It’s the weekend before Christmas and all through the kingdom the TouringPlans field research team was stirring to see how things are going in the house of mouse. We’re in the parks daily to make sure our resources and tools are as up to date and accurate as possible. Today our team is inside Magic Kingdom. It’s a pretty busy day, as expected. We’ll have the wait time data for you in just a little bit, but we thought we’d share photos of how today is looking at Magic Kingdom.
Main Street Station Scrim – December 20, 2020Castle Hub 9:00 a.m. – December 20, 2020Tomorrowland in the morning – December 20, 2020Fantasyland Around 9:00 a.m. – December 20, 2020Fantasyland Around 10:00 a.m. – December 20, 2020The Haunted Mansion Around 10:00 a.m. – December 20, 2020Main Street Hub – December 20, 2020Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Extended Queue – December 20, 2020Castle Hub – December 20, 2020
Have you ever visited Walt Disney World during the weeks of Christmas? How was your trip?
Disney films, cartoon, TV, and merchandise has always had a soft spot for doggies. From Mickey’s ol’ pal Pluto to 101 Dalmatians, plus so many minor characters throughout the year, there’s a healthy number of dogs in the Disney catalog. It’s no surprise that there’s Disney merchandise out there featuring dogs, but there’s also so many great gifts for your four-legged friend. Here’s some great gifts for your playful pooch.
Disney plaid sweater with Pluto ($16.79 on sale — and there’s also matching items for two-legged family members too!)
Doggie PJs ($19.99)
Dog socks ($14.99)
Reflective dog lead (in several colors, $17.99)
Reflective dog collar (in several colors, $12.99)
Nightmare Before Christmas Pet Bed ($34.99)
Haunted Mansion chew toy balls ($17.99)
Dog spirit jersey (on sale for $25.89)
Pet Bed Dome (available in different styles, $34.95)
If you’re going to be in the Disney area and want a tasty treat for your pup, swing by Sprinkles for some “Pupcakes”, little treats with a yogurt “frosting”. They’re $3 each or a set of three for $9.
EPCOT just snuck in a last-minute surprise for the final two weeks of the year. There is a new waffle at the Waffle Booth at the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. This booth has been around before the holiday festival began, and switched over to a holiday menu at the start of the festival. There’s been a Gingerbread Waffle and a Stuffing on the Menu for quite a while, but now there is a new version of the Gingerbread Waffle, in addition to the original.
New Holiday Waffles at Waffle Epcot Festival Booth MenuNew Holiday Waffles at Waffle Epcot Festival Booth
The Gingerbread Waffle now comes with the option of Chocolate Ganache, Whipped Cream, and Crushed Peppermint. This is in addition to the option of Whipped Cream and Orange Cranberry Sauce. Between the two, we’re leaning towards this new version. If you like the best flavors of the holidays – peppermint, chocolate, and gingerbread, this one’s for you!
New Gingerbread Waffle at Waffle Epcot Festival BoothNew Holiday Waffles at Waffle Epcot Festival Booth
The Stuffing Waffle has been around for a little while, and we are here to tell you, if you’re going to be in EPCOT in the next two weeks, go get this waffle! Rather than traditional waffle batter, this waffle is made of stuffing. It’s crispy, savory, and fluffy. Then it is topped with turkey, cranberry, and gravy. It’s a perfect holiday dish, but with a creative twist.
Have you been to EPCOT this holiday season? Which of these two waffles would you try?
You’ve made the decision to head to Walt Disney World during the week of Christmas, or the week after. Although this year will be different than years past thanks to the parks being at limited capacity, it’s still going to be busy. Visiting during such a magical time can be a little rough without the right preparation.
Magic Kingdom Christmas Decorations at Night
Here are some tips for making the most of visiting during two of the busiest weeks at Walt Disney World.
Get to the parks for “rope drop”.
Be prepared to be outside more, including in extended queues.
Talk to your family members, including kids, ahead of time to set expectations about masks, distancing, and other changes.
Mobile order your meals well in advance. The earlier in the day, the more time slots for pick up are available.
Take frequent breaks and hydrate.
Don’t miss the character cavalcades in all four parks
Since FastPass+ is no longer available, use our Lines app to make a Touring Plan and to know which attractions to visit when.
Use our Disney restaurant ratings on our site and our Lines app to know the best places to eat.
If you’re trying to snag a last-minute dining reservation, use our Reservation Finder – it’s free!
Splash Mountain Extended Queue
Getting to the parks an hour before they open may seem extreme, but Disney has a habit of opening the parks early on busy days, namely Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. You can usually get multiple attractions done in the first hour of park operations. That’s the beauty of rope drop.
Fantasyland at Rope Drop December 5, 2020
It can seem like the lines for popular rides seem endless. You’re sure to see extended queues practically everywhere. It’s just important to keep in mind that these lines extend so long because of social distancing. Here are some tips for dealing with those extended lines.
Most quick service restaurants and dining locations use mobile ordering through the MyDisneyExperience app. Make sure you’ve read our steps on how to use mobile ordering. Make sure you place your mobile order early in the day. As the day goes on the time slots book up and there can be a 45 minute to hour long wait for a time to pick up your order. Meaning, when you sign into the app to select an Arrival Time to pick up your order the available arrival times can be an hour or later past the current time.
Step 1 of Disney’s Mobile Ordering
In each of the Disney theme parks have appearances of Santa Claus as part of their character cavalcades. At Magic Kingdom and at EPCOT you’ll find festive character appearances throughout the day as well. Magic Kingdom’s cavalcades are the merriest, as they are basically the Very Merry Christmas Parade floats and costumes. Check out our tips on viewing the character cavalcades.
Santa Claus at Magic Kingdom 2020Clarabelle Christmas Character Cavalcade Magic Kingdom
Even with limited capacity, you’re going to need a tool to help you avoid long lines. You can create your own Touring Plan, or use one of ours that is ready to go. You can also visit without a plan, but view Expected Wait Times in our app and know whether you should wait until later in the day to ride any particular ride.
Finally, the holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without some good eating. The bad news is most of the popular restaurants are already booked up for dining reservations. The good news is you can use our Reservation Finder for free. This tool will alert you when an opening at your preferred restaurant and timeslot becomes available so you can go snag that desired reservation.
Have you visited on Christmas week or the week after? What are some of your tips?
If you need a little pick me up at any Walt Disney World theme park, you’re in luck! Not only does every park have a Starbucks location, but also a Joffrey’s Coffee location. And throughout the year both coffee purveyors provide a few seasonal beverages. Right now you can enjoy a Peppermint Mocha at either location, so on which one should you spent your money?
Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino at Starbucks – A blend coffee, mocha sauce, peppermint-flavored syrup, milk and ice, topped with whipped cream
Peppermint Mocha Latte at Joffrey’s – A latte crafted with dark chocolate sauce and peppermint syrup, topped with whipped cream. Available hot or iced
Our team conducted a very scientific side by side comparison, and the winner is the Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino at Starbucks. The flavors of the Frappuccino were much more pronounced, described as “like eating an Andes mint.”
The Joffrey’s Peppermint Mocha Latte did not have strong flavors of either peppermint nor chocolate. Given the choice between the two, we recommend the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino.
Do you like to grab a gourmet coffee when in the parks? What’s your favorite creation?
