Disney World Restaurants Will Not Be Decorated For Christmas Again This Year As Covid Change Becomes Budget Cut
Walt Disney World restaurants will not be decorated for the holidays again this year.
The holiday season officially began yesterday, November 12, at Walt Disney World. The theme parks, including the interiors of many stores, were quickly decorated in the weeks leading up to the seasons kickoff. Restaurants remain barren, however.
Last year, holiday decorations werent put up inside restaurants due to the pandemic, but it seems the decision has been made permanent.
Epcot Candlelight Processional Returns November 26 Through December 30 2021
This wonderful retelling of the Christmas story was greatly missed in 2020, so we are excited that Epcot Candlelight Processional officially returns for 2021.
A celebrity narrator shares the Christmas nativity story with help from an impressive choir and 50-piece orchestra. Epcot Candlelight Processional is one of the most beautiful and touching ways to celebrate Christmas at Disney World.
When Do Disney Christmas Lights Go Up On Cinderellas Castle
Now I found this an important question to answer as this can impact your trip even if you dont plan on visiting during Christmas time. The reason being, Disney World has to bring in a huge crane to complete the Christmas decorations on Cinderellas castle. This can have an impact on those guests who love grabbing the perfect picture in front of the castle. Luckily with photo shop these days its very possible to edit the crane out.
If its still a concern Disney typically puts the Christmas lights on Cinderellas castle towards the end of September and early October.
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Christmas At Walt Disney World
In this post, we provide an overview of Christmas at Walt Disney World. Particularly, this post covers how Disney transforms for Christmas, including the decorations, events, and merchandise youll only find during the Christmas season. This post does not cover tips for planning a trip during the Christmas season.
Links throughout give more specific information about Christmas throughout the resort, so if you have questions, click through! Nowlets see what Christmas at Walt Disney World is like!
Whats New At Walt Disney World For Christmas
So there you have it! Everything happening at Walt Disney World for Christmas this year. So far! Let us know your favorites for the holidays at Disney! If youre looking for the best of the best, then be sure to take a look at our Top 10 Things to do at Walt Disney World for Christmas. And be sure to check out all the Free Things at Disney During the Holidays!
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Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations
- You can find a life-size holiday gingerbread house in the lobby of Disneys Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This elaborate 10-foot-wide,15-foot-long and 14-foot-tall structure is covered with more than 10,000 pieces of gingerbread and is the perfect place to pick up holiday sweets and treats.
- Disneys Contemporary Resort is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its iconic gingerbread Cinderella Castle. This 18-foot-tall display is crafted from more than 5,000 gingerbread shingles, 47 pounds of rolled fondant, 38 pounds of modeling chocolate and much more!
- This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Holiday Carousel gingerbread display at Disneys Beach Club Resort. This life-size spinning carousel features 20 Hidden Mickeys, 5 Peter Pan-themed horses and handcrafted gingerbread shingles.
- Disneys Contemporary Resort is home to the tallest Christmas tree at Walt Disney World. This 70-foot-tall tree is adorned with 16,000 lights and more than 200 custom ornaments.
- Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to a 45-foot-tall tree featuring authentic African décor and reproductions of traditional African masks.
We hope this helps you get a better idea of, When Does Disney World Switch from Halloween to Christmas. While the Christmas decorations would be nice to stay year-round Disney does take them down. This typically happens right after RunDisneys Marathon Weekend in January.
Are You Ready To Plan Your Next Disney World Trip
Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be sure to speak with a Disney World Travel Agent for the most recent deals and promotions. The Park Prodigy will provide a Free Quote for all Disney World Vacation Packages.
Last but not least if youre also planning a trip to Universal Studios, be sure to check out the best time to visit Universal Studios and our Universal Orlando Tickets! All Park Prodigy Universal Orlando tickets come with Universal Studios Early Park Admission.
Are you planning on visiting Disney World this Christmas? Or have you visited in the past? Would you like to share your experiences and tips? Do you have any questions for The Park Prodigy? Hearing your feedback and helping with your questions is not only our goal but will help other readers! Please leave your thoughts and questions in the comments!
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Holiday Date Ideas At Magic Kingdom
- Relax on Main Street USA with a special holiday treat from the Main Street Bakery, Main Street Confectionary, or the Ice Cream Parlor and view the festive character cavalcades
- Get in touch with your inner child and go visit Santa Claus on Main Street together
- Take the boat from Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, then hop on the campground bus to view the incredible displays that many guests put up at their campsites. You can also book a Holiday Sleigh Ride at Fort Wilderness during the month of December 2021.
