I think a lot of people go to F&W with the express purpose of doing a lot of the food booths. For the Festival of the Holidays, the food booths are far fewer and are more incidental to the whole holiday thing, so the lines may not be so long. We found that it helped during F&W to be in the World Showcase as soon as it opened at 11 and then hit some of our favorites early. The lines tend to very short at that time, and I'm sure that would be true for the holiday time. And it also helps to have reviewed the menus so you know which booths to prioritize and which can be optional. As far as Epcot being crowded in general, as noted, the Candlelight Processional draws large crowds, so the American Adventure area of Epcot outside the theater can be extremely crowded from the late afternoon on, as people will gather outside the theater to listen if they haven't been able to get a seat. That makes walking around that part of the park very difficult at that time of day. We've been at WDW many times in early December and haven't found Epcot that crowded, in terms of being able to walk and move around, partly because it is just so big and spreads crowds out better. But, as noted, Saturday will be a popular day for locals to take in the holiday festivities, so have a plan, pack your patience, and just enjoy being in the most magical place on earth!.
