Free Theme Parks Newsletter!
Discuss in my Forum

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...at Florida's Theme Parks
Walt Disney World's 2009 Christmas and Holiday Season Events

By Arthur Levine, About.com

Filed In:

Christmas at Theme Parks

The holidays touch all corners of the Walt Disney World Resort.

Disney. Used with permission.

Oct 20 2009

Walt Disney World and Florida's other theme parks are magical throughout the year. By adding an overlay of Christmas and holiday cheer, the parks supersize the magic and fun between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Of course, supersized fun can also mean supersized crowds. The week between Christmas and New Year's is among the busiest--if not THE busiest--of the whole year at Disney World and Florida's theme parks. But bustle is part of the holidays, right? Besides, the parks extend their hours, increase the capacity of attractions, and offer a bunch of special events. So, put on your Santa hat and your matching red shorts while we check out the holidays, Florida-theme-park style.

Walt Disney World

Santa meets Mickey: It's a perfect partnership based on warm nostalgia and unabashed corniness. Like some idealized Currier and Ives vision tucked away in our collective conscious, Walt Disney World delivers a holiday wonderland of epic proportions. Dozens of impossibly perfect Christmas trees (they used to be real, but Disney replaced them with artificial ones a few years ago), miles of garland, millions of twinkling lights, and other holiday signposts appear overnight and transform every corner of the resort.

Special holiday attractions and events, such as the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights abound throughout the parks and across the resort, but Disney's Christmas magic may best be appreciated in the unexpected discovery of some of its less-trumpeted features.

For example, a fragrant and festive gingerbread house inside the lobby of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort bombards the senses. By itself, that may not be much of a revelation, but this is no ordinary house of cookies. At 16 feet high, and comprised of thousands of gingerbread pieces, guests can actually walk inside the Victorian house. No nibbling is allowed on the walls, however. The curiosity doubles as a mini bakery, and patrons can purchase edible gingerbread cookies and other goodies.

There are other Christmas creations throughout the World, including a life-size carousel made from chocolate and gingerbread in the lobby of Disney's Beach Club Resort.

Magic Kingdom
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

2009 dates: Evenings, Nov. 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 2, Dec. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18.
Separate admission. Discounts available for advance-purchased tickets on select dates.
More info: 407/W-DISNEY or Disney's official Web site.

The park presents a special Christmas parade, a Holiday Wishes fireworks show, special performances, Christmas cookies, and--get this--some honest-to-goodness snow falling on Main Street USA. Cinderella's Castle will be decked out in "Castle Dream Lights" for the holidays. The most popular Magic Kingdom attractions open for the events. The Magic Kingdom presents the holiday parade during the daytime on select dates in December as well.

Epcot
Candlelight Processional

2009 dates: Nov. 27 to Dec. 30, several performances nightly
Included with admission

The solemn retelling of the Christmas story includes a choir, symphony orchestra, and celebrity narrators such as Whoopi Goldberg, Abigail Breslin, and John O'Hurley.

Holidays Around the World

2009 dates: Nov. 27 to Dec. 30
Included with admission

In the multiculti spirit of the park's World Showcase, Epcot's pavilions present holiday traditions from across the globe. The park also features a synchronized light show, a nightly tree-lighting ceremony, and storytellers. The nightly Illuminations show includes a holiday overlay.

Disney's Hollywood Studios
Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

2009 dates: Nov. 10 to Jan. 4
Included with admission

The megawatt light display fills the Studios' backlot with 3-D and animated displays, giant Santa Claus displays, and--whoulda thunk?--a giant Mickey Mouse made out of a zillion or so twinkling lights. Disney even includes some "real" snowflakes to go with the dazzling lights.

Disney's Animal Kingdom
Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade

2009 dates: Nov. 27 to Jan. 3
Included with admission

Simba meets Santa when the colorful parade winds through the Animal Kingdom. Other holiday features include a decked-out Dinoland U.S.A. and carolers strolling through Camp Minnie-Mickey, renamed "Santa Goofy's Wild Wonderland" for the season.

Walt Disney World Holiday Season Photo Gallery

Next page: Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando Holiday Events