A Very Merry Disney Guide: Christmas Magic Across Every Park

By the Backseat View

There’s something extra enchanting about Disney during Christmas- the magic sparkles just a little brighter. The moment you step onto Main Street, you are greeted by the scent of gingerbread, the sound of carols, and a dazzling blanket of twinkling lights. From the falling snow to Mickey and Minnie in their festive best, Disney transforms into a true winter wonderland. Whether you’re eating gingerbread Mickey cookies while watching the parade or catching your favorite rides, Christmas is the season when the parks feel the most magical.

Let’s unwrap the best of Disney at Christmas, from the must-see shows and festive eats to sleigh rides, meeting Mrs. Claus, and virtual queue Santa lines. Santa is at all the Disney parks. Wear those dressy outfits for Santa photos. Then change back into park clothes. This comprehensive guide features over 100 tips, encompassing all the park information, so you have everything in one place.

Let’s head home to Disney for the holiday season!

Disney Christmas Guide

When to go?

• Disney officially begins Christmas decorating on November 2nd. It typically takes a week for the parks to be fully decorated. This usually happens around November 9th. The Resorts, with the gingerbread decorations, are usually ready by November 14th.
• The most manageable crowd levels are typically found during the first two weeks of November and December, when schools are still in session.
• The Mickey’s Christmas Party occurs over 12 days in November and December. It is typically held on most Fridays and Sundays. Festivities start around November 7th.
  
• If you must go over Christmas or Thanksgiving break, expect the largest crowds of the entire year. Staying on Disney property is the only option for Lightning Lanes, early entry, and dining reservations. The parks usually max out with crowds before lunch, so don’t sleep in.

Let it go, and let the magic begin!

Resorts

• Christmas is the busiest season, and hotels sell out. Christmas booking begins a year in advance. If you are even considering going next Christmas, book that room a year out.
• If you want a tree or decorations added to your room for Christmas or birthdays, visit Birthdays and More on Facebook.
• I decorate the room with Mickey window clings, balloons, and Disney stuffed animal options from Amazon.
• Animal Kingdom is the top resort choice, featuring a massive tree and gingerbread animals.
• Fort Wilderness Lodge is often tied for first with the massive tree and sleigh rides. The resorts transport you to a different place in time.
• For a mid-grade boutique option, consider Port Orleans French Quarter with carriage rides and beignets.
• It’s very easy to change resorts, so book the Animal Kingdom for a night, then move over to affordability. Disney moves your bags for you from one hotel to the other. Literally, leave going to the park and hand off your luggage and check back in at the new resort. It might be night before the luggage gets delivered so take your medications with you.

Every adventure starts with a Wish. Disney

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

I LOVE Christmas, so the five hours of delightful magic are worth it to me! The parade, the rare character meet-and-greet, the lower ride waits, and holiday-themed snacks make Mickey’s Christmas Party the reason I come to Disney. Around December 21st, the Christmas Parade runs as the regular parade in the park. I’ll mix in answers to questions I’ve been asked along with my favorite party tips.

• The party does NOT replace a Magic Kingdom day in your vacation for small children. This is a bonus fun day.
• With teenagers who visit yearly, it counts as our Magic Kingdom day.
• If the budget choice is two full days in Disney parks for $250 or the Christmas party, choose the full park days. The party is EXTRA.

“There’s magic in the air tonight, and anything can happen.” The Princess and the Frog

Mickey’s Christmas Party Tickets

• You really have to go, so let’s buy tickets!
• This is a separate ticketed event at Magic Kingdom.
• BUY YOUR TICKETS in early JULY! All the party tickets sell out every year. If you have a Walt Disney World Resort room booked, you can buy tickets at the end of June.
• Disney releases ALL the party tickets in June, and most days are sold out by August.
• I would purchase party tickets before park tickets, if you are budgeting.
  

How to get Tickets to SOLD OUT PARTIES?

• If you want sold-out party tickets, call Disney Parks customer service once or twice a day. Check if anyone has refunded tickets. Always check with your resort and customer service at the park on party day as well. It’s next to impossible.
  
• Tickets won’t show a bar code until a couple of days before the party.
• Cost varies by day, but the ticket costs close to $200.

