Jun 29, 2020
What happens when you take the magic of Disney and the magic of Christmas and combine them? You get Disney for the holidays. Our friend and Disney travel expert Krystin Turner is here today to talk about some of the cool things that are available from Disney during the holiday and Christmas season. She has stayed at all of the resorts and has extensive knowledge about Disneyland, Disney World, and Disney Cruises. We were lucky enough to have Krystin as our guest on season one of the podcast when we talked about creating a unique Disney experience.
Going to a Disney park or on a Disney cruise is something our family has talked about for years. Krystin is a Disney travel expert from Dreams Unlimited Travel and she shares the ins and outs of the different venues, special holiday features at the resorts, entertainment, decorations, costumes, and treats. She also talks about snowing on main street during the parade, The Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion, the best time to go, the best time to book, and more.
Show Notes:
[01:48] Krystin Turner is a vacation planner from Dreams Unlimited Travel. She helps plan Disney vacations anywhere from cruise lines to Disney World and Disneyland. She can help with every aspect of the trip.
[03:31] Christmas time is the best time to go to any Disney destination. Disney starts decorating for the holidays on the 1st of November.
[03:57] The Christmas party at the Magic Kingdom is one of Krystin's favorite things to do. It's a limited ticket after hours event. There's a Christmas parade and treats are included. The characters are in costume and it even snows on Main Street.
[05:20] All of the resorts are decorated and every park has a giant Christmas tree. There's even a real gingerbread house with edible shingles.
[05:54] Krystin has stayed at all of the Walt Disney World Resorts. She stayed at Wilderness Lodge over the holidays, but most resorts have great holiday activities and themes.
[07:31] The Christmas party has different treats including cookies, hot chocolate, and specialty offerings.
[09:26] At Disneyland the castle lights up and Disney California Adventures has decorations and the festival of holidays. They also have It's a Small World Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday. They change the lighting and decorations and even the scent. The mansion becomes The Nightmare Before Christmas themed mansion.
[11:46] The Christmas parade is twice a day, and you don't need special tickets.
[12:21] Special snacks change every year.
[13:26] Disney cruises have something for everyone. Even though the trips are more expensive, a lot of things are included and you end up spending less while on board.
[15:05] Disney cruises have high-level entertainment and first-run movies.
[15:36] During the holidays, all the characters are dressed in Christmas attire. There's a tree lighting ceremony. The whole ship is decorated beautifully. There's a Santa Claus meet and greet and story time with Mrs. Claus and of course the gingerbread house.
[17:55] A Disney cruise is definitely more expensive. A Disney cruise is a lot more relaxing than a Disneyland or Disney World experience.
[19:54] The week of Christmas is the most crowded and expensive time to go. If you're planning a trip, go the first week of December.
[21:21] The earlier you book the better. Book the day the cruise is released. Book Disney World a 180 days in advance and Disneyland is a little more flexible.
[22:21] The further out you plan, the more relaxing it is and the easier it is to get those dinner reservations that you want.
[23:10] There are special things you can do like dessert parties or firework reservations.
[25:04] You can get a hold of Krystin at Krystin@DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com.
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Krystin@DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com
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