We’ve talked plenty about the holiday traditions that have disappeared over the years. I still miss the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights and the Castle Dream Lights, and we’ve recently had to say goodbye to the massive gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
— The Osborne Lights ran from 1995 – 2016 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
It’s easy to focus on what we’ve lost, but there are still plenty of Disney World holiday traditions that I genuinely look forward to every year. Some are relatively new, while others are those simple experiences that have become part of Christmas at Walt Disney World for my family.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
If you want the classic Disney Christmas experience, it’s hard to beat Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! The separately ticketed event takes over Magic Kingdom on select nights with Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, holiday entertainment, and complimentary cookies and beverages.
In fact, not a holiday season goes by without me thinking about racing around Magic Kingdom with my sister, wearing matching Christmas sweaters and trying to collect as many of those complimentary holiday cookies as humanly possible before the party ended. It’s a silly memory, but that’s exactly why traditions like this stick with you. At some point, grabbing another cookie and cup of eggnog became just as much a part of Christmas at Disney World for us as the parade or fireworks.
Seeing Main Street, U.S.A. covered in Christmas decorations while “snow” falls overhead is still one of those quintessential Walt Disney World holiday experiences. Add the music, lights, Cinderella Castle at the end of the street, and maybe a bag full of cookies you definitely didn’t need, and it doesn’t get much more Christmas-at-Magic-Kingdom than that.
Disney Jollywood Nights
On the opposite end of the Christmas spectrum is Disney Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios.
Rather than the traditional Christmas atmosphere of Magic Kingdom, Jollywood leans into old Hollywood glamour. Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard already look fantastic during the holidays with their tinsel, vintage decorations, and colorful lights, and the event turns the park into an evening holiday party.
This includes lower attraction waits, specialty food and merchandise, The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along, and, most importantly to me, the Muppets appearing live on stage.
I’ve fallen more in love with Jollywood Nights each year. Between the mid-century Christmas atmosphere and entertainment, it has quickly become one of my favorite modern holiday additions at Walt Disney World.
Glimmering Greenhouses on Living with the Land
Living with the Land’s holiday overlay debuted in 2019 as Merry and Bright Nights before eventually becoming known as Glimmering Greenhouses. Once the sun goes down, the attraction’s working greenhouses are filled with warm twinkling lights.
Lights wrap around plants and structures, glowing displays appear throughout the greenhouses, and you’ll find little details like a sand “snow” family wearing Mickey ears. There are plenty of Hidden Mickeys to look for along the way, too.
The peaceful boat ride becomes even more relaxing at night, although the secret is definitely out. Living with the Land can have a surprisingly substantial evening wait during the holiday season as guests wait for the lights to come on.
There’s also a holiday version of EPCOT’s Behind the Seeds tour offered on select evenings, providing an opportunity to walk through the greenhouses and see the decorations from a different perspective. That’s still on my holiday bucket list!
Spaceship Earth’s Points of Light
Of everything introduced for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, Spaceship Earth’s Points of Light has the greatest staying power. Nearly 2,000 programmable LED fixtures were installed across Spaceship Earth’s exterior, allowing the EPCOT icon to sparkle and change throughout the evening.
During the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, Spaceship Earth receives special sequences featuring holiday imagery and music. We’ve seen the lights transform the geodesic sphere with snowflakes, ornaments, candy-cane patterns, and other seasonal designs.
There’s something mesmerizing about simply sitting near the entrance of EPCOT at night and watching Spaceship Earth twinkle. It also reminds me of being a kid and seeing the illuminated pavement throughout the former Future World. When the Points of Light debuted, they somehow immediately felt like they’d always belonged on Spaceship Earth.
You can also find a much smaller and sweeter Spaceship Earth during the holidays. The gingerbread Spaceship Earth display inside CommuniCore Hall recreates the EPCOT icon in gingerbread, complete with its own miniature Points of Light presentation!
Christmas at Wilderness Lodge
I already consider Wilderness Lodge one of the best places on property to escape the feeling of being in Central Florida, but Christmas takes it to another level. The centerpiece is the enormous Christmas tree towering over the resort’s multi-story lobby. Garland, warm lights, and rustic ornaments fill the space, with woodland details like bears, squirrels, and other critters fitting naturally into the Pacific Northwest-inspired setting.
You can grab a holiday treat, find a spot near the fireplace, and very easily convince yourself that a snowstorm should be happening outside instead of Florida sunshine.
Wilderness Lodge has previously had its own gingerbread cabin display, and I’d love to see that tradition return someday. Even without it, the resort remains one of my favorite places to spend a December evening!
One of my favorite recent family memories is being at Wilderness Lodge on a chilly night and heading toward Bay Lake to watch the Electrical Water Pageant. It’s simple, nostalgic, and exactly the kind of Disney World tradition I hope never disappears.
Spend the Holidays at Walt Disney World
There’s a lot to miss about Christmases past at Walt Disney World, but there’s also plenty happening today that’s worth making part of your own traditions! If you’re thinking about a Walt Disney World holiday trip, our travel professionals with Dreams Unlimited Travel can help with everything from choosing a resort to finding the best available discounts. Contact them today for a free, no-obligation quote.
Whether your plans involve Christmas parties, an evening at EPCOT, or finally spending a December night curled up at your favorite Disney resort, it’s never too early to start planning your holiday visit!
…And this is really only scratching the surface of the holiday season at Walt Disney World. Between many of the resort decorations, other gingerbread displays, Candlelight Processional, seasonal food and merchandise, character appearances, Christmas trees, and entertainment throughout the parks and resorts, there’s far more than what I’ve included here! These are simply the traditions that have become my must-dos, and the ones that make it feel like Christmas at Disney World every year. Which is your favorite?
