Alternatives to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
This year, Disney World is offering two different after hours parties for the holiday season, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights. However, even if you don’t attend the parties, there are so many other ways to celebrate the holiday season at Disney World. Besides enjoying all the beautiful decorations and seasonal treats at the parks and resorts, you can check out all the special events, shows, meet and greets, and ride overlays that are sure to put you in the holiday spirit!
Festive Events
Aside from the two holiday parties, Disney World has special events like the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays and the Christmas Tree Stroll in Disney Springs. During the festival, you can learn more about holiday traditions around the world as you enjoy the delicious dishes at the holiday kitchens, storytellers, and entertainment. The Christmas Tree Stroll at Disney Springs is a fun activity for a non-park day. You’ll pick up a map and find all the Disney-themed trees to get a small prize.
Holiday Shows
Without a ticket to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, you can still watch Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks! The best spots to watch are at the monorail resorts, including the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, and Polynesian. You can also catch Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at the end of December at the Magic Kingdom during regular park hours.
If you are visiting the parks during regular park hours, you can also catch some special shows. In EPCOT, there’s the Candlelight Processional in which a celebrity narrator tells the story of Christmas with a 50-piece orchestra and choir.
In the Magic Kingdom, join Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and the Snowgies as they light up Cinderella Castle in Frozen Holiday Surprise. Frozen fans will also enjoy the holiday edition of For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration in Hollywood Studios. It has a special finale with Olaf! Guests will also find projection shows at Hollywood Studios (Sunset Greetings) and Animal Kingdom (Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition).
Special Meet and Greets
You can meet some of your favorite characters in their holiday attire! Pose with Mickey and Minnie at Adventurer’s Outpost in Animal Kingdom. Or get a photo with the Toy Story characters in Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios. Join Minnie for a holiday-themed dinner with Mickey, Pluto, and Goofy at Hollywood and Vine. Most importantly, you can meet Santa at the Odyssey in EPCOT and in Disney Springs throughout the holiday season.
Merry and Bright Ride Overlays
You don’t have to attend one of the holiday parties to catch some of the ride overlays! Throughout the holiday season, the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom is transformed into the Jingle Cruise. The ride is complete with festive decorations and puns. Over in EPCOT, the classic Living with the Land boat ride becomes Living with the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses. You’ll find lots of Christmas lights adding some extra holiday sparkle in the greenhouse section of the ride. Even EPCOT’s newest attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, gets the holiday treatment. It becomes Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Holiday Remix with a medley of holiday songs like “Run Run Rudolph,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Deck the Halls.”
The holiday season is such a great time of the year to visit Disney World! DVC resorts are some of the best resorts for the holidays, and it’s not too late to book a reservation. Check out the confirmed reservations, and start planning your holiday getaway!
