Oct 15 2018

Helpful Information For Your December 2018 Disney World Vacation

So you are planning a vacation to Disney World in December 2018?
December is a wonderful time to visit Walt Disney World!

Weather

The weather in Disney World during December is cool and fairly dry. The average high is about 72 degrees, the average low is about 51 degrees and the average rainfall is about 2.89 inches. It can sometimes get chilly especially during the evenings, so be sure to pack a few clothes for cooler weather, too.

Crowds

The crowds in December normally start out light and become extreme by Christmas week often causing temporary park closures due to reaching capacity especially at Magic Kingdom.

December 1
Average Crowd Level 4.0 out of 10
December 2 – December 8
Average Crowd Level 3.6 out of 10
December 9 – December 15
Average Crowd Level 4.7 out of 10
December 16 – December 22
Average Crowd Level 6.1 out of 10
December 23 – December 29
Average Crowd Level 9.4 out of 10
December 30 – December 31
Average Crowd Level 10 out of 10

Park Hours

Magic Kingdom
Open most days from 9am – 9pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
Epcot
Open most days from 9am – 9:30pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
Hollywood Studios
Open most days from 9am – 8pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
Animal Kingdom
Open most days from 9am – 8pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)

For specific hours on each day during December, please click this link. Remember that park hours are subject to change and are often adjusted two weeks prior.

Events

Running through December 21, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will be held on select nights at Magic Kingdom. This party is a festive and heart warming experience for the entire family. There is a special holiday parade, entertaining shows, spectacular fireworks, hot chocolate and cookies, character dance parties, and even snow on Main Street! For more information including dates and pricing, please click here.

Each year, the season is celebrated with the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. This year the seasonal celebration will be held through December 30. It is filled with yummy food, joyful music and wonderful traditions from countries around the globe. For more information and reservations, please click here!

The Candlelight Processional at Epcot is one of the most beloved holiday traditions at Disney World, with the joyous retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator, accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and glorious mass choir. Performances are held three times nightly throughout the holiday season at the America Gardens Theatre. For more information and reservations, please click here!

On Christmas Day, several Disney World restaurants serve a special holiday meal. If you have your heart set on eating at a particular restaurant for Christmas, be sure to make your dining reservation right away, because holidays do fill up quickly. Disney World dining reservations can be made by clicking here.

If you’ll be visiting Disney World for the ringing in of 2019 there are plenty of fun-filled options available to celebrate the holiday including special entertainment and dining. For more information about celebrating New Year’s in Walt Disney World, please click here.

Refurbishments

Periodically throughout the year, Disney closes attractions for refurbishments and enhancements. Here are the currently scheduled closures during December (subject to change without notice):

Magic Kingdom
Liberty Square Riverboat: January 8, 2018 – December 21, 2018

Epcot
No Scheduled Refurbishments At This Time

Hollywood Studios
No Scheduled Refurbishments At This Time

Animal Kingdom
Wildlife Express Train: October 22, 2018 – Spring 2019

Water Parks
Blizzard Beach: October 28, 2018 – January 5, 2019

Disney Springs
No Scheduled Refurbishments At This Time

Planning Tips

If you are traveling to Disney World in December 2018, your planning is probably well under way at this point. Here’s a checklist to make sure you are on track:

Make sure you have created your My Disney Experience account. If you haven’t, click here to sign up now.
If you haven’t already made your dining reservations, be sure to make them now by clicking here.
If you are staying on site, be sure to customize your MagicBand on your My Disney Experience account by picking the color and adding your name. And if you really want to make your MagicBand special, personalize it with your own custom designed MagicBand Skin from Magic YOUR Band. Click here to get started!
Now is a great time to research what attractions you and your family would like to see at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Because Walt Disney World is so large, it is very difficult to see everything during one trip, so be sure to get everyone’s top priorities. This is also a great time to begin looking at menus for counter service restaurants so that you have an idea of which locations serve foods that your entire family will enjoy.
Whether you are staying on site or off-property, be sure to purchase your admission tickets and link them to your My Disney Experience account.
Once your tickets are linked and at exactly 60 days in advance of your check in date (7am EST time) if you are staying on site or 30 days in advance for all other guests, login to your My Disney Experience account and book your Fastpass+ reservations.
If you are staying on site, be sure to check in online at 60 days out from your arrival date.
Double check your flight times and if you will be using Disney’s Magical Express for your airport transportation make your reservation at least 60 days in advance by clicking here.
It’s never too early to start creating a packing list so that you don’t forget anything.
Need more help planning? Please check out my book UPDATED FOR 2018 501 Ways to Make the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation, for hundreds of insider tips and secrets for having the most magical Disney World vacation possible!

Special Offers

If you haven’t already made your December 2018 reservations, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save money:

View the latest Disney World discounts currently available!
Guarantee the best vacation price by clicking here for more information!

Join The Fun

Disney Vacation Planner Jennifer Hardy and I have teamed up to create a new Facebook Group called Next Disney Vacation! It is the perfect place to talk about your next Disney vacation, ask your questions, get them answered, and share the magic. Everyday you’ll find posts, photos, trivia, tips, and more that we find all throughout the Disney Universe. If you’re counting the days until your next Disney vacation or just dreaming of one, we would love to have you join in the fun! Please click here to be a part of our group!

Have a magical vacation!

Oct 14 2018

Disney World Enthusiast Weekly Round Up October 14, 2018

Here’s the Disney World Enthusiast Weekly Round Up for October 14, 2018!

