A Short Break To Disneyland Paris At Christmas

If you live in the United Kingdom, then it is only a short and an ideal trip to go on with the kids just before Christmas. They get to meet Mickey Mouse and all the Disney characters they want in France. It is an entertaining break for the whole family that is always exciting and fun.

It is a smaller version than the one in Florida, but it's great too, because it is in Paris where you can visit all those other places that you're hoping to see. The rides are great. There is the star tours ride, which is set as a the spaceship in Star Wars the film and it gives the effect of a simulator ride. There is Pirates of the Caribbean, which is a boat ride through a pirates world. The best of all was the 3D Honey I Shrunk the Audience ride, an animation gives the illusion that the audience has been shrunk. This for me was the best of all rides. The shows are something not to be missed either. There was the Mickey Mouse show which was probably the best of them all.

The Christmas Tree at Euro Disney is the best spot for all your photographs. You can take pictures of all the family whilst standing under this magnificent tree.

From the UK you can either travel by car and boat or fly, but we took the Eurostar train straight into Disneyland Paris, which was brilliant. The Trip from Waterloo in London takes two hours or you can travel from Ashford in Kent which takes three hours. It's a unique service that we found excellent.

The hotels in the resort are an ideal spot for your accommodation. We stayed in The Cheyenne, which was excellent. The rooms have a double bed and bunk beds for the kids, a tv and a bathroom. There are buses too, to take you into the resort, but it's also a short walk which we took advantage of at times. We went in January one year and it was cold so we took the bus. This time, we went in December (just before Christmas) and every day we walked to the resort, because the weather was pleasant and it was not that cold.

It can be rather expensive for a short trip, but it is worth a visit even with the younger children who will appreciate it too.

I can say it was fabulous for us, because we went there with another family and we enjoyed every minute of it. Going for a Christmas break in December was exciting for us all. The kids were excited to see Santa too! Christmas is a perfect time too.

Disneyland at Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful, magical time of year. It is a time of happiness and of creating joyful memories. Disneyland is a wonderful, magical, happy place, where one creates joyful memories. To experience Christmas at Disneyland, would enhance both of them.

Disneyland takes on a special look at Christmas. Although it is crowded for this season, the crowds are manageable if you plan ahead. The winter's biggest crowds are over Thanksgiving weekend and from Christmas Eve to New Years, but even in December before Christmas Eve it can be crowded. It would be a good idea if you are going for more than one day, to buy your Disneyland tickets online in advance. It is also wise to use Ridemax to avoid standing in line. If you are interested in tours such as the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour", you should reserve them more than a month in advance at 714-781-4400. Reservations for Disneyland restaurants should be made at least two weeks, and preferably up to a month, in advance at 714-781-3463

The Christmas decorations at Disneyland are best in Toontown and New Orleans Square, although they are found throughout the park. In Town Square, at the end of Main Street, there is a 60 ft. Christmas tree covered with thousands of lights and ornaments. In New Orleans Square, every alcove and balcony is decorated for Christmas, and each lamp post is decorated with a different color scheme.

There are all kinds of special things to see and do at Disneyland at Christmas. Here are a few ideas:

1) You can enjoy the holiday makeover of "It's a Small World". There are colorful wreaths and garlands, each one detailed and unique, decorating the promenade leading up to the attraction. At night the facade looks magical with over 300,000 colorful lights. When you go inside, each country is decorated for Christmas and it is fun to try to spot the clever details of the holiday traditions. The theme song is blended with Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

2) You can watch the holiday fireworks and snow. The red and green fireworks are shot off above Sleeping Beauty's castle, accompanied by music. The best places to see them would be facing the castle, on a bench, preferably closer to Tomorrowland than Frontierland, so that the fireworks will look like they're behind the castle. Plan on waiting an hour or two for a prime spot on a bench, especially in the snowfall locations. Pick up a map of the park at the gate to find out where the selected spots are that snow will fall just after the fireworks end. As "White Christmas" is played, icicles appear on the castle and snow starts swirling around.

3) You can watch the Disney Christmas parade travel down Main Street (the most crowded but the most beautiful place to see it is the Main Street train station platform), through Fantasyland and towards the Town Square. Check the entertainment schedule when you arrive to find out the parade times and which direction it will be going in. Disney princes and princesses, as well as other Disney characters, are joined by marching nutcrackers, toy soldiers, and dancing snowmen. Santa himself is riding on a giant sleigh.

4) You can enjoy the Christmas carolers who travel around the park performing popular Christmas tunes from around the world. They, muffs and all, perform traditional carols up and down Main Street. Check in the daily entertainment schedule for their performance times.

5) You can enjoy great Christmas food on Main Street. Children, for about five dollars, can get and decorate a large sugar cookie with a choice of two frostings and two sprinkles. Watch out for the blue icing, it will permanently dye your lips. You can get gingerbread men at the Blue Ribbon Bakery during November and December. Every Friday in December you can get fresh candy canes at the Main Street candy shop. You can even watch them making the candy canes through the window of the Candy Kitchen.

