Disney Park Changes During The Holidays

There are so many lovely and fun Disney Park changes during the holidays that you MUST know about when planning your holiday vacation.

The holiday season at Disney Parks is quite the experience! Take it from me, I visit every year during Christmas. This year, I had the pleasure of dressing up and visiting for Mickey's Halloween Party. There's nothing like visiting Magic Kingdom once it's been completely transformed for the holidays.

The holiday decor is only one of the Disney Park changes during the holidays! There are other things you can expect. Some are great, while others aren't.

If you want a realistic look at Disney Parks during the holidays – this post is great for you!

Disney Park Changes During the Holidays

If you have never visited Disney's Magic Kingdom during the holidays you may not know that they completely transform the park into a magical Christmas wonderland.

Rumor has it that Walt Disney World is extending the holiday festivities from park to park. This year will be the very first for Animal Kingdom to be decked out in holiday decor!

Christmas at Pandora – count me in! I'll be visiting soon, so be keep an eye out to see all the holiday fun at Animal Kingdom this year!

Let's jump into changes that happen at Disney Parks during the holiday season.

Park Costs

Because it is so popular to visit Disney during the holiday season, unfortunately that means for us that the cost of things increase.

The holidays are considered a peak season for Disney which means the cost of tickets are raised. Additionally, the cost of Disney Resorts is higher. It's all about supply and demand in business. Therefore, when the demand is higher, the supply is limited, and costs go up. 

Park Decor

As I stated before, the holiday decor completely transforms during the holidays. There are Christmas trees all around the parks as well as other Christmas decor including candy canes, wreaths, bows, and presents. YAY!

Rides/Attractions

There are a few rides that switch things up a bit during the holiday season. For example, Jungle Cruise becomes Jingle Cruise. The ride is essentially the same but there is added Christmas decor and holiday jokes.

Of course Epcot offers an around the world experience at any time of the year but it's interesting during the holidays. In fact, I prefer to visit Epcot during Christmas because of all the holiday-themed changes.

You get to learn how other cultures celebrate the holidays, whether they it's Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or maybe something else that we are not necessarily very familiar with. That, along with the delicious holiday food, makes the whole park a new experience.

In Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Land makes a few changes. For example, you will hear Galactic holiday tunes while on the Alien Swirling Saucers rather than the standard sound effects and music. In addition, you'll hear holiday sound effects on Slinky Dog Dash.

Finally, at Animal Kingdom you will find some changes at the Tree of Life attraction! Not only is it decorated with holiday decor, it also shares a whole new set of holiday stories at the Nighttime Tree of Life Awakenings.

This year, the Disney Park changes during the holidays takes it a step further for Animal Kingdom. Hopefully, this will be a continued tradition. There will be new holiday entertainment and special holiday decor.

Events/Parades

Of course, during the holidays, the Disney World parades and shows become Christmas and Holiday themed!

As I mentioned, you have the special-ticketed event: Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This event takes over standard park hours on select nights through November and December every year.

Additionally, the firework shows and stage shows are themed for the holidays. Even the light show on the castle is themed for Christmas.

Other holiday events include:

• Epcot's International Festival of the Holidays
• Epcot's Candlelight Processional
• Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! at Hollywood Studios
• Sunset Season's Greetings in Hollywood Studios
• Special holiday dining packages and tours

Character Costumes

Because Disney never does things mildly, the characters are all decked out in their holiday costumes. Don't fret, though. You can still meet all of your favorite Disney characters – they will just be wearing their best Christmas fear! Plus, there will be some extra characters available to meet – like Santa!

Disney Springs

At Disney Springs, you'll find new decor, great Christmas merchandise, and the fun Christmas Tree Trail! This trail has a variety of Disney-themed Christmas trees. Also, you can meet Santa at Disney this time of year.

The holiday season at Disney World Parks are truly amazing. I have found that visiting on an ordinary day is a completely different experience than visiting during the Holiday Season.

Somehow, the parks seem just that much more magical during the holidays. As if Disney isn't magical enough – am I right? If you have been thinking about taking a Disney trip for the holidays, I highly recommend it. Even with the price hikes, it's totally worth it.