DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which items from the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

We’re at EPCOT for the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, and you may already be well aware that EPCOT stands for Walt Disney’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Well, that’s usually the case, that is… Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie You see, here at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, we’re paying a visit to a Holiday Kitchen (also known as a Festival Food Booth) that has put a not-so-subtle twist on the acronym: Welcome to Experimental Prototype COOKIES of Tomorrow! Oh, and those of you planning to participate in the Festival’s Holiday Cookie Stroll will especially want to pay attention, as the entire food menu is made up of COOKIES to help you complete your festive food crawl! Please join us at Experimental Prototype COOKIES of Tomorrow as we bring your our FULL review! Menu Given the name of this Holiday Kitchen, you probably aren’t surprised to see that the menu at Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow shines the spotlight on three cookies: the new Prototype Cookie and Ginger-Molasses Cookie join the returning Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie. Of course, when you think of cookies, you likely also think of milk! 2025 Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow Menu The Gingerbread Milk Shake (available in non-alcoholic and a boozy version) provides a twist on the classic pairing. Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s is available with or without whipped cream vodka. A Beer Flight and Seasonal Wine are also up for grabs. And with that… it’s COOKIE TIME!! Eats Before we dig in, we should note that ALL THREE cookies on the menu here are eligible items for those participating in the Holiday Cookie Stroll, so you can knock three items off of your crawl in one fell swoop, if you wish! The new Prototype Cookie costs $4.75. It’s a sugar cookie with orange-cranberry icing and dark chocolate. Unfortunately, this cookie was sold out when we were here, but we will grab it soon and report back! The new Ginger-Molasses Cookie is $3.50. It’s complete with cream cheese icing. Ginger-Molasses Cookie This cookie was gooey and chewy, and we loved how soft it was. It has a thick layer of cream cheese icing — almost as much icing as there is cookie. The icing is sweet and tastes like cream cheese. The cookie itself is not overly sweet, but we loved the warm ginger flavor and rich molasses flavor. Ginger-Molasses Cookie Finally, the Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie is back this year for $5.50. Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie You may already recognize it for its iconic shape. It is two sugar cookies sandwiched together with a thick layer of caramel in the middle. There are pops of salt throughout, and the top of the cookie is coated in crunchy sugar. It isn’t a unique tasting cookie, but it does taste good! Plus, it is adorable and perfect for some fun photos by Spaceship Earth. Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie Drinks There are several sips to choose from when it comes to finding a little something to pair with those cookies! First up is the Gingerbread Milk Shake. A non-alcoholic version (pictured below) is available for $5.25, or you may opt to have it with whipped cream vodka to the tune of $12.50. No complaints, really, but the Gingerbread Milk Shake is a fairly simple shake. It’s rather one-note, so you have to really enjoy gingerbread for this milkshake to be a hit for you. Gingerbread Milk Shake The Beer Flight at Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow features three brews: Gingerbread Bock by Crooked Can Brewing Company, Baking Spirits Bright Gingerbread Red Ale by Gulf Stream Brewing, and Frosted Gingerbread White Stout by Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co. The Beer Flight is $12.75, but guests may try any beer individually at $6.00 for a 6 ounce pour or $9.75 for a 12 ounce pour. Beer Flight New to the Flight this year is the Gingerbread Bock by Crooked Can Brewing Company. This is the strongest beer of the three and has the least amount of gingerbread flavor. It was still good, but definitely a good option for someone who like heavier beers. Gingerbread Bock Also new to the festival is Baking Spirits Bright Gingerbread Red Ale by Gulf Stream Brewing. The flavor isn’t super strong in this one, and it mostly comes in at the end. You can taste some warming spice flavor like ginger and cinnamon. It tastes a bit like a watered down gingerbread cookie. Baking Spirits Bright Gingerbread Red Ale The Frosted Gingerbread White Stout by Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co. returns this year to complete the Flight. The flavor also comes in at the end here, so at the beginning it tastes like a simple beer, and then the gingerbread flavor hits you. This beer reminded us of the molasses cookie, and we think these would likely pair well together. Frosted Gingerbread White Stout Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s is also up for grabs. It’s $4.00 for a cup, or you can try it with whipped cream vodka for $12.25. It tastes like a classic hot cocoa: milky and chocolatey. This one is topped with marshmallows and whipped cream for some extra creaminess. While this hot cocoa isn’t anything unique (unless you add the whipped cream vodka!), it is a pretty great compliment to the cookies at this booth. It just screams Christmas to have some hot cocoa while enjoying some delicious cookies! Hot Cocoa Finally, a Seasonal Wine is available here for $12.75. OVERALL If you are looking for a variety of cookie options, Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow is going to be a must-stop. Plus, you can even grab a hot cocoa or alcoholic beverage to go with your cookies! Our favorite cookie was the Ginger-Molasses Cookie, but you also can’t go wrong with the adorable Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie. Plus, we still have to try the Prototype Cookie when it is back in stock! Thanks for joining us at Experimental Prototype COOKIES of Tomorrow! And don’t forget that we’ve got LOTS more to check out at this most festive of all the EPCOT Festivals! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Candlelight Processional and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2025 Festival of the Holidays booth Menus Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! And don’t forget to pick up our DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which items from Experimental Prototype COOKIES of Tomorrow would you most like to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

Tangierine Cafe is once again serving up its regular holiday fare — let’s check it out. Tangierine Cafe The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially begun, and there is a lot to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. But don’t let it overwhelm you. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to Tangierine Cafe – Flavors of the Medina to give you the FULL scoop! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu Over at Tangierine Cafe – Flavors of the Medina, you’ll find the booth’s standard Festival fare once again this year. The Moroccan Wrap returns from the Food & Wine Festival with three choices: chicken, lamb, or falafel. Rounding out the food choices is the Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with dips. Tangierine Cafe Drinks for the festival include the returning Sparkling Holiday Fig Cocktail along with three hard ciders (which can be ordered in a flight). Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats The Moroccan Wrap was on the menu at this year’s EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, and it’s back for the holidays. You can get the wrap with Chermoula Chicken, Moroccan-spiced Lamb, or the plant-based Falafel for $6.25. We got the Falafel one and the Chicken one, but the Falafel was probably our favorite. The falafel is a little dry on the outside, but the inside is nice and crumbly. You also get a very full flavor mix with the vegetables. Moroccan Wrap The Moroccan Wrap with Chermoula Chicken is also lovely. It’s saucy and has that spiced sauce mixing with the chermoula for a great flavor combination. Warning, though: this wrap is served with both ends open, so make sure you use the little boat it comes with to catch anything that might fall out. Moroccan Wrap with Chermoula Chicken The Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with assorted dips for $5.25 is a standard festival item at this booth, and it’s back again this year! We’ve always been a fan of this bread, although this year, it wasn’t as bubbly as we’ve seen in the past, but not quite as hollow either. This year, it’s more like a pita, which we really liked. The sauces are hummus, chimichurri, and a harissa-spiced sauce, and they’re all really good, too. But this is greasy, so make sure you have napkins handy. Stone-baked Moroccan Bread Drinks There are three hard ciders on the menu this year, including the new 3 Daughters Brewing Golden Fig Hard Cider and Keel Farms Frostbite Blueberry Ginger Hard Cider, and the returning Gulf Stream Brewing Holiday Snakebite. If you want to check out all 3 ciders, they are available in a flight for $12.75. Individually, each is 6 oz for $6 and 12oz for $9.75. Cider Flight 3 Daughters Brewing Golden Fig Hard Cider is new this year, and it was our favorite of the three we tried. It has a nice golden fig taste that blends so well as a cider. The Gulf Stream Brewing Holiday Snakebite is a returning cider. This one is more like a cinnamon-forward snake bite, so we thought it was like a fireball without the hard whiskey behind it. It’s one you want to sip on, though, rather than chug. The Keel Farms Frostbite Blueberry Ginger Hard Cider is also new. It’s very blueberry and ginger…you smell it, and you taste it. It’s one of those holiday flavors we never knew existed, but we love it. Also returning for another year is the popular Sparkling Holiday Fig Cocktail made with Sparkling Wine, Kleiner Feigling liqueur, and white cranberry juice for $11.75. This is, hands down, the star of this booth. It’s got a very pleasant soft fig taste against a kind of spiced wine. Sparkling Holiday Fig Cocktail It’s sorta’ like a cinnamon sparkling wine. This one is popular for a reason OVERALL Tangierine Cafe is always one of those spots we want to stop at during festivals. Although the menu rarely changes, it’s always solid, and the food is consistently good. However, don’t sleep on the drinks either…the cider flight included several of our favorite drinks we’ve had at the festival so far! The cocktail will also knock your socks off! Tangierine Cafe Spread That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Everything you need to know about the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays The full lineup of this year’s Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 Holiday Guide e-book! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

