August 20, 2025 • 46 mins
On this episode, Krystle and Julie talk about all of the 2025 holiday celebrations and offerings at Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World is already the most magical place on Earth. Visiting during the holiday season gives you an added dose of magic with international holiday celebrations, Christmas trees and decorations, and holiday parties (Jollywood Nights and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party).
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Wanderlust and Wishes, the
podcast where we explore theworld one destination at a time.
I'm Julie.
And I'm Crystal.
As travel agents withFantastical Vacations, we are
here to share our passion fortravel and help you turn your
wanderlust into reality.
From hidden gems to bucket listadventures, join us as we dive
into the sights, sounds, andstories of our favorite
(00:20):
destinations.
So grab your passport, pack yourbags, and let's embark on this
journey together.
UNKNOWN (00:28):
Music
SPEAKER_00 (00:30):
Hi, everybody.
Welcome to episode 65 ofWanderlust and Wishes.
Today, we're going to talk aboutall of the holiday festivities
at Walt Disney World.
So happy Hallow-thinkmas.
Yeah, we just talked aboutHalloween two weeks ago, and
we're rolling right intoChristmas.
(00:51):
But it all kind of mushestogether.
You have to.
It's Parties are starting forHalloween.
And right after Halloweenparties, it's straight into
Christmas.
Like if Disney can do itovernight, we gave you enough
buffer of a week and a half.
Exactly.
And I mean, we're less than 100days out from the holidays at
(01:13):
Walt Disney World, which is nutsto me.
I feel like we just did thisepisode last year or last
season.
It's crazy.
So crazy.
Anyway, and something else isjust a really just a funny just
to start the episode off.
I had this random dream thatCrystal decided to start a
podcast with Zac Efron, and Iwas really mad at her.
(01:35):
And then he did something thatwas just like, I don't want to
say he was a jerk, but he justdid something that Crystal was
like, I'm not doing this.
This is ridiculous.
And so she got rid of him.
So I was fine by the time I wokeup, but it was a whole thing.
Anybody knows Zac, come give mea call, but...
I'm not abandoning Julie.
(01:56):
I was mad.
I was like, you just want to doa podcast with him because he
has more followers than I do.
And I was so mad about it.
But anyway, moving on toholidays at Walt Disney World.
Let's get started.
All right.
Hopefully we're giving youenough time that if you still
(02:17):
want to grab a party ticket, youcan.
We are going to kind of break itdown by park, by party.
by resorts and like DisneySprings so if you want like
specifics for each one you couldkind of fast forward or rewind
and just listen to the sectionand then stick around to the end
because we have tips to maximizelike the busy crowds and the
(02:39):
holiday trips and then one othernote we're using 2025 confirmed
info where we can but there'ssome things that have not been
released yet so we're filling inwith some things that they did
last year or Like traditionally.
Yeah.
So we can we will mention likelast year they did this just
(02:59):
because it's usually positive,just not confirmed.
Right.
Or like sometimes some of thetiming, like you definitely
always we always say this, butyou definitely have to check the
app.
Make sure that you check the appto verify whatever the times are
that something is starting,because it can not only just
change from year to year, butsometimes it can change daily
just based on weather orsomething weird that happens.
(03:22):
So it's always best to do thatanyway.
All right, first up, MagicKingdom.
All right, so as you're walkinginto Magic Kingdom, you're gonna
see like all the fancy garlandsand bows and Town Square has a
massive tree with popcorngarlands and candles and it's
just holiday overload.
Like if you want the mostmagical time of year at the most
(03:45):
magical place on earth, this isyour park for that.
Yeah, there's nothing like goingthrough the tunnel Anyway, and
like coming out on the otherside and seeing the castle down
Main Street.
But when you go at the holidaysand you have the big tree and
the castle in the background,it's just perfection.
All right.
So some highlights and somethings.
(04:06):
They have the Frozen HolidaySurprise featuring Elsa, Anna,
Olaf, Kristoff, and the Snogies.
The little cute little snowmenguys lighting the castle in icy
projections.
This is presented during regularhours and at the Christmas
party.
You're also going to have, ofcourse, the big man, Santa
himself, Santa meet and greets.
(04:27):
Those are historically in TownSquare, likely to return for
2025.
And then you have just like yournormal things, everyday things
that will be holiday themed.
The Dapper Dans will changetheir outfits and sing holiday
songs, festive photo pass props.
So ask for something fun,whether it's a holiday gift.
(04:48):
colored confetti or balloons.
They always have fun littlethings added.
For the rides, there are goingto be several that have holiday
theming or overlays.
There are some that are specificto Mickey's Very Merry Christmas
Party.
However, we're going to gothrough all of them.
Jingle Cruise, that is notduring the party.
(05:10):
You can see that anytime.
There is a fun holiday overlayfor the Jungle Cruise and the
Skippers, typically, they throwin some ridiculous punny-type
stuff about the holidays as wellin their little scripts.
For Mickey's Very MerryChristmas Party, Space Mountain,
it has high-energy holiday tunesand festive green and red
(05:34):
interior lighting.
Tomorrowland Speedway has aholiday soundtrack with the
Speedway decorated withthousands of Christmas lights.
The Mad Tea Party, if you wantto get sick and throw up with a
holiday theming.
There are four holiday combos oflights and music for this during
the Very Merry Christmas Party.
(05:56):
And then there's Monsters, Inc.
Laugh Floor also has someholiday theming to their show.
And then just a little note, thenew Disney Starlight Parade will
not run on nights of theMickey's Very Merry Christmas
Party.
Yeah, so just thinking of Likewe kind of mentioned, if you are
there while there's a party,remember that you can't see the
(06:18):
fireworks if it's on a party dayand you go to Magic Kingdom.
So the same thing kind ofapplies to that parade.
So speaking of Mickey's VeryMerry Christmas Party for 2025,
the dates are going to be fromNovember 7th through December
21st.
So just remember, if you'regoing the week after Christmas,
(06:39):
which is a very popular time togo, You just won't have an
option to go to the Christmasparty.
It looks like there are 25 datesfor parties.
So you have 25 differentoptions.
You can enter the park around 4p.m.
Party starts at 7 p.m.
and goes until midnight.
If you are just there for theday, they usually kick you out
(06:59):
by 6 p.m.
Pricing runs$169 to$229 foradults and kids 3 to 9 are
usually about$10 less.
Like with all things, lowerprices early November, peak
pricing middle to late December.
And I would say probably earlyDecember is a pretty good time
(07:19):
if you're going to go, if you'reable to go, because it's past
Thanksgiving, which is superbusy.
And it's like between thatThanksgiving busy rush and
Christmas busy rush if you wantto go.
So some of the highlights of theMickey's Very Merry Christmas
party.
Once Upon a ChristmastimeParade.
(07:40):
If you looked at social media atall for the 2024 season, you
would have seen this.
And this is where Tally the Elf,there were tons and tons of
videos of Tally at the paradesand being absolutely hilarious,
marking you as naughty or niceon Santa's list.
(08:00):
So this has obviously Disneycharacters.
And also Santa Claus is at theend of this parade.
If you want to show up and seethe Christmas parade on
Christmas Day, expecting thedaytime parade like you see on
TV, that is not the case.
They filmed that over the spanof three or four days in early
(08:20):
November.
So don't plan on going forChristmas Day just to see the
parade because you won't.
And then you have Minnie'sWonderful Christmastime
Fireworks with castleprojections.
This is typically going to bearound 10 o'clock, but Like I
said, this is based off of timesfrom last year.
So you want to double check andmake sure that you have the
correct time in the app.
(08:41):
There is the Mickey's MostMerriest Celebration.
Head over to Castle for Yuletidestage show starring Mickey
himself.
There's also Santa's ChristmasCarnival.
Visit Storybook Circus as it istransformed into a must-visit
holiday destination filled withjoyful Christmas cheer, friends
from the North Pole, and ofcourse, Santa Claus.
You also have Club Tinsel.
(09:02):
That's going to be a dance partyover at the Rocket Tower Plaza
stage in the Tomorrowland area.
You have another kind of fundance party that is a Disney
Junior Jingle Jam, obviously forthe younger crowd.
And that is going to be atCosmic Race.
(09:22):
You'll see characters like FancyNancy, Vampirina, Doc
McStuffins, and the Lion Guard.
Be on the lookout for specialcharacter greetings decked out
in their holiday best.
Something else you can find isSnowfall on Main Street, which
is oh so magical.
Similar to kind of the way thatthey do the Very Merry Halloween
(09:45):
Party.
Similar to the Not So ScaryHalloween Party.
Instead of trick-or-treating,they have cookies and cocoa that
you can get and there's specificspots around Magic Kingdom.
Those have not necessarily beenidentified from this year, but
they'll be available in the app,and you could probably look at
(10:06):
last year's, and they'll be invery similar spots.
There's also festive photo spotsthat They're almost like a photo
booth backdrop that you can takepictures.
They have them just in differentspots throughout the park.
You can obviously use your phoneto take the picture, but they
also have PhotoPassphotographers there that'll take
your picture for you as well.
(10:28):
And then, as always, there arefun festive treats around, and
you can enjoy Yuletide Dining atVR Guest Cinderella's Royal
Table and the Plaza Restaurant.
Yay.
So moving on to HollywoodStudios.
I love the vibe of HollywoodStudios anyway, just like
walking in and the old Hollywoodtheming, but then you add
(10:48):
Christmas on top of it.
It's the best.
So it has that retro 50sChristmas vibe.
Echo Lake has the giantornaments floating along.
Gertie has the Santa hat on.
It's just so cute, the wholething.
There is the Sunset SeasonsGreetings.
(11:09):
The Tower Hotel is a holidayprojection show.
This is fun to see.
It's nice that you don't need tocamp out like you would for a
parade, but if you're close,five to ten minutes before
showtime, it's cool to see andcatch.
Get ready to play the music andlight the lights each evening as
holiday magic transforms thefamous Hollywood Tower Hotel
into a Muppets gingerbreadmasterpiece, Toy Story, Toy
(11:31):
Hotel, a snowy corner ofArendelle and A Dickinson
Village from Mickey's ChristmasCarol.
So for the holiday theming andoverlays, there is an alternate
ending and song for the FrozenEver After sing-along.