Is Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party Cancelled In 2021
Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Disney is temporarily replacing this much-awaited event with Mickeys Very Merriest After Hours. You will get to enjoy all the same features, such as the themed fireworks and parades. Mickeys Very Merriest After Hours will run on select nights November 8 through December 21. The event lasts for 4 hours from 9 pm to 1 am.
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Maximizing The Disney Very Merriest After Hours Party
You dont need to go to the after-hours holiday party at the Magic Kingdom to enjoy the holidays at Disney, but it is worth considering. Until the pandemic, this was known as Mickeys Christmas Party. This year it has evolved into Disney Very Merriest After Hours with later starting and ending times which comes with pros and cons. This party runs on select nights from Nov. 8 to Dec. 21 from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Just having regular park admission tickets to the Magic Kingdom wont get you into the special evening party, as you have to leave the park before the party begins if you dont have a ticket to the shindig. So on that note, make your party night a day when you chill at the resort or explore Disney Springs before heading to the Magic Kingdom youll need your rest for the evenings activities. Tickets to the after-hours Christmas Party get you into the Magic Kingdom beginning at 7 p.m. The party officially starts at 9 p.m, giving you a few hours to enjoy rides without missing any of the themed party fun.
Disney Very Merriest After Hours includes treats passed out at designated spots around the Magic Kingdom. There are also special stage shows four times a night, 11:15 p.m. fireworks, two rounds of the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, Club TInsel dance parties and more essentially it is the holidays on Mickey steroids.
Magic Kingdom Holiday Events
Best for: Disney characters, classic decorations, meet and greets with Santa
Most of the festivities at Magic Kingdom this year take place during Disney’s Very Merriest After Hours, which is a separately ticketed event debuting this year. This after-hours event takes place select nights November 8 December 21, 2021. Because it costs extra, the crowds aren’t nearly as big as they are at Magic Kingdom during the day.
The two weeks of Christmas are a very special time at Magic Kingdom. Usually, the special entertainment that is only available during the Very Merriest After Hours event becomes available during regular park hours. It appears that Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks will kick off on December 15, 2021 for regular park guests, because Disney Enchantment does not have any performances scheduled past December 14, 2021.
Typically, the Christmas parade takes place during regular park hours during the two weeks of Christmas as well. We’ll keep an eye on the official schedule.
It is expected that Goofys Scrumptious Cavalcade, Santas Christmas Cavalcade, and Mickeys Holiday Cavalcade will return this year as well.
My favorite part of the holidays at Magic Kingdom is The Jingle Cruise. This holiday makeover of the classic Adventureland attraction, The Jungle Cruise, is adorable and silly.
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Hollywood Studios Christmas Decorations
Those with thriving Shiny Brite collections and a penchant for mid-century modern design wont want to miss the Disney Hollywood Studios Christmas decorations. A vision in silver and gold garlands and technicolor ornaments, the Christmas decorations at Hollywood Studios feature plenty of retro touches like supersized versions of vintage holiday figurines and color palettes straight from the 50s and 60s. Even Gertie the Dinosaur gets in on the fun with her very own Santa hat.
With its larger-than-life Christmas lights, Toy Story Land feels pretty festive on a normal day. In past years, Andy has also added the other playful touches hes made for the season or maybe it was the Disney Imagineers like oversized popcorn-and-cranberry garlands and macaroni Christmas ornaments or giving Rex paper reindeer antlers. And for the perfect ending to your holiday at Hollywood Studios, add a little character to your meal with Minnies Seasonal Dining starring Minnie and her friends in their finest Christmas clothes.
Buy Tickets In Advance
Several of the Christmas party dates sell out every year, so dont drag your feet if you know you want to go.
In fact, for this year, most of the November parties and some of the December parties are already sold out. As you are looking at the calendar, now is a good time to warn you that Christmas at Disney World is very, very popular. If you have the ability to avoid weekends and peak holiday weeks, do it.
In fact, the week of Christmas and New Years is the one week of the year we hope to never visit Disney World.
Also, know that Disney Very Merriest After Hours tickets are expensive very expensive. Prices price range from $189 to $249 per person. If that seems like an increase, it is. In fact, this is almost double what Mickeys Christmas Party tickets cost before the pandemic. You can make an educated guess as to which party nights are the most popular by checking the prices online. Pricier generally means busier, so go on a weekday night early in the season to enjoy slightly smaller crowds and lower prices.
Use points to score tickets to Disney World or pay with a credit card that awards a bonus on entertainment purchases such as 4% cash back on the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards credit card.
If you purchase your party tickets from Undercover Tourist, they should code as a travel expense, earning you 3 points per dollar on a Chase Sapphire Reserve. Alternatively, you can purchase discounted Disney gift cards and pay with those directly from Disney.
