The Frog Family Guide to Epcot’s Holidays Around The World 2011

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The Frog Family Guide to Epcot’s Holidays Around The World 2011

by Leap on December 1, 2011 · 2 Comments · in All Blog Posts, Crowd Calendar - When to Visit

The Frog Family completed our tour of Disney’s holiday special events a few days ago when we visited Epcot during Holidays Around The World. The Storytellers in World Showcase are amazing and the Candlelight Processional is simply breathtaking. With so many things to see and do, this helpful guide (complete with the Storytellers’ schedules) will come in handy if you’re planning to attend.

Storytellers (Around World Showcase)
The Storytellers recount the holiday traditions of their cultures in each country’s pavilion at scheduled times throughout the day. Tad and Lily LOVED listening to their stories and interacting with them; Mommy Frog and I were just so impressed with the attention to detail. The Storytellers were a BIG hit with all us!

There are 13 Storytellers; the presentations last about 10 minutes each. (The Storytellers stick around for a few minutes after each show for pictures.) Unless this is the only thing you plan on doing during your day at Holidays Around The World, it’s wise to pick your Must-See’s and leave the others for another time.

Here’s an overview of the Storytellers and their show times:

Mexico

Los Tres Reyes Magos, the Three Kings, tell the story of their journey to the Posada and talk about Mexican Christmas traditions today.

Show times: 1:45, 2:35, 3:20, 4:05, 4:45, 5:30, 6:30, 7:30

Norway

Storyteller Sigrid tells of the mischievous Christmas Gnome, Julenissen, in the Norway Pavilion.

Show times: 3:10, 3:50, 4:30, 5:10, 5:50, 6:35, 7:15, 7:55

China

Watch and listen as the Monkey King weaves his tall tale of celebrating the Chinese New Year.

Show times: 12:10, 12:45, 1:30, 2:15, 3:20, 4:00, 4:50, 5:50

Germany

Listen as Helga tells the story of the first Christmas tree and the tale of her first Nutcracker in the Germany Pavilion.

Show times: 1:00, 2:00, 2:55, 3:55, 5:30, 6:05, 6:40, 7:15

Italy

Italy’s good Christmas witch, La Befana, remembers the Epiphany and her first Christmas 2,000 years ago in the Italy Pavilion.

Show times: 1:00, 2:00, 2:40, 3:20, 4:20, 5:20, 6:00, 6:45

The American Adventure

Tell Santa Claus what you want for Christmas in Santa’s Village in the America Pavilion. Mrs. Claus will be there, too!

Show times: 1:30 – 2:40, 3:30 – 4:40, 5:30 – 6:40, 7:30 – 8:40

Experience the spirit of Kwanzaa as the Storyteller tells of the celebration of family, creativity and community.

Show times: 12:20, 1:05, 1:50, 2:35, 3:20, 4:05, 4:45, 6:00

Step inside The American Adventure’s rotunda to discover the connection of today’s Hanukkah tradition and the story of the brave Maccabees and the lamp that burned miraculously for eight days.

Show times: 12:15, 1:00, 1:45, 2:25, 3:25, 4:00, 4:50, 5:45

Japan

Hear the story of the Daruma doll and the Japanese customs of the New Year in the Japan Pavilion.

Show times: 12:50, 1:25, 2:15, 3:05, 4:00, 4:50, 5:35, 6:45

Morocco

Drum with Taarji as he celebrates the customs of Ramadan and Ashura in the Morocco Pavilion.

Show times: 2:10, 2:55, 4:30, 5:35, 6:15, 7:20

France

Gather around Père Noël in the France Pavilion and listen as he shares a letter from a little girl that recreates the magic of Christmas through the eyes of a child.

Show times: 11:20, 11:55, 12:30, 1:15, 2:05, 3:30, 4:20, 5:05

United Kingdom

Spend some time with jolly Father Christmas in the United Kingdom Pavilion as he makes traditions from Christmas past just as fun today.

Show times: 2:45, 3:55, 4:35, 5:25, 6:10, 6:45, 7:30, 8:25

Canada

Canadian lumberjack Nowell tells of his journey to find Santa at Christmastime in the Canada Pavilion.

Show times: 11:15, 12:00, 12:45, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:15

Joyful! A Gospel Celebration of the Season
Joyful! takes place on the Future World Fountain Stage at 1:15, 2:15, 3:15 and 4:15 p.m. each day until December 29. The music and singing are soulful and inspiring and if you’re in Future World around one of the show times, it’s worth stopping by for a listen.

Candelight Processional
Candlelight Processional is one of the most beloved holiday traditions at Epcot and now we know why. A celebrity narrator (see complete list here) retells the Christmas story and is accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and mass choir. It is performed nightly at 5:00, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m. at the America Gardens Theatre and lasts about 45 minutes.
Unless you have a Candlelight Dining Package (which guarantees seating at the Candlelight Processional) it’s a good idea to get in line about an hour before show time. The closer it gets to Christmas, the earlier you’ll want to arrive.

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
During Holidays Around The World, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth has a unique finale that includes the song “Let There Be Peace On Earth” and a special message of peace and good will from Walter Cronkite. The show can be seen anywhere around World Showcase Lagoon and begins at 9:30 p.m.

We hope you enjoy Holidays Around The World as much as we did. Let us know if you’re planning to attend and if you did attend, let us know how you liked it!

See photos from our Frog Family trip to Holidays Around The World.

Happy Traveling!
Leap

Holidays Around The World is included with regular admission to Epcot and lasts until Dec. 30, 2011.