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NOTE: THIS ITINERARY IS OUT OF DATE.  A REVISED VERSION FOR 2017 WILL BE OUT SHORTLY

This Walt Disney World itinerary is designed for the three weeks following Thanksgiving 2016.

It is a seven night variant of the Basic December 2016 FastPass+ Itinerary, with a Sunday arrival.

If you aren’t going one of those weeks, see Other Itineraries for alternatives the rest of the year, which are published about six months ahead.

You can enlarge the itinerary by clicking it. 

A detailed To-Do List covers all the revervations you need to make.

Daily agendas are in the links:

• Sunday
• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday

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This To-Do List is for the Seven Night Saturday Arrival variant of the FastPass+ 2016 Basic December Itinerary.  For To-Do-Lists for other itineraries, see this.

A. MORE THAN 180 DAYS BEFORE YOUR PLANNED ARRIVAL DATE

(Note that a good travel agent, such as Destinations in Florida, can do almost all of this for you, for free. If you use Destinations in Florida as you travel agent through a link for this site–like this one–then they share a bit of the pixie dust they get from Disney with me.)

1. Confirm your budget, planned dates, intended hotel, kids’ development and heights, and your transportation choice and its availability for your planned dates.

2. Make your plane reservations, if flying. Make any other needed transportation arrangements.

3. Create your My Disney Experience account here and add your family members to it

4. Set up your hotel and tickets. Call 407-939-7675 (preferred, because this allows you to tell the reservationist which building at your resort you wish to be in), or click here to use Disney’s online system.

• If you are following my itinerary, you want the hotel you’ve picked for seven nights, eight day, no hopper, no “water parks and more” tickets, the Dining Plan, and Disney’s Magical Express

B. 181 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

1. Login to your MyDisneyExperience.com account, click the “Things to Do” tab at top right, under Dining hit “Make Reservations,” and practice trying to reserve restaurants (hint: use the search box at the upper right).

This may well drive you crazy, but the site works better than it used to…and is likely the only way you can get your Cindy reservations done! (as the site opens up a new reservable day at 6a, whereas the phone reservation line opens at 7a).

2. Collect your planned restaurant reservations together. You will want to do them online in order of hardest to reserve first. This is how they are listed below.

C. EXACTLY 6am EST, EXACTLY 180 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

(For an 180 day calendar, see this).

1. Be on the restaurant website by at least 5:50am EST, and have your Cindy reservation all set up on the page. Keep refreshing, as you will be let in as soon as Disney’s system decides it is 6a.

2. Make as many of the following as you have patience for (try to get through at least Chef Mickey’s), in the exact order listed:

• Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch (dining plan, two credits): Thursday at 11a or later if you can; earlier than 11 only if your sole option…
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (dining plan, two credits): Monday 6.15p show. The later time will keep you up later than you need to be, OK if all you can get. Avoid the earlier time–it’ll cut into your park time too much
• Chef Mickey’s (dining plan, one credit) Thursday 7p.  Later is OK, but not a whole lot earlier
• San Angel Inn as Candlelight Processional Dining Package (dining plan, two credits): Friday 5.45p. Can be earlier but not later.

For those you don’t make online, make them by calling call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463)

3. Go to the site for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and order tickets for your family for Tuesday

D. 60 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

1. Go to your MyDisneyExperience account at 7a and set up the following FastPass+

• First Saturday evening at Epcot: Book just one, Test Track, for 6-7p
• Sunday at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest 11.30a-12.30p, Kali River Rapids 12.30-1.30p, Rivers of Light (keep checking for its opening date and book your FastPass+ for it as soon as it becomes bookable)
• Monday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Midway Mania noon-1p, Star Tours 1-2p, Frozen Sing-Along 3.30 show
• Tuesday at Epcot: Frozen Ever After 12.30-1.30p, Mission Space 1.30-2.30p, Spaceship Earth 2.30-3.30p
• Wednesday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Voyage of the Little Mermaid noon-1p; Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster 4-5p, Tower of Terror 5-6p
• Thursday at Magic Kingdom: Book afternoon FastPass+ for Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain. Design the times for them around the time of your reservation for Cinderella’s Royal Table, and don’t set one for 2.30-3.30p, as you will need that time for the afternoon parade. (A FP+ 2-3p and/or 3-4p is OK, as you can use them at the beginning of the 2p window or end of the 3p window without interrupting your parade viewing.
• Friday at Epcot: Soarin’ 11a-noon, Living with the Land noon-1p, Turtle Talk with Crush 2p show
• Second Saturday at Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 9-10a, Peter Pan’s Flight 10-11a, Haunted Mansion 11a-noon

2. Do online check in, requesting as you do special location points

3. Customize your MagicBands

E. NOTES ON PACKING ETC. BEFORE YOU LEAVE

1. Bring your MagicBands in your carry-ons

2. If you use Disney’s Magical Express, you do not need to collect your bags at the Orlando airport unless you arrive late in the evening/at night or are an international traveler. Disney will get them for you and, eventually, deliver them directly to your room. Your bags may arrive hours after you do; so, depending on the weather forecasts, have a carry-on with an appropriate change of clothes for Orlando weather on Saturday, as you will almost certainly go to Epcot on Saturday before your checked bags arrive.

