Posts Tagged ‘Christmas at Walt Disney World’

Beginning July 26, 2011, tickets will be available for the 2011 season of EPCOT’s Candlelight Processional Dinner package.  Performances will begin on November 25^th and run through December 30^th, with three shows daily at 5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:15 p.m.

This annual favorite features a beautiful performance of seasonal music by a large chorus comprised of the wonderful Voices of Liberty, a cast member choir, and numerous guest choirs from around the country, accompanied by a full orchestra.  The highlight of each show is the reading of the Christmas story by a special celebrity narrator.

Prices are tiered to reflect both the dining venue and choice of lunch or dinner.  Guests with either the Magic Your Way Plus Dining or the Magic Your Way Plus Deluxe Dining plans can use two table-service credits.   Those on the Premium and Platinum plans can substitute the dinner package for one of their meals.

We’ve provided a downloadable document with complete details including a current list of guest narrators and a pricing chart for the various restaurants participating in this year’s package.

We invite you to review past posts for more information about the Candlelight Processional programs.

It is a month of contrasts.  The beginning of December is a favorite of Disney veterans who take advantage of the great weather and lower crowds during the first couple of weeks.  The week between Christmas and New Year is the single busiest one of the year.  During this holiday period, it’s not unusual for the Magic Kingdom to reach full capacity and close the gates to new arrivals as early as 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.

It is festive and beautiful – perhaps the single most beautiful time of year to visit Walt Disney World – with parks and resorts dressed to impress and the daily schedules a whirlwind of special events, activities, and holiday performances.  There are so many different things going on it’s impossible to list them all!  As the calendar counts off the days until Christmas, each resort begins to add its own roster of special holiday happenings.

Fast Facts

Special Events: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party continues, typically until about December 19th, at which time the Christmas Parade replaces the daytime parade in the Magic Kingdom for the remainder of the season.  The Castle Dream Lights sparkle and Wishes becomes Holiday Wishes for a few special days.  There are regular performances of the Candlelight Processional and the storytelling of Holidays Around the World in EPCOT.  Visitors to Disney’s Animal Kingdom can enjoy Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade.  The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights draws the crowds at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Festival of Seasons offers seasonal entertainment and Santa meet-and-greets.  In fact, Santa really gets around the Walt Disney World Resort!

The Voices of Liberty don their holiday finery for concerts of seasonal music at the American Adventure and many of the resort lobbies ring with good cheer as various choruses, choirs, bell ringers, soloists, and musical groups serenade guests.

Attendance levels: From the sublime to the ridiculous – expect lower attendance for the first couple of weeks escalating to the highest numbers of the year during Christmas week.  Guests visiting for the first time after the middle of the month should understand that crowds will be fierce.  The parks are crowded, the parking lots are jammed, the roadways are busy, the buses and monorails are full; it’s difficult to overstate just how massive the crowds are.  Expect long waits for attractions and transportation; be prepared to wait at every turn.  Be certain to make dining reservations well in advance and plan to visit with a relaxed attitude, knowing that this will be a time to slow down and enjoy each moment as it comes.

Weather: It can be breezy and balmy or crisp and cold.  In the past few years, the temperatures have climbed well up into the 80’s and crashed into the 20’s.  December of 2010 was the coldest ever recorded for this area.

Packing: If there was ever a time to pack for all possibilities, this is it.  As the departure dates nears, we suggest checking the ten-day forecast at weather.com!

November is a month of transformation as the World dons its gay apparel for the holiday season.  Guests can revisit a park or resort hotel to find it completely changed from the day before.   Working through the nights, cast members perform magic as they bring Christmas to life throughout the Walt Disney World Resort.  Although this wonderful photo was taken onboard the Disney Magic, we think it is a beautiful illustration of the holiday mix found at all Disney Destinations during this special time of the year.

The thermometer is something of a quick-change artist, as well, marking cool morning temperatures that can turn into sunny, warm afternoons in the blink of an eye.

As the entire resort gears up for Christmas, Thanksgiving is celebrated with traditional meals, and appropriately-costumed characters.  Before the month is over, the festive decorations are in place, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties have begun, the Osborne Lights are dancing, and EPCOT is celebrating Holidays Around the World.

Fast Facts

Special Events: Enjoy the last two weeks of EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival; the start of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Holidays Around the World at EPCOT, and The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.

Attendance levels: November offers a wide range of attendance from some of the lowest annual numbers during the week after Thanksgiving to the heavy crowds of Thanksgiving Day and weekend.  Once EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival winds down, the days leading up to Thanksgiving are among the most pleasant of the year.

