Thanksgiving is almost upon us and shortly after comes Christmas! A lot of families love to travel during the Holidays and one of their favorite destinations is visiting one of the Disney parks, either Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World!
The Holidays at Disney is really something special! They deck the parks in garland, ribbon, trees, and of course, lots and lots of lights!
When I was working at Walt Disney World, it was hard being away from home during the Holidays. I missed my family a lot! Thankfully, working in the parks to help make other families’ time special during the holidays made it a lot easier on my heart.
The Christmas Tree at Hollywood Studios in 2009
My favorite things to do at Disney during the Holidays:
1. Eat a Thanksgiving Dinner!
If you’re visiting the parks during Thanksgiving, many of the restaurants offer a traditional Thanksgiving meal for us Americans to enjoy while we are away from home. The nice thing about it is you don’t have to be the one to cook it for all of your family! At Walt Disney World, I loved eating at Liberty Tree Tavern, the Colonial feel of the restaurant really put me in the Thanksgiving mood!
2. See the lighted up castle!
Disney castles are already impressive as they are, but seeing them all lit up with Christmas lights is something else! I remember the first time I saw Sleeping Beauty’s Castle all lit up at Disneyland was when Sean and I went there for our band tour trip at 15 years old. I even have a picture!
Unfortunately it’s tough to see the castle, but it’s still one of my favorite memories from our youth. Here’s a better photo though that is more up to date:
And of course the first time I saw Cinderella Castle all lit up, it took my breath away. It looked like the whole thing was covered in icicles! (Even more amazing was seeing the progress of them working to add the lights in time for the Holidays). I was really lucky to get to see the Castle every night all lit up.
3. “Snow” on Main Street!
The one thing I missed the most (well besides my family) was the snow in Utah. It got really cold in Florida while I was there but not cold enough to actually snow. But with a little bit of Disney Magic, they make it “snow” on select nights during the Holiday season. I admit, I got a little teary eyed the first time I saw it, but I think I prefer the real snow in my home state.
4. Christmas Parades!
The Christmas Parades at the Disney parks are really fun! The characters get all dressed up in their Holiday finest and you may even get to see Santa make an appearance!
Yes, I did get to see Santa in the parade.
5. Haunted Mansion Holiday
Haunted Mansion Holiday is completely unique to Disneyland. I admit I was really disappointed when I learned they didn’t do it at Walt Disney World. Haunted Mansion Holiday is a makeover of the theming to include characters from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. I remember riding it as a teenager and thinking it was the coolest thing that Disney has ever done!
6. The Holiday Spirit!
I had to get a pic of me and the big Christmas Tree in the Magic Kingdom back in 2009.
I know it’s cheesy to say that it’s one of my favorite things about the Holidays at Disney, especially since I know I get into the Spirit of the Season at home. But there’s something special about walking around the parks all decorated and festive! It’s hands down my favorite time of the year to visit the parks.
If you’re thinking of going to Disneyland during the next month or two to celebrate the Holidays with your family, you should really check out Get Away Today and book now! They can also help you with your Walt Disney World tickets too! And don’t forget if you use the code TwoGeeks you can get $10 off your Southern California Vacation Package!
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