Christmas Vacation

Vacation - “a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation.”

-      Merriam Webster’s Dictionary

I’m going to Disney World for Christmas!  You have no idea how excited I am to be typing those words.  I have wanted to experience Christmastime at Disney World for years but had never been able to convince my dad to go.  But finally, because of my internship schedule this summer, we didn’t go on a family vacation after last year ended or this semester started so we decided to go at Christmastime.  And I cannot wait until we’re there!

Our original plan was to stay at the Wilderness Lodge because it’s one of our favorite hotels on property and its Christmas decorations are beautiful!  However, there was a pretty good sale on rooms at the Grand Floridian, and it’s on the monorail so for our short trip, it’ll be easier and quicker to get around so we’re not wasting a lot of time travelling.  And it has a gingerbread house in the lobby so that’s always a win at Christmastime!

Since this is our first trip during the holiday celebrations, we’re planning on spending more time experiencing all of the holiday decorations and festivities.  I’m so excited to see this stuff and get in the Christmas spirit!

·         Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – So this is one of the main events at Walt Disney World during Christmas, when you actually get to see snow on Main Street in Magic Kingdom.  The parade that takes place during the party is the one that ABC shows Christmas morning, which I watch every single year so it’s so cool that we get to see it in person.  Also, I’m excited for the stage shows and getting to see special characters you don’t get to see any other time of the year.

·         Candlelight Processional – The second of the main Christmas events at Walt Disney World is the Candlelight Processional (fun fact: Walt Disney actually started this tradition at Disneyland when Disneyland first opened in 1955).  This show has a live choir and orchestra while a celebrity narrator tells the story of Jesus’ birth.  I’m so excited to see this because I’ve heard from many people that it’s a beautiful show.  We also decided to do a Candlelight Processional dining package so we get reserved seating for the show because people have waited for hours to see the show.

·         Jingle Cruise – If you didn’t know about Disney World’s Christmas decorations, it actually puts a Christmas overlay on the Jungle Cruise ride!  Instead of the normal punny jokes the skippers tell during the ride, they’re all Christmas themed punny jokes.  I cannot wait to ride this and see how it compares to the normal ride.

·         Toy Story Land – Probably the most exciting thing that I get to see this trip!  I have loved the Toy Story movies for basically my entire life, and yes I did cry in theaters while watching Toy Story 3.  Toy Story Mania is one of my mom and I’s favorite rides at Disney World so I’m hoping the new rides live up to its greatness.  We’re also planning on eating at Woody’s Lunchbox for a quick dinner when we’re at Hollywood Studios.  I’ve also seen the characters are all dressed up for Christmas and that’s adorable.

·         Animal Kingdom At Night – For the longest time, Animal Kingdom closed around 5 pm so I never saw it at night.  But recently (okay maybe within the last few years), the park’s hours were changed so it closes a lot later and they’ve added lights and more evening entertainment.  We always went to Animal Kingdom in the morning, but this year, we planned our FastPasses for later in the afternoon/evening.  I’m super excited to see how Pandora glows during the nighttime and all throughout the park.

·         Christmas Decorations – While all of the things I’ve mentioned so far are super exciting, the Christmas decorations around the resort are probably the most exciting thing we get to see while we’re in Disney this trip.  I know Disney spends so much time and money on decorating the parks and I cannot wait to see them in person.  I feel like once I see the decorations I’ll totally be in the Christmas mood and will not want to go home (not that I ever do). 

You can probably tell, but I’m so excited for this trip because it’s so different than all of the other trips I’ve taken to Disney World before since it’s gonna be during the holiday season!  Of course, I’ll take lots of pictures and post a trip recap when I get back!  If you’ve been at Disney during the Christmas/holiday season before, let me know what your favorite things to do are.  I’m always looking for suggestions!