Disneyland at Christmas is a magical place at a magical time. There are all kinds of special decorations and activities at Disneyland to celebrate Christmas. As long as you plan ahead, you'll have a wonderful holiday trip. Enjoy.

Walt Disney World Holidays - Tips For the Best Way to Plan a Disney Vacation at Christmas

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Do you have a visit to Walt Disney World planned for this Christmas season? Are you visiting during the week before Christmas and New Years? If so, then this article is for you. Having enjoyed several Walt Disney World holidays in late December, my family has found that the Christmas/New Year's holidays at Disney can be magical, crazy, crowded, and if you do some careful planning, very, very fun.

At no other time of the year, is careful planning as important as it is during the Holiday Season. So my motto for the best way to plan a Disney vacation is always to plan, plan, and plan some more. While there are a lot of things to consider during a Christmas visit to Disney World, in our years of having visited during the week between Christmas and New Years, there are two very important things that we have found you definitely need to keep in mind...and plan for.

First is the weather. Let me just say that Florida is not ALWAYS sunny and hot. In fact, traveling at any point during the winter months can provide you with a very cold...and uncomfortable...surprise, if you don't check ahead. We have visited during the winter and been blessed with sunny days, temps in the 70s, little humidity...weather that is just delightful.

BUT, we have also had days where the temperatures never made it out of the 50s during the day, and were in the low 30s at night and in the mornings. And if you combine this with some humidity/dampness and a bit of wind...well it's actually winter-coat wearing weather!

So if an affordable Disney family vacation is your goal, then check the weather forecast before you leave home. If you need warm clothes, and did not pack them, you do NOT want to pay Disney park prices for sweaters, scarves and gloves.

The second thing to consider when planning a trip during the week between Christmas and New Year's, is that this is THE busiest week of the year for the Disney parks. It is typical for one or more of the parks to actually close for periods of time, during several days during this week. Disney typically does a staggered type of closing schedule where the parks are first closed to non-Disney resort guests, then to Disney guests who have not already been to that park earlier in the day, and finally, to everyone.

So keep this in mind, especially if you are not staying on Disney property: go early to make sure you get into the park of your choice. Have a plan to visit your most important must-dos (especially those that are very popular) first thing, and make very good use of Fast-Passes. Expect the big attractions to have all Fast-Passes gone for the day by lunch, and to have lines of several hours. Be flexible, and go with the flow. And have a sense of humor.

If you decide to leave any of the parks, make certain that you can live without necessarily getting back in. While crowds often lessen somewhat in the evenings, on nights like New Years Eve, that is not likely to happen. If you plan to ring in the New Year in one of the parks, then expect to make a very long day of it.

Having said all of this, the holiday season at Disney World is my family's favorite time of year. It can be a magical and wonderful way to create family memories....just be prepared!

Christmas in Cornwall - Where to Go and What to See

Despite Cornwall's reputation as a summertime destination, year on year the county has become a prime destination for those eager to get away on a short break this Christmas. In terms of accommodation visitors are spoiled for choice as the region is well known for its self-catering cottages and the diversity of Cornwall hotels. Of course, when the festive season does roll around, there are also a great number of events seek out too.

Penzance

Almost as far west as you can get, Penzance benefits from a uniquely provincial location, but in Cornish terms is quite highly populated. Consequently, the town pays host to a popular and well established Christmas event: The Montol Festival. 'Montol' simply means 'winter solstice' and takes place between the 14th and the 22nd of December. The festival sees street parades such as the River of Fire, carol singing, a masked carnival, and the tradition of lighting the 'Mock'.

Truro

Cornwall's capital also sees its fair share of parades and traditional events at Christmas. One of the most significant is the City of Lights Procession, a parade of hundreds of paper lanterns through the city. Upholding its reputation as a shopping destination, the city boasts a number of late night shopping nights, as well as Christmas food and gift markets featuring the best ni local produce and craft throughout the season.

Eden

In order to maintain visitor numbers throughout the winter months, over the last few years The Eden Project has erected a wintry and wondrous ice rink throughout the festive season. As well as still being able to visit the biomes and the sights, visitors can ride the rink, and enjoy a mulled wine in between. The Eden Project is located near St. Blazey and the larger town of St. Austell.

Mousehole

Perhaps the jewel in the crown of Cornish Christmas events occurs in the picturesque village of Mousehole in south Cornwall. The village is famed for its Illuminations that light up the harbour, and December 19th sees these turned off in honour of the Penlee Lifeboat Disaster of 1981 in which eight people died. December 23rd sees the celebration of Tom Bawcock's Eve which sees the consumption of Star Gazy Pie, a party and a lantern procession.