3. Follow the instructions in the Magical Express packet you will receive in the mail regarding both tagging your bags pre-departure, and where to go at the Orlando airport to find your transport to your resort.

4. Bring a copy of your room reservation, confirmation numbers and any tickets for special events you may have received in the mail.

5. Pack breakfast utensils, as they are not always available in the gift shop: bowls, spoons, napkins

6. When you arrive at the hotel, look for the special “On-line Check-in” line, and get into it.

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OVERVIEW: DECEMBER 2016 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews December 2016 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

Early December, with lower crowds, lower prices, and wonderful Christmas decorations and events, has the best weeks of the year to visit.

Later December with Christmas and New Year’s weeks has the highest crowds and prices of the year.

Park closings to additional guests are possible in this later December period, as are 8a openings and more morning Extra Magic Hours than other weeks.

December also has a special party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a special evening event–with its own ticket–that has become a family tradition for many.

DECEMBER 2016 CROWDS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Early December is one of the less crowded periods at Walt Disney World. However, because of the Christmas Party you can face higher much waits if you go to the parks on the wrong days.  See this for how to avoid these crowds.

Later December–beginning the 17th in 2016–is the most crowded time of the year at Disney World

On a crowd scale of 1-11, the week beginning 11/26 has a crowd rating of 3/ low, the week beginning 12/3 4/low-plus, the week beginning 12/10 3/low, the week beginning 12/17 10/higher, and the week beginning 12/24 11/highest.

See this for more on 2016 crowds at Disney World.

DECEMBER 2016 PRICES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Prices begin the month at the values and moderates 10% higher than the lowest of the year. At the deluxes, prices begin the month 6% higher than the lowest of the year.

On 12/11, prices increase at the values to 45% higher than the lowest of the year, at the moderates to 25% higher, and at the deluxes to 30% higher.

On 12/12, prices increase at the values to 65% higher than the lowest of the year, at the moderates to 50% higher, and at the deluxes to 55% higher, and stay at this level through the end of the month

See this for more on 2016 resort hotel prices at Walt Disney World.

DECEMBER 2016 DEALS AND DISCOUNTS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Deals are available for December 2016. Details are here.

DECEMBER 2016 WEATHER AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Average temperatures trend down over December, and weather becomes quite variable.  Days can be perfect, or quite cool.

Click the image, or go to Weather and When to Go to Disney World, for more on temperatures.

DECEMBER 2016 SPECIAL EVENTS

December brings delightful Christmas festivities to Disney World:

• At the Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party—a special event that requires its own ticket—runs on many nights through December 22. After that date, its signature events—a special Christmas parade, and special Christmas fireworks—are available to all guests.
• At Epcot, the evening fireworks show Illuminations has special Christmas additions. In addition, most nights Christmas carols are sung by massed choirs in the Candlelight Processional. Many of the countries in Epcot’s World Showcase have special Christmas events as part of Epcot’s Holidays Around the World program. Epcot’s special events usually begin the Friday after Thanksgiving

The New Years Eve schedule: Magic Kingdom and Epcot will have special fireworks and celebrations on 12/31/2016, and the same celebrations will also happen at Magic Kingdom on 12/30.

DECEMBER 2016 OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Park operating hours vary by the day, and sometimes change without notice. It is rare for hours to be shorter than Disney has publicized, but Disney may lengthen them in response to unanticipated crowds.

The best way to keep up with operating hours is to check Disney’s official calendars, usually available six months in advance.

These calendars can be found by clicking the following links:

• Magic Kingdom Calendar
• Hollywood Studios Calendar
• Animal Kingdom Calendar
• Epcot Calendar

WEEK BY WEEK COMMENTS FOR DECEMBER 2016 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD BY ARRIVAL DATE

The week rankings that follow below are from 2016 weeks to visit, ranked in order, and are designed for first-time visitors who do not know whether or not they will return.

Click the image for a calendar view of 2016 weeks (when open, keep clicking to enlarge.)

