Frozen Fireworks question

[Ellasgirls]

My sister and I are bringing our mom to WDW the week of Dec 12-19 as her "make a wish trip". Yes, she has incurable cancer and this is (and has always been) a wish to see the Christmas lights at Disney. So we are making her dream come true. No kids, only the 3 of us.
Now for my question:
I know Elsa "freezes" the castle and the blue twinkle lights are draped down and around everything. Is this only done at the Mickey Christmas Party or can we also see the castle this way on nights that they are not throwing the party. I don't want her to miss this but not sure if we wanted to spend the money and don't know her energy level at that time of night.
Thank you! And any other tips/tricks to make her stay as magical as possible would be greatly appreciated. We are staying at the All Star Music (only place we could afford on short notice) but will be traveling and walking through her dream hotels (Boardwalk & Animal Kingdom Lodge).

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

I believe December 20th this year is the first day the fireworks/castle freezing become standard without the party. The Frozen Fireworks, however awere at DHS and I believe ended September 28th. Elsa freezing the castle is at MK, not sure if only on parties honestly, I think so though until the 20th. I am sure you will have a lovely time regardless.

My suggestion while at AKL is to take her out to see the animals of course! Sanaa is a restaurant there that has a view of the animals if it will be easier for her to remain inside more often maybe you could dine there. At night time they have someone at one of the overlooks with night vision goggles to look through, that could be fun!

I am not familiar with boardwalk. The Grand Floridian has a really cool gingerbread house. If you can swing it, could you guys do a character meal? They really make you feel like a kid again! CRT is probably booked up and is pricey, but a breakfast at crystal palace could be great. There is something about getting a hug from those warm fuzzy characters (pooh and friends!) that makes everything better! I would also be sure to see Cinderella and Talking Mickey. Ask about the guest access card or whatever the name of the disability assistance program is if you think she will need it/ have trouble standing in line.

I hope you have a wonderful, magical trip!

 

[Donald - my hero]

Yes the "frozen Crew" freezes the castle every night! They started on the 5th of November. On the nights of the party they show them about 30 - 45 minutes before the party starts so you might want to try those days so you don't need to stay up so late ! If your mom is in wheelchair/scooter there are spots roped off that you can use. We saw the show a few weeks ago and thought it was cute. The castle looked amazing all lit up!

I hope you have a wonderful trip, make sure to get as many pictures with the Photopass peeps, I would venture that it would be a good use of some $$ to pay for the Memory Maker package before you leave home to make sure that you have pictures to look back on after the trip You could also use your camera and take some themed shots ... try on different hats in every shop/country and make goofy faces. Take the time to look at everything as if it's the 1st time you're seeing it NOT the last time and you'll be amazed at what you've missed before.

I would suggest riding the resort monorail and getting off at each of the resorts to check out their special Christmas decorations. If you want to you can take a ferry to the Wilderness Lodge to see their awesome tree as well! All of the deluxe resorts really get decked out in their finery for the season and that can be a great quiet break from the parks. We love checking out all the different shops to see the resort "specific" merchandise.

 

[minniegirl19]

Like PP said they light up the castle every night not just the party!

I would also suggest the same taking the monorail resort to resort around MK to see their decorations if you need a break.

Definitely enjoy all of the holiday events in Epcot and the osbourne lights at studios are a must!

Most importantly go at your pace if you don't see everything or all of the resorts you wanted to its okay! The most important thing is the time spent and memories made together. Its a trip you and your sister will treasure for the rest of your life.

Prayers for your family and have a magical trip and christmas

 

[Ellasgirls]

Thank you for the suggestions!

Is the Mickeys Christmas Party worth the money with no kids along? We did the Pirate and Princess Party YEARS ago with our kids and loved it. Is there a different castle lighting and/or fireworks at the MVMCP? I know there is a special parade just for the party.

 

[mom2rtk]

Thank you for the suggestions!

Is the Mickeys Christmas Party worth the money with no kids along? We did the Pirate and Princess Party YEARS ago with our kids and loved it. Is there a different castle lighting and/or fireworks at the MVMCP? I know there is a special parade just for the party.

They will start doing the fireworks, parade and shows from MVMCP during regular park hours the day after the last party. But it looks like you will just miss that, so the only way to see it all is to attend the party. I would recommend it just for the atmosphere and parade. Others will disagree.

I hope you have a memorable trip.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Frozen castle lighting every night at 6:15, party or no party. And that's before the party starts so anyone can see it. Frozen fireworks at DHS ended at the end of September. Christmas parade is party only until after the last MVMCP and then it's the afternoon parade. Holiday Wishes on party nights, regular Wishes on non-party nights, until after the last MVMCP when it's Holiday Wishes nightly.

 

[LSUfan4444]

It seems there is a bit of confusion.

Frozen Fireworks was something that went on over at Hollywood Studios during the Summer as [art of their Summer Frozen Fun promotion and was extended through September.

Frozen Holiday Wish is the castle lighting ceremony/show held twice a day at Magic Kingdom. It starts at 6:15 nightly, then again at 8pm on party dates and 7:30 on non party dates.

The link below has some very good tips on a good strategy and some additional details and the video below is of the show itself so you can see what to expect:


Info:
http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorized/magic-kingdom-frozen-holiday-wish-strategy-christmas-decorations-jingle-cruise-and-bonus-contemporary-gingerbread-display/



Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iTwem-m3d0

 

[MakiraMarlena]

should throw in here that if it is raining, there won't be any Frozen castle lighting show with characters. There will be an announcement ("Queen Elsa welcomes you" or something similar to that, although Elsa herself will not appear) and the castle will light up.

 

[IWannaBuildASnowman]

Threadcrashing - this is is every night? I had no idea. This is perfect! Thanks for posting this

Ellasgirls, I hope your trip is magical.

 

[wareagle57]

If you are strapped for cash, I don't think the party is worth it for you. You can see the castle lighting any night. Unless you have a major interest in meeting rare characters, the only thing you'll miss by not going to the party is the Christmas Parade and Holiday Wishes. If you really want to see Holiday Wishes, you could watch from several places outside the park that pipe in the music.

I think the Osborne Lights will more than make up for skipping the party. If you'd like to see them with less crowds, you can stick around up to an hour after the park is "closed" before they turn them off.

And as others pointed out, I would check out all of the Monorail resorts and the Wilderness Lodge. If you are park hopping and traveling to MK via monorail, then you could see the Poly and the Grand Floridian on your way to MK one afternoon. And you could see The Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge on your way out after a morning in the parks.