In my humble opinion Walt Disney Word is the best place to be at Christmas. There are numerous activities and there is a whole sense of celebration everywhere you turn. If you go at Christmas, you need to stay at one of the resorts so you and your family will get the whole effect of the season. As soon as you arrive, you will feel the festive spirit. Everyone is smiling and happy. It is just such a happy place all year round, but Christmas is even more special.
There are several reasons to go to Walt Disney World at Christmas and stay at one of the resorts.
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The Christmas Lights
There are Christmas lights everywhere. At the theme parks, the resorts and at Disney Springs. Every theme park is decorated and there are lights everywhere. The lights are spectacular at night when you walk around the parks or the resorts. There are colored lights in some places and white lights in others. The Disney staff always pick the right lights to hang each year. The décor is amazing all year long but Christmas even more beautiful. There are traditional lights as well as lights that have various shapes and colors, including shapes of characters. Each resort has a theme every day, but each is specially decorated at Christmas.
The Christmas Music
Christmas music is playing everywhere you go at Disney and it just happens to be my favorite music and season. I love Christmas music. The music really helps to get you and your family in a festive mood. It is not hard to be in a good mood at Disney because it is such a happy place and a great vacation spot with your family but there is just something about being there at Christmas and hearing the music. The music is festive and light, and happy. It just makes you want to dance.
One of the highlights of our past Christmases at Disney World was to go to Hollywood Studios to watch the “dancing lights.” The lights were just so spectacular and it was so cool to see all the lights sycranized to the music….Christmas music!!
So if you didn’t know, Disney discontinued the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights” a few years ago but I have videos and I borrowed this one below to share with you. This video happens to be the last night of the lights, so enjoy!
Ode to the “Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights”
The Shows and Parades
You can catch amazing shows throughout the year but there is just something so much more special when you see Santa and his reindeer, or matching soldiers, or other Christmas characters dancing to the Christmas music.
One of our favorite shows to go to while we are at Disney at Christmas is Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays – Candlelight Processional (see the 2019 schedule). The processional is made up of hundreds of people walking into the amphitheater with candles as they form a huge choir on the stage, musicians ranging from winds and horns to a piano and sometimes a harp. A different celebrity reads the Christmas story and the choir performs some of the most beautiful Christmas songs. It gives me chills just thinking about it.
If you go to Epcot at Christmas, make it a point to do the dinner package. You’ll have a very nice dinner and get priority seating at the candlelight processional. It is worth the time and money to take part in this one-of-a-kind experience.
The Decorations
Christmas trees, poinsettias, wreaths, and garland adorn the parks and the resorts. Each resort has multiple trees with different themes. There are Christmas trees and all the trimmings at all the theme parks. In the past couple of years there has been a “Holiday Tree Walk” at Disney Springs. Each tree has a different theme. The Disney staff really go over the top with the decorations. The themed trees are very creative and will sometimes replicate the newest Disney movie and some classics too. The “Holiday Tree Walk” at Disney Springs is a must do at Disney at Christmas and it is free.
One of our favorite things to do is to go resort hopping. We get on the bus at our resort and simply go to Disney Springs. We decide from there which resort we want to go to. At each resort you will see different decorations, lights and enjoy free snacks. Each resort has a table with cookies and hot chocolate set up for guests. It is always a lot of fun to see the decorations. One of our favorites is the Grand Floridian where they have a life-size gingerbread house that is fully decorated, and you can purchase fresh baked gingerbread cookies and other goodies.
The Holiday Cheer
From the time you arrive at Disney World you will feel the excitement and the spirit of holiday cheer. The festive mood just grabs you. It is hard not to be in a a festive mood when surrounded by the decorations and the music.
At the Magic Kingdom each year they have Mickey’s Christmas celebration. You must purchase separate tickets for this event, but it is worth it when the masses are reduced inside the park and you are able to walk onto the rides and be included in a special celebration.
Each park has their parades everyday but they are specially decorated at Christmas too. There is just so much excitement in the air, it is hard not to be excited and joyous. It is a must do!
Words to the Wise
Be warned. If you decide to go to Walt Disney World at Christmas, you will be there with thousands of your neighbors. That is the only draw-back to going at that time of year but not one that many people consider when they plan to go. There are large crowds, long lines and many places are full. Make sure to plan well in advance. Make your dining reservations ahead of time. Choose your Fastpasses before you arrive, because there will be little if any available when you get there. If you do these things, you will be set and enjoy a wonderful time at Disney at Christmas. It’s the best place to be!
Hope you enjoy your Christmas vacation when you go to Disney.
Pamela
Hello Pamela,
You have written an outstanding article on vacationing at Disney World. I enjoyed how you have categorized the events such as: The Christmas Lights, Christmas Music, The Decorations, Holiday Cheer, Word To The Wise. Then to follow explaining each event in detail.
However I am a bit curious of what the monetary value of a vacation of this magnitude is? This would be a question someone would have if they have never vacationed there before.
I absolutely enjoyed the warning you added about the large, thousands of neighbors crowds and the planning phase with the use of Fastpasses.
This is an excellent post for preparing for this type of vacation.
All The Best To You!!!
Jerry
Thank you, Jerry. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know you stopped by. That is an excellent question about how much it would cost to go to Disney. It would all depend on how long you stayed at Walt Disney World, whether you were at a resort or a nearby hotel, how many people in your party, how many days you wanted to go to the parks, whether you wanted park-hopper passes versus a one day pass to one theme park and whether you ate all your meals at the parks or cooked some while you were there. This is an excellent question and one of which I hope to answer in one of my next posts. Without getting too deep into how much it would cost, one should expect to spend at least $4,000-$5,000 for a family of four for a week. It could be a little more a little less depending on so many variables. Thank you again for stopping by and please come back and visit again.
Pamela, fantastic one you have written. I have never been to the Walt Disney world but I usually read about it and see pictures of it here and there and I can tell you that it’s one of the very best places that one can be in for this December. I honestly like how you did Justice to this by telling us the different things that we can do there to have a good time. I love this, thanks!
Thank you, Henderson for stopping by. I appreciate you taking the time to read and let me know you liked the article. I had fun writing it. My family and I love Disney. We go once or twice a year. My husband and I have very stressful jobs and we find that going to Disney is truly the one place we can go to relax and escape reality. I hope you will be able to go soon. When you do I want you to let me know how much fun you had. Thanks again.
Hello, This is an amazing and useful article for anyone who wants to enjoy and spend a memorable Christmas. Reading this post, I find myself in the magic of the holidays, and childhood’s nostalgia comes to mind. Walt Disney World is one of the places that I want to visit with my daughter, and now I know that Christmas time is the best time to go there. Thank you.
Thank you, Alketa. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know you enjoyed my post. I truly hope you get to take your daughter to Disney soon. Disney is a magical place all year round, but especially so at Christmas. We love it there. I’d love to hear back from you after you’ve gone to Disney. Merry Christmas.
I have never for once being at the Walt Disney but I have really heard a lot of good things about the place and the fact that their Christmas plans is always a killer. Simply massive to see from here. Thumbs up to you for sharing here. In all honesty, I feel a sense of need to truly try it out during the holiday. Thanks
Thank you, Rodarrick. I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on my article. I hope you get the chance to go to Disney sometime soon and enjoy it.