We Completed Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition & This is How it Went Down (Plus Tips & Tricks!)

Ever since my two kiddos participated in Remy’s Hide and Squeak scavenger hunt during Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival this year, they’ve been anxiously awaiting the next festival’s find and seek activity.

Starting on November 27th, the Festival of the Holidays has been in full swing over in Epcot. There’s so much merriment to be had throughout the festival, but my kids just couldn’t wait to complete Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition this year!

If you’re unfamiliar, Epcot offers a fun scavenger hunt during each of its festivals. These are a great way to keep the kids entertained while you’re getting your eat and drink on around the World Showcase pavilions.

Epcot’s Previous Scavenger Hunts

Here’s the scavenger hunts that Epcot has featured in the past:

• Festival of the Arts- Figment’s Brush with the Masters

• Flower & Garden Festival – Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration

• Food & Wine Festival – Remy’s Hide and Squeak

• Festival of the Holidays – Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition, but was formerly Chip and Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree

Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition

For this holiday-themed hunt, you’ll find everyone’s favorite snowman hidden in each of the pavilions around the World Showcase. Olaf is in search of new holiday traditions! As you find him, you’ll place a sticker on a designated spot on the map. Once you’ve completed the hunt, you can get the map stamped and collect a prize.

We picked up our maps and stickers at Disney Trader’s at the top of the World Showcase as you enter from Future World. This was priced at $7.99, and we were able to use our Passholder discount to save 20 percent. 😀

You can also find these at Mouse Gear and World Traveler at the International Gateway.

Our Recommended Search Route

My boys loved this activity so much that we’ve actually completed it TWICE! The first time we started in Mexico and worked our way around the World Showcase in a clockwise direction. The second time, we began in Canada and moved around that way.

I’d actually recommend that you start in Canada. By hunting in the counterclockwise direction, we were able to catch most of the character cavalcades as their route typically begins right before the China pavilion and ends between the United Kingdom and Canada pavilions.

What to Look Out For

Olaf is a statue and he’s about a foot tall. He can be found on his sleigh and depending on where you find him, he’ll have something on his sleigh that represents the holiday tradition of that country.

Here in the Canada pavilion, you’ll see Olaf with a basket full of gingerbread cookies. On the back of the map, there’s a short blurb that explains what each holiday tradition or symbol means for that country.

Did you know that in Norway traditional ornaments are made out of straw and are often made in the shape of a goat? We didn’t either! All of us learned a lot about both the holidays and the traditions found throughout the world.

Typically, you’ll find Olaf outside…but in some pavilions, he’s harder to find than in others. You might really have to explore and look in all the nooks and crannies of a pavilion to find him. (I’m looking at you, Morocco! PSSST…look near the fountain!)

We love this though! We always find new things that we’ve never noticed before. All of the pavilions are so detailed! This gives us a chance to explore it all.

Different then Remy’s Hide and Squeak hunt, Olaf might even be found in gardens and shrubbery. (Cough, Cough…China and World Showplace!)

My boys decided to take turns at each pavilion to designate who was going to find Olaf. Our oldest son was super quick at finding Olaf at first, and our other son was frustrated that he never got the chance to find him on his own. In order to make it fair, they took turns on who would be the “finder” at each pavilion.

How to Claim Your Prize

Once your map is complete, make sure to return to either Disney Traders, Mouse Gear, or World Traveler to get your map stamped and to claim your prize.

This year’s prize is your choice out of three Olaf cups. There are three different designs, and they are holographic with pictures that change as you move the cup around.

Here’s a Few Other Tips & Tricks

• You do not have to finish the entire hunt to claim the prize. The fee to play is really the cost of the souvenir cup.
• If you don’t want to return, especially if crowds are heavy, you can ask for the cup as soon as you purchase the map and stickers.
• This is for people of all ages! We saw lots of adults and kids alike searching for Olaf.
• Don’t be afraid to help out other guests! You’ll see lots of families with confused looks on their faces as they’re looking around the pavilions. It adds to the excitement to search around with others, even if you don’t know them! 😀
• If you get stuck, find a cast member and ask for a clue. It’s fun to include them and they gave us some helpful hints. We always made the kids ask the cast members for help. This gave them some awesome practice with asking for and following directions, too.
• Be prepared to be on the move…searching for Olaf is a very active activity! While I’d rather sit and relax while I’m enjoying my festival eats, at least the kids were entertained and learning a lot too! (And you’ll burn off all the extra calories that you ate that day!)

Do you plan on visiting Epcot this holiday season? Have you or your kids participated in Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition? Do you have any other tips and tricks to help other Dis fans? Don’t forget to add them in the comments below.

Before you go, don’t forget to join us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. We’re in the parks at least once or twice per week and we love taking you along. We share lots of tips and tricks to help you plan your next vacation!