Merry Christmas in July

Christmas in July and Happy Holidays!  I got Santa a great travel deal and he is currently sun bathing in St. Lucia!

I wanted to share some great events that take place in Walt Disney World for Christmas. Every resort and park is decorated to the extreme to get your holiday spirit ready. You will be able to purchase specialty holiday merchandise including: pins, shirts, popcorn buckets and more. Make sure you have your memory maker and your personal camera because you could take a whole day resort hopping and posing in front of Christmas Trees.

We have lots of favorites at the Magic Kingdom. Cinderella's Holiday Wish is where there is a celebration and then the castle glows with millions of white lights. It usually happens around 7 pm, but check your times guide to make sure you experience this breath taking celebration. Holiday Wishes Fireworks and Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade are also added just in time for the holidays. 

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is one of the highlights for Magic Kingdom. It does require a separate admission and the party usually starts at 7 pm, but in the past you have been allowed in at 4pm or 5 pm. This event includes free cookies, hot cocoa, snow falling, toy soldiers and many more magical events. One of the lesser known events, but one of my boys favorite is Tomorrowland's Christmas Party.  This event takes place in Tomorrowland at a Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. It includes snow falling, interaction from the crowd, visits from Stitch, Buzz, Mike and a sing-a-long.

 Animal Kingdom is my boys favorite park and they celebrate the holidays as well. They have a huge tree out front with the most unique ornaments on it. They used to change the Jingle Jamming Parade to a Christmas theme, however with the parade being removed earlier this year we are looking forward to seeing what additional items Animal Kingdom comes up with. It is also very interesting to see the ways to celebrate the holidays that include wildlife conservation and going green.

Hollywood Studios also celebrates the holidays in many ways. An absolute must see is the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights. It is breath taking and amazing.  It is a highlight when we go during holiday trips. There are so many lights everywhere and they are synchronized to music and a great soundtrack. It all started modestly in Arkansas as a single home's annual display. Every year, Jennings Osborne and his family set up an elaborate collection of holiday lights. Over time, the collection of lights grew and grew. In 1995, the Osborne family decided to share their magic with the world. Walt Disney World Resort happily offered to become the new permanent home for this exceptional exhibition of holiday cheer. Remember to find all the hidden Mickey's and the families black cat, which changes location every year. This event is included in the price of admission.

Now on to Epcot which is my absolute favorite during the holidays. To walk around the World Showcase and to see each country and how they celebrate the holidays including foods, drinks, music, entertainment and their Santa and what he is called. Epcot is not a park to skip for the holidays, it is a MUST! Epcot also has what is called the Candlelight Processional. Candlelight Processional is a holiday event held nightly at the America Gardens Theatre in Epcot. The rich sounds of the full orchestra and choir fill the theatre as a special guest narrator takes the stage. Let the story of the babe in a manger touch your heart as it has for generations, accompanied by warm and inspiring holiday music. We have gotten to experience Neil Patrick Harris and Trace Adkins as narrators. The Candlelight Processional is a goose bump, put me in the Christmas mood event. There is a stand by line which you can wait to get in, and depending on the narrator you may not get into the theatre. My advice to you is take advantage of the dinner packages. Make advanced reservations, go and enjoy your lunch or dinner and then after you dine you get a sticker you wear that will get you a seat.

There are many restaurants that have Christmas Day dinners but make sure you or your travel agent calls ahead to make advanced dining reservations as they fill up fast.

There are religious services for the holiday and you can check your travel agent or when you check in to get a list of sites and times.

Don't forget the Gingerbread House at The Grand Floridan and the Gingerbread Tree at  The Contemporary. You can even get a yummy slice of gingerbread.

You can call a Disney shopper or the Disney Florist to get a tree for your room if you like. We just went to the local Walmart and got a little fiber optic tree. Make sure to take things if you have a window you would like to decorate. It is always cool to see the windows in the All Star Resorts with cards and lights. Also we had a hard time finding wrapping paper, tape, shirt boxes and other supplies on property. This is something you might want to go out and get or again call a Disney shopper. From experience it can be quite tricky to wrap present in a bathroom at 2 am so the children will not hear but celebrating Christmas morning in Disney is worth it.

If you have been during the holidays feel free to share what you like or don't like about the festivities at Disney World. If you have never been Snapshot Getaways can help with that. This holiday season the Snapshot Getaways family would love to help your family can get there. If you can't make it this holiday season all it takes is $200 down to get you set up for next holiday season. Contact us at Snapshot Getaways  so you can have an amazing holiday time like my family did.

Amanda Hansel is a mom of two pirates in training and a self proclaimed Disney junkie. She is also a Destination Specialist with Snapshot Getaways. You can reach her on Twitter or Facebook for questions or free quotes.