Journey of Water, Inspired by “Moana” is set to begin its soft opening period today at EPCOT.
Journey of Water Soft Opening
The walk-through attraction is set to begin soft opening to guests October 6, 2023. The attraction will be open to guests for select hours and days through October 15. Journey of Water will officially debut in World Nature on October 16, alongside a new Moana meet and greet.
The soft opening period for the attraction might also utilize a virtual queue, so be sure to check the My Disney Experience app should you want to participate.
The time for fa-la-la-la-la is just around the corner! To celebrate, the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth at Walt Disney World Resort brings the joyful season to life with magical traditions, jubilant entertainment, delicious dishes and sparkling merchandise.
Grab a mug of hot cocoa and let’s take a look at all that’s coming!
NEW Celebrity Narrators Join EPCOT Candlelight Processional Alongside Returning Favorites
Long a guest favorite, the EPCOT Candlelight Processional is the retelling of the Christmas story by a narrator and a massive choir, accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra, herald trumpets and the incredible Voices of Liberty. This spectacular event returns this year with more new celebrity narrators than ever before! Nine new voices join the ranks of captivating storytellers who share the universal message of this heartwarming story.
To plan your visit, here’s the full list of this year’s celebrity narrators:
Chrissy Metz (NEW): Nov. 24-25
Luis Fonsi (NEW): Nov. 26-27
Ann-Margret (NEW): Nov. 28-29
Simu Liu: Nov. 30-Dec. 2
John Stamos: Dec. 3-5
Neil Patrick Harris: Dec. 6-8
Marlee Matlin: Dec. 9-11
Brendan Fraser (NEW): Dec. 12-14
Eva Longoria (NEW): Dec. 15-16
Joey McIntyre (NEW): Dec. 17-18
Sterling K. Brown (NEW): Dec. 19-20
Jordan Fisher (NEW): Dec. 21-23
Steven Curtis Chapman: Dec. 24-26
Audra McDonald (NEW): Dec. 27-28
Lisa Ling: Dec. 29-30
Candlelight Processional Dining Packages Open Oct. 17
Want to ensure your seat for the performance? There’s no better way than to book a Candlelight Processional Dining Package. Choose from seven distinctive eateries, offering everything from character dining at Chip ‘N’ Dale’s Harvest Feast at Garden Grill Restaurant in The Land pavilion to signature dining at Le Cellier Steakhouse in the Canada pavilion. With breakfast, lunch and dinner options, there’s something for everyone. For more information, including pricing and availability, visit the Disney Travel Agents website.
Santa Returns to the Odyssey Pavilion
Santa Claus himself will visit with guests at the Odyssey pavilion from Nov. 24 through Dec. 24. Don your festive best for the perfect photo op and make sure you’ve been nice! But that’s not all, because …
Storytellers From Around the World Share Tales and Traditions
… World Showcase comes alive with magical legends and lore as storytellers from around the globe captivate listeners with myriad tales. Celebrate the season with laughter in the Norway pavilion as a mischievous Barn Santa makes an appearance; observe the wonder of a Chinese Lion Dancer commemorating the Lunar New Year; join a fascinating journey to learn more about Hanukkah festivities around the world; and rediscover the magic of special moments as Pere Noel shares the delightful words of a child’s letter. As you stroll the park, don’t miss the beautiful and diverse décor throughout World Showcase – and beyond.
Even More Joy
To fill your cup up even more, sing along with the exuberant voices of JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season in World Showcase Plaza. With uplifting Gospel and R&B songs celebrating Christmas and Kwanzaa, the biggest challenge you’ll have will be standing still! And as a bonus, enjoy a sparkling boat tour through Living with the Land in World Nature, where the greenhouses will be decked out with twinkling holiday light displays.
Tantalizing Holiday Kitchens and a Decadent Cookie Stroll Highlight Seasonal Flavors
What’s a holiday without feasting? If tucking into delicious goodies is your favorite way to celebrate, then you’ve come to the right place. More than 15 Holiday Kitchens will entice your palate with treasured dishes that celebrate a panoply of global holiday cheer. While we can promise you that there will be plenty of returning favorites like Slow Roasted Turkey with Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Cranberry Sauce, there are also scrumptious surprises in store. Keep an eye out for all the jolly details coming soon in the Disney Eats Foodie Guide.
