Our Christmas at Disney World

Magical moments are everywhere during the holiday season at Disney. What a time to get to be at the Mouse House.

As most of you know we lost my grandmother this past January. She, along with her sisters, were the patriarchs of our family when it came to holiday times. They made the decisions, did the cooking, kept up the family tradition, and most importantly made sure we knew the reason for the season was the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My dad and I decided during the summer that being in Memphis for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas was not an option. My mom needed to get away, and try to create some new memories with family while trying to keep her mind off the loss of her mother and best friend.

We wrote down a list of possible options, and Disney World kept coming to the top. My deep love of all things Disney comes from my mom. She fearlessly took us when we were little, and made sure we knew it was just as cool to go as an adult. She made my poor dad wait in the Dumbo line for three hours when I was little just so I could partake in the 45 second ride. (it was my fav movie at the time)

Soooo off to Disney it was. From there my mom started planing and the closer it got to December the more members of our family joined in. All in all we ended up with 25 people there for Christmas dinner. Super special!

I was a little miffed at what to pack so I had to circle back and do a little Disney research on weather and what we were going to be doing at the park. Here are my recommendations:

1. Make sure you check the weather, both the highs and the lows. The sun sets early in the winter months. You will more than likely experience the lows while at the park at night. Sometimes in Florida it can be 80 during the day and 40 at night. Pack appropriate clothing.
2. Winter in Florida means backpack weather. Make sure someone in your crew brings a backpack so you can put ponchos, light jackets, and a beanie in it for the night. I’ve linked the ones I bring. They all smush down to find into little bags and that keeps your backpack organized.
3. Pack snacks and water. Though I ALWAYS love testing the Disney treats, when your on a mission and or park hopping, sometimes it’s easier not to stop. You can eat on the go, on a bus, or while waiting in line.
4. Always wear sunscreen. Huge misnomer, that because it’s winter you don’t need sunscreen. I made sure every male in our group had it on before we left the car to walk into the park. This is another thing I would pack in your backpack.
5. This is a little secrete tip of mine. I put shoe inserts in my already super comfortable tennis shoes when I know its going to be a long day at the park. It will be the best decision you ever make. I’ve linked my fav ones here.
6. If you have young kids think about planning ahead and purchasing a few items as happies (ears, light up things, stuffed animals, etc.) to have in that handy dandy backpack. Example, bubble wands at the park will run you around $25, I’ve linked one just like them for $7.50. Etsy has great vendors, I’ve listed some of my favorites below.

• If you want a more in depth list of what I keep in my backpack you can click here to see my Disney Backpack post.

Things I’m wearing:

Things I’m Bringing:

If you have any questions, shoot them to me in the comments section below. I’m happy to answer any I can!

As they say at the Mouse House, Have a Magical Day!

xx

CTS