You’ve probably heard of The Ghost of Christmas Past (oooOOOooo) paying post-midnight visits to a certain miser… but here at the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays WE are the ones paying a visit to Favorites of Festivals Past! Favorites of Festivals Past Spread Favorites of Festivals Past is a Holiday Kitchen (also known as a Festival Food Booth) at the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, delivering a host of festive items to guests. We hope you’ll join us at Favorites of Festivals Past as we bring you our FULL review! Menu Favorites of Festivals Past is tucked into the window counter at CommuniCore Hall. And, as the name implies, all three food items are returning to the Festival of the Holidays this year (and, indeed, were at this very same booth last year): Reuben Croquettes, Brown Sugar and Mustard-glazed Ham Sliders, and the Panettone Holiday Trifle. 2025 Favorites of Festivals Past Menu There is one new-to-the-Festival drink up for grabs: Cigar City Brewing’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale. It’s available on its own or as part of the Beverage Flight, which includes Keel Farms Pecan Pie Hard Cider and Southern Tier Brewing Co.‘s Tiramisu Imperial Stout. (These are also available for individual pours.) Wine drinkers may opt for a Seasonal White Wine or a Seasonal Red, Martin Ray Chardonnay or Katherine Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon. Let’s see if these items still deserve to be put on the “Favorites” list… Eats The Reuben Croquettes are back again for $6. Reuben Croquettes The fried croquettes are made with pastrami, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese, and are served with a Thousand Island dipping sauce. They have a beautiful, crispy brown crust, and they crunch nicely when you bite into them. There are thin slices of pastrami in here mixed with the cheese. The pastrami! The sauerkraut gives the dish a little sourness. It comes with five poppers, which is nice, and honestly, we could’ve had more. We really loved these, you 100% need to try them! They’re salty, cheesy, and have a great tang from the kraut. The corned beef is smoky and salty, and the Swiss cheese just ties everything together. When dipped in the Thousand Island dressing, they’re just *chef’s kiss*. So delicious! The Brown Sugar and Mustard-glazed Ham Sliders are topped with cranberry and apple coleslaw and served up on a Hawaiian roll. This dish costs $6. Brown Sugar and Mustard-glazed Ham Sliders Are these sliders groundbreaking? Not really. But are they a huge hit anyway? YES! The apple coleslaw adds a nice crunch and tanginess that helps to cut down the saltiness of the ham. And because of the protein from the meat, these can also come in clutch for a terrific, quick, and even festive little lunch. For dessert, the Panettone Holiday Trifle puts something of a deconstructed twist on the traditional Italian bread. The Trifle costs $5.25. Panettone Holiday Trifle Here, it’s presented with eggnog custard, then topped with cranberry-cherry compote and sugared almonds. The custard was great, and the eggnog wasn’t too much. The cranberry-cherry sauce was a great mix — not too strong, sour, or tart, and the cherries really helped tone down the cranberry. The whipped cream was SO fluffy, and the sugar almonds added a great crunch. This was so good! The custard is pretty thick, too, which we loved. Drinks Raise a glass — or three! — with the Beverage Flight! For $12.75, you can try the Cigar City Brewing Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale, Keel Farms Pecan Pie Hard Cider, and Southern Tier Brewing Co. Tiramisu Imperial Stout. Beverage Flight! If you prefer, though, you can try any of the individual brews for $6 for a 6-ounce pour, or $9.75 for a 12-ounce pour. The Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale comes to the Festival for the first time this year from Cigar City Brewing, located in Tampa, Florida. It’s a refreshing sip at first, and then the aftertaste makes you feel like you had an oatmeal raisin cookie. Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale Keel Farms in Plant City, Florida, supplies the returning Pecan Pie Hard Cider. Just like the name says, you can taste the pecan pie in it. This cider was great — it wasn’t overly carbonated, and it was very refreshing. Pecan Pie Hard Cider Southern Tier Brewing Co., primarily based out of Lakewood, New York, brings the Tiramisu Imperial Stout back to the Festival of the Holidays. You can vaguely taste the flavor it’s said to be, and when it does hit, the flavor doesn’t linger. This one was also very delicious! Tiramisu Imperial Stout As a reminder, wine fans may choose a Seasonal White Wine $8 or a Seasonal Red for $7.50, and also have the options of Martin Ray Chardonnay ($7) and Katherine Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon ($15). OVERALL Overall, the booth lives up to its name! We can see how these items are favorites from the past, and now they are some favorites in the present. You need to check this spot out when you’re at the Festival of the Holidays this holiday season! Here’s everything we got! Thanks for joining us at Favorites of Festivals Past! And don’t forget that we’ve got LOTS more to check out at this most festive of all the EPCOT Festivals! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Candlelight Processional and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2025 Festival of the Holidays booth Menus Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! And don’t forget to pick up our DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which items from Favorites of Festivals Past would you most like to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

Is it just me, or is Black Friday one of the most stressful times of the year? ©Amazon Even though we have months, I never have my gift list put together in time, and with thousands and thousands of items on sale, what’s worth it? What’s not? That’s why we do what we do — and we just found the BEST Black Friday deal for Disney fans, so you don’t have to stress. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Get this Disney Munchling for 67% off! ©Amazon It’s rare to see a deal THIS good, even during Black Friday season, so we had to share it with you! For under $5, you can score this Winnie the Pooh-themed lemon shaved ice plush. We love Munchlings because they combine our two favorite things — Disney characters and food! This is the large size, coming in at 10 inches tall. View on Amazon This Samsonite Luggage Set is your new travel companion. ©Amazon It’s time to trade in that old suitcase you’ve been taking with you for the past 15 years. You can upgrade for half the price because this set is currently 50% off! The set includes a 20-inch carry-on suitcase and a 28-inch suitcase you’ll have to check. The spinner wheels make them easy to roll, and the outside is scratch-resistant! Several colors are on sale now, so see which one calls to you. View on Amazon We love the Disney Christmas Cookbook! ©Amazon You might want to adjust your holiday menus, because you can get this Christmas cookbook for 56% off right now! It includes 50 beginner-friendly recipes themed to beloved Disney movies and characters. I know I’m trying the Baymax S’mores Brownie Bites first! View on Amazon Or, you can grab this Minnie Loungefly Backpack at half price. ©Amazon The best time to shop for Halloween merchandise? That would be right after Halloween! That’s when the best deals hit as stores clear out to make way for the winter holidays. This backpack features Minnie Mouse with a pumpkin full of candy (which acts as the front zipper pocket), and a matching bow! Our favorite part has to be the print inside the bag. View on Amazon Don’t forget game night! Villains Clue is 43% off now. ©Amazon Game night just got a lot more intense. If you’ve got a gamer on your list for holiday shopping this year, snag the twist on the classic game Clue for under $20 now! You can play as your favorite villains, including Ursula, Gaston, Lady Tremaine, Dr. Facilier, Mother Gothel, and Jafar. View on Amazon Trust me. You’ll need this poncho for Disney World. Frogg Toggs Poncho The DFB team never thought we’d actually like wearing a poncho…that was until we tried this brand! Now, it’s our go-to for light showers or torrential downpours in the parks. It doesn’t stick to you or make you feel like a baked potato (which is hard in the humidity), and for the price? It’s worth a try on your next trip. View on Amazon This Owala FreeSip Water Bottle is at the top of my wishlist. ©Amazon The DFB team tested five water bottles in Disney World, and Owala came out on top. That’s why when I saw the deal on this water bottle, it went to the top of my wish list. This bottle holds 24 ounces, and you can swig with the chug spout or sip with the built-in straw! View on Amazon We love the Dot It! sticker activity set! ©Amazon 500 stickers in one package? It doesn’t get much better than that. Kids who love Disney Princesses will freak out if they are gifted this for the holidays! It’s recommended for ages 3-7 and can provide hours and hours of fun. View on Amazon And finally, this adorable Minnie Loungefly is a must. ©Amazon I had to pick my jaw up off the floor after seeing this Minnie Mouse-themed bag. Loungeflys are NOT cheap, but at 53% off, this purse is a no-brainer! It includes an adjustable and detachable strap with a metal chain, and gorgeous lace trim along the edges and the bow. The embroidered roses are a nice touch, too! View on Amazon We’re always on the hunt for the latest and greatest Disney souvenirs and essentials, so don’t forget to stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more! View the full article

