Disney World Events and Happenings

 

Christmas is the best time of year for Disney World Events. Lights, parties, snow, the jolly elf himself...It's just a great time of year to go on a DIsney World vacation.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Dad's Christmas at Disney World Events page

OK, I know not everyone can go at Christmas, so here's a list of special happenings all year long. A month-by-month breakdown of the special events at Disney World. At the end of each month there is a link to the monthly Dad's Special Events Guide. Dad's Monthly Events Guides are a comprehensive look at each event with dates, descriptions, times, locations, and Dad's unique opinion of each event.

Try them out. You'll love them...

Trust me.

Disney World Events month-by-month

January -

Happy New Year

 

New Years Eve Fireworks

January starts out with a bang!

Literally.

Disney has a New Years fireworks display at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, The Disney Studios, and at Downtown Disney. (Disney never has fireworks at Animal Kingdom.)

Truly amazing fireworks displays. Click on the picture to the right to start the video.

Walt Disney World Marathon

Each January Disney hosts over 30,000 runners for the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. The half-marathon is run on Saturday, and the full blown 27 mile marathon is run on Sunday. The marathoner's wind there way through the property ending in Epcot.

"You're all are crazy." - Dad

Dad's Disney World Marathon page

February

February Disney World Events bring love, ESPN and baseball to Disney World. What a country.

Valentines Day turns Pleasure Island into Sweetheart Island. Red and white are the colors of the day.

The end of the month brings sports lovers of all shapes and sizes. ESPN, The Weekend brings athletes and broadcasters to the parks. Fans can mingle with some of their favorites. For more information check out ESPN, The Weekend.

Spring Training for the Atlanta Braves starts around the 25th. 18 or so games are played in Cracker Jack Stadium (that's really it's name).

March

Atlanta Braves Spring Training continues throughout the month of March.

"Raindrops keep fallin' on my head, and just like a guy who's feet..."

March brings an incredible concert line up to Epcot's American Gardens Theater for Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival. There are concerts that bring a who's who of '70's Rock and Roll bands to Epcot. There's lots of gardening tips from gardeners all over the world. The Festival starts in March and runs through the end of May.

If Easter comes in March the Easter Disney World Events will happen. There are special dining options, and a meet and greet opportunity with Mr. and Mrs. Bunny in the Magic Kingdom. Most of the hotels have some special happening tied to Easter.

April

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival continues.

Grad Night parties occur at Disney Hollywood Studios. Grad Night is a special ticketed party. Groups must be chaperoned. There are special musical guests, special fireworks shows, dance party zones and much more.

May

May is a slow month for Disney World Events.

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival continues through the month.

Mother's Day offers special dining options. (Paid for by Dad, I'm sure. and imagine this, there's no Dad's Day offerings. I'm suing... Charles...)

June

Gay Days are the first full week of the month.

Star Wars Weekends all during June

Star Wars Weekend take over the Disney's Hollywood Studios in June. There are special appearances by characters from the movies. (Be warned, there are also fans dressed as characters.) Both pose for pictures. Parades have celebrity guests from the movies.

June also brings the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series to the America Gardens Theater at Epcot. There are 3 shows nightly. Some great Tribute bands perform. Bands like 2U a U2 tribute band. These bands put on great shows. Check them out.

My wife and I took a Disney World vacation a long, long ago and ran across one of these Disney World Events. Read about it here.

July

The Sounds Like Summer Concert Series continues.

July 4th. Independence Day. Fireworks day. The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Studios, and Downtown Disney all have special firework shows with patriotic music.

August

August is a slow month for Disney World Events and Happenings.

The Sounds Like Summer Concert Series concludes.

September

The Night of Joy is held the first weekend of the month. The Night of Joy is a celebration of contemporary Christian music held at the Disney Studios. The biggest performers in Christian music bring down the house.

Goblins and Ghosts roam the Magic Kingdom during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It runs on selected day throughout the months of September and October. There's a special parade and fireworks show. There's also Trick-or-Treating in the park. Children of all ages are invited to wear the Mickey-est costumes. You'll have a ghoul of a good time.

 

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party comes to the Magic Kingdom. Photo by Jeff B.

 

Another of the Disney World Events for September is Epcot's Food and Wine Festival. Drinks and appetizers from countries around "the world" are featured. There are special seminars, guest speakers and special dinner party's thrown by Disney Chefs.

October

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Epcot's Food and Wine Festival both continue through the month.

November

November starts the busy season for Disney World Events, and Disney World happenings.

Epcot's Food and Wine Festival concludes.

The Children's Miracle Golf Classic is played on the Magnolia and Palm courses. Tiger Woods and all his buddies come to Disney World to play in this annual event.

