Episode 65: Your Guide to a Jolly Holiday at Walt Disney World

On this episode, Krystle and Julie talk about all of the 2025 holiday celebrations and offerings at Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World is already the most magical place on Earth. Visiting during the holiday season gives you an added dose of magic with international holiday celebrations, Christmas trees and decorations, and holiday parties (Jollywood Nights and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party). 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to Wanderlust and Wishes, the podcast where we explore the world one destination at a time. I'm Julie. And I'm Crystal. As travel agents with Fantastical Vacations, we are here to share our passion for travel and help you turn your wanderlust into reality. From hidden gems to bucket list adventures, join us as we dive into the sights, sounds, and stories of our favorite destinations. So grab your passport, pack your bags, and let's embark on this journey together.

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Music

SPEAKER_00: 0:30

Hi, everybody. Welcome to episode 65 of Wanderlust and Wishes. Today, we're going to talk about all of the holiday festivities at Walt Disney World. So happy Hallow-thinkmas. Yeah, we just talked about Halloween two weeks ago, and we're rolling right into Christmas. But it all kind of mushes together. You have to. It's Parties are starting for Halloween. And right after Halloween parties, it's straight into Christmas. Like if Disney can do it overnight, we gave you enough buffer of a week and a half. Exactly. And I mean, we're less than 100 days out from the holidays at Walt Disney World, which is nuts to me. I feel like we just did this episode last year or last season. It's crazy. So crazy. Anyway, and something else is just a really just a funny just to start the episode off. I had this random dream that Crystal decided to start a podcast with Zac Efron, and I was really mad at her. And then he did something that was just like, I don't want to say he was a jerk, but he just did something that Crystal was like, I'm not doing this. This is ridiculous. And so she got rid of him. So I was fine by the time I woke up, but it was a whole thing. Anybody knows Zac, come give me a call, but... I'm not abandoning Julie. I was mad. I was like, you just want to do a podcast with him because he has more followers than I do. And I was so mad about it. But anyway, moving on to holidays at Walt Disney World. Let's get started. All right. Hopefully we're giving you enough time that if you still want to grab a party ticket, you can. We are going to kind of break it down by park, by party. by resorts and like Disney Springs so if you want like specifics for each one you could kind of fast forward or rewind and just listen to the section and then stick around to the end because we have tips to maximize like the busy crowds and the holiday trips and then one other note we're using 2025 confirmed info where we can but there's some things that have not been released yet so we're filling in with some things that they did last year or Like traditionally. Yeah. So we can we will mention like last year they did this just because it's usually positive, just not confirmed. Right. Or like sometimes some of the timing, like you definitely always we always say this, but you definitely have to check the app. Make sure that you check the app to verify whatever the times are that something is starting, because it can not only just change from year to year, but sometimes it can change daily just based on weather or something weird that happens. So it's always best to do that anyway. All right, first up, Magic Kingdom. All right, so as you're walking into Magic Kingdom, you're gonna see like all the fancy garlands and bows and Town Square has a massive tree with popcorn garlands and candles and it's just holiday overload. Like if you want the most magical time of year at the most magical place on earth, this is your park for that. Yeah, there's nothing like going through the tunnel Anyway, and like coming out on the other side and seeing the castle down Main Street. But when you go at the holidays and you have the big tree and the castle in the background, it's just perfection. All right. So some highlights and some things. They have the Frozen Holiday Surprise featuring Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and the Snogies. The little cute little snowmen guys lighting the castle in icy projections. This is presented during regular hours and at the Christmas party. You're also going to have, of course, the big man, Santa himself, Santa meet and greets. Those are historically in Town Square, likely to return for 2025. And then you have just like your normal things, everyday things that will be holiday themed. The Dapper Dans will change their outfits and sing holiday songs, festive photo pass props. So ask for something fun, whether it's a holiday gift. colored confetti or balloons. They always have fun little things added. For the rides, there are going to be several that have holiday theming or overlays. There are some