I love lots of things, but two of my favorite things are Disney and Christmas. Here I’m listing out all the Christmas-y things you can find and do around Walt Disney World® Resort.
Here are 6 Christmas-y Things to do at Walt Disney World
- EPCOT® International Festival of the Holidays. This festival typically runs from Thanksgiving-ish through the end of December. It’s the shortest festival at EPCOT®, but super fun. You’ll find a large amount of “holiday kitchens” with treats from, well, Around the World. In the past my favorite has been Mele Kalikimaka – Near Port of Entry which represents some tasty Hawaiian food. All festivals have more than just food (you’re shocked aren’t you), but this one in particular focuses on the holiday cultures of the world and also includes #2 on my list.
- EPCOT® Candlelight Processional. This experience includes a celebrity narrator (actually a whole list of them – I see you Neil Patrick Harris and Simu Liu), a 50-piece orchestra, a mass choir, and a beautiful landscape of candlelight. It is specific to those who celebrate Christmas, but is beautiful for any holiday lover to enjoy. It takes place at the American Gardens Theatre in the American pavilion at the World Showcase. It’s free, BUT it is first come, first serve and fills up super fast. You can pair it with a meal at a participating restaurant to ensure you’ll get access. Also, it makes me cry every time.
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom® Park. I have been lucky enough to do this one – twice! I celebrated my 40th birthday at Disney World (again, all the shock and awe) and attended MVMCP with some grown up friends. I’m checking it out again this year – stay tuned for my specific tips. There’s nothing quite like Disney in Christmas lights.
- Christmas Tree Trail at Disney Springs® Area. This one is extra fun, because you don’t need a park ticket. Previously it’s been located near the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney Springs on the Marketplace side of Disney Springs® Area. It really is a kind of scavenger hunt if you pick up the “spotting map” that you can get from the marked shops. The map also gives some shopping and dining discounts. I’ll explore this soon and report back, but my friends tell me it is fantastic!
- Gingerbread House crawl in the Resorts. They’re not for eating, but the amount of ingredients and detail work that goes into these smelly good masterpieces will blow your mind. Disney does everything big – including gingerbread houses. Here’s a quick list of those that have existed historically – it changes a bit from year to year.
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – classic house with cinnamon clouds and treats to buy. There are usually creators and bakers here to chat with you.
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort – this one is a Little Mermaid themed carousel and it moves.
- EPCOT® American Adventure Rotunda
- The Contemporary Resort – it’s a castle remake with a “small work” vibe.
- Find Santa! Well of course you’ll want to find St Nick himself at Disney! Here are the places he’s usually spotted.
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- Magic Kingdom® Park – at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party you’ll spot him at the end of the parade and also for most of the evening at the gazebo meet n greet in Liberty Square near Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe.
- Magic Kingdom® Park – during regular hours, you’ll find him in Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade and also the gazebo at Liberty Square. Fun Fact: he’s the only non-Disney character that appears in the MyDisneyExperience app, so you can check times.
- EPCOT® – he floats about from spot to spot during EPCOT® International Festival of the Holidays. You’ll find Santa Claus at The American Adventure pavilion. His “storyteller” friends are located around the World Showcase: Pere Noel at the France pavilion, Barn Santa at the Norway pavilion, and Father Christmas at the United Kingdom pavilion.
- Animal Kingdom® Park – here Santa gets his own flotilla parade on the water – Santa’s Festive Floatilla.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios® – gives the jolly old man a Merry Motorcade throughout the day.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios® – at Hollywood and Vine you’ll find Goofy pretending to be Santa!
- Disney Springs® Area – you can meet Santa Claus at Once Upon a Toy.
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I can’t wait to hear which magical Christmas things you choose! Tag us in your post on Instagram or Facebook!
