• Christmas is my favorite vacation, and spending it at Disney World can be a magical experience.
• But long lines, big crowds and expensive tickets can easily dismantle the holiday spirit.
• The annual christmas party with tickets is a lot of fun, but it is also a costly extra expense.

This story originally appeared on Business Insider.

Expect long lines at all four parks.

Jungle Cruise will have a special holiday overlay at the end of the year. Timothy Moore

The first time I saw the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) in 2000, I was hooked on the magic of Disney World at Christmas time.

But as an adult, I quickly learned that expectations don’t always match reality.

Unsurprisingly, many people love going to Disney World for the holidays, so anticipate November and December longer queues for all rides.

Attractions with special holiday overlays, such as Living With the Land and Jungle Cruise (dubbed seasonally Jingle cruise), can wait even longer.

Spring loaded for Genie+ or individually Lighting Lane passesthat lets you wait in shorter lines could end up being a good investment, especially at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood studios.

Ticket prices can get very expensive around the holidays.

Crowds gathered outside Magic Kingdom and at the ticket booths. Timothy Moore

Disney World tickets do not cost the same all year round.

Prices are skyrocketing at some of the most popular times to visit, including spring break, summer, and especially the holidays. Prices of the tickets also vary depending on the day of the week.

One-day tickets to one park for December currently cost between $139 and $159. And one-day Park Hopper tickets (which allow you to visit multiple parks) run between $199 and $224.

For reference, the Disney World site lists $109 as the base fare for a one-day ticket.

Prepare for longer waiting times at fast service points.

Crowds cross a bridge at Magic Kingdom near Cosmic Rays. Timothy Moore

If you couldn’t land a reservation with your favourite seated restaurantsyou can also expect long queues at the quick service spots.

You can try scheduling longer lines by using mobile ordering in the My Disney Experience app. But on very busy days, you may have to place your order several hours before you’re really hungry.

The seasonal food stalls Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays don’t accept mobile orders, so popular spots can have long lines all day. Save these first thing in the morning if they are important to you.

Get in line early for transportation provided by Disney.

The bus lines at the resort were long during our recent stay. Timothy Moore

Long lines don’t just exist in the parks. Even Disney’s transport options—buses, boats, the Skyliner, and the monorail—get longer-than-normal lines at the end of the year.

It is important to remember this when planning your day as even at off peak times it can take over an hour to get on buses popular Disney hotels.

If I am go to a park early in the morning I set my alarm for two hours before the first bus leaves and try to be at the stop an hour earlier.

Even then I am usually not the first in line.

It’s hard to find a good spot for the daytime parades.

“Festival of Fantasy” runs year-round at Magic Kingdom. Timothy Moore

I’m more of a grab a cocktail and go for a ride type, but even I like to catch the occasional parade at Magic Kingdom.

Although they run several times a day (weather permitting), they get extra busy during the holiday season.

Plan to sit shoulder to shoulder while watching “Festival of Fantasy” on Main Street.

The seasonal parades and shows are packed.

Because of the crowds you can’t always see everything. Timothy Moore

The holiday parade at Magic Kingdom’s Christmas party is even busier than “Festival of Fantasy.”

If you are not tall enough to stand behind the crowd – or if you have little ones who want to wave to Mickey – grab a spot along the parade route at least half an hour before the scheduled start time.

One of the hardest shows to see this time of year is Epcot’s “Candlelight Processional” – people start lining up very early.

If you’re not willing to sacrifice much of your evening, you may not get a seat on the season show at all.

One reason it’s so popular is that Disney brings in celebrities to tell the story (Neil Patrick Harris is a recurring favorite). You may want to check the schedule in advance if you are determined to see someone specific.

Crowds for non-seasonal shows can also get hectic.

“Festival of the Lion King” takes place year-round in Animal Kingdom. Timothy Moore

The nightly spectacle Fantasmic recently reopened at Hollywood studios after a temporary closure.

Despite queuing 45 minutes before the show started, we were squeezed into the back of the theater and couldn’t see the bottom half of the action-packed stage (on the water).

Other shows throughout the year were also well attended.

