Guide to Christmas in Disney

[PlutoTheDog89]

DHS POA 2/2


I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving, and their long weekend. I binge-ate all weekend. I was literally unable to move on Thursday, worked a half-day on Friday, and spent the weekend eating leftovers. I'm now going on my yearly diet until Christmas. I figure if I could drop a few pounds before the vacation, I won't feel as bad eating pounds of Disney food.

I woke up excited on Friday, because it's Black Friday. No, I'm not crazy enough to run to the stores. I actually had to "run" to make a train so that I could go to work. Surprisingly, New York City was not that packed. Actually, it was much less packed than I anticipated. Maybe it's perception, or maybe it's because most people have off today.

Perception is a funny thing. It's also what leads us into our next post: Hollywood Studios POA: Part 2/2. I'd say EPCOT is the one park that is most accepting of crowds. Even during the most peak times, it never feels that crowded. The only way to really notice the crowds is by looking at the ride wait times. DHS is a lot like EPCOT in that perceptually, it never really feels crowded. There are certain areas where the crowd becomes noticeable. By the Brown Derby, near Toy Story Mania, and along Hollywood Blvd. are some of the areas where it gets a bit congested. So how do you deal with all of it? Let's jump right in...

View from Starring Rolls the day before New Years Eve:



Near Brown Derby (there was a parade):



Park: Disney's Hollywood Studios
Opened: May 1st, 1989 (as Disney MGM Studios)
Interesting Fact: In 2011, the park hosted approximately 9.7 million guests, making it the fifth-most visited amusement park in the United States, and eighth-most visited in the world.
Areas:
- Hollywood Boulevard
- Echo Lake
- Streets of America
- Animation Courtyard
- Pixar Place
- Sunset Boulevard
Top Ride(s):
- Toy Story Mania
- Rock 'n' Rollercoaster
- Tower of Terror

DHS is my favorite park. There, I said it. Don't get me wrong, nothing could replace the feeling you get in Magic Kingdom, or the food in EPCOT, but DHS takes the cake. I'm a big fan of rides. And, while Disney has so much to offer, DHS is home to my two favorite rides: Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Rollercoaster. I used to hate heights and upside down roller coasters. Well, I wouldn't hate them, I just would never go on them. I was afraid. In high school, I went on a school band trip to California and was forced on Tower of Terror and California Screamin'... and I never looked back.

DHS is one of the smaller parks. Spanning 135 acres, it actually appears larger than it is (thanks, Imagineers.) Like its counterparts, it is anchored by a main "attraction". Unlike the other parks, however, it does not have a defined layout.

The park was originally known as "Disney MGM Studios" until 2008, when it became Hollywood Studios. Although, it feels like it's been Hollywood Studios forever. The park is represented by The Sorcerer's Hat, which replaced the Earful Tower as the park's icon in 2001.

The park is not based on actual Hollywood, but rather the "idea" of Hollywood and how it is imagined to have been in the 1930s and 40s. Upon entering the park, you are on Hollywood Boulevard. This serves as the park's main entrance and is lined with themed streetscape facades selling Disney merchandise. It is also home to many of Disney's parades. At the end of Hollywood Blvd is the Sorcerer's hat. As you approach the hat, the park opens up a bit. You can either continue forward to the replica Chinese theater, which houses The Great Movie Ride, or choose to walk to another area of the park.

We usually like to walk toward Sunset Boulevard. Sunset was the first expansion to Hollywood Studios, opening in 1994. You can get here by making a right at the hat, followed by another right. You will basically be walking back toward the park entrance (only on Sunset Blvd.) Sunset is home to Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, and has two outdoor amphitheaters for live stage shows. It is also home to (arguably) the most famous show at Disney, "Fantasmic!" A quick, interesting fact: Disney spends an estimated $45,000 for each showing of Fantasmic! At at least two shows per night for a year -- that's $32.4 million a year!

Walking back toward The Sorcerer's Hat, you can swing a right at the end of Sunset Boulevard and head to Animation Courtyard. Animation Courtyard is home to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show, the Magic of Disney Animation, and Disney Junior - Live on Stage. Disney Junior is basically a dance party for kids at night. The Magic of Disney Animation is a lot of fun. You can learn about different movies and artists at Disney, and actually learn how to draw a character. I would definitely recommend it as something different to do to "unwind".

Behind the hat is Pixar Place, home of Toy Story Mania and the Toy Story Character Meet-and-Greet. During peak times and hours, this area definitely gets pretty packed. The best route here is to go to the back of the hat and enter through Mickey Ave. You can also enter from Streets of America by the Backlot tour.

To the left of the hat and Pixar Place (looking at the hat from the entrance) is Streets of America. Streets of America is home to the Backlot tour, Muppet Vision, the Extreme Stunt Show, and places to eat such as Pizza Planet, Mama Melrose, Studio Catering, Sci-Fi Diner, and ABC Commissary. As a quick service, ABC and Studio Catering are some of the best QS on the Disney property (my opinion).

