There is nothing so magical as Christmas at Disney World. Not one detail is left undone. From the Christmas carols throughout the park, to the dazzling Christmas trees. Even the hot chocolate there is the best I’ve ever had. We decided to do this trip right, and take advantage of an offer for a free meal plan with a stay at a Disney Park. It was well worth it. Click here to find out how you can get the meal plan for free.
Two of our daughters were set to graduate the following summer, one as an RN and the other from High School. And we decided as a gift, we’d all go to Disney World around Christmas time. I did hours and hours of research, wanting to make sure that we maximized our time there, as well as our money. Finding just the right snacks to splurge on was important too, especially at Epcot.
This, is School Bread. Found in the little Norwegian bakery in the Norway part of Epcot. It. Is. Delicious. So delicious in fact, that we went back two other times for it. I think it may be our favorite snack at Epcot.
If you’re looking for a buffet, nothing beats the Biergarten in the Germany part of Epcot. Delicious, authentic food and great entertainment. The grapefruit beer is fabulous, even for those who aren’t fans of beer. Having family living in Germany, we were excited to see some of our favorite treats available here. If you love pouring over food choices, you may be interested in The Disney Food Blog.
Another resource we found useful was Mouse Savers. You can sign up for their free newsletter and find out what deals are out there.
You’ll for sure want to set up your My Disney Experience account as soon as possible. This is where you’ll plan your fast passes and any meal reservations you may want. Some fast passes, like the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride, and restaurant reservations, like Cinderella’s Royal Table, fill up quickly! We were able to stop by the Castle and pick up someones cancelled reservation. If your goal is to meet a bunch of princesses, Cinderella’s Royal Table is definitely for you!
It’s helpful to peruse the maps online and plan out your day. You’ll waste precious time criss crossing across the park.
Our favorite ride is Expedition Everest. This ride is located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, in Asia. The souvenirs at Animal Kingdom are just as amazing as Epcot. These times have been shipping from their respective countries, adding to the authentic feel of the park. Our daughter had spent three months on a mission trip in Sudan, as well as Kenya. And the souvenirs we found in the Africa part of Animal Kingdom were the same things she brought us home from her trip.
My step-brother had hiked with some buddies to base camp of Mt. Everest. And his pictures looked just like the lines we waited in to go on Expedition Everest. Disney knows how to place a seal of excellence on everything they do.
We used a crowd calendar to plan which park to visit on which day, allowing us to skip parks on their busier days.
The fireworks shows are jaw dropping. Nothing compares to the fireworks display at Magic Kingdom but at Epcot, because the show is out on the water, every seat is a good seat. Our daughters all enjoyed a bonding moment as they watched the show.
While many people may say a trip to Disney World is out of the question, to us, it was worth the cost to grasp hold of these fleeting moments with all our children. Having two married daughters and a new granddaughter, we realized these moments were going to be more and more difficult to secure. And what better place to reflect on the love of family at Christmas, than at Disney World.