Category — n. Approaching Dates at Disney World

DISNEY WORLD’S HOLIDAY PROGRAM

In 2022, Disney World has returned to a largely complete set of holiday program offerings, with particularly rich offerings at Epcot and Magic Kingdom.

More details are available on Disney World’s website, for example here, but in sum:

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the key offering is the “Merry Menagerie,” a subtle but delightful show of arctic themed animal puppets at the Tree of Life. Special winter and holiday effects also enrich the Tree of Life Awakenings show. Elsewhere in the park, Santa Claus floats down the Discovery River.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the major offering is Sunset Seasons Greetings, a charming projection show in the evening on the building that houses Tower or Terror, the Hollywood Tower Hotel. You’ll also find a Santa Claus motorcade, and a special ending to For the First Time in Forever.

Epcot has several major offerings beginning November 25, including

• The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, one of Epcot’s many food and drink festivals
• Holiday storytellers in most of the pavilions of World Showcase
• The beloved Candlelight Processional, a retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator and massed choirs. The Candlelight Processional is best seen via reserved seat available through booking a Candlelight Processional Dining Package
• Epcot will also see a holiday overlay added to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

At Magic Kingdom, the signature event is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (“MVMCP), an additional ticket for which is required (but which does not require a park reservation.)

Officially running three to four nights a week most weeks from November 8 through December 22 from 7p through midnight, guests with tickets for the party can enter as early as 4p if they choose, and enjoy a wonderful Christmas parade, spectacular fireworks, and, other than at a few rides, low waits for attractions. MCMVP tickets are available here.

HOW TO BUILD THESE HOLIDAY PROGRAM ELEMENTS INTO THE DISNEY WORLD GENIE+ ITINERARY

For more than a decade I have provided a separate itinerary—the “Basic Itinerary”–that integrates all of these offerings into a plan for Walt Disney World. This year I do not do so, largely because the cost of of MVMCP now approaches $750 for a family of four…

Rather, I offer suggestions below for how to see these holiday program elements on an a la carte basis in the Disney World Genie+ Itinerary for visits the weeks beginning 11/26, 12/3, 12/10 and 12/16. (Many of these offerings except those at Epcot will also be available for November visits.)

Animal Kingdom: see the holiday program offerings in your Tuesday visit

Hollywood Studios: see the holiday program offerings on your Sunday visit

Epcot:

• Enjoy the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays and the holiday storytellers as you tour World Showcase on both Saturday and Monday
• Book the Candlelight Processional Dining Package and see the show on Monday

Magic Kingdom: The best day in your itinerary to see Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is Thursday, which otherwise is your off day. If Thursday is sold out, Friday will also work most of these weeks—although it will lead to a very long day. One option with a sold-out Thursday but an available Friday is to swap Thursday and Friday in your itinerary, making Friday your off day with MVMCP, and Thursday your second Magic Kingdom day.

WHAT IS OCTOBER LIKE AT DISNEY WORLD?

Late October has some of the best times of the year to visit Disney World, with nice weather, low-ish crowds, low-ish prices, and fun special events.

The rest of the month is not so good, as

• The first two weeks are still in the peak of the hurricane season
• The second through fourth weeks see extra crowds from fall breaks, and
• The weekend beginning 10/9 sees both higher crowds and higher prices from Columbus Day.

Note also that picking the right park to visit each day is critical at this time of the year. See this, and use the comment form below to ask me about your specific dates!

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WHAT IS SEPTEMBER LIKE AT DISNEY WORLD?

September at Disney World combines lower crowds with low prices, and typically also has nice deals as well.

This makes it a great month for returning visitors.

But it has lousy weather, combining continuing summer heat and humidity with the peak of the hurricane season, making me not so keen on the month for first time visitors who may never return.

Note also that picking the right park to visit each day is critical at this time of the year.  See this, and use the comment form below to ask me about your specific dates!

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MNSSHP DATES IN SEPTEMBER 2020

While as of this morning, Disney World’s official calendar only goes through August 17, September dates are beginning to leak.

