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OVERVIEW: CHRISTMAS 2015 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 12/19, and by 12/23 will hit their highest levels of the year, where they will stay until about January 2, 2016

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 at the moderates and values, to 33-45% higher than the lowest of the year, and on December 18, 2015, they increase to 55-85% higher than the lowest levels of the year.

Deluxe prices go up some the 11th, more the 18th, and even more the 25th.

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 most have special Christmas events, which begin in early November or right around Thanksgiving.

• At the Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party—a special event that requires its own ticket—runs on many nights through the first two-thirds of the month. Later in the month, 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 2015, November 8
• 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–November 27 in 2015
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Christmas celebration is the Osborne holiday lights in the Streets of America area. The evening opening ceremony is 6p. These typically begin in early November. 2015 will be the last year for the Osborne lights…

NEW YEAR’S EVE 2015/2016 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

New Year’s Eve festivities will occur December 31, 2015 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.

Nothing is official yet, but based on the past, the schedule will look like this:

• Epcot likely will be open until 1a on New Year’s Eve; Disney’s Hollywood Studios until midnight for the general public, and 2a for Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests; 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 11.50p
• Epcot likely will have its Illuminations fireworks show at 6p and 11.40p, plus DJs in various pavilions.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios likely will have fireworks at midnight, and several sets over the evening from “Mulch, Sweat and Shears,” a live band
• Note that alcohol is not available at the Magic Kingdom, but is available at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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

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DISNEY WORLD’S SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PARTY IN 2015

While Christmas itself is December 25 of course, Walt Disney World provides a special Christmas celebration at the Magic Kingdom many nights in November and December.

This celebration is called “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or “MVMCP” for short.

At the party, many of the Magic Kingdom’s rides are open, and cookies and hot chocolate, special events, and slightly different Christmas parades and fireworks, and even snow (!) are offered.

The official Disney World page for this event (where you can also buy tickets) can be found here.  I attended the first 2015 party, on November 8. For a review of the 2015 version of MVMCP, see this.

MORE ON MICKEY’S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY

This party occurs from 7p-12MN on certain evenings at the Magic Kingdom in November and December.

The 2015 dates for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are as follows:

• November 2015: 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, and 29
• December 2015:  1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 18

You need to buy a special ticket for this party. This ticket is different from regular Walt Disney World park admission tickets.

• The special party ticket does not allow you to enjoy the rides and attractions of the Magic Kingdom before the the Party starts–you need a regular ticket for that (note that you can usually enter and enjoy the rides as early as 4p–although your ticket will say 7p)
• Regular tickets used to enter the park earlier the day of a Party do not give you access to the Party–you need to have the special Party ticket

The party tickets are expensive, so why would first-time visitors be interested? A couple of potential reasons

• Evening parades and fireworks shows are rare this time of year, so going to one of the parties is a way to guarantee you can see them
• Operating hours at the Magic Kingdom are shorter this time of year, so the Party allows you more time there within the same visit
• Walt Disney World sells only a limited number of tickets to each party, so the evening can be less crowded, particularly compared to whenever the Magic Kingdom is doing evening Extra Magic Hours that week

Many families go the first time for one of these reasons…and then going becomes a tradition!

On the other hand, families following one of the standard 8-night itineraries on this site will see the fireworks and evening parade, and have plenty of time at the Magic Kingdom. For that reason, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is not designed into this site’s pre-Thanksgiving itineraries.

It is, however, built in to this site’s Christmas-oriented Basic Itinerary, which works for the three weeks beginning the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

For details on what the party offers, suggested approaches, etc., see this!

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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.

(A review of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort begins here.)

DIXIE LANDINGS AND PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

By Jim Korkis

What we now know as Port Orleans Riverside opened as Disney’s Dixie Landings Resort on February 2, 1992, themed to the Antebellum South of steamboat travel, formal garden parties, mint juleps on the front porch and more.

It was inspired by rural Louisiana and nestled alongside the picturesque Sassagoula River (using the Native American term for the Mississippi).

In 2001, to try to eliminate the negative connotations associated with the Old South, including a cotton mill that suggested the slavery of the pre-Civil War era as well as the word “Dixie” itself, the resort was formally merged into Disney’s Port Orleans resort to become Port Orleans Riverside.

(The old Port Orleans resort was then renamed Port Orleans French Quarter.)

Riverside is divided into two distinctly themed parishes: the stately white-columned Magnolia Bend “mansions” reminiscent of the Old South and the quaint backwoods “cottages” of Alligator Bayou themed after Cajun Country.