Echo Lake is toward the front-left of the hat. It is home to the American Idol Experience, Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carrey, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, and places to eat such as 50s Primetime, Hollywood and Vine, Min and Bill's Dockside Diner, Backlot Express and Oasis Canteen.

Hands down, the most popular ride at DHS and quite possibly in all of Disney is Toy Story Mania. You will not wait under one hour to an hour and a half during Christmas week, and can wait as long as 220 minutes. It should be your number one priority when booking FP+, and/or your number one priority for FP- when entering the park.

After TSM, Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster are the next "tier" of popular rides. Star Tours is a very close third tier. So, when you book FP+, your priority should be TSM, with the remaining two going to ToT, R'n'R, or Star Tours based on availability or preference.

If you are unable to secure a FP+ for TSM, I would recommend getting there for Rope Drop. Even during EMH, the wait time for TSM can be above one hour. If you can get there for Rope Drop or morning EMH, do it, and make a B-line to the back of the park. Either get a FP- or go standby. You may still wait 30-40 minutes (because everyone has the same idea) but you will ride it, and get it over with. The other most popular rides at DHS are R'n'R and ToT. You can get on ToT within 30 minutes during EMH or early in the morning. ToT also offers a singe-rider line. R'n'R will usually be around a one-hour wait, but you can get on within 30 minutes during EMH. If you wait until EMH for Star Tours, you can easily get on within 20 minutes at most .

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is one of the most famous attractions at Disney during Christmas. It is included with admission to the park, and can be found in the Streets of America. The real-life Giswold Family display originated in Arkansas, constructed by a businessman for his six-year-old daughter. The display is made up of over 10 miles of rope lighting connected by another 30 miles of extension cords. The lights are synchronized to holiday music, which cycles every 40-60 minutes.





There is a hidden "cat" placed in the display every year. Osborne allegedly found the cat decoration from Halloween inside a box of Christmas lights. As a tradition, it is hidden somewhere each year. See if you can find it!

That's all for now. Next, I'll cover Magic Kingdom. I'll start by covering the food, then move into the Christmas attractions, then the rides and a POA.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Magic Kingdom POA Part 1

Magic Kingdom is home to some of the better snacks at Walt Disney World. By far, the most popular snack at Disney is the Dole Whip. The Dole Whip could be found at both Magic Kingdom and the Polynesian Resort. At Magic Kingdom, it could be found at Aloha Isle in Adventure Land (across form the Magic Carpet ride if memory serves me right.) When I was younger and would visit my grandma in Florida, she used to take us to this road-side ice cream shop that had a famous creamsicle. It was my favorite. The orange tasted like a fresh-squeezed orange, and the vanilla was like a custard. The Dole Whip reminded me a lot of the creamsicle. I tried both the traditional dole whip with vanilla and the pineapple float. I definitely preferred the traditional. It is also worth the snack credit, as it is around $3-$4.

If the Dole Whip is number one, 1A is the Cinnamon Roll. For years, you could find the Cinnamon Roll at Main Street Bakery. Finding MSB was simple, just let your nose lead you down Main Street! I had the cinnamon roll for the first time last year, and I'm glad I did. They are freshly made and kept warm, and covered with a hot white frosting. Inside, they are hot and moist and filled with cinnamon-goodness. It was the perfect Christmas breakfast last year, coupled with a hot coffee while sitting at the tables outside of Casey's. After MSB was transformed into a Starbucks, the Cinnamon Roll was moved to Gaston's Tavern. The recipe was changed a bit. It is now served with a Maple Glaze. I have not had the new roll yet, but from what I understand, the maple taste is not completely noticeable. The other downside is that the frosting is poured onto the roll, not served with it. So, if you were one of the "insiders" that would ask for extra frosting to receive the the mix from the bottom of the pan, you're out of luck.



The new Starbucks does serve some Disney snacks, but the cinnamon rolls are gone and it has for the most part been converted into a Starbucks. From a little research, it APPEARS that all Starbucks drinks are a snack credit. If that is true, that is an absolute steal (for the more expensive drinks.) I would recommend paying for a coffee or tea, but using your snack credit for Frappucinos, lattes, etc.

A little further down Main Street and across from Casey's is the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. The Plaza is a great place to use a snack credit. With two sundaes that are 5-plus dollars, there is a definite value. The Plaza does use Edy's ice cream (sorry to kill the magic). I also believe the smell of fresh cones may be piped in, but it still smells delicious. The Plaza is open late, so it's a great place to stop on your way out of the park for a cone or sundae.

At the end of Main Street where it opens up into the center of the wagon-wheel you can find the classics. To the left and right there are usually carts selling popcorn, candied almonds and pecans, cotton candy, Mickey bars, etc. Personally, I love the candied almonds and pecans. These, along with the aforementioned snacks could be found at any park, but the novelty adds to the Magic Kingdom aesthetics.

Starting at the wagon wheel, let's walk to Adventureland and head clockwise around Magic Kingdom.

We already covered Dole Whips, which can be found in Adventureland. You can also find the pork or vegetable egg roll at the Adventureland Egg Roll cart.

