EPCOT Has a BIG Festival of the Holidays Problem, and I'm Formally Requesting a Solution ASAP

Now that Halloween has officially come and gone…it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

Now that we’re seeing the holiday decorations go up all around Disney World, I think we’re all stoked to experience the holiday season at Disney World! Basically we’re just counting down the days until the beginning of holiday festivities like the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays! Speaking of the party, as much as I adore it, there’s a massive problem that nobody seems to be talking about, and it’s seriously putting a damper on an otherwise magical experience.

Just for context, the 2024 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays runs from November 29th through December 30th and is chock-full of holiday entertainment, merchandise, and food! But as we were saying, this festival has a glaring problem that no one is talking about, so let’s have a chat about it!

Festival of the Holidays

The problem we’re talking about is the fact that we can’t read those festival menus at night! For example if you’re wandering around the World Showcase and you’re ready to sample some cozy seasonal bites, once the sun goes down, the Festival of the Holidays food booth menus become almost impossible to see.

2023 Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen Menu

There you are, hungry and ready to splurge on something festive, yet holding up the line as you squint or reach for your phone flashlight just to figure out if they’re serving up schnitzel or sushi at the booth in front of you.

Where Did This Go Wrong?

The EPCOT festivals really are known for their immersive experiences, great food, and generally smooth execution, so it’s genuinely surprising that menu lighting has been overlooked here.

2023 Refreshment Outpost Menu

It’s not like lighting issues haven’t been solved before. Plenty of festivals, parks, and even food trucks manage to make their signage clear and readable, day or night. So why is it that at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays we still can’t read the dark menus after all these years?

It’s Time to Light Up These Menus!

I mean it’s not like adding proper lighting to the festival menus is a revolutionary idea, and honestly, it seems like it would be a relatively simple fix. Here are just a few lighting solutions that could take our Festival of the Holidays from night-blind to nighttime-friendly:

Menu Backlights: Backlit menus are already used all over Disney World, so EPCOT could easily follow suit here. A little LED backlighting behind the menus would be enough to make them readable without creating light pollution or ruining the cozy, ambient vibe.
Mini Spotlights: Picture tiny, focused spotlights placed right above or below each menu. They’re sleek, effective, and would be easy for guests to read at night.
Portable Illuminated Menu Stands: If permanent lighting is a big ask, another option could be to bring out illuminated menu stands at dusk. Simple, portable stands with lighted menus that could be positioned by each booth at night, which would help guests easily see the options without compromising the cozy aesthetics.
Digital Screens: We know Disney has fully embraced digital boards, so why not consider screens for the Festival of the Holidays? These could even feature rotating images or descriptions, which could add some extra holiday flair!

So Disney, if you’re reading this, here’s my plea: Please give us some menu lights! The Festival of the Holidays should be all about savoring festive foods, not struggling to read them. Let’s brighten up these booths, literally, and make every guest’s experience a bit more merry and bright.

2023 Wine & Wedge Menu

Until then, we’ll be on the lookout for the latest holiday news from Disney World and more, so make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more updates!

EVERYTHING You Need To Know About the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

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