Family Vacations This Christmas: Christmas at Disney

Orlando, FL, during the summer months is hot, humid, and very, very crowded. Disney World over the summer can be fun, but it can also entail sunburn and long lines. Why not take your Disney World vacation at Christmas, instead? It will still be humid, but it will be warm instead of hot, and the lines will still be long, but not as long as the summertime. A Disney Christmas is a great way for your family to spend your holiday season this year.

Disney World Christmas events

Parades, Disney characters, cultural education, and a retelling of the Christmas story await your family during a Disney Christmas. For Christmas 2008, storytellers in the Epcot Center will spin tales of different Christmas characters from around the world - from Santa Claus, to France's Pere Noel, and Italy's LaBefana, children can learn about Christmas traditions from around the globe. Meanwhile, Edward James Olmos will appear in Disney World on Christmas day, narrating the story of Christmas while a choir and 50-piece orchestra play Christmas music behind him.

If Edward James Olmos isn't kid-friendly enough for you, there's still Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, a parade and fireworks show that shows on dates throughout November and December (but not on Christmas day). Be aware that admission to Mickey's Christmas Party does require a separate ticket which must be purchased in advance.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights

A Disney Christmas has Christmas lights like you've never seen them before - this is not your neighborhood Christmas lights show. Why "Osborne Family"? Disney's Christmas lights are named for Jennings Osborne, an Arkansas businessman who strung up 1,000 Christmas lights for his daughter one year. As the years went by, Mr. Osborne added more and more lights to his Christmas display, until he reached millions of lights.

Mr. Osborne's neighbors weren't so happy with all the lights, and even took legal action because of the traffic jams his Christmas light displays were causing. Although the Osborne family can't have their light extravaganza anymore, now their Christmas lights are in Disney World - in fact, about 80% of the lights used in the Disney Christmas light display come from the Osborne Family collection. Now the light show is a special part of Christmas at Disney World, which begins in November and runs through January. Today, the Osborne Family Christmas light display contains over four million Christmas lights.

Mickey's Jingle Jungle Expeditions

Another Disney Christmas event is at Disney's nearby Animal Kingdom, where you and your family can watch floats and parades filled with your favorite Disney characters. The parade contains huge animal sculptures made from unusual materials, and lasts about twenty minutes. Kids will be fascinated by seeing their favorite Disney characters; adults will love the unusual, artistic animal sculptures.

Stick around for New Year's Eve

If you decide on a Disney Christmas, hang out for a little while after Christmas to enjoy Disney's New Year's Eve events. The New Year's Eve "Fantasmic!" show features nearly half an hour of an incredible fireworks display and dancing Disney characters, all synchronized to the tunes of Disney music. The show's theme is Mickey Mouse's dreams; a bad guy intrudes and turns his dreams into nightmares, so Mickey has to fend him off. While primarily reminiscent of the Fantasia movie's Sorcerer's Apprentice skit, "Fantasmic!" also features songs from The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and other popular Disney movies.

A Disney Christmas is an event you and your family will not soon forget. Good luck with planning your Disney Christmas, and have fun. By the way, don't forget to reassure your kids that Santa will still be able to find them in Walt Disney World!