There’s no getting away from the fact that crowds at Disney World can be crazy around Christmas time! Thankfully, Christmas events begin early, so there’s plenty of time to experience the magic of the holidays. Our Disney Christmas tips will hopefully help you navigate the parks with a little less stress.

Disney Christmas events start early November with Christmas decorations appear ingin the first week of November. The first Christmas show (Frozen Holiday Surprise) starts at Magic Kingdom on November 7th 2023. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party starts November 9th. Jollywood Nights starts at Hollywood Studios on November 11th 2023 and Epcot Festival of the Holidays start November 24th 2023. There are no ‘special’ events at Animal Kingdom, but it’s blanketed in festive decor and has some magical holiday additions, such as Merry Menagerie.

And don’t forget touring the Disney resorts! The Disney Gingerbread Displays are magnificent!

The dates you visit will greatly affect crowds and wait times. Apart from Thanksgiving week, most of November is pretty manageable, as is early December. Crowds will start to increase the closer it gets to Christmas. If you can possibly avoid a few days before Christmas Day through to New Year, then do. The crowds during that time are at an insane level.

But, if you don’t have a choice, then here are our best Disney Christmas tips that might help save your sanity. Just a little.

If you’re visiting around Christmas week, it’s going to be packed from a few days before Christmas right through until New Year. We’re talking shoulder to shoulder, wall to wall packed.

We can’t stress enough how BUSY it gets. Being mentally ready to face the volume is the top of our Disney Christmas tips list.

So many are surprised when we explain how packed it is at Christmas. Especially the week between Christmas and New Year. Lots of visitors arrive unprepared for the sheer volume of people. It can be really overwhelming if you’re not expecting such high crowds.

But as long as you have plans in hand, it’s do-able. To a certain extent. Don’t expect to walk onto rides, get viewing spots easily or be at the front for parades without some effort and stamina.

Disney Christmas Tips for Crowds:

• Accept ahead of time you won’t be able to do everything.
• Enjoy the atmosphere for what it is rather than planning to hit all the rides and attractions.
• Eat at quieter times to avoid long waits for food. Or take food with you and grab a quiet spot.
• Use mobile ordering whenever possible to skip lines.
• Check the map for bathrooms away from main areas. You’re bladder will thank you!
• Use the Disney App often to check for wait times. Switch plans if something comes up.
• Check parade, shows & firework schedules as soon as you arrive in case of any last minute changes.
• Head to the parks early and try do as much as you can before crowds start to increase mid morning.
• If you plan on making an early start or staying late evening, be sure your plans aren’t going to clash with Extended Evening Hours or Early Entry. These are the times Disney open the parks earlier or close later for on-site guests. And check dates for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party too – the park closes early for guests without a ticket.

Disney Park Reservations are still required until January 9th 2024. You can book park reservations on the Disney app 60 days in advance, so make sure you book as soon as possible. You can check the Availability Calendar to check availability for each park.

You can also book dining reservations and experiences 60 days in advance, so decide ahead any specific restaurant preferences, character dining or special experiences such as Droid Depot, Savi’s Workshop or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

Make sure you book everything as soon as possible.

A good battle plan is essential during the Holidays. Get all the family involved ahead of time and decide what attractions are most important to you. Concentrate your plans around those things and have back-ups.

Do be flexible and allow for changes. Unforeseen circumstances and crowd levels may dictate a need to adjust your plans. Don’t freak out if you have to adjust something.

Christmas Crowd levels will get much busier than this!

Disney Genie is a free app that anyone can use to check wait times and get park info and updates throughout the day.

If you purchase Disney Genie+ it gives you the option to reserve time slots at many rides and attractions (except the most popular in each park). You can then use the Lightning Lane at each attraction to by-pass the standy-by line. It doesn’t get you to the front of the line, but it cuts down your wait time considerably. You can only select Lightning Lane attractions from 7am on the day you visit, they cannot be booked in advance.

Individual Lightning Lanes

For the most popular rides in Disney World, you can purchase Individual Lightning Lane options on the day you visit at park opening times (7am for Disney guests). You do not need to purchase the Disney Genie+ option to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes

Individual Lightning Lane attractions are:

• Magic Kingdom:
  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
  TRON Lightcycle / Run
• Epcot:
  Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Animal Kingdom:
  Avatar Flight of Passage
• Hollywood Studios:
  Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

See full details and prices for rides and attractions on Disney’s website.

Get to the parks early. Check: Park Hours for opening and closing times. By mid morning the parks begin to fill up, so make use of the earlier hours to hit rides and attractions.

