Deluge Debut of Christmas 2020 at Disney World!
Over the weekend, we visited Magic Kingdom to see whether the Christmas decorations would go up overnight on November first as the Halloween decor came down. (Since this post exists, that should answer that question!) Here we’ll share a couple dozen photos, plus first impressions of the holiday season at Walt Disney World.
We’ve all seen those time lapse videos of Magic Kingdom’s overnight transformation for the holidays, but it’s nonetheless surreal going from Halloween one night to Christmas the following morning. Even if you’re an ardent “Turkey Before Tree” believer, it’s also undeniably cool what Walt Disney World’s Holiday Services team can accomplish in a single night.
Speaking of which, although a lot of decorations are already up all around Walt Disney World, all of the parks and resorts won’t be fully decorated for several weeks. Read our When Do Christmas Decorations Go Up at Walt Disney World? post that covers anticipated date ranges for everything–Disney Springs, hotels, and theme parks.
Fair warning: we are always down to celebrate Christmas early, but that’s doubly or triply true this year. If you’re out there exclaiming, “2020 HAS BEEN THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE!” I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re in the minority. For most of us, this year has sucked. “Joy” has been in such short supply that it almost feels like a foreign concept.
Accordingly, if you see people getting hyped on the holidays in early November, you might consider just letting it go. No need to rain on the proverbial parade or offer your input that it’s too early for Christmas. We all own calendars, we’re aware of the date (well, at least in a general sense–perhaps not the day of the week). Pick your battles–let people enjoy harmless things that bring them happiness.
In our household, the Christmas trees, lights, and assorted decorations are going up on Wednesday. The cornball made-for-TV movies and old holiday episodes of Home Improvement will go into our entertainment rotation. Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Amy Grant, etc. music will be playing on loop with that Hallmark cat & dog yule log in the background while we work. In short, we are beyond ready for some holiday cheer, sentimentality, and warmth.
Obviously, none of that is really relevant to the Christmas decorations going up in Magic Kingdom. Perhaps just some (unnecessary) background to explain why we can barely contain our excitement for the start of the holiday season at Walt Disney World…
Moving along to the actual substance of the topic, here’s a wide look at Main Street on November 1, 2020.
While it has been the case in recent years that Christmas decorations go up the same night that Halloween ones come down, it has not been the case that everything is done in a single night. Last year, it took two nights for the holiday transition to be completed.
This year, that was not the case–almost everything did go up overnight after Halloween.
There are a couple of possibilities as to why the Holiday Services team was able to accomplish this. First, there was no Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party the previous night, which meant an earlier closing time and more overnight hours. Second, there were far fewer Halloween decorations than normal this year, which meant less to remove.
This second point had us worried that Christmas decorations would be similarly sparse, with only lamppost Mickey head garland like what was done with the pumpkin heads.
Thankfully, that is not the case. The overhead wreaths, garland, and more is in place. Not everything had been installed (yet), but it already feels like Christmas on Main Street.
Notably, the Main Street USA Christmas Tree has already been installed.
In a normal year, I’d grumble a bit about this relic of the early 1990s–the worst icon tree anywhere–keeps limping along at Disney’s most-visited park in the world, while even places like Disney Springs and random hotels have newer, nicer trees.
This year, the Main Street Christmas Tree is a sight for sore eyes–familiar and reassuring. (I’m still very ready for it to be replaced, but it’s good to see this “old friend” once more.)
While it’s unsurprising that this tree wasn’t upgraded in the abnormal year, a pretty big surprise did greet us in Magic Kingdom…
Jingle Cruise once again returns to Magic Kingdom!
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising since this overlay can be installed in a single night, but we still weren’t expecting it given the circumstances. It seemed like yet another thing on an attraction that has already seen a lot of post-reopening modifications.
The Jingle Cruise holiday overlay has been divisive among Disney fans, but we generally enjoy it.
In fairness, we are also most definitely not Jungle Cruise purists. But I’ll spare you another tangent and my “controversial” take on that “classic” attraction.
Our ride-through on Jingle Cruise was phenomenal.
As we’ve noted in several posts, Jungle Cruise has been the attraction (in our view) most negatively impacted by the attraction modifications. Jungle Cruise is wholly dependent upon the connection between the Skipper and guests. That is very difficult right now due to the physical barriers, masks, etc. It’s no fault of the Cast Members, they are (figuratively) try to paddle upstream.
However, our Skipper on this ride-through absolutely crushed it. He was loud enough to “overcome” the mask, his spiel was clear, and his timing excellent. All of this despite the fact that it was raining, which could’ve further muffled his jokes and hampered the experience.