Just past Adventureland is Frontierland, home of Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. Frontierland is home to many food carts and snacks you can find almost anywhere. I know that Frontierland is home to the popular Turkey Leg. I had the Turkey Leg once. It's a gigantic turkey leg that has been brined and smoked, and is delicious. However, I know of two people who have eaten them and gotten sick the next day. Most likely, this is a coincidence, but I avoid them because they could be messy and because I don't want to take the chance.

In Frontierland is also Pecos Bill's. While I will cover this a bit more when I get to the QS, I will tell you that Pecos offers a solid array of snacks. With offerings such as chili cheese fries, onion rings and sweet potato fries, they have some very tasty options and a great "toppings bar". Of the snacks, the chili cheese fries hold the highest value at around $5.00. Most of the snacks fall in the $2-$3 range, so I'd recommend paying OOP.

After Big Thunder Mountain, you hit a dead end. In order to get to Liberty Square, head back toward Adventureland. Liberty Square is home to Sleepy Hollow, which offers funnel cakes, homemade ice cream sandwiches, as well as soups and coffee. I plan on trying the homemade ice cream sandwiches for the first time this year. The ice cream sandwich features two homemade cookies around three fresh scoops of ice cream. Sleepy Hollow is also home to the waffle sandwiches. While they are not included as a snack, at ~$6, these are amazing. You can choose from the Sweet and Spicy Chicken, Ham Prosciutto and Swiss, or Nutella and Fruit. The chicken and ham waffle sandwiches are served between 11am and 5pm, while the Nutella is served all day.

With the opening of Fantasyland comes a slew of new dining options. Be Our Guest offers both Table Service and Quick Service, as well as snack options. Snack options include soup, desserts, tea, coffee and drinks. The snack options that stand out are the soups, including French Onion and Potato Leek. These are around $5, so they offer a solid value.

Big Top Souvenirs features many of the same offerings that the Main Street Confectionary offers. With cookies, cakes, candy. and dipped fruit, this place is awesome. The Mickey Peanut Butter cup and S'more square are both very good, and at $5 are worth the snack. Other items at a similar price include the Dumbo cupcake, dipped fruit, and English toffee.

Another new addition is Gaston's Tavern. Gaston's now features the popular cinnamon roll. At $3.99, it fringes on value, however there are better (not tasting, but money-wise) options. Gaston's offers a chocolate croissant, beverages, vegetables and fruit. The hummus and chips provides the best value at $4.39. Perhaps the most popular items is LeFou's Brew. The brew without the souvenir cup is considered a snack and is right around $4-$5. I had this last year and really enjoyed it. It's basically a frozen apple juice slushie topped with a mango marshmallow, made to look like a beer. It's very good at first, but after a while it is really sweet. You start to get those "cold" and start to feel twitchy toward the bottom. It's actually very filling and brought me back to my childhood. I used to love apple juice, but have not had it in a long, long time. I'm not sure I'll get another one this year, as I'm more worried about trying other snacks, but I'd definitely recommend trying it.



Storybook Treats offers the most value-filled menu. With large sundaes coming in around $5-$6, this is the best value. The fudge brownie sundae is very good, but I love the hot fudge cookie sundae. You can also get milkshakes and floats for ~$4.50.

Tomorrowland offers a lot of the same things you can find around all Disney parks. Cosmic Ray's is very good, and offers many of the same things Pecos Bills offers - chili cheese fries, soups, etc. The Lunching Pad offers the sweet cream cheese pretzel. You can also find jalapeno cream cheese pretzels as well at other locations and parks.

As far as holiday snacks at Magic Kingdom, there are plenty. You can find many of the treats at the Main Street Confectionary. Holiday items include cookies, candied apples, fudge, marshmallow treats, crispy treats and cupcakes. You can see a lot of the treats made before your eyes as they always have bakers on-hand working behind a glass wall. The candied apples look like snowmen, the cakes and cookies are decorated in Christmas colors, and they have a bunch of gingerbread Mickey cookies. My personal favorite are the Mickey Crispy treats. I know you can find them anywhere, but these have that homemade taste to them. I'll be having some gingerbread and cookies this year as well!

When it comes to table and quick service spots, there are a few solid options. For QS, my favorites include Pecos Bill's and Columbia Harbour House. Columbia Harbour House is right across from the Haunted Mansion and serves a great array of soups and sandwiches. I like Picos Bill's because I enjoy their burgers and the burger bar, although many people are indifferent.

Other popular options include Cosmic Ray's in Tomorrowland, and Pinochio's Village Haus, which has some great flatbreads. Be Our Guest also offers quick service, although I have not yet tried it. Do know that Be Our Guest offers a lot of non-traditional options, so for pick eaters it could be tough to find something good.

The most popular Table Service in MK right now would be Be Our Guest. We had breakfast at Crystal Palace last year. Despite having a cold, I loved the breakfast buffet, my family didn't care for it. I love breakfast, so even if the food is so-so, I'll enjoy it. The only problem I had was that the food was luke warm rather than hot. Crystal Palace is a character restaurant, so the characters will come around while you eat and take pictures.