11/26/2016. Low prices at values, moderate-minus prices at moderates, low prices at deluxes. Low crowds. Crowd ranking=3. Week ranking=1. Recommended Week. Use the Basic 2016 FastPass+ December Itinerary

12/3/2016. Pop Warner Week. Low prices at values, moderate-minus prices at moderates, low prices at deluxes. Low-plus crowds. Crowd ranking=4. Week ranking=2. Recommended Week. Use the Basic 2016 FastPass+ December Itinerary

12/10/2016. Moderate-plus prices at values, high prices at moderates and deluxes. Low crowds. Crowd ranking=3. Week ranking=3. Recommended Week. Use the Basic 2016 FastPass+ December Itinerary

12/17/2016. Higher prices at values, moderates, deluxes. Higher crowds. Crowd ranking=10. Week ranking=42. Use the 2016 FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary, but watch for added morning EMH and 8a opens

12/24/2016. Highest prices at values, moderates, deluxes.  Highest crowds. Crowd ranking=11. Week ranking=47. Use the 2016 FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary, but watch for added morning EMH and 8a opens

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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians and author of Jim’s Gems in The easy Guide, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

KILIMANJARO SAFARIS

By Jim Korkis

According to the official back story when Disney’s Animal Kingdom first opened:

“Kilimanjaro Safaris is just one of many companies that offers photo excursions to tourists from around the world to The Harambe Wildlife Reserve. After three decades of operation, it has emerged as the premier provider of safe, affordable animal-viewing safaris in their fleet of ‘Tembo’ (Swahili for elephant) open-sided vehicles. In addition, the company hires and trains its safari drivers to offer a high level of information about the animals found on the Reserve.”

Just as current CEO Robert Iger’s game plan for Disney expansion has been to purchase popular franchises like Marvel and Lucasfilms, CEO Michael Eisner’s game plan for Walt Disney World was to create entertainment offerings that mimicked already popular offerings in the Central Florida area to keep money from Disney guests on Disney property instead of being spent at other venues.

Busch Gardens Tampa opened in 1959 as an African-themed experience that grew to be one of the largest zoological institutions with over 2,700 animals. In 1965, the park opened the twenty-nine acre Serengeti Plains, which allowed its African wildlife to roam freely.

The continued popularity of this amusement venue where tourists could get close to exotic wild animals for over thirty years encouraged Eisner to approve the building of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

One of the centerpieces for DAK would be the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction, since guests would be eager to see animals differently than at a zoo. It is roughly 110 acres, making the attraction all by itself approximately the size of the Magic Kingdom Park.

In July 1990, Imagineering creative director Joe Rohde took a team to Kenya and Tanzania for two weeks. They took thousands of photographs and countless hours of video. In addition, they participated in many different safari tours to try to understand what a typical tourist might experience on their first time making such a visit.

Landscape architect Phil Schenkel and senior project engineer Dave Dahlke had to devise a recipe for concrete for the Kilimanjaro Safari’s two miles of rutted, potholed and washed out “dirt” road. They spent long hours matching the concrete color with the surrounding soil and then rolled tires through it as well as tossed stones, dirt and twigs to try to capture a seamless sense of reality not immediately recognized by the guests.

In addition, the roadway was designed to keep any water in the path separate from the water used by the animals. The potholes in the road with water actually have their own pumping and drainage system.

The Imagineers set up a test track in the parking lot at WDI in Glendale with similar potholes and ruts. However, when they took Disney Legend Marty Sklar for a practice spin, he spilled most of his coffee and his instant displeasure resulted in them going back to the drawing board to modify the design.

The ride still ended up pretty bumpy when it first opened with the park and some adjustments were made including additional padding on the backs of the seats.

Another challenge was selecting which animals would be exhibited. Some factors included if they would be active during the day, could be easily contained, got along well with the other selected animals, and how they would react to the tourists. Zoologist Rick Barongi provided helpful input to the Imagineers.

Originally, to emphasize the park’s commitment to conservation, the attraction included a story about the dangers of illegal poachers with signage, urgent radio alerts and more. The guests were involved in a frantic chase to rescue the kidnapped Big Red mother elephant, and her baby, Little Red.

Needless to say, that experience was upsetting to some, especially to younger guests, and the storyline with game warden Wilson Mutua is no longer part of the attraction.

Disney realized that guests were much more interested in just spotting animals and that the poacher storyline was considered confusing to them.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for even more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, and The Vault of Walt: Volume 4, and his contributions to The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

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2016 NEW YEAR’S EVE AT DISNEY WORLD

New Years Eve 2016 is on a Saturday. This makes me suspect we will see a slightly different set of Disney World New Year’s Eve celebrations in 2016 than we’ve seen for New Year’s Eve at Disney World in recent years.

