The Walt Disney World Resort certainly knows how to throw a party, and for the Christmas Season there is no better Holiday party than Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom.

This special ticketed event includes Holiday decorations, Disney characters in Holiday attire, special Holiday themed entertainment, the memorable Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade and special Holiday version of Wishes to cap off your night.

• November 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27 and 29
• December 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 22

Spending part of your Holiday Season at the Walt Disney World Resort can be one of the best vacations you ever had.  There are so many special attractions to see at Disney World during this time of year that it really is a totally different experience from a summer Disney World Vacation.


By knowing these helpful tips from Only WDWorld, you can avoid letting the heavy crowds dampen your Holiday Spirit and have a great time:

1. Recognize that the heaviest times are from Wednesday through Saturday during the week of Thanksgiving and from about Christmas Eve through New Year's Day.  If you can visit the Walt Disney World Resort during the first two weeks of December you have have the best of both worlds: lower crowds and all of the Disney Holiday Splendor.

2. If we assume that you are planning to visit during one of these two busy times out of necessity, the key is to plan ahead (which you are doing by reading this post!)  By getting to the theme parks at opening and avoiding the park with extra magic hours you give yourself the best chance to enjoy the most popular attractions during the first 2 - 3 hours that the park is open.  Once you reach the noon to 4:00 pm range the parks will be VERY crowded.

3. Make your Disney Dining reservations ahead of time.  The most popular restaurants will not take walk-ins on the day you want to dine.  You need to make reservations as far ahead of time as possible (up to 180 days prior. )  By having this taken care ahead of time you will greatly reduce stress.  We cannot tell you how many tired, disappoint families we have seen that were unfortunately turned away from restaurants because they had no more openings.

4. Plan to visit the various Disney World Deluxe Resort Hotels in the afternoon.  This is a great way to see some of the best decorations at Disney World and have a fun activity that gets you away from the crowded theme parks.  All of these Hotels have restaurants, so you could plan your lunches there as an option.  Most highly recommended would be: Grand Floridian Resort, Wilderness Lodge, and Animal Kingdom Lodge if we could only pick 3.

5. Take the time to explore the decorations at each of the Disney World Theme Parks.  They all have amazing decorations that you should see.  Each park is decorated uniquely to fit the "style" of the park.

6. The Osborne Family Spectacle Of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios is truly amazing and must be seen.  Plan on seeing it early in your vacation, because you may decide you want to see it again before your vacation is over.  Pictures and YouTube Videos do not do it justice.  There is just an amazing feeling that you get strolling through the Streets Of America while the music is blaring and the lights are dancing in sync to the beat. MUST SEE!

7. The Holidays Around The World at the World Showcase in Epcot is becoming more and more of a favorite each year.  It is truly a different Epcot experience and is worth the couple of hours to catch as many of these presentations from each country represented.  They each share part of their Holiday tradition, whether it is Christmas or a different celebration that is been handed down in their traditions.

8. If you celebrate Christmas, then we strongly urge you to see the Candlelight Processional at Epcot.  This is a special reading of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator accompanied by a wonderful chorus and a 50 piece orchestra.  It takes place in the America Gardens Theatre 3 times each evening.  Although it is free, you may be better off to buy one of the Dinner Packages that gives you guaranteed seating to a particular show.  A memorable experience for the entire family.

9. Bring warm clothes!  This cannot be stressed enough.  Although central Florida still may be warm during the day, it can get chilly during the evenings and you will wish you had those hats, gloves, sweatshirts or jackets with you.  It is not uncommon for the weather to change while you are there, so don't risk it, just remember to pack a few warm items just in case.

10. See the decorations and lights at night!  The decorations take on a special feel at night, so make plans to see them all lit up.  Cinderella Castle really shines and glimmers now that it is transformed into an LED light emblazoned Ice Castle.  The effect is amazing.

One of the most enjoyed aspects of the Disney World Christmas Season will be making its last appearance during 2015.  The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights will shine, dance, amaze, and delight Disney's Hollywood Studios guests for the final time this year ending a tremendous 20 year long run.

