Walt Disney World at Christmas is the version of the parks people remember for the rest of their lives, and also the version with the longest lines of the year. Both things are true, and the difference between a wonderful trip and an exhausting one is almost entirely about which dates you pick. Here is a realistic plan for Nashville families, from the flight down to the night-time parade.
What is actually different at Christmas
- Decorations everywhere from early November: the castle lit nightly, a giant tree in each park, garlands on Main Street, holiday overlays on several rides.
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights in November and December: a separately ticketed evening event at Magic Kingdom with its own parade, fireworks, snow on Main Street and cookies. Tickets sell out for December dates.
- Candlelight Processional at EPCOT: an orchestra, a choir and a celebrity narrator telling the Christmas story, several times a night. Free with park admission; dining packages guarantee a seat.
- Holiday food at the festival booths around EPCOT’s World Showcase, and the Jollywood Nights event at Hollywood Studios.
- Crowds. December 20 to January 1 is the single busiest stretch of the Disney year, with parks reaching capacity on some days.
The dates that matter
Best: the first two weeks of December, from the weekend after Thanksgiving to about December 15. All the decorations and events, moderate crowds, lower hotel rates. Good: November after the 10th. Hardest: December 20 through New Year’s Day. If Christmas week is the only week you have, it can still work: arrive on the 21st or 22nd, use early entry, book Lightning Lane, and plan rest days. But if the school calendar gives you a choice, choose early December every time.
Getting there from Nashville
BNA flies nonstop to Orlando several times a day, about an hour and forty minutes. In December the morning flights sell out first and the fares climb through the month, so book the seats as soon as the dates are set. Driving is about nine hours; families with young children often prefer one overnight stop in Georgia. Disney’s resort hotels, the Good Neighbor hotels and the Disney Springs area all work; staying on property matters more at Christmas than at other times because of early park entry and the transportation.
A sample five-day plan for early December
- Day 1: morning flight from Nashville, resort check-in, Disney Springs for the tree and dinner.
- Day 2: Magic Kingdom from early entry; the Very Merry party that evening if you have tickets.
- Day 3: EPCOT: festival food around World Showcase, Candlelight Processional dining package.
- Day 4: Hollywood Studios, with a rest afternoon at the pool.
- Day 5: Animal Kingdom in the morning, afternoon flight home.
Adjust for ages; with children under six, swap Day 4 for a second Magic Kingdom day.
What it costs and how to save
A family of four for five nights in early December, with flights from Nashville, a moderate Disney resort, four-day park tickets and a Very Merry party night, typically runs considerably less than the identical trip over Christmas week, when hotel rates peak and party tickets are gone. Three ways to spend less: go in the first half of December, book the flights the day the dates are fixed, and consider a value or moderate resort rather than deluxe; at Christmas you are in the parks until the fireworks anyway.
Packing for Orlando in December
Highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s, and the occasional cold front. Layers, a light jacket for the evening parade, comfortable shoes and a poncho. The Very Merry party includes free hot cocoa; the snow on Main Street is soap.
How we plan it from Nashville
Dove Travel & Cruises International has planned Disney trips for Tennessee families since 1994. We book the resort, the park tickets, the party tickets and the Candlelight package together with the flights from BNA, and we give you a day-by-day plan with the dining reservations already made. There is no planning fee; Disney pays the agency. Start on our Disney vacation packages page, read our other Christmas vacation ideas, or call (615) 889-1886.
Disney at Christmas questions
When is the best time to see Disney World’s Christmas decorations?
The first two weeks of December: full decorations and events with moderate crowds. Decorations go up in early November and stay through New Year’s.
Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party worth it?
For most families, yes: a shorter-line evening with its own parade, fireworks and snow. Buy tickets early; December dates sell out.
How crowded is Disney World during Christmas week?
It is the busiest week of the year and parks can reach capacity. It is doable with early entry, Lightning Lane and rest days, but early December is far easier.
How do we get from Nashville to Disney World?
Nonstop flights from BNA to Orlando take about an hour and forty minutes; driving is about nine hours. We include flights, resort, tickets and transfers in one quote.