What’s known so far is that New Year’s Eve festivities and fireworks will happen on December 31, 2016 at Disney World’s Epcot and Magic Kingdom theme parks, and also at the Magic Kingdom on December 30.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will show its Star Wars fireworks the 31st at midnight.

Until 2015 the Animal Kingdom park had no special New Year’s Eve show, but in 2015–for the first time–it offered a “New Year’s Eve Street Party” in Africa’s Harambe Market from 3:30p to 8:30p. I expect to see this happen again in 2016.

The schedule looks like this:

• Epcot will be open until 1a on New Year’s Eve; Disney’s Hollywood Studios until midnight, the Magic Kingdom until 1a, and the Animal Kingdom until 8.30p
• The Magic Kingdom will have Wishes at 7.30p and special New Year’s Eve fireworks at 11.50p
• Epcot likely will have its Illuminations fireworks show at 6p and 11.40p, plus DJs in various pavilions
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios will have fireworks at midnight
• There may be a special New Years Eve show at 8.30p at the Animal Kingdom
• Note that alcohol is not available at the Magic Kingdom, but is available at the other three parks

The Magic Kingdom will have the same fireworks at the same times on 12/30/16. This date will likely be a little less crowded than 12/31.

DISNEY WORLD PARK CLOSURES ON NEW YEAR’S EVE

Disney closes parks due to crowding often on New Year’s Eve. “Closes” means closed to additional guests–those in the parks do not have to leave.

See this for more on how Disney World park closings work.

The Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are the most likely parks to close, and Animal Kingdom the least likely.

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OVERVIEW: CHRISTMAS 2016 AT DISNEY WORLD

The Christmas season at Walt Disney World includes both the best and the worst times to visit, with both prices and crowds at both lower and very high levels over the period.

Decorations, special Christmas shows, programs, and events, and Christmas trees are everywhere, making Disney World as special a place to celebrate the holidays as you can find.

THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

December crowds at Walt Disney World begin at lower levels. They will begin to build on 12/17, and by 12/25 will hit their highest levels of the year, where they will stay until about January 6, 2017.

Walt Disney World resort hotel December prices at the beginning of the month are at one of the lower levels of the year.

On 12/11 they go up a lot to 25-45% higher than the lowest of the year, and on December 22, 2016, they increase to 50-65% higher than the lowest levels of the year.

December weather is cooler and variable. While the average daily high is 73, this masks tremendous variability.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Each of the parks has wonderful Christmas decorations, and the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot have special Christmas events, which begin in early November at Magic Kingdom, mid-November at the Studios, and right after Thanksgiving at Epcot.

• At the Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party—a special event that requires its own ticket—runs on many nights from November 7th through December 22nd. Later in December, its signature events—a special Christmas parade, and special Christmas fireworks—are available to all guests. Christmas decor is in place by the night of the first party–in 2016, November 7
• At the Studios, the new Christmas projection show Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! kicked off on November 14.
• At Epcot, the evening fireworks show Illuminations has special Christmas additions. In addition, most nights Christmas carols are sung by massed choirs in the Candlelight Processional. Many of the countries in Epcot’s World Showcase have special Christmas events as part of Epcot’s Holidays Around the World program. Epcot’s special events are fully in place the Friday after Thanksgiving–November 25 in 2016

NEW YEAR’S EVE 2016/2017 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

New Year’s Eve festivities will occur December 31, 2016 at Disney World’s Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios theme parks, and also at the Magic Kingdom on December 30. The Animal Kingdom in the past has had no special New Years events, but may well in 2016.

The complete schedule is not out yet, but based on what is out and on the past, the schedule will look like this:

• Epcot will be open until 1a on New Year’s Eve; Disney’s Hollywood Studios until at least midnight, and the Magic Kingdom until 1a or later
• The Magic Kingdom likely will have Wishes at 7.30p and special New Year’s Eve fireworks at 11.48p
• Epcot likely will have its Illuminations fireworks show at 6p and 11.40p, plus DJs in various pavilions.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios likely may have fireworks at midnight
• There may be a New Years Eve show at the Animal Kingdom–the first ever
• Note that alcohol is not available at the Magic Kingdom, but is available at the other three parks

The Magic Kingdom likely will have the same fireworks at the same times on 12/30/16. This date will likely be a little less crowded than 12/31. Hollywood Studios may also have fireworks on 12/30–either in addition to, or instead of, 12/31 fireworks.

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