PHOTO COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY WORLD
travel |
WHAT TO EXPECT AT
DiSNEY
The holiday fanfare at Florida’s beloved parks might look and function a bit differently this year, but the magic is still there. | BY ANNE REED
F
loridians are accustomed to holidays filled with sand instead of snow and swaying palms instead of decorated pine and fir trees. We rely on twinkling holiday light displays and the occasional chilly morning to rev up our holiday spirits. In previous years, our Midwest-transplant family traveled to Walt Disney World and immersed ourselves in Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, complete with holiday cookies and lights, parades of
wooden soldiers with shoes clacking on the asphalt, and snow. OK, it’s not snow; it’s a strange bubbly foam concoction that rains down on the crowd, but still — it’s Disney magic, and for many Florida families, that magic has become part of their holiday traditions. The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic brought the closure of Walt Disney World for almost four months. When the parks re-opened in July, Walt Disney World Resort debuted new health and safety measures along with reduced hours,
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