Can you think of a better way to kick off the holiday season than with a face-to-face interaction with Jolly Old Saint Nicholas himself? Guests attending the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays have the opportunity to experience just that, as the Santa Claus meet and greet has returned to the Odyssey Pavilion for this year’s event.
Santa Claus Meet and Greet at 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
This is the second consecutive year that Santa Claus has found an abode away from the North Pole at the Odyssey Pavilion. His EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays meet and greet was previously held at The American Adventure.
The meet and greet opportunity is located in a portion of the pavilion’s dining area, the same area where it was held last year.
A sign featuring the scheduled meet and greet times has been placed near the set. The interaction takes place daily from 11 p.m.–12:00 p.m., 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m., 2 p.m.–3 p.m., 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m., 5 p.m.–6 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.–7 p.m.
The experience starts before you even catch a glimpse of the big man himself. Guests partaking in the Santa Claus meet and greet receive a complimentary ornament inspired by “The Santa Clauses” Disney+ program, which debuted last year. The show, which is a continuation of “The Santa Clause” film franchise starring Tim Allen, is currently in the midst of releasing its second season.
The ornament comes in a brown envelope that features snowflake ornament imagery.
“The Santa Clauses” and Disney+ branding are seen on the back.
Guests can also make sure Santa gets their Christmas list by filling out and leaving a card. The front of the card features a multi-shaded maroon design centered around a large “S.” The back contains several lines on which you can write out your holiday list or simply leave Santa a friendly note.
Santa meets guests from inside his ‘sleigh,’ which is actually a series of spaced pieces that look like a grand sled from a head-on view. The sleigh looks largely identical to how it looked last year, though the front has been touched up with a fresh blue gradient overlay.
A stack of gifts towers over Santa from the back of his sleigh. The meet and greet features a new background, with cartoonish snow-lined trees against a scenic nightfall replacing the former backdrop that featured a realistic forest image in addition to physical props.
Santa Claus wears his iconic fur-lined red coat, thick brown belt, and classic hat.
Check out our full video of the meet and greet here:
The Santa meet and greet will be available at EPCOT through December 24. Guests can also meet Santa Claus around Walt Disney World Resort at Magic Kingdom (during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party), Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs, and (eventually) Blizzard Beach (the tropical Santa meet and greet hasn’t yet commenced).
Will you be meeting Santa Claus at the Odyssey Pavilion during the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays? Let us know in the comments.
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