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EPCOT DAY 2: MONDAY AGENDA

Today you will complete Epcot.

Assuming you saw Soarin, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Turtle Talk with Crush, and some of World Showcase yesterday, you can arrive late today–around 11a.

If you missed some of these, you need to arrive before park open, and starting with Soarin right at open see them, then shift to the material that begins at 11a.

For today you should have FastPass+ for Test Track, Mission: Space, and a third ride. You have several other scheduled events–dinner as the Candlelight Processional Package at San Angel Inn at around 5.45, the Candlelight Processional itself at 8.15p, and Illuminations at 9.30p

(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Basic December Itinerary Six Night Variant. The itinerary works only for the three weeks after Thanksgiving. For itineraries for other dates, see this.)

FIRST THINGS

Be at the park by 11a.

AT THE PARK: MORNING

• See anything you missed yesterday
• Have lunch
• See Mission: Space (FP+)
• See Ellen’s Energy Adventure
• See Test Track (FP+)
• Go into Innoventions East and check out The Sum of All Thrills.  If it looks like fun and waits aren’t too long, ride it. See more of Innoventions East and West if you wish
• See the Seas with Nemo and Friends
• See Circle of Life
• See Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• See Captain EO
• Continue the visit to World Showcase you began on yesterday
• Have dinner at San Angel Inn
• Visit more of World Showcase
• See the Candlelight Processional in front of the American Adventure
• Make your way to the special seating area for Illuminations that’s part of your Candlelight Processional Package, seeing more of World Showcase on the way, hitting if needed the bathrooms before you enter the Illuminations area–as you want to beat the crowds heading out, and you want nothing to slow you down!
• Watch Illuminations, and if you are parked, taking the monorail, or taking a bus back to your hotel, immediately at its end start walking briskly to the park exit (on the far side of Spaceship Earth) to beat the crowds.
• Return to your hotel

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you have the early morning off, and then begin your visit to the Magic Kingdom.

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EPCOT DAY 1: SUNDAY AGENDA

Check in, get settled if your room is ready, and be at Epcot as soon as you can.

FIRST THINGS

(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Basic December Itinerary Six Night Variant. The itinerary works only for the three weeks after Thanksgiving. For itineraries for other dates, see this.)

• Arrive at your hotel, following the instructions in your Disney’s Magical Express packet if you are using it to get from Orlando International to your Disney Resort. Check in
• Unless you are arriving late, your room will likely not be ready, but you can leave your bags. First change into clothes more appropriate for the weather–which your To-Do List reminded you to pack in your carry-ons. You can ask to be called or texted later to find out your exact room
• If your room is ready, and if you have time–you want to be at Epcot as soon as you can–get food and supplies (bowls, napkins, scotch) for your breakfast in the morning, which you will be eating out of your room. Also get (from the counter service restaurant)  “Refillable Mugs,” which you will be able to re-use at your resort for free drinks over your entire stay
• Head to Epcot as soon as you can

AT THE PARK

• Your plan today is to see as many of Epcot’s attractions as you can to free time on your second visit, see the parts of World Showcase that are most fun in the evening, and see the lovely Christmas decorations at the nearby Epcot resorts–while exiting the park before the end of Illuminations, the park-closing show that you will see tomorrow night. You should also have FastPass+ for Soarin’, Spaceship Earth and a third ride. Those arriving late may have to thin the below to just Soarin’, dinner, World Showcase, and the Epcot resorts
• Go through the turnstiles and pick up a park map and “Times Guide”–a schedule. Use your Spaceship Earth FastPass+ and then see Turtle Talk with Crush, Living with the Land and Soarin (FP+)
• Then sample Innoventions to get a sense of how much time you might want to devote to it tomorrow.
• Head to World Showcase, and see the pavilions starting with Mexico and going clockwise.
  • Each pavilion will have some or all of Christmas displays and storytellers as part of Epcot’s Holidays Around the World celebration, shopping, special exhibits, a ride, a movie, and other special events—such as acrobats in China.
  • Check your map, times guide, and the pavilion itself, to see what each pavilion has.
  • For scheduled events like the acrobats, etc., sequence what you do when among items that are not scheduled (shops, exhibits, and rides), and bounce back and forth between nearby pavilions, so that you don’t have to wait long for the scheduled item
• Have dinner
• Continue touring World Showcase clockwise until about 8:30p
• Leave Epcot via the International Gateway exit between France and the UK and walk around Crescent Lake, visiting the lobbies and Christmas decorations at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, and BoardWalk Inn
• Be back in Epcot by 9.30p, and instead of staying for Illuminations–which will have started about now, and which you will see tomorrow–return to the exit by Spaceship Earth and head back to your hotel–thus beating the post-Illuminations crowds.