Latest Disney World Enthusiast Articles

Tip Of The Week

Remember to stay hydrated and nourished. Fatigue and irritability can set in fast if you let yourself get overly thirsty or hungry. Take a few minutes to refuel and try some of the tasty food and beverage choices that Disney World has to offer. This will help give you the energy you need to keep going.

Looking for more tips like this? Click here!

Disney Did You Know

In the Haunted Mansion, the ghosts in the Grand Ballroom Scene are actually reflections of animatronics located above and below the Doom Buggy track. This is a variation of the “Pepper’s Ghost” illusion.

Walt’s Words

“Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil.”

Featured Advertiser

Create your own unique look with a personalized Disney MagicBand Skin. Magic YOUR Band has a range of designs to choose from that you can use as-is or customize with your own text. And if you want to take it to the next level, you can even upload your own photos or images to fully personalize, customize, and decorate your MagicBand. With great discounts for multi-buys, why not create one for the whole family? For more information or to start customizing your own Magic YOUR Band Skin now, please click here.

Featured Book

UPDATED FOR 2018! The difference between an average and an outstanding Walt Disney World trip is in the details. Kristi Fredericks helps make your dream vacation a reality with her numerous tips and tricks to save money, time, and sanity while at the happiest place on earth in her new book “501 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Walt Disney World Vacation”. For more information, to read an excerpt, or to purchase, please click here.

Considering A Disney World Vacation

Jennifer Hardy, a Disney Vacation Planner with Destinations in Florida, is the official travel partner of Disney World Enthusiast. She can help you book your next Disney vacation whether it is to Disney World, Disneyland, or aboard the Disney Cruise Line. Currently Jennifer has some incredible deals for discounted travel to Walt Disney World. For more information about Jennifer’s amazing and absolutely free services or to get a free no-obligation quote, please click here!

You’re Invited

Jennifer Hardy, from Destinations in Florida, and I have teamed up to create a brand new Facebook Group called Next Disney Vacation! It is the perfect place to talk about your next Disney vacation, voice your opinions, ask your questions, get them answered, and share the magic. Whether it’s Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World, or the Disney Cruise Line, Jennifer and I are ready to help. Everyday you’ll find posts, photos, trivia, tips, and more that we find all throughout the Disney Universe. If you’re counting the days until your next Disney vacation or just dreaming of one, we would love to have you join in the fun and conversation! Please click here to be a part of our group!

Coming Up Next Week

Next week I’ll have some planning information plus all of the latest Disney World news!

Have a wonderful week!

Oct 8 2018

13 Frighteningly Fun Facts About Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Every year Magic Kingdom celebrates the Halloween season with the family friendly Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on select nights during autumn. There are special parades, exciting dance parties, stunning fireworks, and tons of trick-or-treating stations filled with candy for everyone! Adults and children alike really get into the spirit of the event by dressing in costume, trick-or-treating, and dancing the night away with all of the characters. Here are 13 frighteningly fun facts about this celebration courtesy of Disney:

Let’s boo this! Magic Kingdom Park celebrates fall with the family-friendly Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on select nights now through October 31, 2018. Here are 13 fun facts about this year’s event:

2018 marks 24 fantastically fun years of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with 34 event nights.
NEW! At Pirates of the Caribbean, guests interact with live pirates who encourage everyone to be on the lookout for Gunpowder Pete, a scoundrel with an eye on the same treasure sought by Captain Jack Sparrow.
NEW! The Mad Tea Party will take guests on a colorful teacup ride, as special lighting and other effects put a glowing nighttime spin on the attraction at night.
NEW! Explorers visiting Space Mountain will hurtle through the blackness of deep space to the riffs of a hard-rockin’ soundtrack.
NEW! Storybook Circus welcomes the Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam, a dance party featuring favorite Disney Junior characters, including Doc McStuffins and Timon from “The Lion Guard.”
NEW! In Frontierland, prospector Cactus-Flower Cate rounds up youngsters for the Frontierland Costume Promenade, encouraging them to show off their costumes in a quest for the greatest treasure in the land – candy!
The mischievous Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” return to the mortal world during the party for the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular stage show on the Castle Forecourt Stage.
176 individually themed, carved pumpkins adorn the balconies and windowsills of Main Street, U.S.A.
A cast of 175 performers, float drivers, costumers, cosmetologists, decorators and maintenance cast members bring Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade to life, traveling 23 miles of parade route over the course of the season.
Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade features event-exclusive characters, such as Dr. Facilier, Captain Barbosa, Oogie Boogie, the three hyenas from “The Lion King” – Shenzi, Banzai and Ed – plus three Hitchhiking Ghosts from The Haunted Mansion.
The Happy HalloWishes fireworks spectacular is narrated by the Ghost Host from The Haunted Mansion and features many favorite Disney Villains who go trick-or-treating in the night sky.
999 Grim Grinning Ghosts enhance a not-too-spooky Halloween experience at The Haunted Mansion.
More than 250 tons of candy, including 40 different kinds of brand-name candies, will be handed out to party guests at 14 tasty treat locations across the park.

It all adds up to zero tricks and countless treats that make Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party a memorable evening for all! Please click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

Heading to Disney World soon?

If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save time and money:

Check out my new book 501 Ways to Make the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation for secret insider tips and tricks that you won’t find anywhere else!
View the latest Disney World discounts currently available!
Guarantee the best vacation price by clicking here for more information!

Will you be attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?
Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Oct 7 2018