
“But,” you protest, “it’s not even Halloween yet! You can’t talk about Christmas!” Fair point, but the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is less than three weeks away. Plus, we all know that a Disney vacation requires planning in advance.
But what do you do if you find yourself at the Walt Disney World Resort during the holiday season without tickets to the Very Merry Christmas Party? What if you don’t have any theme park tickets at all? Is it even possible to celebrate the holidays outside of the parks?
Of course it is, this is Disney, after all.

Here are some quick tips for making the holiday magic happen:
- Go resort hopping: All of the Disney resorts get dressed up for the holidays, so there’s no bad choice. But the gingerbread houses at the Contemporary, the Beach Club and the Grand Floridian resorts are not to be missed. Also, be sure to head over to the Campgrounds at Fort Wilderness Resort to see how the guests have decorated their campsites.
- Hang out at Disney Springs: The Days of Christmas store is open year-round, which is great, but there’s so much more to do during the holiday season. Including the Christmas Tree Trail, meeting the big man himself (Santa, not Mickey) and participating in Stitch’s Holiday Gift Hunt.
- Curl up with a hot cocoa and a Christmas movie: Might I suggest The Santa Clause or The Muppet Christmas Carol?
How do you celebrate the holidays outside of the parks?
To learn more about Chris and read is other posts on the WDW Radio Blog, visit his author page.
(Logo property of WDW Radio. All other photos from the collection of Kathy Wicks.)