that are specific to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. However, we're going to go through all of them. Jingle Cruise, that is not during the party. You can see that anytime. There is a fun holiday overlay for the Jungle Cruise and the Skippers, typically, they throw in some ridiculous punny-type stuff about the holidays as well in their little scripts. For Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Space Mountain, it has high-energy holiday tunes and festive green and red interior lighting. Tomorrowland Speedway has a holiday soundtrack with the Speedway decorated with thousands of Christmas lights. The Mad Tea Party, if you want to get sick and throw up with a holiday theming. There are four holiday combos of lights and music for this during the Very Merry Christmas Party. And then there's Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor also has some holiday theming to their show. And then just a little note, the new Disney Starlight Parade will not run on nights of the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Yeah, so just thinking of Like we kind of mentioned, if you are there while there's a party, remember that you can't see the fireworks if it's on a party day and you go to Magic Kingdom. So the same thing kind of applies to that parade. So speaking of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party for 2025, the dates are going to be from November 7th through December 21st. So just remember, if you're going the week after Christmas, which is a very popular time to go, You just won't have an option to go to the Christmas party. It looks like there are 25 dates for parties. So you have 25 different options. You can enter the park around 4 p.m. Party starts at 7 p.m. and goes until midnight. If you are just there for the day, they usually kick you out by 6 p.m. Pricing runs$169 to$229 for adults and kids 3 to 9 are usually about$10 less. Like with all things, lower prices early November, peak pricing middle to late December. And I would say probably early December is a pretty good time if you're going to go, if you're able to go, because it's past Thanksgiving, which is super busy. And it's like between that Thanksgiving busy rush and Christmas busy rush if you want to go. So some of the highlights of the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party. Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. If you looked at social media at all for the 2024 season, you would have seen this. And this is where Tally the Elf, there were tons and tons of videos of Tally at the parades and being absolutely hilarious, marking you as naughty or nice on Santa's list. So this has obviously Disney characters. And also Santa Claus is at the end of this parade. If you want to show up and see the Christmas parade on Christmas Day, expecting the daytime parade like you see on TV, that is not the case. They filmed that over the span of three or four days in early November. So don't plan on going for Christmas Day just to see the parade because you won't. And then you have Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks with castle projections. This is typically going to be around 10 o'clock, but Like I said, this is based off of times from last year. So you want to double check and make sure that you have the correct time in the app. There is the Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration. Head over to Castle for Yuletide stage show starring Mickey himself. There's also Santa's Christmas Carnival. Visit Storybook Circus as it is transformed into a must-visit holiday destination filled with joyful Christmas cheer, friends from the North Pole, and of course, Santa Claus. You also have Club Tinsel. That's going to be a dance party over at the Rocket Tower Plaza stage in the Tomorrowland area. You have another kind of fun dance party that is a Disney Junior Jingle Jam, obviously for the younger crowd. And that is going to be at Cosmic Race. You'll see characters like Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, and the Lion Guard. Be on the lookout for special character greetings decked out in their holiday best. Something else you can find is Snowfall on Main Street, which is oh so magical. Similar to kind of the way that they do the Very Merry Halloween Party. Similar to the Not So Scary Halloween Party. Instead of trick-or-treating, they have cookies and cocoa that you can get and there's specific spots around Magic Kingdom. Those have not necessarily been identified from this year, but they'll be available in the app, and you could probably look at last year's, and they'll be in very similar spots. There's also festive photo spots that They're almost like a photo booth backdrop that you can take pictures. They have them just in different spots throughout the park. You can obviously use your phone to take the picture, but they also have PhotoPass photographers there that'll take your picture for you as well. And then, as always, there are fun festive treats around, and you can enjoy Yuletide Dining at VR Guest Cinderella's Royal Table and the Plaza Restaurant. Yay. So moving on to Hollywood Studios. I love