You can also see in Toy StoryLand, the Toy Story characters
(11:53):
are all decked out in theirfestive attire.
So cute.
This was in 2024, but likely tocarry over for this year.
Muppets in Christmas sweaters atthe Grand Avenue.
And then...
Julie's favorite, Hollywood andVine.
I love it.
Minnie's Holiday Dine.
Characters dressed in holidayattire.
So typically breakfast is DisneyJunior characters.
(12:14):
However, throughout theholidays, they will be, you'll
find Mickey, Minnie, Pluto withreindeer antlers and Santa
Goofy.
And they're just all festive.
Yeah, I love this.
This is one of my favoriteplaces to go, period.
And at Christmas, we did get todo this.
I think we did a Actually, Ithink we did a Fantasmic dining
(12:36):
package, and it was withMinnie's Holiday Dine, and we
were able to see Mickey andMinnie and Pluto in their kind
of holiday outfits.
If you can consider reindeerantlers a holiday outfit for
Pluto.
And then Santa Goofy.
He's so cute.
Yes, you can.
So, little sidebar.
My children have their stuffedfriends, Mickey, Minnie, Pluto,
(13:01):
Chip and Del.
Every year, they...
change into their holiday attireand Pluto dons his antlers.
I love it! So that's a funlittle tradition at our house.
I love it.
So like Mickey's Very MerryChristmas Party at Magic
Kingdom, we also have JollywoodNights at Hollywood Studios.
(13:22):
And this is a totally differentvibe.
This is more of a Hollywood glamparty.
It's really more geared towardsadults.
Not that you can't bring yourkids, but If you're trying to
decide whether to spend themoney on Mickey's Very Merry
Christmas Party or DollywoodNights, if you have kids,
especially younger kids, youdefinitely would want to
(13:43):
probably head towards MagicKingdom versus Hollywood
Studios.
The dates are November 8ththrough December 22nd.
So 13 nights between Novemberand December.
Not as many options as the VeryMerry Christmas Party.
So you definitely want to makesure that if you're going...
and this is something you wantto do, that you're there on one
(14:07):
of the nights where this partyfalls.
And you can time it, if you doit right, where you can attend
both.
The party time runs from 7.30 top.m.
to 12.30 a.m.
You can get in as early as 5.30.
They start making people leavein that like 7 o'clock time
frame if they don't have partytickets.
So just beware that between 5.30and 7-ish hours, There's going
(14:32):
to be overlap of the people thatare there during the day and the
people that are at the party.
I remember specifically lastyear that my parents were a
little shocked at how crowded itwas when they first got there
because they got there likearound 530.
And it's because the people thatdon't have tickets haven't left.
So if you get there early, justknow to expect that amount of
(14:54):
people.
The pricing is from$159 to$199,similar to Very Merry Christmas
Party.
Kids three to nine are about$10cheaper.
And again, early November isgoing to be your best value.
And then mid to late December isgoing to be when you pay the
most.
All right, some highlights.
This party is very show andcharacter heavy.
(15:16):
Like people have said thatthey've had trouble mapping out
their top C shows just becausethere's so much to do.
So there is the stage show.
including What's This?
Tim Burton's Nightmare BeforeChristmas sing-along.
Join Jack Skellington on amusical adventure at the
Hyperion Theater.
You'll sing along with thePumpkin King to songs from Tim
Burton's Nightmare BeforeChristmas as you embark on a
(15:36):
larger-than-life journey.
You'll discover the peculiarmagic of wonder in unlikely
places, concur the Oogie BoogieMan himself, and stay curious
when things are not quite asthey seem.
Is anybody else now singingWhat's This?
in their head?
I am! Okay, Disney holidays inHollywood.
This is also a returning itemfrom last year.
(16:01):
It's hosted by Kermit the Frogand Miss Piggy.
The star-studded holidayextravaganza includes
appearances from characters suchas Tiana, Belle, Minnie Mouse,
and Mickey Mouse, accompanied bya talented cast of singers,
dancers, and jazz musicians.
And this is located in thesection where they typically do
the Beauty and the Beast show.
(16:22):
Going back towards the Tower ofTerror, and it's on the right
before you get there.
Next is the Jingle Bell JingleBam.
Watch in awe as heartwarmingholiday moments from favorite
Disney films are brought to lifeon the facade of the park's
iconic Chinese theater in astunning display of fireworks,
lasers, lights, projections, andmerry music.
And it's only available atDollywood Nights.
(16:43):
This is usually just like onetime at 10 p.m.
They are also going to bringback Glisten, the ice skating
stage show.
This is...
in front of the Chinese Theater.
And it is pretty amazing.
It's world-class skaters on aglowing synthetic rink.
My parents sent me videos ofthis last year.
(17:04):
They watched it a couple ofdifferent times because it's
multiple times throughout thenight.
And it's crazy.
The talent and the things thatthey do and the spinning and
lifting people up over theirheads and all that stuff.
It's pretty cool.
Well, the fact that they cantwirl and jump Because it's like
plexiglass, basically.
Yeah, it's crazy.
(17:25):
It's hard to skate on.
So they can still do what theydo on it.
All right.
We also have dance parties andstreet gatherings.
The Twilight Soiree at the TipTop Club.
This is a 1930s style jazzlounge that allows guests to
enjoy a few tunes and take aspin around the courtyard.
You can find the Tip Top Club inthe courtyard of the Hollywood
Tower Hotel on party evenings.
(17:46):
So this is right as you come outof the gift shop for the tower.
kind of, there's like thatlittle, I don't know, I think in
the daytime there's like aJoffrey's cart or something.
There is.
I was going to say.
There's like a secret Joffrey'sback there.
The next is Pixar Disco in PixarPlaza.
So this is a dance party withcharacters like Edna Mode,
(18:10):
Frozone, Joy, and other Pixarfavorites.
And this is just kind ofThroughout the night.
So they have time frame that'slike a couple of hours, like
from 730 to 930.
And then they'll pick it upagain from 1030 to 1230.
So you can just kind of go overthere and do a little boogie and
then go do something else.
It was fun to see differentvideos of this last year and the
most random characters thatwould show up.
(18:32):
And I think some of them wereonly like one or two nights.
And it was always a surprise ofwho was going to be there.
So if you have a Pixar fan, makesure you stop by.
Something else we have is theHoliday Fiesta in La Calle.
This year, the holiday fiestamoves to the Coaster Courtyard
on Sunset Boulevard.
This lively fair is where theparty comes to life.
Expect live music, colorfuldecorations, and some pretty fun
(18:54):
characters.
Jose and Panchito return fromthe three caballeros, joined by
Miguel from Coco, who's makinghis Jollywood Nights debut.
Ooh.
I know.
So fun.
This looks so fun.
They always have great food atthis one, too.
Okay.
Also...
You cannot have a Hollywood glamparty without specialty
(19:15):
cocktails and ritzy themedlounges.
So there's definitely going tobe a foodie guide with all of
the fun things to come out.
One of the options for dining isthat I would encompass in this
is the Jazzy Holidays at theHollywood Brown Derby.
This is reservation recommended.
It is an event that allowsguests to relax and enjoy craft
(19:35):
cocktails and small plates froman exclusive menu.
There's a live pianist that setsthe mood as you enjoy festive
flavors in an elegant setting.
Reservations will start openingup in mid-September.
Of course, they're going to havefestive photo ops and then the
rare characters.
These are the star of the show.
So, We do know for sure,returning in 2025, there's a
(19:58):
list.
So bear with me.
There's going to be Baloo andKing Louie from Tailspin around
Echo Lake.
Jose or Panchito from The ThreeCaballeros appearing near Rock
and Roller Coaster.
Lotso from Toy Story 3 somewherearound the entrance to Toy Story
Land.
The Mandalorian and Grogu inStar Wars Galaxy Edge.
Joy from Inside Out appearing atPixar Place.
(20:20):
Phineas and Ferb.
This is always a popular...
photo op appearing echo lake maxgoof as powerline also near echo
lake chip and delt the rescueranger version appearing at echo
lake santa stitch appearing atcelebrity spotlight duffy santa
to be determined where he'sgoing to be and i feel like they
(20:41):
never really say that onebecause he's always very popular
so it's like a day of thing yeahthey don't want people lining up
yeah edna mode and frozen fromthe incredibles pixar place
Pixar Plaza, sorry.
Mike Wazowski from Monsters,Inc., also at Pixar Plaza.
Donald Duck and Daisy, they'reusually around the lake in the
daytime, but it's location to beannounced.
(21:05):
And location to be announcedalso for Goofy and Pluto.
And then Mickey and Minnieappearing at red carpet trains.
Ollie, the jolly gingerbreadman.
There's decor and, you know,everywhere throughout the park.
So, of course...
Because people love him, they'vealso come up with some merch.
(21:25):
So you'll have merch availablefor Ollie.
Just in general, they'll haveJollywood Nights merchandise
everywhere that you'll be ableto get your hands on.
He's quite the little mascot forthe party.
UNKNOWN (21:38):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:38):
All right, let's move over to Epcot for the
International Festival of theHolidays.
Something a lot of people don'trealize is the dates are a lot
different than the other parks.
It does not start until November28th.
through December 30th.
So it doesn't have that earlyNovember dates like the rest of
the Christmas things.
(22:00):
Yeah.
So if you want to be able to getthis in with the other two
parties and you definitely wouldneed to go like that early
December timeframe to catcheverything.
You also might need like twofull weeks to be able to do
everything.
Count me in.
You know, seriously.
The most popular thing at Epcotis the Candlelight Processional.
This is located at the AmericaGardens Theater.
(22:21):
It's a retelling of theChristmas story.
There are always some funcelebrity narrators.
There's a full orchestra, achoir.
This is held nightly, usuallyaround 5, 6.45 and 8.15 and runs
approximately 50 minutes.
This is something I would highlyconsider a dining package for
because you're still going toline up early and it's always...
(22:44):
Chuck Fole and some of thereally popular celebrity
narrators like Josh Gad or NeilPatrick Harris, people will,
especially locals, they'll lineup all day because they don't
care to ride a ride.
So if this is your first trip, Idon't know if I would
necessarily suggest CandlelightProcessional, especially if you
only have one Epcot day.