While this Cast Member deserves full credit, he did get a nice assist from a trio of small kids in the front of the boat. They were very skeptical of his animal “facts” and made that very clear. He did a great job riffing–hilarious all around.
After finishing up on Jingle Cruise, we headed over to Frontierland just to double-check whether Walt Disney World resurrected any other holiday overlays.
Sadly, they did not. However, Country Bear Jamboree had a longer line that Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Literally–no joke. Perhaps everyone assumed Country Bear Christmas had made its overdue return? I can’t think of any other explanation as to why all of these people would be queued up for the next show.
While we didn’t see the bears out, Pooh and friends were on the patio of Crystal Palace.
That restaurant’s exterior is totally decked out for the holidays (as it was for Halloween), and we continue to wonder when it’ll reopen as a modified family style meal. At this point, we get more questions about it than any other restaurant at Walt Disney World.
Dusk came early due to the overcast sky and rain showers, which also pushed guests towards the exit.
At this point, Magic Kingdom was still open for over 2 hours, but most lands were emptying out. We were hoping that Walt Disney World would also offer a sneak peek of the Cinderella Castle projections, but it appears those won’t debut until the official start of the holiday season on Friday.
Since it was a weekend, that meant Magic Kingdom was open late.
Thanks to the time change, sunset is now approximately 75 minutes before park closing right now even on a normal weeknight. Add to that the post-closing time Main Street is open for shopping, and there’s currently over two hours to enjoy the Christmas lights in Magic Kingdom on a regular evening.
The downpours were coming in waves, with sprinkles followed by torrential rain.
We were undeterred, wanting to soak up as much of the holiday atmosphere as possible. Also, I needed a fresh stockpile Christmas on Main Street stock images without the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights in the background (womp womp).
Also, we always have a half dozen umbrellas in our car, and always check the weather forecast before going anywhere. For an audience that’s disproportionately Floridian right now, I’m surprised that so many guests still get caught unprepared for the rain.
Speaking of which, one such umbrella-wielding guest just had to step in front of the Christmas Tree, ruining my otherwise empty Main Street photo above. Oh wait…
(Since someone didn’t get it last time I made this “joke,” Sarah is the one holding the yellow umbrella, and that’s me giving a half-hearted camera wave in her video above. I don’t actually think the seas should part when I want to take a photo.)
Rainy nights–especially during the Christmas season–are our favorite time in Magic Kingdom. I’m fine getting soaked if it means a serene, ‘silent night’ on Main Street.
I love the soft glow the rain (plus my foggy lens) gives to Main Street. It’s perfectly befitting of the holiday season.
The only downside to the evening is that the Christmas background music has not yet started playing. However, the rain was coming down so hard at this point that it was providing its own natural soundtrack to the evening.
All things considered, it’s absolutely fantastic to have Christmas back at Magic Kingdom. We couldn’t have had a better way to kickoff the holiday season, and it’s great to see Walt Disney World going all out for Christmas (well, minus the many entertainment cancellations that simply are not feasible right now). After being somewhat disappointed by Halloween, we were a bit weary about Christmas. Thankfully, it appears to be a “normal” holiday season, decor-wise.
Hopefully, we’ll have a few more nights like this in Magic Kingdom the next couple months that we’ll really be able to savor. Normally, we would’ve stayed until the bitter end, capturing some truly empty Main Street photos as the park cleared out. However, we left about 30 minutes before park closing–not because we were rain soaked and exhausted. Rather, because we decided to call a last-minute audible and head over to Universal Studios Florida to finish out the night. We’ll pick things up from there in our next photo report…
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Christmas arriving at Magic Kingdom? Are you ready to embrace the joy, warmth, and sentimentality of the holiday season? Are you a fan of Jingle Cruise? Surprised and/or happy to see its unannounced return? Do you plan on visiting Walt Disney World this Christmas, or are you sitting this year out? Any cool Christmas merchandise you plan on purchasing? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
My Disney app won’t show me wait times anymore? Has anyone else been experiencing this? I am at home hundreds of miles away, but that never stopped it before.
This bought tears to my eyes. We missed our trip in September and our trip to Disneyland Paris this month is cancelled (originally due to happen in March). We are from the UK and the chances of us getting to Florida any time soon are very remote. Your postings are the only link we have! Happy Christmas
28 days until we are there!! Can’t wait!
What a lovely article. We arrive mid November and this article is the kick-off to what I know will be wonderful break of all the things happening in 2020. Disney is definitely my happy place. I think I will go home from work today and put up the tree. Happy Holidays to you and Sarah:) Thanks for brightening my day with a little pixie dust!
