Happy vegan Holidays! Today is opening day for the 2025 Holiday Kitchens located throughout World Showcase during the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. For 2025, it looks like the options are identical to last year’s vegan line up, with a cookie switch, and a sad sad removal of my favorite item, but we’ll still review and update when we can make it over to the festival. This EPCOT festival is the shortest in the lineup, ending on December 30, running for just 32 days. Updated below with REVIEWS for 2025!

We will also have our Vegan EPCOT Holidays video review up soon – be sure to subscribe to VeganDisneyFood on YouTube.

What’s Vegan at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays?

Vegan As-is Options at the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays:

Don’t forget to grab a Joffrey’s Peppermint Mocha with Oat (or your choice of plant) Milk to start your World Showcase stroll. There are a few holiday options at Joffrey’s this year. Noting again – all syrups are vegan as-is except honey. All sauces (thicker) are NOT vegan, except for the dark chocolate. The chocolate drizzle is also fine, but not caramel etc. and obviously not the whipped cream. Usually any other toppings like sprinkles, graham cracker crumbles etc. are not vegan either. 

New last year and returning this year is the Nochebuena Cocina, located between Imagination and World Showcase, which will be offering:

• Plant-based Chorizo Tamale with plant-based cotija cheese and spicy red Chile sauce (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly) (Plant-based Item) 

This tamale was a HUGE disappointment this year. It has always been okay…but this year it was cold and dried out. When I got a second one (this was not a case of taking photos for 20 mins, I had even forgotten my phone this trip), it wasn’t much better. The masa is SO thick and very dried out, making it kind of hard to enjoy anything but the bits covered in sauce. The sauce is great and flavorful, I enjoyed it. It’s not spicy in the least, but it is something. If you do get this, I’d recommend asking for a fresh one, and extra sauce. 

Here’s a look at the inside of the Impossible Tamale from previous years – the inside of mine this year definitely didn’t have this much filling:

In perhaps the saddest news of the year, (though it had been declining in quality and kind of a weird crunchy and yet still somehow mushy glop) Peanut Stew is NOT returning to the Refreshment Outpost: 

• DOLE Whip Raspberry and Pineapple – no comment on this because it’s just silly and kind of an insult to include this as a plant-based option for a holiday festival. Well, I guess I did comment.  

Another returning favorite this year are the vegan Potato Latkes – available at the L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen. These are a fan favorite and with good reason. These were the bright spot in an otherwise dismal choice of offerings this season. I would order 100 of these if I could. They are full of oniony flavor, nicely crisp yet soft and fluffy. Really satisfying. These are also gluten-free. 

At the Flower and Garden Festival these were topped with applesauce.  For Festival of the Holidays you’ll find them drizzled with an herbed dairy free sour cream (which I personally prefer).

In 2025 the Holiday Cookie Stroll returns, but this year after having the iconic black and white cookie as a plant-based option, we are sad to report that this year it is NOT vegan. It is now Mickey-shaped and no longer plant-based. 

Instead, we are now getting a new cookie, available at the Odyssey:

• 🍪 Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookie (Plant-based) (New)

 I do happen to love cranberry things, so I was excited to try it, but I know that’s not everyone’s jam. I did enjoy this cookie. I heard other reviews say it was ‘hard’ and not soft like the other cookies. I think that is something we vegans may be used to for whatever reason, because it didn’t bother me. I don’t really enjoy super thick, squishy cookies haha. 

The cookie flavor is very sweet, oatmeal and cinnamon-y. It almost tastes like an artificial ‘cinnamon oatmeal’ flavor with the sweetness, but I don’t hate it. It reminded me of something I had somewhere that I can’t place. (helpful I know haha). The cranberries aren’t overwhelming and provide a bite of tart sourness to counteract the sweetness. I’d definitely get this again. They are made in-house, we asked. 

In the Tangierine Cafe in Morocco, they have kept the same options from the 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, so the falafel wrap is available and vegan, but the Assorted Dips and Stone Baked Moroccan Bread the bread is NOT vegan, and they will not substitute bread.

Glazed and roasted nuts return to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays and are confirmed vegan. 

Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen Menu 

Modifiable and Accidentally Vegan Options at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays (confirmed for 2025):

(But first, let’s talk modifying options: a manifesto – jk)

My thoughts on modifying items have significantly changed since taking over this site and watching items get altered, removed, and replaced with sub-par options. If Disney (or Universal, or anywhere) offers a vegan as-is option, the only way they track the success of that option is by us ordering it. The receipts (literally) from us purchasing the items are how they are tracking if it’s a success or not. They also probably track the cost to make it, labor costs, and how it can stand up to being pre-made etc. (which is why I question how Disney comes up with some of the truly bizarre options they have in the past, vs. simple, easy-to-make and enjoyable recipes). 

That said, times have changed everywhere since the explosion of plant-based-acceptance and initiatives back in 2017-19, the subsequent onset of vegan small business food options, and the then backtracking of acceptance, support, and availability of vegan options in recent years. Not to get political, but the recent ‘new definitions’ of ‘science’ and ‘recommendations’ and ‘facts’ definitely seem to have had a negative effect on veganism’s acceptance and available options on a whole…but I digress. 