(23:04):
Although it's really neat, itcan just be such a huge time
suck of your Epcot day.
So maybe have a second Epcotday, maybe wait for a second or
third visit.
Just like I said, there's somuch time that goes into it,
although it is really neat.
Yeah, my parents did this lastyear and they really liked it.
And they did do a dining packagetoo.
There's so much Epcot.
So when Crystal says, you kindof have to prioritize and figure
(23:27):
out what it is that you want todo because there's so, so much
to do.
They have Joyful Celebration ofthe Season.
This is located in theCommunicore Plaza.
It features a combination ofclassic songs and upstated
arrangements with powerhousevocalists.
Voice of Liberty.
They are dressed in CharlesDickens carolers attire.
(23:47):
It's just so Christmassy.
And that is in where theytypically are in the American
Adventure Pavilion.
They also are going to haveholiday kitchens.
So food and beverage booths thathave global seasonal treats.
There's obviously going to be afoodie guide for this.
So before you go, if you'regoing during this time frame,
(24:08):
definitely want to have a gameplan on what it is you want to
eat because there's stuffeverywhere.
And then storytellers, this isso fun.
They're going to havestorytellers in each of the
World Showcase pavilions.
They bring holiday tales to lifein their respective countries.
So just quickly, in the Mexicopavilion, Las Posadas,
(24:29):
Celebración, Norway Pavilion, aMischievous Magical Barn Santa,
China Pavilion, Chinese LionDancer, Italy Pavilion, La
Befana, Japan Pavilion.
They have the DarumaStoryteller.
Between the Morocco and FrancePavilions, they have Hanukkah
Storyteller.
In France, they have Père Noël.
(24:50):
In the United Kingdom, they haveFather Christmas.
And then in the CanadianPavilion, they have the Canadian
Holiday Voyagers.
On paper, this kind of soundskind of like a weird learning
thing, but they're very neat.
Similar with Hollywood Studios,like if you're in the area
within five or 10 minutes, justwalk up and listen.
They let the kids come up to thefront and it's just, it's
(25:12):
nothing like official or like asit down and get a seat.
It's just kind of everybodygather around and let's chat
about this.
And some of them are absolutelyhilarious.
And everybody says this is partof their favorite part of Epcot
at Christmas.
I'm sure they have.
somewhat of a script to likesome of the things that they
need to keep to and make surethat they're talking through
some of the different traditionsof that specific area.
(25:36):
But there's lots of very candidinteractions that you can have
with these individuals.
Epcot is known for their littlescavenger hunts.
They always have a holidaycookie stroll for the festival
of the holidays.
And last year, they had youcollect five cookies.
And then at the end, theyawarded you with, it was like a
(25:58):
cookie baking kit that you couldmake like gingerbread cookie
mix, plus like sprinkles andM&Ms and things to decorate
with.
So you had options of like aspaceship earth, gingerbread
triangle, hazelnut, Windsor,black and white cookie,
peppermint pinwheel, coffeemocha, cinnamon spice, chocolate
crinkle cookie, holiday sugarcookie, peanut butter cookie.
(26:19):
Now I need Christmas cookies.
Yeah, I was going to say theysound so terrible.
Twist my arm.
And then in line with thescavenger hunts, you have Olaf's
Holiday Tradition ExpeditionScavenger Hunt.
This sends you on a journeyaround World Showcase to locate
Olaf in 13 different spotsthroughout the park.
Find 13 holiday traditions, likethe short on Disney+, that Olaf
(26:41):
has discovered in every pavilionaround World Showcase before
visiting Creation Shop or theWorld Traveler International
Gateway to redeem a specialprize.
Last year, the prize was frozencharacter stencils that could be
used to decorate cookies orcoffee at home.
So fun.
And I always suggest just pickup your prize when you pick up
your map because then you don'thave to go all the way back
(27:01):
around the park to pick it up.
In Epcot, you can meet Santa atthe Odyssey Pavilion between
November 29th and December 24th.
Also kind of note that once youget past the week of Christmas,
this is not available anymore.
So if you want to be able tomeet Santa at Epcot, you need to
be there before Christmas.
(27:23):
My parents were there, I thinkit was like early December last
year for my dad's birthday, andthey went over to meet Santa.
I don't know which one of, I'msure it was my mom, told Santa
that it was my dad's birthday,and Santa sang happy birthday to
my dad.
So talk about the magic ofDisney and Santa Claus.
He sang happy birthday, and itwas all captured on PhotoPass,
(27:44):
so...
They have, yeah, they have thosepictures of the whole thing of
Santa singing and being sillyand my dad and my mom laughing.
It was a really special momentthat he made for my parents.
The nighttime show Luminous, TheSymphony of Us does continue
during the holidays.
And then Living with the Landhas a holiday overlay.
(28:05):
Living with the Land holidayversion called Glimmering
Greenhouses continues.
They decorate the greenhousepart of the ride with lights and
new narration and displays.
And then they just talk abouthow different crops are used in
holiday celebrations around theworld, which is very neat.
This is the only time of theyear that I want to ride living
with the lamb.
(28:26):
Well, this is a good one.
It's really pretty.
Yeah, like ride it like as thesun is setting because then you
can see the lights better.
Okay, let's move over to AnimalKingdom.
Animal Kingdom...
has of course the giganticchristmas tree that is right
outside the entrance and it hascarved animal ornaments it's so
(28:48):
pretty and it's very it's verylike animal kingdom themed and
one of the things that you willsee upon walking in so once
you're through the oasis sectionand you're walking into where
you can see the tree you'regonna also be able to see the
merry menagerie They're so cute.
They're life-size artisan animalpuppets, including penguins,
(29:11):
reindeer, foxes, and polarbears.
They're the cutest.
And because it is winter and itgets dark so much earlier, you
have a good chance of seeing theTree of Life Awakenings Holiday
Edition.
Bright colors and animatedimagery projections light up the
tree.
Accompanied by a series ofwintry tales and a heartwarming
holiday-inspired musical score,this holiday evening experience
(29:33):
is sure to delight and inspireyour whole family tree.
So it begins after dark andoccurs approximately every 10
minutes until the park closes.
And it's not very long, maybefive minutes.
So this is not something I wouldgo out of my way for, but if I'm
close, I would kind of sitaround and wait for the next
show in five minutes.
You're also going to have Mickeyand Minnie at Adventure Outpost
(29:56):
as they usually are, but they'regoing to be in their holiday
attire.
All right.
If you have a resort day, let'stalk through things at the
resorts and Disney Springs.
So most, if not all of theresorts have their own tree and
they are decorated to match thevibe of the resort, which is so
(30:18):
fun.
Some of the most popular areobviously Wilderness Lodge and
Animal Kingdom Lodge.
And I also love that each resortwill also have some sort of like
holiday music playing that's ontheme.
So like you're going to havelike Hawaiian style, the Polly
or like Jimmy Buffett, CaribbeanBeach.
So that's fun.
My parents stayed at CaribbeanBeach when they were there last
(30:40):
December.
It was really pretty.
Caribbean Beach, I'd never beenthere during the holidays.
And a lot of times, you know,like you were saying, the
Wilderness Lodge and AnimalKingdom Lodge, they definitely
get a lot of attention becausethe lobbies are gigantic and
they have these beautiful trees.
But you definitely should takean opportunity to look at some
of the other resorts as wellbecause they have great
(31:00):
decorations also.
Some of the other things, inaddition to trees, the resorts
will have different types ofdisplays.
Animal Kingdom Lodge, they havegingerbread versions of various
animals, including Ginger theGiraffe.
deborah the zebra and franciscothe flamingo at the grand
floridian they usually have agiant gingerbread house
(31:24):
everything i've been seeing isthat there's not going to be one
this year yeah i don't know howthey can do that but they're
like in the process of buildinglike this whole birdcage bar
lobby bar thing so i just don'tknow if they can make it happen
so what is christmas withoutgingerbread house at the at the
grand I know it's going to bevery odd.
(31:46):
I don't know if they have a lotof options just because I'm sure
the amount of work that goesinto building it and putting it
together and the amount ofpeople that come through the
lobby to see it, they may justnot have the capacity to have it
there because of the crowds andbecause there's just not enough
room to move things aroundbecause of the construction.
(32:08):
So you also have other spotsthat do have gingerbread, the
Contemporary.
also has gingerbread display.
It typically changes every year.
Last year was Cinderella'sCastle, and they had little
Cinderella and Prince Charmingand the Fairy Godmother.
It was cute.
(32:28):
Yes, it was.
At Beach Club, they had agingerbread carousel last year
that was cool.
It actually moved.
And then at Yacht Club, they hada Christmas Village gingerbread
carousel.
At Boardwalk, they have agingerbread display that is a
recreation of the BoardwalkBakery.
At Fort Wilderness Campground,they do have decorations at the
(32:50):
different buildings and, ofcourse, at the Wilderness Lodge
area as well.
But one of the fun things isbeing able to see the
decorations at the campgrounditself because all of the guests
that are staying at thecampgrounds, they all go above
and beyond the to decorate forthe holidays.
So if you have an opportunity totake the boat to go over there,
(33:12):
definitely go over there.
You can rent golf carts and ridethem through and they have like
the golf cart parades, but youcan also do like the horse-drawn
carriage ride, but you have toreserve that with your dining.
So it's probably hard to get,but if you can snag it.
Yeah, right.
That would be a fun littleevening stroll.
Yeah, this is the time of yearwhen you want to really have a
(33:36):
rest day that's set aside justto go around the resorts.
So this would be where you wouldhave that opportunity to do that
because you would miss out ondoing something like that if you
didn't have that time built in.
The Swan Hotel, although notDisney property per se, but
right there, they always havelike a chocolate holiday
display, including Santa Claus.
(33:58):
So maybe head over there.
And they have, I think they're,I don't know what it's called,
chocolatier restaurants.
I'm not sure what the exact termis, but the person that works
there that does these displaysis like world renowned.
So it's a really cool thing thatyou can go over there and see.
And then what is a rest daywithout Disney Springs?
(34:19):
They go over the top with aChristmas tree stroll with
themed trees.
And if you've ever followed orseen Disney Springs social
media, they have a tree that is,he moves.
Have you seen this?
