💖☃️🎄Disney Holiday Magic: 2024 Trip Recap

Oh, what FUN! Let’s chat about my favorite time of year to visit. I visited Walt Disney World last year, December 9 – 16 and it was as magical as always! I attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, explored Disney Springs’ Christmas Tree Trail, admired the beautiful Christmas decor at the Disney Resorts & Parks, savored the delicious food at the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, and enjoyed a truly wonderful vacation. I stayed at 4 Disney Resorts: Port Orleans French Quarter, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Beach Club, and Polynesian Village. Keep reading to get all the details and my personal reviews. ❄️

🎅🏼DAY 1: Arrival Day- December 9th, 2024. Check in Port Orleans French Quarter Resort.

Very early morning flight from my home regional airport in Salisbury/Ocean City which means I arrived at Port Orleans French Quarter before noon! Let me say it again, folks…book the EARLY flight! The weather was gorgeous- 80 and sunny! I checked in at the Front Desk to request a “newly remodeled” room…and received a text 30 minutes later that my room was ready! I was in Bldg. 3, Top Floor, Room 3338. Swoon-worthy, don’t you agree! French Quarter is extra beautiful during the Holidays. My FAVORITE moderate resort anytime of the year.

I enjoyed my afternoon lounging poolside at Doubloon Lagoon. Sunny skies & hurricanes. A girl can’t ask for much more. I ventured out around 6 pm and took the Water Taxi to Disney Springs. I had 3 evening “Travel Agent” goals: The Christmas Tree Stroll, Dinner at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, and Dessert at Amorette’s. I found “most” of the Trees and enjoyed the Holiday ambiance in Disney Springs.

There was a line/wait list at Jock Lindsey’s, but I only waited about 5 minutes. I sat outside at the bar and had a lovely view of the water & live music nearby. I ordered the Lump of Coal (2.5 stars) and the O’ Ham ‘n’ Cheese Trees (4.5 stars). The drink was too sweet and ridiculously overpriced for what I received. The trees and tomato dipping sauce were delicious; served under a dome with smoke inside for a cool presentation. I popped inside Amorette’s to enjoy a glass of Sparkling Red and take home the Mini Christmas Croquembouche = BEST treat ever.

Around 8:30 pm, I was in line for my Disney Bus back to Port Orleans French Quarter. I was back in my hotel room by 9 pm. Good night, Disney!

Day 2: December 10, 2024. Check out POFQ. Off to Animal Kingdom Lodge!

I slept in, which was dreamy! I left my room at 9:30 am with my luggage in tow. Of course, I couldn’t leave without BEIGNETS (5 stars) and candy cane latte!! After a quick Lyft ride, I arrived at Animal Kingdom Lodge at 10:30 am. My water/pool view room wasn’t ready until 4pm but thankfully, my only plan was to snap some resort & merch pics and enjoy some lunch & cocktails at Uzima Spring Pool. This resort had a BIG Christmas Tree, cute gingerbread baby giraffe & zebra, and tons of unique merchandise. For lunch, I mobile ordered the falafel platter from The Mara and had a couple festive Mt. Kilamaritas while soaking up the sunshine at the pool. Everything was delicious.

My friend arrived around 7:30 pm, so dinner was up next !~ Victoria Falls Lounge was perfection! We shared the Braai Burger and Spiced Goat Cheese dip…delish!! Night cap complete. The rooms have such amazing theming, sleep 4, and offer a convenient privacy door from sleeping area/vanity bathroom. Off to sleep, for our 1st day in the parks!

Day 3: December 11, 2024. Check out AKL. Off to Hollywood Studios! Check in Beach Club for our 4-night stay. Extended Evening Hours at Animal Kingdom Park.

We were up & out early. We dropped off our bags with Bell Services for transfer to Beach Club.