BACK AT THE HOTEL

Buy food, supplies (bowls, spoons, etc.) and refillable mugs for breakfast in your room at your hotel counter service or gift shop, if you did not have time, or a room assignment, earlier.

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

You will complete your visit to Epcot, sleeping in unless you missed key rides tonight, or expect to spend extra time in World Showcase or Innoventions.

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OVERVIEW: DECEMBER 2014 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews December 2014 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 common in this period, as are 8a openings and daily morning Extra Magic Hours.

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. [Read more →]

2014 NEW YEAR’S EVE AT DISNEY WORLD

New Year’s Eve festivities will happen on December 31, 2014 at Disney World’s Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios theme parks, and also at the Magic Kingdom on December 30.

The Animal Kingdom has no special New Year’s Eve events.

Disney World New Year’s Eve festivities will occur December 31, 2014 at Disney World’s Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios theme parks, and also at the Magic Kingdom on December 30. The Animal Kingdom has no special events.

Hours may be extended, but here’s what’s currently scheduled:

• Epcot 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 2a
• The Magic Kingdom will have Wishes at 7.30p and special New Year’s Eve fireworks at 11.50p
• Epcot 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, 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 will have the same fireworks at the same times on 12/30. 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 Epcot the least likely.

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OVERVIEW: CHRISTMAS 2014 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 12/20, and by 12/23 will hit their highest levels of the year, where they will stay until about January 3, 2015

Walt Disney World resort hotel December prices at the beginning of the month are at one of the lower levels of the year. On 12/12 they go up a lot, and on December 19, 2014, they increase to 50-80% 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 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 2014, November 7
• 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
• 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–in 2014, November 7 is the first date

NEW YEAR’S EVE 2014/2015 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

New Year’s Eve festivities will occur December 31, 2014 at Disney World’s Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios theme parks, and also at the Magic Kingdom on December 30. The Animal Kingdom has no special events.

Hours may be extended, but here’s what’s currently scheduled:

• Epcot 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 will have Wishes at 7.30p and special New Year’s Eve fireworks at 11.50p
• Epcot  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, 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 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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ANIMAL KINGDOM DAY 2: SECOND SUNDAY AGENDA

Today you spend the morning completing your visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and then depart for home. You have no scheduled meals.

You should have FastPass+ for Kilimanjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King, and a third ride of your choice. Your goal today is to see Africa–the first two FastPass+, Pangani Forest, and, if you have time, Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Basic December Seven Night Itinerary, Sunday Arrival variant. The itinerary works only for the three weeks after Thanksgiving. For itineraries for other dates, see this.)

MORNING

• Check out and note your instructions for Disney’s Magical Express if you are using it.  If you aren’t, for many domestic airlines you’ll be able to check bags and print boarding passes near the front desk.  This is a tip-based service.  You can also store your bags at the bell stand
• Arrive at Animal Kingdom by 45 minutes before open

AT THE PARK

• Enter the park, and if you loved it on your earlier visit, head to and re-ride Expedition Everest. Otherwise go to Africa and ride Kilimanjaro Safaris
• See the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, and while wandering, if you just saw Kilimanjaro, decide if you want to do Kilimanjaro again. If not, change your FastPass+ for it to something else from Thursday you’d like to see again
• Use your FastPass+ for Festival of the Lion King, Kilimanjaro, and/or anything else you have scheduled
• Rafiki’s Planet Watch is a minor adventure accessed by the Wildlife Express Train. If interested, and you have time (including the train allow 45 minutes), see it
• Sadly return home

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