And he'll like, He's like onwheels and he'll move around and
scare people.
That's so funny.
(34:39):
So be on the lookout for him.
That's so funny.
You can discover a widecollection of extravagantly
decorated Christmas treesthroughout Disney Springs,
including elaborate themedChristmas trees inspired by
Disney, Pixar, Star Warsfavorites.
And they're just everywhere.
Along with nightly snowfall,live entertainment at Widerside
Stage, And then there is somefestive shopping and seasonal
(35:02):
treats.
Doc Lindsay's Holiday Bar,Disney Days, Christmas, and
World of Disney stores forholiday merch.
And there's just holiday thingseverywhere.
Yeah.
And they have, I remember theyalso have musicians that are not
just at the Waterside stagewhere it's like a more kind of
(35:23):
official, but they havemusicians that are around the
different areas of DisneySprings.
I'm pretty sure my parents sentme a video last year and they
were close to where the little,like where the tunnel thing is.
I always get confused as to likewhether it's like west or east
or whatever they call it, butit's where you walk through that
(35:44):
tunnel and the Lululemon shop isover there for anybody that has
teenage daughters.
You know where that is.
We're like over close to wherethe chicken guy is, that kind of
area.
When you know that everybody'sgoing to have like some sort of
special, like Gideon's will havesome holiday coffees and cookies
(36:06):
and all the stores will havepromos and Christmas merch and
all the fun things.
Okay, so really quickly, wethought we would just give you a
quick snapshot.
We talked about it throughoutthe different areas, but we
thought we'd give you a quicksnapshot if you just want a
rundown of where you can seeSanta Claus.
These are based on 2024.
(36:26):
Not everything's confirmed for2025, but again, just double
check your app.
For Magic Kingdom, StorybrookeCircus has a meet and greet
location during Mickey's VeryMerry Christmas Party.
Santa also, it's on the sleighat the end of the Once Upon a
Christmastime Parade.
He can also be found nearLiberty Square Gazebo, near
(36:50):
where the Christmas shop isduring regular park hours.
This man gets around.
Yeah, he does.
Epcot, he can meet guests insidethe Odyssey Pavilion.
This is located near Test Trackin Mexico.
And then you can also see thecultural versions.
Pierre Noel in France, BarnSanta in Norway, Father
(37:12):
Christmas in the UK.
Hollywood Studios.
You can meet Santa at It's aWonderful Shop on Grand Avenue.
And then also you have SantaGoofy at Hollywood and Vine if
you want a little different typeof Santa.
At Animal Kingdom, I'm sure thiscould be different this year
because of everything going onwith Dinoland, but typically
(37:36):
Santa would venture intoDinoland for fun meets dinosaur
themes and appeared at theRestaurantosaurus patio.
Restaurant stores are stillthere.
So that could maybe stillhappen.
Yeah, maybe.
At Disney Springs, Santa greetsguests at Santa's Marketplace.
This is near Disney Pintraders,formerly the Star Wars Trading
(37:58):
Post.
There also last year was aspecial breakfast with Santa at
Maria and Enzo's.
It was held select mornings inmid-December.
So that's something to look outfor.
That sounds really fun to me.
And then if you are near theSwan and Dolphin, Santa and Mrs.
Claus hosted the holiday hangoutby the Swan's Pool on select
(38:21):
dates in November and December,providing a unique photo
opportunity.
And then you could also meetSanta at Blizzard Beach Water
Park and see him decked out inhis best, most festive
beachwear.
So I think if Typhoon Lagoon isopen, he's there as well.
It just kind of depends on whichone's open.
Yes.
And I don't think, I think lastyear, maybe it wasn't, Typhoon
(38:43):
Lagoon just wasn't open duringthat timeframe.
And so that's the only reason itwas only there.
All right.
And then as promised, here aresome tips for maximizing your
time and navigating the heavyholiday crowds.
The week between Christmas andNew Year's is historically the
most busy time at Walt DisneyWorld.
(39:03):
It's bananas.
B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
So you definitely want toconsider rope dropping.
You're going to get the most outof your day when the crowds are
at their lowest.
I visited that week afterChristmas.
I would also say haveexpectations set.
Don't go in there crazy thinkingthat you're not going to have
crowds because you're just goingto be disappointed.
(39:24):
If you can, time your visitstrategically.
So when school's out is whenyou're going to see your higher
crowds, especially with NewYear's being coming.
like we said, the busiest weekof the year.
So if you can and want to pullyour kids out, sneak in the week
before Christmas break starts.
Like we said, the first orsecond week in December, you're
going to see the lowest crowdsfor the Christmas season.
(39:45):
I already kind of said this, butset realistic expectations.
With peak holiday crowds, you'renot going to be able to get on
every ride.
It's just not going to happen.
So just kind of shift yourmindset to pick one or two
must-do attractions.
And know that you're thereduring such a magical time of
year.
It is beautiful.
(40:06):
It is truly magical.
Don't go in there and be aGrinch.
One that I often suggest is tostay at deluxe resorts if at all
possible.
So not only are you going toenjoy the proximity to the
parks, but you also have chancesto see fireworks from your
resorts.
You don't have to deal with thecrowds.
There are more transportationoptions.
So if the monorail breaks down,you could walk or...
(40:30):
ride a boat.
You can also quickly escapeduring peak times and just head
back for a nap.
And then deluxe resorts alsooffer extended evening hours
with lighter crowds and thenit's a great time to hop on some
popular rides if you miss thoseduring the day.
Double check the park hours.
Oftentimes the hours areextended during the holidays so
(40:53):
Magic Kingdom will open as earlyas 7 a.m.
If you want to rope drop youneed to get out of bed and be
there early so that you canbenefit from that.
Because if you show up thinkingthat the park opens at eight,
you're going to be therewhenever everybody else gets
there and you're going to loseout on that extra time.
Use lightning lanesstrategically.
Like we've said, holiday crowdsmean these sell out quickly.
(41:16):
So book your highest priorityrides early in the day.
Maybe even consider a VIP touror premier pass.
It's a little more, but youmight benefit from it.
This is one where I'm just goingto tell you, you should use a
travel agent to help you.
Yeah, we'll figure out what'syour priority and we can best
arrange your days for your bestchance to get lightning lanes.
(41:39):
Yeah.
Or if you have enough peoplewith you, if a VIP tour is worth
the money, it might be best todo that.
Another one is mobile order foodin advance.
A lot of people don't realizethat you can get on the app at 7
a.m.
and order your dinner andschedule it for 4 30 p.m so you
can beat mealtime rushes byplacing your orders earlier in
(42:00):
the day do it before you'rehungry do it before there's long
lines you can always cancel itor bump it but at least you'd
have something in your backpocket ready scout alternative
viewing spots for fireworks ifyou're in the parks obviously
you want to look for some likelesser known areas but you also
like crystal said if you'restaying at a deluxe resort you
(42:21):
can view fireworks from therewithout the crowds if you would
like to do something like that.
There's also places like viewingfireworks from the Poly on the
beach.
You do get Happily Ever After orthe fireworks music pumped in to
that area.
So you get that experience aswell.
If you're staying at one of theEpcot resorts, it's like you're
(42:45):
pretty much right there.
I mean, you can see them almostlike standing in the park,
depending on what resort you'reat.
And then you all know that I'm ahuge fan of the dessert parties.
I love the dessert parties.
I think they're worth it, evenif you don't get the desserts,
because you're basically payingto get a spot for yourself in
(43:05):
front of the castle or in astrategic spot at Epcot so that
you don't have to fight thecrowds.
I think they're worth the money.
plan for weather swings.
Florida can be chilly in themornings or the evenings, but
hot midday, so pack in layers tostay comfortable.
Although I'm from the Midwest,so balmy 55 degrees over
(43:27):
Christmas would feel beautiful.
I'm from the South, and when wewere there over Christmas, it
was like 50 degrees the wholetime, and I was freezing.
And my crazy children still gotin the FYI, the pools are heated
no matter what time of year itis.
So they were just completelyfine while I sat in a lounge
(43:48):
chair with my hoodie up and ablanket on because I was
freezing.
It's cold when you get out.
That's the worst part.
Add in a holiday exclusiveexperience.
So some of the things we justtalked about, cookie strolls,
seasonal shows, resort hoppingto see the decorations, you
know, the gingerbread, thetrees.
(44:09):
We had two rest days when wewere there, and I absolutely
loved that we had two days tojust soak in all of the holiday
magic, not just in the parks,but at the resorts.
It was fantastic.
And then take a midday break,whether at your hotel, in a
quieter park area.
This is what I like to do, oursit-down dining.
(44:30):
A recharge will make yourevenings more enjoyable, and
it's Especially if you involvefood.
It helps everybody's hangries goaway.
Going from open to close duringany time at Walt Disney World is
a lot.
But at the holidays with thecrowd levels, it's very
overwhelming for sure.
(44:52):
And in addition, I wasmentioning taking multiple rest
days earlier.
In addition to that, especiallyif you're there the week after
Christmas and you don't havea...
very merry Christmas party nightwhere you can kind of
strategically pick that day forMagic Kingdom since crowds can
be lower on those days.
If you don't have that as anoption, you really should have
(45:12):
two days at Magic Kingdom.
There's so much there.
It would benefit you to do that.
If you would like to book aparty, there are still a lot of
dates available.
I think maybe a couple arestarting to sell out, but as we
get closer, they will startgoing like hotcakes.
So reach out.
We'd love to help you with that.
Yeah, absolutely.
(45:32):
Like we said earlier, we're lessthan 100 days out.
Maybe a few more weeks, peopleare going to continue to buy
tickets to the not-so-scaryHalloween party, but then people
are going to start transitioningto thinking about holidays.
It's better to go ahead and getyour plans in and get your
tickets purchased to whateverparty it is that you want to go
(45:52):
to and not miss out on it.
And we're seeing some strange,weird holiday time promos for
rooms, so that's not always thecase.
Also, We would absolutely loveto hear from you.
We love getting messages fromyou, ideas on different topics
to cover.
We hope you all have a fantasticweek upcoming and we will see
(46:15):
you next week.
Bye! Thanks for tuning in toanother episode of Wonderlust
and Wishes.
If you enjoyed today's episode,don't forget to subscribe and
leave us a review on yourfavorite podcast platform.
