9 things you can’t miss during the holidays at Disney World

This holiday season at Disney World has a lot of the trimmings of Christmas past: gingerbread displays, holiday fireworks, a Christmas parade and candlelight processional. Kids can even meet Santa again at Disney Springs.

But we’ve noticed a lot of other trimming going on, and not the good kind: there are barely enough wooden soldiers in the parade to qualify as a group, let alone a patrol; Christmas trees and gingerbread displays are missing from some of the resorts, and the best stuff is reserved for the $200 per person Merriest After-Hours event.

Still, there are a lot of holiday festivities you shouldn’t miss out on if you’re visiting before the end of the year. Some of our favorites:

Candlelight Processional: It’s back! After a hiatus last year, Epcot’s wonderful musical retelling of the Christmas story returns this year with a lineup of celebrity narrators. Disney is offering dining packages that pair a meal with preferred seating for the show, but reservations are very hard to come by. If you don’t score one, you can wait for stand-by seating, or simply cop a squat across the way at the American Adventure pavilion and listen to the beautiful music.

Merry Menagerie: As you walk toward Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life, you may be greeted by a puppet reindeer or polar bear, or a trio of baby penguins. A violinist plays to set the mood while puppeteers mingle with the crowd. It is an absolute joy to see performers interacting with guests again, and the delight of little children who reach out to pet a fox or penguin is contagious. If you simply must rush to Flight of Passage, be sure to build in a little time to enjoy the Merry Menagerie sometime during the day.

The L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen: Maybe it’s because we’re so far from New York and we really miss bagels, but you won’t want to skip the “Hannukah corner” at Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays. Here you’ll find pastrami on rye with house-made pickles, potato latkes, mini jelly-filled donuts and black-and-white cookies. Last year we simply ordered one of everything, and we weren’t disappointed!

Jock Lindsey’s Holiday Bar: Pull up a chair at the bar and enjoy decor that resembles nothing more than a Christmas explosion in your grandmother’s attic. It is glorious! The bar also has some holiday specials on the menu, including a holiday ham and brie flatbread, cookies and milk, and deviled eggs. A couple of festive cocktails are on the menu too. As always with Disney Springs, off-hours are best. If you have to wait for a table, you will have to hang around outside, as this bar doesn’t text you when your table is ready.

Gingerbread displays: The gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian get most of the attention—and rightfully so— but the Beach Club’s Little Mermaid-themed carousel is equally delightful. It’s worth a stroll over to the resort, especially if you can snag a reservation at Beaches & Cream or sneak in dinner at the Crew’s Cup Lounge next door at the Yacht Club.

Christmas tree trail: Disney Springs is adorned with 20 themed Christmas trees (more than last year!) inspired by movies and park attractions. Grab a tree stroll map, and once you find all the trees, you’ll get a special treat at a participating location.

Epcot holiday entertainment: The World Showcase will feature the return of holiday storytellers, musical acts and other performers, including the Canadian Holiday Voyageurs, China’s Lion Dance, Italy’s La Befana and France’s Père Noël. And, Santa will visit the American Adventure from Nov. 26 through Dec. 24.

Santa’s Christmas cavalcade: You also can see Santa as he cruises down Sunset Boulevard at Hollywood Studios, led by his trusty reindeer. This year, you can find the cavalcade times listed in the app. Best thing about this Santa Sighting? He’s close enough to actually talk to, and he’s a chatty fellow!

Holiday fireworks: Yes, you need a ticket to the Very Merriest After-Hours at Magic Kingdom, but you can see Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show from outside the park. All of the Monorail resorts have a great view of the fireworks. The only trick is that the show goes off at 11:15 p.m., so if you’re not staying at one of those resorts, your best bet is to make a late dinner reservation and be prepared to linger. (You won’t be able to park at the resorts without a reservation.)

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