the vibe of Hollywood Studios anyway, just like walking in and the old Hollywood theming, but then you add Christmas on top of it. It's the best. So it has that retro 50s Christmas vibe. Echo Lake has the giant ornaments floating along. Gertie has the Santa hat on. It's just so cute, the whole thing. There is the Sunset Seasons Greetings. The Tower Hotel is a holiday projection show. This is fun to see. It's nice that you don't need to camp out like you would for a parade, but if you're close, five to ten minutes before showtime, it's cool to see and catch. Get ready to play the music and light the lights each evening as holiday magic transforms the famous Hollywood Tower Hotel into a Muppets gingerbread masterpiece, Toy Story, Toy Hotel, a snowy corner of Arendelle and A Dickinson Village from Mickey's Christmas Carol. So for the holiday theming and overlays, there is an alternate ending and song for the Frozen Ever After sing-along. You can also see in Toy Story Land, the Toy Story characters are all decked out in their festive attire. So cute. This was in 2024, but likely to carry over for this year. Muppets in Christmas sweaters at the Grand Avenue. And then... Julie's favorite, Hollywood and Vine. I love it. Minnie's Holiday Dine. Characters dressed in holiday attire. So typically breakfast is Disney Junior characters. However, throughout the holidays, they will be, you'll find Mickey, Minnie, Pluto with reindeer antlers and Santa Goofy. And they're just all festive. Yeah, I love this. This is one of my favorite places to go, period. And at Christmas, we did get to do this. I think we did a Actually, I think we did a Fantasmic dining package, and it was with Minnie's Holiday Dine, and we were able to see Mickey and Minnie and Pluto in their kind of holiday outfits. If you can consider reindeer antlers a holiday outfit for Pluto. And then Santa Goofy. He's so cute. Yes, you can. So, little sidebar. My children have their stuffed friends, Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Chip and Del. Every year, they... change into their holiday attire and Pluto dons his antlers. I love it! So that's a fun little tradition at our house. I love it. So like Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom, we also have Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios. And this is a totally different vibe. This is more of a Hollywood glam party. It's really more geared towards adults. Not that you can't bring your kids, but If you're trying to decide whether to spend the money on Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party or Dollywood Nights, if you have kids, especially younger kids, you definitely would want to probably head towards Magic Kingdom versus Hollywood Studios. The dates are November 8th through December 22nd. So 13 nights between November and December. Not as many options as the Very Merry Christmas Party. So you definitely want to make sure that if you're going... and this is something you want to do, that you're there on one of the nights where this party falls. And you can time it, if you do it right, where you can attend both. The party time runs from 7.30 to p.m. to 12.30 a.m. You can get in as early as 5.30. They start making people leave in that like 7 o'clock time frame if they don't have party tickets. So just beware that between 5.30 and 7-ish hours, There's going to be overlap of the people that are there during the day and the people that are at the party. I remember specifically last year that my parents were a little shocked at how crowded it was when they first got there because they got there like around 530. And it's because the people that don't have tickets haven't left. So if you get there early, just know to expect that amount of people. The pricing is from$159 to$199, similar to Very Merry Christmas Party. Kids three to nine are about$10 cheaper. And again, early November is going to be your best value. And then mid to late December is going to be when you pay the most. All right, some highlights. This party is very show and character heavy. Like people have said that they've had trouble mapping out their top C shows just because there's so much to do. So there is the stage show. including What's This? Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas sing-along. Join Jack Skellington on a musical adventure at the Hyperion Theater. You'll sing along with the Pumpkin King to songs from Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas as you embark on a larger-than-life journey. You'll discover the peculiar magic of wonder in unlikely places, concur the Oogie Boogie Man himself, and stay curious when things are not quite as they seem. Is anybody else now singing What's This? in their head? I am! Okay, Disney holidays in Hollywood. This is also a returning item from last year. It's hosted by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. The star-studded holiday extravaganza includes appearances from characters such as Tiana, Belle, Minnie Mouse, and Mickey Mouse, accompanied by a talented cast of singers, dancers, and jazz musicians. And this is located in the section where they typically do the Beauty and the Beast show. Going back towards the Tower of Terror, and it's on the right before you get there. Next is the Jingle Bell Jingle Bam. Watch in awe as heartwarming holiday moments from favorite Disney films are brought to life on the facade of the park's iconic Chinese theater in a stunning display of fireworks, lasers, lights, projections, and merry music. And it's only available at Dollywood Nights. This is usually just like one time at 10 p.m. They are also going to bring back Glisten, the ice skating stage show. This is... in front of the Chinese Theater. And it is pretty amazing. It's world-class skaters on a glowing synthetic rink. My parents sent me videos of this last year. They watched it a couple of different times because it's multiple times throughout the night. And it's crazy. The talent and the things that they do and the spinning and lifting people up over their heads and all that stuff. It's pretty cool. Well, the fact that they can twirl and jump Because it's like plexiglass, basically. Yeah, it's crazy. It's hard to skate on. So they can still do what they do on it. All right. We also have dance parties and street gatherings. The Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club. This is a 1930s style jazz lounge that allows guests to enjoy a few tunes and take a spin around the courtyard. You can find the Tip Top Club in the courtyard of the Hollywood Tower Hotel on party evenings. So this is right as you come out of the gift shop for the tower. kind of, there's like that little, I don't know, I think in the daytime there's like a Joffrey's cart or something. There is. I was going to say. There's like a secret Joffrey's back there. The next is Pixar Disco in Pixar Plaza. So this is a dance party with characters like Edna Mode, Frozone, Joy, and other Pixar favorites. And this is just kind of Throughout the night. So they have time frame that's like a couple of hours, like from 730 to 930. And then they'll pick it up again from 1030 to 1230. So you can just kind of go over there and do a little boogie and then go do something else. It was fun to see different videos of this last year and the most random characters that would show up. And I think some of them were only like one or two nights. And it was always a surprise of who was going to be there. So if you have a Pixar fan, make sure you stop by. Something else we have is the Holiday Fiesta in La Calle. This year, the holiday fiesta moves to the Coaster Courtyard on Sunset Boulevard. This lively fair is where the party comes to life. Expect live music, colorful decorations, and some pretty fun characters. Jose and Panchito return from the three caballeros, joined by Miguel from Coco, who's making his Jollywood Nights debut. Ooh. I know. So fun. This looks so fun. They always have great food at this one, too. Okay. Also... You cannot have a Hollywood glam party without specialty cocktails and ritzy themed lounges. So there's definitely going to be a foodie guide with all of the fun things to come out. One of the options for dining is that I would encompass in this is the Jazzy Holidays at the Hollywood Brown Derby. This is reservation recommended. It is an event that allows guests to relax and enjoy craft cocktails and small plates from an exclusive menu. There's a live pianist that sets the mood as you enjoy festive flavors in an elegant setting. Reservations will start opening up in mid-September. Of course, they're going to have festive photo ops and then the rare characters. These are the star of the show. So, We do know for sure, returning in 2025, there's a list. So bear with me. There's going to be Baloo and King Louie from Tailspin around Echo Lake. Jose or Panchito from The Three Caballeros appearing near Rock and Roller Coaster. Lotso from Toy Story 3 somewhere around the entrance to Toy Story Land. The Mandalorian and Grogu in Star Wars Galaxy Edge. Joy from Inside Out appearing at Pixar Place. Phineas and Ferb. This is always a popular... photo op appearing echo lake max goof as powerline also near echo lake chip and delt the rescue ranger version appearing at echo lake santa stitch appearing at celebrity spotlight duffy santa to be determined where he's going to be and i feel like they never really say that one because he's always very popular so it's like a day of thing yeah they don't want people lining up yeah edna mode and frozen from the incredibles pixar place Pixar Plaza, sorry. Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc., also at Pixar Plaza. Donald Duck and Daisy, they're usually around the lake in the daytime, but it's location to be announced. And location to be announced also for Goofy and Pluto. And then Mickey and Minnie appearing at red carpet trains. Ollie, the jolly gingerbread man. There's decor and, you know, everywhere throughout the park. So, of course... Because people love him, they've also come up with some merch. So you'll have merch available for Ollie. Just in general, they'll have Jollywood Nights merchandise everywhere that you'll be able to get your hands on. He's quite the little mascot for the party.

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Yeah.