(46:38):
And remember, the world is fullof wonders waiting to be
explored.
Until next time, happy travels.
Bye for now.
Welcome to Wanderlust and Wishes, the
podcast where we explore theworld one destination at a time.
I'm Julie.
And I'm Crystal.
As travel agents withFantastical Vacations, we are
here to share our passion fortravel and help you turn your
wanderlust into reality.
From hidden gems to bucket listadventures, join us as we dive
into the sights, sounds, andstories of our favorite
(00:20):
destinations.
So grab your passport, pack yourbags, and let's embark on this
journey together.
UNKNOWN (00:28):
Music
SPEAKER_00 (00:30):
Hi, everybody.
Welcome to episode 65 ofWanderlust and Wishes.
Today, we're going to talk aboutall of the holiday festivities
at Walt Disney World.
So happy Hallow-thinkmas.
Yeah, we just talked aboutHalloween two weeks ago, and
we're rolling right intoChristmas.
(00:51):
But it all kind of mushestogether.
You have to.
It's Parties are starting forHalloween.
And right after Halloweenparties, it's straight into
Christmas.
Like if Disney can do itovernight, we gave you enough
buffer of a week and a half.
Exactly.
And I mean, we're less than 100days out from the holidays at
(01:13):
Walt Disney World, which is nutsto me.
I feel like we just did thisepisode last year or last
season.
It's crazy.
So crazy.
Anyway, and something else isjust a really just a funny just
to start the episode off.
I had this random dream thatCrystal decided to start a
podcast with Zac Efron, and Iwas really mad at her.
(01:35):
And then he did something thatwas just like, I don't want to
say he was a jerk, but he justdid something that Crystal was
like, I'm not doing this.
This is ridiculous.
And so she got rid of him.
So I was fine by the time I wokeup, but it was a whole thing.
Anybody knows Zac, come give mea call, but...
I'm not abandoning Julie.
(01:56):
I was mad.
I was like, you just want to doa podcast with him because he
has more followers than I do.
And I was so mad about it.
But anyway, moving on toholidays at Walt Disney World.
Let's get started.
All right.
Hopefully we're giving youenough time that if you still
(02:17):
want to grab a party ticket, youcan.
We are going to kind of break itdown by park, by party.
by resorts and like DisneySprings so if you want like
specifics for each one you couldkind of fast forward or rewind
and just listen to the sectionand then stick around to the end
because we have tips to maximizelike the busy crowds and the
(02:39):
holiday trips and then one othernote we're using 2025 confirmed
info where we can but there'ssome things that have not been
released yet so we're filling inwith some things that they did
last year or Like traditionally.
Yeah.
So we can we will mention likelast year they did this just
(02:59):
because it's usually positive,just not confirmed.
Right.
Or like sometimes some of thetiming, like you definitely
always we always say this, butyou definitely have to check the
app.
Make sure that you check the appto verify whatever the times are
that something is starting,because it can not only just
change from year to year, butsometimes it can change daily
just based on weather orsomething weird that happens.
(03:22):
So it's always best to do thatanyway.
All right, first up, MagicKingdom.
All right, so as you're walkinginto Magic Kingdom, you're gonna
see like all the fancy garlandsand bows and Town Square has a
massive tree with popcorngarlands and candles and it's
just holiday overload.
Like if you want the mostmagical time of year at the most
(03:45):
magical place on earth, this isyour park for that.
Yeah, there's nothing like goingthrough the tunnel Anyway, and
like coming out on the otherside and seeing the castle down
Main Street.
But when you go at the holidaysand you have the big tree and
the castle in the background,it's just perfection.
All right.
So some highlights and somethings.
(04:06):
They have the Frozen HolidaySurprise featuring Elsa, Anna,
Olaf, Kristoff, and the Snogies.
The little cute little snowmenguys lighting the castle in icy
projections.
This is presented during regularhours and at the Christmas
party.
You're also going to have, ofcourse, the big man, Santa
himself, Santa meet and greets.
(04:27):
Those are historically in TownSquare, likely to return for
2025.
And then you have just like yournormal things, everyday things
that will be holiday themed.
The Dapper Dans will changetheir outfits and sing holiday
songs, festive photo pass props.
So ask for something fun,whether it's a holiday gift.
(04:48):
colored confetti or balloons.
They always have fun littlethings added.
For the rides, there are goingto be several that have holiday
theming or overlays.
There are some that are specificto Mickey's Very Merry Christmas
Party.
However, we're going to gothrough all of them.
Jingle Cruise, that is notduring the party.
(05:10):
You can see that anytime.
There is a fun holiday overlayfor the Jungle Cruise and the
Skippers, typically, they throwin some ridiculous punny-type
stuff about the holidays as wellin their little scripts.
For Mickey's Very MerryChristmas Party, Space Mountain,
it has high-energy holiday tunesand festive green and red
(05:34):
interior lighting.
Tomorrowland Speedway has aholiday soundtrack with the
Speedway decorated withthousands of Christmas lights.
The Mad Tea Party, if you wantto get sick and throw up with a
holiday theming.
There are four holiday combos oflights and music for this during
the Very Merry Christmas Party.
(05:56):
And then there's Monsters, Inc.
Laugh Floor also has someholiday theming to their show.
And then just a little note, thenew Disney Starlight Parade will
not run on nights of theMickey's Very Merry Christmas
Party.
Yeah, so just thinking of Likewe kind of mentioned, if you are
there while there's a party,remember that you can't see the
(06:18):
fireworks if it's on a party dayand you go to Magic Kingdom.
So the same thing kind ofapplies to that parade.
So speaking of Mickey's VeryMerry Christmas Party for 2025,
the dates are going to be fromNovember 7th through December
21st.
So just remember, if you'regoing the week after Christmas,
(06:39):
which is a very popular time togo, You just won't have an
option to go to the Christmasparty.
It looks like there are 25 datesfor parties.
So you have 25 differentoptions.
You can enter the park around 4p.m.
Party starts at 7 p.m.
and goes until midnight.
If you are just there for theday, they usually kick you out
(06:59):
by 6 p.m.
Pricing runs$169 to$229 foradults and kids 3 to 9 are
usually about$10 less.
Like with all things, lowerprices early November, peak
pricing middle to late December.
And I would say probably earlyDecember is a pretty good time
(07:19):
if you're going to go, if you'reable to go, because it's past
Thanksgiving, which is superbusy.
And it's like between thatThanksgiving busy rush and
Christmas busy rush if you wantto go.
So some of the highlights of theMickey's Very Merry Christmas
party.
Once Upon a ChristmastimeParade.
(07:40):
If you looked at social media atall for the 2024 season, you
would have seen this.
And this is where Tally the Elf,there were tons and tons of
videos of Tally at the paradesand being absolutely hilarious,
marking you as naughty or niceon Santa's list.
(08:00):
So this has obviously Disneycharacters.
And also Santa Claus is at theend of this parade.
If you want to show up and seethe Christmas parade on
Christmas Day, expecting thedaytime parade like you see on
TV, that is not the case.
They filmed that over the spanof three or four days in early
(08:20):
November.
So don't plan on going forChristmas Day just to see the
parade because you won't.
And then you have Minnie'sWonderful Christmastime
Fireworks with castleprojections.
This is typically going to bearound 10 o'clock, but Like I
said, this is based off of timesfrom last year.
So you want to double check andmake sure that you have the
correct time in the app.
(08:41):
There is the Mickey's MostMerriest Celebration.
Head over to Castle for Yuletidestage show starring Mickey
himself.
There's also Santa's ChristmasCarnival.
Visit Storybook Circus as it istransformed into a must-visit
holiday destination filled withjoyful Christmas cheer, friends
from the North Pole, and ofcourse, Santa Claus.
You also have Club Tinsel.
(09:02):
That's going to be a dance partyover at the Rocket Tower Plaza
stage in the Tomorrowland area.
You have another kind of fundance party that is a Disney
Junior Jingle Jam, obviously forthe younger crowd.
And that is going to be atCosmic Race.
(09:22):
You'll see characters like FancyNancy, Vampirina, Doc
McStuffins, and the Lion Guard.
Be on the lookout for specialcharacter greetings decked out
in their holiday best.
Something else you can find isSnowfall on Main Street, which
is oh so magical.
Similar to kind of the way thatthey do the Very Merry Halloween
(09:45):
Party.
Similar to the Not So ScaryHalloween Party.
Instead of trick-or-treating,they have cookies and cocoa that
you can get and there's specificspots around Magic Kingdom.
Those have not necessarily beenidentified from this year, but
they'll be available in the app,and you could probably look at
(10:06):
last year's, and they'll be invery similar spots.
There's also festive photo spotsthat They're almost like a photo
booth backdrop that you can takepictures.
They have them just in differentspots throughout the park.
You can obviously use your phoneto take the picture, but they
also have PhotoPassphotographers there that'll take
your picture for you as well.
(10:28):
And then, as always, there arefun festive treats around, and
you can enjoy Yuletide Dining atVR Guest Cinderella's Royal
Table and the Plaza Restaurant.
Yay.
So moving on to HollywoodStudios.
I love the vibe of HollywoodStudios anyway, just like
walking in and the old Hollywoodtheming, but then you add
(10:48):
Christmas on top of it.
It's the best.
So it has that retro 50sChristmas vibe.
Echo Lake has the giantornaments floating along.
Gertie has the Santa hat on.
It's just so cute, the wholething.
There is the Sunset SeasonsGreetings.
(11:09):
The Tower Hotel is a holidayprojection show.
This is fun to see.
It's nice that you don't need tocamp out like you would for a
parade, but if you're close,five to ten minutes before
showtime, it's cool to see andcatch.
Get ready to play the music andlight the lights each evening as
holiday magic transforms thefamous Hollywood Tower Hotel
into a Muppets gingerbreadmasterpiece, Toy Story, Toy
(11:31):
Hotel, a snowy corner ofArendelle and A Dickinson
Village from Mickey's ChristmasCarol.
So for the holiday theming andoverlays, there is an alternate
ending and song for the FrozenEver After sing-along.
You can also see in Toy StoryLand, the Toy Story characters
(11:53):
are all decked out in theirfestive attire.
So cute.