Liberty Tree Tavern is an old favorite for my family. We used to love the turkey dinner here, and LTT is also a character dining experience. Having experienced more food around Disney World and developed a more "mature" palette, LTT's food really seems to lack quality. The mac and cheese is comparable to Stouffer's, and the food is pretty pedestrian. Still, it's a cool option around Christmas, as it has a holiday feel to it.

My least favorite is Tony's. I really wouldn't recommend it. We had it a few years ago. Honestly, the restaurant is beautiful, service is good, but the food is really lacking.

Overall, Magic Kingdom is good for snacks, but lacks a solid Table Service. I would recommend Crystal Palace for the character meet, and will definitely try Be Our Guest. Otherwise, if you are looking for a great Table Service, I'd recommend looking elsewhere.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

POA: Magic Kingdom Part 2

Magic Kingdom is magical on its own. Entering the park and seeing the castle, smelling food from the bakery, and hearing the music is something nostalgic to my childhood and still makes me feel like a kid again.

Combine the normal Magic Kingdom aesthetics with holiday decorations and a sparkling castle and you have a truly magical Christmas week.

Disney has a large Christmas tree at the entrance loop of the park. The light posts up and down Main Street are decorated with Christmas lights and wreaths, and the castle is decorated with lights. Both ends of Main Street (the castle side and the entrance) offer fantastic photo opportunities.

New this year is the Jingle Cruise. The Jungle Cruise has now been decorated with Christmas decorations "sent from home". From what I've heard, the dialogue and jokes have changed to a more Christmas theme.

There is also a Christmas parade during the the afternoon, and the Wishes firework show becomes "Holiday Wishes". Holiday Wishes features a holiday overload. The song and dialogue is different, the graphics on the castle are holiday-themed, and the fireworks are holiday colors. It also "snows" on Main Street on a nightly basis (*before December 21st, I believe it only snows during the Christmas Party.)

On December 30th, Magic Kingdom does their "dress rehearsal" New Years Eve show. There is a DJ at Magic Kingdom playing music from around 11pm to park close. At 11:50pm, there is a projection-based show on the castle. There is a countdown to midnight, and at midnight there is the same firework show as they show at New Years.

This is great for many guests, and is a can't-miss for my family. We always say that we are going to call it an "early night" on December 30th. We leave very early on New Years Day (around 4:30am for a 7am flight) and get very little sleep, so we try and get a good night sleep on December 30th. That rarely happens.

This is always our last night at Magic Kingdom. Every year we have gone to Hollywood Studios for NYE. Magic Kingdom is the most packed park on NYE, and usually closes due to capacity in the afternoon (it did last year). So, doing the show a night early gives everyone a chance to see and enjoy the show. While it does get very crowded the night of December 30th, it is definitely far more manageable than the real NYE. I will cover the crowd control and NYE tips in more depth in a future post. Next up is the POA for Magic Kingdom. I will cover how to plan your day at Magic Kingdom and how to handle the crowds.

 

[Britard]

I am looking to plan a Christmas trip for 2014 and this thread is giving me lots of great ideas and advice! Thanks!!!

 

[Kpskyman]

Some of the best Disney Magic for the Christmas season isn't even in the parks, or done by Disney. Go over to the Fort Wilderness Campground, and tour the campgrounds at night. The patrons, and a lot of them, decorate their campsites every year, and many go all out. Many even decorate their golf carts. It is an awesome display of lights that rivals anything in your hometown and it is done by the guests 100%

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

POA: Magic Kingdom Part 3

Park: Disney's Magic Kingdom
Opened: October 1st, 1971
Interesting Fact: Inside the upper levels of Cinderella's Castle is an apartment that Walt Disney intended to use when he and his family were in Florida. It was left unfinished when he died, until Disney announced in 2006 that it would be turned into a deluxe suite, which is awarded randomly to a family every day. It comes complete with 24-karat gold tile floors and a "magic mirror" that turns into a television
Areas:
- Main Street, USA
- Adventureland
- Frontierland
- Fantasyland
- Tomorrow Land
Top Ride(s):
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Not only is Magic Kingdom the most popular park at Walt Disney World, but also the most popular park in the world. Magic Kingdom is set up with a wagon-wheel design, anchored by Cinderella’s Castle.

Magic Kingdom is one of the most popular parks in the world. People come from all over the world to see the famous castle. While the other three parks are very popular, there is a certain magic feeling you get when entering Magic Kingdom. You can't help but smile. Add to that the Christmas decorations and cheer and you have an experience that you will never forget.

Dealing with the Crowds

With Christmas being a peak time at Disney World, crowd levels are incredibly high. While parks like EPCOT "absorb" crowds well, Magic Kingdom does not. Main Street can become very congested during crowded times, making it hard to move around and giving you a "claustrophobic" feeling. Once you get past Main Street, it opens up a bit. The problem is that Main Street is the entrance to the park. It is also the best place to view fireworks, parades and street shows. Whereas EPCOT may have many great locations to view Illuminations, and Fantasmic is "off the beaten path" at DHS, many people flock to Main Street for parades and the Wishes firework show. When entering or exiting the park during a parade, it can be nearly impossible to get past Main Street.

