Holidays extend the flurry of Epcot festivals
COMMENTARY Kesting said. “So we really have to coordinate dates well in advance, because the day that we put our Christmas tree in we need to make sure that it doesn’t conflict with any of the other parks – the entire property – for decor.”
In addition, there’s permitting – both installation and demolition – for all those outdoor kitchens that are a hallmark of the Epcot events.
“It’s a whole team that does nothing but install and remove on festivals. That’s all their role is,” Kesting said.
The holiday festival wraps on Dec. 30, and the Epcot International Festival of the Arts kicks off Jan. 18. (For those keeping score at home, the 2019 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival begins March 6.)
The tight squeeze this month was made tighter by moving up the first night of Candlelight Processional one day. For the first time in its 25-year history, it started Thanksgiving night.
“We have to completely reset the American Gardens Theater to get ready for Candlelight,” Kesting said.
He said all three Thanksgiving night processionals played to full houses. So could Candlelight start its glow even earlier in the future?
“We’d either have to shorten Food & Wine or shorten the Eat to the Beat series so they’d could have enough time to convert the stage and have all the rehearsals that it takes to do their thing,” Kesting said.
“In order to do more dates, something has to give.”
Other news and notes about the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays:
A World Showcase spot where the change is evident in the stretch between Morocco and France that was home to the Brazil and Belgium marketplaces during Food & Wine. Now it’s L’Chaim, serving pastrami on rye, potato knish and chicken and matzo ball soup. Nearby is a new feature with a narrator called Zachary, who tells visitors about Hanukkah traditions.
“Zachary has traveled the world so he can tell our guests about his travels and experiences,” said producer Jeremy Chase.
In Germany, the Durch & Durch band is now playing holiday tunes. Other musicians doing seasonal repertoire include the Canadian Holiday Voyageurs; Joyful, a group that performs gospel numbers on the fountain stage; and Voices of Liberty decked out in Dickens caroler costume.
There are a couple of Food & Wine Festival holdovers still in place in Future World East. Look for the playground with a “WreckIt Ralph” theme and Taste Track, with a variety of gelato-topped croissant doughnuts.
Make five stops along the new Holiday Cookie Stroll Christmas Cookie trail and earn a sixth “completer cookie” for free. (At least one was yummy: the green and white sugar cookie from American Holiday Table.)
Of course there’s holiday merchandise, including a selection of Disney-fied ugly Christmas sweaters. Look for a Hidden Mickey amid the snowflake pattern. The festival’s commuter-style mug is a hefty double-wall insulated model, and there’s a tall tea mug that encourages sippers to have a “tea-lightful holiday season.”
Among my favorite things about this fest is being present for a Candlelight Processional narrator’s maiden reading. This year I saw Alfonso Ribeiro standing among the mass choir for the first time, and it looked like he was trying hard not to beam too much. It’s a solemn thing, after all. At the conclusion of the program, he said the experience gave him goosebumps.
“It’s a very overwhelming experience, I would imagine for some of them, especially if it’s their first time,” said producer David Baldree. “But they’re all pros and jump right in and do a great job with it.”
Speaking of narrators, in late December, the program will be fronted by Auli’i Cravalho (“Moana”), who just turned 18 years old. But she’s not the youngest Candlelight reader in history. In fact, there have been three younger narrators.
According to Disney, the youngest distinction goes to Abigail Breslin, who was 14 when she stood on the Epcot stage. In addition, there was Haley Joel Osment at age 17 and, just last year, 17-year-old gymnast Laurie Hernandez.