Hi Tosha,
Spending Christmas at Disney World is going to be AWESOME! I saw your question and hope that I can clear up the confusion for you. I have visited the Magic Kingdom the week between Christmas and New Years every year since the Castle Dream Lights became part of the holiday celebration in 2007. The amazing lights sparkled every night. I always find myself mesmerized and never wanting to take my eyes off of them.
To make sure this was still the plan this year, I contacted Guest Relations and was told that they are scheduled to be twinkling every evening beginning November 8, 2010 through January 3, 2011. I also confirmed this on an official Disney Media media a link (click
here) which states:
"Castle Dream Lights - When daylight has passed during the holiday season, Magic Kingdom guests can behold a breathtaking transformation during the Castle Dream Lights ceremony. Each evening Nov. 8, 2010 through Jan. 3, 2011, Cinderella and favorite characters decked out in holiday garb take to the stage and magically transform Cinderella Castle into an ice palace aglow with 200,000 white lights - a perfect centerpiece to a park all decked out with wreaths, bows, garland and towering Christmas tree."
Kilimanjaro Safaris is a super cool way to see many animals in a natural setting. I have been on the safaris first thing in the morning and later in the day. I have found that typically the animals are more active in the morning. We always make this our first stop to hopefully see more of the animals and to avoid the lines that grow as the day goes on.
Wishing you many magical holiday memories :-) Allison