Whether you want to see the “Frozen” sing-along at Hollywood Studios or “Festival of the Lion King” at Animal Kingdomget in line early – and expect lots of chaotic crowds pouring out of theaters afterwards.

The fireworks crowd is even worse.

It’s hard to see all the projections of the castle from the back of Main Street. Timothy Moore

If you don’t like crowds, it’s probably best to steer clear of Main Street in Magic Kingdom leading up to “Disney Enchantment.” People start grabbing seats a few hours before the fireworks show.

If see fireworks is the ideal nightcap for your park day, stop by the rides at least an hour before the show starts.

We showed up half an hour early and were forced more than halfway down Main Street. I’m tall enough to see over people’s heads, but for many, being so far back means missing out on the fun castle projections.

To a lesser extent, Epcot’s World Showcase can get pretty packed for “Harmonious.” But you can usually get a decent view even if you snag a spot just 10 minutes before the fireworks start.

The Christmas party with tickets comes with some freebies, but they may not be worth the high cost to you.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party offers guests some free treats. Timothy Moore

I spent $180 this year to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The event is now sold out, but tickets for the busiest nights went for over $200 with tax.

Although this celebration is quite spectacular (special fireworks, a Christmas dance, and free cookies and hot chocolate), it can also eat into your savings if you try to do it Disney on a budget.

The smaller crowds are nice compared to visiting the parks during the day. But paying $200 per person to experience them isn’t all that magical.

If special snacks, exclusive entertainment and very short wait times appeal to you, you may still want to pay for the event.

Festive snacks look cute on Instagram, but are pricey.

The $17.99 Lock, Shock, and Barrel sundae at Magic Kingdom. Timothy Moore

During the Christmas party at Magic Kingdom you can spend a lot of money on exclusive snacks.

A chai caramel Freeze cost me $7.99, and the Lock, Shock, and Barrel sundae was a cool $17.99.

They were absolutely delicious, but I don’t know if it was worth spending over $25 on two snacks.

The Christmas themed cocktails also cost a pretty penny.

Seasonal drinks at Jock Lindsey’s Holiday Bar cost between $13 and $27. Timothy Moore

Jock Lindsey’s hangar bar at Disney Springs gets a Christmas makeover every year.

The seasonal drinks are full of holiday spirit, but they’re also insanely expensive, ranging from $13 to $27. Ordering just a few was enough to blow through my lunch budget for the day.

I recommend finding a friend and sharing the cocktails so you can taste more of it for less.

Still, Disney World is pretty magical this time of year, and I’ve got some tips for making the most of it.

There are ways to plan ahead and beat some of the bigger crowds. Timothy Moore

Big crowds and high prices can quickly drain your holiday spirit, but I have plenty of tips for finding Christmas magic at Disney World.

First, I recommend visiting the week after Thanksgiving or the first week of December.

Holiday crowds are typically much higher during the week of Thanksgiving and the weeks leading up to Christmas. The week between Christmas and New Year is often the busiest of them all.

Drop the parks with a rope and use Genie+ if you can.

It’s worth getting to the parks early. Timothy Moore

Wait times will be long, so start your day early with “rope dropping” (getting to the park gates an hour or more before they open) to experience a few rides before the crowds swell.

And while it costs an extra $15 per person each day, paying for Genie+ can help you experience more attractions without standing in long lines because you can book accelerated Lighting Lane passes.

If rides are your priority, stay in the parks as late as possible.

Wait times are shortest at night while people are watching the shows. Timothy Moore

Crowds don’t necessarily thin out overnight, but with Disneys wealth of nightly fireworks displays, waiting times for attractions tend to go down.

That’s the perfect time to take a ride on Splash Mountain or Soarin’.

Plan to relax at your resort on weekend days.

If you are staying on the Disney property, schedule a rest day on Saturday or Sunday. Timothy Moore

Since weekends are particularly busy in the parks, this is the perfect time to enjoy the pool at your hotel or to other resorts to see all the seasonal decorations.

We spent a weekend evening at the BoardWalk seeing live performers with no crowds.

We also planned a weekend breakfast at ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort where we could meet Mickey, Minnie, Lilo and Stitch without waiting in line.