My point about the changes was to note that things have changed from the days of having a frozen black-bean burger and nothing else as an option – not just at Disney, but everywhere. There are so many options outside the theme park realm, of simple, easy to make, and delicious options. Entire businesses that are successful (see Crossroads Kitchen, countless donut and baked good shops, and SO much more). It CAN be done, and done well. (This is turning into a larger blog post which I will write soon, it’s been rolling around my brain for years). Anyway, it is possible. In order for Disney to get that message, we need to order the items that ARE vegan. And share our feedback! Not remove 5 dairy and meat-based items and call it modifiable, or happily pay $9 for a bowl of rice or a tostada with black beans on it. You know who doesn’t care that you’re paying for meat they will get to sell again and make more money? Disney. 

So below I will share items that are available to modify by removing in each case ONE item, or vegan as-is but not listed in the booklet due to being a third party vendor and not abiding by the leaf logo standards. 

We can actually get TWO items at the Tuscany Holiday Kitchen in Italy – yes Italy – the booth we always have to walk right by. I’m leaving up the photo below which is the menu from 2024 – note that the Montanara is $9 – however, this year, it is $7.50. So I guess maybe third party folks/Disney listen when it’s NOT a vegan as-is item? Because $9 for fried bread with sauce was kind of bananas. I did not get it this year, as I still think it’s kind of crazy to spend for fried dough and sauce, but if you’re starving and the other options aren’t doing it for you, there you go.

The Montanara is fried pizza dough with marinara sauce – just order without the parmesan and it’s vegan.

Then the Dolce Pizza from last year is the same fried pizza dough tossed in cinnamon and sugar for a nice sweet treat. Accidentally vegan as-is. This year they added chocolate sauce and it’s confirmed still accidentally vegan as-is. It is $7 this year, down 50 cents from 2024’s price. I did not get this at my most recent visit but I probably will try it to share on social media. 

Yes, these are basically just fried dough balls, but if you like bread as much as I do, it’s a fun option. If you’re going to try just one, I recommend the Dolce Pizza. 

Additionally, the Vegetable Steam Bun available from Flower and Garden Festival has been quietly existing over at Katsura Grill in Japan. It’s not part of the festivals since Flower and Garden, but is available if you’d like another savory option. 

Lastly, in perhaps the most bizarre modifiable option, Shanghai Holiday Kitchen in China features a Veggie Spring Roll again this year. HOWEVER – the “citrus sauce” it comes with is not only not vegan, it’s not even vegetarian. The spring rolls themselves are vegan (cross-contamination may occur). The citrus sauce contains chicken stock?! yes, really, as well as OYSTER SAUCE. So not only not even vegetarian, but a shellfish allergen as well. So you may want to avoid this just to be safe, but if you are in the mood for a basic spring roll, order it without the sauce. We note in our video you can add sriracha at the counter, or head to Lotus Blossom Cafe to grab some packets of condiments of your choice (soy sauce, orange sauce, hot sauce, or mustard sauce). It boggles my mind that they would create a sauce like this when a simple sauce would taste amazing and could be vegan too.

In between sampling seasonal bites and sips, you can enjoy Holiday Storytellers, grab the whole family for some more holiday fun with Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt, or experience the beloved Candlelight Processional – a moving retelling of the story of Christmas featuring a celebrity narrator and stirring songs performed by an orchestra and choir.  

We hope you enjoyed this list and review of all the vegan and modifiable options for this year’s EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. Be sure to check back for our updated video and follow along on instagram @VeganDisneyFood for more content throughout the season! 

Video Review of the Vegan Options at the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays: 

We haven’t seen any updates on souvenir cups or holiday popcorn buckets, aside from the music-box-cookie-tin-style bucket available at Magic Kingdom, so we’ll check when the Festival opens and report back. 

Living with the Land Glimmering Greenhouses is  a holiday overlay within the greenhouse portion of this classic opening day attraction which has changed minimally in 40 years.

WARNING: If you are unaware, this ride features images of farming practices, and in the outdoor portion, a section on aquaculture or fish farming. As with many other experiences in Walt Disney World, this section is not vegan in nature so we advise doing research before experiencing things in person if these images or visuals will cause you distress.

After the sun sets, ride the Living with the Land attraction for a special sparkling tour. You can find Living with the Land inside the Land pavilion in the former Future World West, now World Nature.

Enjoy a peaceful evening cruise and view twinkling holiday light displays throughout the greenhouses here.

This overlay is magical and we are so happy that Epcot is bringing it back this year. Also making its triumphant return this year is the Candlelight Processional. 

The 2025 festival will run from November 28th through December 30th.

For more information on the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays visit the official Walt Disney World website. Happy Holiday Eating! 

LOOKING FOR VEGAN OPTIONS IN THE THEME PARKS, WATER PARKS AND DISNEY SPRINGS?

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LOOKING FOR VEGAN OPTIONS IN THE WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT HOTELS?

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