Holiday Events at Disney World Theme Parks
Disney’s Special Christmas Events and Celebrations
Nov 9, 2009
Disney helps its guests get into the holiday spirit with its celebration of the Christmas season. Beginning in mid-November and continuing through New Year’s Day, Walt Disney World (WDW) Resort is decked out in its holiday finest and hosts a variety of holiday-themed happenings: parades, ceremonies, and special events.
Magic Kingdom Events and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
The Magic Kingdom offers many holiday treats, starting with the Main Street Christmas tree that points to Cinderella’s Castle, which is covered with over 200,000 lights. Stage shows star favorite characters in holiday stories. Once Upon a Christmastime is Disney’s main Santa Claus parade, while Holiday Wishes, the night fireworks show, is transformed with music.
The Magic Kingdom also hosts Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP). The holiday party, which requires a separate ticket, takes place on select nights. It is limited to event-ticket holders, creating a smaller and more intimate venue – relatively speaking – in which to enjoy the Magic Kingdom’s holiday parade, shows, fireworks, and major attractions.
MVMCP for 2009
- Dates: Nov. 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 29 and Dec. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18
- Advance Tickets: $52 plus tax (ages 10 and up), $46 plus tax (ages 3 – 9)
- Same-Day Tickets: $59 plus tax (ages 10 and up), $53 plus tax (ages 3 – 9)
- Annual Passholder Prices: $49 plus tax (ages 10 and up), $43 plus tax (ages 3 – 9)
- Premium Tickets: $59 plus tax (ages 10 and up), $53 plus tax (ages 3 – 9) for Nov. 29 and Dec. 4, 11, 17, and 18 (the event is the same, but no advance purchase discount due to anticipated demand)
- Contact: 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7539)
Epcot Events and the Candlelight Processional
World Showcase performers present holiday traditions and stories from their countries, and appear approximately every hour from noon until dusk. IllumiNations, Epcot’s closing show adds a “Let There Be Peace on Earth” theme that is narrated by the late Walter Cronkite. Epcot’s showcase event is the nightly Candlelight Processional, a pageant retelling of the Christmas story. A celebrity narrator reads the Christmas story accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and choir.
The Candlelight Processional, held at the America Gardens amphitheater, takes place several times each night and is free with admission. Seating at this popular event can be difficult to get. Guests who book a Candlelight Processional Dinner Package receive preferred seating for the show and a special IllumiNations viewing area. Packages do not charge extra for the processional, but do require guests pay a flat rate for dining at an Epcot table-service restaurant; there are three different price tiers based on the restaurant chosen.
Candlelight Processional for 2009
- Dates: Nov. 27 – Dec. 30
- Times: 5:45, 6:45, and 8:15 p.m., with specified dining times for the Dinner Package
- Costs for Processional: Varies with restaurant and diner’s age
- Additional Information: Candlelight Processional Dinner Packages may be booked at 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463) and can be booked with a Magic Your Way Dining Package.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) takes the spirit of the season into the streets with the help of its improvisational players. The citizens of Hollywood, as they are known, play old Hollywood types. Their holiday performances feature comic musical numbers. DHS’s afternoon parade, the Motor Cars Parade, becomes takes on a “Winter Wonderland” theme.
A DHS holiday highlight is the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, sponsored by Jennings Osborne and his family (not Ozzie and Sharon Osbourne, as is sometimes believed). Five million lights decorate the Streets of America and flash to holiday music. Images include Santa Claus and his flying reindeer, a nativity scene, angels, stockings, and a rotating globe. Guests can tour the light displays and sip hot chocolate during a Disney “snow.”
Spectacle of Dancing Lights for 2009
- Dates: Dec.10, 2009 – Jan. 4, 2010
- Additional Information: Free with park admission
Animal Kingdom Features Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade
Featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Rafiki, the Animal Kingdom transforms its afternoon parade but keeps the safari theme. Guests can also have their picture taken with a red-suited Goofy at Santa Goofy’s Wild Wonderland.
Families traveling to Walt Disney World for vacation will find many signs of the holiday. Disney’s theme parks, hotel resorts, and Downtown Disney all participate in celebrating the season, so guests visiting Walt Disney World for the holidays have plenty of things to see and do.
Related Article: Holidays at Disney World Resorts and Marketplace
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