Joanna Fantozzi

December has to be one of the most magical times of year to visit <a id="39779fe7-3e81-3b6a-a5c6-bdc9ec28dcf8" href="http://www.thisisinsider.com/category/disney?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Disney parks </a> . From <a id="aaeb14ed-7476-32ce-a448-d65658a33025" href="http://www.thisisinsider.com/why-visit-disney-over-christmas-2016-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> the magic of Christmas </a> to the non-stop parties on New Year's Eve, the winter holidays are consistently one of the most popular times togo to Disney World.

But what is itreallylike to work at Disney World and Disneyland during the holidays? In a word:hectic.

INSIDER spoke with two former Disney cast members —Heather Sliwinski, who worked as an Epcot greeter in 2008, and Mike Jacobs, who played Goofy for 20 years at Disney World —about their experiences working the long shifts during the holiday season.

<h1> Disney in December is one of the most crowded times of year to visit. </h1>

"Christmas time is great if you really get into the holiday spirit," Mike Jacobs told INSIDER. "The guests seem very happy, and even though it's insanely crowded, most people take it in stride. The disadvantages are dealing with guests that don’t take it in stride. They get expectations from the commercials they see and when they find out that you can't walk down Main Street hand in hand with Mickey Mouse, they get a little testy."

His advice for holiday rush vacationers? "Don't expect to get everything done. Plan ahead and decide on your must-see attractions, and only do those."

<h1> New Years Eve is especially hectic, and cast members close the entrance gates as early as 10 a.m. </h1>

"New Year's Eve is by far the busiest holiday,"Heather Sliwinskitold INSIDER. "You have to get there pretty much when the park opens if you want a chance at getting in (and staying in) the park for the fireworks. When I worked at Walt Disney World, the Magic Kingdom closed at capacity by 10 am,and at Epcot we were closed by noon and had to implement a one-in, one-out system [...] There's no way to be prepared for it until you see it. Hoards of people are waiting at the turnstiles, begging and pleading to let them in, but[when I worked there], the turnstiles locked and there was literally nothing we could do and no way of knowing when we would be able to open back up."

<h1> Disney employees really get into the holiday spirit. </h1>

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World

Surprisingly, Disney employees seem to love working at the parks during the holidays, despite the hectic crowds, and they even get swept up in the Disney Christmas magic themselves.

"I think my favorite memory was the first year the Christmas decorations went up the day after Halloween," Jacobs said. "I remember I left the park that night and all the Halloween decorations were up, and the very next morning the place had completely transformed into Christmas. It was a little surreal."

<h1> The magical decorations and holiday foods are cast members favorite Christmas highlights. </h1>

"The entrance music loop was so festive, and being around the park when it's decorated for the holidays is the best time to be there," Sliwinski said.

For Jacobs, one of his favorite parts of Disney during the holidays was the special foods and snacks around the parks. "The park looks amazing, of course, and there’s lots of things you can do that aren't available during the rest of the year. Plus, pumpkin fudge at the Confectionary.Yum!"

<h1> There are lots of holiday perks for Disney employees. </h1>

Even though Disney cast members work long hours during the holiday season, they say the Disney company does take care of them.

"Disney treats their cast members very well — we got additional family and friends park passes for the holidays, extra discounts on merchandise and food," Sliwinski said. "I was able to have my parents come visit before Christmas because they provided extra guest tickets. It was really nice!"

<h1> Employees advise Disney fans to stay away after December 15. </h1>

Visiting during the holiday season is great, but try to do it before Christmas week.

"The best time to do Christmas at the parks is the second week in December," Jacobs said. "Not many people arearound, but all of the Christmas stuff is still there."

If youdowant to brave the Disney Parks during Christmas week or New Year's Eve, Sliwinski gives this piece of advice:

"Get to the parks and wait in line before rope drop and be prepared to stay all day," she said. "Also, if you don't want to brave the crowd on New Year's Eve, the parks tend to do the same New Year's Eve fireworks a few days beforehand, too, if you're willing to stay up late."

Visit <a id="1f84d53c-d05e-3d8d-a9e4-592ca7223ca4" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> INSIDER's homepage </a> for more.

Disney at Christmastime is the most magical place on earth.

Former employees reveal what it's like to work at Disney parks over the holidays

From <a id="028f010f-29fe-3e42-a83d-e8bde851144c" href="http://www.thisisinsider.com/why-people-drink-eggnog-christmas-2017-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> North America's eggnog </a> to SwedishGlögg (hot mulled wine), these are our favorite drinks from around the world that are sure to be the star of any Christmas get-together. All of the drinks listed belowareboozy, but several can be made without alcohol.

Feuerzangenbowle or <a id="083c76bb-949f-39bd-a3f4-1bf7b308f2fd" href="http://www.young-germany.de/topic/live/food-fun/drinking-germany-make-your-own-feuerzangenbowle"> "German fire punch" </a> is not for the faint of heart. This Christmas or New Year's drink starts with a kettle-full of glühwein (mulled wine) and rum. You set a rum-soakedzuckerhut (sugar cone) on fire and place it on a rack on top of the mulled wine, while the slowly caramelizing sugar drips into this sweet cocktail.

