The holidays at Walt Disney World are filled with magic, but with all that magic comes a lot of park guests. The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year and on some days, the parks may even reach capacity, so it is very important when traveling to Walt Disney World this holiday season, that you pack a lot of patience.
Be prepared for the large crowds at all the parks. Plan your Fast Passes in advance. Don’t expect to get all your favorite rides making Fast Passes the day you are going to the park. This time of year, you need to plan your Fast Passes days, weeks, or months in advance, depending on how you are traveling and what’s available to you. Even as a local, I will make my Fast Passes a week or so in advance if I know I will be going to the parks on the weekend. You can always modify your Fast Passes. Keep searching too. If your favorite ride does not come up on your first search, keep checking back.
Now just because you have a Fast Pass doesn’t mean there won’t be a line. We went on Thanksgiving day and had a Fast Pass for the Jingle Cruise and there was a line for the Fast Pass; however the line for standby was much longer. So this is where that patience you packed comes in handy. Be prepared to wait. Please don’t get angry at the Cast Members. They are doing everything possible to expedite the process. Although the Fast Pass line looked long for Jingle Cruise, it actually moved quite quickly. So be patient and kind.
Here’s where patience is really put to the test, the castle lighting. Everyone wants a great view of Elsa lighting the castle. It’s a beautiful sight to see, but it can also become very ugly if you aren’t practicing patience with people. Plan ahead. On Thanksgiving day we got to the front of the castle stage an hour before the castle lighting started. Normally we don’t stand that close, but we had some time to kill so we decided to claim our spot early. Please keep in mind that just because people are sitting and waiting before the show, that does not mean they will stay seated during the show. There’s no use getting angry and yelling at people because they stood up. Just stand up and modify your view as well. If there are small children struggling to see, let them stand in front of you. If someone offers to let your child stand in front of them, don’t then put your whole family in front of them. Be considerate and kind. Speaking of considerate the next one was a true test of patience for me.
Everyone wants a great picture of the castle lighting, I get it, but try to be considerate to those around you. Keep those devices at eye level, or if you must snap a quick pic, hold it up and then bring it back down. No one wants to look at your device while they are trying to enjoy the same thing you are. This was a practice of patience for me. This go pro pole was obstructing my view the whole time, but instead of being angry, I made the best of it and enjoyed the castle lighting regardless.
So the lesson in all this is to be kind and pack plenty of patience this holiday season. Expect it to be crowded, but plan accordingly. Even though it is crowded, if you practice patience and kindness you are sure to have a magical holiday vacation. Happy Holidays!
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