There are several notable changes and updates that you should be aware of for a Disney World trip this holiday season.
December 5, 2023
Big day! The walls are finally coming down in EPCOT…well most of them anyway. Disney just announced that the new World Celebration Gardens area behind Spaceship Earth, which includes a new Walt the Dreamer statue, will be revealed on December 5th, Walt Disney’s birthday!
In addition, a new nighttime show, Luminous A Symphony of Us, will debut in the World Showcase lagoon that night!
So, this day will be exciting but probably be pretty crowded at EPCOT. Plan accordingly.
December 3 – December 8, 2023
If you don’t already know, the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has started and will run til the end of the month. It has many fun holiday events and delicious foods, so definitely check it out.
One big draw of the festival is the Candlelight Processional, a beautiful retelling of the Christ story by a celebrity narrator and a huge choir in the America pavilion theater. Even if you don’t sit for the whole show, walk by the theater and catch a bit of it. It’s included with your park admission.
The week of Dec 3rd will have two of the most super popular narrators ever – John Stamos and Neil Patrick Harris! All of the narrators are really really good, but these two are like narrator legends and folks will line up for their shows hours in advance. So, plan to line up early too, or reserve a Candlelight Processional Dining Package if you want to see them.
Expect higher than normal crowds at EPCOT, especially towards the evening, for these days. Note, Dec 5th will also have the added crowds for the events mentioned above as well.
Here’s the current narrator schedule but always double check the Disney site in case of last-minute changes.
Holiday Parties
There are two separately ticketed evening holiday parties at the Disney parks. Magic Kingdom has Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Hollywood Studios has Jollywood Nights.
If you want to attend while you’re there, buy your tickets asap. Let me know if you want me to help book them. Some dates are already selling out.
Both will cause the parks to close earlier than usual and you will not get to see the usual nighttime fireworks shows those nights if you don’t have a party ticket. On the one hand, you will probably get a lighter crowd day during the day, but on the other hand, you will have a shortened park day without nighttime shows.
Always double check the park hours for your trip days often and see if you want to avoid a party day or not. Modify your park reservations ASAP if you need to before they start filling up too.
Christmas Parade
Normally, the Christmas parade, Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade, is only done in the evenings during the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for party guests only. However, during the days immediately around Christmas, it is usually done during the day and available to all guests in Magic Kingdom. Check the MDE app for parade days and times.
Of course, those are usually the busiest days in the park also so plan accordingly. Christmas Day will be especially crowded so make your park reservations now before it fills up. It could even be closed to park hopping due to max capacity.
Meet Santa
If you want to meet Santa, there are several places to do so. He will be in the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs. Check your MDE app for times and locations.
For the Disney Springs one, they may also run a Virtual Queue. Check the Virtual Queue section in the app to see if they’re doing that and if slots are still available. If they’re doing the VQ, you can’t just show up and line up on standby. A queue slot is required. They could run out quickly so check first thing each morning.
If you just want to see him from afar, you can just walk by the park ones. They’re visible in the open. He also comes on a flotilla boat in the Animal Kingdom river and on a parade float during Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade.
Also, in the Christmas Shoppe store in Magic Kingdom, there’s a mailbox to drop off your letter to Santa year-round!
Gingerbread Houses
Build in some time in your trip to visit the elaborate gingerbread displays in the Disney resorts. The Grand Floridian has a life-sized gingerbread house inside its lobby. The Contemporary has a huge wall-sized gingerbread castle. The Beach Club has a revolving gingerbread carousel. The Boardwalk has a miniature gingerbread recreation of the boardwalk stores. The Yacht Club has a huge gingerbread lighthouse. The Animal Kingdom Lodge has some gingerbread animals. They will all have gingerbread and other holiday treats you can purchase there too. All of these displays are so detailed and beautiful. Look out for hidden Mickeys!
In addition to the gingerbread houses, the resorts will also be decked out with holiday trees and decor. In fact, all of the Disney resorts will have fun holiday decorations, snacks, and merch. We love resort hopping during our trips. This is a good way to take a break from your park day or on the way to your next park if you’re park hopping. Oh, in the American Adventure building in EPCOT, you can also see gingerbread recreations of some national monuments.
You don’t have to be staying at these resorts to visit them. Just take the Disney buses or monorails to them from the parks. Parking at their lots is iffy if you don’t have a dining reservation there. However, these resorts do have many great restaurants. I suggest you check some out.
Frozen 10th Anniversary
Did you know that it’s already been 10 years since the first Frozen movie was released?!? Time flies!
To celebrate this occasion, there are many Frozen themed PhotoPass photo ops around the parks and Disney Springs if you have any Frozen fans.
Don’t forget to look for holiday photo ops too!
Water Park Closures
Speaking of Frozen, be aware that the water parks and other water-related activities can close if the temperature is forecasted to be really cold. Now, I know that cold is subjective but I guess Florida cold. For example, Blizzard Beach has announced closures for Nov 28-29th so far where the temps look to be around the 50s.
Just be aware that it could happen if you’re planning to go to a water park and check their hours page. Currently, only Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park is open. Typhoon Lagoon is closed for its seasonal refurbishment.
New Restaurants
Two new restaurants are opening soon in Disney Springs. Summerhouse by the Lake will feature West Coast style cuisine and Eet by Maneet Chauhan will feature Indian-inspired cuisine. Yum!
Update: Opening dates have been announced! Eet will be opening on December 4, 2023 and Summerhouse opens December 14, 2023.
New Years Eve
To celebrate New Year’s Eve, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot will have special festivities or fireworks to countdown to 2024! Magic Kingdom will be open 8am til midnight on Dec 30th and 8am til 1am on Dec 31st. EPCOT will be open 9am til 1am and Hollywood Studios will be open 8:30am til midnight just on Dec 31st.
These will be very popular days, so make your park reservations now, and can potentially close to park hopping due to max capacity so plan accordingly.
As always, if you want to chat more about these events or would like me to help you plan your trip, feel free to contact me. We hope to see you there!
Happy Holidays!
Pics ©Disney
Adventures By Anne 