ABC Super Soap Weekend is usually around the middle of the month. The daytime stars of ABC's daytime dramas make appearances at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Thanksgiving brings out the feedbag. Special menus are available at most of the restaurants (for special prices).

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go...

Just like everyone else, Christmas comes early to Walt Disney World. Christmas is the biggest of the Walt Disney World Events. The hotels decorate their lobbies with Christmas trees, garland, tinsel, lights and any other decoration you can imagine. (You've got to stop by the Grand Floridian and see the Gingerbread House.) The parks magically transform into Christmas Wonderland. In Epcot each country has their "Santa" come out and tell their story.

Their is no better time at Disney World. Christmas Disney World Events start before Thanksgiving, but the day after Thanksgiving, all of the decorations appear. It's magic. (Actually it's a lot of work done overnight.)

Go to Dad's Christmas at Disney World page

December

"I'm dreaming of a White Christmas..."

And a White Christmas you can have in the Magic Kingdom during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. You and 20,000 of your friends can enjoy cocoa and cookies with Mickey and Friends. It actually snows (actually it's soap crystals, but it looks like snow) on Main Street. It's beautiful.

Dad's Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party page

Holiday Wishes is preformed on party nights and on selected nights throughout December.

See Dad's Holiday Wishes page

In Epcot you the Candlelight Processional is preformed twice nightly in America Gardens Theater. If you like Christmas music at all this is a must see event. A choir and orchestra sing and play Christmas Carols while a guest narrator reads the story of Jesus' birth. It's one of our favorite things at Disney World.

Not to be outdone Disney's Hollywood Studios hosts the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. The Osborne Family of Little Rock Arkansas worked with Disney to bring their million light display to the Studios. It's truly an impressive site.

There are sleigh rides, decorations, special parades, special shows, carolers, and Christmas cheer everywhere during the month of December.

Christmas is the best time to visit Walt Disney World to see all the great Disney World Events.

Dad's Guide to WDW

Table of Contents

Dad's Disney World Home Page - The center of the Dad's Guide Universe. This is where it all starts. Come on over and check it out.

Disney World Hotels - Walt Disney World is home to some of the most beautifully themed hotels in the world. (Disney calls their hotels resorts.) There are more than 20 magically themed Disney Resorts at Walt Disney World. All of them are well designed, well maintained, clean, and a great place to sleep at night.

Disney World Restaurants - The restaurants at are as much a part of the whole "Disney" experience as the Resorts. It's amazing to see fast food restaurants that are themed to match the area that they are in. There are some amazing restaurants in the parks, in the hotels, and even at Downtown Disney. Come on in and check out Dad's favorites.

Theme Parks - Walt Disney World Parks are the main reason to visit. These are the most attended theme parks in the world. They have some of the best entertainment on the planet. The four theme parks produce some of the most imaginative family entertainment you will find anywhere. There are also 2 of the most innovative water parks in the world. Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

Disney World Hours - It's important to know when the parks open and when the close. It's also good to know when the parades and shows happen. Dad'll help. Dad has monthly calendars that show the hours each park is open.

Disney World Tickets - Dad is an expert on Disney World Tickets. (Someone needs to be.) Disney has numerous ticket options some of which are very confusing. Let Dad help you sort out the best ticket option for your magical vacation.

Disney World Crowds - Crowds can turn the best dreams into nightmares. Dad has created guides to help you deal with crowds at Walt Disney World. You'll find calendars that will let you know when the crowds will be at the parks, and tons of information on how to avoid crowds.

Walt Disney World Videos - A picture is worth... Yeah, right, show me the video any day. Dad has gathered several videos about the parks, the hotels and much more. Come on over and check them out.

Disney World Special Events - The one thing that sets Disney World apart from all the other theme parks is their special events. Walt Disney World is almost always having a special event. Find out about the FREE concerts, the special shows, and all the events that Disney schedules throughout the year.

Christmas at Disney World - Christmas is a very special time of year. It's a time when everyone is dreaming of something. Disney knows how to put on a show, and they put on some of their best at Christmas time. Let the dreams begin.

Dad's Disney World Stories and Tips - Do you need to know how to get reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table? Dad knows. Are you looking for acronyms that everyone is using? Check out Dad, he knows. Dad knows lots of stuff, and shares it with you through his Stories and Tips page. Come on over and check it out.

Making Disney World Reservations - Making travel reservations for a dream Disney World vacation is hard work. Dad has some tools that will help. Come and check them out. They will save you money.

Information about other destinations - Check out Dad's Travel Friends. (Sorry Uncle Walt) There are other places you might want to vacation. Dad wants to give you some information on these places. These are links to some sites that Dad enjoys and thinks you will too.

Discount Theme Park Tickets - There is more to Orlando than Disney. See where to get tickets to those other Theme Parks and attractions.