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Wreaths hanging from every lamp post. Holiday music filling the air. Lights twinkling on every tree — and fake snow falling around the Florida palms.

As soon as Halloween ends, the most wonderful time of the year is underway at Walt Disney World. With the help of nearly nine miles of garlands and more than 15,000 ornaments, “the most magical place on Earth” is chock-full of cheer.

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I’ve been a fan of Disney World ever since my first trip as a kid. As an annual pass holder, I’ve stepped foot inside a Disney park more than 30 days this year alone. The holiday season is undeniably one of the most popular times to visit, and for good reason. Nothing compares with the level of detail and craftsmanship put into the decorations across the resort, the special seasonal entertainment and the festive food.

The holiday season brings a surge of crowds, but visiting the parks in early December — especially on weekdays — allows you to experience the holiday atmosphere without a packed house. One-day park tickets for adults range from $149 to $189 through December. The park reservation system is still in place, so you’ll need to book the park you plan to visit ahead of time, because capacity is limited and spots do fill up.

The parks

Christmastime Parades at the Magic Kingdom

As soon as the calendar flips to November, the Magic Kingdom undergoes two all-night transformations, and Christmas comes to town. Upon entering the park, guests are greeted with a 65-foot Christmas tree and classic decorations line Main Street up to Cinderella Castle.

The classic Jungle Cruise receives a holiday update and is decked with festive decor and jolly jokes, transforming into the holiday-themed Jingle Cruise. From Dec. 23 to Dec. 31, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is available to view during regular park hours, featuring a lineup of favorite Disney and classic Christmas characters, including marching nutcrackers, dancing reindeer and, of course, Santa.

Mariachi music and holiday cookies at Epcot

The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays runs through Dec. 30 and celebrates holidays around the world.

Storytellers perform in the country pavilions across the World Showcase part of Epcot, teaching visitors about those countries’ cultural holiday traditions. One of the longest-running performances is “Las Posadas With Mariachi Cobre,” which has been playing in the park since 1982. The group shares the story behind Mexico’s Las Posadas holiday festival, complete with mariachi music and traditional dances.

The Candlelight Processional is a retelling of the Christmas story performed by celebrity narrators and backed by a large choir and orchestra. This year’s lineup includes Neil Patrick Harris, John Stamos and Brendan Fraser. Seating fills up quickly, especially when well-known performers are on deck. Although there are multiple showings every day, one easy way to secure a seat is to book a dining package that includes seating. These packages go quickly, so even though some restaurants offer walk-up availability, guests are encouraged to book in advance.

Over a dozen Holiday Kitchens offer international festive foods for sale, including smoked salmon potato latkes, bûche de Noël and an eggnog white porter. Guests can also take part in the annual Holiday Cookie Stroll, sampling different cookies across the park (for a fee).

The Living With the Land attraction gets into the holiday spirit with twinkle lights added to the greenhouses along with other holiday decorations. Be sure to ride this at night to enjoy the full glow-up.

Visit Santa at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

A favorite for lovers of kitschy Christmas decorations, Hollywood Studios receives a nostalgic holiday overhaul that’s more mid-century than modern-day Mickey Mouse. The park is outfitted with enormous reproductions of vintage statues, tons of tinsel and giant floating ornaments bobbing across Echo Lake.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel lights up nightly with a holiday projection show, characters in Toy Story Land are decked out in Christmas accessories, and Santa meets parkgoers throughout the day until Dec. 24.

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Diwali and flotillas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Perhaps the most understated of the parks during the holidays, Animal Kingdom has several special offerings that make it worth a visit. The holiday decorations are the centerpiece of the park’s celebration. From the animal-shaped luminaries and lanterns in Discovery Island, decorations celebrating Diwali, and even a Na’vi nutcracker in Pandora: The World of Avatar, the theme spreads throughout the entire park. Try to plan a visit later in the day to enjoy the lights at their brightest.

