www.themeparkinsider.com: The holiday season stars officially at the Walt Disney World Resort on November 14. That's when Disney rolls out its holiday decorations, entertainment and menus across its four theme parks in Florida.
But for fans who want even more holiday cheer, Disney World also offers two after-hours, hard-ticket events at its theme parks. Let's look at those two events, to help you decide which one is the better choice for you and your family.
8 comments:
Reading this article was so nostalgic to me because my grandparents live in Orlando and as a kid every school break I would beg my parents to go visit them… mostly for Disney. I went to Disney world many times when we visited with my grandma but never during the winter holidays. Seeing the pictures of all these Christmas parties at Disney right now is so nostalgic to me because I know 10 years ago around this time I was writing at the top of my Christmas list: “Go to Disney World”. My mom now lives in Florida with my little siblings and she was just talking to me about her plans for this Christmas and plans on surprising them with a trip to Disney. I’d imagine they will absolutely love Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. I can’t wait to see their faces when she tells them, Disney is such a magical place. I'm so happy I was able to go there as a kid.
I for one have not had the opportunity to go to Disney world in Orlando. I have always wanted to go, but have never had the opportunity. On the other hand since I am from California I have had the pleasure of going to Disney land multiple times, and I have been to Disney land during the holiday season twice. I really hope in my time at CMU and being near the east coast that I will be able to visit Disney world and see what it is like during the holiday season. This article and its information has only made me want to go more. I am curious to see how it compares to Disney land and its holiday season decor. Though I will say that by looking at the prices listed on this article it looks like holiday Disney world tickets are cheaper than the holiday Disney land tickets. Which dose not really surprise me considering that Disney land is in LA in California. Though the cheaper prices do make me hopeful that going will be a strong possibility.
1. Having a background in public events management this article highlights some of the thinking that goes into planning events. Public events don’t quite feel like theatre, but they are closely related. They are about the experience of the patrons, and the major differences can be seen in ticket prices, overall event structure, and the things that are provided. The fact the article specifically mentions that the highlight for lots of people are the “free treats” is a largely telling sign that maybe these events for as spectacular as they are still lack a little bit of something. I’m sure that decorating Disney parks with as much décor as they use must take a significant amount of time. I would be more interested in this article if we got to have more insight into the process and what it takes. Is this a multi-night decorating section by section event with regular staff knowing that during the day there would be patrons and undecorated areas? Or is it a large one overnight call that has hundreds of overhires coming to get it all knocked out in a 12 hour or less period? Anyway this article doesn’t make me want to attend these events any more than had I not read it and it actually sounds like the parties might not be a spectacular as they appear.
I’ve been to a similar event in California Disneyland years ago and it was pretty cool. I will say right out of the gates for actual families this is a very expensive thing to add to an already financially crippling vacation. It is also unfortunate that these parties close down the park to non special event guests who must migrate to other parks, or if they do not have tickets to other parks are just forced to leave early. In terms of the event itself I think it is very smart to promise “free” treats and exclusive shows as it allures the fans in with curiosity but also a bit of lying because nothing is free if the ticket to get in was $230. I like that the parks overlay their holiday decor. I think the choices on how to make what’s already a super detailed park merry well with added decor without being overwhelming is an art. In my head for Playground, the Lobby is a theme park, and we are giving it a holiday overlay with its display pieces.
I’ve always been curious about the holidays at Disney, as I’ve always seen that they are major spectacles, but I’ve never been able to go as ticket and hotel stays are way too expensive. Especially due to the fact that it is the holidays and many people have the same idea of wanting to go, leaving few options for those who try and get in late, and also spiking prices. Which, talking about Disney, prices being extremely and unnecessarily expensive is just to be expected. I do hope that one day the prices will be lower or that I’m able to afford it, because I really do want to go for at least one holiday event before I die. I’m not that much of a Disney person, but their entertainment technology and how they do certain things have always fascinated me. Also, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like any of their properties, because there are some that I absolutely adore, and I have often thought of maybe working as a mascot for them at some point if possible (but I don’t think I’ll follow through with that). Oddly enough, I don’t really want to go for the winter holidays though, I want to go for Halloween, as some of the events there during Halloween I’ve always wanted to go to, and it would be fun to dress up as a certain character and go, seeing as some mascots have responded to people dressing as that character in realy funny ways.
I wasn't aware of the holiday parties at disney. They sound like a lot of fun and I think it is very neat that they also have them for each respected park in the whole venue. Earlier this year I went back to Disney for the first time since I was 3 and I have to say I did have a really good time. I went to the galaxy's edge and it was an amazing experience. I know that 3 year old Lucca would have most likely had a heart attack of being able to be so immersed in star wars like that. I think if I was to go to one of the holiday parties I would pick the galaxy edges one. Another thing I am thinking about is just the sheer amount that Disney is making in these holiday seasons. With tickets on the market from 150-250 dollars they must make such a fortune this time of year especially with the crowd they bring in.
I was fortunate enough to go to Walt Disney World twice during the holiday season last year, and it was a ton of fun. I wasn’t able to go to the hard ticked events at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but the overall vibe of the parks during that time was wonderful. What I remember being particularly striking were the holiday projection and lighting displays across the parks. Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, and the Tower of Terror were each lit with some of the most gorgeous designs I had ever seen from Disney. The New Year’s Eve celebration there was also particularly memorable, as the fireworks spectaculars presented at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT across the two nights were absolutely insane. The ground was quite literally shaking at EPCOT from all the shells exploding overhead. Surprisingly though, the crowds were lower during that weekend than they had been during Spring Break.
I love the Christmas holiday; it is a time when everyone pretends to be happy all the time, even if they are not. I love feeding into the marketing idea of Christmas, even if most of it is a way for companies to sell more. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the theme of everything, the lights, the peppermint-flavored everything, and the colors! I do think that the cost of these special tickets to the Disney Christmas shows is a bit extreme. The idea that only some children get to experience the “true meaning of Christmas” and others don’t makes me really disappointed and sad. I would like to see a way Disney can make these magical nights inclusive for every child, not just the ones who come from families with money. I think that the experience would be more inclusive if the tickets included all-day access to the park, if the tickets were a little bit more expensive, instead of the price of 2 tickets for 2 different places.
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