It’s holiday funnel cake time at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays! Funnel Cake Stand The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially begun, and there is a lot to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. But don’t let it overwhelm you. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to the Funnel Cake stand to check out this year’s specialty item! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu The Funnel Cake Stand offers up a specialty funnel cake at every EPCOT Festival and this year we’re checking out the Red Velvet Cookie Funnel Cake. 2025 Funnel Cake Stand Menu Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats This booth is just one item — Funnel Cake! The Red Velvet Cookie Funnel Cake is topped with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, cream cheese whipped cream, red velvet cookie pieces, mini chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup. You can grab this funnel cake for $12.50. We were very intrigued by this flavor for the funnel cake, and we thought it was delicious! Red Velvet Cookie Funnel Cake The funnel cake itself is crispy on the outside with a great fluffiness to the inside. It is topped with some creamy vanilla ice cream with cream cheese whipped cream. Yep, you read that right, this whipped cream is cream cheese flavored. We thought it was wonderful, it tasted just like a sweet cream cheese, and it was fluffier and creamier than normal whipped cream. Red Velvet Cookie Funnel Cake Then, it is topped with miniature chocolate chips and red velvet cookie pieces. These toppings were fantastic, and the red velvet cookie pieces tasted a lot like the red velvet cookies you can get from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Plus, you get a bit of crunch and chocolate flavor from the miniature chocolate chips. OVERALL We think this funnel cake was delicious, and it is also a fantastic option for kids! It is one of our favorite desserts at the Festival of the Holidays and definitely worth a stop by the Funnel Cake stand. We loved the combination of toppings and the flavors worked really well together. We will likely be thinking about this funnel cake for a while! Red Velvet Cookie Funnel Cake That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Everything you need to know about the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays The full line up of this year’s Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 Holiday Guide e-book! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

¡Feliz Navidad! We’re coming to you from the Mexico Pavilion during the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays! 2025 Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen Las Posadas, located in the Mexico Pavilion, is one of the Holiday Kitchens (also known as Food Booths) at the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. In keeping with their own unique Festival tradition, Las Posadas is once again delivering a menu made up almost entirely of new dishes and drinks! We hope you’ll take a moment to join us at the Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen as we bring you our FULL review! Menu It’s always fun to see what Las Posadas comes up with for the Festival, since we never know quite what to expect year after year. The all-new food menu boasts three items: the Tostada de Carne, the Tamal de Pollo con Mole, and a Dulce de Leche Churro. Menu Fans of the festive margaritas that pop up for the season at Las Posadas will see two new versions on the menu this year: the Chai-mazing Margarita and the Horchata Margarita. They’re joined by the one returning item on the entire menu: the Holiday Cerveza. Here we go! Eats The Tostada de Carne features braised beef tips which, as the menu describes, are “slowly cooked Mexican-style atop a fried corn tortilla” with black beans, crispy onions, and queso fresco. This new dish costs $8.00. On their own, the braised beef tips were a little dry, but when you add the beans, crispy onions, and queso fresco, it works out with flavors that combine beautifully. It’s savory, but not overly salty. The tostada is nice and crisp, and this could be one of our favorite things we’ve had so far at the festival. Tostada de Carne Tamal de Pollo con Mole presents shredded chicken and mole in corn masa topped with mole negro, queso fresco, crema Mexicana, slivered almonds, and sesame seeds. Another new dish, the Tamal is $9.00. This wasn’t our favorite thing ever. You do get that hint of chocolate flavor from the mole, and the crema Mexicana on top adds something to what is otherwise dry chicken. It feels mushy in the mouth, too, and the flavors didn’t really meld. Tamal de Pollo con Mole The Dulce de Leche Churro is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar (as all great churros are)! This new dessert is $6.75. Churros in Disney World can be hit or miss, but this one, we’re happy to report, is a HIT. It’s not dry or stale like a lot of Disney World churros, and it has the perfect amount of that dulce de leche filling. Dulce de Leche Churro Drinks ¡Salud! The Chai-mazing Margarita (for $13.50) is new this year. This cocktail features Chai-infused Dulce Vida Tequila Blanco, apple-ginger juice, and chai liqueur. This just had a nice flavor. It’s sweet and very easy to drink with subtle apple and ginger flavors. However, if you’re wanting something more tequila-forward, this isn’t your drink. Chai-mazing Margarita The new Horchata Margarita costs $14. It’s made with cinnamon-infused Ilegal Mezcal, Abasolo Corn Whiskey, agua de horchata, and cinnamon horchata rum. This is so nice and smoky with more of an alcohol flavor. The mezcal really comes through at the front, right up the nose. But it’s also sweet thanks to the cinnamon, which helps balance out the smokiness. Horchata Margarita The Holiday Cerveza is the sole returning item for $7 for 6 ounces and $13 for 12 ounces. Holiday Cerveza It’s a Mexican Artisanal Craft Lager with black currant liqueur. If you’ve previously passed on lagers, this version still might be one you could potentially enjoy. It’s light and refreshing, somewhat reminiscent of a blonde ale. OVERALL Mexico rarely disappoints us when it comes to festivals, and this year and this festival is no different. Almost everything we tried here was a real hit, and if you visit just one booth during the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, you should make it this one. Thanks for joining us at Las Posadas! And don’t forget that we’ve got LOTS more to check out at this most festive of all the EPCOT Festivals! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Candlelight Processional and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2025 Festival of the Holidays booth Menus Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! And don’t forget to pick up our DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which items from Las Posadas would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