Main Street Christmas Night:





One of the main ways to get past this (and my first tip) is to utilize the train. There is a railroad that goes around Magic Kingdom, stopping in each land and area. The main train station is at the entrance to the park. If there is a parade or show taking place when you enter the park, hop on the train and take it to Adventureland or whichever area you desire. If you are trying to leave the park, hop on the train and take it to Main Street.

Magic Kingdom is rare when it comes to rides. If I ask you the top rides at DHS, you'll quickly say "Toy Story" or "Tower of Terror" or "Rock 'n' Roller coaster!" At EPCOT, you'd say "Soarin" or "Test Track". If I ask you about Magic Kingdom, it would really depend on who I am asking. I would tell you that the three Mountains are the most popular - Space, Big Thunder Mountain, and Splash. Some people may tell you the Haunted Mansion, others will tell you Small World, and some will go with Dumbo. At Magic Kingdom, there are a number of popular thrill rides, a number of popular classics, and a bunch of cult-followings. On any given day, you can wait nearly an hour for any of them! During Christmas - you may even wait close to two hours!

Here's a quick breakdown of the most popular rides by genre

Thrill
- Space Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Splash Mountain

Classics
- Small World
- Dumbo

Cult Followings
- Peter Pan
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jungle Cruise
- Haunted Mansion

Between 11am and around 4pm, the park sees its highest crowds. By 11am, it begins to get noticeably crowded. During the afternoon, Space Mountain's wait time can be as long as 90-120 minutes. BTMRR usually tops out around 60-70 minutes, but I've seen it around 90. Rides like Peter Pan and Pooh also get very crowded, with wait times of an hour or more. The Jungle Cruise gets up to about an hour, and Pirates has been as high as 120 minutes. You get the point. It gets crowded and the wait times become astronomical.

As a result, I'd recommend getting to the park very early - as close to Rope Drop as possible. This year, Magic Kingdom has morning EMH. Last Christmas, the park opened at 8am for EMH and Rope Drop was at 9am. Getting to the park that early is difficult, but worth it. We told ourselves last year that we would make EMH. We got there for 8:45am but still had a great time.

Getting there at 8:45am, we saw that Space Mountain had a 20 minute wait. My sister and I sent our parents to secure FastPasses for Buzz Lightyear. After we rode Space Mountain, the park was officially opened. It was around 9:10am. Space Mountain was then around a 30-40 minute wait. Buzz was around 30 minutes, but we had a FP. We grabbed a cinnamon bun from Main Street Bakery and watched the morning castle show. We rode Buzz around 9:45am, then ran over to Thunder Mountain. By 11am, we had been on Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Thunder Mountain, and enjoyed a cinnamon bun. Around 11am, we rode Small World. We went to go check out Fantasyland. At this point, the park was becoming very crowded. By 12pm, the line for Small World extended all the way to the Haunted Mansion. For those that have not been to the park - Small World is a continuous-load ride. The wait barely ever gets over 30-40 minutes. For the line to be that long, the wait time must have been around 60-90 minutes!

We left the park, went back to the hotel to relax, got dinner, then returned to the park later that night. Later that night, Magic Kingdom was still pretty packed. The park was open until around 1am that night, and it the crowded started to thin out after the Holiday Wishes fireworks show.

The biggest night for Magic Kingdom is usually the Friday after Christmas. This year, that Friday is December 27th. This is usually Magic Kingdom's latest night for EMH. The park stays open to the public until 1am. Extra Magic Hours go from 1am to 3am. You will notice around 11pm that crowds will decrease following the fireworks, but most people will hang around until 12:30am - 1am. Last year, it rained on this Friday. When I say rain, I mean it was a downpour. We had scheduled a carriage ride at Fort Wilderness and actually ended it early due to the rain. When we got back to the hotel, my parents wanted to stay in and stay dry. We checked the weather and saw that it would only be raining another hour or so. So, my sister and I boarded the bus and were at Magic Kingdom by 11pm. The park was empty due to the rain. By 1am, it felt like we had the park to ourselves. We rode Barnstormer about seven times, walked on Big Thunder Mountain about two or three times, and had great photo opportunities as the park was dead.

Magic Kingdom Late Night. Some pictures of Magic Kingdom around 2am after a night of rain:





It may be a little different this year if it does not rain. Crowd levels may be a bit higher come 1am. But, many young families head back to the hotel early and many people call it a day by park close. I would definitely recommend sleeping in this day and trying to pull a late night. Any time we have stayed at Magic Kingdom until after 2am, it has been worth it. At 2am in Magic Kingdom , there's a really eery and fun feeling seeing and hearing how empty and quiet the park is - especially having been in the park when you feel like a sardine!

Christmas Attractions

During Christmas week at Disney, there are a few awesome Christmas attractions at Magic Kingdom. My favorite is the snow on Main Street. In sixty-degree weather, it's a lot of fun. There's holiday music playing, and seeing the fake snow come down on Main Street makes you feel like you're in a movie. On a cold December night, on the other hand, it just feels mocking.