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During Christmas Time Disneyland Transforms Into A Glowing Wonderland Of Colorful Lights And Cast Members
Are you ready to trend. Meet mickey on his home turf eat your way around the world and indulge your inner star wars nerd at the hap. Walt Disney World Shares Details For New Years Eve 2020 Celebrations. Whats people lookup in this blog. The magic gets fully done up here in alignment with the first Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party start date November 8 2019. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call.
Dont Miss The Fireworks Show
The Minnies Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks display for Disney Very Merriest After Hours is incredible. In fact, its one of my favorite fireworks shows Ive ever seen. Even if you arent going to stay awake for the whole party, dont leave before this show at 11:15 p.m. Id say if you cant stay up that late to enjoy the holiday-themed display, Id skip the party this year, as this was one of the biggest highlights of the night.
Because the crowd level at the after-hours party was so manageable, even on the sold-out night I attended, we were able to easily get a spot right in front of the castle just a few minutes before the show began. The show is virtually guaranteed to put you in a festive mood with holiday music, projections, fireworks and the best darn display that money can buy.
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Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations Near Epcot
We cant figure out which display we were more wowed by … Grand Floridians life-size gingerbread house or Beach Club’s moving gingerbread carousel. Well have to call it a tie! Each year, the display changes themes last year was Peter Pan and this year is The Little Mermaid! Many characters make an appearance, such as Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle, Max and even the evil eels, Flotsam and Jetsam. Each horse represents a main character, including Ursula, Prince Eric, King Triton and Ariel herself. There’s also a subtle 50th-anniversary theme with EARidescent snowflakes on top. The pastry chefs who worked over 600 hours on the carousel are recognized on Santa’s Nice List. Can you guess who’s on the Naughty List?
Crafted with care, the 2021 carousel includes the following ingredients:
- 432 lbs. honey
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort has our favorite themed decorations. Trees, garland and wreaths alike are abundant with every type of boat you could imagine to match their nautical theme. No detail was forgotten one sailboat even features a lifejacket! Binoculars and other perfectly matching ornaments hang upon the large lobby tree.
When To Visit Disney At Christmas
The bad news mixed in with all this magic is that it gets painfully busy at Disney during portions of the holidays. Think five-hour waits for rides in pre-pandemic times and parks hitting max capacity.
Common sense will tell you when the parks are busiest during the holidays over school breaks and on weekends. If youre planning for the future, know that less busy times include the week before Thanksgiving and midweek during the first two weeks of December.
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How Busy Is Disney World At Christmas
Theres no escaping the crowds at Disney World during the Christmas holiday season. Attendance at the four Disney World theme parks peaks at this time. However, Disney World is relatively less crowded in early November, early December, and early January. The numbers start to pick up the closer you get to the big holidays.
To avoid the biggest crowds at Disney World, steer clear of the Thanksgiving weekend, the weekend before Christmas, and the week from Christmas to New Years Eve.
Which Walt Disney World Hotels Have The Best Christmas Decorations In 2021
This is such a tough question to answer because every Disney World hotel truly has such a unique theme. However some of them just become so much more magical around the holidays, specifically after they are decorated with Christmas lights. Below are our favorite Walt Disney World hotels during Christmas:
- Disneys Grand Floridian resort
- Disneys Wilderness Lodge
- Disneys Beach Club and Yacht Club
- Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge
Below is a quick video we put together answering the question, when does Disney decorate for Christmas?
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Disney World Christmas Events At The Parks
Finding Santa at Disney World for Christmas 2021
Be on the lookout for Santa during Disney World holiday events! He or his stand-in, Santa Goofy, will make special appearances starting Nov. 12 through the end of December. From afar, Santa will cruise in a red convertible down Hollywood Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and voyage across Discovery River in a festive flotilla at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Meanwhile, at Magic Kingdom , EPCOT and Disney Springs, guests will get a chance to have individualized time from a distance to wave hello to Santa and share what they want for Christmas .
Once you make your list and check it twice , keep an eye out for delicious seasonal food offerings and adorable merchandise that can be found all around Walt Disney World Resort.
Walt Disney World Hotels
Disney doesnt miss a detail, so the Walt Disney World hotels are always well-decorated for the Christmas season in addition to the theme parks.
Each hotel is managed differently, so its challenging to identify a specific date for the Christmas decoration to go up. Overall, the hotels are all decorated during the last two weeks of November.
Each resort is extensively decorated to reflect the theme and style of the particular hotel. You should check out what each Disney hotel lobby looks like for the winter holiday season if you have the time.
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Can You Swim At Walt Disney World In December
can you swim in December at the disney all star resort ? At the Walt Disney World Resort unless there is extreme inclement weather, all of the pools are open year round. The best news is that the pools are not only just open, but they also are heated so that you and your family can enjoy swimming without freezing!
