The World Report
Page 2 of 2

At the Animal Kingdom you can meet Santa Goofy and other characters decked out for Christmas. Throughout the park you will see smaller Christmas trees each with a different theme. The main tree can be found at the main entrance outside the park. Remember the Animal Kingdom closes earlier than the other parks. A nice tip: the animals are just as active at 4:00 p.m. these days as at 9:00 a.m. and the park is even more empty. A great place to sit and catch your breath is the Dawa Bar outside Tusker House in Africa.

Main Street at the Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom will be decorated to the hilt for Christmas. The Christmas tree will be in Town Square on Main Street U.S.A. and all of Main Street U.S.A. will have garlands that stretch across the street. It is one of the prettiest times in the Magic Kingdom. One of my favorite traditions is the Country Bear Christmas Special which begins on Thanksgiving day. I dare you not to sing Sleigh Ride with Bunny, Bubbles and Beulah or laugh when Big Al continues to sing Winter Wonderland after everyone else has finished singing. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parade will be presented from December 19-31 but this weekend you can catch SpectroMagic at 8pm and 10pm on Friday and 7pm and 9pm on Saturday. For a special time you can visit Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Advance tickets are $33.00 plus tax for adults and $23.00 plus tax for children. This event includes live stage shows, carolers, holiday fireworks, snow on Main Street U.S.A. and complimentary cocoa, cookies and a family photo. The dates for this event are Nov 29 and 39 and Dec 2,6,7,9,11,13,14,16,18. Not much help for those of you here for Thanksgiving but at least a heads up for those visiting later this month.

Epcot's Lights of Winter

EPCOT begins hosting "Holiday’s Around the World" on Friday Nov 23. Each of the countries in World Showcase will give guests the opportunity to experience their holiday traditions. There are also Kwanzaa and Hanukkah exhibits on display at the American Adventure Rotunda. "Holiday Around the World" is one of my family’s yearly traditions. My daughter Kari loved the Lights of Winter, a canopy of lights at the entrance to World Showcase, while my son Mike loves the Monkey King story in China. Mallory on the other hand loves The Candlelight Processional which begins on Friday with James Avery kicking the event off as narrator. This retelling of the Christmas Story has a 50 piece orchestra and a live choir. There are also special Candlelight Processional dinner packages that include parking, dinner at select EPCOT restaurants a 15% merchandise discount and preferred seating for the show. For more information on a dinner package you can call (407) WDW-DINE. For a complete list of Candlelight Processional celebrity narrators click here. But my wife Diane’s and my favorite thing is to wait for a chilly night and grab a hot chocolate and watch the tree-lighting ceremony with the carolers and their Christmas songs.

Don’t forget to check out Downtown Disney during this time for "Christmastime in the City" There is a Christmas tree, live music, decorations throughout the Downtown Disney area. Also, Santa Claus will be available for pictures from Nov 23 to Dec 24 from 12noon to 10:00 p.m. For those coming on New Year’s Eve Disney has announced that Cyndi Lauper will be performing at Pleasure Island. Tickets are $65.00 and can be purchased by phone at (407) 934-7639.

So as you can see, this is a busy weekend here at WDW. I hope to see you in the parks. You can spot me speed walking around World Showcase as I attempt to lose those extra pounds from the Food and Wine Festival that just ended.

Discuss It

• Discuss this article on LaughingPlace.com

Related Links

• This Year's Candlelight Processional Schedule
• Guide to the 2000 Holiday Season at Walt Disney World
  Includes over 900 pictures of last year's decorations and happenings around the resort.
  

-- Stephen Halpin

-- Posted November 20, 2001