I Survived the Holidays at Disney World

Some of you cringe when you hear holidays and Disney in the same sentence, but I can’t imagine a more magical place to spend the Christmas season.  With the right mind set and a little (ok, a lot) of planning, you can make merry memories you want and not turn into a Scrooge.

First and foremost, keep a positive attitude.  You are going to be around A LOT of people!  Thousands of them all trying to see and do the same things as you.  Prepare yourself.  Use your manners, be polite, don’t lose your temper, and have a plan.  After all, this is still the Happiest Place on Earth, and everyone is there for the same reason: to have fun with their loved ones.

Attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.  Yes, these tickets are extra, but it is totally worth the experience.  My husband tells everyone that this is the best part of Christmas time at Disney because he can ride Space Mountain and Splash Mountain multiple times in an evening.  There are special meet and greets with characters, and you can interact with them at dance parties throughout the Magic Kingdom.  There is plenty of free hot chocolate, cookies, and apple slices to nibble on during the evening, and a great holiday parade and Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season.  Limited tickets mean smaller crowds in the park that night; take advantage of it!

Take some time for just the adults in your party.  I highly recommend checking out a Children’s Activity Center at one of the resorts, or hire a sitter from Kid’s Night Out.  We have used both, and have been thrilled with how much our children enjoyed themselves.  This makes it a lot easier to plan a romantic dinner in Italy for just mom and dad. Head on over to Jelly Rolls on the Boardwalk to sing along with some amazing musicians or hit up ESPN Zone to watch the game.  There are plenty of golf courses to keep any golfer busy or melt your holiday cares away with a relaxing massage at one of the spas on the property.

Explore your resort.  This is something we have never done before, but will do on every trip from now on!  Afternoon naps and time at the pool helped everyone relax and made our time at Disney feel more like a vacation.  Had we not slowed down and done this, we would have never known about roasting marshmallows and watching movies on the beach at the Wilderness Lodge (all for free). We also ended up stumbling upon a meet and greet with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy decked out in their Christmas best in our hotel lobby with zero wait time.

Finally, remember the reason for the season.  Attend the Candle Light Processional.  This was a highlight of our trip because we were able to slow down, listen to beautiful music and a wonderful telling of the Christmas story. The kids in our group (all 9 of them) loved singing familiar Christmas carols, and it was a great way to remind them what Christmas is all about.  I do recommend purchasing the Candlelight Dinner Packages.  This guarantees you a seat in the theater, but allow plenty of time between your meal reservations and the start of the show.  We thought we were doing great on time, and when we got there, the reserved seating line was wrapped from the American Gardens Theater all the way to Morocco!

Knowing these things, and that you will not see or do everything is something to keep in mind during the holidays or any peak season at a Disney park.  Pick your favorites and be flexible.

This guest article comes to us from Katie Cooper

Related articles

• Dreaming of a Disney Christmas from Disney Floral (chipandco.com)
• Top 5 Disney World Resorts for the Holidays (chipandco.com)

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