I am here to admit that I didn’t do my research before going to the Festival of the Holidays at Epcot last Sunday.  I went knowing that there was a festival, new food and drinks to try, a Cookie Stroll, and a scavenger hunt to find Olaf in every country.

What I didn’t know was exactly how the Cookie Stroll worked.  I didn’t know the ins and outs of it.  I have seen Facebook posts of park goers with Tupperware containers of cookies like they were walking out of an abundant holiday cookie exchange.  There is a lovely festival guide that is provided to guests at the Festival locations.  I thinking I know everything there is to know, almost never get one because I look will occasionally look at the menus online or just get surprised when I walk by the various kitchens.

Last Sunday, I went knowing that I would spend the majority of my allotted money for the festival at the L’Chaim kitchen celebrating Hanukkah. The menu spoke to my husband and I with his love for pastrami and my love for latkes and black and white cookies.  We waited in the line despite its snake looking appearance to get our holiday treats.

We ordered a Pastrami on Rye, an order of Latkes, an order of Latkes with Smoked Salmon, and two Black and White Cookies.  We shared the cookies with our two children.  The cast member taking our order asked if we were doing the Cookie Stroll, and I responded with “no” because I thought it was a pay before you go sort of thing.  However, she informed us that we get stamps for the cookies we buy at various Festival Booths and can redeem the stamps for a “prize” at the end after purchasing 5 cookies.  We already had two stamps in our book after she finished her sentence.  I shrugged and told my husband that we “might as well” finish.

The Black and White Cookies were delicious albeit a tad lemony. They were enjoyed by all of my family.

We looked at our book as to where we could get more cookies to complete the stroll, and we landed upon Canada with the Snickers-doodle cookie.  We got two as well and landed two more stamps in our book – one left to go.  We weren’t too impressed with this cookie. I found it dry.  I am not a huge snickerdoodle fan on any day, but I know a good holiday cookie when I eat one.  I think it would’ve been better with some vanilla ice cream.  To each’s own, but we weren’t a fan of this one.

The last one was the Gingerbread cookie at the Holiday Heath Desserts Booth, across from Starbucks. Stroll Complete! I wouldn’t know how this one was as my children devoured it, so it’s kid approved! My husband asked at that booth how to complete the Cookie Stroll, and we were sent to the Holiday Treats and Sweets Booth.

With the completion of the stroll, we were given a paper ornament to celebrate the 25 days of Christmas television special on ABC, a Redemption Cookie, and a Peppermint Sundae in a Festival of Holidays plastic cup which was an excellent dessert to the end of a very filling Cookie Stroll.

We saved the Redemption Cookie for later.  It is adorned with a 50th Anniversary topping.

We did miss out on the Linzer Cookie at the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen in Germany which is disappointing because it looks delicious, but as always the line for the Germany kitchen was long and winding.

Each cookie costs $2.50 which brought our grand total to $12.50 spent on cookies.  No Tupperware containers were filled and brought home.  Maybe, we were just hungry park goers that day?

Would I suggest the Cookie Stroll, sure – if you are up for all the cookie eating, having big party, or just happen to have Tupperware in your park going bag.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog, and DisneyFoodBlog