There is also a Christmas-themed parade that runs during the afternoon in which there is Christmas music and the characters all wear Christmas-themed costumes. I believe this is the same (if not, similar) parade to the one that runs during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. I believe it runs around noon and 3pm.

Holiday Wishes is a spin on the normal Wishes fireworks show. It has a holiday theme and features holiday music. It is synced with graphics on the castle as well, making it really cool to watch. Before Wishes, there is a castle show in which high-powered lights display graphics on the castle - making the castle appear as a gingerbread house, wrapped present, etc. This is awesome. For a tech nerd like me, I love to watch this. The best place to watch Wishes is from Main Street. This is not an "insider" tip. You must get to Main Street about an hour or longer before the show. You don't have to "reserve" a spot, just get there. Do some shopping, eat at the confectionary, or just sit on the curb and enjoy people-watching. If you do not make your way to Main Street, it will be near impossible to get there. It gets so crowded in front of the castle and on Main Street that it becomes impossible to walk around. After the show, jump in a store and do some shopping until the crowd clears out. Trying to walk through the crowd is like trying to swim against current. It will get you nowhere.

Another great location is the bridge near Tomorrowland, although the CMs have become a lot stricter and try to keep the bride clear. However, I do believe they let one "level" of people stand on the bride. The rest is roped off to foot traffic. There is also an area between Tomorrowland Terrace and Tomorrowland. Some of the area is blocked by trees and again, they try to keep this area open.

Behind the castle is good as well. They rope off a lot of this area for safety reasons, but by the carousel is a solid viewing area. The only problem with this area is that you will not see the whole show. Many of the fireworks are fired from behind the park. In order to see the entire show and not keep looking behind you, you should try and stay in front of the castle.

Of course, Magic Kingdom features a themed Christmas tree like its counterparts. The castle is also decorated in icicle lights, and Main Street is decked in wreaths and bows.

Choosing rides for your FP+ depends on what you prefer. A majority of the popular rides will encounter long wait times, so there is really no “wrong” choice. We chose Space Mountain, Buzz, and Big Thunder Mountain one day, and Pirates, Thunder Mountain, and Peter Pan another.

To close, I’ll leave you with a few tips:

- Get to MK early and take advantage of the short wait times.

- Wait to see Fantasyland at off-peak times. With Fantasyland being new, there is a certain novelty. People flock there. Between peak times, it will be packed . Head there first thing in the morning, or later at night.

- Going with the last point – treat Be Our Guest as an attraction. There’s a reason why you can FP+ this. Until the Seven Dwarfs coaster opens, this is the most popular attraction in the most popular area in the most popular park. You get the point. If you plan on using a Quick Service here, get here early!

- Use EMH to your advantage. This goes for all the parks – but for MK especially. Morning EMH are your friend – especially on Christmas Day. We brave it out and go to Magic Kingdom every Christmas day. Maybe families are up early opening gifts, or maybe they are sleeping in, but it is always much less crowded early in the morning.

- Use the parades and fireworks to your advantage. If you’ve seen Wishes once, that’s enough. During the next showing or parade (or next time you’re in the park), head to the main rides during Wishes. The lines will be shorter.

If I think of more tips, I will add them! As always, if you have any questions, go ahead and ask. We’re in the final countdown, people!

Posts to come:

- Weather Forecast and updates

- New Years Eve

- Final Tips!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

New Year's Eve Tips

New Year’s Eve is always bittersweet for me. It’s the time when I start to think about the past year and my goals for the next year. It’s also the dreaded day of our trip. It’s the day where we all look up and say “is it over already?” We leave on New Year’s Day, so NYE is our last night at the parks.

Typically, we wake up later on NYE Day – around 10am. Last year, the weather was gorgeous. We woke up to weather in the 60s and it was bright and sunny outside – not a cloud in the sky! This was also bittersweet. It had been a bit chilly the past few days, and this weather was the first of a few 70+ degree days according to the forecast.

We woke up, threw on some jeans or shorts and a t-shirt and decided to go to the Boardwalk Bakery for brunch. My mom said how easy it would be to take a bus to EPCOT, then walk to the back and walk to the Boardwalk. We were sorely mistaken. It took about a half an hour to get to EPCOT. When we finally arrived, there was an incredibly long line for bag check. They had opened up an area where people staying on-site could go through bag check, but quickly closed it – to the anger of many people (not because they closed it, but because it was disorganized and led to many people waiting even longer.)

EPCOT around 11am on NYE Day


When we finally got into the park, there was wall-to-wall people. It was impossible to move. Word had gotten around that MK was actually at capacity (around 12pm) but those rumors start up every year. When we finally got to Boardwalk, it was really nice. We ordered and sat out on the water to eat.

There’s no way around it, NYE day and night is the most crowded day at Disney for Christmas week and possibly the year. It’s more crowded than Christmas Eve and Christmas day, by far. There is a heavy increase in traffic and as you arrive to EPCOT, you quickly realize that the parking lots are packed and people actually park on the grass.