Weather: Typically a glorious month with temperatures ranging from the high 50’s to the high 70’s and little rainfall.

Packing: For months other than May through September when it is reliably hot, visitors should always pack for the possibilities and November is no exception.  It is definitely a time to think “layers.”

This is a question asked frequently by our clients and showing up often in searches.  As with so many choices, this one is not completely straightforward, but dependent upon several factors. There are three performances of the Candlelight Processional each evening:  5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:15 p.m.  For guests who are NOT reserving the Candlelight Processional Dining Package, the first performance of the evening is nearly always the least-crowded, offering the best chance of a seat.  You must still be prepared to get in line at least an hour before showtime; much earlier if it’s a weekend or during the peak Thanksgiving and Christmas periods.  We suggest checking the length of the standby queue a couple of hours before your chosen performance.  Cast members are keeping track of the number of guests already waiting and you can ask about your chances of a seat if the line looks daunting.

The downside of the first performance is that it isn’t truly dark yet; so much of the impact of the candle-lit processing is lost.  On the other hand, you won’t be standing in line listening to the same show that you’ll be watching later that evening!

If you ARE reserving the Candlelight Processional Dining Package, then your dining reservation time will determine which performance you will attend.  Those paying out-of-pocket rather than using credits from the Disney Dining Plan may wish to maximize their dollar and book lunch (and the 5:00 p.m. performance) at the Tier 1 Biergarten (the Garden Grill is not open for lunch). For guests using two of their Table Service credits for the package, it makes more sense to choose the Tier 3 restaurants and enjoy the more-expensive dinner.

Since the Dining Package also includes access to a reserved viewing area for Illuminations:  Reflections of Earth, some might opt for the second performance at 6:45 p.m. which will give them plenty of time to make their way to the front of the World Showcase and claim a good spot.

Even with the Dining Package, you should be in line at least 30 minutes before the show.  The number of guests already lined up will seem enormous, but once allowed entrance, the crowds move quickly into the theatre.  Fifteen minutes before the performance begins, guests in the standby line are permitted to enter and fill the remaining seats.

Don’t forget that the music is audible even if you’re not sitting in the America Gardens Theatre.  If you’re too late to get a seat, or don’t have the patience for a long wait in line, grab a drink and a chair in the outdoor dining area of Liberty Inn, located right across from the theatre.

Even though it’s still summer, in “Disney Time” the holidays are right around the corner.  Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party starts in just a few weeks and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, one of the highlights of the Christmas season, begins on November 8^th and runs on selected nights until December 19^th.

It’s a magical night filled with special entertainment, spectacular fireworks, and the only opportunity to see the Christmas parade after dark.  Also, the first presentation of Castle Dream Lights takes place on the night of the first party, November 8.

The 2010 dates for this merry annual event are:

November – 8, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 28, & 30
December – 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, and 19

7 p.m. to 12 midnight

Ticket Prices for 2010, not including taxes, range from $53.95 to $59.95 for adults and $47.95 to $53.95 for children.  Lower prices reflect advance purchase savings which are not available for all dates.

If you’re booking your Walt Disney World vacation package with Whimsical World Travel, your Concierge will be happy to make arrangements for your party tickets.  You can choose to have them waiting at Will Call for pick-up after you arrive, or request downloadable e-tickets.  For an additional charge, your tickets can also be shipped.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has become a holiday tradition for thousands of families – why not make it one of yours?

Small cottages nestle in the trees; a policeman stands watchful as busy villagers go about their errands; trains move smoothly over bridges, through tunnels, and chug past rural railway stations; a joyful wedding party makes its way down the hillside while a solitary deer surveys the forest from a mountaintop.  It’s a world recreated in exquisite detail – the miniature village and railway at the Germany pavilion in EPCOT.

There’s always something new to see and marvel at as the Disney gardeners landscape, replant, and embellish for the changing seasons, holidays, and special events at Walt Disney World.  Hidden Mickeys come and go; buildings are “erected” for special events like the little greenhouse for EPCOT’s International Flower and Garden Show, complete with tiny signage.

During the Christmas season, guests are treated to a holiday wonderland.  Decorations spring up all over “town.”  Christmas trees are decorated, lampposts sport holiday bows, and buildings are outlined in lights. Even the railway cars are reconfigured for important holiday activities.

Originally conceived for the Flower and Garden Festival, this extraordinary installation has become a permanent and much-loved fixture of the World Showcase.

Photo by Jeff Bergman