Vacations Blog

Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney!

Sure, the holidays are for family and traveling back to your hometown.  It’s just not Christmas without 13 cousins sharing a bedroom and unspoken tension as the in-laws analyze your gift wrapping abilities.  Right?

It’s no wonder that Disney World is attracting more and more visitors throughout the holiday season.

Many families (including mine) are choosing to use their precious vacation days and time off school to enjoy the warm weather and the enchantment of Disney World.  After all, if Christmas is the season for magic – nobody does magic better than the Walt Disney World Resort!

While Orlando’s largest theme park promises a once in a lifetime experience year round, Disney truly pulls out all the stops for the winter holidays.  You’ll enjoy attractions and sights that are only available for visitors in November and December.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – this Magic Kingdom event is not available during regular park hours.  It’s a special evening event on select nights in November and December.

Christmas Lights On The Cinderella Castle

In addition to most of the rides being fully functional, party attendees can also enjoy the evening Christmas parade.  Of course, the biggest difference between this and the usual Magic Kingdom evening parade that is included with regular park admission is that all of the characters and floats are themed in holiday garb.  What you can’t get any other night is free hot chocolate and cookies!

Personally, I think the best thing about Christmas at the Magic Kingdom is the Cinderella Castle glittering with holiday lights.  It’s a constant reminder that I need to convince my husband to buy more icicle lights next year.

Epcot’s Candlelight Processional at the American Gardens Theatre – easily the most faith based of all the Disney Celebrations, this nightly event takes the Christmas concert to a whole new level.  It boasts a 50-piece orchestra and a mass choir of amateur vocalists, just like at home (if your home happens to have a world renowned orchestra).  And of course, the biblical Christmas story is read aloud – by celebrity narrators like Neil Patrick Harris.

If you’re planning to attend one of these shows, prepare to get in line early.  My family arrived an hour before one performance and were the very last people allowed in for that showing.

Why would anyone spend Christmas at Disney?

The Osborne Family Spectacle Of Dancing Lights at Hollywood Studios – this is the most underrated Christmas destination as far as I’m concerned.  What Disney’s web site unenthusiastically describes as holiday light display is the physical personification of the Christmas Spirit.

Based on the free light display an Arkansas man once hosted in his own neighborhood before neighbors sued to have it removed, the Spectacle Of Dancing Lights features an illumination spanning nearly three city blocks and requiring over 20,000 man hours to assemble.  Holiday music keeps time for the blinking displays as crowds of people do nothing more than stand and stare.

But what truly makes this a must-see is the snow.  Several snow machines set loose a swirling snow storm on the city “streets” that is so realistic you’ll see children and adults alike trying to catch flakes on their tongues.  They’ll soon discover the snow is made from soap.

Standing between the two story buildings covered in pulsing lights, listening to the notes of holiday classics and watching the snow fall around you in Florida is, I’m convinced, the closest one can come to knowing what it feels like to be inside a Christmas movie.

Oh, yeah.  Animal Kingdom offers a Jingle Jungle Parade, too.

All pictures taken by Britt Reints.

Jack Hanna of the Columbus Zoo

What do you get when you mix sponsorship from one of America’s largest energy providers and a world renowned zoo? Not withstanding the overall sleep deprived status of the zoos inhabitants, you reap the benefits one of the most impressive and enjoyable Christmas Light displays anywhere. The Columbus Zoo is celebrating it’s 20th year of Wildlights.

The Columbus Zoo, located just north of Columbus, OH at 4850 West Powel Road in Powell, OH has partnered this year with American Electric Power (AEP) to make this year’s Christmas Light display even lighter and brighter. More importantly, the partnership has enabled the Columbus Zoo to make this year’s display greener than ever before. We’re not talking about green lights, though I’m sure you’ll find plenty among the over 3 million lights on display.

Greener, as in reducing environmental impact. AEP’s partnership with the Zoo has enabled them to convert the conventional lighting displays to the more energy friendly LED lights. The result is a brighter light that burns more efficiently and lasts longer than the traditional bulbs. They cost less to operate and by having to replace fewer bulbs will reduce waste.

Mangels Carousel

Wildlights is set to begin November 21 and will be running nightly through January 3. Hours are Sundays through Thursdays 5 pm until 9 pm (10 pm Fridays and Saturdays) and admission is free with your paid Zoo admission. A special member’s only preview is scheduled for November 20.

Local high school choirs and carolers are scheduled to perform at the newly renovated Entry Village on selected evenings. The Central Ohio Model Railroad Club has helped, in part, to provide an impressive model railroad display in that area as well.