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All right, let's move over to Epcot for the International Festival of the Holidays. Something a lot of people don't realize is the dates are a lot different than the other parks. It does not start until November 28th. through December 30th. So it doesn't have that early November dates like the rest of the Christmas things. Yeah. So if you want to be able to get this in with the other two parties and you definitely would need to go like that early December timeframe to catch everything. You also might need like two full weeks to be able to do everything. Count me in. You know, seriously. The most popular thing at Epcot is the Candlelight Processional. This is located at the America Gardens Theater. It's a retelling of the Christmas story. There are always some fun celebrity narrators. There's a full orchestra, a choir. This is held nightly, usually around 5, 6.45 and 8.15 and runs approximately 50 minutes. This is something I would highly consider a dining package for because you're still going to line up early and it's always... Chuck Fole and some of the really popular celebrity narrators like Josh Gad or Neil Patrick Harris, people will, especially locals, they'll line up all day because they don't care to ride a ride. So if this is your first trip, I don't know if I would necessarily suggest Candlelight Processional, especially if you only have one Epcot day. Although it's really neat, it can just be such a huge time suck of your Epcot day. So maybe have a second Epcot day, maybe wait for a second or third visit. Just like I said, there's so much time that goes into it, although it is really neat. Yeah, my parents did this last year and they really liked it. And they did do a dining package too. There's so much Epcot. So when Crystal says, you kind of have to prioritize and figure out what it is that you want to do because there's so, so much to do. They have Joyful Celebration of the Season. This is located in the Communicore Plaza. It features a combination of classic songs and upstated arrangements with powerhouse vocalists. Voice of Liberty. They are dressed in Charles Dickens carolers attire. It's just so Christmassy. And that is in where they typically are in the American Adventure Pavilion. They also are going to have holiday kitchens. So food and beverage booths that have global seasonal treats. There's obviously going to be a foodie guide for this. So before you go, if you're going during this time frame, definitely want to have a game plan on what it is you want to eat because there's stuff everywhere. And then storytellers, this is so fun. They're going to have storytellers in each of the World Showcase pavilions. They bring holiday tales to life in their respective countries. So just quickly, in the Mexico pavilion, Las Posadas, Celebración, Norway Pavilion, a Mischievous Magical Barn Santa, China Pavilion, Chinese Lion Dancer, Italy Pavilion, La Befana, Japan Pavilion. They have the Daruma Storyteller. Between the Morocco and France Pavilions, they have Hanukkah Storyteller. In France, they have Père Noël. In the United Kingdom, they have Father Christmas. And then in the Canadian Pavilion, they have the Canadian Holiday Voyagers. On paper, this kind of sounds kind of like a weird learning thing, but they're very neat. Similar with Hollywood Studios, like if you're in the area within five or 10 minutes, just walk up and listen. They let the kids come up to the front and it's just, it's nothing like official or like a sit down and get a seat. It's just kind of everybody gather around and let's chat about this. And some of them are absolutely hilarious. And everybody says this is part of their favorite part of Epcot at Christmas. I'm sure they have. somewhat of a script to like some of the things that they need to keep to and make sure that they're talking through some of the different traditions of that specific area. But there's lots of very candid interactions that you can have with these individuals. Epcot is known for their little scavenger hunts. They always have a holiday cookie stroll for the festival of the holidays. And last year, they had you collect five cookies. And then at the end, they awarded you with, it was like a cookie baking kit that you could make like gingerbread cookie mix, plus like sprinkles and M&Ms and things to decorate with. So you had options of like a spaceship earth, gingerbread triangle, hazelnut, Windsor, black and white cookie, peppermint pinwheel, coffee mocha, cinnamon spice, chocolate crinkle cookie, holiday sugar cookie, peanut butter cookie. Now I need Christmas cookies. Yeah, I was going to say they sound so terrible. Twist my arm. And then in line with the scavenger hunts, you have Olaf's Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt. This sends you on a journey around World Showcase to locate Olaf in 13 different spots throughout the park. Find 13 holiday traditions, like the short on Disney+, that Olaf has discovered in every pavilion around World Showcase before visiting Creation Shop or the World Traveler International Gateway to redeem a special prize. Last year, the prize was frozen character stencils that could be used to decorate cookies or coffee at home. So fun. And I always suggest just pick up your prize when you pick up your map because then you don't have to go all the way back around the park to pick it up. In Epcot, you can meet Santa at the Odyssey Pavilion between November 29th and December 24th. Also kind of note that once you get past the week of Christmas, this is not available anymore. So if you want to be able to meet Santa at Epcot, you need to be there before Christmas. My parents were there, I think it was like early December last year for my dad's birthday, and they went over to meet Santa. I don't know which one of, I'm sure it was my mom, told Santa that it was my dad's birthday, and Santa sang happy