Celebrating the Holidays at Walt Disney World

Starting on November 28th, the Walt Disney World Resort will make the transformation to Christmas. This is without a doubt my most favorite time to be in the parks and the resorts. Epcot celebrates Christmas around the World, the Magic Kingdom has Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Disney Studios has the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, and at the Animal Kingdom it’s Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade. Each park has its own unique and very special way of celebrating the Christmas season and getting everyone in the holiday spirit.

For our family its the celebration at Epcot that always gets us in the holiday spirit. Epcot is beautifully decorated to reflect how Christmas is celebrated throughout the world. And when the sun goes down, the lights come on and they truly take your breath away. But, the Magic Kingdom has also come in a close second with us since last year. Last year they premiered the new decorations on Cinderella’s Castle. And I have to admit, standing there watching the lights come on brought a tear to my eyes. I had never seen anything so beautiful. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is also very cool! If you’re yearing to see snow over the holidays just stop by Disney Studios for the show and they will provide you with a nice little snow fall. And the kids will love Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade in the Animal Kingdom.

But the parks arent’t the only place to see while at Disney World during the holidays. While you’re there at this time of year it’s a good idea to take one day or evening to do some resort hopping. Each resort has some really wonderful decorations to see. One of our favorites is the Grand Floridian where you can see a life sized ginger bread house that is built from the ground up each year. It even has a store built into it where you can buy ginger bread cookies and trreats! And the Wilderness Lodge Resort has a beautiful and very tall Christmas tree in the lobby. Hop on over the Animal Kingdom Lodge to see how Christmas is celebrated in Africa too. And of course you can’t forget Downtown Disney which is also decorated for the holidays and fills the air with Christmas carols.

My suggestion is try to see it all when you’re at Walt Disney World for the holidays. If you go more than once a year, use this time to see all the wonderful decorations and holiday programs versus concentrating on the attractions as much. Then on your other visit you can hit all the attractions and shows. It’s a very special time at Walt Disney World that is sure to get everyone in the spirit of Christmas.

Please let us know if you need help planning your trip to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or a Disney Cruise. As I mentioned in a past posting, we are now Disney Vacation Planners and can take care of planning your entire trip for you! Have a Magical day!