“Believe you can, then you will.” Mulan or me trying to find a way to pay for this trip!

Photos & Magic shots

We have to capture the best moments of the year!

• The ticket does NOT include the Memory Maker for the party photo extras. You can buy Memory Maker for a single day for $75.
  
• I always buy the $200 Memory Maker for the trip to get the ride photos, magic shots, and as a backup to my own images. I want those ghosts in my Haunted Mansion photos! I usually end up with almost 100 pictures from the week, and I only need 20 photos to break even.
  

Magic Shots

• During the party, almost every area of the park with PhotoPass photographers offers a different cute MAGIC shot. Magic Shots are a feature that adds characters to your photos. Main Street adds Santa’s Sleigh or Goofy, the Muppets are in Liberty Square, and Chip and Dale are on the bridges leading from Cinderella’s Castle into Liberty Square and Tomorrowland.
  
• While it’s great to take the classic photo in front of the castle as you enter. Make sure to take a picture as you leave the park at the end of Main Street. The Main Street lights and the castle lit up behind you.

Official Party Info.

• Disney releases exact party information in an event map with food options and characters at the first Christmas Party in November. With all the influencers trying to post this information, the first party sells out quickly.
• The free cookie stations and food options guide drops around the 30^th of October.
• The party rarely changes, so watch last year’s party on YouTube for ideas.
• The My Disney Experience app and Party Guide Maps have all the details after the first party.
  

In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. Mary Poppins

Party Arrival

• Party gates open at 4 pm.
• Deciding what time to arrive at the park for the party is debatable. The earliest is the 2 -2:30 pm group. The crowd arrives at the gate by 3 pm. If you dislike crowds, consider arriving at 4:30.
  
• If you are already in the park, check in for the party at one of several locations in the park. Don’t fight the crowd at the front gate. You can usually check in at the Chamber of Commerce building on Main Street, near Mickey’s Philharmagic in Fantasyland, near Tortuga Tavern in Adventure Land, and Guest Relations in Liberty Square.
• As you enter the park, there’s usually a toy soldier or a gingerbread man from the parade available for photos.
  

Planning 4-7 pm BEFORE THE PARTY starts

• The park closes to non-party guests at 6 pm. Disney will walk you out.
  
• If you are going to MK in November or December, make sure there is not a party on the day you select to visit. You don’t get fireworks unless you have a party ticket on party days.
• The park is crowded from 4-6 pm.
• Buy Lightening Lanes for rides from 4-6 pm.
• Once you are finally in the park, you can ride a few rides, grab a snack, or shop.

Here’s the thing: the people who booked this party for Jack & Sally, Cinderella or the Winnie the Pooh Characters start lining up. By the time the party starts at 7 pm, almost all the front row parade spots are taken.

“Even miracles take a little time.” Cinderella

Parade Choices

• Which parade to attend is always a big decision.
• The SAME parade runs at 8:30 and 11 pm.
• The early parade is the MOST CROWDED.
• It snows on Main Street during the parades and ONLY ON MAIN STREET.
• While everyone waits for the parade, one person goes after snacks.

Parade Viewing Spots

• If you want a front row parade viewing spot on Main Street for the first parade, arrive by 6:30 and sit down. You can’t save seats, so everyone must be present.
• The Best Parade spots have a view of the castle stage from Main Street.
  
• You can arrive at the END of Main Street at Tony’s, the train station, or by the big Christmas tree at 10:15 for the second parade. It still snows at the end of Main Street, too. I plan to watch the fireworks from here at 10 pm, then wait for the 11 pm parade.
• Frontier Land fills in last, so be seated by 7.
• You sit on the Main Street’s curb or the yellow parade line in Frontier Land.
• People will try to push in front of you or squeeze in beside you. They ask if their children can stand in front of you. Be prepared to stand your ground. As cast members clear the streets for the parade, the unprepared families struggle to find a place to go. All the parade spots are three families deep.
  
• Some people will sit near the castle from 5-10 pm and watch the shows and wait. However, the circle in front of the castle gets too crowded.
  

