I went this year (12/12-12/15) and we only did holiday things at Disney. No rides without a holiday overlay. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Jollywood. Watched all the shows, met a couple of characters in holiday garb. Ate some festive food and had some festive drinks. And I decided it’s something I need to do every year. It was a fabulous way to really get into the holiday spirit.
(And, as a side note, we did one day at Universal to attend the Orlando Informer event. Their holiday stuff was equally entertaining - love the parade, the shows and the tribute store!)
I debated including some UOR stuff in the polls, but I don’t know it well enough to be inclusive of everything. Figured it was best to focus on Disney this time. But that is good to know you enjoyed their offerings!
I had to vote Other. I love the holidays in the parks! I’m the silly person who actually is ok inside of MK on NYE. It’s a mess and it’s a disaster, but I go in with the mindset of Armageddon, and anything short of that isn’t so bad.
But once we found out about Marathon Weekend, we switched over. It’s cheaper, my DW loves the races, and we get to see the tail end of the Christmas decorations as they’re pulling them down. But trying for trips two weeks apart is rather silly.
We’ve been to WDW twice during Christmas week. Once in 2004 when DD23 turned 3, and once in 2018 when we were celebrating my graduation from University. I love it at Christmas time, but it is very busy and the crowds on Main Street are too much to bear. Both times we planned resort days on Christmas Day.
Our families very first trip to WDW was Christmas Eve to New Year’s Eve!! I had my first TP and it was fabulous! We RD, took an afternoon break and then would hit a different park in the evening. We hardly noticed the hordes of other people!
But now that I live here you couldn’t pay me to go to a park the week of Christmas
I had a fantastic visit with my family feom the 26th to the 1st. It was our first DVC stay. They crowds may have been down because that was when the big 2021 COVID wave hit. DD and DH brought it home as a Christmas gift.
We also went during Spring Break, so it is clear to me that cool weather trumps big crowds for us.
Honestly, the thing I have found about visiting the parks this time of year is I get tired of the holiday music. The soundtrack loops at the parks are so iconic to me, I miss that during the holidays.
Now, see, I love Christmas music, and can’t get enough of it. I could listen to it year round…so hearing it in the parks just makes me happy, and I find myself singing along with it. So I don’t mind them swapping out the regular music. That said, I would be fine with a mixture of the two. But to have the parks decorated for Christmas but only playing Disney tunes makes it not seem nearly as Christmas-like.
@tiggerpal suggested this to me when I was mentioning it and I think that is the best solution.
I also would love if they made more of their own versions. Animal Kingdom, has its own holiday songs and I love the decorations, so it all blends beautifully. Its why it is the park that takes my breath away at the holidays every time.
So in that spirit, I need the Hollywood studios entrance loop to have a Christmas version instead of reallying on that era Christmas songs - which are some of my favorites BTW, but I need my big band entrance loop.
Here’s what they should do, instead of the classics with vocals.
Same! My initial rides on GoTG I missed four songs due to the Christmas overlay music. I am also reminded of my first MNSSHP. At the start of the party they were blasting pop music on Main Street, I don’t want to “Walk down the middle of Main Street USA” to Pop music.
I said Other for favorite holiday offering. We’ve done a couple of MVMCP in the past and this year did Jollywood. Mickeys is just too chaotic. And while Jollywood was chill and I enjoyed the entertainment, I really really miss the Osborne lights. We did CP for the first time with NPH this year and it was really good, but a one and done for us. The festival booths were ok, but so much less offerings for me with allergies. I think there were 2 things safe for me, neither of which was sweet or unique from other festivals. It wouldn’t kill them to make one GFDF cookie. Or give Erin McKenna a booth.
I am very much looking forward to visiting again in November. I have 11/11-11/21 penciled in, which are almost the exact dates of our 2019 trip. I do not recall the Christmas decor whatsoever at AK or Epcot, TBH. It either didn’t stand out or didn’t impress. I did love the MK and HS decor however.
I don’t know where you live, but I do not see this in SC:
But that is good to know you enjoyed their offerings!
, perfectly.
