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Disney World Halloween vs Christmas: Holidays Compared

August 12, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought I would write a post comparing Disney World Halloween vs Christmas!

Disney World Halloween vs Christmas

I’ve seen lots of folks online wondering if they should plan a trip to Walt Disney World during the fall months to experience Halloween or wait to experience Christmas. Today, I’d like to help people decide which one is right for them by comparing Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!

The Decor

Let’s start with the most obvious difference – the holiday decor! For Halloween, you can expect to see Main Street decked out in orange with lots of pumpkins! Plus, there’s fun character pumpkin wreaths around the park. For Christmas, there’s garland and Mickey wreaths. Don’t forget the huge tree at the front of Main Street!

For me, I think I prefer the Halloween decor because it’s unique. I can see Christmas wreaths back home and around town. However, you don’t see near as much fall decor or specialty fall wreaths around.

The Entertainment

I wrote a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide with Tips a few years ago and took a look at all of the different entertainment options at the party. From a parade to fireworks and special castle stage shows, there’s lots to see and experience. My Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Review briefly touched on the entertainment at its party. However, it is very similar offerings at the Christmas party, with fireworks, a parade, and stage show too.

Again, I would pick Halloween for this one. However, I feel like lots of places offer good Christmas shows that the whole family can enjoy. Once again, I think it’s harder to find a good Halloween offering that is family friendly.

The Treats

Who doesn’t love to go trick-or-treating? I love visiting the Halloween party and coming away with a full bag of candy! It’s fun to go around the park and see what all goodies you can get! The Christmas party hands out cookies and drinks. I enjoy that too. However, I can eat several pieces of candy and only a few cookies. Full disclosure: the vast majority of candy and cookies typically come home with me to be enjoyed for days to weeks to come.

I think the candy has to win due to being able to enjoy several different pieces of it versus just a few cookies.

Outfits

Lots of folks dress up in costumes for the Halloween party. I enjoy sitting on Main Street and watching people walk by in their outfits. At Christmas, people wear a variety of Christmas outfits. Typically, it’s a Christmas shirt/sweater or pajamas. I think the Halloween costumes are more fun.

Ambiance

Halloween will get some of the catchy tunes stuck in your head “It’s really not so scary…. boo to you!”. However, there’s something special about watching it snow on Main Street! So, I’ll give Christmas this one.

Weather

Unfortunately, Halloween takes place during hurricane season. So, you will have to deal with the heat and potentially storms if you visit during Halloween. By Christmas, hurricane season is mostly over and it’s cooled down. I’ve got to hand this one to Christmas. Granted, it can be chilly at Christmas parties, but I’d rather deal with that than the heat of summer/fall in August.

Other Offerings

People can visit just for the parties, but they often visit the other parks on their trip. So, I will say that Halloween is mostly concentrated at Magic Kingdom. Epcot will have Food & Wine in the fall. Hollywood Studios may have a few Halloween treats and their character dining gets a Halloween layover. Animal Kingdom usually doesn’t do much of anything, but may get a few Halloween treats.

Christmas at Disney is a whole thing. Every park has special decor and events! Hollywood Studios has Jollywood Nights. Epcot has Festival of the Holidays. Animal Kingdom has the merry menagerie. Disney Springs even has specially themed trees! The resorts get in on the fun too with special trees and decor.

So, if you are wanting a full holiday experience, then you have to go at Christmas!

Should you visit Disney for Halloween or Christmas?

I love visiting Disney for both holidays. However, I’ve been hard pressed to find a comparable Halloween experience. Meanwhile, I love Christmas and can be happy with the offerings at lots of different places. So, I will vote for Halloween but just know that I don’t think there’s a bad answer here. You are going to Disney and it’s going to be great!

Disney World Skyliner Resorts Guide

August 5, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Today, I’d like to highlight the Disney World Skyliner Resorts, or the four hotels that are located along this easy and favorite transportation line in Walt Disney World!

Disney World Skyliner Resorts

For those who don’t know, the Skyliner is a gondola transportation system in Walt Disney World. In connects four resorts and two theme parks (Epcot and Hollywood Studios). Today, I want to highlight those four resorts. I have personally stayed at three of them, but have visited all four multiple times.

Pop Century

I’ll start with the resort I’ve spent the most time at: Pop Century. It was the second resort I stayed in at Disney World and I’ve stayed here many time since that first 2014 visit. It’s a laid back resort that harkens back to various decades of the 1900’s. It’s considered a value resort and will typically offer the lowest nightly rates of any hotel on the Skyliner. It’s great for adults on a budget as they tend to enjoy the nostalgia of years gone by. You can read my full Disney’s Pop Century Resort Review to get a better idea of its pros and cons.