birthday to my dad. So talk about the magic of Disney and Santa Claus. He sang happy birthday, and it was all captured on PhotoPass, so... They have, yeah, they have those pictures of the whole thing of Santa singing and being silly and my dad and my mom laughing. It was a really special moment that he made for my parents. The nighttime show Luminous, The Symphony of Us does continue during the holidays. And then Living with the Land has a holiday overlay. Living with the Land holiday version called Glimmering Greenhouses continues. They decorate the greenhouse part of the ride with lights and new narration and displays. And then they just talk about how different crops are used in holiday celebrations around the world, which is very neat. This is the only time of the year that I want to ride living with the lamb. Well, this is a good one. It's really pretty. Yeah, like ride it like as the sun is setting because then you can see the lights better. Okay, let's move over to Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom... has of course the gigantic christmas tree that is right outside the entrance and it has carved animal ornaments it's so pretty and it's very it's very like animal kingdom themed and one of the things that you will see upon walking in so once you're through the oasis section and you're walking into where you can see the tree you're gonna also be able to see the merry menagerie They're so cute. They're life-size artisan animal puppets, including penguins, reindeer, foxes, and polar bears. They're the cutest. And because it is winter and it gets dark so much earlier, you have a good chance of seeing the Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition. Bright colors and animated imagery projections light up the tree. Accompanied by a series of wintry tales and a heartwarming holiday-inspired musical score, this holiday evening experience is sure to delight and inspire your whole family tree. So it begins after dark and occurs approximately every 10 minutes until the park closes. And it's not very long, maybe five minutes. So this is not something I would go out of my way for, but if I'm close, I would kind of sit around and wait for the next show in five minutes. You're also going to have Mickey and Minnie at Adventure Outpost as they usually are, but they're going to be in their holiday attire. All right. If you have a resort day, let's talk through things at the resorts and Disney Springs. So most, if not all of the resorts have their own tree and they are decorated to match the vibe of the resort, which is so fun. Some of the most popular are obviously Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. And I also love that each resort will also have some sort of like holiday music playing that's on theme. So like you're going to have like Hawaiian style, the Polly or like Jimmy Buffett, Caribbean Beach. So that's fun. My parents stayed at Caribbean Beach when they were there last December. It was really pretty. Caribbean Beach, I'd never been there during the holidays. And a lot of times, you know, like you were saying, the Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge, they definitely get a lot of attention because the lobbies are gigantic and they have these beautiful trees. But you definitely should take an opportunity to look at some of the other resorts as well because they have great decorations also. Some of the other things, in addition to trees, the resorts will have different types of displays. Animal Kingdom Lodge, they have gingerbread versions of various animals, including Ginger the Giraffe. deborah the zebra and francisco the flamingo at the grand floridian they usually have a giant gingerbread house everything i've been seeing is that there's not going to be one this year yeah i don't know how they can do that but they're like in the process of building like this whole birdcage bar lobby bar thing so i just don't know if they can make it happen so what is christmas without gingerbread house at the at the grand I know it's going to be very odd. I don't know if they have a lot of options just because I'm sure the amount of work that goes into building it and putting it together and the amount of people that come through the lobby to see it, they may just not have the capacity to have it there because of the crowds and because there's just not enough room to move things around because of the construction. So you also have other spots that do have gingerbread, the Contemporary. also has gingerbread display. It typically changes every year. Last year was Cinderella's Castle, and they had little Cinderella and Prince Charming and the Fairy Godmother. It was cute. Yes, it was. At Beach Club, they had a gingerbread carousel last year that was cool. It actually moved. And then at Yacht Club, they had a Christmas Village gingerbread carousel. At Boardwalk, they have a gingerbread display that is a recreation of the Boardwalk Bakery. At Fort Wilderness Campground, they do have decorations at the different buildings and, of course, at the Wilderness Lodge area as well. But one of the fun things is being able to see the decorations at the campground itself because all of the guests that are staying at the campgrounds, they all go above and beyond the to decorate for the holidays. So if you have an opportunity to take the boat to go over there, definitely go over there. You can rent golf carts and ride them through and they have like the golf cart parades, but you can also do like the horse-drawn carriage ride, but you have to reserve that with your dining. So it's probably hard to get, but if you can snag it. Yeah, right. That would be a fun little evening stroll. Yeah, this is the time of year when you want to really have a rest day that's set aside just to go around the resorts. So this would be where you would have that opportunity to do that because you would miss out on doing something like that if