Connections Cafe and Eatery is back as a bonus Festival location again this year! Connections Cafe The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially begun, and there is a lot to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. But don’t let it overwhelm you. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to Connection Cafe and Eatery to see what’s on the menu for this year’s Festival! Menu At Connections Cafe, you’ll find the Holiday Sugar Cookie on the menu again this year, and over at Connections Eatery, the Figment Holiday Sweater Liege Waffle returns for 2025. Connections Cafe Menu A new Spiced Caramel Apple drink rounds out the menu at Connections Eatery. Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats Is it really the holidays without a holiday cookie? We checked out the returning Holiday Sugar Cookie again this year for $4.79. In the past, we’ve found this cookie to be pretty basic. Holiday Sugar Cookie But this year? We were big fans! It was soft in the middle but crispy on the edges with a slight crunch from the sprinkles. The flavor was sugary with hints of vanilla, like a traditional sugar cookie. It would be a great choice for picky eaters or kids during the festival! It has festive sprinkles! Also returning this year is the Figment Holiday Sweater Liege Waffle for $4.99. This waffle was new in 2024, and while it was cute, we found it to be a bit on the dry side last year. The Liege Waffle Once again, this treat disappointed us a bit. It was very stale in that prepackaged snack way, and we couldn’t taste the gingerbread flavor hardly at all. It’s very pretty, but the flavors and textures just don’t live up to our expectations based on the looks. Two sweet treats lacking in strong flavors and a stodgy waffle? We think Paul Hollywood of The Great British Baking Show would be VERY disappointed. No star bakers or handshakes in sight. Figment Holiday Sweater Liege Waffle But, there was one BIG winner in the beverage category! Drinks There’s ONE new drink on the menu at Connection Eatery this year — the Spiced Caramel Apple drink made with Minute Maid Cranberry Juice, apple cider, and caramel syrup, garnished with a cinnamon stick. It’s non-boozy, but you can kick it up a notch and add Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey if you dare. The non-alcoholic version is $6.29. Spiced Caramel Apple This was incredible! The flavors mesh really well together with the cinnamon and apple cider, followed by the sweetness of the caramel and tartness of the cranberry. The apple cider flavor is the strongest, and the drink tasted like the holiday season in the best way. So festive! If you’re a mocktail lover, this is a can’t-miss! OVERALL Connections may not be the number one stop on your list, but we would definitely recommend popping by to grab that beverage if it sounds like something you’d enjoy. Other than that, this isn’t a must-do during the festival. Connections Cafe If you’re looking for food that’s a bit more unique or special, we recommend hitting up the exclusive festival holiday kitchen booths instead. We’ve got quite a few more places to review, so stay tuned! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Everything you need to know about the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays The full line up of this year’s Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 Holiday Guide e-book! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

Amazon’s Black Friday sale is here, and the site is offering massive savings… even on products that rarely go on sale! Amazon Case in point: You can find STANLEY Tumblers — REAL STANLEY TUMBLERS — on sale RIGHT NOW! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. STANLEY 40 oz Quencher H2.0 Tumbler Amazon This STANLEY offers double-wall vacuum insulation, a base that fits in a car cup holder, an advanced FlowState lid, featuring a rotating cover with three positions: a straw opening designed to resist splashes with a seal that holds the reusable straw in place, a drink opening, and a full-cover top for added leak resistance, and an ergonomic, comfort-grip handle. SHOP HERE STANLEY IceFlow Flip Straw Tumbler with Handle Amazon This large tumbler can hold 30-oz beverages, including water, smoothies, or iced coffee. The tumbler is constructed with double-wall vacuum insulation and 18/8 stainless steel, keeping your drinks chilled for 12 hours or iced for up to 2 days. SHOP HERE STANLEY AeroLight Transit Bottle Amazon This 16 oz vacuum-insulated bottle features a double-walled construction that keeps drinks hot for 4 hours, cold for 6 hours, and iced for up to 20 hours. It’s also optimized for your commute, made with “featherweight spun-steel technology, making it 33% lighter” than standard STANLEY drinkware. SHOP HERE If you want to jump on these STANLEY deals, get over to Amazon ASAP! Stay tuned to DFB for more Black Friday deals. View the full article

Aaah, tradition! It’s time once again for everyone to gather ’round the table… the American Holiday Table in EPCOT, that is! American Holiday Table American Holiday Table is one of the Holiday Kitchens (also known as Food Booths) at the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. Even though there is SO MUCH to do at the Festival (like take a Cookie Stroll, check out the Candlelight Processional, listen to Holiday Storytellers around the park, and more), we hope you’ll take a moment to have a seat with us, so to speak, at American Holiday Table as we bring your our FULL review! Menu American Holiday Table is best known for serving up traditional Thanksgiving flavors in The American Adventure Pavilion with the returning favorite Slow-roasted Turkey. The Blackened Catfish is back as well, and this is also where you can find the new Chocolate Cookie. American Holiday Table Menu A Beer Flight is up for grabs, featuring Bah HOPbug IPA, an Eggnog White Porter, and a new Chocolate Cherry Stout. You may also order any of the beers individually or try a glass of Regional wine in white or red. Grab a fork — and a Flight! — and let’s dig in! Eats If you didn’t get your fill of turkey with all the trimmings over Thanksgiving (I know I didn’t!), then here’s a happy heads up for you: the Slow-roasted Turkey is back this year for $6.50. Slow-roasted Turkey Accompanied with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce, the Slow-roasted Turkey is a mini-Thanksgiving feast that you get to keep ALL TO YOURSELF and DIDN’T EVENT HAVE TO COOK! (Apologies for ALL THE CAPS; I just genuinely love this dish and look forward to it every year — it often ends up on our Best of the Fest list, too, so I know I’m not the only one.) Slow-roasted Turkey You get to have Thanksgiving all over again, without having to clean up all of the dishes afterwards! The stuffing had great notes of herbs and butter. The mashed potatoes were buttery, soft, and creamy. The green beans were tender but still had a lovely snap to them. While our portion of the turkey was a bit dry this year (it had been sitting out, and we also spent quite a while taking pictures), this dish is still one of our favorites. Slow-roasted Turkey The Blackened Catfish with Hoppin’ John and Comeback Sauce has come back again, to the tune of $6.75. Blackened Catfish This one made our Best of the Fest list both last year AND the year before, too! So it’s got a lot to live up to…and we have good news. It tastes as good as we remember it! We love the Cajun spices, the seasoning, and the sauce. And when you combine them all together, it is a winning combination! The catfish is tender and holds together just enough where you can slice it apart with a fork. This dish is still a best of the fest this year! Blackened Catfish New to the American Holiday Table this year is the Chocolate Cookie featuring SNICKERS bar pieces and salted caramel. Chocolate Cookie It costs $3.75, and if you’re participating in the Holiday Cookie Stroll, this one is eligible for a participation stamp, so be sure to have your Passport handy when you place your order. This cookie was very gooey and chewy on the inside. The outside has a bit of crispiness to it that holds the gooey center inside. You will also find the Snickers pieces and caramel on the inside, and y’all…the caramel is delicious. It holds together well and has a rich caramel taste to it. The Snickers bits are a bit melted and melded into the chocolate cookie wonderfully. Chocolate Cookie Drinks The Beer Flight features two returning brews and one that’s new to American Holiday Table this year. For $12.75, you can try the returning Bah HOPbug IPA by Crooked Can Brewing Company, the Eggnog White Porter by 3 Daughters Brewing, and the new Chocolate Cherry Stout by Victory Brewing Co. American Holiday Table Beer Flight All three are also available individually, and priced at $6.00 for a 6-ounce pour or $9.75. for a 12-ounce pour. The Bah HOPbug IPA is aptly named for its hops. This was a pretty run of the mill IPA. It was tasty and a great choice for IPA lovers, but it isn’t anything that will knock your socks off. Crooked Can Bah HOPBug IPA The Eggnog White Porter, which admittedly hasn’t been our favorite in the Flight in years past, is back as well. However, this year, our reporter was impressed by it! While they didn’t get a lot of eggnog flavor from it, they liked that it was a lighter stout. 3 Daughters Brewing Eggnog White Porter The new-to-the-Festival Chocolate Cherry Stout by Victory Brewing Co. rounds out the Flight this year. While we enjoyed the Eggnog White Porter too, this was by far our favorite in the flight! We could taste the chocolately sweetness to it, and it was followed up by a hint of cherry flavor. It definitely lives up to its name in flavor! Victory Brewing Co. Chocolate Cherry Stout Not into beer? You can enjoy a glass of Regional White Wine ($7.00) or Regional Red Wine ($6.50) to enjoy with your cute little mini-Thanksgiving. OVERALL This booth usually lands in our favorites at the Festival of the Holidays, and it has done it again! The Slow-roasted Turkey remains a favorite, even though our turkey was a bit dry. But it is hard to beat all the Thanksgiving flavors in a bowl! The Blackened Catfish once again brought the flavor, and it is a dish we will once again be thinking about for a while. Plus, the new Chocolate Cookie was a hit with the rich caramel and chocolate flavors. We were also fans of the Chocolate Cherry Stout in the beer flight. American Holiday Table Spread Thanks for joining us around the American Holiday Table! And don’t forget that we’ve got LOTS more to check out at this most festive of all the EPCOT Festivals! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Candlelight Processional and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2025 Festival of the Holidays booth Menus Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! And don’t forget to pick up our DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which items from American Holiday Table would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

