The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays has ARRIVED!

This annual Epcot Festival started on November 29th and runs through December 30, 2019. Featuring over a dozen international food booths and international Holiday Storytellers, guests can enjoy learning about cultures from ALL around the world!

Of course, if you’re looking for a little traditional Christmas magic served up American-style, you’ll find plenty of that, too! During the Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays nightly Candlelight Processional, the Christmas story is told by a celebrity narrator with a 50-piece orchestra and choir accompaniment in the America Gardens Theater!

Check out how you can watch the Candlelight Processional from HOME here!

But that’s not all, friends! Returning again, kids can join in on the fun by helping Chip and Dale decorate their Christmas tree with Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree — a festive kid-friendly scavenger hunt around World Showcase. Only for the holidays, we’re helping Chip & Dale collect ornaments to decorate their Christmas Tree!

But if you ask us, the BEST part of the fest each year is the HOLIDAY FOOD BOOTHS! At this year’s fest, you’ll find several Holiday Kitchens showcasing eats and treats from around the world!

CLICK HERE for pictures of EVERY FOOD ITEM AT THE BOOTHS,
PLUS prices and menus!

And as always, we’re here to give you, our dear readers, our BEST eats and drinks around the Festival so you can dominate the Festival of the Holidays this year! Here we go!

Chengdu Street Fries at Shanghai Holiday Kitchen

It doesn’t get much better than this one, folks! The big pile ‘o crinkle-cut fries with a spicy sauce ladled over them. These REALLY impressed us this year! The Disney spice kid gloves definitely came off with this level of HEAT! Plus the crunch from the peanuts and crispy green onions really brought the whole dish together nicely. This epic Festival hit can be yours for $5.50 from the Shanghai Kitchen in China!

But wait… there’s more!

Firework at Shanghai Holiday Kitchen

We thought we saw the sky light up when we took our first sip of the Firework, also found at China’s booth! It features Jose Cuervo Tequila Gold, Vodka, mango syrup, orange juice, and soda water, and it’s one of the tastiest $11 you’ll spend at the fest! Not too sweet, you’ll definitely taste the tequila in this little firecracker, while the mango gives this drink the little bit of zip! Zam! Zoom! you’ve been looking for!

You can always rely on the China pavilion to give hefty pours as well, so find yourself a DD.

Check out our review of the other eats and drinks at Shanghai Holiday Kitchen HERE!

Potato Dumpling with Mushroom Sauce at Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

We were big fans of this homey dish last year, and we still are in 2019!  Served with a rich mushroom sauce, these little potato dumplings make for some seriously good eatin’! Find it for $4.50 over at the Bavaria Kitchen in Germany!

Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce and Spaetzle at Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

Check out the new Pork Schnitzel this year for $6.25, also at the Bavaria Kitchen! It’s got a mushroom sauce much like our friend, the Potato Dumpling, and we think we might just like him EVEN BETTER! Maybe we’re just suckers for spaetzle — who are we kidding? It’s definitely those little chewy nuggets of egg noodles and all that yummy sauce! The flavors and textures marry so well in this delicious savory dish!

Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl at Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

And it just wouldn’t be a party without the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen Cheese Fondue! We could swim in this stuff! Served in a bread bowl for $8.25, it’s accompanied by fresh steamed baby veggies and potatoes for dunking. This one has been a favorite for years.

Read our review of ALL the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen items here!

Spiked Frozen Apple Pie at Block and Hans

If you thought the Frozen Apple Pie at the Canadian booth, Appleseed Orchard, was a solid option at this year at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, then you gotta try the Spiked Frozen Apple Pie at Block and Hans in the American Adventure Pavilion. For $14, it’s the real deal! This slush features frozen Minute Maid Apple Juice, Monin Cinnamon Syrup, and Ole Smokey Apple Pie Moonshine. It’s like drinking the best parts of a pie…except with booze, natch.

Giant Tostada de Puerco at Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen

We have a new love language we just discovered over at Mexico’s Las Posadas Kitchen and its name is Giant Tostada! This humongous landmass of food has deliciously seasoned pork served on top of a giant, crispy puffed tostada with a chipotle black bean spread, guajillo sauce and crumbles of queso fresco! But then the fiesta really kicks into overdrive with the addition of crema Mexicana, pickled onion, and a dusting of chicharron powder! It’s giant…it’s a tostada…and it’s only $8.50!

Holiday Cider at Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen

And if you’re looking for a drink that can stand up to all that tostada, the Las Posadas’ Hard Apple Cider might be just the contender! Made with cinnamon-infused tequila (CINNAMON-INFUSED TEQUILA!!!) and hard apple cider, we were pleasantly surprised by how tasty this unassuming-looking drink was! Pick one up for only $7.00.

Click here to read our review of Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen!

Sfenj (Warm Beignets) at Sapphire Holiday Kitchen

Hurry over to the Sapphire Kitchen in Morocco with us now for our next returning Best of the Fest item — the Sfenj! That’s just a fancy way of sayin’ beignets — which is just a fancy way of sayin’ DONUTS! These are always one of our favorite desserts at Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays! You get two for $6, and they come dusted with cinnamon sugar, chocolate sauce, and you can ask for sliced almonds if you want ’em. The soft, warm fried-doughy goodness never gets old!

