Away for the Holidays

Fun Places to Make Family Memories

By Elisa Ast All

Outdoors, families enjoy horseback riding, skiing, ice skating, sledding, tubing and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Make sure to try out the exercise areas and saunas, and indoor and outdoor hot tubs and heated pools.

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From the snow on Main Street to the magnificent decorations and beautiful shows, Disney will put you in the holiday spirit and help you create a little "magic" this season.

The Magic Kingdom is truly for the kid at heart. Pretend you're a child again flying over London on Peter Pan's Flight and zipping through the cosmos on Space Mountain. But it's at night when the magical holiday celebrations truly begin. Each year, Disney hosts Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom on select days in December, after the park closes, from 7 p.m. until midnight. You must purchase separate tickets for the event, but it's truly worth it.

As soon as you walk in, it's snowing on Main Street (OK, so it's not real snow, but a darn good replication). The shops and restaurants are all decorated in the spirit of the holidays, and there's a Christmas tree in Town Square.

Visitors can take in a variety of holiday shows. A favorite is Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade complete with gingerbread men, toy soldiers and all of Disney's cast of characters including, of course, Mickey Mouse and Santa himself as the finale. There's lots of holiday cookies and hot cocoa (yes, it can get chilly in Florida!), and each famil gets a souvenir photo and button with the price of admission. And the night wouldn't be complete without fireworks!

Want to see more?

• Making Merry with Mickey: Walt Disney World at the Holidays
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• Solo Travel with Kids: Holiday Travel Tips for Single Parents
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