The Osborne Family Spectacle Of Dancing Lights

There may not be a more famous example of the American tradition of using lights to illuminate houses and yards to the extreme to celebrate the Christmas Holiday Season than that of The Osborne Family Spectacle Of Dancing Lights.  With its humble roots stemming back to 1986 when Jennings Osborne's 6 year old daughter Breezy asked him if he would hang some Christmas lights on their house in Little Rock, Arkansas. This grew each year until in 1993 they had amassed over 3,00,000 lights in their display.

2015 Holiday Season

Special Disney Dining Events To Enjoy

One of the favorite Disney World Holiday events is returning for Christmas 2015.  The Epcot Candlelight Processional is returning and special dining packages have been announced which include guaranteed seating to one of the Candlelight Processional Shows.

Delicious Dining, Spectacular Shows

Dining Package Pricing

The Walt Disney World Resort is one of the most magical places to enjoy with Holiday season with a multitude of great Christmas and Holiday displays and themed attraction.  Today we look at the Top 6 that you definitely do not want to miss during your vacation to Disney World.

Disney World Top 6 Holiday Themed Attractions

With all of the decorating and changes that appear during the Christmas Holiday season it is hard to narrow our list down to just 6.  We did narrow our list to include only attractions or events that you can see without special "extra" tickets or premium purchases.  All of these can be seen and/or experienced with the regular park admission tickets.

6. Jungle Jingle Cruise

A new Disney World tradition is to add a Holiday flair to one of the original attractions at the Magic Kingdom that dates to opening day in 1971.  This gives you a chance to see a classic attraction with a new twist and ever hear some new Holiday infused jokes to add to all of your favorites.

5. Giant Gingerbread House At Grand Floridian

The decorations across all of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels are amazing, but at the top of your list should be to visit the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa to see the giant Gingerbread house that they build each year!

4. Holidays Around The World at Epcot

How much do you know about how they celebrate the Holidays in different parts of the world?  At Epcot's World Showcase you can experience the Holiday season from 11 different countries and learn how about their traditions during this season.

3. Candlelight Processional

There is something truly magical that happens each evening in Epcot at the America Gardens Theatre as a 50 piece orchestra joins a mass choir and a celebrity narrator to retell the Christmas story.  If you celebrate Christmas this is an amazing presentation that you will not want to miss.

2. A Frozen Holiday Wish

What better way to show off the spectacular transformation of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom into a glimmering Frozen masterpiece than having this transformation happen each evening with Queen Elsa and her sister Princess Anna direct the transformation!

1. Osborne Family Spectacle Of Dancing Lights

Spectacular is certainly the word that comes to mind while experiencing the millions of lights, music, and "snow" that makes up the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  This one of a kind Holiday lighting display cannot be fully appreciated through pictures or video, you really need to walk through it to get the full sensory overloading effect!

The schedule for the 2014 Epcot Candlelight Processional Celebrity Guest Narrators includes a star packed line-up including Neil Patrick Harris, Jodi Benson, Jonathan Groff (Kristoff from Frozen), Joe Morton (from Scandal), Whoopi Goldberg and more.

Groff and Morton join an illustrious list of celebrity narrators for this year’s event including newcomers Ana Gasteyer and returning favorites like Whoopi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris. They will be just part of the Holidays Around the World celebration at Epcot, the Candlelight Processional is one of the most beloved holiday traditions at Epcot – a joyous retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and a glorious mass choir.

• Jodi Benson – 11/28 – 11/29
• Neil Patrick Harris – 11/30 – 12/2
• Jonathan Groff – 12/3 – 12/4
• Whoopi Goldberg – 12/5 – 12/6
• LeVar Burton – 12/7 – 12/9
• Edward James Olmos – 12/10 – 12/11
• Joe Morton – 12/12 – 12/14
• Chita Rivera – 12/15 – 12/17
• Ana Gasteyer (New) – 12/18 –12/20
• Marlee Matlin – 12/21 – 12/23
• Isabella Rossellini – 12/24 – 12/25
• Blair Underwood – 12/26 – 12/27
• Steven Curtis Chapman – 12/28 – 12/30

The Candlelight Processional is presented three times per night at the American Gardens Theater at Epcot. Show times are 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. (Narrators are subject to change without notice.)