Does anyone else have an especially hard-to-satisfy sweet tooth at this time of year? Then we’ve got just the place for you… Welcome to Holiday Hearth Desserts! Holiday Hearth Holiday Hearth Desserts is a Holiday Kitchen (also known as a Festival Food Booth) at the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, delivering cookies, cakes, toffee brittle (!!), and MORE to Festival guests. We hope you’ll join us at Holiday Hearth Desserts as we bring your our FULL review! Menu You’ll find Holiday Hearth Desserts tucked inside The Odyssey Pavilion. The new Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookie is joined by the new Red Velvet Cake Pop. Returning this year are the Apple-Caramel Crumb Cake, Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle, and Reindeer Chow. 2025 Holiday Hearth Desserts Menu There are TWO beverage Flights up for grabs, the Beer Flight and the Cider Flight. The Cocoa Peppermint Warmer is made with peppermint schnapps, while the two non-alcoholic options are Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s and the Frozen Caramel Hot Cocoa. So, are you ready for a sugar rush? Then let’s go! Eats The new Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookie is a plant-based option for $3.50. It’s also eligible for a stamp for those participating in the Holiday Cookie Stroll, so don’t forget to have your Festival Passport stamped if you’re collecting those cookies! If you like granola bars, then this is the cookie for you. It is NOT one of those gooey oatmeal cookies, and, well, it’s hard. If you have sensitive teeth…be warned! It tastes pretty good, but it is a challenge to eat. Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie The Red Velvet Cake Pop is also new this year. Complete with festive sprinkles, it costs $5.50. Disney is really SLAYING with the cake bars, y’all. This one has a crunchy chocolate layer on the outside, but inside is a moist and fluffy cake with a strong chocolate flavor. Red Velvet Cake Pop Don’t forget… now’s the time we also need to stock up on treats for Santa’s loyal reindeer, too! The returning Reindeer Chow (previously known as Mouse Crunch) is $6.75. We’ve got some bad news for Blitzen, though… we simply couldn’t hold onto the bag until Christmas Eve — we just dug in! M&M’S Milk Chocolate Candies are featured in the holiday mix, along with popcorn and chocolate-covered pretzels. It’s tough to go wrong with a sweet-and-salty (and totally addictive) snack mix. But because it’s something similar to what you may encounter at your yuletide parties this season, we’d recommend passing on it as a Festival item (unless your own little reindeer just can’t resist the colorful crunch). Mouse Crunch made with M&M’S chocolate candies The Apple-Caramel Crumb Cake is back for $5.00. This is basically like a coffee cake with a slightly crunchy crumble on top. The cake is spongy and moist with icing and caramel on top. The caramel, though, is pretty stiff (it’s the kind that comes out of a squeeze bottle and not like an ooey gooey caramel). It mixes well with the icing, though. Overall, the entire dessert has lovely textures, and it holds well enough to eat it with your hands. Note that there aren’t any actual pieces of apple in this, just apple flavoring. Apple-Caramel Crumble Cake Rounding out the sweet treats is the Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle. It returns for $4.75 this year. I don’t know about you, but I can never resist a nice chunk of toffee. Even though my personal preference is for it to be covered in milk chocolate instead of the dark used for this version, this is still a solid treat. And I do mean solid in another sense, too! Chocolate-covered Toffee Brittle Some don’t care for it for that specific reason; Toffee Brittle can be a tough bite for those with sensitive teeth, so it’s best to be warned that there is no give or chew to the toffee. But if you love buttery and salty toffee together with sweet chocolate, this is a winner. (I just so happened to buy a couple last year to keep at home and nosh throughout the season!) Drinks There is no shortage of options for what you might sip along with your sweet snacks! The Hard Cider Flight ($12.75) includes three ciders that are new to the Festival this year: BRLO Winter Hard Cider, Keel Farms Yukon Maple Bourbon Hard Cider, and 3 Daughters Brewing Peppermint Hard Cider. You can try any of the ciders individually for $6.00 for a 6 ounce pour or $9.75 for a 12 ounce pour. Hard Cider Flight The BRLO Winter Hard Cider arrives to the Festival from its brewery in Berlin. We are ALL about a hard cider flight, thanks to this one. It’s nice and acidic, but not super strong. It’s also VERY smooth and drinkable. The Yukon Maple Bourbon Hard Cider comes from Keel Farms, based in Plant City, Florida. There’s a nice sweetness with this cider, thanks to the maple. There’s a touch of acidity in the back, but it’s very smooth going down. We kept thinking we wanted a hamburger to pair this with. Just a little farther from Orlando in St. Petersburg is 3 Daughters Brewing, which presents the Peppermint Hard Cider. This is not like drinking toothpaste, which some peppermint drinks are like. It’s more like when you pop a peppermint in your mouth and let it sit there. It’s fun, but not over-the-top and you get that traditional hard cider flavor. But that’s not the only Flight around these parts! The Beer Flight serves up Wicked Weed’s Brewing Jack Frost IPA, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co.’s Cranberry Vanilla Wheat Ale, and Brewery Ommegang Gilded Noel White Chocolate Imperial Blonde Stout. Again, you may try any of the beers individually for $6.00 for a 6 ounce pour or $9.75 for a 12 ounce pour. Beer Flight Wicked Weed’s Brewing Jack Frost IPA returns to the Festival this year. This is a very strong bitter IPA, and bitter is about all you can taste. If you love typical IPAs, though, this might be for you. New to Festival of the Holidays is Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co.’s Cranberry Vanilla Wheat Ale. As you might expect, this one is very wheaty and earthy. The cranberry vanilla only adds a hint of sweet and sour at the back end of each sip. This is a good traditional beer. The Brewery Ommegang Gilded Noel White Chocolate Imperial Blonde Stout is another new brew for the Festival this year. This one is very unique. It kind of reminds us of coffee…like that bitter taste of coffee mixed with cream that you’ve added. So you get a bitter taste, but with that super sweetness. If you’re leaning towards yet another sweet treat, the Frozen Caramel Hot Cocoa is back, and it costs $5.50. TWIX cookie bar pieces and whipped cream over the frozen caramel cocoa give you the idea that the emphasis is certainly on something sweet indeed. The caramel is incredibly prominent — nothing whatsoever about this drink is subtle, and for that reason, even thought it’s tasty for a few sips, it’s made for serious sweet tooths ONLY. Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate with TWIX cookie bar pieces and whipped cream Hot Cocoa by Joffrey’s is also up for grabs for $4.00, or you can enjoy it as the Cocoa Peppermint Warmer, which adds peppermint schnapps to the toasty beverage, for $12.75. Hot cocoa by Joffrey’s Coffee with peppermint schnapps My fellow mint-and-chocolate lovers will hop right on board with this one, I think. If you are in Orlando on one of those truly cool days that can pop up in December, this could be just the thing to warm you right up while also putting you in a festive mood! OVERALL If you’re craving a sweet treat, you don’t want to miss out on Holiday Hearth Desserts, although we might skip the plant-based option here, unless we were really craving something like a granola bar. Everything else, though, is solid, and we highly recommend grabbing the Hard Cider Flight if you want something boozy to drink — it’s delicious! Thanks for joining us at Holiday Hearth Desserts! And don’t forget that we’ve got LOTS more to check out at this most festive of all the EPCOT Festivals! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Candlelight Processional and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2025 Festival of the Holidays booth Menus Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! And don’t forget to pick up our DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which items from Holiday Hearth Desserts would you most like to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