you didn't have that time built in. The Swan Hotel, although not Disney property per se, but right there, they always have like a chocolate holiday display, including Santa Claus. So maybe head over there. And they have, I think they're, I don't know what it's called, chocolatier restaurants. I'm not sure what the exact term is, but the person that works there that does these displays is like world renowned. So it's a really cool thing that you can go over there and see. And then what is a rest day without Disney Springs? They go over the top with a Christmas tree stroll with themed trees. And if you've ever followed or seen Disney Springs social media, they have a tree that is, he moves. Have you seen this? And he'll like, He's like on wheels and he'll move around and scare people. That's so funny. So be on the lookout for him. That's so funny. You can discover a wide collection of extravagantly decorated Christmas trees throughout Disney Springs, including elaborate themed Christmas trees inspired by Disney, Pixar, Star Wars favorites. And they're just everywhere. Along with nightly snowfall, live entertainment at Widerside Stage, And then there is some festive shopping and seasonal treats. Doc Lindsay's Holiday Bar, Disney Days, Christmas, and World of Disney stores for holiday merch. And there's just holiday things everywhere. Yeah. And they have, I remember they also have musicians that are not just at the Waterside stage where it's like a more kind of official, but they have musicians that are around the different areas of Disney Springs. I'm pretty sure my parents sent me a video last year and they were close to where the little, like where the tunnel thing is. I always get confused as to like whether it's like west or east or whatever they call it, but it's where you walk through that tunnel and the Lululemon shop is over there for anybody that has teenage daughters. You know where that is. We're like over close to where the chicken guy is, that kind of area. When you know that everybody's going to have like some sort of special, like Gideon's will have some holiday coffees and cookies and all the stores will have promos and Christmas merch and all the fun things. Okay, so really quickly, we thought we would just give you a quick snapshot. We talked about it throughout the different areas, but we thought we'd give you a quick snapshot if you just want a rundown of where you can see Santa Claus. These are based on 2024. Not everything's confirmed for 2025, but again, just double check your app. For Magic Kingdom, Storybrooke Circus has a meet and greet location during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Santa also, it's on the sleigh at the end of the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. He can also be found near Liberty Square Gazebo, near where the Christmas shop is during regular park hours. This man gets around. Yeah, he does. Epcot, he can meet guests inside the Odyssey Pavilion. This is located near Test Track in Mexico. And then you can also see the cultural versions. Pierre Noel in France, Barn Santa in Norway, Father Christmas in the UK. Hollywood Studios. You can meet Santa at It's a Wonderful Shop on Grand Avenue. And then also you have Santa Goofy at Hollywood and Vine if you want a little different type of Santa. At Animal Kingdom, I'm sure this could be different this year because of everything going on with Dinoland, but typically Santa would venture into Dinoland for fun meets dinosaur themes and appeared at the Restaurantosaurus patio. Restaurant stores are still there. So that could maybe still happen. Yeah, maybe. At Disney Springs, Santa greets guests at Santa's Marketplace. This is near Disney Pintraders, formerly the Star Wars Trading Post. There also last year was a special breakfast with Santa at Maria and Enzo's. It was held select mornings in mid-December. So that's something to look out for. That sounds really fun to me. And then if you are near the Swan and Dolphin, Santa and Mrs. Claus hosted the holiday hangout by the Swan's Pool on select dates in November and December, providing a unique photo opportunity. And then you could also meet Santa at Blizzard Beach Water Park and see him decked out in his best, most festive beachwear. So I think if Typhoon Lagoon is open, he's there as well. It just kind of depends on which one's open. Yes. And I don't think, I think last year, maybe it wasn't, Typhoon Lagoon just wasn't open during that timeframe. And so that's the only reason it was only there. All right. And then as promised, here are some tips for maximizing your time and navigating the heavy holiday crowds. The week between Christmas and New Year's is historically the most busy time at Walt Disney World. It's bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. So you definitely want to consider rope dropping. You're going to get the most out of your day when the crowds are at their lowest. I visited that week after Christmas. I would also say have expectations set. Don't go in there crazy thinking that you're not going to have crowds because you're just going to be disappointed. If you can, time your visit strategically. So when school's out is when you're going to see your higher crowds, especially with New Year's being coming. like we said, the busiest week of the year. So if you can and want to pull your kids out, sneak in the week before Christmas break starts. Like we said, the first or second week in December, you're going to see the lowest crowds for the Christmas season. I already kind of said this, but set realistic expectations. With peak holiday crowds, you're not going to be able to get on every ride. It's just not going to happen. So just kind of shift your mindset to pick one or two must-do attractions. And know that you're there during such a magical time of year. It is beautiful. It is truly magical. Don't go in there and be a Grinch. One that I often suggest is