It’s the holiday season at Walt Disney World! This year, Disney is celebrating with a new special ticketed event called Very Merriest After Hours. We had the opportunity to attend the first party of the season and had a blast! We were able to enter Magic Kingdom at 7 pm with the After Hours ticket, allowing us to watch Enchantment for the first time. Once Enchantment had finished, guests of the party were able to ride attractions while waiting for the festivities to begin at 9 pm. We did our best to hit every special activity they offered.
We started the party in Tomorrowland with a holiday-themed Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor. We also checked out Club Tinsel where we listened to holiday music and enjoyed watching Santa Stitch dance to the music. Cosmic Rays was the first holiday treat stop for us. In addition to the snickerdoodle cookies and hot chocolate, they also offered allergy-friendly cookies. As we were leaving Tomorrowland and entering Fantasyland, we saw Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum by the Mad Tea Party.
All around the park they had fun characters like Country Bears in Frontierland, Santa in Liberty Square, and Captain Hook and Smee in Adventureland. If that wasn’t enough characters for you, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade was full of characters – from the ones you see every day to rare ones like Max.
Throughout the park you had the opportunity to eat unlimited popcorn, ice cream, snickerdoodle cookies, sodas, and hot chocolate — all were included in the cost of your party ticket. They also had some fun specialty treats available for purchase.
The castle had the best activities of the night. This is where we watched the Mickey and Minnie’s Very Merry Memories show and Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show. The show was so cute with rare characters you don’t normally get to see in the parks. The fireworks over the castle were stunning, but then there were also fireworks lighting up all around you to make you feel fully immersed in the experience. The fireworks were my favorite part of the night!
The icing on the cake to top off the night… experiencing the snow on Main Street! It’s the only kind of snow I think of as magical! If you are on the fence about this event, I would highly recommend purchasing your tickets today… It’s a night you won’t soon forget!
Disney JUST announced that the brand new Disney Genie service will launch on Oct. 19 at Walt Disney World Resort!
Available for all of the guests right in the My Disney Experience app, the complimentary Disney Genie service offers new features that let guests create their best Disney day. These features include a personalized itinerary creator that effortlessly and smartly maps out an entire day inspired by the things guests tell us they love – helping them make the most of their park time so they can have more fun.
Similar to a navigation app on a phone, Disney Genie continues to update the guest’s itinerary from morning to night as the day changes, so they can stay spontaneous and go with the flow – whether guests need a nap, encounter an unexpected rain shower or want to take a detour for a Mickey ice cream bar.
Disney Genie puts guests at the center of the experience by prioritizing ways to:
Reduce time in lines while keeping in mind guest’s top picks
Pace the day with experiences guests will enjoy – and haven’t already done yet
Build around existing plans like dining reservations and Park Hopper® preferences
Disney Genie uses our 50+ years of knowledge and expertise in how guests visit our parks to make the experience better for everyone.
With this launch, we’ll also be introducing the Lightning Lane entrance. Available for purchase through our Disney Genie+ add-on at more than 40 attractions – or individually, “a la carte” at some of our most highly demanded attractions – the Lightning Lane entrance can save guests time waiting in line.
As a reminder, attractions continue to offer a traditional standby queue or from time to time, a virtual queue may instead be used at select attractions, like right now at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
One of things we saw change about Walt Disney World during the pandemic was the loss of Extra Magic Hours. Disney has just announced this is a benefit that will not be returning.
Early Theme Park Entry: We know how much guests enjoy extra park time, so coming later this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park, EVERY day. It’ll be a great way to get a jump start on your Disney day, no matter the day! As a reminder, the Extra Magic Hours benefit was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, and as we continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return. The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing. Please note that guests need valid admission and a park reservation made via the Disney Park Pass system to enter a theme park.
Plan a fun-filled getaway at The Most Magical Place on Earth and take advantage of this great room offer.
Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays most nights April 18, 2021 through July 10, 2021.
Book through May 27, 2021.
Enjoy added peace of mind when booking! You can modify or cancel your reservation with extra flexibility for arrivals through April 30, 2021. See Important Details.
The health and well-being of our Guests and Cast Members continues to be a top priority and we’ve implemented new measures to promote enhanced cleaning, physical distancing and reduced contact. Learn more about these efforts via the Know Before You Go section below.
This offer is valid for the Disney Resort hotels listed below. View the chart to explore savings within each Resort Category.
Resort Category
Resort Savings
Select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts
Save Up to 30%
For stays most nights April 18 to July 10, 2021
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village Disney’s BoardWalk Villas Disney’s Old Key West Resort Disney’s Riviera Resort Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
30%
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Disney’s Beach Club Villas Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows – Studios Only
15%
Select Disney Deluxe Resorts
Save Up to 30%
For stays most nights April 18 to July 10, 2021
Disney’s Beach Club Resort – reopening May 30, 2021 Disney’s Contemporary Resort Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – reopening June 6, 2021 Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
30%
Select Disney Moderate Resorts
Save Up to 20%
For stays most nights April 18 to July 10, 2021
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
20%
Select Disney Value Resorts
Save Up to 15%
For stays most nights April 18 to July 10, 2021
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort – reopening March 22, 2021 Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Disney’s Pop Century Resort
15%
The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room. Length of stay requirements may apply. See Important Details.
