The EPCOT Festival of the Holidays is here, and we are celebrating the holidays IN STYLE, by eating all the things.

But we’re also spending time enjoying some fun activities and entertainment, including the Candlelight Processional. But here’s the thing — is it worth the extra cost to get the Candlelight Processional dining package, which includes guaranteed seating for the show? Let’s find out!

The Candlelight Processional dining package can be booked at one of eight EPCOT restaurants. Call us predictable, though, because we chose the Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room (which is a longtime favorite of ours!). The package gets you an appetizer, entree, dessert, and choice of non-alcoholic beverage.

It’s $64 for adults and $28 for kids, but is it worth it?

Atmosphere

Okay, so we LOVE just about everything about the Rose and Crown, and that hasn’t changed. It’s got that cozy U.K. pub feeling that makes us feel so warm inside. There’s a pub, where you can get some AMAZING fish and chips and pints…

…and a dining room, which is the table service restaurant where we ate.

The decor looks cluttered, just like in a traditional pub, with old ads, cooking tools, newspaper clippings, and framed photographs. It’s got a British small-town vibe and we are here for it. There’s even a pianist playing some tunes for guests.

But what we’re here for is the food, so let’s see what that’s like.

Eats

The menu includes some classic U.K. staples, including starters like a Coronation Salad and a Scotch Egg. Entrees are hearty meals like Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash, and Shepherd’s Pie. To round out the meal, you can get a plant-based gelato or something more traditional like Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Non-alcoholic beverages include soda, tea, coffee, and the EARidescent Sip-a-bration. A variety of beers and wines are also available for an additional charge.

For our starter, we went with the Scotch Egg, which is a Golden-fried Hard-boiled Cage-free Egg wrapped in Sausage with Mustard Sauce. It was DELICIOUS. The eggs were cooked well, and the sausage had a nice crunch on the outside. The mustard really brought out the flavors. However, we didn’t think this was anything TOO special. But we liked it, nonetheless.

For our main course, we went with the Bangers and Mash. This is a Traditional English Sausage with Colcannon Potatoes, Mushroom, Onion, and Red Wine Demi. This was another tasty choice. The red wine sauce is VERY rich, though. The potatoes do have a strong onion taste, so keep that in mind if you don’t enjoy the taste of onions. The sausage also has a lot of flavor. This is probably something for more adventurous eaters, though.

Then it was time for dessert and we HAD to go with the Sticky Toffee Pudding. If you’ve never had it, this is a Steamed Pudding “Cake” served with Warm Vanilla Custard and Hot Butter-Rum Sauce. It is AMAZING. The custard was DIVINE and the cake was dense and absorbed the butter rum sauce (which reminded us of a caramel sauce). Seriously, we could just come here and eat like a dozen of these with ZERO regrets. It is VERY rich, so keep that in mind.

Okay, we are STUFFED, but our night has just started!

Candlelight Processional

At your meal, you’ll get a ticket stamped with that day’s date and the time of the Candlelight Processional you’ll be attending.

You’ll need to arrive in time to get your guaranteed seat for the processional. This is where the extra cost of the dining package may be worth it.

As you can see, we had great seats and we didn’t have to wait in a long line to possibly get a spot.

Nosh or Not

Get the Candlelight Processional Dining Package at Rose and Crown if…

• You have a big appetite — you’ll get three courses, so you’ll want to make sure you arrive on an empty stomach.
• You want a guaranteed seat at the Candlelight Processional — this is a popular event and seating is limited.
• You are an adventurous eater — this particular restaurant is not for picky eaters (although there are other Candlelight Processional options that might satisfy those with pickier palates).

Skip the Candlelight Processional Dining Package at Rose and Crown if…

• You have picky eaters in your party. If you still want to do the dining package, you might be better off at a different location.
• You’re looking for lighter fare. The dishes here are rich and heavy — you will absolutely leave feeling full.
• You want to sample dishes at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. Do NOT book a three-course meal if you want to check out other festival offerings.

Overall

We are big fans of the Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room and visit this restaurant often. When we did the math, the dining package did come out to about $14 more than what our meal might have cost if we’d purchased everything a la carte.

However $14 isn’t a lot to pay to get guaranteed seats for the Candlelight Processional, which gets you a chance to see the entire show, as well as the celebrity narrator (we got to see Simi Liu, aka Marvel’s Shang Chi!). Rose & Crown isn’t the only restaurant with a dining package — here’s all of the information you need about the 2022 Candlelight Processional Dining Packages.

However, if you’re visiting the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays for the food booths, you may want to skip such a big meal because you’ll be too full to try anything else. It’s a trade-off you’ll have to consider.

Here are our reviews for EVERY SINGLE FOOD BOOTH at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

Will you be visiting the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays this year? Are you considering the Candlelight Processional dining package? Let us know in the comments!