Christmas Holidays

Celebrating the New Year with the Disney World Crowds…and Why We’re OK With That

Nancy Christmas Holidays, Disney Vacation Planning , , , , 1 Comment

In ten days we will be at Walt Disney World, getting ready to ring in the New Year at the Happiest Place on Earth. We will, of course, have a lot of company, and I have written in the past about what the parks are like during this busiest week of the year. Yes, we know what to expect….and still we choose to go then, even though things would be much calmer, less crowded, and we would see/do a great deal more if we went at another time.

So if we know all this, why are we making a conscious decision to visit at this time anyway?

Well there are a couple of reasons. Partly it is because if we want to experience the wonderful Holiday atmosphere at Disney World as a family, this week is our best chance to do that, due to our daughter’s college schedule. And while we don’t go at Christmas every year, we try to visit at this time of year every few years if we can….and we miss Disney World a lot on the years that we don’t.

But there is more to it than that.

Honestly, to me, there is just no better place to say good-bye to one year and welcome a new one. There is something inherently hopeful about Disney World that makes people, no matter their age, believe in that happily-ever-after that seems so elusive in real life. And when that is combined with the hopes and dreams that everyone has when a new year begins, well it makes Walt Disney World a very special (and yes, magical) place to ring in that New Year…despite the crowds, and the noise, and the lines…..

And I have to say that my feeling about this somewhat stems from personal experience.

In 2003, just a few days after Christmas, my wonderful father was diagnosed with leukemia. He ultimately passed away just a few weeks later. During those weeks, as we struggled to comprehend and deal with this tragedy, we also struggled to provide care for my mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease. My dad had been her primary caregiver, and the loss of my dad took its toll on her health as well.

Not to overly dramatize the situation…I’ll just say that the New Year’s Eve that we observed that year was heartbreaking.

As the end of 2004 approached then, we were prepared for our Christmas season to be a difficult one, filled with some very sad memories. But we didn’t want to focus on the sad, we wanted to say good bye to that horrible year, and bring in the new one, in a way that focused instead on looking forward. We wanted to create new, happier memories…and we realized that for New Years, it was important for us to be someplace other than home.

The one place that we knew would help us create happy memories was at Walt Disney World.

So that year, New Year’s Eve 2004/5, we celebrated the holiday at Disney: we watched that terrible year end, and welcomed the start of a new one in a way that truly honored my parents, who always believed in the importance of faith, and belief, and hope, and optimism.

Always at its best when helping to create happiness, Walt Disney World remains for us, a place to focus on the joyful, the special, the hopeful, and the promise of something better. And that is why we are looking forward to ringing in the start of this next year in the best place we know to do so.

Wishing you and yours the most wonderful, magical, and hope-filled Christmas and New Year!

Wordless Wednesday: It’s All in the Details

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I often feel when I am at Disney World, that I just don’t know where to look first, as there are a seemingly countless number of fascinating visual experiences, all competing for my attention. But I usually find that, if I can stop and take the time to *really look* at some of the most insignificant things, I am rewarded with some pretty cool surprises. Take the Christmas tree at Epcot’s World Showcase: what seem to be, at first glance, just a bunch of Christmas balls, are actually miniature globes, ornaments featuring the national flags of different nations, and my personal favorite, holiday greetings in many different languages. Next time you visit Walt Disney World, make it a point to check out those details: you may be surprised at what you actually find.

Wordless Wednesday: Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade

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A highlight of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in the weeks leading up to Christmas is Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. Disney does great parades, and this is no exception. Featuring many of your favorite characters in their finest holiday garb, you will also find ice skaters (yes in Florida, don’t ask, it’s that Disney magic 🙂 ), Marching Wooden Soldiers, and at the very end, Santa himself. And there are great holiday “smells” too…. Of course the castmembers are wearing appropriate festive attire too, including hats, scarves, and mittens, bless-their-overheated-hearts. If you want to see the parade, and will be there during Christmas week, you’re in luck because it is held every afternoon. Happy Holidays!