Disney is New York’s time square. Not only do you have a heavy increase of tourists during the Christmas season, but many people from the area flock to Disney to celebrate the new year. Because of this, New Year’s Eve has a Time Square effect – many people arriving very early in the morning to reserve their “spot”, and staying through midnight. For the most part, Disney handles the crowds well and does everything in its power to make sure all guests share a nice experience.

Here’s some tips and info for NYE:

- Disney World has a contract with an outside bus company on the night before, and night of NYE. They send the buses to the parks for those wishing to hop, as well as larger hotels. It really comes in handy and helps, as the buses hit an increase in traffic and there are a lot more people heading to the parks.

- Magic Kingdom does a “dress rehearsal” NYE show December 30th. Magic Kingdom sees the highest crowd level on NYE. Many people can either not get into the park, or avoid it due to the high crowd levels. Well, MK does the same exact show the night before. There is a DJ that plays music throughout the park. There’s something about the music that brings out the crazy in people – people dancing up and down Main Street is really fun to watch. I believe MK does Holiday Wishes and the castle show, then the DJ plays, and there is a countdown at 11:59. It’s definitely something to check out if you don’t plan on going to MK for the real thing!

- Parks closing is over-hyped. There’s always a rumor about Magic Kingdom closing due to capacity on NYE day. It may close, it may not. But, my family always goes to DHS around 8 or 9pm and we never have a problem getting into the park. Now, DHS is one of the less-crowded parks on NYE. The two most crowded parks are, obviously, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. I can’t make guarantees that you will get into the parks if you go late, however, this leads to my next recommendation:

- Avoid the parks during the daytime. It’s way too packed. As a result, it is not enjoyable whatsoever. Ride wait times are astronomical - Soarin' has a wait time of 2+ hours, TestTrack is around 1.5 hours, and the lines for quick service and even the bathrooms are long. There are people everywhere, making it difficult to move around. At Magic Kingdom, they actually open portions of backstage along Main Street. I believe you may "leave" the park from behind MSB, then re-enter around Tomorrowland. They do this to maintain traffic along Main Street, as it gets incredibly congested. In EPCOT, I believe they open up behind France or Italy to allow additional space for people to move around.

- If you are worried about the parks closing and get there early, do not expect much. If you are arriving at the park early in the day, do not expect this to be a "ride day". I feel like many people head to the parks on this day and are disappointed when they can not get on any rides. Tailor your expectations and enjoy it for what it is.

- It's not all bad. At Magic Kingdom on 12/30, there's a sort of "witching hour". I call it the "Mousing Hour" in which the Disney magic kicks in. You won't notice it right away, but it's around the time the DJ starts playing songs. Suddenly, the park turns from a really crowded park into a really gigantic party. I've heard the same about EPCOT on NYE. If you can brave the crowds and make it to around 8pm, the park turns into an all-out party. I have heard that EPCOT is the best party, with DJs in China and Future World.

- My last and most helpful tip: This tip is mainly for December 30th and 31st, when crowds are at their highest. Many people will look to hop parks and be greeted with GIGANTIC lines for buses. I remember one year we wanted to go from Hollywood Studios to EPCOT. The line for the bus from DHS to EPCOT was about three buses-worth long. The line for the ferry was also incredibly long. One little-known fact is that you can take the bus from DHS to the Disney Transportation Center. From there, you can take the monorail to MK or EPCOT. We were able to get on the first bus to the DTC and cut about a half hour off of our trip. This can also work in the reverse (monorail to DTC, bus to DHS).

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

If you have been following the weather down in Disney, you know that the last two weeks have been gorgeous - mid 70s to mid 80s, sunny, and warm. That unfortunately ends today. There is a storm rolling in, and with it, colder weather. I have been keeping tabs on different sites. Weather.com seems to be projecting rain the entire week. Weather.gov seems a bit more optimistic. I'm gonna go with weather.gov and Accuweather's extended forecast for two reasons: 1) because it's more optimistic and 2) because it's easy to say it's going to rain. But, it's dry season in Florida. I find it hard to believe it's going to rain every day.

Tuesday, December 24th:
Day: High of 66 with a 40% chance of rain
Night: Low of 45 - wind gusts as high as 25mph.
My tip: Dress warm. I know for some people 45 does not sound bad. For others, it's tropical. But, Disney is surrounded by water and Florida is incredibly humid. On days where it does not go over 70 degrees and there is not much sun, it's going to be a cold and damp night.

Wednesday, December 25th:
Day: High of 73, mostly sunny. Slight chance of rain, wind ~10-15 mph
Night: Low of 56, mostly cloudy, slight chance of rain.
My tip: How to dress in the daytime is a judgement call. I'll probably opt for jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, maybe a windbreaker depending on how cool the wind feels. Last year, there was a low in the mid-50s on Christmas Eve and NYE. It was gorgeous at night. I remember looking at the weather on my phone and the temp was ~63. If it's sunny most of the day, I have a feeling it'll be nice at night. Jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, layered with a hoodie or a sweater will do the trick!

