When it involves the vacations at Walt Disney World, there are three questions we obtain greater than any others. One of these is “when will Christmas decorations go up in the parks & resorts?” That’s what we’ll reply on this publish. (Updated October 25, 2022.)
Just in case you’re curious, the opposite commonest query is: “How do you get tickets to see the ABC Christmas Day Parade live in person at Walt Disney World?” (Sorry, we now have some unhealthy information on that one.) Rounding out the highest three, “when are Christmas decorations taken down? (Answered in our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World.)
As individuals plan their Christmas journeys months prematurely, it is sensible that this is able to be necessary data. Walt Disney World formally kicks off Christmas on November 11, 2022. However, there are a few exceptions to this. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom begins early–on November 8, 2022. By distinction, the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays begins late–on November 25, 2022.
Unlike the final two years, we’re hopeful that decorations gained’t be scaled again for Christmas 2022. Two years in the past, journey plummeted and quite a lot of modifications for well being and security had been made. Last 12 months, the adjustments are because of Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary, which overshadowed each Halloween and Christmas within the course of. With the World’s Most Magical Celebration at its tail finish by November 2022, we’re optimistic Christmas will as soon as once more take middle stage this 12 months.
October 25, 2022 Update: Diwali was yesterday, and in celebration, Walt Disney World put in lanterns and marigold flowers within the Asia space of Animal Kingdom, in entrance of the Andapur Theater District, to light up this area for the particular season. Known because the Festival of Lights, Diwali is widely known for five or 6 days in several areas of India…or till January 2023 at Walt Disney World.
While these are the primary decorations to go up for the 2022 vacation season at Walt Disney World, they don’t seem to be the one ones. Discovery Island Luminaries are additionally beginning to go up on the entrance of the park, and there’s no actual world vacation coinciding with their set up to elucidate why that’s occurring.
In actuality, Walt Disney World’s Holiday Services group at all times will get a bounce begin on Halloween by placing up the extra ambiguous decor in late October, and we’d anticipate that to proceed within the coming days. (Out at Disneyland, there’s already snow on Sleeping Beauty Castle!) Any day now, we’re additionally anticipating gingerbread home development to start at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, amongst different issues.
Here’s what else you’ll be able to anticipate for those who’re visiting Walt Disney World quickly and are hoping to identify indicators of the vacation season…
If you’re hoping to see Christmas decorations at Walt Disney World is that they go up sooner than you may anticipate. No, not as early as the vacation aisles at Target or Walmart, however adorning normally begins instantly after Halloween has ended. Like, actually in a single day proper as the autumn decorations go down.
One of the widespread misconceptions about Walt Disney World and the vacation season is that all the decorations seem in a single day, unexpectedly. There are a wide range of the explanation why it is a persistent city legend. For one factor, it was once true. Back when Walt Disney World was simply two theme parks and some resorts, the Holiday Services group did nearly the whole lot in a single day.
Second, as a result of Walt Disney World nonetheless releases time-lapse movies displaying the transformation of Main Street USA from Halloween to Christmas. In giant half, that does happen in a single day–however even that now normally takes two nights, not only one.
Finally, it’s a matter of visitor notion. You can depart Magic Kingdom one evening and see Halloween decorations in your approach out and enter the following morning to see the scene magically reworked to Christmas. It’s a powerful sight to behold, and one that you just could be satisfied occurs “all at once.” However, not all the particulars are there at that time, nor are the opposite parks completely adorned.
Anyway, notion apart, the fact is that Christmas decorations go up fairly early within the parks.
Despite the Christmas 2022 season not formally beginning at Walt Disney World till early November, the fact is that decorations will go up earlier than then.
This 12 months, you’ll be able to anticipate Magic Kingdom to be principally adorned by November 1, 2022 and absolutely adorned by November 3, 2022.
This is a secure assumption as a result of many decorations will go up as Halloween decorations come down. It’s additionally essential to get Magic Kingdom completed rapidly as a result of the primary Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party can be held on November 8, 2022. Typically, the park is absolutely adorned by then.
(It was once the case that the Christmas tree didn’t go up till after the ABC Christmas Day Parade was filmed, as cameras had been positioned in Town Square. That hasn’t been the case for years; now, the Christmas tree goes up in early November and crews handle to shoot round it.)
Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios can be subsequent up after Magic Kingdom.
The timeline with each of those parks is rather less sure. Animal Kingdom and DHS have been identified to place up extra ‘ambiguous’ vacation decorations in late October (see above). In truth, the tinsel stars at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are normally the very first decorations to go up at Walt Disney World, usually showing by the second to final week of October.
There are a variety of decorations that can be seen in the course of the daytime hours, however the completed product gained’t be prepared and the lights probably won’t be lit up at evening till nearer to the official begin date of Christmas 2022.
Disney Springs additionally begins its Christmas choices in early November. Sometimes that occurs progressively, so anticipate some objects to not be up till the next week. That’s the excellent news.
Epcot is the final park to get in on the vacation time enjoyable, and that’s as a result of the profitable 2022 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival runs till late November. Consequently, adorning for Epcot will start shortly earlier than Thanksgiving and end by November 25, 2022.
Due to all the development at Epcot, don’t anticipate the entrance of the park to obtain in depth decorations this 12 months. The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays ought to be certain that World Showcase receives its regular decor for every pavilion.
The resort accommodations are the true wildcard. Last 12 months, decorations went up a few week sooner than regular all through the resorts. We are anticipating that this pattern will proceed, with nearly all main accommodations (Deluxe and Moderate Resorts) having their Christmas bushes, gingerbread shows, and many others. up by mid-November.
Gingerbread shows are normally prioritized, probably as a result of these are accompanied by snack stand kiosks that generate income promoting snacks. The dates for these are extremely variable. The groups that do among the fabrication and set up work normally begin at Grand Floridian in late October or early November, then transfer on to the Contemporary, adopted by the Crescent Lake resorts. This is a course of, and takes longer than the remainder of the decorations–despite the fact that there are far fewer resorts that get the gingerbread homes.
Usually, Holiday Services can do a whole resort in a single evening, with groups deployed to a number of resorts concurrently. This implies that, for example, Wilderness Lodge (normally completed in mid-November) can be utterly reworked into the Christmas spirit in a single day–in the identical night that Coronado Springs, for instance, receives its vacation decor.
However, because of the sheer variety of resorts all through Walt Disney World, even when Holiday Services decorates two accommodations in a single evening, the method would nonetheless take over two weeks to finish. Moreover, there are not any onerous and quick guidelines as to the order that resorts obtain their decorations. It varies from 12 months to 12 months.
With all of that mentioned, for those who’re visiting on or after November 1, you’ll begin to see some decorations at Walt Disney World. By that weekend, you’ll see much more objects put in–the method must be about half-finished.
By November 4, 2022, you can see that the three of the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks are both partially or absolutely adorned and among the resorts are adorned. If you go to per week after that, you’ll have the identical quantity of in-park decorations, however now half of the resorts will even be adorned. Another week and the resorts can be completely adorned. Visit for Thanksgiving week or at any level in December, and the whole lot at Walt Disney World can be decked out for Christmas!
For complete ideas for planning your Christmas-time journey to Walt Disney World, try our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World. For Walt Disney World journey planning ideas and complete recommendation, make certain to learn our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and associated articles.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Walt Disney World’s ‘process’ for getting decked out for the vacations? Is November 4, 2022 too early for Christmas decorations? Are you excited to expertise the vacations at WDW? Any questions we will help you reply? Hearing your suggestions is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!