HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JULY!!!

If you are planning to spend some of the Holiday Season in Walt Disney World, then you are likely already aware that it’s NEVER too early to start planning!

And as guests at a Media Event in WDW today, we got the scoop on what’s NEW for the Holidays in Disney World for 2018! Read on to find out…

Magic Kingdom

In Magic Kingdom, Queen Elsa will light up Cinderella Castle once again for A Frozen Holiday Wish!

And the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade will be available for all Magic Kingdom guests to enjoy during the day starting December 22nd.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Of course, the Parade is a major highlight of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, held on select dates throughout the season. (Find all your Party information here! And see our Ultimate Guide to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party HERE!)

Look for exclusive Specialty Party Treats once again, in addition to the complimentary cookies and drinks around the park!

Check out the Specialty Treats from last year to get an idea of these Party exclusives!

Returning to the Party are Santa Claus in the Candy Cane Garden, Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, and Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration. A new Dance Party is in store, too! And exclusive Party merchandise will be available, as always.

Unique and harder-to-find characters coming back to the Party include Scrooge McDuck, Jack Skellington, and the Seven Dwarfs!

And that’s just our first stop!

Epcot

We’ve got a few new details to share about Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays, which includes highlights such as Holiday Kitchens (extra FOOD BOOTHS!), Holiday Storytellers around World Showcase, and the Candlelight Processional!

New atmosphere artists will add to the festive celebration in addition to the Holiday Storytellers!

And the Joyful: A Celebration of the Season show will return with additional Kwanzaa elements this year, adding to its show on the Fountain Stage.

Hollywood Studios

The Flurry of Fun is coming back to Hollywood Studios starting November 8th, with the returning Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! spectacular and Sunset Seasons Greetings.

This year, lasers will be added to the top and mid-sections of the tower for the projections on the Tower of Terror for Sunset Seasons Greetings.

Not only will they fly over our heads as we take in the vignettes… they’ll also light up the snow that falls on Sunset Boulevard!

Look for TRIPLE the amount of decorations surrounding (and IN!) Echo Lake this year!

For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration will present its holiday version again.

And, of course, we’re already looking forward to welcoming back Santa Goofy to Once Upon a Time!

And we can’t wait to see the special decorations coming to Toy Story Land!

We know so far that the statues will have overlays… and we might even see some Holiday attire on Woody, Buzz, and Jessie!

Disney Springs

New offerings coming to the themed trees that make up the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail will include a Haunted Mansion Tree, a Star Wars Tree, a Four Parks Tree (with Monorail Garland!), a Nordic Winter Tree, and a nostalgic Minnie and Mickey Tree.

Find Santa along the Trail again, too!

Stitch’s Holiday Gift Hunt will offer a scavenger hunt booklet for the kiddos as they bide time waiting for Santa.

And Holiday Cake Decorating Classes at Amorette’s Patisserie will also be available to book during the season for all Disney World guests.

The Patisserie is also planning to create five character-themed large Signature Cakes, and a small Signature Cake to resemble a wreath decorated with ornaments. And various Macaron Lollipops will also make the season even sweeter!

Here’s a peek at what the elves — I mean, Pastry Chefs! — at Amorette’s have in mind for this year (but, as all concept pieces, these are subject to change).

And, of course, since SHOPPING is kind of a big deal in Disney Springs 😉 , look for Disney Style to feature especially trendy items including matching holidays PJs and Ugly Sweaters.

And limited-time festive menu items will be available at spots like D-Luxe Burger, The Ganachery, and more again this year!

In fact, expect some “extra Instagram-friendly” Holiday eats! (We can’t wait!)

Resort Gingerbread Displays and Activities

Of course, the famous Gingerbread Resort Displays are always a highlight of the Holidays at Disney World. And we learned a little more about what goes into making these beautiful creations!

Things start with a honey dough, and the Gingerbread itself is made three months ahead of display time for fermentation. Complete with lots of honey and flour (and by continuously adding spices), the gingerbread display pieces are coated with alcohol to prevent pests from eating them.

And while you’re at the various Resorts to see all the displays, look for unique themed ornaments to be available at each Resort!

These are AWESOME!!

Fort Wilderness Campgrounds are always especially festive during the Holiday Season, and one way guests can participate in the cheer is by enjoying a Sleigh Ride through the grounds!

The popular rides return year after year, and in 2018, the offered dates will run from November 23 – December 30, with bookings available from 5:00 – 10:00 pm. Sleigh Rides will be $84 and will include a Pin.

Yuletide Fantasy and Holiday D-Lights Tours

We enjoyed a Preview of what guests can expect if they book the Yuletide Fantasy or Holiday D-Lights Tour this year!

In particular, we learned that Yuletide Fantasy will be enhanced this year with a sweet stop at Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs!

Tour guests will be decorating a tour-exclusive Disney-themed Gingerbread Man, and will even receive a special gift at the end of the class that will correlate with their Disney Gingerbread! (We don’t know all the details yet, as Amorette’s would like to keep some of the information a SURPRISE for as long as they can!)

The tour will end at Amorette’s, and guests will be welcome to stay in Disney Springs or can choose to be brought back to where the tour begins: Epcot.

And don’t forget… the Holiday D-Lights Tour is another festive tour option for the Holidays!

2018 Holiday Merchandise

We’ve already had a glimpse at some of the 2018 Holiday Merchandise that’s found its way to select Disney World shops. But we got a little peek at more today…!

… or a LOT MORE!!

And that includes this one for you Dooney & Bourke fans out there (look for this one to arrive this Fall)!

Festive dinnerware with a white background was created to go with any decor.

New Disney Holiday Plush Babies will be on the scene, too.

Keep an eye out starting in September for some of these items, and then more and more throughout the Holiday season!

Fun Disney World Holiday Facts!

Just a few more things we learned today during the Yuletide Fantasy portion of the event that we thought you might enjoy 🙂 ! Did you know…

The 65-foot tall, 26-foot wide Main Street Christmas Tree in Magic Kingdom takes two nights to install, and the base alone is 18,000 pounds! And 119,000 Poinsettias are installed around Disney World for the season (with 52,000 in Magic Kingdom).

It takes 30 Cast Members 7 days to install the Contemporary Resort Gingerbread Display.

And can you believe… the Grand Floridian Gingerbread Display needs its own building permit!

98% of the Christmas lights in Disney World are LED. That’s 98% of the grand total: 8.5 million!

And 1,500 Christmas Trees are decorated in total.

There’s SO much yuletide cheer in store, I can hardly stand the wait! So in the meantime, we can check out ALL the Must-Dos for the Holiday Season in Disney World!

And here’s hoping you have a Merry Christmas IN JULY!!!