Hi Stacey,
Thank you so much for your kind words about the Disney Parks Moms Panel! The
winter holidays are a lovely time of year to visit Walt Disney World!
The resort hotels are decked out beautifully for the winter holidays! There are a couple of places that I really like to go to see winter holiday decorations. One possibility is to take the monorail to all of the resorts along its route - Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney's Contemporary Resort, and Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. You could even stop at Magic Kingdom and take a boat over to Disney's Wilderness Lodge, which is lovely for the holidays and nearby, but not on the monorail route. Another area that I love exploring for decorations is the resorts around Crescent Lake, just outside of the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. Here, you can walk from Disney's BoardWalk Inn and Villas to Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. These are also stunning at this time of year! Since you asked for dining suggestions, I think it would be fun on either of these loops to make a reservation at one of the resort hotel dining locations for lunch in the middle of your exploring.
As for
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, I love this charming party! Check the website I just provided for dates, which are select evenings in November and December, ending on December 22 this year. For how much time to spend on a vacation to Walt Disney World for the winter holidays, that really depends on your unique needs. I always love to spend a week at Walt Disney World, but with some careful planning, a long weekend can be fun, too!
I would love to help you plan more Stacey; however, I am limited in the space that I have to answer. Do let us know if you have any further questions!