Hi Chelsey,
It's so great of you to come back and see us again! Please do not apologize for asking vacation planning questions ~ that is the whole purpose of planDisney and my personal favorite subject. There is nothing we love more than "talking Disney" and we get so excited when we see others who are inspired to ask questions and enjoy the Magic of planning their Walt Disney World vacation.
I really love the nature of your first question because it embodies all of the "Magical feels" which make vacationing at Walt Disney World such a cherished destination. Sometimes it is the small things that Cast Members do which makes you feel so special and which you remember forever. In general, Cast Members gather towards the exit a few minutes just prior to the theme park closing to say their farewells. This "See Ya Real Soon" is the perfect goodnight story for me and I always look forward to saying goodbye to these friends.
Since you will be vacationing soon, you are in for a real treat because you will be able to experience all the
Holiday Processionals, Cavalcades, Flotillas, Promenades, and Motorcades! Although these are not scheduled, they occur regularly so you will be sure to catch several of them throughout the day in each of the theme parks. One tip I have for you that one of these special celebrations is about to occur is that there will be a change in music just prior to the start of one of these special celebrations. You will hear it before you see it, so don't worry about missing anything. A friend of mine who is a die-hard parade fan told me she enjoyed these experiences even more than the traditional parades because they occur "Magically" and since they are unannounced they are always a happy surprise.
I have some friends visiting Walt Disney World right now, and they have told me that
Magic Kingdom Holiday Celebrations have many of the same music and parade components as the ticketed event
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. These extra special holiday touches are normally reserved for party goers, but since the party has been paused for this year, many components are now available to all Guests visiting Magic Kingdom!
Have a Magical vacation Chelsey! Please continue to come back and visit us again with all your vacation planning questions. We are always happy to help.
Brenda