Then, off via Disney Bus to Hollywood Studios. We arrived at the park around 9:30 am with some Lightning Lanes stacked and ready for our day. We stopped for Starbucks at the Trolley Car Cafe before our favorite attraction, Hollywood Tower of Terror. Low Crowds all morning- how magical. We made a reservation at Oga’s Cantina for lunch (new eats: Umbaran Cheese Roll and Thruster Roasted Bantha Flatbread) and my favorite drink, the Outer Rim. Perfect way to end our morning. Great new eats at Oga’s….and I’d totally get them again! Time for a mid-day break.

We spent the afternoon exploring Beach Club and taking pics of the resort’s Holiday decor & adorable gingerbread carousel. Our room was finally ready at 4 pm (a bit late, again). We did a quick fresh up & outfit change before we headed to Animal Kingdom Park to take advantage of Extended Evening Hours for Deluxe hotel guests only.

We arrived about 5 pm. Sadly, we just missed the Merry Menagerie. FYI: Kilimanjaro Safaris closed early at 4:45 pm. The park closed for day guests at 6 pm. Extended Evening Hours was 6-8 pm. Absolutely LOW/Zero crowds!! We walked on everything. Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, Navi River Journey, and Avatar: Flight of Passage. To note: almost every restaurant/quick service spot was closed during EE. This was a real bummer. Gorgeous Tree of Life Holiday Projection Show!

We made it back to Beach Club around 8:30 pm and stopped in Crew’s Cup Lounge for dinner. This is our favorite “hidden gem” dining spot. Sliders, Caesar Salad…everything was delicious. Time to catch some zzz’s.

Day 4: December 12, 2024. Hollywood Studios.

Good Morning! Off to Riviera Resort! We enjoyed breakfast at Primo Piatto (the Skyliner is just a 5 min. walk from Beach Club). I love this quick service spot! The blueberry pancakes are heavenly. Then back on the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios. We stacked our Lightning Lanes again so we could enjoy our favorite attractions with no wait: Tower of Terror, Mickey’s Runaway Railway, & Toy Story Midway Mania.

We also took a little break outside the park to enjoy an early dinner at Cake Bake Shop! It is one of my new FAVE restaurants. Beautiful. Delicious. Princess Vibes. I will have a review of my visit in another post. We also popped into Boardwalk Inn to see the gorgeous Christmas tree and the gingerbread Boardwalk Deli display. Pro Tip: During the holidays, plan a little time to visit other resorts and check out the Holiday decorations.

Then, we hopped on the water taxi from our hotel (love this perk!) and away we went to spend the evening at Hollywood Studios. Another drop in Tower of Terror! A flight in the Milennium Falcon. I am obsessed with this park, especially at nighttime and even more so during the Holidays. The nostalgia is golden. The twinkling lights, the “snow” on Sunset Blvd, the projection show on the Tower, the festive vibes…it’s so much fun. We left the park before closing, to get a good night’s sleep and to avoid the end of night crowds.

Day 5: December 13, 2024. Magic Kingdom morning. EPCOT evening.

Rise & Shine. Off to Magic Kingdom. Again, with Lightning Lane we managed to ride all our favorites, take photos, grab snacks, & have plenty of time to explore the parks at a leisurely pace. Riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for the first time was a highlight (love it!) and trying the Creme Brulee Croissant from Gaston’s Tavern. YUM! We always make it a point to ride our 2 favorite attractions: Haunted Mansion & Pirates of the Caribbean. Can’t go wrong with Ghosts, Big Thunder Mountain, Little Mermaid, and Pirates.

After our short afternoon break, we walked to EPCOT. This is probably the main reason I love to stay at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts…the close proximity to my favorite parks! We tried some of the Holiday Festival eats & drinks on our list. We also secured an early evening dining reservation at San Angel Inn for some appetizers & margaritas. Most of the evening was spent exploring the shops in the World Showcase. Of course, we rode Gran Fiesta Tour and Cosmic Rewind.

Day 6: December 14, 2024. EPCOT.

Another fun day ahead! EPCOT and the Candlelight Processional narrated by Ralph Macchio.

