Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Braunda!
Your question touched my heart. My husband and I also have four kids, and we took what we thought was likely our last Walt Disney World vacation as a full family a couple of years ago during the week of Christmas.
Walt Disney World Resort during
the holiday season is extra magical, and the perfect place to make some great family memories. My family chose to focus on the magic of the holiday season, and built our trip around all the holiday entertainment. Our must-do's included
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade and
A Frozen Holiday Wish at Magic Kingdom Park.
Over at Disney's Hollywood Studios, we enjoyed the kitschy retro holiday decorations, along with Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! and
Sunset Season's Greetings.
One of our favorite things to do was
sample holiday goodies at the
Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, while listening to the holiday storytellers relate the customs and traditions of their cultures. My absolute favorite holiday event is the
Candlelight Processional. Listening to the story of the first Christmas, along with the incredible music of the orchestra and choir, and having my family all there to celebrate together was an emotional moment for me and the highlight of our trip. I suggest planning a Candlelight Processional Dining Package to have a wonderful family meal together, with guaranteed seating for the show.
On a lighter note, we are snackers and made a list of all the holiday snacks we wanted to try during our visit. You'll find special holiday treats pretty much everywhere, from hot chocolate flights to the
Holiday Cookie Stroll. Check out
this foodie guide that showcases some fun holiday treats. We loved sharing all that holiday yumminess!
No matter how your family decides to spend your vacation, it will be super memorable! I definitely recommend taking advantage of
Disney PhotoPass service and stopping often to capture family photos with the amazing holiday decorations as your backdrop. Be sure to
purchase Memory Maker in advance to take advantage of the discounted price. You will treasure those photo memories for years to come!
Braunda, I could go on and on. Just remember, the most important aspect of your vacation is that you will be spending it
together. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to write back. We are always happy to help.
Anne Marie
P.S. - after taking that "last trip", we'll be taking another trip with the full family in a few months. You never know what magic lies in store for your family!