Thursday, December 26th:
Day: High near 71, mostly cloudy, slight chance of rain.
Night: Mostly cloud, low around 55
My tip: You may have to dress a little warmer than you did on Christmas Day. It may reach the same temps, but if it is cloudy you will feel a bit chillier. On the flip side, it may feel warm and muggy. It'll be a judgement call the day-of. If it is not sunny during the day, it's going to feel chillier at night. While a hoodie will be optional the prior night, it will most likely be necessary this night.

Friday, December 27th:
Day: High near 71, mostly cloudy
Night: Low around 53, mostly cloudy
Tip: Similar to the previous day. If you're doing the MK EMH, dress warm! It'll be cold in the wee-hours of the night!

Saturday, December 28th:
Day: High near 73, partly sunny
Night: Low around 55, mostly cloudy
Tip: This may wind up being the nicest day of the week!

Sunday, December 29th:
Day: High around 70, mixed sun and clouds
Night: Low 53, cloudy
Tip: Depending on how much sun we get during the day, it could either be chilly or nice at night.

Monday, December 30th:
Day: High around 71, decreasing clouds
Night: Low 42, clear
Tip: Bundle up at night!

Tuesday, December 31st:
Day: High of 69, sunny
Night: Low of 43
Tip: Going to be a cooler day and chilly night. Hopefully the amount of people in the park will produce some body heat!

Again, this can change on literally a daily basis. Let's hope a warm front rolls in to close out the trip - because the past few NYE at Disney have been pretty nice and mild!

 

[shelby3hearts]

I know the weather is give or take during this time. I'm from IL so I thought it was warm but the workers were wearing winter jackets

 

[chesirecatgirl]

thanks for the tips guys!!!!!!!

 

[WDWRids]

Marking my spot to come back and read all of your great tips, etc. We are planning a trip for Dec 7-14. First time ever during the Christmas holiday and so excited to see Disney decorated for Christmas.

 

[TwinkleKS]

We just finished our first Disney Christmas and plan to go back next year!

 

[fuzzy164]

I hope this is the right forum to ask this question. We are planing to be at WDW Nov 9-14 2014 and were hoping the Christmas decorations would be up.
Thanks in advance.

 

[babybartione]

Thanks for the tips and tricks. We had 4 days the 24-27 and by getting there when the park opened and using your FP tips we were able to ride almost everything and see all the shows. Thanks again

 

[Saratoga Goofy]

Great information. thanks so much!

 

[wendyt_ca]

This is great information! I am finding myself a bit torn for Christmas day. We want to be in MK park that day for the afternoon parade and such and the fireworks in the evening. The plan was to arrive early and stay all day to make sure that we are able to get into the park. But I have seen in your post and from a couple of other sources people can normally get into the park later on. I had thought it reached capacity. Should I be arriving for park opening still? Keeping in mind we don't care about if we get to go on any rides.

 

[hollyd99]

This is great information! I am finding myself a bit torn for Christmas day. We want to be in MK park that day for the afternoon parade and such and the fireworks in the evening. The plan was to arrive early and stay all day to make sure that we are able to get into the park. But I have seen in your post and from a couple of other sources people can normally get into the park later on. I had thought it reached capacity. Should I be arriving for park opening still? Keeping in mind we don't care about if we get to go on any rides.

I found that the parks were calm and quiet for the first 2 hours after opening. As soon as it hit 11 am, it seemed like everyone showed up to the park at once.

 

[canadianmom2three]

Thanks for the great and VERY informative posts!!! We are planning for HS on Christmas Day. It is one park that I hear nothing about for Christmas Day, everyone recommends AK if you are looking to avoid MK and Epcot, but no one says anything about HS. I'm a bit concerned about how well it handles crowds, do you have any other crowd photos from your trip? Our POA is :
Sleep in (I know, bad idea on Christmas day, but we are going to do it anyway, we are traveling with my sister and her young kids, and they will want to do santa etc.)

Arrive just in time for our 1:20 Mama Melrose lunch ADR
3:30 or so, see a show (the kids love indiana jones and lights motors action)
4:00 - FP for TSMM
4:30 - See another show - whatever one we missed earlier
5:00 - FP for ToT for 1/2 the group disney Jr for the others
5:30 - FP for star tours for all
6:00 - get in line for fantastic with dinner package passes
6:30 - Fantasmic
QS snack, one more show??
8:30 - Osbourne lights while 2nd fantasmic is on
9:00 - Big kids stay late and try to get on TSMM one more time just before close unless we can by some miracle pull a 4th FP+ for it

Question #1 - do you think we will have any problem getting in at 12:30?
Question #2 - do you think we should reconsider our plans and go to AK on Christmas day? Will HS be unbearable since we can't arrive until about noon?

 

[lovewdwdvc]

I think that the Christmas decorations go up either right before or right after Thanksgiving.

 

[Itinkso]

I think that the Christmas decorations go up either right before or right after Thanksgiving.

The Christmas decorations in MK and DHS will be completed by November 7th... that's the first night for MVMCP and Osborne Lights. The huge trees will be up in all the parks except MK by that date, too. Resort decorations will follow.