Book with Confidence Enjoy added peace of mind when booking! You can modify or cancel your reservation with extra flexibility through April 30, 2021. See Important Details.
Important Details
Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than 2 adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts and Studios at Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts.
Advance reservations required.
Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
Offer excludes the following room types: 3-bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
Valid admission and a park reservation are required to enjoy theme parks and special events and are not included in this offer.
Disney Resort hotel reopening dates are subject to change.
Come experience The Most Magical Place on Earth with specially priced Discover Disney Tickets just for Florida Residents!
Florida Residents can purchase a 4-Day Discover Disney Ticket for $50 per day, plus tax (total price $199 plus tax)—or choose from other specially priced tickets.
Discover Disney Tickets are valid for admission to one theme park per day (park reservations via the Disney Park Pass system are required). You can also choose a Discover Disney Ticket that includes the Park Hopper Option.
Looking for flexibility? Tickets can be used on consecutive or non-consecutive days—so you can spread out the fun!
Now’s the perfect time to experience the wonder. With so much to see and do, you can immerse themselves in the magic of Walt Disney World theme parks with this great ticket offer.
Explore pricing and dates for Florida Resident Discover Disney Tickets:
Ticket Days
Price (Excludes Tax)
Valid for Use
2-Day Ticket
$75 USD per day ($149 per ticket)
Ticket valid January 4 through March 11, 2021; subject to the following blockout dates: January 16 – January 18 and February 13 – February 15
3-Day Ticket
$60 USD per day ($179 per ticket)
Ticket valid January 4 through June 18, 2021; subject to the following blockout dates: January 16 – January 18, February 13 – February 15, March 26 – April 11 and May 28 – 31, 2021
4-Day Ticket
$50 USD per day ($199 per ticket)
Ticket valid January 4 through June 18, 2021; subject to the following blockout dates: January 16 – January 18, February 13 – February 15, March 26 – April 11 and May 28 – 31, 2021
Florida Resident Discover Disney Tickets are valid for admission to one theme park per day. 2-Day Tickets and add-on options expire on March 11, 2021. 3-Day and 4-Day Tickets and add-on options expire on June 18, 2021. Tickets are not valid on the blockout dates listed in the chart above. All tickets and options are nontransferable and nonrefundable and exclude activities/events separately priced. See Important Details.
For Florida resident tickets, all adults will need to show Florida residency at park entrance.
Both a theme park reservation via the Disney Park Pass system and valid theme park ticket ticket for the same park on the same date are required for each person in your party ages 3 and up. Reservations are limited and subject to availability. View the park reservation availability calendar.
Admission is subject to capacity closures and other restrictions.
After expiration date, the price paid for a wholly unused ticket can be applied to the purchase of a new ticket with an equal or higher price.
Important Details About the Park Hopper Option
The Park Hopper option allows Guests to visit more than one park per day.
Guests must make a theme park reservation via the Disney Park Pass reservation system for the first park they plan to visit.
After entering that first park, Guests will be able to visit the next park starting at 2 PM until each park’s regularly scheduled closure. The ability to visit a park is subject to the park’s capacity limitations.
At this time a park reservation is not required after the first park, however, reservation requirements are subject to change.
Creates stories that span generations! I enjoy traveling with my little family, but I really love setting out on new adventures with my extended family. From a young age, we would head from the mountains of Pennsylvania to the beaches of North Carolina. My parents, sister and I would be joined by aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great grandparents for a week of sun, sand, fishing, and laughs. We’d squeeze as many in the house as possible and eat the catch of the day and listen to the older generation tell stories of their youth. (And embarrassing stories of the next generation too!)
These trips cemented our family in a way that few things can; my cousins and I are all grown with families of our own. Many still carry on the tradition of that house in North Carolina every summer. Even though we don’t get together as often as we’d like we know that we are there for each other anytime.
My segment of the big family has started our own travel traditions. We have carved out time for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party the last 8 years. We have also spent time the last seven summers in the mountains. We love renting a cabin in the Smoky Mountains or Poconos. Being near parks and recreation areas opens so many possibilities. When you have a home base, you can spread out and enjoy meals together but if anyone needs some space, there are plenty of activities to split up and do.
We have done international trips as a big family as well. These require a little more planning to get the right sized cars and hotel rooms but offer so much in return. Travel allows us to view the world as larger than our own immediate experience.
Traveling with several generations together creates lasting bonds across the ages. Grandparents can assist with younger children and allow parents to sneak off for a little time alone. I have enjoyed getting to know my parents differently and I love seeing their relationship grow with my kids. The kids enjoy stories about us when we were young and often my parents will toss in an experience of story from their youth.
Time spent together is the greatest gift of all – and we are looking forward to being together when the time is right.