When it first opened, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort had a faux newspaper called “The Sassagoula Sentinel” referring to the man-made river that flowed outside. When Dixie Landings opened about a year later, it also had a newspaper, “The Sassagoula Times” (supposedly originally printed in 1893 and costing five cents, but given free to guests).

These newspapers detailed guest information but were also filled with stories that were a mixture of authentic history mixed with fanciful but logical additions from Walt Disney Imagineering.

Today, resort guests receive a generic “Directory of Services and Resort Map”, a small pocket sized pamphlet containing just the basic service information but no background story or fun facts.

According to stories in the original issue of “The Sassagoula Times”, Dixie Landings was founded by a pair of brothers from Port Orleans. Colonel J.C. Peace and his brother Everette came upriver to make their own home away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Everette, the recluse of the family who often spent days on end whittling small carvings with a remarkable degree of detail, settled on a remote island in 1835 in the heart of what later became known as Alligator Bayou, to live the life of a hermit. Legends arose about this Old Man Island and its odd inhabitant.

Everette’s younger brother, Jonathon, who was an honorary colonel like Colonel Sanders of KFC fame, was much more outgoing.

He constructed a stately home known as Acadian House. Neighbors would pay visits on one another regularly, the cotton trade brought numerous business guests, and steamboats along the vital Sassagoula accounted for a steady stream of visitors from across the country.

Before long, a community of stately Southern mansions arose in this tranquil part of the Sassagoula, called Magnolia Bend.

Over the years, Jonathon had heard tall tales of the mysterious Old Man living on Old Man Island but dismissed them as legend. One day, his granddaughter, Susie, came running to him with a beautifully carved wooden bird in her hand. She told stories of the funny old man who gave it to her as a gift.

Turning over the rustic artistic treasure, he could barely make out the tiny letters carved into the base: “Everette Peace, 1857”.

Immediately, the Colonel made his way out to the island loudly shouting his older brother’s name. The two embraced warmly. Despite Jonathon’s offer to come live with him, Everette had no desire to leave his little island. Jonathon continued to visit his brother many nights there to reminisce until their deaths.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! Meet Jim (and me and Josh) April 20! And for more on Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort and its theming, see this.

I happened to be staying at Port Orleans Riverside in February on its 23rd birthday, and a cast member gave me this button!

Come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis! In the meantime, check out his books, including The Vault of Walt, Who’s Afraid of the Song of the South?, and The Book of Mouse, and his contributions to The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

MORE DISNEY WORLD HISTORY POSTS FROM JIM KORKIS

• “Summer Magic” on Main Street
• Muppets and Mama Melrose
• Peter Dominick and the Wilderness Lodge
• Dixie Landing and Port Orleans Riverside
• The History of Splash Mountain
• The First Disney World Hotel
• The “Sharing the Magic” Statue
• The First Disney World Monorails
• The Water Park River Country
• The Epcot Fountain
• The Fireplace at the Wilderness Lodge
• Sid Cahuenga at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Spaceship Earth
• Downtown Disney
• The Missing Resort Hotels
• Echo Park and Echo Lake
• Typhoon Lagoon

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: APRIL 4 TO APRIL 12, 2015

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the image, but organized by park, not by topic. For more on April 2015 at Walt Disney World, click here.

Note that typos happen, and schedules change! If something seems odd, or if you want to double check, use the calendar links near the bottom to get the latest official Disney World scoop.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/-4/12/2015

The Magic Kingdom will be open 8a-1a 4/4 through 4/11, and 9a-11p 4/12

Epcot will be open from 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 8a-9.30p 4/4 through 4/11, and 9a-8p 4/12

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 8a-7p 4/4 and 4/5; 8a-8p 4/6 through 4/9; 8a-7p 4/10 and 4/11; and 9a-8p 4/12

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/-4/12/2015

Saturday 4/4 Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios  Evening: Magic Kingdom

Sunday 4/5 Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Monday 4/6 Morning: Magic Kingdom  Evening: Hollywood Studios

Tuesday 4/7 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Epcot Evening:  none

Wednesday 4/8 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom  Evening:  none

Thursday 4/9 Morning: Magic Kingdom  Evening: none

Friday 4/10 Morning: Magic Kingdom Evening: Epcot

Saturday 4/11 Morning:  Hollywood Studios Evening: Magic Kingdom

Sunday 4/12  Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/-4/12/2015

The Magic Kingdom:

• Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: noon and 3p 4/4 through 4/11; 3p 4/12
• Evening Main Street Electrical Parade: 10.15p and 12.15a 4/4 through 4/11; 9 and 11p 4/12

FIREWORKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4-4/12/2015

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 9p 4/4 through 4/11; 10p 4/12

Illuminations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30 and 10p 4/4 through 4/11; 8.30p 4/12

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/-4/12/2015

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/4/-4/12/2015

See this for forecasts.