More World Showcase exploring and Holiday Festival time! The park was extremely BUSY today and lines for everything were LONG. Weekend vibes. Nice weather. New narrator for Candlelight Processional. Thank goodness for Lightning Lane: we rode Cosmic Rewind, Soarin, Living with Land (festive holiday overlay), and Frozen Ever After.

My friend & I decided on buying the Candlelight Processional Dining Package at Rose & Crown. Dinner was lackluster and actually one of the worst meals I’ve had at Disney World. I chose the Bangers & Mash (Gross: sausage was bland, and the potatoes had a TON of onions in it making it inedible). Dessert was bread pudding (yuck, worst I’ve ever had, sickeningly sweet). NEVER again. I will stick with Fish & Chips. Ugh. Next up, the line for our “reserved” seating started filling up 1 hour before the show and extended to Morocco! Also, our seats were not that good. My view was (far left) in front of a giant pole and unfortunately, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a family allowing their children to stand in front of me or sitting practically on top of me. And they talked the entire show. Zero personal space. Oh my. So, my experience was a real bummer. Now, the music was heavenly. Ralph Macchio was phenomenal. Honest Review: I wished I saved my money & just listened to the show. Snagging some quick service food & drink and a table early in the American Pavilion would have been wonderful.

We left EPCOT shortly before closing. But first (Pro Tip), I ventured back into Les Halles in France to get some to-go treats & enjoy one of my favorite cocktails, (frozen) Frose. FYI: you have to finish any alcohol before you exit the park. I walked back to Yacht Club to snap pics of the Christmas decorations and call it a night.

Day 7: December 15, 2024. Polynesian Village, 1 night stay. MVMCP at Magic Kingdom.

Today is check out day at Beach Club. We took an Uber to Polynesian Village around 9:30 am for sheer convenience. We dropped off our bags as our room wasn’t ready. We hopped on the monorail to visit the Grand Floridian Resort and Contemporary Resort. Both had spectacular gingerbread displays!! The lobbies smelled so good. Then, we spent the afternoon poolside at Polynesian Village. Pure relaxation.

Again, we waited ridiculously long for our room to be ready. We had to ask the front desk to give us any room that was available (not an ideal location). We finally got into our room about 3:45 pm. Very frustrating. We had to hurry and get ready for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We planned to grab drinks & appetizers at Tambu Lounge which is always a fabulous experience. We arrived there about 4:45 pm and finished our meal around 5:45 pm. Then, off on the monorail to Magic Kingdom! Bonus perk: we went thru security at Polynesian Village and then proceeded directly to the cast members scanning for Party Tickets when we arrived at Magic Kingdom. Pretty much zero wait. We walked into the park at 6:15 pm ready for some festive fun!!

We were given our Party Wristbands & Party Maps quite quickly with zero issues. I am already so impressed!! The map was gorgeous and durable…which I loved! Great souvenir. It was also very easy to read & so helpful for our party touring all night long. There is a cool sign on a vintage car that says MVMCP “This Way” as it leads you “behind” Main St. USA.

Be sure to check out the exclusive Party Merchandise at the Emporium. PRO TIP: Get your merch early (or popcorn bucket, ie like 2024’s Gingerbread House) and head back to the entrance/front of park to rent a locker!! So easy to use, cheap, and you don’t have to carry your stuff around all night.

🤩Behind Main St. USA was a sight to behold! OMG…WOW!! Snow was falling; there were snow-ladies on stilts, cool photo ops, and Christmas music. It definitely put us in the holiday spirit. Cast members were handing out an adorable Gingerbread House ornament (free gift!). AND did I mention the GINGERBREAD men were back here for a meet & greet! Too cute!

Now my focus was not on meeting a TON of characters at this particular party, so I want to mention that many guests do just that…as you’ll find many Disney Characters dressed in festive attire. Also, you’ll find RARE characters like Scrooge McDuck, Princes & Princesses and all Seven Dwarfs. New this year was the super fun Polar Bears! One thing I wish would change is that characters actually tell you what timeframe they are meeting and when they are on breaks. Very annoying. So have a plan of attack: who’s most important to you?! Get in line early, hit some rides in between meet & greets, and get in line at the end of night right before closing, too.