What’s the word on “Snope” this year? It would be great if they would turn on the fake snow along Main Street at Park closing. I’d love to see the same on Sunset this year as well! That may be the first thing on my Christmas wish list.
I’ve heard they will have it for sure at Disney Springs. Not sure about MK though.
No email has made me happier!! Christmas time at Disneyland makes you feel like everything is going to be okay…. Thanks TOM!
The family and I put up the tree, decorations, and lights yesterday. I don’t care how early it is. Crank up the Christmas music. I’m ready.
We are going to WDW early January so I’m afraid we may miss out on the decorations this year. I’m a little bummed about it – especially missing out on all the Christmas and holiday snacks
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post. Thank you Tom and Sarah. Absolutely stunning photos. You now have me rooting for rain on one of our MK nights this Dec which normally is legal grounds for insanity.
You won’t be alone this Wed. Halloween decorations come down today and Christmas is going up early. Between this crazy 2020 year and all those Hallmark Christmas movies that started back in July my wife is ready to set up the tree, turn the kitchen into a gingerbread land and the rest of the house into the North pole. Normally I wait till Thanksgiving Day to start my exterior illumination but it’s happening this week.
This was just a marvelous post. Thanks for the uplift.
If you can please either do an update on the Village that you recommend must be seen for it’s lights or do a link to the last one. Thanks.
â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸ Thank YOU for – yet again -bringing a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. Article and pictures are simply the best!
Have they already ruined the Haunted Mansion for the next two months?
that only happens at disneyland
There is nothing more beautiful than the sound of pouring rain and to watch it on Main Street with the lights and Christmas decorations is such a wonderful treat!! I too am all for the Christmas decorations now. Although we can’t visit yet, I sure am enjoying the joyful images.
This makes me so happy ! Thank you for taking such great pics and sharing them with all of us. We are headed to MK on the 15th and I cannot wait.
i wish rabbit was available for meet and greet in normal times, or join the rotation at crystal palace.
Love love this post and these photos–and video! Thank you Tom and Sarah. Oh and we like Jingle Cruise!
Thanks so much for the awesome iPad wallpaper. Now when I open it up to read some kind of depressing news I get just a moment of bliss, thanks to you and your camera lens.
I can’t thank you enough for a heart warming post. This week in particular is causing a lot of anxiety, and I think all I can read is some fun Disney news.
It also gets me excited about just “being there” for Christmas and letting go of worrying about every last crowd trend.
They haven’t changed over the lights on Main Street yet. I’ve never seen pictures of this combination (decorations & white lights) before – and I’m really digging it! Thank you!
So excited for our trip mid-November! We are staying at BLT and doing the majority of our trip MK. This post has me even more excited. We also are starting our Christmas decorating early this year! This is a year when extra cheer is needed. Thanks for braving the rain!
These pictures are AMAZING!!! We will be at MK exactly two weeks from now and just cannot wait!!! We are eating at BOG in the later evening to hopefully get some empty park shots, as well. And on that Friday, we will revisit MK and eat at CRT that night. Do you know if they normally have Christmas decorations inside each of the castles, as well? I can’t wait to see the pics and read the reviews!!! â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸
I would happily pay Disney a stupid amount of money to be in the park on the night it transitions from Halloween to Christmas. Put me up in the train station out of the way if you want. Or use me as free labor – “here, hold this wreath” – and I’d be even happier. Throw in a custom pin (I’m thinking half Mickey pumpkin, half Mickey wreath) and maybe a “Holiday Services Helper” hard hat and I’d back up to the gates in an armored truck.
This is a great idea (that’ll probably never happen). I too would pay an absurd amount of money to do a night’s shift of labor!
Sure, Tom, doing a night’s worth of labor sounds like a dream, but wait until you find out you can’t take any pictures and your tone will change!
Seriously, now that sounds like the ultimate ‘behind the scenes’ tour for Disney to add.
Nice photos, Tom, even with the rain. My son used to be a gardener at the MK and was part of the team who pulled out all the flowers and put in all the poinsettias in the Mickey Head at the entrance to the park. He told us that so many of the gardeners and planners were no longer working. Was the poinsettia Mickey head at the entrance to the park this year?
“Was the poinsettia Mickey head at the entrance to the park this year?”
Not yet. The horticulture team is still in the process of swapping out the flower beds and plants, so I’m guessing that’s coming soon. (Might’ve even happened last night!)
I love these pictures so much. Thank you for taking them and sharing them with all of us!