by Beth Keating
Lifestyle
DisneyBizJournal.com
November 25, 2023
Santa is an elusive persona this time of the year. Ever wonder how he gets to all those kiddos’ houses in ONE NIGHT on Christmas Eve? It’s the same kind of magic he uses to flit his way around the Disney parks, meeting and greeting hundreds (thousands?) of guests a day during the holiday season. If your family is looking to get a little facetime with the Big Guy this year, here are a few of the places he’s been known to hang out at Disney World.
Of course, the most magical place to visit Santa is in the Magic Kingdom, where the man of the hour gets special treatment with his own float in the “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime parade” at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party, all while snow is falling on Main Street. It’s a specially-ticketed event, so not everyone gets a peek at the parade, but some years, Disney runs the parade for daytime guests during Christmas week as well.
If you’ll be in Magic Kingdom from December 23-31 this year, you can catch “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. each day as part of your regular theme park entrance – no specially-ticketed event needed. (Hey, we’re from New York… seeing Santa at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was always a big deal! Maybe you’ll feel the same about seeing him in his sleigh at the end of Mickey’s parade for those few days.)
For the past few years, Santa has also appeared in the motorcade at Hollywood Studios, but this year, he’ll be back in Hollywood in his own location, meeting and greeting fans off of the Muppets’ courtyard in a newly redecorated “It’s A Wonderful Shop” on Grand Avenue. (The shop had been closed for a good long while.) You can sign up for a text alert for a meet-and-greet time there. Just check in with cast members at the red sign. He’s meeting from 10 a.m. until park closing (which varies).
If you would be intrigued by seeing Santa in more international attire, you might want to seek him out in EPCOT’s World Showcase. There, he’ll be appearing in various pavilions, sharing tales from regions around the globe, dressed in the garb more familiar to children in those countries.
In the Norway pavilion, a mischievous Barn Santa tells traditional stories. In France, Père Noël shares a child’s Christmas letter, while Father Christmas makes a stop in the United Kingdom pavilion.
But if you want a one-on-one conversation with Santa while at EPCOT, turn to the Odyssey Pavilion from November 24 through December 24, and hand him your Christmas list while posing for the perfect holiday photo. Santa will be there at 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
You’ll have to be quick to catch a glimpse of the Jolly Red Suit at Animal Kingdom, because Santa will be floating down the Discovery River in the “Santa Claus Festive Flotilla,” through December 24. The Flotilla occurs several times throughout the day.
In Disney Springs, a virtual queue will help you schedule some quality time with Santa at “Once Upon a Toy.” Santa meets there right up until Christmas Eve. Virtual queues open on the My Disney Experience app at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. (No standby queues are available, so make sure you know ahead of time how to access the virtual queues on your MDE app.) You have to be in Disney Springs before trying to access this queue.
Looking to share a meal with the Jolly Old Elf himself? Maria & Enzo’s in Disney Springs will be offering a “Breakfast with Santa” on a dozen select dates from November 24 through Christmas Eve. Seatings are at 9:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m., and 10 a.m. The family-style breakfast includes a family photo, visits with Santa and his elves, entertainment, and special activities and takeaways. Check the Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante site for tickets and more details. (Tickets start at $69.00 for adults and $45 for kids, but will vary based on seating categories).
If you don’t mind your “Breakfast with Santa” a little noisier, Rainforest Café at Disney Springs is also welcoming Santa with eggs and bacon. On December 16 and 17, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be bringing the party to the Rainforest for $34.99 for adults, and $19.99 for kids. Reserve at (407) WDW-DINE, because limited seating is available for the 9:00 a.m., 9:15 a.m., and 9:30 a.m. visits. There’ll be photos, goodie bags, and activities included.
These are just a few of the spots you might want to check out for a sighting of everyone’s favorite Christmas elf. Keep your eyes peeled… this time of year, you never know when Santa is going to pop in for a visit to check on whether you are being naughty or nice. Last year in Magic Kingdom, we unexpectedly came across a Photopass site with Santa tucked away behind “Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe” off Liberty Square. Santa had commandeered the gazebo behind the shop, giving him a charming spot to spend time snapping photos with guests. And while we haven’t seen this location pop up on park schedules yet, you just never know where the Christmas (or Disney) magic is going to happen!
__________
Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.
Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment