How to Celebrate Christmas at the Magic Kingdom in 2020 (Free Checklist Included)
Oh, we just LOVE Christmas and there’s just so much to see and do if you’re spending the holidays in Walt Disney World this year. And because this is 2020, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that there’s been a lot of changes too!
Typically, Disney hosts the special ticketed event, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This event includes a holiday parade, special fireworks viewing, character meets, and exclusive holiday treats. With the need to continue health and safety measures and limit the number of crowds entering the park, those offerings will not be available this year. Instead, Disney has created a few alternatives at the Magic Kingdom, some of which were only available during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This is a neat bonus for this year, as you’re able to experience some of these special events with just the cost of a regular ticket.
We were fortunate to be able to visit the Magic Kingdom on the official opening day of the holiday festivities! We’re so excited to share everything with you, so you can get a jump start on planning your 2020 holiday trip. I’ve also included a free checklist so that you can keep track and make sure that you don’t miss out on any of the holiday goodies when at the Magic Kingdom.
Entry to the Magic Kingdom
As soon as we stepped down off of the Monorail ramp and headed towards the entry, it was very apparent that Christmas had arrived at the Magic Kingdom. (This literally happens overnight as a crew works through the wee morning hours to deck the halls for Disney guests.) We were greeted with holiday music, festive decorations, and garland lining the train station and entries into the park.
Once inside, we immediately saw the Town Square Christmas tree, holiday wreaths adorning the lamp posts, and toy soldiers lined up along each side of the tree! The smell of freshly popped popcorn and sweet treats from the Confectionary wafted past our noses. Ahhh! It was amazing!
The Town Square Theatre, Town Hall, and the train station were also all decked out in Christmas trimmings, lights, and red bows. Even though it’s still warm and sunny in Florida, we totally got all the Christmas feels! We made sure to snap a few photos in front of the tree-because how could you not?!
PhotoPass photographers were staked out in front of the tree, taking MagicShot photos for guests.
The Magic Kingdom Christmas Tree
In the center of Town square, you can’t miss the gigantic and absolutely gorgeous Christmas tree at Magic Kingdom. The tree is a staggering height of 65 feet and is nothing shy of pure Christmas magic. It is traditionally decorated, and adorned with a larger than life popcorn garland, peppermint sticks, gingerbread ornaments, candles, and bulbs. The tree is topped off with a sparkly gold star.
Presents wrapped in red and green were situated among classic toys and looked as if they’d been strategically placed around the tree in preparation for Christmas morning. Peppermint sticks and toy soldiers embellish the gardens in the center of the Town Square.
The tree is a delight to see no matter the hour, but it’s at night when she really shows off! Just look at all that sparkle!
Main Street, USA Decorations
While walking down Main Street, we saw Christmas wreaths, garland, bells, and bows at almost every turn. Mouse-shaped garland wreaths were posted on the street lanterns and bright lights were strung around posts, entries, and windows. These extra adornments really added to the magic that’s already found when walking down Main Street!
Character Cavalcades
Character Cavalcades are the primary character interactions that Disney has been implementing since the phased reopening of Walt Disney World. These are short mini parades, that usually make their way down Main Street and have featured characters such as Mickey and friends, Goofy, characters from Winnie the Pooh, and Princesses among others.
For the holiday season, there are three new Christmas cavalcades that have debuted. These include Mickey’s Holiday Cavalcade, Goofy’s Scrumptious Cavalcade, Santa’s Christmas Cavalcade, and the Royal Princess Processional which is the same as before but with the princesses decked out in their holiday finest!
The Main Street Philharmonic band, as well as the Holiday Trolley Show, are two other processionals that you can spot making their way down Main Street this holiday season.
As far as scheduling, these happened at random and there are no set times. However, these are running frequently and through the course of the entire day. The last one seemed to pop out a just little after dusk. You should be able to see all of these during your day. You could even watch these in succession if you grabbed a couple of snacks and parked a spot on the curb of Main Street for an hour or so.
