10 Events That You Should Experience At Least Once at Walt Disney World

There is a lot that goes on at Walt Disney World. Your ticket gets you into the park and lets you experience the all of the rides and attractions, go into the stores and shop, and meet characters. There are a whole lot of special events that happen at Walt Disney World that are not included in the regular price of admission, but some are. You should experience each of these events at least once (and hopefully many, many more times)! Here is our list of the top ten events that you should experience!

10 – Epcot Flower and Garden Festival – held every spring at Epcot, these festival features a variety of topiaries, speakers, and outdoor kitchens for guests to enjoy. The event is included in your regular ticket price, but dining at the various outdoor kitchens can be expensive. This is quickly becoming a very popular event with guests, so much so that Disney has expanded the length of the festival for this year from 75 days to 90 days!

9 – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party – this is a separate hard ticket event that is held on select nights at Magic Kingdom is September and October. At the party, guests can experience the attractions, trick-or-treat for candy throughout the park, meet and greet with characters, and experience the Boo To You Parade and the special HalloWishes fireworks. The cost of the ticket varies on the night you choose to attend, but the price tag is worth it at least once!

8 – A runDisney Event – Walt Disney World plays host to four runDisney events throughout the course of the year: the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (January), the Princess Half Marathon Weekend (February), the Star Wars Dark Side Weekend (April), the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend (November). If you choose to participate in one of the events, depending on your race, you will likely be allowed to run through backstage areas and run through the park, as well. During these events, runners can meet and greet with various characters who line the course. If you don’t want to run, guests can cheer on the runners throughout the course!

7 – Candlelight Processional – held at Epcot between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays at Epcot, this event is included in the price of admission and allows guests to hear the story of Christmas as told by various celebrity narrators. The event is very popular and you should consider making reservations for the specialty dinner package. The dinner package operates similarly to the Fantasmic Dinner Package at Hollywood Studios and lets guests enjoy lunch or dinner at a variety of World Showcase restaurants and then receive a ticket for guaranteed seating for one of the showings.

6 – Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – this is another separate, hard-ticket event held at the Magic Kingdom on select nights between the beginning of November and Christmas. Similar to the Halloween event, guests are able to meet and greet with characters, sip on hot chocolate and snack on cookies, as well as enjoy Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade and special Holiday Wishes fireworks. Guests can also experience it snowing while walking down Main Street, U.S.A.!

5 – Seasons of the Force (formerly Star Wars Weekends) – over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney has begun the transition from Star Wars Weekends to Seasons of the Force. Seasons of the Force will run from January through April. This change is believed to allow more people to enjoy the specialty event, but also alleviate crowds as the construction of the Star Wars and Toy Story Lands. At Seasons of the Force, guests can visit the Star Wars Launch Bay to discover specialty merchandise, as well learn more about the upcoming changes to Hollywood Studios and the new movies. Guests will also be treated to a special fireworks display tied with the iconic Star Wars score!

4 – Epcot International Food and Wine Festival – this event probably remains the most popular at Walt Disney World. These event is held every year between mid-September and mid-November and features a variety of kiosks throughout World Showcase from countries around the world. Guests can sample the local cuisine from these countries and sip on drinks from those countries. The event becomes increasingly more popular and more crowded every year, so you have to plan ahead when deciding to attend this event. Admission is included in the price of your ticket with food and drink at the kiosks being a la carte.

3 – Holidays at Walt Disney World – visiting Walt Disney World during the holiday season can be very special. The entire resort is decked out with decorations. Each theme park has their own Christmas tree that is decorated with lights and ornaments. Each of the resorts have their own decorations as well. At the Grand Floridian, guests can see a lifesize gingerbread house or guests can visit Disney Springs and see all of decorations there.

2 – New Year’s Around the World – the countries of World Showcase celebrate the New Year at Epcot. If you are at Epcot on New Year’s Eve, make sure you move around the countries as the countries celebrate when it is midnight in that country. You will also be treated to special fireworks and celebration on New Year’s.

1 – Your Birthday at Walt Disney World – celebrating your birthday at Walt Disney World can be very fun. Make sure you are wearing the button saying that it is your birthday – you’ll get a whole bunch of well wishes from guests and Cast Members alike. Some guests luck out and receive a free dessert when dining at a resort.

There are a lot of special events that are held at Disney World throughout the year and they are all definitely worth experiencing once. What is your favorite event at Walt Disney World?

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