Break the day – head to the parks for the morning, take a break in the afternoon if possible, then head back in the evenings. The parks open earlier and close later during peak season, use the extended hours to your advantage.

However, if you’re visiting on super busy days, such as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve, plan to stay for the duration. If you leave and the park reaches capacity, you won’t be able to get back in. It’s unlikely with the Park Reservation System in place, but it’s a slight possibility so don’t risk it.

We all covet that perfect view for fireworks and shows. You jostle for a spot and settle down with a clear view. The fireworks begin and voila, the family in front raise kids on shoulders and you’re left standing behind a 7 foot wall with zero visibility.

If you’re small like me (5 foot 1 inch) it’s impossible to see anything. And it’s too late and too crowded to move to a different spot. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve just walked away and left. But we can visit any time, it’s no big deal for me.

For those visiting just once, it’s a whole different ball game. You might not be able to walk away and come back another day.

For fireworks at Magic Kingdom, you really need to see the projections for the full effect. Try to stand behind a family without small kids. Keep a careful watch on people in front. If a family move in, shuffle along until you have no small kids in front.

Happily Ever After fireworks at Magic Kingdom do have effects that spread all along Main Street USA, making it a little better for us little people!

It’s super easy to get separated when walking through crowds. At the start of each day, arrange a place to meet in case you get split up. Designate an area and make sure you all know where it is.

As soon as you arrive, Introduce children to Cast Members and show them the badges Cast Members wear. Teach them to approach a Cast Member for help if they get lost. Cast Members will be more than happy to chat and make youngsters feel at ease about approaching them.

Cast Members are always around to help.

Disney are superb at helping lost children. Cast Members are super friendly and incredibly helpful and will know exactly what to do. Moms and Dads, approach a Cast Member if you’ve misplaced a little one. They’ll help you locate them.

It’s Winter and CAN get Cold! Florida may be known as the Sunshine State, but we do get cold snaps. Day time can be glorious with blue skies and sunshine, while evenings can get very chilly. Heck, it could even be actually COLD!

Dressing in layers is one of our Disney Christmas Tips.

• Make sure you take jackets or sweaters to cover up at night.
• A light blanket to put over the kiddos when sitting in strollers will help too.
• If you plan on staying all day, get a locker and store things so you don’t need to carry things around all day.
• Pack a few rain poncho’s too in case of rain. It doesn’t rain much in December, but they are so lightweight, it’s better to have them than not.

Take Happy along instead!

High crowds + long lines = frayed tempers. Pack a bucket load of patience and try not to get stressed.

Disney at Christmas is much more about the magical atmosphere and making special memories. Try not to worry too much about hitting all the rides and attractions.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a ticketed event held on select nights through November and December. On these nights, Magic Kingdom closes at 6pm and guests without tickets are required to leave promptly.

Guests with party tickets can enter Magic Kingdom from 4pm onwards, so it will start filling up from then onwards.

2023 Party Dates:

• November: 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 26, 28, 30 
• December: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22

See full dates for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Lots of people leave right after the fireworks at Magic Kingdom. They shuffle slowly towards the exit, then take place in line for transport. It can take ages.

Instead, head for the hub in front of Cinderella Castle, take a seat, people watch while you wait for the crowds to leave. Give it half an hour and the park will be much quieter. Use the time to take a breather or just watch all the happy people heading home.

You might even hit lucky and get to experience the Goodnight Kiss. It’s a special end to the day as Magic Kingdom bids a magical fond farewell to the last visitors in the park 30 minutes after the official park closing time. It doesn’t happen every night, it’s just random dates.

So many visitors miss the magic because they are determined to get that magic shot or video of the fireworks and parades.

There are thousands of videos on YouTube of fireworks, parades and all the Disney Christmas events. Unless you’re a pro or serious about photography, they will probably be a million times better than anything you’ll be able to capture.

Just enjoy the moment. Watch the fireworks, see the parade, watch the kids faces light up. It’s much more rewarding than trying to capture a few minutes on video.

The Fantasy in The Sky fireworks at Magic Kingdom on New Years eve are spectacular. The atmosphere is pure electric. You can see the exact same show a day early. It will still be very busy, but the crowd levels will be slightly less than New Years Eve. Fantasy in The Sky is shown twice a night on December 30th and 31st.

So Now You’re Armed with our top Disney Christmas Tips, Have an Awesome Time!

If you are visiting Orlando during the Holidays, we’d love to welcome you to one of our cozy Orlando Vacation Homes. An awesome alternative to hotels for comfort, space and privacy!