​​If you have not visited Walt Disney World® Resort during the holiday season, then you might just be missing out on the most magical time of the year. While there is magic in the air anytime you're at Disney, there is something extra special about being there during the holiday season with all the  strands of garland, twinkling lights everywhere, gigantic trees decorated at all four theme parks and gingerbread something at the resort hotels and in the parks. It all seems to bring back the nostalgia and excitement of the season like when you were a child. Let's be honest, the older I get the more I seem to cherish and crave that same childlike excitement about this time of year that most of us have experienced growing up. 

As an adult, I often feel as if I am so busy in the hustle and bustle of it all with shopping, wrapping, baking, school class parties etc that I feel like I don't get a chance to slow down long enough to really be present in spirit of the season. Our kids are only "kids" for so long, and I don't want to miss out on enjoying these times "with" them not just around them. When we get the chance to leave all the hustle and bustle at home and take off for a quick trip to Disney it's about being present in the moment and enjoying all the smiles, giggles and new experiences together that create memories that we will always have. I think one of my favorite things is seeing the characters interacting with my teenage son and getting a big smile out of him in the process. 

So, my question to you is...what are your holiday traditions that you like to do this time of year, and what are you doing to create those magical memories that you and your family will have to cherish for years to come? 

Happy Holidays to You and Yours!
Cindy 

You many not realize that Walt Disney World® Resort offers two different seasonal "Behind the Scenes" tours all about the holidays and how they create the magic.  If you've ever wondered "How do they do it?," this may be the tour for you. 

Here are all the details:

Disney's Yuletide Fantasy
Explore this winter wonderland—brimming with dazzling displays, delectable treats and pure Disney magic!
During this festive and fun-filled 3-hour tour, you'll see firsthand the incredible artistry and logistics that make Walt Disney World Resort even merrier and brighter at this time of year. You’ll:
• Discover how our Holiday Services Designers use themes to fashion the distinctive decorations that “deck the halls” throughout the Resort.
• Visit the Floral Department for an up-close look at the special displays created just for the season.
• Join a Disney Springs culinary artist to whip up a mouthwatering seasonal treat of your own.
In addition, each Guest will receive an exclusive holiday keepsake!

Event elements including, but not limited to, tour stops, routes, and services are subject to restrictions, change, or cancellation without notice. No refunds given for any such changes or cancellations.

Know Before You Go
View important information regarding tour availability, Guest restrictions and cancellation policies.

• As Disney’s Yuletide Fantasy is a seasonal event, the tour is offered only on select dates in November and December. 
• Theme park admission is not required nor included.
• Transportation during the tour is provided. If anyone in your party will be utilizing a mobility device, such as an ECV or a wheelchair, please call (407) 566-3352 prior to booking to ensure space is available for the device.
• This tour is delivered in English only. Simultaneous translation is not provided, nor is it allowed.
• For safety reasons, closed-toe and closed-heel shoes (such as sneakers) are required for this experience. No sandals, open-toe or open-heel shoes will be permitted.
• No cameras, video equipment or cell phones may be used while backstage. However, photography is allowed and encouraged in all non-backstage areas.
• Tour itinerary, content, duration and availability are subject to change without notice.
• Guests must be at least 12 years of age to participate in this tour.
• Guests under 18 years of age must be accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian who is registered for the tour.
• Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call or book.
• Please check in next to the blue-and-silver “Epcot Guided Tours” sign posted outside and to the far right of the Main Entrance.
• Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the tour start time.
• No-shows will forfeit the entire price of the tour unless canceled at least 48 hours prior to the start of the tour.

Disney's Holiday D-Lights
This is a Limited-Time Holiday Season experience. 

Come celebrate the excitement of the holidays like only Disney Parks can with festive sights and sounds of the season. For 12 nights only, experience an enchanting evening where your “holiday host” will help unwrap some of the secrets behind our most spirited traditions in Epcot and Magic Kingdom park:

• Begin your tour with an early, family-style barbecue dinner (included) at Whispering Canyon Cafe, located located within Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
• Go backstage at 2 Walt Disney World theme parks to learn, firsthand, how we bring to life some of our most cherished customs.
• Interact with some of the talented folks who put together these remarkable events. Get your questions answered by some experts in their fields.
• Meet the gifted Event & Decorating Support team responsible for adorning Cinderella Castle in hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights. Then, see the stunning display for yourself during our breathtaking lighting ceremony.
• Put yourself in the action with exclusive photo opportunities.
• Continue on to Epcot to witness the stirring Candlelight Processional, a retelling of the Christmas story brought to life by a 50-piece live orchestra, choir and celebrity narrator.
• Experience the finale of the Holiday D-Lights tour with a new fireworks spectacular: Epcot Forever. 
• Remember this occasion with a special takeaway collector's pin—each Guest receives a limited-edition keepsake pin that’s exclusive to this tour!

Know Before You Go
View important information including tour availability, Guest restrictions and cancellation policies.

• As Disney's Holiday D-Lights is a seasonal event, this tour is offered only on select dates in December. 
• Transportation during tour is provided. If anyone in your party will be utilizing a mobility device, such as an ECV or a wheelchair, please call (407) 566-3352 prior to booking to ensure space is available for the device.
• This tour is delivered in English only. Simultaneous translation is not provided, nor is it allowed.
• No cameras, video equipment or cell phones may be used while backstage. However, photography is allowed and encouraged in all non-backstage areas.
• Tour itinerary, content, duration and availability are subject to change without notice.
• Guests must be at least 12 years of age to participate in this tour.
• Guests under 18 years of age must be accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian who is registered for the tour.
• Guests under 18 years of age must have a parent or guardian permission to call or book.
• Please check in next to the blue-and-silver “Epcot Guided Tours” sign posted outside and to the far right of the Main Entrance.
• Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the tour start time.
• Disney’s Holiday D-Lights Tour is approximately 6 hours long.
• No-shows will forfeit the entire price of the tour unless canceled at least 48 hours prior to the start of the tour.
• Theme park admission is not included and not required for this tour.

Happy Holidays!
Cindy