The best part about getting ice cream in Orlando during the Festival of the Holidays? Ok, yes, it’s delicious. But you’re also not battling that seemingly constant, ever-present Orlando heat to get a good photo of your yummy treat before it melts into a puddle! Photogenic and yummy? Consider it a holiday miracle — or a Festival of the Holidays miracle (see what we did there?). Swirled Showcase The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially begun, and there is a lot to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. But don’t let it overwhelm you. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to one spot in particular — the Swirled Showcase — to give you the FULL scoop! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu Over at the Swirled Showcase, you’ll find a festive variety of frozen treats, including the Liquid Nitrogen Chocolate-Peppermint Mousse, several soft-serve ice cream flavors, and boozy and non-boozy ice cream floats! 2025 Menu Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats First up, we grabbed Liquid Nitrogen Chocolate-Peppermint Mousse featuring M&M’S Holiday Mint Chocolate Candies for $5.50. There was a fall version of this for the Food and Wine Festival, a Liquid Nitrogen Frozen Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse. The liquid nitrogen game is strong at this booth. It’s fun to watch, makes great videos and photos to help make all of your friends back home jealous. But how does it taste? Liquid Nitrogen Chocolate-Peppermint Mousse featuring M&M’S Holiday Mint Chocolate Candies We will admit, this doesn’t look like the prettiest treat, but don’t judge a book by its cover! We really enjoyed this treat — it was very smooth and very creamy, with a firm center. It’s also nice and cold because of the liquid nitrogen. The icing on top has an interesting texture because of the liquid nitrogen — it doesn’t really taste like normal icing. Liquid Nitrogen Chocolate-Peppermint Mousse The M&M’s gave an excellent crunch to an otherwise “mushy” dish. Flavor-wise, it is VERY pepperminty. If you don’t like peppermint, this is not one we’d recommend to you. It’s not crazy overwhelming, and it pairs nicely with the chocolate! Overall, the flavors are great, but there really wasn’t enough liquid nitrogen. We think it could’ve been colder and more unique. Liquid Nitrogen Chocolate-Peppermint Mousse Swirled Showcase is serving up three flavors of soft serve ice cream this year — Vanilla, Apple Cinnamon, and Dark Chocolate. Each waffle cone costs $6.50 — you can get the ice cream in a cup, but the price will stay the same. If you’re in the mood for soft serve, they have two unique flavors, including dark chocolate (served in a waffle cone), which is new for the Festival of the Holidays. This is a deeper chocolate flavor than you would expect from a chocolate ice cream, but it’s not like a dark chocolate bar — although it’s close. We would’ve preferred an even more dark flavor (we like our chocolate a little bitter, y’all). Dark Chocolate soft serve You can also get the returning apple cinnamon soft serve, also served in a waffle cone. We tried them both last year, and of the two flavors, this is the clear winner. It’s a unique flavor, though, and if you’re going to try an ice cream at the festival, we think this is the way to go. Apple-cinnamon soft serve For our more basic pals, they also have vanilla soft serve. It’s the same price as the other two. Vanilla Soft-serve in a Waffle Cone But what about beverages? Drinks Speaking of vanilla soft serve, you can order a couple of floats at Swirled Showcase that feature that flavor — Barq’s Red Crème Soda or Barq’s Root Beer with vanilla Soft-serve. We’ve had these in the past, and they’re simple and refreshing. They’re $6.75 each. Soda Floats We had the Yuletide Float, which is made with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and Barq’s Red Crème Soda with apple cinnamon soft-serve for $12.75. This one will sneak up on you, but it’s delicious. The pairing of the apple cinnamon soft serve with the Fireball Cinnamon Whisky is such a good combo and makes for a tasty — and boozy — treat. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and Barq’s Red Crème Soda with apple cinnamon soft-serve You can also get a Coffee Float made with dark chocolate soft-serve with iced coffee and a choice of Mozart Liqueur for $12.75 each. This float also wowed us, and we think some improvements have been made to it since it was served for the previous EPCOT festivals. Coffee Float: Dark chocolate soft-serve with iced coffee and choice of Mozart Liqueur So, is this booth worth a stop? OVERALL This is a great place to stop if you’re hoping to snag some sweet treats, but most of the things you’ll find at this spot aren’t groundbreaking. They’ve got ice cream, chocolate, and floats, but at an EPCOT festival known for its desserts, there are SO many other sweets to try! The Liquid Nitrogen Chocolate-Peppermint Mousse is worth trying if you want a pepperminty treat, though. Liquid Nitrogen Chocolate-Peppermint Mousse That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Everything you need to know about the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays The full line up of this year’s Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators REVIEWS of ALL the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays FOOD BOOTHS! And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 Holiday Guide e-book! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