This was in 2024, but likely tocarry over for this year.
Muppets in Christmas sweaters atthe Grand Avenue.
And then...
Julie's favorite, Hollywood andVine.
I love it.
Minnie's Holiday Dine.
Characters dressed in holidayattire.
So typically breakfast is DisneyJunior characters.
(12:14):
However, throughout theholidays, they will be, you'll
find Mickey, Minnie, Pluto withreindeer antlers and Santa
Goofy.
And they're just all festive.
Yeah, I love this.
This is one of my favoriteplaces to go, period.
And at Christmas, we did get todo this.
I think we did a Actually, Ithink we did a Fantasmic dining
(12:36):
package, and it was withMinnie's Holiday Dine, and we
were able to see Mickey andMinnie and Pluto in their kind
of holiday outfits.
If you can consider reindeerantlers a holiday outfit for
Pluto.
And then Santa Goofy.
He's so cute.
Yes, you can.
So, little sidebar.
My children have their stuffedfriends, Mickey, Minnie, Pluto,
(13:01):
Chip and Del.
Every year, they...
change into their holiday attireand Pluto dons his antlers.
I love it! So that's a funlittle tradition at our house.
I love it.
So like Mickey's Very MerryChristmas Party at Magic
Kingdom, we also have JollywoodNights at Hollywood Studios.
(13:22):
And this is a totally differentvibe.
This is more of a Hollywood glamparty.
It's really more geared towardsadults.
Not that you can't bring yourkids, but If you're trying to
decide whether to spend themoney on Mickey's Very Merry
Christmas Party or DollywoodNights, if you have kids,
especially younger kids, youdefinitely would want to
(13:43):
probably head towards MagicKingdom versus Hollywood
Studios.
The dates are November 8ththrough December 22nd.
So 13 nights between Novemberand December.
Not as many options as the VeryMerry Christmas Party.
So you definitely want to makesure that if you're going...
and this is something you wantto do, that you're there on one
(14:07):
of the nights where this partyfalls.
And you can time it, if you doit right, where you can attend
both.
The party time runs from 7.30 top.m.
to 12.30 a.m.
You can get in as early as 5.30.
They start making people leavein that like 7 o'clock time
frame if they don't have partytickets.
So just beware that between 5.30and 7-ish hours, There's going
(14:32):
to be overlap of the people thatare there during the day and the
people that are at the party.
I remember specifically lastyear that my parents were a
little shocked at how crowded itwas when they first got there
because they got there likearound 530.
And it's because the people thatdon't have tickets haven't left.
So if you get there early, justknow to expect that amount of
(14:54):
people.
The pricing is from$159 to$199,similar to Very Merry Christmas
Party.
Kids three to nine are about$10cheaper.
And again, early November isgoing to be your best value.
And then mid to late December isgoing to be when you pay the
most.
All right, some highlights.
This party is very show andcharacter heavy.
(15:16):
Like people have said thatthey've had trouble mapping out
their top C shows just becausethere's so much to do.
So there is the stage show.
including What's This?
Tim Burton's Nightmare BeforeChristmas sing-along.
Join Jack Skellington on amusical adventure at the
Hyperion Theater.
You'll sing along with thePumpkin King to songs from Tim
Burton's Nightmare BeforeChristmas as you embark on a
(15:36):
larger-than-life journey.
You'll discover the peculiarmagic of wonder in unlikely
places, concur the Oogie BoogieMan himself, and stay curious
when things are not quite asthey seem.
Is anybody else now singingWhat's This?
in their head?
I am! Okay, Disney holidays inHollywood.
This is also a returning itemfrom last year.
(16:01):
It's hosted by Kermit the Frogand Miss Piggy.
The star-studded holidayextravaganza includes
appearances from characters suchas Tiana, Belle, Minnie Mouse,
and Mickey Mouse, accompanied bya talented cast of singers,
dancers, and jazz musicians.
And this is located in thesection where they typically do
the Beauty and the Beast show.
(16:22):
Going back towards the Tower ofTerror, and it's on the right
before you get there.
Next is the Jingle Bell JingleBam.
Watch in awe as heartwarmingholiday moments from favorite
Disney films are brought to lifeon the facade of the park's
iconic Chinese theater in astunning display of fireworks,
lasers, lights, projections, andmerry music.
And it's only available atDollywood Nights.
(16:43):
This is usually just like onetime at 10 p.m.
They are also going to bringback Glisten, the ice skating
stage show.
This is...
in front of the Chinese Theater.
And it is pretty amazing.
It's world-class skaters on aglowing synthetic rink.
My parents sent me videos ofthis last year.
(17:04):
They watched it a couple ofdifferent times because it's
multiple times throughout thenight.
And it's crazy.
The talent and the things thatthey do and the spinning and
lifting people up over theirheads and all that stuff.
It's pretty cool.
Well, the fact that they cantwirl and jump Because it's like
plexiglass, basically.
Yeah, it's crazy.
(17:25):
It's hard to skate on.
So they can still do what theydo on it.
All right.
We also have dance parties andstreet gatherings.
The Twilight Soiree at the TipTop Club.
This is a 1930s style jazzlounge that allows guests to
enjoy a few tunes and take aspin around the courtyard.
You can find the Tip Top Club inthe courtyard of the Hollywood
Tower Hotel on party evenings.
(17:46):
So this is right as you come outof the gift shop for the tower.
kind of, there's like thatlittle, I don't know, I think in
the daytime there's like aJoffrey's cart or something.
There is.
I was going to say.
There's like a secret Joffrey'sback there.
The next is Pixar Disco in PixarPlaza.
So this is a dance party withcharacters like Edna Mode,
(18:10):
Frozone, Joy, and other Pixarfavorites.
And this is just kind ofThroughout the night.
So they have time frame that'slike a couple of hours, like
from 730 to 930.
And then they'll pick it upagain from 1030 to 1230.
So you can just kind of go overthere and do a little boogie and
then go do something else.
It was fun to see differentvideos of this last year and the
most random characters thatwould show up.
(18:32):
And I think some of them wereonly like one or two nights.
And it was always a surprise ofwho was going to be there.
So if you have a Pixar fan, makesure you stop by.
Something else we have is theHoliday Fiesta in La Calle.
This year, the holiday fiestamoves to the Coaster Courtyard
on Sunset Boulevard.
This lively fair is where theparty comes to life.
Expect live music, colorfuldecorations, and some pretty fun
(18:54):
characters.
Jose and Panchito return fromthe three caballeros, joined by
Miguel from Coco, who's makinghis Jollywood Nights debut.
Ooh.
I know.
So fun.
This looks so fun.
They always have great food atthis one, too.
Okay.
Also...
You cannot have a Hollywood glamparty without specialty
(19:15):
cocktails and ritzy themedlounges.
So there's definitely going tobe a foodie guide with all of
the fun things to come out.
One of the options for dining isthat I would encompass in this
is the Jazzy Holidays at theHollywood Brown Derby.
This is reservation recommended.
It is an event that allowsguests to relax and enjoy craft
(19:35):
cocktails and small plates froman exclusive menu.
There's a live pianist that setsthe mood as you enjoy festive
flavors in an elegant setting.
Reservations will start openingup in mid-September.
Of course, they're going to havefestive photo ops and then the
rare characters.
These are the star of the show.
So, We do know for sure,returning in 2025, there's a
(19:58):
list.
So bear with me.
There's going to be Baloo andKing Louie from Tailspin around
Echo Lake.
Jose or Panchito from The ThreeCaballeros appearing near Rock
and Roller Coaster.
Lotso from Toy Story 3 somewherearound the entrance to Toy Story
Land.
The Mandalorian and Grogu inStar Wars Galaxy Edge.
Joy from Inside Out appearing atPixar Place.
(20:20):
Phineas and Ferb.
This is always a popular...
photo op appearing echo lake maxgoof as powerline also near echo
lake chip and delt the rescueranger version appearing at echo
lake santa stitch appearing atcelebrity spotlight duffy santa
to be determined where he'sgoing to be and i feel like they
(20:41):
never really say that onebecause he's always very popular
so it's like a day of thing yeahthey don't want people lining up
yeah edna mode and frozen fromthe incredibles pixar place
Pixar Plaza, sorry.
Mike Wazowski from Monsters,Inc., also at Pixar Plaza.
Donald Duck and Daisy, they'reusually around the lake in the
daytime, but it's location to beannounced.
(21:05):
And location to be announcedalso for Goofy and Pluto.
And then Mickey and Minnieappearing at red carpet trains.
Ollie, the jolly gingerbreadman.
There's decor and, you know,everywhere throughout the park.
So, of course...
Because people love him, they'vealso come up with some merch.
(21:25):
So you'll have merch availablefor Ollie.
Just in general, they'll haveJollywood Nights merchandise
everywhere that you'll be ableto get your hands on.
He's quite the little mascot forthe party.
UNKNOWN (21:38):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:38):
All right, let's move over to Epcot for the
International Festival of theHolidays.
Something a lot of people don'trealize is the dates are a lot
different than the other parks.
It does not start until November28th.
through December 30th.
So it doesn't have that earlyNovember dates like the rest of
the Christmas things.
(22:00):
Yeah.
So if you want to be able to getthis in with the other two
parties and you definitely wouldneed to go like that early
December timeframe to catcheverything.
You also might need like twofull weeks to be able to do
everything.
Count me in.
You know, seriously.
The most popular thing at Epcotis the Candlelight Processional.
This is located at the AmericaGardens Theater.
(22:21):
It's a retelling of theChristmas story.
There are always some funcelebrity narrators.
There's a full orchestra, achoir.
This is held nightly, usuallyaround 5, 6.45 and 8.15 and runs
approximately 50 minutes.
This is something I would highlyconsider a dining package for
because you're still going toline up early and it's always...
(22:44):
Chuck Fole and some of thereally popular celebrity
narrators like Josh Gad or NeilPatrick Harris, people will,
especially locals, they'll lineup all day because they don't
care to ride a ride.
So if this is your first trip, Idon't know if I would
necessarily suggest CandlelightProcessional, especially if you
only have one Epcot day.
(23:04):
Although it's really neat, itcan just be such a huge time
suck of your Epcot day.
So maybe have a second Epcotday, maybe wait for a second or
third visit.