<a id="80a8b87c-de32-34ef-ac92-f3471201cec0" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BBXu_62E1w"> The amazing effect </a> is created using feuerzange (fire tongs), which allow the sugar cone to safely melt over the cocktail. You can also use a fondue set to create feuerzangenbowle.

<a id="cc94f612-1d2b-393c-afa9-966abe0d123a" href="https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/holidays-and-celebrations/silvester-new-years-eve-germany/german-new-years-hot-drinks/"> Get the recipe for feuerzangenbowle here. </a>

Eggnog is a popular holiday drink in North America <a id="74f8c156-baea-35b6-a048-6afece246f73" href="http://www.thisisinsider.com/why-people-drink-eggnog-christmas-2017-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> that derives from " </a> <a id="f6079eec-bea2-3169-aff0-1c53a219552e" href="http://time.com/3957265/history-of-eggnog/"> posset," </a> a British Medieval milk punch.

You can drink the <a id="daa48714-d530-3e7f-a14d-7a838198457d" href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/57028/amazingly-good-eggnog/"> chilled milk punch </a> with or without rum. It's traditionally made with egg yolks and egg whites, milk, heavy cream, and seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Try your hand at making eggnog <a id="74778123-b873-33aa-a835-974e46e8136c" href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/eggnog-recipe2-2013745"> with this recipe here. </a>

<a id="f7007a2d-7a9b-3dd2-a862-763d7a0b4879" href="http://www.swedishfood.com/swedish-drink-recipes/178-glogg"> Glögg </a> is Swedish mulled wine traditionally made with vodka or aquavit, red wine, oranges, raisins, mulling spices (like cinnamon and anise star), and sugar. It's <a id="ccd977e1-7248-3640-afa9-e76578f04923" href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1448-swedish-mulled-wine-glogg"> traditionally served </a> in overflowing mugs topped with dried fruit or nuts.

<a id="713da97b-cf69-3d7a-ae13-25d72c3fa861" href="http://www.swedishfood.com/swedish-drink-recipes/178-glogg"> Try a recipe forGlögg here. </a>

(For a non-alcoholic version,omit the vodka and use alcohol-free wine instead).

<a id="928f34d6-225a-3118-ab4b-1847add6dbc2" href="https://www.italy-villas.com/to-italy/2015/food-and-wine/recipes/bombardino-recipe"> Bombardino, </a> the unofficial winter drink of Italian ski resorts, is similar to eggnog, but it is served hot, rather than refrigerated. It is made with <a id="7bdf56a0-0de9-3e90-ae21-600efe82d425" href="https://www.thespruce.com/traditional-dutch-advocaat-liqueur-recipe-1128594"> A </a> <a id="3e1e2a23-1f4b-3262-a844-880e01bb1c40" href="https://www.thespruce.com/traditional-dutch-advocaat-liqueur-recipe-1128594"> dvocaat </a> (an alcoholic Dutch drink made from eggs, sugar, and brandy), rum or brandy, and topped with whipped cream.

The cocktail <a id="d2f562ef-dfcc-38b1-a327-7e94ebb2722e" href="https://www.eataly.com/us_en/magazine/eataly-recipes/bombardino-cocktail/"> was said to have been invented </a> by a Genovese man who was looking to quickly make a warm drink for Alpine skiers who had just come in from the bitter cold. The drink was likely named "the bomb" because of its famously high alcohol content.

<a id="b97372d4-b256-3ec7-aa6d-5566b85c551d" href="https://www.eataly.com/us_en/magazine/eataly-recipes/bombardino-cocktail/"> Get the recipe for bombardino here. </a>

Often called coconut eggnog, this wintery cocktail is a <a id="0bc253f7-2a10-31ba-a7fa-4ef64a82cb73" href="https://theculturetrip.com/caribbean/puerto-rico/articles/a-brief-history-of-coquito-from-puerto-rico/"> traditional Puerto Rican Christmas drink. </a> It is potent, served ice-cold, and usually made throughout the Christmas season.

To make an authentic coquito cocktail, you mix coconut milk, coconut cream, condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, with a lotofBacardí rum, and simmer it over a double boiler.

<a id="ac2635cf-a195-3283-a18f-fcb9b3a8035f" href="https://www.thespruce.com/coquito-puerto-rican-no-eggnog-2137807"> Get the recipe forcoquito here. </a>

<a id="afe2e115-528b-3cbb-a945-a3d10c220f7f" href="https://www.thekitchn.com/jamaican-sorrel-punch-238373"> Christmas in Jamaica </a> is not complete without a pitcher of sorrel rum punch on the table for friends and family to share.

Sorrel — or dried hibiscus — is steeped with ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, oranges, and Jamaican white rum. After the drink is brought to a boil, it is cooled, poured in a pitcher full of ice, and <a id="7927881f-316b-3c0e-a7dc-59601a12c379" href="https://www.thekitchn.com/jamaican-sorrel-punch-238373"> served alongside rum cake. </a>

<a id="867be13a-7eff-3f96-a660-ee90e95bcf8f" href="https://www.thekitchn.com/jamaican-sorrel-punch-238373"> Get the recipe for sorrel punch here. </a>

<a id="2dc735bf-b8a0-310f-a46a-b91ac68ab5b1" href="https://www.cascada.travel/en/News/How-make-Cola-de-Mono-Chiles-traditional-holiday-drink"> "The monkey's tail" </a> may sound like an unusual name for a Christmas cocktail, but the alcoholic concoction is said to make you "swing like a monkey" if you have too much of it.