Visitors to the Walt Disney World Resort between now and the end of the year will have the opportunity to see one of their favorite attractions "dressed" up for the Holiday Season for the first time ever!  The world famous Jungle Cruise, which has been part of the Magic Kingdom at Disney World since it opened in 1971 will receive its first ever makeover for the Holidays!


Guests will get not only get to see holiday touches added to the attractions, but the fearless Jungle Cruise skipper will also be adding some Holiday inspired humor to their normal repertoire of jokes and puns.

How many of you are excited to see these changes for the Holiday?  Typically this Holiday makeover only happens at Disneyland, but this is big news that Disney World will also be participating in this makeover.

One of the highlights of the Christmas Season each year at the Walt Disney World  Resort is the Candlelight Processional.  This inspirational retelling of the Christmas Story by celebrity narrators accompanied by a 50 piece orchestra and a mass choir is enjoyed by many thousands of Disney World guests each year.

The 2011 version of the Candlelight Processional which is performed 3 times each evening from November 25th through December 30th at the America Gardens Theatre in Epcot.  Showtimes are at 5:00 pm, 6:45 pm, & 8:15 pm.  Shows are FREE, but seating is limited.

For those that celebrate Christmas this is a special event that can be enjoyed by the entire family.  The lineup of celebrity narrators include many that have made this a yearly tradition.

2011 Candlelight Processional Schedule
Nov. 25-27: Mira Sorvino

Nov. 28-Dec. 1: Michael W. Smith
Dec. 2-3: Geena Davis
Dec. 4-6: Edward James Olmos (guest shows at 6:45 and 8:15 p.m. only)
Dec. 7-9: Isabella Rossellini
Dec. 10-12: Neil Patrick Harris
Dec. 13-15: Lorraine Bracco
Dec. 16-18: Chita Rivera
Dec. 19-21: Trace Adkins
Dec. 22-24: Susan Lucci
Dec. 25-27: Blair Underwood
Dec. 28-30: Marlee Matlin


Although performances are FREE the America Gardens Theatre fills up fast.  For a guaranteed seat to Candlelight Processional, guests can purchase a special dining package (on select nights) by calling 407-WDW-DINE.

The Walt Disney World Resort delights guests young and old by having an amazing array of special Holiday Related attractions, displays, and events.  There is so much to see and do relating to Christmas and several other Holiday traditions.


Disney's Animal Kingdom
From November 8th through January 4, Disney's Animal Kingdom celebrates the Holiday season with wonderful animal themed decorations and two special Holiday themed attractions.

The daily parade has been transformed into the Jingle Jungle Parade where King Louie and Baloo lead this rousing musical cavalcade throughout the park.  Also if you venture into Camp Minnie Mickey you will find that Santa Goofy has set up his Holiday Village there.  This is an excellent opportunity to get your picture taken with your favorite Disney Characters in special Holiday outfits.


Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios has many decorations throughout the park, but none that get as much attention as the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights which are operating from November 10th through January 3rd. 


This multi-million light display in the Streets Of America section of the park may be the most amazing Christmas light display that you will find anywhere.  A Disney World tradition since 1995, it gets bigger and better each year.  Now it contains even 3D effects set to amaze all that see them.  This is something that has to be seen in person to truly appreciate.
 


Epcot
From November 25th through December 30th Epcot World Showcase Guests will get a taste of how the Holidays are celebrated at each of the 11 World Showcase Countries.  Unique storytellers that represent the cultural traditions of each country tell the story of the Holiday traditions that they celebrate.  Then each evening in the America Gardens Theatre a celebrity narrator leads that now famous Candlelight Processional that tells the Christmas Story with a 50 piece orchestra and mass choir.


