7 Festive Things To Do At Disney World During the Holidays

The holidays are a special time for families to spend together.  This can take of the form of families coming together at their homes or spending time away from home on vacation.  It shouldn’t be surprising that one of the few days a year that the Magic Kingdom (and Epcot) closes because of capacity issues is Christmas.  Many families choose to escape the cold, snow, and sleet for welcoming temperatures and palm trees at Walt Disney World.  Walt Disney World turns the holiday celebration knob to 11 with fantastic activities and special events — here is our list of the seven things to do at Disney World during the holidays!

1. Resort Hop

As Thanksgiving approaches in Walt Disney World, all of the resort begin decorating for the holidays and their decorations follow the distinct themes of the various resorts.  You’ll definitely want to built time into your schedule to check out of the decorations, especially at the deluxe resorts so you can also marvel in the gingerbread houses that are constructed for the season — two of the best can be found at the Grand Floridian and the Beach Club!  Guests may also want to take an afternoon to check out the distinctly unique decorations of the various RV sites at Fort Wilderness — most of the residents at Fort Wilderness will decorate their sites, RVs, and even their golf carts to celebrate the season!

2. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

After the theming at the Magic Kingdom undergo their transformation from Halloween to Christmas, the Magic Kingdom plays host to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights from early November until a week before Christmas.   This is a separate, hard-ticket event that allows guests entrance to the Magic Kingdom to celebrate the holiday with special stage shows, parades, fireworks, and character interactions.  Guests can also ride all of their favorite attractions, as well as find amazingly delicious snacks throughout the park — this year, guests could have a variety of cookies (Snickerdoodles, sugar cookies), as well as soft pretzels shaped like snowmen!

3. Check Out the Florida Snow

While most residents of Florida do not have occasion to see snow, the Imagineers at Disney have taken care of that by adding Florida snow, or snoap, to the holiday décor in the parks.  At the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, guests can experience the snow during the special holiday events and shows in the park.  It is a small detail that definitely heightens the holiday feeling in the park and adds to the overwhelming feeling of holiday wonder!