Disney At Christmas

This year, we were incredibly lucky to go on holiday to Disneyworld and Universal Studios over the Christmas and New Year period.

We’re massive Disney fans, and love being in Orlando, having already visited twice before the pandemic and lockdown. It’s always an unforgettable experience, and it brings us together as a family.

The holiday season is a magical time to visit theme parks, with twinkling lights, festive decorations, and special events. Disneyworld and Universal Studios did not disappoint, with each park going above and beyond to create a festive atmosphere that filled us with the holiday spirit, despite Orlando recording their second ever coldest day on record!

From Cinderella’s castle draped in twinkling lights to the Grinch’s mischievous antics in the Grinchmas show, we were surrounded by decorations, special events and holiday food.

Of course, one of the main attractions at both parks are the rides and attractions. We had a blast experiencing some of the most popular rides, like the Rise of the Resistance and Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney, and the Harry Potter rides at Universal.

One of the highlights of the trip was the chance to experience new attractions that had opened since our last visit, such as the Guardians of the Galaxy ride at Epcot and the Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Woooooo!!!

And as it was Christmas, we had to have a special Christmas Day lunch, so we ate in the Be Our Guest restaurant, which is in the style of Beast’s castle. Incredibly, we were sitting at the exact same table as on our last visit, able to look at the snow falling outside of the window, whilst enjoying a fantabulous meal.

For New Year, we went into space and ate above the Earth in Space 220, able to view a vista back down onto the rest of the world and watch astronauts fly by.

Because we’ve been before, we’re pretty practised at making sure we don’t miss out on anything, so we crammed in an incredible amount of activities, shows and rides during our time there. Though this means it’s almost impossible to pick out a single highlight. I mean, how can you decide between Fantasmic and the Magic Kingdom fireworks display?

But… despite that, I just remember how much my daughter enjoyed spending NYE in Epcot, dancing at the silent disco in the England pavilion, eating Pretzel Bread Pudding and watching the fireworks around the world. That was new, fun, and crucially, it was 20 degrees Celsius at midnight!

It’s strange being away from home at Christmas-time, and it’s the first time we’ve done it, but it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. We had an amazing time and gave us memories that we will cherish forever.

If you’re considering a trip to these theme parks, I highly recommend visiting during the holiday season for a truly magical and unforgettable experience.

Or any time really. I mean it’s Disney, isn’t it? 😉