Magic Kingdom
The charm of Main Street U.S.A. comes alive with the wonderful Holiday decorations.  Not to be outdone from November 8th through January 8th Cinderella Castle shimmers with over 200,000 LED lights and 500 strobes to become a glistening ice-castle each evening.  The Castle Dreamlights create a perfect Holiday memory for all that are lucky enough to see it in person.


The Magic Kingdom is also home to Mickey Mouse's special Holiday party called Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights from November 8th through December 18th.  During this special ticketed event Disney Characters are dressed up in their Holiday finest and the Magic Kingdom glistens with Christmas lights and decorations.  The highlight of the evening is the special Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade complete with Toy soldiers and Mickey Mouse himself.


Other Holiday Attractions
The Holiday Decorations are not limited to the four Disney World Theme Parks, you can find an amazing array of decorations on each of the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels, as well as, Downtown Disney.  Throughout Disney World you will discover over 100 uniquely decorated Christmas Trees and numerous Gingerbread and chocolate creations to delight the guests.

The Grand Floridian Resort is home to a life size Gingerbread House created by Disney's own staff of talented chefs while Downtown Disney hosts the Festival Of The Seasons where you can get your picture with Santa Claus from November 18th through December 24th.

As mentioned on the Disney Parks Blog, the incredible night time show "The Magic, The Memories, & You!" is receiving some special additions and updates for the Holiday season (starting now.)

The Magic, The Memories, & You!
The Walt Disney World Resort created a hit when it started showing "The Magic, The Memories, & You!" this past January in the Magic Kingdom Park.  The show projects images onto Cinderella Castle from a number of sources creating an unbelievable transformation to the castle.  It is quite a sight to behold.

For the Holidays the Disney Imagineers have decided to "Plus" this great show by adding Holiday themed elements like gift wrapping the castle complete with bows, adding candy strips, and transforming Cinderella Castle into a magnificent Gingerbread Castle.  The above picture shows a representation of what the Gingerbread Overlay will look like on Cinderella Castle.

Holidays At Disney World
This is just a small taste of what is to come as Disney World begins its transformation for the Holiday Season involving Christmas Trees galore, decorations, and a wide variety of Holiday inspired entertainment that can only be seen during this time of the year.

Nobody decorates for the holidays like the Walt Disney World Resort.  It truly is a magical time to visit.  In addition to all of the festivities and sights that you can normally experience during your holiday season vacation, now Disney World offers two different behind the scenes guided tours.

Yuletide Fantasy
The Yuletide Fantasy tours takes guests to get a behind the scenes look at how the Walt Disney World Resort is transformed each year into a Holiday wonderland. 

You will explore Epcot to see how the holidays are celebrated around the world.  Go from Christmasfest in Germany, to Italy for the legend of La Befana. Take in Hanukkah and Kwanzaa at The American Adventure and the New Year festival, O-Shogatsu, in Japan.


Then you will visit the Magic Kingdom and get an up close look at the decorations that adorn Main Street, U.S.A. in the traditional Christmas fashion.

Finally you visit one of the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels to see how it is decorated for the Holidays.
The Yuletide Fantasy tour takes 3 to 3.5 hours and is only offered once or twice daily from mid-November through the end of the year.  The cost is $84 per person, but Theme Park admission is not required.


Holiday D-Lights
For the complete over-the-top Holiday experience, you may wish to try the Holiday D-Lights Tour.  This 4 to 4.5 hour tour is only offered a limited number of times during the Holiday Season, but gives a behind the scenes look at Disney World's Holiday decorating traditions.

You will visit Epcot and see some of the secrets behind time-honored Disney traditions.  You will also experience the Candlelight Processional, where the Christmas story is retold by a celebrity narrator and accompanied by a 50 person orchestra and an amazing choir.

Visit the Magic Kingdom to view the holiday decorations along Main Street and see the unbelievable transformation of Cinderella Castle into an ice palace.