Click here to see more photos from Sapphire Holiday Kitchen!

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie at Yukon Holiday Kitchen

We don’t always stroll for cookies, but when we do at the Festival of the Holidays, we stroll for this new Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie at Canada’s Yukon Holiday Kitchen! For $2.50, we’re truly entranced by it’s hypnotic red and white spiral AND how it tastes! It’s certainly as nummy as it looks — especially if you’re a lover of peppermint! This cutie packed a LOT of minty flavor.

Read EVERYTHING you need to know about this year’s COOKIE STROLL HERE!

Canadian Wild Rice and Ham Soup with Almonds at Yukon Holiday Kitchen

When we tasted the new Canadian Wild Rice Soup, it was love at first slurp! This super soup features chopped bits of tasty ham with plenty of toasted slivered almonds for textural contrast. The Yukon Kitchen is serving it up by the bowlful with a side of pretzel roll (!!!) for $5!

Read more about the food and beverage items at Yukon Holiday Kitchen here!

Italian Margarita at Tuscany Holiday Kitchen

This Italy booth classic is made with limoncello and tequila, which may sound like strange bedfellows at first, but wait until you try your first sip! It’s tart, sweet, and perfectly matched! Pick one up for $10! We may be a little biased, but we really love this drink at the Food and Wine Festival AND the Festival of the Holidays! It’s so good, it sticks around longer for us all to enjoy!

Read more about Tuscany Holiday Kitchen’s items here!

Pastrami on Rye at L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen

This sandwich is giving us LIFE! And if you’re looking to nosh on something out-of-this-world yummy, check out L’Chaim’s Pastrami on Rye, which features house-made pickles and deli mustard. For $5, it’s got us verklempt, for sure!

Click here to read our full review of L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen!

Turkey Poutine at Refreshment Port

Ah, back again is the binge-worthy Refreshment Port’s Turkey Poutine! While in year’s past, the dish was made with a big pile of sweet potato french fries, this year it’s just your good ol’ classic spud version. But this Turkey Poutine goes all the way up to 11 with its fixins — turkey, turkey gravy, cranberry relish, and crispy onions! Gobble one up for $9!

Read about some of the Refreshment Port’s other festival offerings here!

Bouchée à la Reine Traditionnelle (Turkey and Mushrooms in a Veloute Cream Sauce served in a Light Puff Pastry) at Le Marche De Noel Holiday Kitchen

Another returning favorite from last year, the Bouchée à la Reine Traditionnelle! For $6.75, you can’t stop this turkey train from pulling into the station! And you’ll wonder how you ever lived without the sweet taste of turkey and mushrooms in a veloute cream sauce served in a light puff pastry. It’s like the perfect giant bite of comfort food. Creamy, crispy, salty, and perfect! Bon apétit!

Rillette de Saumon at Le Marche De Noel Holiday Kitchen

We were also fawning over the new Rillette de Saumon dish at France’s booth this year. It’s a salmon spread served with house-made bread and it’s seriously addicting. The “bread” is really more like buttery flakey so so yummy puff pastry, and the salmon has a smoky flavor. The fresh chopped dill adds some light herbaceousness we can’t stop eating! Send help! Or grab one for yourself for $5.75. 

Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini at Le Marche De Noel Holiday Kitchen

And we can’t forget the Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini we tried at France’s booth! The yum factor was strong with this frosty bevy! Made with Grey Goose Vanilla Vodka and chocolate milk, the drink is nice and cold with the perfect chocolatey flavor! It’s like chocolate milk for adults! Sip on one today for $10.75!

Check out the rest of Le Marche De Noel’s festival eats here!

Bûche de Noël au Chocolat (Chocolate Christmas Log) at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie

While we still have to wait for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and The Crêperie to open in the France pavilion, we can get our Chocolate Christmas Log on at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie right now! This one is made with a chocolate orange cream mousse and a chocolate biscuit for some nice added crunch! The orange flavor REALLY came through, which was divine with all the dark chocolate. Check it out for $6.75!

Glace au Pain d’Epices (Gingerbread Ice Cream with Gingerbread Pieces) at L’Artisans des Glaces

Last, but certainly not least, we’re heading to L’Artisans des Glaces for a scoop of their holiday delicacy — Gingerbread Ice Cream! We’re basically OBSESSED! This returning favorite is creamy, just a little bit gingerbread-spicey, and perfect. Get a single scoop for $5, or make it a double for $7.25!

Sooooo… are you hungry yet? Yeah, we thought so!

CLICK HERE for pictures of EVERY FOOD ITEM AT THE BOOTHS,
PLUS prices and menus!

Be sure to check out our 2019 Epcot Festival of the Holidays page for any additional info you may need! We hope you have fun out there, and from all of us at DFB, Happy Holidays!

What do you think of our Best of the Fest? Let us know in the comments!