Walt Disney World is the Most Magical Place on Earth and that’s especially true during the holiday season. November 8 kicked off the holiday fun at Animal Kingdom, and this year, they went ALLLL out making it a can’t miss park during the holiday season.
This post is sponsored by Walt Disney World, but as always, all of the magical opinions are my own. #DisneyHolidays
We always go to WDW over Veterans Day weekend to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and this year was no exception. The kids and I were excited to check out all of the new holiday offerings at Animal Kingdom while we were in town. Just like the other parks, the holiday decor begins before you’re even IN the park- the garlands over the sign were BEAUTIFUL.
Discovery Island
Crossing the bridge to Discovery Island, guests find themselves in the midst of a celebration of winter, hand-crafted by the eclectic community of artists who make the island their home. Life-size, artisan-sculpted animal puppets (including reindeer, foxes and polar bears) roam around by day while colorful rooftop luminaries light up the night.
Once you cross over the bridge to Discovery Island and walk towards the Tree of Life, you’re greeted by the Merry Menagerie puppets. We had so much fun interacting and playing with them and the performers did a FANTASTIC giving each their own personality. We probably spent half an hour just hanging out with the puppets and their performers and could have easily stayed much longer.
The new mural wall at Animal Kingdom is absolutely breathtaking and I foresee it being the backdrop for a lot of Christmas card photos this year. You can find this one on the walk from Discovery Island to Pandora, right across from Tiffins.
Tree of Life Awakenings
At the center of everything, the Tree of Life awakens each evening as a series of wintry tales emerge from within, complemented by a familiar and heartwarming holiday-inspired musical score. Between awakening moments, the Tree of Life continues to shimmer and sparkle throughout the night, alive with the magic of nature and the spirit of the holidays.
The Tree of Life Awakening is a can’t miss when you’re at Animal Kingdom in the evening. Beginning after the sun sets and running throughout the night, this projection show features holiday stories full of wildlife- and a great soundtrack. The kids (and I!) were completely mesmerized as we watched!
DinoLand U.S.A.
Throughout DinoLand U.S.A., all of Donald Duck’s friends gather for Donald’s Dino-Bash! get into the spirit with colorful holiday decorations they have each chosen according to their own styles.
The decorations in DinoLand are fun and colorful and fit in perfectly with the theming!
Even the 50-foot brachiosaur on the OldenGate Bridge is in on the holiday fun this year! Check out that Santa hat and white beard!!
All of the character meet and greets are extra-festive this time of year. We didn’t wait in line for too many of them, but you can’t celebrate Christmas at Animal Kingdom without taking a quick picture with Scrooge McDuck!
Asia
The residents of Anandapur have decorated the theater district in celebration of Diwali, India’s holiday festival of lights. Glowing flowers, lanterns and more illuminate the square between Anandapur Theater and the waterfront stage, home to authentic and colorful cultural performances.
The hanging lanterns and lights were beautiful during the day and even more spectacular all lit up at night. The décor in this part of the park is so understated that you may miss it if you’re walking quickly, but I think that just adds to the charm and it blends in perfectly.
Walt Disney World goes all out on festive treats and our favorite at Animal Kingdom was definitely the peppermint soft-serve cone. The Anandapur Ice Cream Truck is dishing up this festive treat, along with vanilla and chocolate cones for $4.99 (or one DDP Snack Credit).
We each got a cone- clearly, the boys all share my love of peppermint, while the girls opted for vanilla and chocolate (such silliness!)- to enjoy on our walk to Expedition Everest.
Pandora- The World of Avatar
The ex-pats living and working on the moon of Pandora bring a little holiday fun to their interstellar home, with a display at Pongu Pongu of holiday décor, combining vintage pieces from Earth with items handcrafted from materials indigenous to Pandora.
Pandora joined the holiday fun this year, though Pongu Pongu is really the only place that you’ll see anything festive. We had fun searching for the nods to both Christmas and Hanukkah!
And at night, it looks even more Christmas-y when the lights are turned on!
Even though the holiday décor doesn’t extend throughout Pandora, if you’re there after dark make sure to check out the bioluminescent lights on the walkways.
Holiday Décor by Night
As day becomes night, the rooftop luminaries all around Discovery Island bring a warm and festive glow to the entire village.
Discovery Island looked festive during the day, especially with the puppets roaming, but at night, OH. MY. GOSH! It was BEAUTIFUL! The garlands and rooftop luminaries were the perfect touch and provided holiday beauty without being over the top.
Even though it’s technically outside of the park, it’s still part of the holiday décor at Animal Kingdom. The giant Christmas tree all lit up at night is one of my favorite places to get a picture of all the kids. And on the plus side, since it’s not IN the park, you can stop by for a picture with the tree even if you don’t want to visit Animal Kingdom.
Is It Worth It?
So, the question that I get asked all the time: Is it worth it to go to Animal Kingdom just to check out the holiday stuff? Yes, a million times, yes!
Not only can you get a great family photo with the beautiful Animal Kingdom Christmas tree, but you get to experience a Disney park with decorations that you won’t find anywhere else. Each part of the park has it’s own distinct decorations and they range from simple and almost hard to spot, to completely over the top. In years past, I never would have made the trek to Animal Kingdom JUST for the holiday décor, but they really upped their game this year! And make sure to get a peppermint cone while you’re there!!