Is Christmas at Walt Disney World worth it?
Yes, Christmas at Walt Disney World® Resort is worth planning a trip around. The decorations and parties start in early November and run through late December. The same season has the year’s calmest weeks and its busiest one. The week you pick makes the biggest difference.
The holidays in the parks
No two parks do the season the same way, and that is half the fun of the trip. At Magic Kingdom® Park you get a classic Christmas celebration and Cinderella Castle lit for the holidays. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party needs its own ticket and runs on select nights. During the party, snow falls on Main Street, U.S.A.®
EPCOT® International Festival of the Holidays lets you eat your way around the world, one holiday kitchen at a time. At the Candlelight Processional, a celebrity narrator tells the Christmas story with a full orchestra and choir.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios® is best after dark, when holiday projections light up the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Disney Jollywood Nights is the park’s own ticketed holiday party, with all Hollywood glam. Characters come out all evening and the big rides run with shorter lines.
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, holiday puppets roam Discovery Island. Your kids can follow the penguins, reindeer, foxes, and polar bears through the park.
Go in early December
Most schools are still in session in early December, so the parks stay quiet. As Christmas gets closer, the crowds grow. Christmas through New Year’s is the busiest week of the year at the parks.
December also has mild weather for the park days. Weigh crowds, cost, and events together when you pick your dates.
When Christmas week is the trip
- You want to be there on Christmas Day. Some families open gifts at their Disney resort in the morning, then spend the rest of the day in the parks. Disney says the parks may reach capacity, so an early start matters more than on any other day.
- Your only window is the school break. The days right after New Year’s calm down fast. If your break stretches into January, aim for the back half.
Getting party tickets
Party tickets go on sale months ahead, and Disney prices them by date. Tickets are limited, and some nights sell out early. Pick the night that fits your trip when the calendar posts. Then have your travel advisor book them as soon as they are available.