Remember to save room for the delectable Holiday Cookie Stroll! There’s nothing better than exploring the sights and sounds of the festival with a sweet treat in hand. My family loves to try them all, and I know you will, too. Purchase five cookies from any of the official cookie stroll locations and collect the matching stamp for each cookie to add to your festival passport. Once you’ve collected five stamps, bring the stamped passport to the Holiday Sweet & Treats Holiday Kitchen and receive a specialty cookie. Since you can complete the stroll at your leisure through December 30, it’s the perfect activity to enjoy with family and friends every time you visit the festival.
Set off on an adventure with Olaf for his Holiday Traditions Expedition Scavenger Hunt, a fun way to explore World Showcase. Just purchase your map and stickers from select festival merchandise locations and seek out the “tradition” that Olaf has found in each pavilion. Whether or not you complete the quest, you can redeem your map at Creations Shop, Disney Traders or World Traveler at International Gateway for a special festival holiday keepsake.*
Note that to experience any in-park offerings, guests must have valid theme park admission and may need a theme park reservation depending on the type of admission and date of visit. The ability to visit a theme park is subject to the park’s capacity limitations.
From celebrating beloved and familiar traditions to learning about new ones, EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth is the perfect way to embrace the cheer and good will of the season. Be sure to stay tuned to Disney Parks Blog for more details now through the beginning of the festival.
*Redemption valid through Dec. 30 or while supplies last.
Season 2 of the Disney Parks “Behind the Attraction” series is coming to Disney+ this November.
The whole season will be available starting November 1.
Behind the Attraction: Season 2
Attractions featured will include:
Pirates of the Caribbean
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Indiana Jones Adventure
Other episodes will focus on Nighttime Spectaculars, Food, and EPCOT.
The official episode descriptions read:
Pirates of the Caribbean
It’s a pirate’s life for everybody aboard Pirates of the Caribbean! Walt Disney loved adventure stories, especially ones that featured swashbuckling pirates. That inspiration led to one of the most beloved attractions in Disney history. Initially conceived as a wax museum, technological advances convinced Walt that a more sophisticated attraction could be created using state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics figures. The classic version in Anaheim proved so successful it spawned a hit movie franchise and iterations in Disney parks around the world, including the cutting edge reimagining at Shanghai Disneyland.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Step aboard the wildest ride in the wilderness! Based on a concept by Disney Legend Marc Davis, Imagineer Tony Baxter reimagined this mountainous thrill ride that is sure to float your goat! Inspired by the American West, this attraction has spread around the world. The version at Disneyland Paris is on an island and is connected to Phantom Manor, while the ones at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Park are inverted versions of each other on opposite coasts. Hong Kong Disneyland Park even boasts a sister attraction – Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has it all – runaway trains, mining town Rainbow Ridge, disturbed spirits, and spinning possums! Rumor has it there’s even a secret goat trick…
Indiana Jones Adventure
Crack the whip and join Indiana Jones on the adventure of a lifetime – just beware of the snakes! Following the success of Star Tours, Michael Eisner and Frank Wells thought it was time to have George Lucas bring another cinematic hero to the Disney parks. With action sequences in every Indiana Jones movie that seemed like blueprints for exciting attractions, the choice was obvious. Indy is everywhere in the parks, from a live action stunt show, to Disney’s first inversion roller coaster at Disneyland Paris, to the thrilling Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland Park that proved so popular another one was built at Tokyo DisneySea. These attractions are so good, they belong in a museum!
EPCOT
Where can you both glimpse the future and travel the world without leaving Florida? At the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, where the impossible becomes possible! When it opened in 1982 at Walt Disney World Resort, EPCOT was the biggest Disney park yet. At its heart stands the astounding architectural achievement that is Spaceship Earth. Arrayed around the lagoon, World Showcase features pavilions that celebrate nations from around the world. Some even host attractions, like Norway’s Frozen Ever After and France’s Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, as well as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in the World Discovery neighborhood. As long as there is imagination left in the world, EPCOT will never be complete.
The Food
Churros, DOLE Whip, turkey legs, and more… Discover the stories behind these tasty treats! Walt knew food was crucial to the park going experience. From walk-around snacks to themed dining experiences like the piratical Blue Bayou Restaurant, there’s something for everyone. Learn how the churro debuted at a Disneyland teen nightclub, how the Central Bakery makes all of Disneyland’s sweets, and what goes on at the secretive Flavor Lab at Walt Disney World. What’s the Flavor Lab? That would be telling! Globally, explore how Disneyland Paris puts their twist on Walt’s favorites, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort creates character-shaped dim sum, and Tokyo Disneyland reimagines popcorn, to name a few. Food keeps the story going beyond the attractions!
