Exciting holiday news emerged from EPCOT this week as Disney officially announced the return of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays for 2026. However, the lead-up to this announcement included an interesting detail that fans quickly noticed.
As part of Disney’s “Halfway to the Holidays” teaser campaign, a new stocking was revealed throughout the day, with each stocking hinting at a different holiday event. One of these stockings featured Figment, EPCOT’s purple dragon. Inside, there was a small illustration of a dreidel alongside a festival passport and some holly branches.
Then it just disappeared. Pulled from the Disney Parks Blog and every social media account where it had been posted, including Instagram and X. No explanation given. Fans had theories, mostly centered around the dreidel artwork itself, but none of it has been confirmed by Disney.
Either way, the mystery stocking didn’t stop the real announcement from dropping.
The Holiday Festival Is Officially Back
The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth returns November 27 through December 30, 2026, starting the day after Thanksgiving like it always does.
This year’s lineup brings back World Showcase Storytellers, who pop up throughout the day to share holiday traditions from different cultures. You can catch a Las Posadas celebration in Mexico, a Hanukkah storyteller between the Morocco and France Pavilions, Père Noël in France, and Father Christmas over in the UK Pavilion, just to name a few.
Santa is making the rounds again too. Look for him in CommuniCore Hall, in France with Père Noël telling Babette’s Christmas letter story, and in Norway as the Barn Santa. Goofy also shows up dressed as Santa at The Odyssey if you’re after a fun photo.
Shows and Treats Worth Planning Around
On the entertainment side, the Candlelight Processional returns to America Gardens Theatre, bringing celebrity narrators together with a full orchestra and choir for the Christmas story retelling. JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season is back too, mixing gospel, jazz, and R&B into one high-energy show. The Voices of Liberty also return as the Dickens Carolers, performing Victorian-style holiday tunes.
If food is more your thing, Festival Kitchens are coming back with globally inspired holiday dishes, and the Holiday Cookie Stroll returns for anyone who wants a sweet excuse to walk the whole festival. Buy five qualifying cookies, collect your stamps, and redeem for a treat at the end.
Don’t skip the Gingerbread Spaceship Earth display either. It’s presented by Citizen this year, and the Celebration Countdown lights up the sphere every fifteen minutes with new music and effects.
Planning Ahead For the Holidays
With dates locked in, now’s a good time to start planning a trip if EPCOT’s holiday season is on your list. And it’s not just EPCOT either. Holiday touches show up across all four Walt Disney World parks, Disney Springs, and a lot of the resort hotels too, so there’s plenty to do beyond World Showcase if you’re staying longer.
As for that missing Figment stocking, nobody really knows what happens next. Maybe it comes back. Maybe it gets a quiet redesign. For now it’s just a fun little mystery attached to an otherwise pretty exciting holiday announcement.