The cavalcade routes were running a little differently than we had seen them do in the past. Before, the cavalcades would start at the back of Frontierland and make their way day Main Street, ending at the Firehouse in Town Square. We saw most of the cavalcades continue with this pattern, but we also saw a few of the Cavalcades start at the firehouse and cruise up Main Street, make a loop in front of the castle, and then back down Main Street to finally end at the Firehouse.
You’ll know when a Cavalcade is coming when you hear the music change and get much louder. Cast Members will be directing guests out of the streets as well.
One of our favorite spots for prime viewing is on the curb behind the Christmas Tree as you’re looking straight towards the castle. This gives you a straight-on view of the characters as they head towards you. Another great spot is to stand over by the Firehouse. Most of the crowds don’t worry to walk back that far, so you get some distance from others and a great view of the characters.
We’ve also had some great experiences sitting in the outdoor table area at Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn & Cafe in Frontierland. You can enjoy the cavalcades go by as you’re eating your meal!
Cinderella Castle Holiday Projections
For this year, Disney announced that Cinderella Castle would feature new holiday projections, in lieu of the Dream Lights that we’ve seen in the past.
As soon as the sun started to go down, you could feel the excitement as park guests were anticipating the start of the holiday projections on the castle.
And let me just say, these did not disappoint!
There are four different designs with these swapping out every 10 minutes or so. There’s no music or show associated with these, but there is a magical chime that you’ll hear as the projections change from one to another. The projections continue throughout the night from dusk until close, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see these during your time in the park.
The four different looks include…
A holiday sweater…and not an ugly one, I might add! How fun!
Festive red and green. Doesn’t the castle look so regal?
A whimsical vibe with colors of gold, red and green. We love the mix of patterns with the polka dots and stripes!
And this royal purple, blue, and gold combination. Gorgeous, right? We still can’t decide which one we liked the most!
Jingle Cruise
While you’re making your way through Adventureland, don’t forget to stop at the Jungle Cruise. For the holiday season, Jungle Cruise actually becomes Jingle Cruise with a holiday overlay. This is a cute attraction loaded with lots of holiday cheer. The best time to ride is as dusk or later, as you can get a full view of all of the holiday lights!
Holiday Treats and Snacks
What’s Christmas in the Magic Kingdom without trying some of the themed treats and snacks?! Just like in years past, Disney has a great selection of holiday snacks that you can grab at just about anywhere in the park.
This is the official Holiday Foodie Guide put out by Disney.
Pictured here…
Twice Upon a Cupcake -from the Main Street Bakery
Let it Snow Taco – Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale and Cafe
An Orange Bird Christmas – Sunshine Tree Terrace
Chip and Dale Christmas Churros – Westward Ho
Pistachio Chai Tea Float – Aloha Isle
While we were there, we ended up trying four different yummy treats throughout our day…
Red Velvet Minnie Cupcake – Main Street Confectionary
Chocolate-Dipped Crisped Rice Cereal Minnie Treat – Main Street Confectionary
Let it Snow Taco – Pecos Bill Tall Tale & Cafe
Minnie’s Merry Cherry Sundae – Storybook Treats
Holiday Shopping
Before you leave for the night, make sure to stop into a few shops to check out the holiday merchandise. We’re sure that you’ll find at least one special souvenir to help you commemorate your trip. Or at least find a Christmas gift or two. Even if the park is officially closed, you can still stop into most of the shops along Main Street to make sure you get your holiday shopping done!
Magic Kingdom Holiday Checklist
If you’re anything like me, you need a bit of a plan to make sure you hit everything on your list during your day in the Magic Kingdom. I created a FREE checklist that you can either print or save to your phone. This will help to make sure you don’t miss any of the holiday goodness!
If you’re planning a trip to the Magic Kingdom during the 2020 holiday season, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! Even though there’s been a lot of changes, there’s still a ton of decorations, character interactions, experiences, and treats to make your Christmas super magical!
If you haven’t already, follow me over at Instagram. You can check my Magic Kingdom Highlights and see all of my stories from our visit during Disney’s holiday opening day {HERE}.
Wishing you a wonderful trip, friends!
Merry Christmas!