Nighttime Spectaculars
The magic continues after dark with Disney Parks’ nighttime spectaculars. What began as a fireworks show in the skies above Disneyland Park has evolved, over the years, into a wide array of shows at Disney parks around the globe. Thanks to technological innovations like projection mapping, mist screens, and even drones, they have become more spectacular with every passing year. Longstanding Disney favorites like the “Main Street Electrical Parade,” “Fantasmic!,” and “World of Color” have been joined by newer dazzlers like “Momentous” at Hong Kong Disneyland Park and “ILLUMINATE!” at Shanghai Disneyland. Come for the attractions, stay for the shows!
Watch the season 2 trailer below.
Season 1 is still available for streaming. It has 10 episodes featuring the Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Star Tours, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the Castles, Disneyland Hotel, Space Mountain, “it’s a small world,” the Hall of Presidents, and Trains, Trams, and Monorails.
Perseverance Rover tracks have debuted at Mission: SPACE at EPCOT after a collaboration between Imagineering and NASA.
The Mars sculpture is still in poor condition, with visible wear and tear on the red planet.
Walt Disney Imagineering & @NASA combined the magic of space & Disney to update an in-park display recreating the surface of Mars in Mission: SPACE at EPCOT. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/hR7c6hOTda
“NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory provided images captured by [the Perseverance rover] as reference for our artisans, a 3D print file to recreate sample tubes used on Mars, and loaned a prototype wheel of the Perseverance rover to create tread marks identical to those currently on Mars,” said Disney in a post on X.
The old Spirit and Opportunity tracks disappeared after a pavement refurbishment back in August 2023.
Located in the heart of Epcot’s World Showcase at Walt Disney World Resort, the Refreshment Port is a delightful culinary stop that offers visitors a diverse and flavorful selection of international and American-inspired dishes. Whether you’re in the mood for a quick snack, a satisfying meal, or a sweet treat, this dining destination has something to satisfy every palate.
The Refreshment Port is strategically positioned between the Canada Pavilion and the World Showcase Plaza, making it a convenient and accessible dining option for guests exploring the diverse cultures of Epcot’s World Showcase.
One of the standout offerings at the Refreshment Port is the classic Canadian dish, poutine. Served piping hot, this indulgent treat features crispy french fries topped with rich beef gravy and cheese curds. It’s a delicious and hearty snack that pays homage to Canada’s culinary traditions.
For those seeking familiar American flavors, the menu at the Refreshment Port includes classic chicken nuggets served with a choice of dipping sauces. These crispy nuggets are perfect for a quick and satisfying bite while you continue your exploration of the park.
The Refreshment Port often features seasonal and limited-time offerings that celebrate various international festivals and holidays at Epcot. These special dishes provide a unique and ever-changing culinary experience, giving guests a reason to return and discover something new each visit.
No visit to the Refreshment Port would be complete without trying one of its sweet desserts. The famous Croissant Doughnut is a popular choice, featuring a flaky, layered pastry that’s fried to perfection and can be customized with various toppings and drizzles. It’s a delectable treat that’s worth the indulgence.
To complement your meal, the Refreshment Port offers a variety of beverages, including soft drinks, bottled water, and a selection of alcoholic beverages. You can quench your thirst and stay refreshed while exploring the park.
One of the advantages of dining at the Refreshment Port is its convenient location. Whether you’re enjoying a leisurely stroll through the World Showcase or hurrying to catch a performance or attraction, this dining destination provides a quick and accessible pit stop for refueling and rejuvenation.
In conclusion, the Refreshment Port at Epcot is a culinary gem that celebrates the diverse flavors of the world while offering beloved American classics. With its convenient location, diverse menu, seasonal specialties, and sweet treats, it’s a must-visit for anyone seeking a satisfying and flavorful dining experience at Disney. Whether you’re a fan of poutine, chicken nuggets, or sweet indulgences, the Refreshment Port promises a culinary journey that will keep you energized and ready for more Epcot adventures. So take a break, savor the flavors, and recharge at this delightful dining destination.