The Lightning Lane system at Disney World can be a bit confusing. Considering that the system has changed at least three times in the past 10 years, it can be challenging to know the ins and outs. Luckily, we’ve studied Lightning Lane over and over like our jobs depend on it (which they kinda do). Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane If you’re planning a trip to Disney World or you’ve been there and you’ve found yourself questioning why things haven’t gone super smoothly, you might need some help grabbing the right Lightning Lanes. Booking the WRONG Lightning Lanes can affect your entire day in the park (think: extra walking, longer lines than expected, or not getting on the rides you really wanted). So next time, stop doing the following and swap them for the alternatives to be sure you get the RIGHT Lightning Lanes! Don’t understand Lightning Lane Multi Pass? No worries! We’ll break it down for you. Understanding the basics of the system is the first step to booking the RIGHT Lightning Lanes. Slinky Dog Dash Lightning Lane Lightning Lane Multi Pass is the skip-the-line service in Disney World. You purchase Multi Pass by the day and park, and then you can select rides and return times that you want during your vacation. You’ll use the My Disney Experience app to make your selections. Lightning Lane at Peter Pan’s Flight You can purchase and book Multi Pass ahead of your trip. If you’re staying at a Disney World hotel or select other hotel, you can book your Lightning Lanes 7 days in advance for the entirety of your trip. All other guests can book them 3 days in advance. ©Disney There are two tiers of Lightning Lane Multi Pass rides. You can book up to three rides in advance: one ride from tier one and two rides from tier two, or all three from tier two. Once you enter the parks, the tiers go out the window. After you’ve used your first Lightning Lane, you can book a Multi Pass ride regardless of tier. Lightning Lane at Expedition Everest Once you’ve purchased one park per day and used at least one of your existing bookings, you can park hop to the other parks and continue to book Lightning Lanes. You have a one-hour window to use your Lightning Lane (plus a secret 119 minutes ). After you’ve used a Lightning Lane or after two hours have passed since you made your most recent selection, you can book another. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Lightning Lane Alright, now that you understand how the system works, let’s dive into reasons you might be selecting the WRONG Lightning Lanes, and how to book the RIGHT ones! Booking Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a tier 1 ride that many people like to book in advance because it’s one of the newest rides in Disney World. But this is a mistake. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! Except on VERY busy days, you can get a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Lightning Lane pretty easily around 10 AM. Don’t waste your one tier 1 pre-booking on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure when you can get it after you’re in the park. Grab something far more difficult, like Jungle Cruise or Peter Pan’s Flight. Not Booking Rides That Are Known To Go Down Sometimes people will avoid booking rides that commonly go down due to technical difficulties or bad weather. But NOT booking those rides is the mistake. Slinky Dog Dash will temporarily close with bad weather If you are currently holding a Lightning Lane for a ride when it goes down, you may get an experience redemption. An experience redemption is like an anytime Lightning Lane for that ride or any Multi Pass ride. You’re never guaranteed to get an experience redemption ticket, but it’s certainly in your favor to book rides that commonly go down in the chance you DO get one. Not Booking Lightning Lanes for Smaller Rides Many people will believe they don’t need Lightning Lanes for some smaller rides like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, but actually, you might want to reconsider that. Dumbo the Flying Elephant Use your precious rope-dropping time to get on higher-priority rides instead of the smaller rides. Then, while you’re at the park, grab a Lightning Lane for the smaller rides that are easier to get while you’re there, because these can get busy throughout the day. We wouldn’t book Dumbo in advance, but we also wouldn’t skip booking it altogether if it’s a ride we really want to get on. Not Taking Advantage of Your Early Entry Perk If you are staying at a Disney World hotel and plan on using the Early Entry perk (getting into the parks 30 minutes before they open), then that should be considered when you’re booking your tier 1 Lightning Lane. EPCOT For example, if you’re going to EPCOT, enter through the International Gateway to get on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure during Early Entry. If you plan to do that, then instead of booking a Lightning Lane for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, grab Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Frozen Ever After. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure If you want to use this technique (and we suggest doing so), you’ll want to find out which rides are open during Early Entry and which are not, to help you plan accordingly. For example, at Magic Kingdom, Peter Pan’s Flight is open during Early Entry, but Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is not. Accepting a Return Time After 5 PM for Rides OTHER Than This One The ONLY ride we would book a Lightning Lane for past 5 PM is Slinky Dog Dash. Don’t make the mistake of accepting a late booking for other rides if you’re booking in advance, or it’s still morning. Slinky Dog Dash Oftentimes, you can get a better time by refreshing your screen or coming back to check a little later. Not Booking a POPULAR Ride After Your First Scan In If you’re booking a popular tier 1 ride right after your first scan in, you might be doing it wrong. Don’t miss out on the really popular rides’ Lightning Lanes by not booking them immediately when you’re able to. Peter Pan’s Flight These popular rides will be gone the longer you wait. Not Being Flexible A general rule of thumb for anyone booking Lightning Lanes: you gotta be flexible. Yes, having a plan is good. Be prepared with an idea of what you’re looking for. But in the end, you get what you get based on first-come, first-served. ©Disney Next time you’re booking Lightning Lanes for Disney World, give these suggestions a try! Hopefully, they can help you book the RIGHT Lightning Lanes and ensure a much more fun experience in the parks. For more Disney tips and tricks, keep following DFB! Everything You Need to Know About Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW View the full article

Happy Black Friday to all who celebrate! ©Disney Disney fans, there are many reasons to head to the online Disney Store this Black Friday. No lines, no fights, and GREAT DEALS! Get those wallets out, it’s time to go Christmas shopping — ’tis the season to be splurging! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Ornaments are on SALE! ©Disney Store Across the Disney Store, you can find $12 Ornaments! Now that Thanksgiving has passed, we’re sure a lot of you are about to trim up that tree (if you haven’t already). All the cutest Disney ornaments are available here, and you won’t find a better deal than this! Check out online! Get this Disney Christmas Throw Blanket ©Disney Store Is this Mickey Mouse and Friends Christmas Throw Blanket not the most ADORABLE thing ever?! Get cozy this holiday season with this blanket featuring Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy — all in their Santa outfits. Look at Tinker Bell putting some holiday magic on the tree topper. It’s listed at $44.99, but you can get the blanket for $25 with any purchase! View online There’s this Mickey Mouse Holiday Ear Headband ©Disney Store Looking for something to wear to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this holiday season? Take a look at this Mickey Mouse Snowman Holiday Ear Headband! The headband features two snowmen with Mickey ears — the perfect, cute Christmas look. It’s listed at $36.99, but you can get the headband for $22 with any purchase! View online We love this Mickey and Minnie Snowglobe ©Disney Store This Santa Mickey and Minnie Mouse Fantasyland Castle Snowglobe makes for a cute Christmas decoration! The snowglobe features the iconic Disney couple standing in front of the castle. It’s listed at $29.99, but you can get the snowglobe for $22 with any purchase! View online Or, you can grab this Mickey and Minnie Holiday Tote Bag ©Disney Store You know we love our Disney tote bags, so we couldn’t ignore this Mickey and Minnie Mouse Holiday Tote Bag! The bag features Mickey and Minnie Mouse in their Santa outfits, standing in front of the Disney castle. Tinker Bell is also on the bag. It’s listed at $32.99, but you can get the blanket for $22 with any purchase! View online And finally, this Santa Mickey and Minnie Glass Ornament ©Disney Store Lastly, take a look at this Santa Mickey and Minnie Mouse “Happy Holidays 2025” Glass Ornament! The ornament captures a cute moment of Mickey giving his love a holiday gift. This would make for a great piece on your tree. It’s listed at $29.99, but you can get the blanket for $16 with any purchase! View online Those are just a few items that really stood out to us, but there are deals available across the entire website. You can get up to 50% off sitewide by using the code BFRIDAY! VIEW THE ENTIRE SALE! We’re always on the hunt for the latest and greatest Disney souvenirs and essentials, so don’t forget to stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more! View the full article

