Ah, the magic of Disney World at Christmastime. Main Street, U.S.A. has snow fluttering down as lights are twinkling all around. You won’t miss the massive Christmas tree right in front of Magic Kingdom, and everything feels 10x more special than it normally does.

Magic Kingdom

To make the most of the magic, you need to plan early so you know where to stay, what to eat, and how to spend your time. 2025 Christmas is only three months away, but really, you should already be looking forward to 2026. Why do we need to plan so early? Let’s talk about it!

From the beginning of November, Disney World is filled with candy canes, more Christmas trees than you know existed, and an insane amount of hot chocolate. It runs till about the beginning of January, but if you want to make sure you get a complete and full experience, you should plan to visit after Thanksgiving and before Christmas.

Seal Merry Menagerie puppet at Animal Kingdom

As you could imagine, the holiday time in Disney World is BUSY. Lots of people want to come and make family memories and experience Christmas in either a different and more special way than they’re used to, or like they do every year, and continue the tradition. Because so many people are coming, you’ll want to be completely planned and prepared so you don’t get distracted by the people the minute you scan into Magic Kingdom.

Crowds ready to see the parade!

It can be overwhelming to try to get everything done because there are a lot of limited-time activities. Massive lists come out with specialty food, and there will be certain events and experiences, like meeting Santa Claus and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, that you won’t want to miss. Planning early allows you to have your priorities set!

Santa!

EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS AT DISNEY WORLD

We like to look at activities from the year prior (or the one coming up!) and see what experiences we want to try again or for the first time. Maybe you read so much about Jollywood Nights that you’re choosing that over Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or you missed the holiday overlay at the Jungle Cruise, where it turns into the Jingle Cruise, and you aren’t willing to miss it again. We love to plan early so we know what’s making the list.

Holiday theming

After you have your list, you can figure out how long your trip will be. Are you going to visit all four parks? Maybe you’ll want to skip your family’s least favorite park and spend a day going through all the decorations at the resorts instead. Maybe you’ll want to go to Magic Kingdom three times because you know it’s your family’s favorite. You’ll also have to ask for time off from work, make sure your kid’s school schedules align, and if you’re inviting extended family, the more time you can tell them, the better.

Gertie the Dinosaur at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

When planning how many days you’ll visit, you can then pick the best resort. Disney World Resorts during the holidays fill up fast (no, really, don’t underestimate how early you should book your hotel), so the earlier the better. Some resorts are known for their Christmas decorations, like Animal Kingdom Lodge with huge animals made of gingerbread, or Beach Club Resort, which has a moving carousel made of gingerbread.

Carousel horse inspired by the Mexico Pavilion

THE BEST HOTELS FOR CHRISTMAS AT DISNEY WORLD

For decorations at resorts, we have to mention Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This resort has a massive tree and a HUGE gingerbread house where you can try different sweets like gingerbread shingles that look like they’re from the house.

2024 Gingerbread House

This year, there is construction happening in the lobby at the Grand Floridian, so the giant gingerbread house is skipping 2025! Because of this, we’re expecting a resort like the Grand Floridian to be even more popular than usual next year, so if this is your dream resort, you’ll really want to book early.

Grand Floridian tree and gingerbread house

All of this sounds magical, but you can’t forget the pricetag that goes along with it. Ticket prices, resort costs, and Lightning Lanes are generally more expensive during the holiday season due to the demand, and the further out you book, the longer you can save up and pay for it.

EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays!

There are also cots, such as after-hours events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights, which are not included with park tickets. Our favorite part is the food, of course, and trust us, all those snacks add up quick. Once you see all the pictures and reviews, you’ll be wishing you budgeted a little extra for a new cookie you can’t live without.

We’ve been eating and drinking our way around EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

Don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your Disney World trip alone? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts, and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation.

Even just thinking about planning our holiday trip makes us want to open a notebook and put on DFB YouTube videos (come on, we know you love them!). Make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more tips and tricks to plan your next trip.

I’VE BEEN TO ALL 3 HOLIDAY PARTIES IN DISNEY WORLD (!!!) AND MY TIPS MAY SHOCK YOU

DON'T DO IT ALONE!

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Do you go to Disney World during the holidays? Tell us your top tip in the comments.