Fireworks

• The next decision is where to watch the 10 pm fireworks.
• Main Street with the castle is the top choice for fireworks.
• If you are leaving after the fireworks, move back to the end of the street so you can leave the park faster. We have watched from the Tony’s Town Square area.
• If you dislike crowds, try the other side of the castle in Fantasy Land.
• A word of caution about trying to get on rides between 9:20 after the parade and 10 pm. It’s easy to get stuck in line and miss the fireworks.
• Disney never guarantees Tinker Bell will fly from the castle, due to weather, but she usually does. It’s early, like 3 to 5 minutes in, when a character says, “Look up in the sky.”

Shows

• Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration is performed on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage with Mickey and Friends usually at 7:40, 9:25 pm, 10:30 pm & 11:55 pm.
• A Frozen Holiday Surprise is also in front of the castle, usually at 8:15 pm.
• Totally Tomorrowland Christmas has hourly show times starting at 7:45.
  

Christmas Overlay Rides

• The Teacups, Space Mountain & Tomorrow Speedway get Christmas Party overlays at 7 pm.
• The Jungle Cruise becomes the Jingle Cruise during the Christmas season. Honestly, I don’t understand the hype with this ride.
• The ride times dip lower for the less popular rides, except for The Seven Dwarf Mine Cars and TRON, which are still an hour.
• Try making Lightning Lane selections for the 4-6 pm window before the party starts.
• Lines are shortest for characters and rides during both parade times.
  

“If you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t matter which path you take.” Alice

Characters

• Characters don’t usually show up in Christmas attire until 7 pm.
• Again, the lines are long, and people arrive early, often by 6 pm.
• Traditionally, most characters leave at 11 pm.
• Here’s a traditional list of where the characters usually are.

Town Square Theater on Main Street

• Jack & Sally start at 4 pm and can easily have a 2-3 hour wait.
• Mickey & Minnie in Christmas attire start at 7 pm.
• Princess Elena
• Mary Poppins and Bert are usually outside.
  
• HACK: Don’t waste party time in this line. Make the Hollywood & Vine reservation at Hollywood Studios to see Mickey, Minnie, Santa, Goofy, and Pluto in Christmas attire.
• Be cautious of the thought process of meeting Mickey & Minnie on the way out. The lines can still be long, with everyone doing this.

Fantasyland

• Donald, Daisy, and Scrooge are in Pete’s Silly Sideshow.
• Pooh & friends are in their regular location by the ride.
• Alice in Wonderland is by the Teacups.
• Peter Pan and Pluto are also out.
• Santa is in the Storybook Circus and the area is decorated very cute.
  

Princess & Princes

• Fairytale Hall has Anna & Elsa are in their Christmas attire, along with Cinderella and Prince Charming, and Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.
• There are always several princesses and their princes in the area that best represents them. Little Mermaid, Ariel, is by her ride, while Belle is near her castle.
• Snow White and the Prince
• Remember, Epcot is home to all the princesses in their countries with lower waits.
  

Adventure Land

• Adventure Land is usually home to characters like Jack Sparrow, Aladdin with his monkey, and Moana.
• Liberty Square has Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen.
  

Free cookies

• There are six stations with different cookies, just look for the candy cane on the buildings.
• You can get two cookies, and the lines move quickly.
• There’s usually cocoa, punch and cider too.

Here’s a list of where the cookies are for 2025.

• Sunshine Tree Terrace- Gingerbread!! This is my MUST stop!!
• Gaston’s Tavern in Fantasyland – Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip cookie
• Railroad Station- Snowman Pretzel
• Cosmic Rays– Tomorrowland- Chocolate Chip, hot chocolate & apple cider
• Lunching Pad– Red Velvet cookie
• Tortuga Tavern– Hot Cocoa Cookies
• If you are in the cookie line but don’t want cookies, I’ve seen them hand out substitutes like apple slices or applesauce.
  

Ornament

• The free ornament is cheap (think $3), and you get it as you enter the park. The map is marked with a little ornament. They usually shut this down at 8 pm. People use their party wrist bands to hang the ornaments too.
• The gorgeous party ornaments are in the Main Street Emporium for purchase.

Party Food

• Everyone eats a big lunch and grabs party-themed snacks the rest of the night.
• The restaurants only serve quick party food, except the Plaza, Cinderella, and Be Our Guest.
• There are few sit-down options because no one wants to waste expensive time on food. Make the reservation for 4:30 to 5:30 before the party starts if you want to eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest.
• Party popcorn buckets are a big hit and collectible, costing around $30.

