Wayne,
You heard correctly! The holiday season at Walt Disney World is one of the most magical times of the year! The decorations and unique details are amazing, not to mention the special parades, shows and of course, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This is a special event offered several nights a week in the Magic Kingdom. It does require a separate ticket from a park pass, but in my opinion it is beyond worth it!
The resorts are decorated with the most special touches that you might not find anywhere else. The Grand Floridian has a life-size gingerbread house where they sell delicious gingerbread and Christmas goodies. There is also a carousel made of gingerbread at Disney's Boardwalk Inn, both of which fill the lobby with the scrumptious smells of the season! The trees at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge are among my favorites with their giant ornaments that are themed just perfectly to the resorts decor!
In Epcot, you can visit the different countries of World Showcase and learn about how the holidays are celebrated in each of their cultures. You might even run into Father Christmas, St. Nicholas or La Befana in the
Holidays Around the World. I also just recently went to the Candlelight Processional at Epcot and was simply awestruck by the majestic beauty of the orchestra, narration of the Christmas story, and beautiful voices of the choir.
Now, to answer your question of when all of these festivities and decorations go up, it can vary, but it is usually within the first week or so in November and they remain up until the first few days of January. It is a very quick process and it is amazing how the scenery can change literally overnight!
Feel free to stop back by and ask me more questions about your possible holiday travel to Walt Disney World.
~Allison L