Travel Tuesday Tales: T-Minus 36 Days and Counting…

Nancy Christmas Holidays, Travel Tuesday Tales , , , , 7 Comments

While our friend Brenda is enjoying her vacation in Walt Disney World, I thought I’d take today to provide a quick update to our Disney vacation planning. We leave for Disney World in 36 days, on December 30…and as always happens when you start planning so far in advance….I can’t believe that we’re about a month away!

I can’t believe it because I have quite a bit to do in the next month for this trip.

Oh yeah. And we’ve got a few holidays sprinkled in there as well. 🙂

First let’s start with an update to some previous plans: Instead of 4 going, there are now just 3, myself, my DH and our DD. So I have had a few changes to make in the past month or so, namely to all of our ADRs, and Candlelight Processional reservations.

I also have been regularly in touch with Disney Vacation Club (meaning *daily*), in the attempt to reduce the size of our accommodations from a 2 BR to a Studio or 1 BR. Knowing how crazy busy this week is at Disney, I’m not holding my breath, but it’s worth the try, so that we can save the points for another trip. (And isn’t that always the case: you start planning your next one before you leave on the current one? Or is that just me…. 🙂  ) In any event, currently we still have a 2 BR at Old Key West for the first two nights, and now have a 1 BR at Wilderness Lodge for the 2nd 2 nights. In addition to calling DVC, I’m also on the waitlist for something smaller, so we shall see what happens.

Now what is done so far?

  • Accommodations (well sort of): check.
  • Basic Disney Dining Plan added: check.
  • Advanced Dining Reservations for all dinners: check.
  • Flights booked: check.

And what needs to be done in the next few weeks?

  • Tickets ordered: To Do!
  • Magical Express contacted: To Do!
  • Parking/transportation to and from airport: To Do!
  • Check park hours: To Do!
  • Any additional tours/meals/events booked: Research, maybe yes, maybe no.
  • Check luggage situation and replace some suitcases: Research, but probably To Do!
  • Check for new comfy walking shoes for me: Oh definitely To Do!!!!

This is, of course, in addition to getting ready for Christmas. Yeah, it’s gonna be a fun month! 🙂

Now you may notice that I don’t really have any itinerary planning on here, and I will say that is a benefit of many trips: for us at this point, we don’t worry about this as much as we would if we were still fairly new to Walt Disney World. Plus, and this is a biggie: there will be lots of crowds, and so we have learned that flexibility will be key during our time there over New Years. We have a few favorites at each park, and certainly know where we will be each evening (we decided that when making our ADRs). Beyond that, once I see the hours for each park, and see when the Holiday events will be ending, then we will narrow it down to which park we’ll go to each morning, and we’ll chat about if there are any Must-Sees for anyone on this trip. That will be about it for itinerary planning for this Disney vacation for us. (Note: it really helps here that we are 3 adults, so no little one meltdowns if we just can’t see something…..)

This weekend, DD will be home from college 🙂  so we’ll have a chance to talk a bit about if there are any extra things anyone wants to do, like doing a tour or something like that. We also need to decide if we want to get Park Hoppers for 4 days or 5, so I can order them from Undercover Tourist. And then I need to call Disney to arrange for Magical Express.

Oh, and before Black Friday, I’ll be looking at our suitcase situation, and my shoe situation, both of which are apparently necessary purchases….

And that will be it then, for a few weeks, as I get ready for Christmas………

…….until I start obsessing about the weather forecast. 🙂

Making Disney Holiday Magic Affordable

Nancy Christmas Holidays, What to Do at Disney World , , , , , , , 10 Comments

Well it is November 1, and that can only mean one thing: the Holiday Season in upon us, and in fact, from Disney’s point of view, the holidays begin next Monday with the 1st Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party of 2010.

This is the favorite time of year for many, but all that Holiday magic can get a bit dimmed when combined with concerns about keeping costs under control. And when you add in an impending Disney vacation into the mix, well it can get more than a little challenging.