While the desserts change a bit from year to year, you can get the basic idea of cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and sundaes.

Event Food for 2025

If there’s ever a reason to bring extra ziplock bags, sharing Christmas treats is one of them. I bolded the things that caught my eye and have the most hype.

• Casey’s Corner has pot roast hot dogs & fries, mini corn dogs, and a candy cane tart filled with peppermint ganache topped with meringue.
• Main Street Bakery has Mickey-shaped cinnamon rolls and a wreath cupcake.
• The Plaza requires reservations for pot roast, turkey meatloaf, and cheesecake. The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor has a Santa hat Brownie sundae that looks delicious.
  

Fantasy Land

• Pinocchio Village has ravioli, a lasagna flatbread, and a snowflake ornament.
• If I need food, this ravioli is my choice. The blue snowflake has awful reviews.
• The Friar’s Nook has Jalapeno Popper tots, spinach artichoke hand pie, pig in a blanket, and an Ugly sweater shake.
• Cheshire Café has a Whoopee Pie, a chocolate cake sandwich.
  

Frontier & Adventure Land

• Aloha Isle has a pomegranate Yule float and Santa Surf Float. I LOVE Doyle Whips, so this Yule float is my dessert choice!
• Golden Oak Outpost has a holiday chicken nugget platter, festive beignets, and gingerbread cola.
• Peco Bills has loaded fries, Christmas Tamale, Mexican Hot Chocolate Mini Churros, and Frozen Hot Coca.
• Sleepy Hollow has orange chicken tenders, peppermint bark funnel cake, and Mickey Whoopie Pie.
• Columbia Harbor House has a gingerbread cake during regular park hours.
  

Tomorrowland

• Auntie Gravity’s has a cookie & cream shake.
• Cosmic Rays has a Holiday Pot Roast Melt sandwich, turkey burger, snow cheese chicken strips, Buckle up Mousse, and Christmas Punch.
  

Minnie’s Christmastime Firework Dessert Parties

There are a couple of places where you can make dessert reservations and watch the fireworks. I’ve paid almost a grand to watch the fireworks from the curb with free cookies, so I haven’t tried either party. These are great options for senior visitors who don’t want to stand for hours, visitors on scooters, or pregnant women who need to rest. I will caution you to review the actual view of the fireworks. You might be farther away than you expect.

Party Merchandise

• The Emporium on Main Street has Party Merchandise with long lines.
• Try shopping the same Party merchandise in Tomorrowland at Mickey Star Traders across from the Tomorrowland Speedway.
• Unfortunately, the later in the party, the merchandise may be sold out of the favorites.
• Crystal Arts offers six hand-blown glass party ornaments, each priced at $70 and shipped to your house for $13.
• Disney releases select Christmas merchandise online and in the Disney Springs stores, too.
• At every party, someone sets their merchandise bag down, and it gets snatched. Don’t be this person, rent a $10 locker and walk around freely.

Party Outfits

• It can get chilly, so most people wear a sweatshirt and layer up. The weather ranges from 50 to 70 degrees during the day.
• I’ll start with the most important accessory, Mickey Ears.
• BAUBLEBAR has the most comfortable ears that don’t cause headaches. They release their Christmas ears on October 20^th, and they sell out. Buy the matching Disney earrings and bracelets, or shop at T.J. Maxx for last year’s designs.
• The Mickey ear options are endless: Disney stores, Etsy, Amazon, and Imagine Ears Boutique.

“The cold never bothered me anyway.” Elsa

Christmas Shirts

• Loungefly has the market on your Christmas Disney backpack.
• Families wear matching pajamas and Christmas Mickey Party shirts at the party.
• Etsy has tons of Disney Christmas Party shirts, as do Old Navy, Kohl’s, Amazon, Target, Disney Store, Her Universe, and Hot Topic.
• There will be sparkling people with cute dresses and sequin skirts on. My favorite sequin skirt, long enough for the mom world, is by MANER on Amazon.
• Instagram has people who focus on cute Disney outfits and where to buy those.
• You need a jacket or sweatshirt as the sun goes down.
  