DISCLAIMER

Everything is subject to change and typos! Check the Disney Calendars for updates and official schedules. These calendars can be found by clicking the following links:

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

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The latest edition of WDW Magazine, which focuses romance at Walt Disney World, is out! The magazine is available on iTunes, for Android, and on the web. Editor Carl Trent has this to say:

“We’ve all heard about Disney Weddings, but did you know that WDW is a great honeymoon destination? It’s also a great place for an engagement or even for a date. Check this out.

“This issue is packed with romance. Dave takes a look at the romantic side of WDW. We’ve got the perfect Disney wedding gifts, and we even have a throw down between Danny and Stephanie over the most romantic attractions at WDW.

“Romance continues in our Best of WDW section as we look at the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, California Grill, Spaceship Earth and the Art of Disney. We even look at romance on a Disney Cruise.

“This issue is full of what makes Disney special. It’s full of love.”

My column for first-timers focuses on date-night and other romantic activities for first timers. Curious?  Of course you are! Sample a free issue here. Also, now available is a preview function–check it out!

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April 1, 2015: In a surprise, Disney World announced today that it is no longer taking reservations for the 20 new Bungalows that line Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

Instead, Disney is converting the deck of each Bungalow and the boardwalk that connects them all into FastPass+ viewing areas for the Electrical Water Pageant.

Disney World’s FastPass+ program is a way for guests to make poor decisions about which ride to do when as many as 60 days before a visit, rather than saving those mistakes for only the time they are actually in Walt Disney World.

“We don’t have a FastPass+ offering at the Magic Kingdom comparable to key FastPass+ options at Epcot like Captain EO and Journey into Imagination with Figment,” a Disney spokesman noted. “Adding an Electrical Water Pageant viewing area to Magic Kingdom FastPass+ options solves that problem.”

The Electrical Water Parade is a moving display of lights and sounds that visits the Disney resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake nightly unless cancelled by weather or mercy.

Much loved by both the elderly and their parents, it combines the visual sophistication of a blinking stoplight with music whose tonal qualities were dated three decades ago.

The change powerfully illustrates the failure of the new eight-person Polynesian Bungalows to attract their target market.

(c) Disney

Compared to most other Disney Vacation Club two bedroom options, Bungalows have great outdoor decks and nicer dining rooms, but also have less space and a worse second bedroom.

Even so, they rent for more than twice as much, from $2,400 to $3,400 a night.

The pricing is easy to understand when one remembers that the Four Seasons now has a presence at Disney World, and its suites go for as much as $10,000 a night (before parking fees).

The Polynesian Bungalows at these price levels represented Disney’s attempt to stay competitive in the important and growing President for Life/dictator/oligarch/drug cartel jefe “get me the most expensive room” market that’s now being siphoned off by the Four Seasons.

Unfortunately, a design feature has made the bungalows not really well-suited for this market.

The President for Life/dictator/oligarch/drug cartel jefe market requires not only a spectacular space for the Supreme Leader and Nutmeg of Consolation himself, but also a whole constellation of connecting or nearby rooms for the oligarch’s entourage that have to be in regular rooms nearby, but not in the suite itself—bodyguards, children, mistresses.

This is easy to pull off in a standard hotel room tower, where such rooms can be connected (mistresses), down the hall (bodyguards), or just an elevator ride away (children).

But with disconnected individual buildings like the Bungalows, this is much harder, and as a result the target market is not responding.

Thus, Disney has given up pursuing this market through the Bungalows and is converting the Bungalows to FastPass+ viewing areas for the Electrical Water Pageant instead.

Insiders suggest that Disney may yet pursue the high-price market, via other alternatives.

For example, refurb plans for the Pirate Rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort are still not clear.

At current pricing, one could book one of the 64-room Pirate accommodation buildings in its entirety for the price of three or four Polynesian Bungalows. This yields vast refurb scope for building as many as six “Pirate Castles” at Caribbean Beach with more than 20,000 square feet each—plenty of room for the entire entourage to spread out a bit.

But even if this Caribbean Beach piratical refurb goes forward, walking away from the Polynesian Bungalows is still a bit of a black eye.

Creativity requires the freedom to make mistakes, so it’s not that big a deal.

Yet when put in the context of other recent reversals—the brief cancellation of FastPass+ about a year ago, the abandonment of a pain-themed DVC resort, dropping the addition of a Minnesota Pavilion to Epcot, and still no word on the groundbreaking for the high-speed option for leaving Rafiki’s Planet Watch—well, it does make you wonder…

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