This Christmas punch is most often <a id="08826749-f02c-3767-af1b-c6dc6637357f" href="https://www.cascada.travel/en/News/How-make-Cola-de-Mono-Chiles-traditional-holiday-drink"> compared to a White Russian </a> , and is made with evaporated milk, coffee, sugar, cinnamon, and Chilean pisco (a liqueur), or regular brandy.

<a id="f1db64d1-67ce-3bcc-ac3c-a29b847f0b73" href="https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/139369/cola-de-mono-traditional-chilean-holiday-beverage/"> Try a recipe for cola de mono here. </a>

The <a id="0ce6feea-8b65-30bd-af9e-d368a5980357" href="https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/a-brief-history-of-the-hot-toddy-with-recipes/"> classic hot toddy </a> is not just a Christmas drink; it can be served all winter long. It's typically made with hot rum or brandy as a base, honey, lemon, and sometimes tea. When the <a id="41426154-6c70-376c-ac68-c820e91c78f3" href="https://makemeacocktail.com/blog/history-of-the-hot-toddy/"> drink was invented in Scotland </a> sometime during the 18th century, it was touted as a cure for the common cold. Now it's mostly seen as a boozy way to warm up from the winter cold.

Get a <a id="15c80b50-e79e-33f0-a039-42cb0438f01b" href="https://www.liquor.com/recipes/hot-toddy/"> recipe for a classic hot toddy here. </a>

This <a id="f1c9efc1-50f8-3e9a-ad89-2dd8394580e8" href="https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-ponche-navideno-238372"> warm Christmas punch </a> is the classic Mexican holiday drink that can be made without alcohol or ponche con piquet (punch with a sting) with brandy or tequila.

The <a id="39027fcc-a84d-3054-a0e0-0a42cc76e1ca" href="https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-ponche-navideno-238372"> traditional recipe </a> calls for fruit likeguava, apple, pear, raisins, prunes, and orange slices, as well as tejocotes (a Mexican sweet and sour fruit similar to an apricot) and brown sugar.

<a id="8b038306-65df-3a91-ac27-7ae9121a63fb" href="https://www.goya.com/en/recipes/mexican-christmas-punch"> Get the recipe forPonche Navideño here. </a>

If you've ever heard the Christmas song, "Here we come a-wassailing," this is the drink that the lyrics are referring to.

Drinking wassail — a hot mulled cider — with friends and neighbors at the end of the year <a id="f6e666f9-5967-35e0-a06a-46cc529bf5e1" href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/traditional-wassail-recipe/"> is an ancient Anglo-Saxon tradition </a> that is routed in <a id="185f6fcd-7178-3066-a008-d60386d7c183" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/wassailing-season-is-upon-us-the-ancient-pagan-ritual-is-bouncing-back-thanks-to-a-new-generation-of-9954124.html"> pagan ritual </a> . "Waes hael" is literally a toast to good health and celebration.

<a id="c956749c-6a24-3b8d-a9cd-5eba84d0bcaf" href="https://www.farmflavor.com/recipe/type/appetizers/traditional-wassail/"> The drink itself </a> is traditionally made with hot mulled cider, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange juice, and served in a communal punch bowl. Many modern versions are spiked with alcohol like brandy or rum.

<a id="b0c00573-af8f-31d7-a152-4efd1647cbbb" href="https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-wassail-punch-133422"> Try a recipe for spiked wassail here. </a>

<ul><li> Read more: </li><li> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/why-do-we-eat-fruitcake-on-christmas-2017-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">People love to hate on fruitcake and yet we still eat it — here's why it remains a holiday staple</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/starbucks-holiday-drinks-taste-test-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">I tried every holiday drink that Starbucks has on the menu this year — here's what I thought</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/santa-snacks-different-countries-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">10 snacks children around the world leave for Santa</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/gingerbread-house-fail-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">19 gingerbread house fails that will make you cringe</a> </li></ul>

Visit <a id="83f78348-7690-38bd-aaf9-4b54c82419b6" href="https://www.insider.com/"> INSIDER's homepage </a> for more.

The holiday season just makes us want to curl up with a mug <a id="1ae7e7ee-9242-348d-abe9-e90e9d962270" href="http://www.thisisinsider.com/best-starbucks-holiday-drinks-2017-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> filled with something hot and aromatic </a> , preferably if it includes alcohol. <a id="8f322915-7ea4-329a-ac8f-758b0158b53a" href="http://www.thisisinsider.com/category/christmas?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Christmas </a> cocktails objectively make the holiday sea...

10 Christmas cocktails from around the world that you should try this year

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Joanna Fantozzi

Articles written by the author

Former employees reveal what it's like to work at Disney parks over the holidays

10 Christmas cocktails from around the world that you should try this year