By: Leanne Sidley, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
Christmas is my absolute, most favorite time to be on vacation. Trying to get our work and school schedules to match was so hard, so a few years ago, we had this idea of going on vacation for Christmas. As our kids have gotten older, we realized all the “stuff” they get ends up being forgotten about a month later. So why not give them an experience? This has ended up being the BEST tradition we have ever done! At first it started as we were going to surprise them, now it’s become a big family discussion figuring out where to go next.
What’s the first thing you do when you arrive... DECORATE! Your room will instantly feel more like Christmas! Not only will your kids love it, they will join in on all the fun. In my luggage I bring a small Christmas tree, window clings, lights, garland, and small stockings with each of our names on it!
The best part about traveling during this time is the parks sometimes offer different packages where you can take advantage of lower crowds. In 2019 Disney offered the Ultimate Disney Christmastime Package. With this package, we received an extra hours event at Animal Kingdom. Once the park had closed to regular park guests, the real perks of this package kicked in. During this time, we were able to ride all the top rides, like Flight of Passage with a minimal wait or they were walk on. Additionally, we received a special day at Epcot. We received a $250 food voucher where we used that to eat around the world, and boy, did we eat! At Christmas, Epcot holds the Festival of the Holiday’s. This is where the different countries have different traditional holiday food booths. Having that voucher allowed us to buy all the foods we probably would not have. At the end of the night, we attended a fabulous dessert party, followed by a fireworks show, with reserved seating. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom was also included. This is also an after hours special ticketed event with lower crowds, and endless treats that can be found along the treat trail. (Pro tip: Keep a couple of those cookies in your bag, you’ll need them Christmas Eve night for Santa). Definitely be on the lookout this year to see if Disney offers another epic package like this again!
In 2020, we traveled to Universal Orlando for Christmas. For this trip we stayed at Universal's closest resort,(a short 5 minute walk) the Hard Rock. The best part of this resort is if you stay at one of Universal’s premier hotels Express Passes are INCLUDED in your stay. The Express Passes made it so our waits for the top rides were very minimal. Most rides were walk on, and I think the longest we waited was maybe 25 minutes for Spiderman. This past year, Universal had a special VIP tour called Universal’s Holiday Tour. Oh my goodness, that didn’t disappoint! During this tour we were assigned a VIP tour guide, who told us so many fun facts about Universal. We had a special meet and greet with the Grinch that included cookies and hot cocoa. Like the year before, I kept a couple of those cookies from that party for Santa since he was going to be making his arrival the following night. The big show stopper was the private showing of “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle.” Due to the pandemic, they truly made the best of it by offering this one of a kind experience. I was so thankful my Harry Potter loving husband and daughter were able to see this show, as it wasn’t available to the guests without buying this tour due to social distancing restrictions. Hopefully they do this VIP tour again this year!
How does one prepare for the Big Guy at the Parks? One of the hardest things to do while being away for Christmas is executing Christmas Eve night. Since all 3 of my kiddos are still believers I want to continue the magic while even being away. I normally slip away for a couple minutes to “pay for everything,” or my husband takes the kids on ALL the water rides because I strongly dislike water rides. I get all my shopping done in those small windows. The best part of all of this, is if you are staying on property you can send everything back to the hotel, then pick it up when it's convenient for you. My biggest tip for this, is DO NOT wait till the last minute! The gift shops need up to a full 24 hours to send packages back to the hotel. At Universal, if you're planning ahead, (with an additional cost) Owl Post can wrap your gifts. At Disney World, the Cast Members can wrap presents in the resort gift shops. Those ladies saved me, and many other parents Christmas Eve night. They looked like little elves wrapping away in the corner of the gift shop.
If you're really thinking about planning a trip during Christmas, DO IT! You won’t regret it at all. Not only will your kids love it, you’ll enjoy yourself too. By booking one of these adventures you've taken all the stress of Christmas away. The best part of all of this is you, and your family will have a lifetime of memories. To me, that is absolutely priceless!
Please reach out to Leanne, an agent with Marvelous Mouse Travels to plan your next vacation or you may contact Marvelous Mouse Travels.