What to do BEFORE the Party? (8 am to 2 pm)

The obvious is to relax by the pool, but here are a few more ideas.

Disney Springs

• Visit Disney Springs and do the Christmas Tree Stroll. There are approximately 20 trees decorated in Disney themes. There are five locations that hand out maps, and you put your sticker in the correct spot for each tree. Return to the location to show the completed map for a free ornament. If you park in the Lime Garage, you can pick up a map at the Polite Pig.
• There’s also a photo pass studio storefront in Disney Springs. There, you can take photos with magic shots and various backgrounds.
• Get in the virtual queue for Santa on the My Disney Experience app starting in mid-November near Disney’s Pin Traders. One person from your party joins and receives a push notification when you can return. Times are usually 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.

• Amorette’s Patisserie has ALL the Christmas treats and cakes. From the Gingerbread Petite Cake to the Snowman pastry or the Christmas Tree Croquembouche, it all looks delicious!
  

• There’s also Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop with a Peppermint Bark Hot Fudge Sundae.
• The Ganachery has the cutest toy soldier cake, gingerbread Mickey cookies, and a chocolate hollow Olaf. They also sell the Christmas Party marshmallows. If you love s’mores this is the place to get a fresh one, made fresh for you.
• Y’all know I’m not leaving without a Dole Whip from Swirls on the Water or Market Place Snacks.
  

Resort Hop

• Ride the monorail at the Magic Kingdom and resort hop The Grand Floridian, Contemporary, and the Polynesian with brunch at Chef Mickey or Ohana.
  
• Book a late 11:30 character breakfast at the resorts. Snow White at the Wilderness Lodge and Topolino’s Terrace, with Mickey, are the most popular.
• Have a character brunch at Cape May at the Beach Club, then walk the Boardwalk area. There are several gingerbread displays filled with trains and carousels.

• People make an entire day of Resort Hopping by adding the Animal Kingdom to the resorts mentioned above.
• Play Disney Christmas mini golf that opens at 10 am.
  
• Gaylord Palms is only a 10-minute drive to experience their event, ICE! The Christmas ice sculptures tell a story from Rudolph to Frosty. If you haven’t visited one of the Gaylord ICE! events, this is my top choice.

Recap: Party Plan

• You need to understand the times for your top 3 priorities and get as much done as possible.
• Gates open at 4 pm.
• Grab your free ornament as you enter.
• Pick two favorite rides from 4-6 pm (buy Lightning Lanes) or meet Sally & Jack.
• Get in line for the parade at 6 pm on Main Street, 7 pm in Frontierland, or 10 pm in those locations.
• 10 pm fireworks
• Meet Characters during the parade time that you are not attending.
• Realistic goals- 3 rides, 1 character meet, parade (eating while you wait) & fireworks
  

My Party Day with Teenagers:

• 10 am- Tour the Boardwalk and visit the Cake Bake Shop for the cute animals and the peppermint candy cane chocolate cake. Then continue onto the Swan and Dolphin, Beach, and Yacht Club to see the gingerbread decorations.
• 11:30- Brunch with Minnie at the Beach Resort’s Cape May
• 12:30-2:30- nap
• Arrive by 3 pm and be in the park by 4:15 pm.
• Pick up my ornament & get a photo with the Gingerbread Man
• 4:30-6:15 pm – Castle photos then line up for Tron & Space Mountain.
• 6:15- line up for a character meet & greet with Pooh
• 8 pm – 9:30 pm – Ride the Teacups and Haunted Mansion while grabbing a cookie & a holiday snack for dinner.
• 9:45- Photo on Main Street with the castle & lights
• 10 pm – Watch fireworks at the back of Main Street, then grab a parade spot. One person shops at the Emporium while waiting.
• 11 pm – Watch the parade, then expect another hour to get to the car

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is my favorite tradition, and I hope you have a fabulous time! Now, onto Hollywood Studios Christmas Events.

Hollywood Studios

Jollywood Nights is a separate ticketed party at Hollywood Studios that combines old-Hollywood glam with character meet-and-greets. Hollywood is decorated with vintage Christmas.

“You’ve got a friend in me!”

