Disney releases holiday season extras for the Disney Cruise Line

The holiday season kicks off with Halloween and then Christmas time and the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy decks will be all decked out this year.

Special holiday décor will adorn each ship, with a 20-foot tall tree in the atrium lobby, garlands, wreaths and smaller trees throughout the ships.

Here’s what you can expect when taking a holiday cruise this year, according to Disney:

“Mickey’s Tree-Lighting Magic.” In the atrium lobby on the first night of the cruise, Disney characters will lead holiday carols and the lighting of the glittering, three-deck-tall tree.

“Santa’s Winter Wonderland Ball.” In the atrium lobby Santa and Mrs. Claus will be welcome with a celebration featuring Broadway-style entertainment, including a little “Frozen” fun that turns the atrium into a snow globe,

Dickens-inspired carolers.  Throughout the ship the carolers will sing holiday classics.

Family holiday activities. These include building gingerbread houses, meeting Santa Claus, decorating stockings and gingerbread men cookies, making holiday cards and creating holiday animation cells.

“Deck the Deck Holiday Party.”  This tropical celebration has Disney characters friends leading games such as hula hooping and limbo under oversized candy canes, along with dances for the whole family like the “Yuletide Slide” and a conga line around the pool.

On Thanksgiving Day. The ships hold a Thanksgiving Day feast with visits from Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse dressed in traditional Thanksgiving attire. Also during the special Thanksgiving voyages, NFL football games will be broadcast live on the ships’ outdoor, jumbo LED screens – Funnel Vision – located near the family pool.

Christmas morning.  At the atrium lobby tree Santa Claus and his helpers will have a surprise for all the kids, and guests. A traditional Christmas Dinner will be served that night in the dining rooms.

Services. Christmas services will be held on Christmas Day with a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Hanukkah services will be held each day, Dec. 12 to Dec. 20.

New Year’s. To ring in 2018, voyages during the holiday include a special New Year’s Eve party, complete with music, sparkling wine in commemorative flutes and a midnight countdown.

The cruises where this all takes place are as follows:

• Disney Magic sails four-, five-, seven- and eight-night Bahamian cruises, five- night Eastern Caribbean cruises, and a five-night Western Caribbean cruise departing Nov. 11 to Dec. 24.
• The Disney Wonder sails seven-night Western Caribbean cruises, and seven-night Bahamian cruises departing from Nov. 10 to Dec. 22.
• The  Disney Dream sails three- and four-night Bahamian cruises departing from Nov. 10 to Dec. 22.
• The  Disney Fantasy sails seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises departing from Nov. 11 to Dec. 23.