It may be hard to believe, but people do actually visit Disney for more than just the parks and the resorts. To increase your magical experience at Disney and in turn rack up even more memorable moments you can visit during a special event!
I've already talked to you about some of the running events and some of the Christmas events, but those are just the beginning. (By the way, you really should sign up for a running event or two at Disney!) Disney does it up right for just about every known holiday and the decorations are amazing. For example, I love the way the Haunted Mansion is completed transformed each fall into the Nightmare before Christmas combining two holidays into one!
There are also two large International Festivals held at Epcot, they are the Flower and Garden Festival every spring and the Food and Wine Festival in the falll. You can celebrate Halloween at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, ring in the New Year at Walt Disney World Resort, and even attend the St. Patrick's Day Celebration at Downtown Disney. Star Wars Weekends, Car Masters Weekend, and the Festival of the Masters are also fun special events your family can attend while on your Disney vacation. If none of those events sound good you could check out Sounds Like Summer, Night of Joy, the Old Spice Classic - Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament, and or the Expedition Everest Challenge.
Many of these events are self explanatory, but if you are unsure of what is involved in any event the staff at Vacationkids would be more than happy to answer the questions you may have and provide you with more details. A few of the events require separate tickets for admission and you should book early if you plan to attend an event as they do fill up quickly. You can expect Hollywood Studios to be extremely busy from Friday to Sunday in the spring during the Star Wars Weekends. With this very popular event, your child (12 and under) can attend the Jedi Training Academy, but space is limited so you must get there early! Some of the events run longer than others and you can always expect Disney to come out with new events in the future.
Keep in mind that there are events at Disney that you may not be aware of prior to your arrival. For example, some families may want to visit Disney during the Orlando Gay Days and some may not. While this is not an official Disney event, it does draw a large crowd and it has been a scheduled event since 1991, so its popularity has grown over the years. There are also band, cheerleading, dance, sports, etc. events that occur, so again, while you may not be aware that this event is occurring, you should expect larger crowds during your visit.
Of Course, THE most important event to enjoy at a Disney park is your special event! Disney loves to help their guests celebrate those special moments in their lives so if you are getting engaged, getting married, celebrating a birthday, and or celebrating an anniversary, let us create magical memories for your family including some of our secret surprises.
Tell us about your favorite event at Disney! Would you recommend any events to other guests? Do you try to avoid Disney when events are being held?
