Hiya, JoAnne! What a wonderful treat for your mom to celebrate her milestone birthday!
I love
Walt Disney World any time, but there's just something special about visiting during the holidays. One huge reason for that is the
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. The festival is a feast for the senses, with amazing
holiday kitchens serving up seasonal recipes from across the globe and beautiful holiday decorations. But the highlight for me is the
Candlelight Processional.
The show takes place three times most nights throughout the season, and it is a celebrity narrated telling of the traditional Christmas story. The choir is amazing, the orchestra astounding. The best part is that the Candlelight Processional is included with your
theme park ticket. You do still need admission into EPCOT, and a
theme park reservation for that day. However, if you want to make this special for your mom, I recommend purchasing a
dining package for the show. The packages historically go on sale by late summer and include an appetizer, entree, and dessert at a participating restaurant, then you get priority admission to one of the Candlelight shows. It saves some waiting in line, as you are guaranteed a seat before standby admission begins.
Definitely stop at Guest Services to get your mom a birthday button that she can wear through the day, and something a little off the beaten path you may want to consider is a
Capture Your Moment session with a
Disney PhotoPass photographer. It's a way to keep a lasting memory of a momentous occasion.
I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating your mom, JoAnne!
Anna