With that all in mind, I am going to use my Monday blog posts over the coming weeks leading up to Christmas, to discuss ways to have a very merry Disney Christmas. I’ll talk about what you can expect at Walt Disney World for the Holiday Season if you will be visiting during this time of year, and how to experience the magic affordably. And I will also share some of my favorite ways to bring Disney into Holiday gift-giving: whether you are looking for something for the Disney lover on your list, or you will be buying Christmas gifts that will be useful on your Disney World vacation, I will give you some ideas for how to make a Disney Holiday Season both magical AND affordable.

So let’s get things started with a quick overview of the many great Holiday happenings at Walt Disney World, and then in coming weeks we’ll explore some of them in a bit more detail.

For anyone traveling to Disney World in the coming two months, prepare to find TONS  of Christmas events and attractions. Decorations abound, characters are in their festive finest, and music, entertainment, and yes, of course, food all combine to make this one of the most special….and popular times of the year to visit Walt Disney World. And best of all, most is free. 🙂 Some of the highlights include:

Magic Kingdom

The centerpiece of the Holiday celebrations is Cinderella’s Castle, decked out in the “Castle Dream Lights” that sparkle, shimmer, and glisten to create a breathtaking sight. Do not miss this. Lit every evening as part of a special ceremony, the Castle Dream Lights are amazing: if you think the Castle is lovely at other times of the year, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. And it is free to see, every night, starting November 8.

In addition to all of the special decorations, Magic Kingdom features Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights from November 8 to December 19. A “hard ticket” item that requires separate admission, this fun evening event features a showing of  the Holiday Wishes edition of the fireworks, as well as the popular Christmas parade (both of which can be seen….for free…..without attending MVMCP, after the 19th until New Years.)

Epcot

Epcot is probably my favorite place at this time of year. In addition to the beautiful decorations, World Showcase offers some wonderful programs, for no additional charge, as part of the “Holidays Around the World: if you have ever wondered what it would be like to celebrate Christmas in another country, this is the place to find out. Each country shares their most interesting holiday traditions, and many have Holiday Storytellers that highlight some fascinating and fun customs. Look carefully to find Father Christmas in England, Pere Noel in France, and St. Nicholas in Germany to name a few. It is delightful and yes, educational, in a very fun way.

Probably the highlight of the Walt Disney World holidays in Epcot is the Candlelight Processional, a nightly presentation of the Christmas story with a celebrity guest narrator and a huge massed choir made up of professional, college, and high school choirs from around the country. You can reserve a seat by purchasing a Candlelight Processional dinner package for one of the 3 shows each night, or if you don’t want to pay for the dinner package, you can take your chances and wait in the stand-by line. (More about this in coming weeks.) If you love Christmas music, you will find this to be a dramatic, powerful, and very moving experience.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios you will find the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, held nightly on the Streets of America. There are literally millions of lights and it is an absolutely amazing experience….and also free. 🙂 The streets can get very crowded however, so if you want to get the most of your visit here, consider going during the nightly Fantasmic show, or at the end of the evening, before the park closes. It is much more enjoyable when you are not elbow to elbow with people!

But Wait, There’s More!

If you still want more parades, then Animal Kingdom has Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade, with all the characters in their holiday finest. Plus, you will want to visit Downtown Disney for the Festival of the Seasons, where you can finish any holiday shopping, visit Santa before Dec. 24, and say hi to Santa Goofy from Dec. 25 to Jan. 4. And then there are the resorts: some of them feature decorations that are attractions in themselves. Of particular interest are the towering trees at Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Gingerbread House in the Grand Floridian, and the Carousel at the Beach Club. Tour the Disney resorts for a fascinating, and free way to spend an entire day!

The Christmas Season is a wonderful time of year. We’ll take the next several weeks to see how amazing it is at Disney World, and find ways to make that Disney magic more affordable for your family this Holiday Season.