It's great to see you here today at the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Teresa!
Christmas Day is probably the most popular day of the year for guests to visit Walt Disney World Resort. I don't think there's a better place in the whole world to celebrate special days with your family, and it sounds like you agree with me since you're planning a
magical Christmas for yourself! You've done your research because personally, I would also choose a theme park other than
Magic Kingdom Park to spend the day. It tends to get quite busy there on holidays and Christmas is usually the height of that kind of excitement so if you're looking for a place with smaller crowds I would recommend going somewhere else, so I'm glad we're on the same page!
With that being said, my first choice for spending Christmas Day would be
Disney's Animal Kingdom! It will likely be a bit busier than it is on any other day of the year but in my experience, it is usually the least crowded of the theme parks on holidays but that's just my own observation and definitely not an exact science. There are some
brand new holiday offerings at Disney's Animal Kingdom this year that will make it a really festive place to celebrate!
Donald's Dino-Bash! has been extended through the holiday season, and the expats from Earth that are living on Pandora have decorated
Pongu Pongu with some found objects to remind them of Christmas at home. My favorite festive addition is the Merry Menagerie of hand-sculpted animal puppets on Discovery Island. There are life-sized polar bears, foxes, seals, birds and more that are out greeting guests!
No matter where you choose to spend the day, Christmas at Walt Disney World Resort is the perfect way to create new memories with your family so enjoy that time together and don't even worry about the rain! I find that the theme parks clear out a little bit if there's some inclement weather, so stick it out and go enjoy
Kilimanjaro Safaris when all the animals are out playing in the drizzle!
Have a magical day, Teresa!
Jessica