Written by: Sheena Mutchler
Did you know there is a magical time where you can visit Disney World and experience both Halloween and Christmas? Overnight on October 31st, there is a special team of cast members that transfroms Magic Kingdom from pumpkins to christmas bulbs with Hollywood Studios following not far behind and Animal Kingdom and Epcot not long after that.
Wanting to visit Disney World during fall or winter and can’t decide? Thats ok. There is a sweet spot where you get to experience both. Here is my honest view point on doing just this! My family and I recently took a trip to the middle of the magic from October 29th-November 5th, 2022! My family of 5 crammed as much park time as we could so that we could experience as much of both Holidays as possible. We had 6 day park hopper tickets and utilized the park hopper capability the first 2 days so that we could experience all 4 parks before October ended. We also made sure to explore some of the resorts to experience what they had to offer!
To be honest we didn’t experience anything Halloween or fall related at Animal Kingdom, Epcot or Hollywood Studios, but fall at Magic Kingdom was beautiful! The fall decorations did not dissapoint and the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, which I experienced a month before, was amazing! This special after hours event was full of short lines and yummy food and the Boo to You Parade was a highlight! The Not So Spooky Spectacular fireworks show was very fun and the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular show was also a huge hit. If you are traveling during dates where this event is taking place, I highly recommend making this a part of your itinerary.
On October 31st we also made our way to the Boardwalk to see the Halloween festivities! I am so glad we included this in our plans! Sometimes visiting resorts at Disney World can be just as much fun as visiting the parks. There were some fantastic street performers and fun activities set up on the Village Green. We loved hanging out here and the kiddos enjoyed trick r’ treating and joining in on the activities. Having dinner at Trattoria Al Forno was a huge bonus!
Starting on November 1st, decorations were being put up across the parks at Disney World. However, not all of the full christmas experience starts during this time. We spent November 1st at Epcot and at that time the Holiday decorations were not yet up but we had a fantastic time as always. On November 2nd we spent the day at Animal Kingdom and again there was not much to see in terms of Holiday decorations or experiences. However, on November 3rd we made our way to Magic Kingdom and it was absolutely magical! The decorations were gorgeous and I loved the Holiday overlay that transformed Jungle Cruise into Jingle Cruise! I stood in the hub at one point and just took it all in because pictures don’t do it justice! The lights were twinkiling all around and the photo pass opportunities were fantastic. We took my favorite pictures of the entire trip on this night at Magic Kingdom!
At the end of our day at Hollywood Studios we took a mini van to Fort Wilderness and took a carraige ride around the camp sites! This was a very unique experience and a fun way to not only check out the camp sites but see all the fun decorations that campers had put up. We got to see both Halloween and Christmas decorations as many of them were still transitioning Holidays as well.
On November 4th we spent the day at Hollywood Studios! Gertie had her christmas hat on and Echo Lake was all dressed up with Christmas bulbs! I absolutely loved the vintage vibe of the Christmas Decorations at Hollywood Studios and would love to experience it again.
On our departure day, November 5th, we made sure to head to the Wilderness Lodge and were honestly a little dissapointed that it had not yet adorned its Christmas attire but still enjoyed having lunch at Whispering Canyon Cafe and of course passing the ketchup. We also made sure to take the boat to Magic Kingdom and jump on the monorail to check out the resorts on the monorail loop. The ginerbread house at the Grand Floridian was almost completed and was a sight to see, but not much else was transformed at these resorts yet either.
In conclusion, if you are wanting the full Christmas experience at Disney World I recommend waiting until the official start of the Christmas season which this year was November 11th. By this time the parks and resorts will be fully decorated and Mickey’s Very Christmas Party has begun. However, if you are wanting to see a little of both Holidays and are ok with just getting a little glimpse of Christmas than going during this special time frame is a great choice to get to experience a little of both!
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