My ultimate favorite time to go to Walt Disney World is when they have “decked the halls” for the holiday season! Between the stunningly, decorated Christmas trees, the lights, and the overall feeling of happiness in the air it has all the makings for a truly magical Disney vacation! Disney offers some extra “Disney Magic” during the holidays to make your trip even more festive. These holiday activities include:
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a separate ticket event that takes place in the Magic Kingdom. The special shows and attractions at the party include:
- Castle Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle,Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season (a special holiday fireworks show)
- A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas
- Celebrate the Season Show
- Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade
- Meet-and-greet opportunities with your favorite characters throughout Magic Kingdom
- Complimentary cookies and hot cocoa
- A magical snowfall on Main Street, U.S.A.
The 2015 dates for the Very Merry Christmas Party are:
November 8th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th,20th and 29th
December 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th,17th, and 18th
Advance ticket purchase price is $74 +tax for adults and $69+ tax for children.
When purchasing the tickets the day of event the cost raises slightly to $79+ tax for adults and $74+tax for children.
There is a special pricing for the December 18th party $82+ tax for adults and $77+ tax for children
Talk to your Travel Specialist about adding tickets to the Very Merry Christmas party to your family’s holiday trip.
A Seasonal In-Room Celebration
Disney floral gifts can transform your resort room into a holiday home away from home. Imagine walking up to your Disney resort door to discover a Christmas banner welcoming your friends and family. Once you step over the threshold you are welcomed by Disney Christmas decor and gifts from your favorite Disney characters.
For more information or to place an order please contact your Me and the Mouse Travel Specialist and they will be more than happy to help you add a some holiday magic to your resort stay!
Holidays Around the World at Epcot
An International Yuletide Extravaganza
At Epcot during the holiday season you can experience how each country around the world showcase celebrates the holidays.
The Candlelight Processional includes a guest celebrity narrator and a 50 piece orchestra. The narrator tells a moving story from the bible of how the Savior was born to a virgin in the city of Bethlehem. Intertwined with the readings are choral songs of hope and joy making this a not to miss show!
The 2015 Celebrity Guest Narrator’s include:
- To Be Announced: November 27-29th
- Neil Patrick Harris: November 30- December 3rd
- Whoopie Goldberg: December 4-5th
- Joe Morton: December 6-8th
- To Be Announced: December 9-11th
- Meredith Vieira: December 12-14th
- To Be Announced: December 15-23rd
- Edward James Olmos: December 24-26th
- To Be Announced: December 27-29th
- Amy Grant: December 29-30th
During Illuminations, Epcot’s fireworks and laser show, there are some holiday enhancements. During the Holidays around the World at Epcot, the finale features the song, “Let there be peace on Earth”.
Disney's Holiday D-Lights Tour
Disney’s Holiday D-Lights Tour is a 5 hour guided tour that will show how Disney transforms into the holiday wonderland! What you will experience on this tour includes:
Magic Kingdom: On your guided tour view the holiday lights and trimmings down Main Street USA as well as Cinderella’s Castle covered in 200,000 crystal lights…a sight to take in!!! No matter how many times I have seen the castle lit up it still seems new every time!
Epcot: Experience Epcot’s Processional of Lights (see above).
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Experience Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in its LAST season (insert tears and crying here)! Osbourne Family Spectacular of lights is a MUST SEE if you are headed to Hollywood Studios this holiday season (see more below)!
On your tour you will also have the opportunity to meet the talented cast members whose job it is to turn the 47 square miles of Walt Disney World into a Seasonal Wonderland! You will also enjoy a lite holiday themed buffet and receive a limited edition trading pin.
To inquire about adding the Holiday D-Lights Tour get in touch with your Me and the Mouse Travel Specialist!
Disney's Yuletide Fantasy…a backstage adventure
During the Disney’s Yuletide Fantasy 3 hour tour you will meet at Epcot’s silver and blue guided tours Epcot location. From there you will head backstage and learn about all of the logistics involved in the seasonal transformation of Walt Disney World Resort each year. You will meet the Disney “Elves” that transform the resort into a Walt Disney holiday wonderland. You will be guided through the World Showcase and learn how each country in representation celebrates the holiday season. You will also visit one of the resorts on the Disney property and get to absorb how Disney decorates on a grand scale using color, texture, attention to detail, illusion, and architecture. You will also receive a special holiday keepsake. To partake in the tour you must be at least 16 years of age and tickets are $99 per person. To get the Disney Yuletide Fantasy tour added on to your vacation please contact your Me and the Mouse Travel Specialist.
Horse Drawn Excursion - Holiday Sleigh Rides
Get the opportunity to experience an activity from a treasured Christmas Carole classic, Jingle Bells. You will go Dashing…well through the woodlands of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Lodge & Campground, in a 1 horse open sleigh. The sleigh, decorated in the Christmas fashion of lights and garlands, will take up to 4 adults (or 2 adults and up to 3 small children) on a 25 minute route that will have you “laughing all the way”. The sleigh ride is priced at $79 per sleigh and it is a good idea to have your travel specialist make a reservation ahead of time to ensure availability for your family.
At Disney Springs (formally Downtown Disney) you can really dive into the spirit of the season. The streets are all decorated and there are Christmas trees perfect for a great family photo opportunity. Your children will also get the opportunity to visit with Santa Clause and you can stop at the Star Bucks for some Hot Cocoa or may Ghirardelli Chocolates for some ice cream (so yummy). Then your family can enjoy some live Christmas entertainment including Christmas Carolers, Costumed stilt walkers, and even more holiday music.
Just in case your kids weren’t exactly sure what they wanted on their Christmas lists there is plenty of shopping to be done at Disney Springs…including The Christmas Store (my mom’s personal favorite).
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
I am so sad to say this will be the LAST SEASON for The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. I have so many memories of walking through this Christmas light display as both a teen and again with my own children…it is one of those in my opinion that never gets old.
The Osborne family started accumulating Christmas lights in 1980 after their daughter had asked them to hang up Christmas lights. So as the years went by the family gathered more and more lights, they eventually obtained over 3 million Christmas lights. In 1993, the families neighbors began to complain about the traffic the Osborne family’s display caused. The neighbors said that a simple trip to the corner store would take upwards of 2 hours for the 35 days every year the Osborne family displayed their lights. The neighbors also held the concern that in the event of an emergency, emergency crews would not be able to get through so they filed a law suit. The Osborne family replied by obtaining 3 MILLION more lights!!! In 1995 the case made it to the Supreme Court and the light display was ordered to by shut down. At this time Disney contacted Jennings Osbourne and a new home was found for The Osborne Family Christmas Lights, MGM Studios (later named Disney’s Hollywood Studios).
So if you are lucky enough to be visiting Hollywood Studios during this holiday season please go and visit this awesome light display you will not be sorry you did!!!
Victorian gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a beautiful place to visit and just look around if you don’t happen to be staying at that resort. During the holidays there is another reason to make a stop on the monorail and visit the resort, the Victorian gingerbread house that they build and have on display!!! The ingredients for the grandiose creation include: 1050lbs of honey, 140 pints of egg whites, 600lbs of powdered sugar, 700lbs of chocolate, 800lbs of flour, 35lbs of spices, and lots of Disney magic….oh did I forget to mention this is a fully functioning snack shop with actual cast members working inside!!! Inside they sell creations such as: gingerbread men, gingerbread shingles, Mickey pops, and large gingerbread ornaments just to name a few. Make sure to stop by and check this out!!!
Time Lapse of the Grand Floridian Resort's Gingerbread House