Just like I said, there's somuch time that goes into it,
although it is really neat.
Yeah, my parents did this lastyear and they really liked it.
And they did do a dining packagetoo.
There's so much Epcot.
So when Crystal says, you kindof have to prioritize and figure
(23:27):
out what it is that you want todo because there's so, so much
to do.
They have Joyful Celebration ofthe Season.
This is located in theCommunicore Plaza.
It features a combination ofclassic songs and upstated
arrangements with powerhousevocalists.
Voice of Liberty.
They are dressed in CharlesDickens carolers attire.
(23:47):
It's just so Christmassy.
And that is in where theytypically are in the American
Adventure Pavilion.
They also are going to haveholiday kitchens.
So food and beverage booths thathave global seasonal treats.
There's obviously going to be afoodie guide for this.
So before you go, if you'regoing during this time frame,
(24:08):
definitely want to have a gameplan on what it is you want to
eat because there's stuffeverywhere.
And then storytellers, this isso fun.
They're going to havestorytellers in each of the
World Showcase pavilions.
They bring holiday tales to lifein their respective countries.
So just quickly, in the Mexicopavilion, Las Posadas,
(24:29):
Celebración, Norway Pavilion, aMischievous Magical Barn Santa,
China Pavilion, Chinese LionDancer, Italy Pavilion, La
Befana, Japan Pavilion.
They have the DarumaStoryteller.
Between the Morocco and FrancePavilions, they have Hanukkah
Storyteller.
In France, they have Père Noël.
(24:50):
In the United Kingdom, they haveFather Christmas.
And then in the CanadianPavilion, they have the Canadian
Holiday Voyagers.
On paper, this kind of soundskind of like a weird learning
thing, but they're very neat.
Similar with Hollywood Studios,like if you're in the area
within five or 10 minutes, justwalk up and listen.
They let the kids come up to thefront and it's just, it's
(25:12):
nothing like official or like asit down and get a seat.
It's just kind of everybodygather around and let's chat
about this.
And some of them are absolutelyhilarious.
And everybody says this is partof their favorite part of Epcot
at Christmas.
I'm sure they have.
somewhat of a script to likesome of the things that they
need to keep to and make surethat they're talking through
some of the different traditionsof that specific area.
(25:36):
But there's lots of very candidinteractions that you can have
with these individuals.
Epcot is known for their littlescavenger hunts.
They always have a holidaycookie stroll for the festival
of the holidays.
And last year, they had youcollect five cookies.
And then at the end, theyawarded you with, it was like a
(25:58):
cookie baking kit that you couldmake like gingerbread cookie
mix, plus like sprinkles andM&Ms and things to decorate
with.
So you had options of like aspaceship earth, gingerbread
triangle, hazelnut, Windsor,black and white cookie,
peppermint pinwheel, coffeemocha, cinnamon spice, chocolate
crinkle cookie, holiday sugarcookie, peanut butter cookie.
(26:19):
Now I need Christmas cookies.
Yeah, I was going to say theysound so terrible.
Twist my arm.
And then in line with thescavenger hunts, you have Olaf's
Holiday Tradition ExpeditionScavenger Hunt.
This sends you on a journeyaround World Showcase to locate
Olaf in 13 different spotsthroughout the park.
Find 13 holiday traditions, likethe short on Disney+, that Olaf
(26:41):
has discovered in every pavilionaround World Showcase before
visiting Creation Shop or theWorld Traveler International
Gateway to redeem a specialprize.
Last year, the prize was frozencharacter stencils that could be
used to decorate cookies orcoffee at home.
So fun.
And I always suggest just pickup your prize when you pick up
your map because then you don'thave to go all the way back
(27:01):
around the park to pick it up.
In Epcot, you can meet Santa atthe Odyssey Pavilion between
November 29th and December 24th.
Also kind of note that once youget past the week of Christmas,
this is not available anymore.
So if you want to be able tomeet Santa at Epcot, you need to
be there before Christmas.
(27:23):
My parents were there, I thinkit was like early December last
year for my dad's birthday, andthey went over to meet Santa.
I don't know which one of, I'msure it was my mom, told Santa
that it was my dad's birthday,and Santa sang happy birthday to
my dad.
So talk about the magic ofDisney and Santa Claus.
He sang happy birthday, and itwas all captured on PhotoPass,
(27:44):
so...
They have, yeah, they have thosepictures of the whole thing of
Santa singing and being sillyand my dad and my mom laughing.
It was a really special momentthat he made for my parents.
The nighttime show Luminous, TheSymphony of Us does continue
during the holidays.
And then Living with the Landhas a holiday overlay.
(28:05):
Living with the Land holidayversion called Glimmering
Greenhouses continues.
They decorate the greenhousepart of the ride with lights and
new narration and displays.
And then they just talk abouthow different crops are used in
holiday celebrations around theworld, which is very neat.
This is the only time of theyear that I want to ride living
with the lamb.
(28:26):
Well, this is a good one.
It's really pretty.
Yeah, like ride it like as thesun is setting because then you
can see the lights better.
Okay, let's move over to AnimalKingdom.
Animal Kingdom...
has of course the giganticchristmas tree that is right
outside the entrance and it hascarved animal ornaments it's so
(28:48):
pretty and it's very it's verylike animal kingdom themed and
one of the things that you willsee upon walking in so once
you're through the oasis sectionand you're walking into where
you can see the tree you'regonna also be able to see the
merry menagerie They're so cute.
They're life-size artisan animalpuppets, including penguins,
(29:11):
reindeer, foxes, and polarbears.
They're the cutest.
And because it is winter and itgets dark so much earlier, you
have a good chance of seeing theTree of Life Awakenings Holiday
Edition.
Bright colors and animatedimagery projections light up the
tree.
Accompanied by a series ofwintry tales and a heartwarming
holiday-inspired musical score,this holiday evening experience
(29:33):
is sure to delight and inspireyour whole family tree.
So it begins after dark andoccurs approximately every 10
minutes until the park closes.
And it's not very long, maybefive minutes.
So this is not something I wouldgo out of my way for, but if I'm
close, I would kind of sitaround and wait for the next
show in five minutes.
You're also going to have Mickeyand Minnie at Adventure Outpost
(29:56):
as they usually are, but they'regoing to be in their holiday
attire.
All right.
If you have a resort day, let'stalk through things at the
resorts and Disney Springs.
So most, if not all of theresorts have their own tree and
they are decorated to match thevibe of the resort, which is so
(30:18):
fun.
Some of the most popular areobviously Wilderness Lodge and
Animal Kingdom Lodge.
And I also love that each resortwill also have some sort of like
holiday music playing that's ontheme.
So like you're going to havelike Hawaiian style, the Polly
or like Jimmy Buffett, CaribbeanBeach.
So that's fun.
My parents stayed at CaribbeanBeach when they were there last
(30:40):
December.
It was really pretty.
Caribbean Beach, I'd never beenthere during the holidays.
And a lot of times, you know,like you were saying, the
Wilderness Lodge and AnimalKingdom Lodge, they definitely
get a lot of attention becausethe lobbies are gigantic and
they have these beautiful trees.
But you definitely should takean opportunity to look at some
of the other resorts as wellbecause they have great
(31:00):
decorations also.
Some of the other things, inaddition to trees, the resorts
will have different types ofdisplays.
Animal Kingdom Lodge, they havegingerbread versions of various
animals, including Ginger theGiraffe.
deborah the zebra and franciscothe flamingo at the grand
floridian they usually have agiant gingerbread house
(31:24):
everything i've been seeing isthat there's not going to be one
this year yeah i don't know howthey can do that but they're
like in the process of buildinglike this whole birdcage bar
lobby bar thing so i just don'tknow if they can make it happen
so what is christmas withoutgingerbread house at the at the
grand I know it's going to bevery odd.
(31:46):
I don't know if they have a lotof options just because I'm sure
the amount of work that goesinto building it and putting it
together and the amount ofpeople that come through the
lobby to see it, they may justnot have the capacity to have it
there because of the crowds andbecause there's just not enough
room to move things aroundbecause of the construction.
(32:08):
So you also have other spotsthat do have gingerbread, the
Contemporary.
also has gingerbread display.
It typically changes every year.
Last year was Cinderella'sCastle, and they had little
Cinderella and Prince Charmingand the Fairy Godmother.
It was cute.
(32:28):
Yes, it was.
At Beach Club, they had agingerbread carousel last year
that was cool.
It actually moved.
And then at Yacht Club, they hada Christmas Village gingerbread
carousel.
At Boardwalk, they have agingerbread display that is a
recreation of the BoardwalkBakery.
At Fort Wilderness Campground,they do have decorations at the
(32:50):
different buildings and, ofcourse, at the Wilderness Lodge
area as well.
But one of the fun things isbeing able to see the
decorations at the campgrounditself because all of the guests
that are staying at thecampgrounds, they all go above
and beyond the to decorate forthe holidays.
So if you have an opportunity totake the boat to go over there,
(33:12):
definitely go over there.
You can rent golf carts and ridethem through and they have like
the golf cart parades, but youcan also do like the horse-drawn
carriage ride, but you have toreserve that with your dining.
So it's probably hard to get,but if you can snag it.
Yeah, right.
That would be a fun littleevening stroll.
Yeah, this is the time of yearwhen you want to really have a
(33:36):
rest day that's set aside justto go around the resorts.
So this would be where you wouldhave that opportunity to do that
because you would miss out ondoing something like that if you
didn't have that time built in.
The Swan Hotel, although notDisney property per se, but
right there, they always havelike a chocolate holiday
display, including Santa Claus.
(33:58):
So maybe head over there.
And they have, I think they're,I don't know what it's called,
chocolatier restaurants.
I'm not sure what the exact termis, but the person that works
there that does these displaysis like world renowned.
So it's a really cool thing thatyou can go over there and see.
And then what is a rest daywithout Disney Springs?
(34:19):
They go over the top with aChristmas tree stroll with
themed trees.
And if you've ever followed orseen Disney Springs social
media, they have a tree that is,he moves.
Have you seen this?
And he'll like, He's like onwheels and he'll move around and
scare people.
That's so funny.
(34:39):
So be on the lookout for him.
That's so funny.
