Planning your Disney Holidays Celebration? Check out these tips to maximize your holiday pixie dust!

The Christmas/Holiday season is such a beautiful time to take a Disney vacation! Whether it is to Florida to visit Walt Disney World, or California to see Disneyland, the OG, you can’t go wrong if you are looking for a big dose of festive cheer and merriment (not to mention huge Christmas decorations and fake snow!).

BUT, what you will also get is a not-so-welcome gift- huge crowds! Christmas week is one of the busiest weeks at the Disney parks, so you must be prepared lest all of your merriment fizzles and you end up feeling very Grinchlike instead.  By the end of this blog you’ll know some helpful ways to maximize the magic and minimize the stress this holiday season on your Disney Trip!

10 Steps to Plan Your Disney Holidays

Here is a strategy I have used and shared many times, and I hope it helps you this year or on any upcoming Disney holiday trip- read to the end as these tips can really help avoid disaster during this crazy week!

1. Book your reservations

• You will need a park pass for any park you plan to visit on any given day you are there for your trip. (*2024 update- this now only applies at Disneyland for everyone.  At Walt Disney World if you have a dated ticket you don’t need to have a park reservation).
• Make your dining reservations. If this is for your 2023 (or beyond, unless they change things) you can make your Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR’s) up to 60 days ahead of time on the MyDisneyExperience app or Disneyland app, or on the individual websites. If you are staying at a Disney resort you can do this even sooner as long as soon as 60 days before the start of your vacation (so you can make them for the entirety of your stay starting at 60 days before your first day of your resort stay). This applies to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts. If this is a last-minute planning session then keep in mind there might be limited options BUT many people do cancel or change their dining reservations just before or even during their trips.  Using one of these Disney Dining Reservation Finder tools can really help!
• Book any extras you may want to do, like Savi’s workshop at either coasts park in Galaxy’s Edge, special holiday dessert parties, or special meal packages for events like Candlelight Procession at EPCOT or for hard-to-see shows like Fantasmic. These book up pretty far ahead usually.  But for the shows you can sometimes get some great last-minute dining packages and have a decent view of the shows without waiting forever to save your spot!

2. Use Genie Plus

It hurts my heart, and my wallet, to have to pay for a service we used to get for free, but that’s just how it is now. Disney introduced Genie plus over the last year or so on both coasts, and it is here to stay (but stay tuned, you never know, a girl can dream)!

Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland now require you to pay for this add-on skip-the-line option.  There are many rules and you don’t have unlimited choices, but on a busy week like Christmas week, you will greatly benefit from skipping any lines that you can!

3. Get to the parks EARLY

I am saying this loud so all in the back can hear- please get to the parks early and rope drop during Christmas week! You will thank me, your feet, your alarm clock- everything that helped you avoid noon time peaks and angry families!

Instead, at noon, (read more about this below) you will be sipping a yummy drink by your resort pool or taking a relaxing siesta at the location of your choosing! Arrive to the parks about an hour before the posted opening times and have a list of what you want to get done during that time.

You may not need quite this much time at the Disneyland parks but it never hurts to be one of the first in line.  And at the Disneyland parks, you have the benefit of having most hotels within walking distance from the resort!

4. Make use of Early Entry if you have it

Early Theme Park Entry allows Disney hotel guests (and select good neighbor hotel guests) to take advantage of a 30-minute early entry period to ANY theme park at Walt Disney World, EVERY day.

Additionally, guests of Deluxe Resorts or Villas can stay later with Extended Evening hours. During the very busiest times, park hours are later, so those Extended Evening Hours can stretch into the wee hours of the night, proving the importance of that mid-day break! 

Extended Evening Hours are a great way to get the most out of your visit.

Unfortunately, Disneyland Parks do not offer extended evening hours.  However, they do offer the Early Entry option for those staying at any of the 3 Disneyland hotels.  The parks vary by the day so be sure to check the schedule ahead of time.

Insider tip: At the Magic Kingdom Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are currently the only lands open during Early Entr hours (unless they make some changes after I write this, which is very possible).

 

5. Take a break!

Have you heard this somewhere before? It bears repeating, do not go rope drop to close during the holiday season! You will hate the crowds, be exhausted, and be grumpy, and you might just end up hating your family and Christmas too (ok maybe I went a little to far there but it could happen)!