Lastly, meet the Event & Decorating Support teams who plan and produce thousands of grand-scale signature events each year. and enjoy a light, holiday buffet.

The Holiday D-Lights Tour costs $199 per person.

Must Make Reservations
You can reserve your spot for either of the tours online at the Disney World Website.  You can view available dates and times.

Visiting the Walt Disney World Resort during the Holiday Season is a treat that all Disney fans should strive to view firsthand. From Thanksgiving through New Year's Day there are decorations, lights, shows, and special entertainment to enjoy in addition to all of the normal Disney World activities.

Vacationing at Disney World during the Christmas Season can be one of the best times to visit with your family, but planning during this busy time is more important than any other time of the year.


Planning Your Holiday Trip To Disney World
The week between Christmas and New Year is now the busiest time of the year at Disney World and even the times in early December that used to be slow have gotten busier due to the incredible array of events and activities that Disney has added for the season.

Part of the planning is expecting the crowds and not let that get in your way of having a great time.  Here are a list of tips to deal with the crowds and not let them dampen the Holiday Spirit:

• Make Dining Reservations Ahead Of Time - Don't let the crowds prevent you from enjoying a nice sit down dinner at a Disney World Restaurant.  Make Dining reservations by calling 407-WDW-DINE or use the recommended method on-line at http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/.
• Visit the Parks at opening.  It cannot be stated enough if you want to ride your favorite attractions, getting to the park at opening will make life go much smoother.  As the day progresses the crowds will make the lines unbearable.
• Plan on visiting the parks at night.  The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney's Hollywood Studios all take on a new look when they are lit up during the Holiday season.
• Take the time to visit the special Holiday attractions at each of the parks.
• Visit the Disney World Deluxe and Deluxe Villas Resorts to check out the decorations.  There is no better time to visit the Disney World Resorts.
• Relax and do not expect to ride as many attractions as you would during other times of the year.  The Holiday centered attractions can more than make up for it.
• If you can visit during early to mid December it will be less crowded than the week before and after Christmas.
• Many people bring decorations to decorate their Disney World Resort Room (no live trees!).  This is a great idea especially if you will be at Disney World on Christmas Day.

Last year Camp Minnie Mickey had an incredible collection of uniquely decorated Christmas Trees.



Disney's Hollywood Studios
The Osborne Family Spectacle Of Lights is something that words cannot adequately describe.  There is no feeling like standing in the middle of the Streets of New York with literally millions of Holiday Lights surrounding you.  When the music kicks in and the lights start dancing in synch with the music it is absolutely amazing!

Epcot
The Holiday Season means something different to various parts of the world.  In Epcot's World Showcase they have special entertainment sharing these Holiday beliefs and traditions of each of the 11 countries represented.  You can literally spend the better part of an afternoon listening to the fascinating stories that are told.  The decorations throughout the park are amazing .  Topping it all off is the Candlelight Processional, which is a free presentation in the American Gardens Theater where a Celebrity Narrator is joined by a Mass Choir and a 50 Piece orchestra to sing Christmas songs and  retell the Christmas Story.


Disney World Resorts
The Disney World Resorts don't want to be left out when it comes to decorating for the Holidays.  Each is decorated uniquely fitting with the theme of the resort.  At many of the Deluxe Disney Resorts the decorations go over the top with amazing Christmas Trees and other unique displays.  There are out of this world Gingerbread Displays at the Grand Floridian &  Boardwalk Resort.  The Christmas Trees are unbelievable!  There is no better time to spend time visiting the various Disney World Resorts.


Memorable Family Vacation
Many Families have established their Christmas traditions at Disney World.  There is something for everyone and the setting is truly amazing.  Although busy, I would highly recommend visiting Disney World during the Christmas Holidays.  There is so much going on!  Visiting Disney World at Christmas provides a vacation experience that is much different than visiting at other times of the year.  That is why it is so great!

Plan ahead.  Expect Crowds. Enjoy the special Holiday decorations, events, and entertainment.  That is the recipe for having a great Christmas Vacation at Disney World.