What’s so special about a Disney Christmas vacation??? Everything!! There are so many seasonal activities there is truly something for everyone during the holiday season at Walt Disney World Resort. Here is a preview of the festivities that await guests.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Guests will experience a Flurry of Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Nov. 8-Jan.6, with festive entertainment and exciting holiday touches around the park.

• Toy Story Land will feature special seasonal fun, such as holiday songs on Alien Swirling Saucers.
• Sunset Seasons Greetings returns this year with impressive new laser effects and “snow.” Guests will witness spectacular projections of beloved Disney Characters – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Olaf and others – sharing their favorite seasonal stories as holiday magic transforms the famous Hollywood Tower Hotel into scenes of the season.
• The nighttime spectacular Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! will combine state-of-the-art projections, fireworks, special effects and music to create a one-of-a-kind holiday experience.
• Guests will meet Santa at the Once Upon a Time shop Nov.10-Dec. 24, and Santa Goofy after he steps in Dec. 25.

If you want to read about our Christmastime visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios last year, click here.

Magic Kingdom Park

Charming decorations, holiday treats, a sparkling icy castle and more will await guests at Magic Kingdom Park, transforming it into an enchanting holiday wonderland.

The holiday festivities at the park will also include Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a specially ticketed, limited-attendance celebration that will take place on select nights starting Nov. 8. Each night of the event will feature an exclusive showing of Holiday Wishes fireworks and performances of Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas and Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration stage show. Guests will also experience the beauty of a scintillating Cinderella Castle, meet characters in their festive finery and even enjoy complimentary cookies and cocoa.

Epcot

Guests will discover joyous holiday traditions from 11 World Showcase nations during Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. Beginning Nov. 18, this year’s festival will deliver a yuletide extravaganza.

• Seasonal tastes from around the globe are served at special Holiday Kitchens.
• World Showcase pavilions come alive with the sights and sounds of special entertainment celebrating each country’s holiday heritage.
• Chip and Dale will be collecting ornaments for their Christmas tree. In Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree scavenger hunt, guests will purchase a map and stickers from select merchandise locations and travel around World Showcase looking for the famous chipmunks with their ornaments. Guests will then return their completed maps for a festive surprise, courtesy of Chip and Dale. Maps are available for $6.99 (plus tax).
• The nightly fireworks display, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, will feature an additional holiday finale.
• One of the most popular Epcot traditions, the Candlelight Processional, returns. This retelling of the Christmas story will feature a celebrity narrator accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and a choir. Performances will run three times each night from Nov. 22-Dec. 30.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

New this year, the magic of nature will receive a holiday touch with the inclusion of Diwali, the holiday Festival of Lights in India, as part of the new live show UP! A Great Bird Adventure. Starting Nov. 8, guests will join fun-loving pals Russell and Dug from Disney•Pixar’s “Up” in discovering some of the world’s most exotic birds.

Disney Springs

Disney Springs will be the perfect destination for holiday shopping, dining and entertainment, with the chance to experience holiday magic along the way. Festivities run Nov. 8-Jan. 5:

• Guests will stroll through the Christmas Tree Trail and view custom-decorated holiday trees, each dedicated to a popular Disney theme featuring characters like Mary Poppins, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, among others.
• At Santa’s Chalet, Santa Claus will accept Christmas wish lists and welcome guests. From Dec. 25-Dec. 31, Santa Goofy will take over after Old Saint Nick heads back to the North Pole.
• Guests will take part in Stitch’s Holiday Gift Hunt and discover where the mischievous Experiment 626 is hiding.

Holiday Fun at the Resort Hotels

Life-size edible creations will take shape at select resorts. A holiday gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will be home to The Bake Shop, where guests will pick up holiday treats, including the namesake gingerbread. A life-size, edible spinning carousel is a holiday tradition at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, while a holiday village with a miniature train takes center stage at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
In the lobbies of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, guests will take in the grandeur of massive Christmas trees.
No holiday is complete without a special dining experience. Holiday menus that celebrate the season will be found at restaurants throughout Walt Disney World.

