Walt Disney World - December 2009 events and ride closures during your upcoming trip

TIP: Please, please, please - whatever you do - please do not go to Epcot or the Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day. It has been a great year for Disney and it is quite likely that these parks will close due to maximum crowd capacity. You will not feel peace on earth or joy for the time you spend with your fellow man on that day. The Animal Kingdom or Disney's-MGM Studios are much better choices.

December 1 - 19. News is getting out about the fun to be had in Walt Disney World in early December but the crowds are only mid-level and quite manageable. Just be sure to watch your "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party" dates because the Magic Kingdom will close early those nights and won't have SpectroMagic.

December 20 - January 4th - Christmas Break! You will experience "Holiday Crowds" which are even heavier than "Peak" crowds. Disney closed to capacity crowds several times over the 2006 Christmas Season and they expect the same thing to happen again this year. A good touring plan with "Best Days" information is absolutely essential if you don't want to spend your whole vacation standing in line.

Fantasmic! (Disney's Hollywood Studios) -This great show is no longer presented every night. It will be offered December 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25. 26, 27, 28,29, 30, 31. This is a very popular show and we highly recommend it - arrive 60-90 minutes early, if you do not have a Fantasmic! Dinner package. Disney may add a second, later performance on certain evenings during the winter break - if they do, the later showing of Fantasmic! will always be less crowded than the earlier one Warning: When there are limited performances, you know Disney's Hollywood Studios is going to be busier on days featuring a Fantasmic! show. Afternoons will be especially busy as those with Park Hopper tickets come over to see the show. A good touring plan will help you manage this. Warning: This show is excellent but it does feature villains for a good 8-10 minutes. The scene is fairly intense and can be frightening to small children.

SpectroMagic Parade (Magic Kingdom) - This wonderful nighttime parade is not offered every night and the Magic Kingdom will be more crowded on days featuring a SpectroMagic Parade. The SpectroMagic Parade will be presented on December 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19,20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 3o, 31. If Disney offers a second evening parade, the later parade will be less crowded than the earlier.

Avoid going to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot on Christmas Day and New Years Eve. There is a good chance that the park could close because of capacity level crowds and the lines will be horrible. Disney's Hollywood Studios & Disney's Animal Kingdom theme parks are much better choices for these days.

Extra Magic Hours - (Special hours only available to Disney resort hotel guest) ! We recommend that everyone avoid the Extra Magic Hour park of the day. Disney has 33,000 hotel rooms and no one goes to Disney alone - that means too many people are pointed in the same direction at the same time. You'll have a much nicer time by going to a less busy park. This is doubly important if you are not staying at a Disney resort - you don't want to get to the theme park and find a bunch of Disney guests in line in front of you.

Magic Kingdom - Christmas Break. The Magic Kingdom will open at 8:00AM for Disney Resort Guests only at 8:00AM from December 24th - January 2nd. This may create some complications for visitors who are not staying at a Disney hotel. Be sure to arrive by 8:30AM and get a FASTPASS as soon as you're allowed in. Not every attraction is open during Extra Magic Hours so you'll have the same access to many attractions as anyone else. Use a good touring plan to help you.

It is not too late to get Build A Better Mouse Trip Custom Touring Plans for your December trip and our plans are designed to keep you out of the worst of the lines and ahead of the crowds. This is especially important right around Thanksgiving. We can easily cut 3 hours daily of time wasted standing in lines.

November 30th - December 12th, 2009: Pop Warner Football, National Dance & Cheer Events at Walt Disney World. These take place at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex but expect groups of young athletes to be at your Disney resort and - during their spare time - in the theme parks.

November 10, 2009 - January 4th, 2010 - Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at Disney-MGM Studios. Millions of lights decorate the Streets of America backlot area

Candlelight Processional (Epcot) - November 27 - December 30th. Nightly: 5:00, 6:45, & 8:00PM. A large choir, orchestra, and celebrity narrators retell the Christmas Story in the America Gardens Theatre. This beautiful production is extremely popular and fills to capacity. TIP: Arrive at least 45 minutes early for the 5:00PM performance for your best chance to get in with a minimum wait.

This year's celebrity narrators:

November 30 & December 1-2 John O'Hurley
December 3-5 Steven Curtis Chapman
December 6-8 Anika Noni Rose
December 9-11 Andy Garcia
December 12-14 Vanessa Williams
December 15-17 Abigail Breslin
December 18-20 Whoopi Goldberg
December 21-23 Brian Dennehy
December 24-6 Edward James Olmos
December 27-30 Angela Bassett / Courtney B. Vance

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. - November 10, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 29 -
December 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, - This event requires a special ticket - your Magic Your Way ticket won't get you in. Tickets are $46 - $63 depending on the date and age of the participant. It is a fun event but it costs a chunk of change so use your own judgment as to whether this is a "must do" event for your trip. Just call and we'll be happy to answer your questions or to book those tickets for you. If you are not doing this event, you will want to be aware that the Magic Kingdom closes early - at 7PM - on the nights of the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and they generally won't have the SpectroMagic Parade those nights.

Celebrate Tonight - Downtown Disney's West End Plaza. Mini Street Parties featuring a DJ and stilt walkers lead dances, the limbo, party games, and sign-alongs. They only last about 20 minutes each but are a lot of fun. Sunday - Thursday: intermittently 5:00pm- 11:00pm. Friday - Saturday: intermittently 6:00pm- Midnight. Check on the hour and half hour

RIDE & ATTRACTION Closures:

Liberty Tree Tavern (Restaurant - Magic Kingdom) the restaurant will be open but - beginning January 5th - Liberty Tree Tavern will no longer offer character dining.

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (Magic Kingdom) will be closes December 6-19, 2009.

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon (water park) - will be closed November and December for its annual refurbishment.

Disney's Magical Express (Airport Shuttle Service) - New luggage procedure for late night arrivals. As of March 30th, luggage service will no longer be available for arrivals to Orlando International Airport after 10:00PM. Collect your luggage at baggage claim and take with you to the Disney's Magical Express check-in desk.

Book a qualifying Walt Disney World Magic Your Way Package for arrivals September 29th - December 17th and you may be able to add one of the Disney Dining Plans to your package at no additional cost to you.

You must stay at least 3 consecutive nights and purchase at least a 1-Day theme park ticket as part of your package.

Guests staying at a Disney Value resort will receive the Disney World Quick-Service dining plan at no additional cost. You can upgrade to the standard or deluxe dining plan by simply paying the difference between the plans.

Guests staying at a moderate or deluxe Disney resort will receive the Standard/ Plus dining plan at no additional cost. Again, you can upgrade to the deluxe dining plan by simply paying the difference between the two plans.

This promotion must be booked by September 26th and availability may be limited so please contact us right away to take advantage of this great money saving offer.

At Build A Better Mouse Trip, we are convinced that everyone can benefit with good touring plans - this is even more important during holiday travel seasons. During busy times, a good plan will absolutely keep you ahead of the crowds and out of the lines - our clients typically wait less than 20 minutes for rides, even thrill rides and headliners. During less crowded times, a good plan factors in shorter park hours and fewer performance times. But the most important benefit of a good plan is that everyone gets to ride and see the things that they are looking forward to because everyone's priorities are included in a plan that tours the parks efficiently and effectively.

We offer three great options for touring plans at no extra cost to you when you book your Disney vacation through Build A Better Mouse Trip:

1. The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World is an excellent guide book with great standardized plans. A great resource.

2. Tour Guide Mike Subscription - this fantastic website is a great option for anyone who loves travel planning.

3. Custom Touring Plans - we create plans for you based on your interests.