Things are HOPPIN’ in EPCOT these days!

We’re in the middle of the International Festival of the Holidays, so there are special food booths, new merchandise, holiday storytellers, and unique decorations! On top of that, the ever-popular Candlelight Processional is back with nightly shows. But that’s not all that’s going on in EPCOT — let’s take a look at everything that’s new!

EPCOT Food Updates

Les Vins des Chefs de France

Let’s kick things off with an update on food! Les Vins des Chefs de France was still closed and blocked off, but we noticed a lot of Cast Members moving around in the area.

We also spotted the menu…and there were some BIG price jumps! You’ll need to budget a little extra for this one when it reopens.

We’ll keep an eye on this area to see if there are any more changes in the coming days and weeks.

Chefs de France Got Price Hikes As Well — Click Here to Learn More!

EPCOT Construction Updates

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Construction is moving along on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Throughout the week, we noticed quite a bit of progress with painting on the building. We can’t wait to check this one out next year!

Thanks to recent updates, we know what the interior of the space will look like as well. It’s all starting to come together!

EPCOT Transformation

Also, the old Mouse Gear location was getting some updates as well. It now has walls of windows, similar to the style of the Creations Shop. We’re curious to see what comes next.

There’s a lot of new and exciting things coming soon to EPCOT — this transformation is going to be BIG!

Click Here to Learn More About the New Restaurant Coming to EPCOT!

EPCOT Attractions Updates

American Adventure

Throughout the last few days, we spotted technical difficulties with the American Adventure show twice. On two separate visits, the show was closed to guests.

If this one is a family favorite, make sure to check the app before making the hike to the back of World Showcase in the next few days. When attractions are closed, you’ll typically find that they’re listed as “temporarily unavailable” in My Disney Experience.

Click Here to See Which Attractions Close When it Rains!

EPCOT Merchandise Updates

Pin Traders

There were quite a few new merchandise updates this week, and we’re excited to share all of them with you! Starting at Pin Traders, there was several pins leftover from the Disney Heroes vs. Villains Pin Trading event.

They’ve got representatives from a bunch of different Disney movies in this collection, how cool is that?!

Creations Shop

We spotted several new Disney-themed patches in Creations Shop this week. These would look great on a bag or denim jacket! Most of the designs ranged in price from $9.99 (for single patches) to $19.99 (for a set of four).

There’s also a new pin set with inspirational phrases — they even have little hidden Mickeys! This set is $17.99. 

And as it gets a little colder in the parks, what better way to dress than with this adorable Tinker Bell long sleeve tee? We spotted it in Creations Shop as well in a few different adult sizes. It’s selling for $32.99. 

But Tinker Bell isn’t the only Disney icon with wings — Figment fans will want to rush and grab the new holiday phone case. It’s a 3-D effect case with Figment in his holiday sweater, but there’s a bonus…the snowman is dressed like The Dreamfinder from the original iteration of the ride! You can get it for $34.99. 

Don’t need a new phone case but love the design? Don’t worry, Disney has you covered! You can snag the matching magnet for $14.99. 

Man, that really makes us miss the old Journey Into Imagination! (Now we have creepy Nigel Channing moon and skunk smell instead.)

House of Fortune

Over in the China Pavilion, there was a new holiday display in House of Fortune. We love seeing the World Showcase countries get all festive!

And included in the display were these precious little reindeer antlers for $6.99. If Minnie ears aren’t your thing, you can go for the Christmas look instead.

This shop is a great place to find some really unique merchandise. (And probably a good place to do some holiday shopping, as well!)

Mitsukoshi

In Japan, we stopped by Mitsukoshi to see what was new, and we were shocked to find a HUGE price increase on the KitKats. The last time we tried one of these unusual flavors, they were $9.49 per bag.

Now, you’ll have to shell out $12.95 per bag, so you may have to pick just one flavor. It’s so hard to choose, though!

Germany Pavilion

In Germany’s Christmas shop, Die Weihnachts Ecke, we spotted some new holiday items that would make great gifts! First up, there’s a new Nutcracker Christmas ornament for $32.95.

They also had a bottle of German wine, Gluhwein, for just $12!

This shop always has the neatest stuff. Make sure to stop by on your next visit to Germany!

Disney Traders

In Disney Traders, we spotted yet another piece of Encanto merchandise. This new Mirabel tee is beautiful with the floral details!

We found it in several adult sizes for $36.99.

Click Here to Check Out Disney’s Holiday Merchandise!

EPCOT Crowds Update

And finally, let’s talk crowds. It has been very busy the past few days since Thanksgiving break, and things don’t seem to be getting any lighter.

Especially if you’re visiting on the weekend, expect crowds all around the park during the Festival of the Holidays. Sometimes it was difficult to navigate through the various pavilions. You may have to wait in line a while if you’re visiting the festival booths.

We’ll make sure to keep our eyes peeled for any more news and updates from the theme parks, so stay tuned to DFB this holiday season!

Click Here to See What’s New in Magic Kingdom!

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When was your last visit to EPCOT? Tell us in the comments!

The post What’s New in EPCOT: Several Price Increases And Heavy Crowds first appeared on the disney food blog.