When Does Disney Take Down Christmas Decorations?

Written by Dustin Baier in Disney World

Now that Christmas is around the corner, what better place to spend it than in the Happiest Place on Earth? During the Christmas season at Disney, twenty-nine large customized trees up to seventy-feet tall go up. There are around 100 Candle Processions at Epcot, 596 small trees are put up and at Disney Springs you will find hundreds of wreaths and a Christmas Tree Trail.

When does Disney take down Christmas decorations? Usually, Disney takes them down the very beginning of January.

They will also be working hard on the 1st and 2nd of January removing all the Christmas trimmings. Guests that arrive in the first week of January will find fewer decorations after most of it has been taken down by January’s first week. Across all the different theme parks, the timing may have slight variations.

When does Disney Start Decorating for Christmas?

On the 31st of October and the 1st of November, after the Halloween festivities, Disney cast members works around the clock, transitioning from Halloween to Christmas miraculously.

At Disney, the holidays begin in early November to January’s first week. If you have plans to experience Disney World Christmas events or love taking photos of the fantastic Christmas decorations at Disney, you will want to know exactly what is happening inside the park.

Make sure you bring an extra battery pack for you to charge your camera phone as you get a glimpse of the extremely amazing X-Mas decor uniquely made for each Christmas. In other words, no two Christmases are alike!

All over Disney World even at the resorts, decorating is a big-time affair. Decorations for Disney World Christmas begin to go up on the first two weeks of November. Every park has its own iconic Christmas tree. To get every decoration detail in place, it takes the elves several weeks. Keep that in mind if you plan to visit early in the month.

Other Amazing Xmas Decorations

The Disney World Gingerbread House Displays

In case you are wondering, the deluxe resorts get full Christmas decor treatment. For example, the Yacht Clubs, Disney’s Beach, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Hotel, Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the Grand Floridian Resort of Disney all have over-sized, spectacular gingerbread displays. Each of the trees is also decorated according to the resort themes.

In case you are curious, to make the Grand Floridian gingerbread house last year, the ingredients used were:

  • 180 pounds of apricot glaze
  • 140 pints of egg whites
  • 800 pounds of flour
  • 35 pounds of spices
  • 600 pounds of confectioners sugar
  • 700 pounds of chocolate
  • 1050 pounds of honey

What Are Some of the Christmas Events at the Magic Kingdom?

The decorations for the Magic Kingdom begin just around the time the Very Merry Christmas Party of Mickey starts occurring which is the first week of November usually.

Very Merry Christmas Party of Mickey

What can be merrier than the Very Merry Christmas Party of Mickey? These Christmas parties have separate tickets and over the last few years have gotten much busier. Of course, there is no reason to miss this major event of the holiday. You can fill up your belly with as many cookies and cocoa as you can keep down! See every character dressed up in their finest Christmas outfits. Make sure you don’t miss the Once Upon A Christmastime Parade of Mickey.

Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks of Minnie

You also can’t miss the castle stage show the Most Merriest Celebration of Mickey and the Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks of Minnie. At the Magic Kingdom, this is the only time of the year you will be able to watch entertainment this Christmas-y during Disney World Christmas events. Just for the party, Disney hands out an entirely separate Christmas guide. You will find the best dates to attend and tips to where the best parties are! This should help you get into the Christmas spirit!

Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade

Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade is shown daily after the last of the Very Merry Christmas Party of Mickey Mouse. You can catch the parade every afternoon at the Magic Kingdom Park until the last week of December. For everyone celebrating the holidays in the Most Magical Place on Earth, this is just an extra special presentation you can’t miss!

Jungle Cruise Christmas

Also, hop on to catch homesick skippers of the Jungle Cruise decorate for the holiday events at Disney World and turn it into a fabulous Jingle Cruise. You will find tons of jokes and yuletide cheer as you board the floating party. Right now, hop on and cruise aboard the Jingle Cruise through the jungle!

Animal Kingdom Lodge Decorations

At the Animal Kingdom Lodge of Disney, also known as the Wilderness Lodge, there are spectacular, massive Christmas trees you must take a selfie with!