Art of Animation

Across the water from Pop Century is Art of Animation! While technically classified as a value resort, it’s the most expensive value resort with its highly themed rooms and family suites. I’ve stayed here twice, both times in a Little Mermaid standard room. My most recent stay was in December 2025 with my mom. You can read about that adventure in my Disney World Little Mermaid Rooms Review. Additionally, I posted a Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review a few years back with a closer look at the resort as a whole.

Caribbean Beach Resort

There’s one moderate hotel on the Skyliner – Caribbean Beach Resort! I’ve stayed here a few times as well. It is the hub hotel for the Skyliner as both the Epcot and Hollywood Studios lines meet here. I posted a Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review a while back. However, I will say that my biggest complaint about this resort is its size. It’s a sprawling resort with lots of rooms and buildings.

Riviera

Lastly, there’s the newest hotel on the Skyliner and it’s a Deluxe/DVC resort – Riviera! I haven’t been so lucky as to stay here yet. However, I love how compact this hotel is. I have enjoyed Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast a few times here. If you have the funds, I’m sure this is a wonderful resort to stay at!

Bonus: Epcot Resorts

Technically, the three resorts behind Epcot aren’t considered Skyliner resorts. However, Boardwalk Inn, Yacht Club, and Beach Club are all walking distance to the Skyliner station at Epcot. Granted, those resorts can also take a boat or walk over to Hollywood Studios as well. It’s just worth mentioning that it’s a transportation option for those three resorts too.

Disney Skyliner Resorts

So, there you have it. The four Disney World Skyliner Resorts are: Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera! Which one is your favorite?

Solo Universal Orlando Tips

July 22, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Having taken a few solo Universal Orlando trips, I thought I would post a quick guide with tips for other folks considering doing the same.

Solo Universal Orlando

Several years ago, I posted Halloween Horror Nights Solo Tips to help people who were considering attending HHN by themselves, like I did. However, I never posted about visiting the parks by yourself during the day. So, I thought I would share a quick list of tips for making the most of a solo trip to the Universal Orlando parks!

Tips

Move at your own pace – I say this in every solo travel post, but it’s true. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to set your own pace or change your mind without needing to explain it to someone else.
Ride as many rides as you want – If you want to try to ride every ride in a particular park, go for it! If you want to take it slower and see some shows, do that!
Consider Single Rider Line – There are several rides at each park that feature a special Single Rider Line that you can take advantage of to ride rides sooner!
Eat wherever and whenever you want – If you want to take the time to eat at a sit down restaurant, then do that. If not, grab something quick and keep moving!
Have a list of things you want to do – You don’t have to have an exact schedule (unless you want one), but having a general idea of things you’d like to experience is always a good idea!
Enjoy a show or parade – Solo trips are great for making time to see a show or parade!
Visit with characters – I love seeing characters on solo trips because I don’t feel bad for making someone else wait.

Going to Universal Orlando Resort Alone

As you can see, the possibilities for a solo Universal Orlando trip are endless! So, what are you going to do on your trip?

Disney Springs Resorts Guide

July 15, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Having previously highlighted the official Disney World hotels located nearest the four theme parks, it’s time to go over the Disney Springs Resorts!

Disney Springs Resorts

I previously posted a Magic Kingdom Resorts Guide, Epcot Resorts Guide, Disney Hollywood Studios Resorts Guide, and an Disney Animal Kingdom Resorts Guide looking at the official on-site hotels located near those theme parks. However, there’s still one other location to consider when booking your hotel – Disney Springs! For those who don’t know, Disney Springs is Disney’s shopping and dining district. Unlike the parks, you don’t need a theme park ticket to visit Disney Springs. Plus, if you stay at one of these four hotels, you can take a boat over to Disney Springs (instead of a bus)!

It’s worth mentioning that are lots of off-site hotels located near Disney Springs. However, this post is going to look at just the four Disney owned ones.

Old Key West

Old Key West is a sprawling DVC/Deluxe Resort. In fact, it was the very first DVC resort that Disney built. That’s why the resort’s main hall and restaurant have much more of a family/community vibe. It was meant to entice folks to buy into DVC and make repeat stays here as members. I stayed here once, back in 2019 by myself. It was a relaxing trip that I remember fondly as I was in desperate need of a pick me up to chill out and this location provided just that. The blog image above was taken on the balcony of my room here. Although, you do have long bus rides here as this resort has multiple bus stops.

I have enjoyed the table service restaurant here, Olivia’s Cafe a few times. They have some good fried chicken and fantastic bananas foster dessert! If that doesn’t suit your fancy, you can always go over to Disney Springs to enjoy a plethora of dining options there!

Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter

I have stayed at the moderate Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter multiple times. In fact, I would call it one of my favorite Disney Resorts. You can read a full review in my Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort Review. However, I can summarize that post to tell you that I love how compact this resort is. There’s only one bus stop here and you don’t have to spend all night walking back to your room. Plus, there’s warm and tasty beignets! Yummy!

Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

This is a moderate sister resort to French Quarter. Riverside is another sprawling resort with multiple stops. I have stayed here a few times as well. I posted a Disney Port Orleans Riverside Resort Review as well for a more in-depth look at this resort. I also enjoyed dinner here and detailed it in Boatwright’s Dining Hall Review.

They used to have princess themed rooms, which I reviewed in my Disney World Princess Room Review. However, those rooms have been refurbished and are now called “Royal Guest Rooms”. The update looks modern and clean with a few embellishments. The headboards still have some fun touches as well.

Saratoga Springs Resort

Lastly, there’s another Deluxe/DVC – Saratoga Springs! It’s very similar to Old Key West in that it’s large with multiple bus stops and boat transportation to Disney Springs. However, it’s themed after the late 1800’s in New York versus Florida. Unfortunately, I’ve never stayed or even eaten here. Perhaps, someday I will visit and update this post with a more detailed look at it.

Should you stay at a Disney Springs Resort?

I think Disney Springs Resorts are great if you plan on visiting Disney Springs. The boat transportation is really nice. I think all of these resorts make lovely options for adult only trips as their themes are more laid back. However, all but the French Quarter are pretty large with multiple bus stops. So, have you stayed at one of these resorts? What did you think?

Hollywood Studios Table Service Restaurants Guide

July 8, 2026 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

When planning a Disney World trip, it can be difficult to decide where to eat. So, I thought I would post a Hollywood Studios Table Service Restaurants Guide to help people plan their trips.

Hollywood Studios Table Service

Before we dive into the options, just a reminder that Disney calls sit down restaurants table service. If you are on a Disney Dining Plan with Table Service Credits, then you can use the credits at one of these restaurants. I previously posted a Magic Kingdom Sit Down Restaurants Guide. So, today I am going do to the same thing at Hollywood Studios! Hollywood Studios has some iconic themed restaurants. Most feature some basic comfort food, but they are done well.

The Hollywood Brown Derby

I will start with the restaurant you are most likely to encounter first upon entering the park – The Hollywood Brown Derby. Located in Hollywood Boulevard, it’s technically a Signature Restaurant. That means it will require 2 Table Service Dining Credits to eat here if you are on the Dining Plan. This restaurant is supposed to harken back to the Golden Age of Hollywood with its warm wood paneling. It’s the perfect location for a nicer meal in the park. It’s known for its Famous Cobb Salad and Grapefruit Cake. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to eat here yet. When I do, I will update this post with my review. However, it looks like a nice place to eat if you are looking for somewhere nicer to eat in the park.

Hollywood & Vine

Located in Echo Lake is the park’s character dining buffet – Hollywood & Vine! The best thing about eating here is the rotation of the seasonal theme in the menu and character costumes! I’ve eaten here several times over the years. As I mentioned in my Disney World Character Dining Guide, I hate that they have lost Donald Duck from the rotation of characters here. Nonetheless, it’s a great place to eat to kick-off Jollywood Nights as the characters are wearing Christmas outfits. During Minnie’s Seasonal Dining you can see the characters dressed up for Summer Dine, Halloween Dine, Holiday Dine, Silver Screen Dine, or Springtime Dine! I intend to post my full review of the Holiday Dine closer to the holidays and will link it here when it goes live. This is a 1 Table Service Credit character buffet serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner! It’s a great use of Dining Credit and a fun way to see the characters in different outfits.

50’s Prime Time Cafe

Located beside Hollywood & Vine (and sharing a restroom with it) is 50’s Prime Time Cafe! It is where the blog image used above was taken. Additionally, I posted a full 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Walt Disney World Review to give you a good idea of what to expect here. My mom loved eating here. The 50’s theme was full of nostalgia for her. I loved my peanut butter and jelly milkshake! Overall, it was a good meal of comfort food that everyone can enjoy. It’s 1 Table Service Credit on the Dining Plan and it’s a pretty good use, depending on what you order! Just come hungry! It’s an excellent value when part of the Fantasmic Dining Package when using the Dining Plan.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ

In Toy Story Land, there’s Roundup Rodeo BBQ. This is the newest Table Service restaurant in the park. It’s themed to Toy Story and features family platters of meats and sides. I’ve yet to experience this one, but it seems like a fun time for any family. You would need to order a special beverage here to make good use of the 1 Table Service Credit it uses though.

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater

Lastly, there’s the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater located in Commissary Lane towards the back of the park. I posted a Fantasmic Dining Package Review at Sci-Fi Dine-In a few years back. We weren’t overly impressed with the food here. However, we really enjoyed the set up and watching old sci-fi film clips on the big screen. This is another restaurant where you have to be intentional about what you order to get a good use of the 1 Table Service Credit it requires, unless you get the Fantasmic Dining Package like we did.

Hollywood Studios Table Service Restaurants

Well, there’s the list of the sit down restaurants located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Which one is your favorite?