The holiday season is arriving soon, and The Walt Disney Resort recently announced new and fan-favorite experiences coming to the Parks in November. Let’s take a look at some of the exciting updates happening this year!
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
This is a separately ticketed event running on select nights from November 8 to December 22. This highly-anticipated party features “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration,” a show featuring singing and dancing along to holiday music. There will also be holiday-themed fireworks and castle projections in “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmas Fireworks.”
Additional happenings feature cookies and cocoa and holiday overlay to certain attractions, including Jingle Cruise, Space Mountain, and Mad Tea Party. Guests can also experience new PhotoPass opportunities and a commemorative keepsake for the 50th Anniversary of the Park.
Tickets for this event are limited and can be purchased on the Walt Disney World website. Prices range from $149-$199 per person, and the event dates are below:
November: 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 27, 29
December: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22
Related: Disney Adds Amazing Surprise Perk For Guests This December
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays runs from November 25 through December 30. Guests can look forward to “Candlelight Processional,” a production in which celebrities narrate the Christmas story, along with ensembles, choirs, and an orchestra. Another exciting production is “JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season,” which is a collection of Christmas and Kwanzaa performances with multiple shows daily.
Other holiday traditions include festive recipes and drinks at Holiday Kitchens, including Nochebuena Cocina Holiday Kitchen and Holiday Hearth Holiday Kitchen. New and returning favorite dishes include an Impossible™ Chorizo Tamale, a Plant-based Cotija Cheese, and Spicy Red Chile Sauce, as well as the Maple Bûche de Noël, made of Maple Mousse and Cranberry, rolled in Gingerbread Chiffon Cake.
Guests will also have the opportunity to go on a Holiday Cookie Stroll, a scavenger hunt where they can visit various booths and purchase an assortment of cookies. When Guests complete the hunt, they can redeem their prize- a completer cookie!
Holiday Décor
Disney isn’t Disney without their famous eye for décor! Guests will enjoy the sights of the Park, including beautiful holiday trimmings around Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom Park, Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Discovery Island and Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and the World Showcase at EPCOT!
Other eye-catching delights include nightly snow flurries and Christmas trees at Disney Springs, Gingerbread displays at Disney Resort Hotels, and an abundance of Christmas trees throughout the Parks (more than 1,300 to be exact!).
Entertainment Across the Parks
Besides all the goings on at Magic Kingdom Park during the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, there are also a variety of displays and entertainment as Walt Disney World continues its 50th Anniversary celebration.
When the Christmas Party is not being held at Magic Kingdom Park, Cinderella Castle transforms into a holiday look, including new colors, projections, and rotating designs such as a jeweled castle and Christmas sweater.
At Animal Kingdom, Guests can experience “A Merry Menagerie,” a puppet show of winter animals, along with musicians, on Discovery Island. Additionally, the Tree of Life will come alive at night with winter tales and music.
EPCOT also holds holiday magic, with Santa present to greet Guests, as well as performances and holiday storytellers at the World Showcase, including Canadian Holiday Voyageurs, Las Posadas with Mariachi Cobre, the Chinese Lion Dance and holiday storytellers.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, holiday magic abounds as the Hollywood Tower Hotel transforms into various scenes, including a ‘Toy Story’ toy hotel and part of Arendelle from ‘Frozen.’ Santa Claus will also ride down Hollywood Blvd. in “The Santa Claus Merry Motorcade,” and Olaf will feature in “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration.”
Related: ‘The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration’ RETURNS
Disney Springs
At Disney Springs, there will be a wide array of Disney trees, as well as a winter wonderland in Town Center and the West Side. Santa can also be found at Once Upon a Toy, where Guests can take pictures. There will also be a variety of festive food and beverages in locations like Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar and The Ganachery.
Holiday Merchandise
If you’re looking for Disney holiday merch, you’re in the right place! In addition to traditional Disney keepsakes and clothing, you can also find a myriad of cozy winter clothes, including the Mickey’s Vintage Christmas collection, a plaid Homestead collection, and even a special Hanukkah collection!
Disney World has always been magical in the fall and winter seasons, and this year will be no different! To experience this for yourself, find more information on the Walt Disney World website.
What are you most looking forward to experiencing at the Parks this holiday season?