Supplementary Post: Disney for the Holidays

I love Christmas about as much as I love Disney—my roommate and I have already fully decorated our dorm room for the season.  Therefore, going to Disney in December is my absolute favorite time to go.  The hot chocolate, the Christmas carols, Cinderella's castle all lit up for the holidays...it's truly magical.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to Disney this holiday season.  Instead, I'm attending in spirit by keeping up with the festivities online.  Here's what I've found (and here is the article that gives all the details and gives me major FOMO):

1). Disney is celebrating at all 4 parks this year!  I could be wrong, but I don't ever remember celebrations at Animal Kingdom.  (Note: upon further reading, the article of this title lied to me.  There are still no Animal Kingdom celebrations.)

2). This article informed me that Hollywood Studio's Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights shut down a few years ago.  I'm devastated.  It's apparently been longer than I thought since I was at Disney during Christmas, and this lights show was one of my fondest memories ever at the parks.

Hollywood Studios in all its Christmas glory when the Dancing Lights were still a thing

But apparently Hollywood Studios is getting a much-needed revamp, and visitors are enjoying the Flurry of Fun instead.  I'm skeptical that it beats the lights show, but it does still have hot chocolate and a Christmas lights display so I guess it suffices.

3). Epcot's newest festivities include the debut of the International Festival of the Holidays, complete with what Epcot does best: food.  I'm glad Disney didn't complete erase holiday tradition—the Candlelight Processional is still proceeding as always.  Epcot is also including an international view of the season, celebrating holidays that are associated with its individual pavilions.

4). Of course, Magic Kingdom is the center of the Christmas celebrations.  Aside from airing the castle lighting on TV (I'm so sad that I missed it), the park is offering parades, special Christmas fireworks, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party all through the holiday season.  Other shows include Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration and A Frozen Holiday Wish, which I have never attended but which seem to have the perfect Disney-Christmas blend to me.

The fake snow is by far my favorite part of the Disney-Christmas combo.  I  don't get much snow where I live.

5). And last but not least—Animal Kingdom.  The park gets all decked out for the holidays with a special Christmas tree, but they still seem to be skimping on the shows.  There aren't any, unless you count the holiday music included in the Animal Kingdom resort Fort Wilderness Lodge's Hoop-de-Doo Musical Revue (I don't).  Step it up, Animal Kingdom.

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