Tickets/Arrival

• The tickets cost $200, and they do sell out.
• Party days are usually Saturdays and Mondays.
• The tickets come with Memory Maker for the party photo extras.
• The gates open at 5:30 for ticket holders and the party runs 7:30 to 12:30 am.
• Park closes at 7 pm to regular guests.
• There’s a free ornament, but no free cookies.

Shows/Events

• There’s a stage show called “Disney Holidays in Hollywood” hosted by Kermit and Miss Piggy at 8:15, 9:15, 11 pm, and midnight.
• A skating show, “Glisten,” with professional skaters usually occurs hourly starting at 7:30 pm.

• The big nighttime show at 10 pm is called Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
• What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along
• The dance parties are at Pixar Place, the jazz lounge at the Hollywood Brown Derby, and Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club in the courtyard of The Hollywood Tower Hotel.
  
• Fantasmic happens at 6:30 pm on Party days for regular guests and party guests.
• There’s also the Sunset Seasons Greetings, a projection show that changes the Tower of Terror into holiday scenes as snow falls along Sunset Boulevard.
• Santa is usually on Sunset Boulevard.

Characters

The character Meet & Greet lines are usually long, around 40 minutes to an hour.

• Santa Stitch
• Chip & Dale
• Max Goof as Powerline
• Star Wars with the Mandalorian and Grogu
• Chewbacca is celebrating Life Day (in a red outfit)
• Partysaurus Rex
• Lotso from Toy Story 3
• Many more
  

Food/Outfits

• They also have specialty foods with a food guide that drops around mid-October. There’s more real food than Magic Kingdom, but not as many festive desserts. It’s a few cookies, dinosaur cookie and a couple of Christmas drinks.
• Merchandise exclusives are also available.
• Most adults are really dressed up, think Dapper Days, for the dance parties.
• Parks have popcorn buckets, and the Star Wars Stormtrooper bucket can be mobile ordered from Kat Saka’s when in stock.

My opinion

• Honestly, it feels more for adults and couples to have a night dressed up. However, teenagers love this park, so people come for the short ride wait times.
• Realize Disney gives you 1.5 hours less to arrive earlier and enjoy the park than the Magic Kingdom Party.
• Since people usually ask, there is no parade.
• It’s not worth the money to me. I would rather spend the entire day in the park for the same amount of money. If Disney let me in at 4 pm, it would be better. They should bring out more classic characters to lower the wait. Then we might start debating a new tradition.
  

Christmas Characters TIP!!!

The Hollywood and Vine has Minnie’s Holiday Dine with the Christmas characters. You pay $60 per person and use your $200 Christmas Party time to meet someone else. THIS IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY that rarely sells out. See Mickey, Minnie, Santa Goofy, and Pluto without waiting hours.

“Remember, you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.” Minnie

With the two BIG Disney Christmas Parties discussed, Epcot is next.

Epcot

Epcot is stunning during the holidays. Be sure to visit for the decorations. The International Festival of Holidays begins around November 29^th.

Candlelight Processional

• The Candlelight Processional features a live orchestra, choir, and famous narrators retelling the Christmas story at America Gardens. The dining package is the only way to guarantee seating. The Candlelight Processional dining package is usually sold out to guests staying at Disney Resorts, as they can make earlier dining reservations. It’s extremely popular, and people line up 90 minutes to 2 hours early. If the narrator is really famous, people easily line up 3 hours in advance. The show usually runs at 5 pm, 6:45 pm, and 8:15 pm lasting 40 minutes
• Living the Land has a holiday overlay and is filled with lights.
• The Epcot Center Christmas Show has a series of concerts with performances listed in the Festival Guide.

Countries

• Most countries have storyteller performers sharing about their country’s holiday traditions, which last approximately 15 minutes. Check the times on your Disney app.
• Holiday Kitchens feature 16 festive booths, each set up with seasonal dishes from around the world. A food guide will drop the end of November so you can plan.

