In part 1, I talked about visiting some of the resorts around the monorail loop at Walt Disney World. This time we visited some of the theme parks and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for some holiday decorations and shows. I also visited Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day.
I visited the Boardwalk Inn to see their gingerbread concession stand.
The lobby is decorated for the holidays! It is a great place to take a family photo.
We love the musical acts that perform on the Fountain Stage in Future World. Be sure to check your Times Guide for performance times.
We then headed over to Epcot to view the United States Capital building inside the American Adventure Pavilion. Be sure to look for the Hidden Mickeys. The tiny people are made of chocolate. Allow a little extra time to enjoy the singing group Voices of Liberty. If you wait until after the show in the lobby you can get up close to the gingerbread display.
If you venture over to Animal Kingdom you can see the gingerbread Jambo house. It is inside Tusker House. If you ask and they aren’t busy they will let you go inside and you can view this display.
If you are looking for a holiday display outside the theme parks I highly recommend the Holidays in Space show at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. It is only about an hour drive from Walt Disney World. Nightly between December 19 and January 3, you can view the “Spirit of Exploration” show projected on the side of a Saturn 1B rocket. There is also the Rocket Garden Light show. It is done several times nightly. There is no additional charge to view the show, it is included in your admission. Just be sure to bring your insect repellent with you.
It’s hard to believe that the holidays are almost over. The holiday displays will stay up at the resorts typically through New Years Day. You will be able to enjoy Holidays Around the World at Epcot through Dec. 30.
My final favorite holiday thing to do is visit Magic Kingdom on Christmas day! It is crazy crowded but I love to sit up by the train station and just watch the crowds. Just be aware that Magic Kingdom gets very crowded and can close to some visitors during the day. If you can take Disney transportation you should do so because they do divert cars to Epcot when the parking lot at Magic Kingdom is full. You can take the monorail from Epcot to Magic Kingdom and that is better than sitting in the traffic waiting to go through the Auto Plaza.
Just remember to pack your patience if you are visiting WDW during the holiday season. The crowds are much larger and there seems to be a lot of people who have never visited WDW before. Allow plenty of time to get to the parks. A handy tip: if you arrive at the Ticket and Transportation Center and they are running buses to the Magic Kingdom, get in line. I was going into the park while some folks were still waiting for the monorail. Also remember that they now have enhanced security to enter the parks. You may be asked to go through the metal detectors. Also bring your photo ID with you in case you have any problems with your tickets or MagicBand. I have had some issues lately with my MagicBand. It wouldn’t scan at the touchpoints. That is a blog for another day but be prepared if you have a problem.
If people brought their manners to the parks everyone could be moving much quicker. Don’t be one of those entitled guests who thinks their time is more valuable than yours. Happy Holidays everyone! ‘Til next time, See you in the parks!