No matter where you are booked, you might want to visit the Disney deluxe resorts, particularly during Christmas. You can visit the free transportation of Disney to get to each resort. Remember to make a booking for the holidays at Disney Resorts Hotels before the crowd takes over!

Christmas at the Animal Kingdom

Over at the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, the decor for Christmas is up and all the celebrating happens around this time as well. The decorations at Epcot, however, won’t come up until near the November International Festival of the Holidays.

Christmas at Hollywood Studios

Over at the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, the decor for Christmas is up and all the celebrating happens around this time as well. The decorations at Epcot, however, won’t come up until near the November International Festival of the Holidays.

Disney World’s Busiest Days of The Year

Before you begin getting too merry, let’s begin with the topic on everyone’s mind: When is the best time to visit Disney World at Christmas? Of course, the quick answer you might come up with is that any time is the best time to visit Disney World! Most people love packing their bags and heading to the Most Magical Place on Earth. The thing is, during the holiday season, there are better times to visit than others. When does Disney take down Christmas decorations? Definitely not on the busiest times of the year! The days which are most busy happen around the holidays at Disney World. Here are the busiest holidays:

  • Thanksgiving Week
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • The Friday after Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Week
  • Christmas Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • New Year’s Eve

You will be in better shape if you experience Christmas events at Disney World other than these dates. If you are in Disney World on these days, just remember to be prepared for the crowds!

What Events are Happening at Epcot?

International Festival of the Holidays at Epcot

If you want to find out how people around the world celebrate Christmas, Kwanza and Hanukkah, come to the International Festival of the Holidays at Epcot. Typically, this event is special and starts on Thanksgiving week. It runs through the last week of December. The world traditions for the holiday season done in all the different countries come alive through story-telling and music. You will find various story-tellers performing a lot of different times each day. Hear about the United Kingdom’s Father Christmas, Mexico’s Los Tres Reyes, Italy’s La Befana, Norway’s Julenissen and France’s Pere Noel.

Skip to the American Adventure Pavilion and meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. When it comes to holiday events at Disney World, food is one of the best things. Sample and snack on cuisine specially made for the holidays from around the globe. The international marketplaces will be sure to put you in the holiday spirit! Enjoy food and drinks from the Caribbean at the ThreeKings Feast Marketplace. At the American Holiday Table, enjoy tender pork loin and roast turkey. in Mexico, you will love the horchata margaritas and the carnitas tacos.

Candlelight Processional at Epcot

One of Disney World’s most joyful events of the holiday is the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. This event happens every year and is part of the International Festival of the Holidays at Epcot. It pairs a full choir with celebrity narrators and a fifty-piece orchestra as the story of Christmas as re-told.

The show occurs three times every evening and runs through the end of November to the end of December. Purchase a dining package for the Candlelight Processional for guaranteed seats. This includes dinner or lunch as well as a full buffet or a three-course meal depending on where you decide to dine.

Where Can I Find Santa at Disney World Christmas Events?

During the holiday events at Disney World, you can find Santa or Santa Goofy, his stand-in in the parks typically in the last week of November throughout the last week of December. Usually, you can catch Santa at the Hollywood Studios of Disney, at Epcot and Disney Springs. Last year, Santa and Santa Goofy were still greeting guests at Disney Springs and Disney Hollywood Studios.

Santa and Mrs. Claus at Epcot greet children typically during the International Festival of the Holidays at Epcot until the last day of December at the American Adventure Pavilion. You will also find Santa appearing often at the Very Merry Christmas Party of Mickey although he may make more frequent appearances than that.

How Long Do We Get to Enjoy Christmas at Disney?

Typically, the first week of January is when all the decor starts to come down. You might of course still see some decorations and hear songs until after that. Decorations for Christmas start coming down by the fifth of January, 2020.

Dustin Baier

Hey, I'm Dustin a Dad of 4 and married to Sweet Pea Chef for over 15 years now :) We got engaged at the Disneyland Hotel way back when and love a vacation at Disney World, Universal Studios, really anywhere with theme parks!

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