to stay at deluxe resorts if at all possible. So not only are you going to enjoy the proximity to the parks, but you also have chances to see fireworks from your resorts. You don't have to deal with the crowds. There are more transportation options. So if the monorail breaks down, you could walk or... ride a boat. You can also quickly escape during peak times and just head back for a nap. And then deluxe resorts also offer extended evening hours with lighter crowds and then it's a great time to hop on some popular rides if you miss those during the day. Double check the park hours. Oftentimes the hours are extended during the holidays so Magic Kingdom will open as early as 7 a.m. If you want to rope drop you need to get out of bed and be there early so that you can benefit from that. Because if you show up thinking that the park opens at eight, you're going to be there whenever everybody else gets there and you're going to lose out on that extra time. Use lightning lanes strategically. Like we've said, holiday crowds mean these sell out quickly. So book your highest priority rides early in the day. Maybe even consider a VIP tour or premier pass. It's a little more, but you might benefit from it. This is one where I'm just going to tell you, you should use a travel agent to help you. Yeah, we'll figure out what's your priority and we can best arrange your days for your best chance to get lightning lanes. Yeah. Or if you have enough people with you, if a VIP tour is worth the money, it might be best to do that. Another one is mobile order food in advance. A lot of people don't realize that you can get on the app at 7 a.m. and order your dinner and schedule it for 4 30 p.m so you can beat mealtime rushes by placing your orders earlier in the day do it before you're hungry do it before there's long lines you can always cancel it or bump it but at least you'd have something in your back pocket ready scout alternative viewing spots for fireworks if you're in the parks obviously you want to look for some like lesser known areas but you also like crystal said if you're staying at a deluxe resort you can view fireworks from there without the crowds if you would like to do something like that. There's also places like viewing fireworks from the Poly on the beach. You do get Happily Ever After or the fireworks music pumped in to that area. So you get that experience as well. If you're staying at one of the Epcot resorts, it's like you're pretty much right there. I mean, you can see them almost like standing in the park, depending on what resort you're at. And then you all know that I'm a huge fan of the dessert parties. I love the dessert parties. I think they're worth it, even if you don't get the desserts, because you're basically paying to get a spot for yourself in front of the castle or in a strategic spot at Epcot so that you don't have to fight the crowds. I think they're worth the money. plan for weather swings. Florida can be chilly in the mornings or the evenings, but hot midday, so pack in layers to stay comfortable. Although I'm from the Midwest, so balmy 55 degrees over Christmas would feel beautiful. I'm from the South, and when we were there over Christmas, it was like 50 degrees the whole time, and I was freezing. And my crazy children still got in the FYI, the pools are heated no matter what time of year it is. So they were just completely fine while I sat in a lounge chair with my hoodie up and a blanket on because I was freezing. It's cold when you get out. That's the worst part. Add in a holiday exclusive experience. So some of the things we just talked about, cookie strolls, seasonal shows, resort hopping to see the decorations, you know, the gingerbread, the trees. We had two rest days when we were there, and I absolutely loved that we had two days to just soak in all of the holiday magic, not just in the parks, but at the resorts. It was fantastic. And then take a midday break, whether at your hotel, in a quieter park area. This is what I like to do, our sit-down dining. A recharge will make your evenings more enjoyable, and it's Especially if you involve food. It helps everybody's hangries go away. Going from open to close during any time at Walt Disney World is a lot. But at the holidays with the crowd levels, it's very overwhelming for sure. And in addition, I was mentioning taking multiple rest days earlier. In addition to that, especially if you're there the week after Christmas and you don't have a... very merry Christmas party night where you can kind of strategically pick that day for Magic Kingdom since crowds can be lower on those days. If you don't have that as an option, you really should have two days at Magic Kingdom. There's so much there. It would benefit you to do that. If you would like to book a party, there are still a lot of dates available. I think maybe a couple are starting to sell out, but as we get closer, they will start going like hotcakes. So reach out. We'd love to help you with that. Yeah, absolutely. Like we said earlier, we're less than 100 days out. Maybe a few more weeks, people are going to continue to buy tickets to the not-so-scary Halloween party, but then people are going to start transitioning to thinking about holidays. It's better to go ahead and get your plans in and get your tickets purchased to whatever party it is that you want to go to and not miss out on it. And we're seeing some strange, weird holiday time promos for rooms, so that's not always the case. Also, We would absolutely love to hear from you. We love getting messages from you, ideas on different topics to cover. We hope you all have a fantastic week upcoming and we will see you next week. Bye! Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Wonderlust and Wishes. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. And remember, the world is full of wonders waiting to be explored. Until next time, happy travels. Bye for now.