I also had a blast with all the cute Photo Ops located around the park…this one was my favorite! Pro Tip: Buy Memory Maker! It’s so worth it! Pro Tip #2: Wear your FESTIVE best, matching tees, or even Christmas jammies. Spread the holiday cheer & festive vibes!

✨Another cool thing about this Party…some attractions have a Holiday makeover: Jingle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion (love the lighting!), Pirates of the Caribbean (yo ho ho!), and Tomorrowland Speedway. I’m a RIDE gal; so LOW (or zero) wait times is one of the main reasons I go to the Parties. Plus, I really prefer the parks at night!

Be sure to ride the PeopleMover on party nights! It’s a relaxing way to get a “reindeer” view of Magic Kingdom all lit up. After we hit a few attractions, we joined a really fun, festive dance party with Santa Goofy, Max, Nick Wilde & Judy Hopps at Club Tinsel. ❤️MVMCP always has plenty of festive entertainment, if that’s your jam. ❄️If you’re a fan of Frozen, at 8:15 pm Elsa, Anna, Olaf, & Kristoff turn Cinderella Castle into a frozen wonderland. NO actual lighting/icicles…just projections.

Throughout the evening, we stopped at TREAT locations for our FREE cookies & drinks! YUM! Look for the 5 BIG candy cane location markers.

Drinks: Apple Cider, Hot Cocoa, Eggnog. I loved the eggnog!

Cookies: Sugar Cookie, Snickerdoodle, Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie, Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet, Gingerbread with Buttercream frosting. My favorite cookie was the sugar cookie. PRO TIP #3: Get a little shopping bag & take them home to enjoy later.

But the treat I was waiting all night to eat was…the 🤤🧇HOLIDAY WAFFLE SUNDAE from Sleepy Hollow. Red Velvet Waffle, topped with red & green M & M’s, peppermint ice cream and hot fudge. It was delicious!! 10/10 stars. PRO TIP: There is always a Foodie Guide for MVMCP with all the exclusive snacks, drinks and sippers/popcorn buckets. Be sure to look at it before your trip.

Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks (10 pm). We snagged a spot on the left front side of the castle, and it ended up being a gem of a location. I think out of all the Fireworks shows; this is my forever favorite. 🎆Christmas music, wow-worthy Projections and “Snow”. Simply spectacular!

💖I closed out my night by attending the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade (11:00 pm)! Holiday Music, Snow, Floats, Santa, Gingerbread Men, Toy Soldiers, so many Disney Characters…it was a perfect ending to a wonderful night. FYI: The first parade was at 8:30 pm but I find it is much busier, just a head’s up.

I spent the remainder of the night/early morning…snapping photos and taking in all the sights, sounds & scents on Main Street USA. We walked out of Magic Kingdom close to 12:30 am. We hopped on the water taxi back to Polynesian Village so ready for deep, dreamy sleep.

🐭🎄☃️Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is absolutely worth the cost (and late night) for such an amazing, unique experience at Magic Kingdom! It’s bound to be the highlight of your vacation!

🎇Please email me: AngieBaycura@d2travel.com, if you’d like to attend this year’s party (2025)! It’s not too late! Tickets are on sale now!

Day 8: December 16, 2025

Check out Day! What a week!! I booked a later flight, so I had time to wander around the Polynesian’s gift shops and enjoy a yummy lunch. Be sure to stop at Pineapple Lanai; this walk-up spot has Dole Whip! I even had a couple hours to soak up the sun at the Lava Pool. I called my Lyft around 3:30 pm (only 25 min drive to MCO Airport), TSA precheck took 5 minutes, flights went smoothly, and I landed back home in Maryland at 9:30 pm. Another magical trip in the books. 💕

If you’re interested in visiting Walt Disney World during the Holidays this year or in 2026, email me: AngieBaycura@d2travel.com. I’d be honored to be your Disney Travel Planner. Thanks for reading!