Are you planning a vacation at the Walt Disney World Resort during the holidays this year? It’s no secret that the weeks of Christmas and New Year are a busy time of year at the parks, but with some advance planning, you can enjoy every moment of your trip during this extra special time of year!

Here are our top ten tips for visiting Disney World during Christmas:

• Make your reservations as soon as possible. Most of the on-site hotels fill up early so book your resort reservation early. You can also make your dining reservations up to 180 days in advance and your FastPass+ selections up to 60 days in advance if you are staying on property
• Create a plan! Decide which attractions are most important to your family in each park
• Take advantage of Extra Magic Hours! That extra time in the parks first thing in the morning or late at night can be a great time to enjoy the more popular attractions with shorter wait times since this time is exclusively for on-site guests
• Use Walt Disney World Resort Transportation whenever possible. You can relax and let Disney do the driving for you. You don’t have to worry about finding a parking spot or fighting traffic when you use the Disney buses to get anywhere you need to go
• Pick up a Times Guide inside the parks each day to confirm show times, parade and fireworks times, character meet and greet locations, and more.
• Use your My Disney Experience app to check attraction wait times, view and modify dining reservations, FastPass+ selections, and more whenever possible.
• Get an early start. The first couple hours that the parks are open tend to be the slowest times of day. You can often enjoy the more popular attractions with lesser wait times first thing in the morning. On the busiest days like Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, the parks will close due to capacity fairly early in the day so the earlier you arrive, the more likely you are to guarantee you can get in.
• Try to avoid the “peak” dining times. By eating a little earlier or later than the typical lunch and dinner times, you can avoid a lot of the crowds and still enjoy great dining locations.
• Be prepared for hot and cold! You can see a variety of weather during this time of year. One day may be 80 while another is only 60. Layers are great during the holiday season as the mornings and evenings are pretty cool with a warmer afternoon.
• Save time with some of the great dining packages available. You can enjoy a meal and reserved seating at a great show with the Fantasmic Dining Package, Candlelight Processional Dinner Package, or Taste of Hollywood To Go Package.

Have you ever spent Christmas or New Year’s at Disney World? What was your experience?

Siera is a Disney travel specialist. She would love to help you plan your next vacation at no cost to you. Request your free, no obligation quote on the right side of the page or email siera@destinationsinflorida.com for more information.