In my opinion, it’s best to get to the parks an hour before they open, then head out at noon at the latest.  If you are staying at a close resort go ahead and take a siesta. If your Disney or non-Disney hotel is kind of far away you could instead do a holiday decor tour of the Disney resort hotels.

Disney Resort Hotels with Awesome Holiday Decor

If you are at Magic Kingdom take the monorail to the Grand Floridian and enjoy the Gingerbread house, and enormous and beautiful Christmas tree.  You could also stop by the Grand Floridian cafe for some delicious food, or if it’s later in the day, the Enchanted Rose Lounge (one of my personal favorites).

You can also choose to take the monorail to the Contemporary and see their cool Christmas decor and gingerbread options too!

If you are at EPCOT or Hollywood Studios, then take the Friendship boats to the Boardwalk and check out their Christmas cheer, as well as the options for food and fun along the Boardwalk! At the Beach Club they have an amazing Gingerbread Carousel- this is a full-sized Carousel made of Gingerbread and Chocolate!

You can also take the bus over to Animal Kingdom lodge and check out their huge Christmas tree.  Enjoy the activities they have there, and stay a while to check out the animals on the safari.  Don’t forgt to enjoy their delicious food options!

After you have a few hours off, you will feel rested and ready to head back for the nighttime festivities. You could even watch the fireworks from one of these hotels and then head back after the crowds leave- if you still have the energy!

 

6. Have a game plan

I love using touringplans.com.  Having a touring plan helps you optimize your time and minimize wasted time.

But stay flexible, if you can’t follow the touring plan exactly and you miss some of your top attractions or shows, that’s ok.  Know that you can’t do everything, and enjoy the magic as you go!

Another thing to plan with your group- if you are traveling with kids- is a “what if you get lost” plan. My kids are older now and have phones, but before they did we always made sure they had our phone number memorized.  We also taught them how to recognize a cast member to ask for help. We showed them where the baby care/first aid centers are at every park, so that was our designated meet-up area. Plan one for your family just in case!

7. Use Mobile Order

If you haven’t made dining reservations use mobile order.

Most quick service locations at both WDW and Disneyland parks have this option.  And all you have to do is tap some options on the MyDisneyExperience or Disneyland app! But, on crowded weeks like Christmas week, order early.  You will find your pick-up time may be greatly affected by the crowds. So, for example, if you want to eat at noon then order at 9 am, or earlier. Sounds crazy but it will save you time and save you from getting hangry!

8. Avoid Park Hopping

This is actually a time to AVOID park hopping! This recommendation applies if the crowd level is at its max, which it is almost guaranteed to be during Christmas week.

It’s very likely that at least one of the parks (the Magic Kingdom usually), will hit capacity and you may not be able to reenter the park if you park hop. 

*NOTE that this may change the “take a break option” noted above, so talk with cast members before you leave. Park hopping also is quite the commitment, at least at the WDW parks (at Disneyland it’s simply a short little walk to DCA).  At WDW it can take a lot of time out of your day.

9.  Join a Virtual Queue and join it early

Check out the “Join a Virtual Queue” info on the MyDisneyExperience app if you are headed to EPCOT for Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind or the Magic Kingdom for Tron.

The rules can be tricky so study up while you are on the plane, on that road trip, or on your way to your hotel at the start of your trip! You will be happy you did.

10. Get Familiar with Individual Lightning Lane Options

Another homework assignment for your travels- read up on Individual Lightning Lane (ILL) Attractions.

These are in-demand attractions that they have at the parks on both coasts.  These attractions AREN’T an option in your Genie + skip-the-line list. They cost an additional fee. 

However, you don’t have to buy Genie + to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane. Check out this list to learn more about Walt Disney World ILL, and Disneyland/California Adventure ILL.

 

It will no doubt be crowded during your holiday trip to a Disney Park. But you can still have a magical time and enjoy the festive spirit and spark that every Disney Park has during the holiday season. Take a deep breath, dive in, and enjoy your time with your family, you will make lasting memories!

Share your Disney Parks holiday memories with me- I would love to hear them!

You may also like:

The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney Vacation on a Budget

Complete Guide: Where to Watch the Fireworks at Epcot

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