Disney World cranks up the cheer
I tried to jump-start my holiday spirit through a few ho-ho-ho hotspots at Walt Disney World last week. Some were pricey and crowded; one was (Christmas miracle alert!) free of charge.
Here are notes I made at a sold-out version of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party:
• Whoa, that’s a lot of sugar. There are a variety of cookies, but my group gave highest thumbsup to the peppermint crunch ones. We appreciated the cleansethe-palate pretzel in Adventureland but wondered about its pairing with the blue snow cone. We also broke down and paid extra for holiday fare: the surprisingly satisfying Sandy Claws dessert (spicy cake wrapped in a toy-sack fondant for $4.99) and the red velvet Zero waffles with vanilla ice cream ($6.49).
We also debated the merits of the individually wrapped cookies, with one side saying it’s bad for the environment and the other side grateful to be protected from the germy hands of fellow Very Merry-makers.
• Folks were quite willing to stand in line for character photos. We were told it would be 45 minutes to be granted an audience with the Seven Dwarfs and an hour for the Minnie Mouse-Daisy Duck duo. Also spotted: A fun Hundred Acre Wood foursome revolving around Winnie the Pooh.
• In “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime” parade, it was nice to see a marching brass quartet near the front. They were followed by trumpeters in the toy soldier group, a personal favorite. Also making impressions were “Wreck-It Ralph” and the “Frozen” roller skiers.
Still on my wish list: The return of the glockenspiel gals, now missing in action for several seasons.
• The “Holiday Wishes” fireworks still have that oooh-aaaah moment when the green pyro forms a Christmas tree that frames the castle.
• The night we attended was sold-out, and that was evident on Main Street and in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which took us about 45 minutes.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an after-hours, extraticket event held on select nights through Dec. 21 at Magic Kingdom. Tickets range between $95 and $125, depending on the date.
Other holiday outings of note at Disney World:
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Land has received its first holiday dressing, which includes festive camo accessories on the Green Army soldiers, an oversized string of popcorn on Woody’s Lunchbox, a very shiny Santa hat for Buzz and antlers atop the highest point: the head of Rex on a stack of Jenga.
• At Disney Springs, the Christmas Tree Trail is back.
Two trees to talk about are the Haunted Mansion tree, featuring the full-blown – and emerging spirit of the bride, and the “Star Wars” tree, which is topped by a lightsaber. There’s no admission charge for the trail.