Christmas in Disney
Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World.Orlando, Florida. Photo by Courtney Ditrich.
I had the privilege to spend this past Christmas & New Years with my family and relatives at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. My grandmother is a Disney Vacations Club (DVC) Member, so every few years we try to get the crew together and spend the holidays down there. Each time we go, we stay at a different Disney property; this time, we stayed at the Saratoga Springs. Now, Disney is a tourist hot-spot and a favorite destination for many people, from little kids, to families, to adults. Around Christmas time, however, it is said to be the busiest, most popular time for Disney. And I got to experience the chaos first hand (and my first time down in Disney as a travel agent)!
Here are some tips, recommendations & insights from my experience and what to expect prior to going to Disney around the holiday season.
Christmas through New Years = Blackout Dates. Very unfortunate to start with this, but it is true. Any deals, discounts, or promotions that are offered at other times during the years are not offered during this week. In addition, it makes it difficult for any travel agents to get any special rates because these dates exist to all parties. Expect to have to pay normal price for parks, reservations, etc.
Organization is key. Disney helps you a lot with this as you can use the Disney Mobile App to link all your family members, your reservations & theme park tickets. If you are traveling with a large group, certain members may have planned this activity or that character meet-n-greet or that brunch…it is nice to all be on the same page when it comes to scheduling. The app allows you to stay organized and to know where everyone is at what times. Some us on the trip had used the app to pre-organize while others did not – it definitely showed haha.
Purchase & reserve what you can prior to traveling to Disney. Whether this be tickets, or dinners, or other activities, I recommend doing what you can prior to the trip for a few reasons. One, so that you have those tickets or reservations locked in. Most dining options open 180 days prior to departure, so you can start planning things at the beginning of July. That also means other people will be doing the same, so some of these reservations may not be available if you choose to wait until you get there to book and/or reserve. Second, as I mention in other blogs, the focus of the trip is to enjoy it, not to stress more. A Disney trip itself is stressful enough – do not add to it by waiting to do things last minute or do things you could have done prior to leaving.
Grocery delivery service on Christmas Day can come in clutch. The timeshare we have starts on Christmas Day, so that is usually when we check-in. Many places are not open on Christmas Day, which makes it somewhat difficult when that is the day we arrive. However, Disney has a service that will allow you to pre-order groceries (whether that be prior to your trip or anytime during your stay) and have it delivered to your room immediately. It came in handy when we all arrived after a long day of traveling.
Disney Springs has developed into its own “park”. Formerly known as Downtown Disney (we still called it this when we were there, just has a better ring to it!), Disney Springs has truly developed into a phenomenal place to spend a day or evening at. We were fortunate that we stayed at Saratoga Springs, which was located across the lake from Disney Springs. And we were able to take a ferry which took about 5-10 minutes - one of the most convenient things because we went almost every day (See Saratoga Springs Review in “Destinations” for more information on the resort). From the last time we went in 2013, it looked entirely different and I was thoroughly impressed. They have constructed a huge amount and have added a larger variety of restaurants, activities, lounges, and gift shops. A few other attractions are a bowling alley, a movie theater, water activities, a hot air balloon, a virtual reality center. Definitely filled with entertainment and options to keep you and your family busy!
Bring snacks & lunches to the parks to save money! My cousin went to three of the four main parks. And something that saved her money and time was to pack lunches for her and her family to eat while at the park. Yes, surprisingly Disney will allow you to bring this into the park – bottled water, bag of chips or fruit, a sandwich. For the amount of money you are probably spending down there, having a homemade lunch may save you a little bit that you can use at some other point of the trip.