Charlie,
Welcome to planDisney!
I am so excited to see that you are planning to visit the Walt Disney World Resort on Christmas Day! This is my family's favorite time of year to go. Like you, we PLAN. As you suspect, it is a very busy time of year.
First things first, make sure you have
theme park tickets and
Disney Park Pass reservations for that day. Check the
theme park reservation availability calendar. It looks as if Magic Kingdom has no park pass reservations available for December 25. If you do not yet have park pass reservations, I strongly suggest that you make those now. And, if you were hoping to go to Magic Kingdom, keep checking. Park Pass availability could change prior to your trip.
My family adores the Candlelight Processional and are so happy to see it return for this year. Take a look at the celebrity narrators as well as the dates to make your decision regarding the show. We love to book a
Candlelight Processional Dining Package. As a matter of fact, reservations are scheduled to open on October 26 and I will be online early to try to snag a reservation!
Even if you do not book a Candlelight Processional Dining Package, I strongly suggest that you make
advanced dining reservations, especially for Christmas Day. The crowds could make it difficult to use
Mobile Food & Beverage Ordering or to access any dining locations using
Mobile Dine Walk-up Availability. Also, be sure to familiarize yourself with
Disney Genie service. This service will help you plan your day in the parks. And, with Genie+, you can make arrival window selections for certain attractions.
On our last visit on Christmas day, we arrived to Magic Kingdom early, did a few attractions, ate lunch, and then headed back to the resort hotel right as the crowds were getting unbearable for us. We were able to get back into the park later in the day. Be advised, however, that the park could reach capacity at any point and, if you leave, you may not be able to get back in right away. So, just plan accordingly. And, check the
Entertainment schedules for the parks prior to your visit. We always review all of our options at each park and then add plans or we add notes to our plans in
My Disney Experience. To add a note, log into your My Disney Experience account, click on My Plans, and then click on Add More Plans, and then select Notes.
Charlie, I am sending you a little extra in pixie-dusted patience as you navigate the parks at this busy time of yEAR!
Magic and memories,
Donyell