Cookie Stroll

• There’s also a $5 Cookie Stroll that goes around the countries. You receive the Festival Passport. You get your stamps for buying five cookies. Then you’ll get a free cookie mixer when you’ve purchased all the cookies by bringing the passport to Holiday Sweet & Treats in the World Showcase.
• Let’s talk about these cookies, because they’re my weakness. I’m not sure if my favorite cookie is on the list, but go to Germany inside the Karamell-Kuche store there’s a HUGE Gingerbread Cookie Sandwich. The two cookies have salted caramel buttercream between them, THE BEST! While in Germany, pick up the Hazelnut Linzer Cookie with raspberry jam at the Holiday Kitchen. The Linzer is the top ranking cookie in influencer reviews.
• From Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow, I love the Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie but the Prototype cookie ranks higher on the reviews.
• A few more suggestions include Canada for the Maple Leaf Shortbread, Morocco has a Mickey-shaped almond Black and White cookie.
• I’m not leaving France’s kitchen without the Macaron de Noel aux Epices, which is a gingerbread flavor.
• The Cinnamon Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookie is the third place cookie for most of the reviews I watched.

Characters

• Scavenger hunt with Olaf, which includes small prizes for completing and finding all the new traditions.
• Reminder: The countries have several princesses from notable characters, includingAnna & Elsa (Norway), Moana, Jasmine (Morocco), Snow White (Germany), Mary Poppins, Pooh, and Micky & friends. Check the Disney app for times and locations.

Mrs. Claus & Santa

• Meet Mrs. Claus and Santa in the Odyssey Pavilion between Test Track and the Mexico Pavilion. A gingerbread spaceship Earth was displayed in the pavilion in 2024.
• Honestly, my teenagers are here for Guardians of the Galaxy, Test Track, and then dinner. We usually pair Epcot with Animal Kingdom.
• Next up, let’s JUST KEEP SWIMMING on over to the wild side.

Animal Kingdom

The Animal Kingdom Tree is stunning, and it is my favorite tree. While the decorations are the least obvious in Disney, the park is always worth visiting. The World of Avatar comes alive at night along with a Tree Show, so see the park at night, at least once.

Animal Menagerie

• Animal Kingdom puppets and Christmas Music that walk through the Discovery Area. You can see videos from last year featuring polar bears, birds, and penguins.

Characters

• Santa circles the Discovery River on a boat throughout the day.
• Restaurantosaurus has Santa meeting guest.
• Donald also has a festive atmosphere for his meets.

Snacks

• Creature Comforts has a Peppermint Ganache Brownie.
• Flame Tree Barbecue offers a Cranberry-Cherry Cheesecake Pop, shaped like a tree on a stick.
• Disney dropped new Avatar: Fire & Ash-themed snacks at Satu’li Canteen with Mangkwan Mousse being the hit.
• The Animal Kingdom Resort has gingerbread animals, too.

Let’s finish the Christmas Guide to Disney with the Fort Wilderness Sleigh Rides.

Sleigh Rides

The Fort Wilderness Lodge has Sleigh rides. The event often sells out, so book 60 days in advance. You use the app to book under ‘Enchanting Extras’ for the Holiday Sleigh Ride. The 25-minute ride runs around $80. The easiest way to visit is to take a bus to Magic Kingdom, then take a boat over to the Wilderness Lodge.

The Wilderness Lodge is stunningly decorated. Combined with the Artist Point dining experience featuring Snow White, the Evil Queen, and a couple of dwarves, makes for an excellent lunch or dinner on a non-park rest day. Fort Wilderness is also home to the famous Hoop-De-Do Musical Review dinner. While at the Wilderness, meet the horses.

Sleigh Bells Ring…

Horses

The TRI-CIRCLE D RANCH at Disney’s Fort Wilderness has over 100 horses. You can also reserve pony rides and trail rides. These are the horses that pull Cinderella’s carriage and the trolleys on Main Street. The ranch is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Whew, that’s a lot of information to plan your Magical Christmas Disney Vacation!

Until next time, Disney!

Lastly, if you love the Grinch, like I do, Universal has a Grinch Breakfast with Thing One & Thing Two. The reservations open in mid-October. I waited two days after being notified they were on sale, and my day was sold out. So, make sure you book the day it opens! 25 Universal Orlando Insider Tips & Proven Itineraries will improve your vacation by helping you prepare and save time.

Thank you for reading my Disney Christmas Guide, and I hope Santa is good to you! Need a little more help? Uncover all the Magical Tips and Tricks for the ultimate Disney Vacation at these posts. 45 Disney Tips for a Magical Vacation

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