You can discover a widecollection of extravagantly
decorated Christmas treesthroughout Disney Springs,
including elaborate themedChristmas trees inspired by
Disney, Pixar, Star Warsfavorites.
And they're just everywhere.
Along with nightly snowfall,live entertainment at Widerside
Stage, And then there is somefestive shopping and seasonal
(35:02):
treats.
Doc Lindsay's Holiday Bar,Disney Days, Christmas, and
World of Disney stores forholiday merch.
And there's just holiday thingseverywhere.
Yeah.
And they have, I remember theyalso have musicians that are not
just at the Waterside stagewhere it's like a more kind of
(35:23):
official, but they havemusicians that are around the
different areas of DisneySprings.
I'm pretty sure my parents sentme a video last year and they
were close to where the little,like where the tunnel thing is.
I always get confused as to likewhether it's like west or east
or whatever they call it, butit's where you walk through that
(35:44):
tunnel and the Lululemon shop isover there for anybody that has
teenage daughters.
You know where that is.
We're like over close to wherethe chicken guy is, that kind of
area.
When you know that everybody'sgoing to have like some sort of
special, like Gideon's will havesome holiday coffees and cookies
(36:06):
and all the stores will havepromos and Christmas merch and
all the fun things.
Okay, so really quickly, wethought we would just give you a
quick snapshot.
We talked about it throughoutthe different areas, but we
thought we'd give you a quicksnapshot if you just want a
rundown of where you can seeSanta Claus.
These are based on 2024.
(36:26):
Not everything's confirmed for2025, but again, just double
check your app.
For Magic Kingdom, StorybrookeCircus has a meet and greet
location during Mickey's VeryMerry Christmas Party.
Santa also, it's on the sleighat the end of the Once Upon a
Christmastime Parade.
He can also be found nearLiberty Square Gazebo, near
(36:50):
where the Christmas shop isduring regular park hours.
This man gets around.
Yeah, he does.
Epcot, he can meet guests insidethe Odyssey Pavilion.
This is located near Test Trackin Mexico.
And then you can also see thecultural versions.
Pierre Noel in France, BarnSanta in Norway, Father
(37:12):
Christmas in the UK.
Hollywood Studios.
You can meet Santa at It's aWonderful Shop on Grand Avenue.
And then also you have SantaGoofy at Hollywood and Vine if
you want a little different typeof Santa.
At Animal Kingdom, I'm sure thiscould be different this year
because of everything going onwith Dinoland, but typically
(37:36):
Santa would venture intoDinoland for fun meets dinosaur
themes and appeared at theRestaurantosaurus patio.
Restaurant stores are stillthere.
So that could maybe stillhappen.
Yeah, maybe.
At Disney Springs, Santa greetsguests at Santa's Marketplace.
This is near Disney Pintraders,formerly the Star Wars Trading
(37:58):
Post.
There also last year was aspecial breakfast with Santa at
Maria and Enzo's.
It was held select mornings inmid-December.
So that's something to look outfor.
That sounds really fun to me.
And then if you are near theSwan and Dolphin, Santa and Mrs.
Claus hosted the holiday hangoutby the Swan's Pool on select
(38:21):
dates in November and December,providing a unique photo
opportunity.
And then you could also meetSanta at Blizzard Beach Water
Park and see him decked out inhis best, most festive
beachwear.
So I think if Typhoon Lagoon isopen, he's there as well.
It just kind of depends on whichone's open.
Yes.
And I don't think, I think lastyear, maybe it wasn't, Typhoon
(38:43):
Lagoon just wasn't open duringthat timeframe.
And so that's the only reason itwas only there.
All right.
And then as promised, here aresome tips for maximizing your
time and navigating the heavyholiday crowds.
The week between Christmas andNew Year's is historically the
most busy time at Walt DisneyWorld.
(39:03):
It's bananas.
B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
So you definitely want toconsider rope dropping.
You're going to get the most outof your day when the crowds are
at their lowest.
I visited that week afterChristmas.
I would also say haveexpectations set.
Don't go in there crazy thinkingthat you're not going to have
crowds because you're just goingto be disappointed.
(39:24):
If you can, time your visitstrategically.
So when school's out is whenyou're going to see your higher
crowds, especially with NewYear's being coming.
like we said, the busiest weekof the year.
So if you can and want to pullyour kids out, sneak in the week
before Christmas break starts.
Like we said, the first orsecond week in December, you're
going to see the lowest crowdsfor the Christmas season.
(39:45):
I already kind of said this, butset realistic expectations.
With peak holiday crowds, you'renot going to be able to get on
every ride.
It's just not going to happen.
So just kind of shift yourmindset to pick one or two
must-do attractions.
And know that you're thereduring such a magical time of
year.
It is beautiful.
(40:06):
It is truly magical.
Don't go in there and be aGrinch.
One that I often suggest is tostay at deluxe resorts if at all
possible.
So not only are you going toenjoy the proximity to the
parks, but you also have chancesto see fireworks from your
resorts.
You don't have to deal with thecrowds.
There are more transportationoptions.
So if the monorail breaks down,you could walk or...
(40:30):
ride a boat.
You can also quickly escapeduring peak times and just head
back for a nap.
And then deluxe resorts alsooffer extended evening hours
with lighter crowds and thenit's a great time to hop on some
popular rides if you miss thoseduring the day.
Double check the park hours.
Oftentimes the hours areextended during the holidays so
(40:53):
Magic Kingdom will open as earlyas 7 a.m.
If you want to rope drop youneed to get out of bed and be
there early so that you canbenefit from that.
Because if you show up thinkingthat the park opens at eight,
you're going to be therewhenever everybody else gets
there and you're going to loseout on that extra time.
Use lightning lanesstrategically.
Like we've said, holiday crowdsmean these sell out quickly.
(41:16):
So book your highest priorityrides early in the day.
Maybe even consider a VIP touror premier pass.
It's a little more, but youmight benefit from it.
This is one where I'm just goingto tell you, you should use a
travel agent to help you.
Yeah, we'll figure out what'syour priority and we can best
arrange your days for your bestchance to get lightning lanes.
(41:39):
Yeah.
Or if you have enough peoplewith you, if a VIP tour is worth
the money, it might be best todo that.
Another one is mobile order foodin advance.
A lot of people don't realizethat you can get on the app at 7
a.m.
and order your dinner andschedule it for 4 30 p.m so you
can beat mealtime rushes byplacing your orders earlier in
(42:00):
the day do it before you'rehungry do it before there's long
lines you can always cancel itor bump it but at least you'd
have something in your backpocket ready scout alternative
viewing spots for fireworks ifyou're in the parks obviously
you want to look for some likelesser known areas but you also
like crystal said if you'restaying at a deluxe resort you
(42:21):
can view fireworks from therewithout the crowds if you would
like to do something like that.
There's also places like viewingfireworks from the Poly on the
beach.
You do get Happily Ever After orthe fireworks music pumped in to
that area.
So you get that experience aswell.
If you're staying at one of theEpcot resorts, it's like you're
(42:45):
pretty much right there.
I mean, you can see them almostlike standing in the park,
depending on what resort you'reat.
And then you all know that I'm ahuge fan of the dessert parties.
I love the dessert parties.
I think they're worth it, evenif you don't get the desserts,
because you're basically payingto get a spot for yourself in
(43:05):
front of the castle or in astrategic spot at Epcot so that
you don't have to fight thecrowds.
I think they're worth the money.
plan for weather swings.
Florida can be chilly in themornings or the evenings, but
hot midday, so pack in layers tostay comfortable.
Although I'm from the Midwest,so balmy 55 degrees over
(43:27):
Christmas would feel beautiful.
I'm from the South, and when wewere there over Christmas, it
was like 50 degrees the wholetime, and I was freezing.
And my crazy children still gotin the FYI, the pools are heated
no matter what time of year itis.
So they were just completelyfine while I sat in a lounge
(43:48):
chair with my hoodie up and ablanket on because I was
freezing.
It's cold when you get out.
That's the worst part.
Add in a holiday exclusiveexperience.
So some of the things we justtalked about, cookie strolls,
seasonal shows, resort hoppingto see the decorations, you
know, the gingerbread, thetrees.
(44:09):
We had two rest days when wewere there, and I absolutely
loved that we had two days tojust soak in all of the holiday
magic, not just in the parks,but at the resorts.
It was fantastic.
And then take a midday break,whether at your hotel, in a
quieter park area.
This is what I like to do, oursit-down dining.
(44:30):
A recharge will make yourevenings more enjoyable, and
it's Especially if you involvefood.
It helps everybody's hangries goaway.
Going from open to close duringany time at Walt Disney World is
a lot.
But at the holidays with thecrowd levels, it's very
overwhelming for sure.
(44:52):
And in addition, I wasmentioning taking multiple rest
days earlier.
In addition to that, especiallyif you're there the week after
Christmas and you don't havea...
very merry Christmas party nightwhere you can kind of
strategically pick that day forMagic Kingdom since crowds can
be lower on those days.
If you don't have that as anoption, you really should have
(45:12):
two days at Magic Kingdom.
There's so much there.
It would benefit you to do that.
If you would like to book aparty, there are still a lot of
dates available.
I think maybe a couple arestarting to sell out, but as we
get closer, they will startgoing like hotcakes.
So reach out.
We'd love to help you with that.
Yeah, absolutely.
(45:32):
Like we said earlier, we're lessthan 100 days out.
Maybe a few more weeks, peopleare going to continue to buy
tickets to the not-so-scaryHalloween party, but then people
are going to start transitioningto thinking about holidays.
It's better to go ahead and getyour plans in and get your
tickets purchased to whateverparty it is that you want to go
(45:52):
to and not miss out on it.
And we're seeing some strange,weird holiday time promos for
rooms, so that's not always thecase.
Also, We would absolutely loveto hear from you.
We love getting messages fromyou, ideas on different topics
to cover.
We hope you all have a fantasticweek upcoming and we will see
(46:15):
you next week.
Bye! Thanks for tuning in toanother episode of Wonderlust
and Wishes.
If you enjoyed today's episode,don't forget to subscribe and
leave us a review on yourfavorite podcast platform.
(46:38):
And remember, the world is fullof wonders waiting to be
explored.
Until next time, happy travels.
Bye for now.
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