The Merry Menagerie features a performance with artisan-sculpted, life-size puppets of arctic animals such as penguins and polar bears on Discovery Island. For the perfect break during a long day, grab an outdoor table at Nomad Lounge, order some snacks and spot Santa sailing down Discovery River in a flotilla. Once the sun sets, the Tree of Life Awakenings: Holiday Edition comes alive with wintry projections set to a holiday score.

Holiday parties

Special events with individual tickets sell out quickly, so purchase tickets as soon as possible. Ticket holders can enter the parks before the party’s starting time. This extra time is perfect to experience any attractions you may want to ride without wasting precious party time. That being said, the waits for rides during parties are generally short, making it a great time to take advantage of anything you may have missed out on throughout the day.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party returns to Magic Kingdom on select nights through Dec. 22, but this year’s dates are mostly sold out. This party includes unlimited cookies and hot cocoa throughout the night, several special shows and holiday-themed transformations on favorite rides, including Space Mountain. Plus, you’ll have leftover cookies to fuel you through the next several days. This party has been operating since 1983, and for good reason: It genuinely feels like a good value because of the amount of entertainment and complimentary items you receive for the price ($159 to $199, depending on the day).

The evening (7 p.m. to midnight) includes a special stage show, rare character appearances, a fireworks display and a Christmastime parade. These are the absolute highlights of the party, and I would recommend prioritizing these over anything else. If you plan to stay for the entire party, skip the first parade and catch the second showing instead; the crowds clear out after the fireworks, which makes it easier to grab a prime viewing spot.

Disney Jollywood Nights

Jollywood Nights is a new ticketed event ($159 to $179) held from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on select nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The party’s theme of glitz and glamour embraces the attraction’s vintage vibes — and attendees are encouraged to dress to impress. Although the party is for all ages, the lineup is geared toward adults.

Because of the four-hour run time, you probably won’t be able to do everything available during the event. (If you aren’t a big “Nightmare Before Christmas” fan, you’re safe to skip the singalong.) Rare characters appear throughout the evening, but the lines can get long, and it may not be worth missing party time to wait. Jazzy Holidays at the Hollywood Brown Derby offers live music and food and drink specials. But with little change from the daytime atmosphere of the restaurant, it may not be worth the virtual queue.

Be sure to try some of the food and cocktails exclusive to the party that are available for purchase, such as the viral Santa Gertie sugar cookie, modeled after the beloved ice cream shop shaped like a dinosaur. “Disney Holidays in Hollywood” is a must-see. The variety show is hosted by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, actual Muppets onstage, not appearing via a screen or projection. The party ends with the return of “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!,” a holiday spectacular featuring fireworks, lasers and projections.

Disney Springs

For holiday magic that doesn’t require a park ticket, plan a visit to Disney Springs, the outdoor shopping district. The Christmas Tree Stroll features a path of trees decorated to celebrate favorite Disney movies and characters. If you’re longing for the complete Christmas experience, don’t miss the nightly snowfall at the Disney Springs Town Center. Faux flurries fly every half-hour beginning at sundown near the Town Center tree.

Holiday menu items are available at restaurants and bars across the property, including a full Christmas transformation at Jock Lindsey’s Holiday Hangar Bar. The inside of the Indiana Jones-themed restaurant is decked out with tinsel, twinkling lights galore and seasonal snacks, such as O’Ham N’ Cheese Trees and Merry Margaritas.

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Decked-out resorts

Although every Disney resort gets spruced up for Christmas, some are more jolly than others. Several deluxe resorts have larger-than-life gingerbread displays, including a rotating carousel at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, a reproduction of the BoardWalk Deli inside Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and a full-size gingerbread cottage inside Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

My favorite tradition to wind down a holiday trip is to catch the fireworks from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Grab a Mele Kaliki-Mai Tai from Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace, find a chair on the beach and enjoy the show as the music is (almost always) piped through the speakers on party nights. Be sure to take the monorail, a boat or a quick walk from the adjacent Transportation and Ticket Center there; security doesn’t allow non-resort guests to park without a reservation.

Jacqueline Dole is a food and travel writer based in Maine. Follow her on Instagram and X: @jacquelinedole.

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