The 2016 Holiday Season: What's New, What's Returning, What's Gone

[parkbr]

What specific characters in AK get dressed up? Or do all of them have some like at least a scarf?

I just looked at the photos that I took when we went 4 years ago.

Pooh, Eeyore, and Tigger all had scarves and hats.
Mickey and Minnie had their holiday seasons clothes.
Green sweater with snow flakes and red pants and skirt.
Daisy Duck and other characters - UP! Characters, Baloo and King Louis - didn't dress up.

 

[TravelingTotMom]

I just looked at the photos that I took when we went 4 years ago.

Pooh, Eeyore, and Tigger all had scarves and hats.
Mickey and Minnie had their holiday seasons clothes.
Green sweater with snow flakes and red pants and skirt.
Daisy Duck and other characters - UP! Characters, Baloo and King Louis - didn't dress up.

Last year Mickey and Minnie both still had their holiday sweaters.

Baloo and Louie also had on holiday scarves and some Christmas trees at their meeting area.

I don't think we met anyone else on that trip, so I'm not sure who else dresses up - but I think maybe Goofy dresses up as Santa at his regular spot in DinoLand USA.

 

[Lothlórien]

Thank you for the thread

 

[Mrs. Inc]

Question: I know GF has a small area where you can purchase gingerbread shingles near their gingerbread house display. Does Beach Club have anything similar near the carousel? Eating at Cape May morning of departure, and would love to pick up some goodies!

 

[DisneyPlanner14]

Santa will be gone by 12/24. He deserves a vacation, though.

The only thing that ends early on in your trip is the Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam show, which will conclude on 12/31.

Otherwise, most Christmas stuff will remain up until around 1/7.

Thanks! I'm mainly wanting to see the Christmas parade, frozen holiday wish, and jingle cruise. Those will all still be running that week?

 

[PolyRob]

Question: I know GF has a small area where you can purchase gingerbread shingles near their gingerbread house display. Does Beach Club have anything similar near the carousel? Eating at Cape May morning of departure, and would love to pick up some goodies!

I read on a thread from last year that there was a sign posted by the carousel that read "Thank you for visiting the Gingerbread Carousel of Disney's Beach Club Resort, please visit Disney's Yacht Club Resort and see the miniature village and train set. Holiday goodies are available for purchase at Disney's Beach Club Marketplace."

 

[nursejackie]

Frozen Holiday wish starts at 6.15pm the last few weeks of December.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/christmas_world.htm

 

[crazedprincess]

Thank you so much for this wonderful list! We are beyond excited!!!

 

[crayon3448]

I just looked at the photos that I took when we went 4 years ago.

Pooh, Eeyore, and Tigger all had scarves and hats.
Mickey and Minnie had their holiday seasons clothes.
Green sweater with snow flakes and red pants and skirt.
Daisy Duck and other characters - UP! Characters, Baloo and King Louis - didn't dress up.

We met Chip and Dale with scarves and Santa hats last year at Rafiki's Planet Watch.

 

[soniam]

Thanks! I'm mainly wanting to see the Christmas parade, frozen holiday wish, and jingle cruise. Those will all still be running that week?

The MK xmas parade and Frozen lighting run through 12/31. Basically, the xmas shows run, except the xma fireworks, run through 12/31. I think Jingle Cruise runs for a while. It will have to go down for a short refurb, I think, to remove the overlay. The xmas stuff at Epcot ends on 12/30. Disney Springs runs through 1/7 I believe.

 

[sammydent]

New info for your first post
Grand Floridian Gingerbread House will have an opening ceremony Nov 16th at 10am

How long does this usually stay up?

 

[hiroMYhero]

How long does this usually stay up?

At least through January 1st.

 

[bentopher]

What I would like to know are some end dates. We are arriving Dec 29 and staying through Jan 6th. Do anything of these things end before then?? I know I need to see Epcot Storytellers on the 30th and that will be my only day to see them since it's done that day. Also, when/if you know of MK shows/festivities on Dec 30th, that would be great!

 

[hiroMYhero]

What I would like to know are some end dates. We are arriving Dec 29 and staying through Jan 6th. Do anything of these things end before then?? I know I need to see Epcot Storytellers on the 30th and that will be my only day to see them since it's done that day. Also, when/if you know of MK shows/festivities on Dec 30th, that would be great!

You'll be good for Christmas events (parade, stage shows) on Dec. 30th in MK.

Festival of Fantasy has returned on January 1st the past two years. The Christmas Stage shows have run until the 1st Sunday in January, so January 1st this year.

 

[Mindy5767]

Good catch! I'm a copywriter and the hardest thing to do is edit myself.

It still says Kwansaa...
Special Performances Celebrating Kwanza, Returns December 24th

From December 24th through January 1st, evening performances of songs and stories in honor of Hanukkah will be performed at Waterview Park in The Landing.
as of today Nov 22nd.

 

[Mindy5767]

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, Returns November 7th

The parade, which headlines Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, will replace the Festival of Fantasy Parade during afternoons throughout the Christmas week. The show will take place most afternoons at 12:30 and/or 3:30pm, starting December 23rd.

The Nov 18th calendar update in Disney Travel Agent still shows the afternoon parade, the week of Christmas, on the schedule at noon and 3:30 pm as Festival of Fantasy?? Shouldn't it being showing as the Christmastime parade or maybe are they REALLY showing FF instead of the Christmas parade?

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

The Nov 18th calendar update in Disney Travel Agent still shows the afternoon parade, the week of Christmas, on the schedule at noon and 3:30 pm as Festival of Fantasy?? Shouldn't it being showing as the Christmastime parade or maybe are they REALLY showing FF instead of the Christmas parade?

Hmmm.. interesting... The Disney site isn't listing anything. I just checked TouringPlans and they have the Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.

It's in my experience that the FF parade always ends the week of Christmas (or when MVMCP ends) and the Christmas parade picks up. I'll keep checking and let you know if I see anything.

 

[yulilin3]

Hmmm.. interesting... The Disney site isn't listing anything. I just checked TouringPlans and they have the Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.

It's in my experience that the FF parade always ends the week of Christmas (or when MVMCP ends) and the Christmas parade picks up. I'll keep checking and let you know if I see anything.

It is listed https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars/magic-kingdom/2016-12-23/#timeofday=allday

 

[Mindy5767]

Thank you. I see it on Disney's calendar. That calendar is SO hard to read the way it is organized. Drives me nuts, which is why I like the format of the Travel Agent Calendar. Of course the last couple of years they've been very late to update. As of Nov 21 2014, the December 2014 calendar (I still have that calendar in my files) was updated to reflect both the parade and a late closing time of 1am. Currently, its shows 12 am closing for Christmas week. I think they may be closing an hour earlier than in the past, unless they are not planning on changing it until the last minute. I don't know what they did for December 2015 because the calendar I will have for that month, was released in summer, so it has the 10 pm closing times just like Dec 2016 did back in the summer.

 

[tinkerhon]

We met Chip and Dale with scarves and Santa hats last year at Rafiki's Planet Watch.

We met Mickey and Minnie in their holiday finest at AK before ---- but... Another park that really didn't have much in terms of decorations