I can’t wait to see the animated light display at The Watering Hole. Newly added this year, there is a much touted light display animated and set to music at the central pond. It is scheduled to begin every half hour and lasts approximately nine minutes. To use their words, it is “extravagant.”

Wildlights at the Watering Hole

You can also bring your ice skates (or rent a pair for $3) and enjoy the Frozone Ice Rink. According to the Zoo website, the Ice Rink usage will be based on capacity. That means expect a crowd.

Certainly this is not a comprehensive or ranked list of the many activities you can expect to enjoy at this year’s Wildlights for, as my kids are quick to mention, Santa will also be there. Is it mention or scream? “SANTA, SANTA, SANTA!!!”  Sometimes I get confused. By all means, make sure your kids bring their wish list as Santa will be on hand at the Water’s Edge Events Park to assess naughty and nice and accept last minute requests and pictures. Hint: Don’t pull this Santa’s Beard!

There are so many things to do during Wildlights that you may just forget that there are animals on display. Don’t forget, the zoo is open year round 9 am – 6 pm. Though some of the animals are off display during the colder winter months there are plenty of creatures that love this time of year as well as the numerous indoor exhibits.

Come early and stay late experiencing one of Central Ohio’s favorite holiday traditions, Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo.

Wildlights is closed Nov. 27, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.

Photos: Ed Lamaze, Fensterbme (Creative Commons)

Clifton, Ohio

I can think of countless ways to usher in the Holiday Season, but none better than a Christmas Lighting Extravaganza.  Couple over 3.5 million lights with the gorgeous backdrop of Clifton Gorge and the Little Miami River at Clifton Mill and your Holiday Season can officially be declared as having begun.  Clifton Mill has been celebrating the Christmas season for almost 20 years with an extraordinary lighting display that takes a crew of six roughly 3 months to set up.

The Mill is located at 75 Water St. in Clifton, Ohio just 9 miles south of Springfield.  Follow OH-72 south (Exit 54) off of Interstate 70 and you can’t miss the Mill on your right.  Parking is free.  Gates open daily at 5pm.  Admission is $8 (children 6 and younger are free).

The weekends are definitely the busiest time, so you may want to keep that in mind when visiting.  Loosely translated, you will have a much more relaxed and leisurely visit if you can swing a trip during the week.  This is really important when you travel, as I do, with a horde of small children.  The area is accessible to strollers but they are not allowed in some of the buildings.

Clifton Mill Lighted for Christmas

The lights go on at 6:00 pm with the flip of a single switch.  It’s absolutely amazing to see the darkened gorge and mill come to life with the brilliant lights.  A definite, “Ooh” and “Ahhh” moment.  My kids often prefer to just scream, “WOW!!!”  There’s even a synchronized light show set to music.  Each hour the lights go out leaving visitors standing in the darkness and slowly they dance back to life as music echoes through the gorge.  It’s captivating, really!

While at the Mill you’ll want to check out the Santa Claus museum, home to over 3000 Santas and Santa memorabilia, the Miniature Village and the spectacular views from the Covered Bridge which spans the gorge and river below.  Concession style meals are served (soups, hot dogs, hot chocolate, cookies) during the evening.

Hours of operation for the lighting display are from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm.  The display starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs every night until January 1st, closing at 8pm on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Years Eve.

The Waterfall at Clifton Mill

I suggest, though, that a trip to Clifton Mill should encompass the whole day.  The Millrace Restaurant located inside of the Mill is open for breakfast and lunch 9:00 am until 2:00 pm.  There’s no better way to start your day than with a stack of fresh pancakes.  The flour, of course, was milled fresh on the premises probably just hours earlier. (Normally closing at 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm on weekends, the restaurant observes abbreviated hours during the Christmas lighting season.)  Afterward, you may wish to tour the mill, which boasts itself as the largest water powered grist mill still in operation in America, for a firsthand look at one of America’s earliest industries.

You’ll have plenty of time in the afternoon to do some antiquing at Weber’s Antique Mall in Clifton or maybe just a leisurely hike at nearby Clifton Gorge Nature Preserve.  It offers incredible views of the gorge from several bridges and platforms.  If you’re looking for a truly unique gift idea or collectible check out The Fish Decoy Company on the corner of Dayton St. and OH-72.

Clifton Mill Overlooking the Gorge

After having explored Clifton’s charm you’ll have plenty of time to make it back to the Mill, grab a cup of hot chocolate and welcome the Christmas Season with the Legendary Lights at Clifton Mill.

Photos courtesy of Clifton Mill website and Bret Arnett (creative commons).