If you are visiting Disney World this holiday season, here are the things you need to watch out for on your vacation! Christmas Time at Magic Kingdom The Christmas trees are up, the holiday treats are here, and you can hear Christmas music playing on Main Street, U.S.A — it’s the holiday season at Disney World! I’ve been going to Disney World for the holidays for 6 years, and this is my favorite time to visit. But there are some big changes that can affect your trip if you’re visiting this time of year. Let’s break down 8 rules for this magical time of the year. 1. No Parking at Hotels During the Christmas season, Disney resorts tighten parking restrictions more than almost any other time of year. Unless you have a confirmed dining reservation within the next hour or you’re currently staying at that hotel, you are likely to be turned away at the entrance gate. This can be especially frustrating if you want to explore decorations at places like Disney’s Grand Floridian or Wilderness Lodge Resort. The good news? There are plenty of other ways to get there. Consider parking at Disney Springs and hopping on a bus to any resort, riding the Skyliner from EPCOT or Hollywood Studios to reach its connected hotels, or walking from EPCOT’s International Gateway to the Crescent Lake resorts. You can also use resort buses from any theme park. It may take a little more time, but you’ll still get to see all the holiday decorations without a headache. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort 2. Mobile Ordering is Limited to Resort Guests If you’ve been hoping to mobile order from a popular resort quick-service location to skip the line, you might be disappointed. During the holidays, many hotels restrict mobile ordering to guests who are actually staying at that resort. This means you won’t be able to grab Captain Cook’s, Contempo Café, or Gasparilla Island Grill via mobile order unless your reservation is linked to that resort. But don’t worry, you can still walk in and order in person if you’re visiting. ©Disney 3. Parks May Close Early, But That Can Be a Good Thing Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios host multiple holiday parties throughout November and December, which means early closures on select nights. And while it might seem like a downside, these party days are often some of the lowest-wait days in the mornings and early afternoons. Many guests avoid these parks entirely because of the shortened hours, which means more breathing room for you. If you don’t mind leaving early (or hopping to another park afterward), visiting on a party day can actually help you check off headliners with minimal waits. Just be sure to double-check the event calendar before planning your visit. MVMCP map 4. Meeting Santa Requires a Virtual Queue You can meet Santa in the parks using a traditional standby line, but if you’re hoping to see him at Disney Springs, you’ll need to jump into a Virtual Queue. The queue opens at set times throughout the day and fills very quickly, especially on weekends and evenings when crowds spike. The best strategy is to be in Disney Springs before the first queue drop and join the VQ the moment it opens. If your return window ends up being later in the day, treat it like a built-in break where you can walk around, shop, grab a seasonal treat, and keep an eye on your notification. It’s one of the most organized ways to meet Santa during the holiday rush, as long as you plan ahead. How to Join the Virtual Queue for Santa! Meet Santa at Disney Springs! 5. Your Hotel Might Be Crowded Holiday resort-hopping is a thing, and that means your hotel may feel busier than usual. Resorts with gingerbread displays like the Contemporary and Beach Club become attractions in themselves, drawing crowds who aren’t actually staying there. This can lead to congested lobbies, crowded quick-service locations, and tougher-to-get dining reservations. To navigate this, try booking meals during off-peak times, budgeting extra time when heading to or from your room, and using mobile check-in and mobile checkout to avoid extra time in the lobby. Embrace the festive chaos, but plan around it so you don’t get stuck in unnecessary holiday crowds. Gingerbread display at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn 6. Some Attractions May Have Changed for the Holidays Several Disney World attractions get special holiday overlays, which can totally change your experience, sometimes for the better! At EPCOT, Living With the Land: Glimmering Greenhouse transforms the greenhouse into a glowing holiday walkthrough after dark. Over at Hollywood Studios, the Frozen Sing-Along adds a special holiday finale featuring Olaf. These overlays can bring new life to familiar attractions, but they can also slightly shift crowd patterns. To make the most of it, check showtimes in advance and prioritize nighttime rides for holiday-enhanced attractions. It’s a fun way to see favorites in a whole new light. Living with the Land 7. You Need to Make Room for Holiday Snacks Holiday snacks are everywhere at Disney World this time of year, and you probably already know this is one of our favorite parts. From festive cupcakes and peppermint treats to gingerbread cookies and holiday-exclusive churros, you’ll find limited-time goodies in every park and most resorts. But unless you have a bottomless stomach, you won’t be able to try them all. Pick a few must-try items ahead of time, and leave space in your daily plan (and appetite!) for some spontaneous finds. A few DFB favorites this season include the Frozen Cocoa over at Goofy’s Candy Company and the Gingerbread Churro at Sunshine Churros. REVIEW: Mickey Marshmallows Make Everything Better — Including This NEW Disney Springs Treat Gingerbread time! 8. You Might Not Need Lightning Lane Every Day Here’s a tip many guests miss: on days when Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios closes early for a party, crowds are significantly lower, which means you might not need to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass at all. If you’re visiting a party-affected park earlier in the season, you may find standby lines pleasantly short. However, the closer we get to Christmas week, the less true this becomes as crowds surge across all parks. Before buying Lightning Lanes, check the park schedule and look at the morning wait times in the app. With a little strategy, you can save money and still experience all the holiday magic. Lower crowds on party days Christmas at Disney World is full of surprises, and knowing these lesser-talked-about rules can make the difference between a stressful trip and a memorable one. With the right planning and help from DFB, you can navigate the holiday chaos like a pro. For more holiday news and tips, follow us at DFB! We May Have Found an Unfortunate Side Effect of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Disney World DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What is your favorite part of the holiday season at Disney World? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has officially started, and this holiday classic runs through December 30th! Festival of the Holidays is here! This wintertime festival offers visitors festive holiday eats from the booths, fun activities, and new merchandise. Speaking of merchandise, we’re here to take you along with us as we check it all out! When we were there, you needed a wristband to be able to purchase these pins. They range in price from $19.99 to $22.99. Festival of the Holidays Pins Annual Passholders can also pick-up an exclusive Festival of the Holidays Long Sleeve for $44.99. Annual Passholder Long Sleeve We’ll be checking out everything this festival has to offer this year, so keep checking DFB for the latest updates! In the meantime, stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and beyond. Check out EVERYTHING you need to know about the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays here! DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you heading to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Arts this year? Let us know in the comments. View the full article

It’s time! The holiday season has officially arrived in Disney World. Now, we’ve been to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights, so that just leaves one more big celebration to attend: the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Now, there is SO much to see and do at the festival, not to mention everything there is to eat. We’re LIVE at the first day of the festival, so follow along as we see, do, and EAT AND DRINK IT ALL! So come with us to check it out! Festival Dates The 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays runs from November 28th through December 30th, 2025. This is your opportunity to eat festival eats and drink festival drinks from around the World Showcase. This year’s banners! We’re kicking off this festival with a bang, and we’re bringing you along with us. Getting Started and the Festival Passport We arrived in EPCOT right at opening time, at 9AM, and made our way into the park. Guests staying at Disney World hotels are able to enter EPCOT as early as 8:30AM with Early Theme Park Entry. Crowds outside the park We’re excited about everything the festival brings to EPCOT, but we’re most excited about the food. The festival features holiday kitchens, aka food booths, bringing the flavors of the holidays. Festival Passport Don’t forget to grab a FREE Festival Passport, which has all the details you need to navigate the festival like a pro. Inside the passport, you’ll find descriptions of each booth, as well as full menus. There’s also some information about the merchandise available during the festival. The Passport will help you accomplish everything you want during your day at EPCOT. Welcome! The Passport also has details about the Cookie Stroll. To participate, you’ll purchase five cookies from festival marketplaces around EPCOT (there’s a list of cookies you can choose from in the passport, along with where to find them) and get your passport stamped at each booth when you buy a cookie. Holiday Cookie Stroll Once you have five stamps, you can turn in your passport for a free treat. Crowds Since it’s Thanksgiving week AND the start of a festival, the kickoff of Festival of the Holidays tends to be one of the busiest festival start days of the year. The crowds were already packed into World Celebration this morning, ready for rope drop. The crowds were ready! Typically, the crowds will stay towards the front of the park in the morning — going on rides or checking out the festival merchandise at Creations Shop. Things won’t really heat up in World Showcase until around lunchtime. Most of the booths open at 11AM. The season is in full swing. We’ll make sure to report back with more crowd updates throughout the day. Food Booths You’ll be able to visit more than 18 festival food kitchens, many of which are bringing back some fan-favorite food and drinks. You’ll find some new eats, too — and we’ll be bringing you our reviews right here! Merchandise The festival also has its own exclusive merchandise. We spotted a large portion of the collection in Creations Shop in World Celebration. First up on the docket are these beautiful Christmas sweater-inspired EPCOT ears! The ears! One of the other highlights of the collection is the Figment Loungefly bag! It has Figment in his iconic holiday sweater, you guys. We’re in LOVE! Figment Loungefly We’re rounding up all the other merchandise, and we’ll share the full list with you once we’re done! Ride Overlays One of our favorite rides, Living With the Land, has already embraced the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays with its Glimmering Greenhouses overlay. You’ll get to see this ride in a new way while it’s, well…glimmering for the season. Glimmering Greenhouses Be sure to make time to ride Living With the Land! We’ll be updating this post to ALL DAY as we explore the Festival of the Holidays, so keep checking back for more! If you’re interested in more updates, make sure you’re following us on Instagram. Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Candlelight Processional and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2025 Festival of the Holidays booth Menus And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World! See more details about the book below. DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Will you be attending the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays this year? Let us know in the comments! View the full article