Ring in the New Year at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel

To celebrate the New Year, guests will be able to choose between two New Year’s Eve celebrations at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Pixar Party: A New Year’s Eve Celebration and Disney Countdown to Midnight, including an option to purchase VIP access to the Ink and Paint Club. Both celebrations will feature entertainment, music, food and refreshments, plus a viewing of the Magic Kingdom New Year’s Eve fireworks to cap off the night.

Now is the time to plan your Walt Disney World Christmas season vacation. I am so excited to help you plan this magical and memorable trip. Just Email Me and we will get started planning.

The post What’s So Special About a Disney Christmas Vacation appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Disney Movie Magic

This all-new nighttime experience glimmers with captivating footage from live-action comedies, adventures, musicals and more. Watch, spellbound, as celebrated heroes and heroines captivate audiences once more. This 10-minute delight features scenes from Disney’s greatest hits including the Indiana Jones and the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series.

This weekend was the first time I had seen Disney Movie Magic and I really enjoyed it. So much attention is paid to the animated movies throughout the parks it is refreshing to see the live action films come to life in this evening projection show.

Jingle Bell Jingle Bam

Now in its 2nd year, Jingle Bell Jingle Bam follows our elf friends Wayne & Lanny from Disney’s Prep and Landing as they try to find Santa as they get ready for Christmas. This delightful story includes pieces from Prep & Landing, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, Beauty and the Beast, Pluto’s Christmas Tree and more!

Both Jingle Bell Jingle Bam are projected onto the Chinese Theater. I suggest you claim your spot about 45 minutes before Disney Movie Magic begins. You don’t want to watch this show too close to the building because there is so much to see and the closer you are the harder it is to see it all.

Sunset Seasons Greetings at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Sunset Seasons Greetings takes place on Sunset Blvd on 2 enchanted billboards and the Hollywood Tower of Terror. Iconic characters including Olaf, The Swedish Chef, Buzz Lightyear and Woody, and of course, Mickey Mouse all share their love for the Christmas season in this 10 minute continuous loop show which is complete with snow!

The week we visited Disney Movie Magic was at 7:40pm, Jingle Bell Jingle Bam was at 8:00pm, and Fantasmic! was at 8:30pm with Sunset Seasons Greetings on a continuous loop from 6:00pm-8:15pm with the park closing at 8:00pm. This schedule makes it virtually impossible to see both Fantasmic! and Jingle Bell Jingle Bam in the same evening.

Echo Lake Decorations

This year Disney Hollywood Studios Christmas decorations include the addition of new 1940s-era inspired decorations, plus a new look for the Echo Lake section of the park. At Echo Lake, guests will be able to see the park’s signature Christmas tree surrounded by floating ornaments. Dino Gertie has also dressed up for the holidays for the first time, wearing a larger-than-life Santa hat and holding a Christmas ornament in her mouth.

The post Enjoying Christmas at Disney’s Hollywood Studios appeared first on The Mom Maven.

photo courtesy of Disney

Epcot International Festival of the Holidays

The Epcot Holidays Around the World is getting a new name and an upgrade. The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays is a Yuletide Extravaganza running from November 19-December 30, 2017. Christmastime is being upgraded to “festival” status with the addition of 15 Holiday Kitchens where guests can sample seasonal food and drink from the featured countries. Another new addition, Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree, is a scavenger hunt throughout World Showcase. Maps will be available for $6.99 + tax. When you complete the hunt, take your completed map to Disney Traders and exchange it for a holiday surprise!

Of course classic holiday offerings, the Candlelight Processional, Illuminations Reflections of Earth with the Holiday tag, and JOYFUL! A Gospel Celebration of the Season, and costumed performers sharing the season’s traditions will all be important parts of Epcot’s newest festival.

photo courtesy of Disney

Sunset Seasons Greetings at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Each evening from November 9-December 31, 2017 Sunset Blvd at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will come to life in Sunset Seasons Greetings. This new holiday celebration will feature snowfall on Sunset Blvd, billboards with come to life, and the Hollywood Tower Hotel will magically transform to tell some character stories. The characters whose holiday stories we will hear include Mickey & Minnie, The Swedish Chef, Toy Story characters, and Olaf!

I am very excited about adding these new holiday entertainment offerings to our already exciting December Disney vacation! How do you celebrate Christmas at Walt Disney World? There is still time to book your Disney holiday vacation. Just Email Me and we will start planning. My services are always free!

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