Hey there Dana, and welcome back to planDisney!
One of the biggest draws of the
Holidays at Walt Disney World Resort is the chance to witness places like Magic Kingdom Park all decked out in its resplendent seasonal glittering glory. Guests visiting soon after the theme parks have opened to a brand new year have often been able to catch a glimpse of all of these decorations before they all get taken down in
one incredibly orchestrated overnight operation that sees all of the trees and tinsel seemingly vanish as quickly as they first appeared. Now when it comes to the Christmasy theming sticking around after the first few days of January, this was something that I had very closely followed as I planned for
my Disney Fairy Tale Wedding that very week; since I wasn't very keen on necessarily having neither jingle bells nor boughs of holly as a backdrop to my overall wedding vibe, here are my personal observations of what the decoration situation was like this year:
- At the start of the second week of January, we entered Magic Kingdom Park on the evening of Monday, January 9 and it appeared that the festivities continued and Christmas hadn't yet quite left Main Street, U.S.A. as we walked past the large tree still bedecked with sparkling lights and surrounded by presents around its base. In fact, during our stay at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa over the following days we could still spot the top of the tree each time we passed by on the Resort Monorail.
- Following our wedding we entered Magic Kingdom Park again early on Friday morning and found it almost completely transformed back into its non-holiday beauty, with the majority of the removal work apparently having taken place overnight on the 12th.
It's important to remember that these dates are never quite anticipated by most Cast Members that we had asked as they seemingly aren't given any prior notice that can be shared with guests. While it can't quite be guaranteed, these transformations have historically begun to take place ahead of the
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and well before the
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts kicks off. (If you're sticking around beyond January 12 this year, be sure to check it out!) I hope that my personal observations are helpful and consistent with what it'll be like this year, but there's really no telling how it'll all play out in the end; in the meantime, don't hesitate to
come back again for any other tips or advice!
Wishing you all the best on your quest to glimpse a little remaining bit of Christmas on your upcoming visit!
Prince