One unofficial calendar that I have found to track quite well with actual operating hours shows the Magic Kingdom closing at 6p on the following September dates:

• Tuesday September 1
• Friday September 4
• Monday September 7
• Friday September 11
• Sunday September 13
• Tuesday September 15
• Friday September 18
• Sunday September 20
• Tuesday September 22
• Friday September 25
• Sunday September 27
• Tuesday September 29

The odds are pretty high that these  represent September 2020 dates for the 2020 version of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (“MNSSHP”—for more on this party, see this), as they are fully consistent with the 2019 and 2018 patterns.

OPENING DATE FOR 2020 EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

I should have noted this when I published about possible August 2020 dates for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, but analysis of the same sources suggests that the 2020 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival will open the week of 8/23 in 2020, likely on 8/27 or 8/28.

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While as of this morning, Disney World’s official calendar only goes through July 20, August dates are beginning to leak.

One unofficial calendar that I have found to track quite well with actual operating hours shows the Magic Kingdom closing at 6p on the following August dates:

• Thursday, August 13
• Saturday, August 15
• Tuesday, August 18
• Friday, August 21
• Tuesday, August 25
• Friday, August 28

The odds are pretty high that the last four represent dates for the 2020 version of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (“MNSSHP”—for more on this party, see this), as they are fully consistent with the 2019 pattern, and largely consistent with the 2018 pattern.

The first two dates are off pattern—based on 2018 and 2019, one would have expected to see the first Party Friday the 14^th, not Thursday the 13^th, and Saturday parties are quite rare—I can recall seeing them only at the end of October.

Moreover, if both these are parties, there would be an unprecedented six parties in August—compared to five in 2019, and four in 2018. But I would not read too much into this, as a way for Disney to grow earnings year over year is to have more parties.

Magic Kingdom closes at 6p for reason other than parties—for cast member appreciation events, and, more rarely, if a big-pocketed convention is in town and buys out the park for the evening.

Based on all this, I’d put the odds at greater than 90% that the last four dates will be the 2020 version of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, about 80% that the first date will be, and about 50-50 that the Saturday date will be.

The party dates for 2019 were announced on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, so we may get the official answer to this quite soon.

(Update February 9–the Disney calendar is now out through 8/17, so the first two 6p closes are official–although the official 2020 party dates have not yet been released.  For thoughts on September dates following the same approach, see this.)

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park has added new and enhanced holiday decorations and shows.

Some have called the additions unprecedented, but I have been doing this long enough to have written in the past about the long-gone Mickey’s Jingle Jungle parade at this park, so have a more judicious view.

Highlights of what’s new include

• Winter puppets near the Tree of Life—this is a daylight event, and my visit was after dark. Disney describes these as “life-size, artisan-sculpted animal puppets—including a Merry Menagerie of reindeer, foxes and polar bears,” and them seem to be quite the hit.
• A winter-themed set of shows in Tree of Life Awakenings
• Added decorations in all the parks other lands, including some minor adds to Pandora—my photos of this did not turn out even by my usual lower standards.

Let’s take a tour!

The entry to Disney’s Animal Kingdom features the usual Christmas tree…

…and some holiday lights on the structures here.

Discovery Island has as noted the puppets, and also holiday decorations.

Tree of Life Awakenings can be seen from either in front of it on Discovery Island or from the back along the pathway from Africa to Asia.

The brief shows are more winter-themed than holiday-themed, and have the usual subtlety and charm we’ve come to expect from these shows.

More from the Tree of Life Awakenings.

Africa includes celebratory colors and textiles….

…and among other decorations this tree near the Wildlife Express.

Pandora has a bit of decoration from its Earth-native expats. Some have complained that these additions—all my photos are terrible, so I have nothing to show you—are off-theme, but Disney has learned the hard way in Galaxy’s Edge to not take 100% immersion too seriously. Folks don’t come to Disney World for 100% immersion; they come for fun.

Asia has added lights to celebrate Diwali––the festival of lights in India.

These fit so nicely with the already-existing evening lighting that I’d like to see them stay all year.

Dinoland has recently had strong Donald Duck (and associates) Christmas-themed meet and greets.

You’ll see this again this year, plus more decorations…

… including in the boneyard.

All in, a pleasant set of additions to a great theme park.

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