We’re in the midst of a historic heatwave here in the Pacific Northwest. It is already the hottest day on record in Seattle and we haven’t reached the afternoon yet. While we all search out air conditioning, my mind drifts to snowflakes falling from the sky and crunching under my boots. That got me thinking about seeing the Disney Parks in the snow, a lofty goal but one I thought would be fun to write about! In this post, I’m going to give my top five Disney Park icons I’d like to see in the snow.

Obviously, for some of these choices this is a futile exercise. The chances of it snowing in Orlando or Anaheim are next to zero and that’s part of the reason those resorts are built there. Catching some flurries internationally is possible at Paris (the most likely) or Tokyo but it’s less realistic to fly there than domestically.

I also realize that the snow wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Some people hate the cold as much as I despise the heat. I’m guessing the snow would shut at least a few outdoor attractions down, as well. For our intents in this post, I’m just focusing on how the snow would make the attractions or buildings look, not how they’d affect operations. This is a very surface level exercise. Some may even call it useless but I’m sure you, the loyal reader, wouldn’t stoop that low 😉

Usually in my top 5 or 10 posts I reserve this paragraph for some ridiculous criteria I have. But when the criteria boils (melts) down to “what would look prettiest in the snow?” then is it really worth it to set up an intricate point system? Probably not. I’ll try to have a few broad choices as well as a couple more specific ones. Grab a popsicle, find the nearest fan and let’s get to it!

Animal Kingdom’s Pandora – World of Avatar

Part of this exercise is taking Disney’s most outrageous sights and make them a little more unbelievable by adding snow to them. Pandora follows that equation to a T. Gazing up to see the ‘floating’ mountains while flakes fall down on you would be absolutely stunning. Not to mention the beautiful plant life and landscaping dusted with a little bit of powder would make this quite a setting. Pandora always looks good but snow would make it feel surreal.

Tokyo DisneySea’s Arabian Coast Courtyard

The most peaceful setting in any Disney Park, to me, is the Arabian Coast courtyard when it’s void of people. Adding snow to that equation would make me want to relax there all day long. There’s the double decker carousel that would be blissful to watch snow fall while circling around. The domed, colorful roofs would be glorious contrasted against the white snow. Moreover, it just seems so serene to be sitting in there while the most peaceful weather feature gracefully falls from the sky. Moving just outside of the courtyard, there would be some beautiful alleys to crunch through in the snow. I need to stop typing on this one because I could talk myself into placing it in first place.

The Mountains

Yeah, I’m cheating here a little bit but seeing any of the classic Disney mountains with snow on them would be beautiful. The Matterhorn and Expedition: Everest with actual powder instead of the painted on snow would be incredible! The contrasting landscape of the Big Thunder desert with snow on it is something I’d love to see. Splash Mountain would possibly be the funnest ride in the snow, minus the getting thoroughly splashed in freezing temperatures. Really, you can’t go wrong with any of these mountains and that’s why they all made the list, placing pretty high!

Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion

Some buildings just look better with snow outside of them. A giant mansion with white pillars and an intimidating fence is one of them. Haunted Mansion is beautiful with or without winter weather, it just would look even more astounding with the white stuff outside. Since Haunted Mansion is set out in the countryside of New Orleans, wandering off the beaten path into a snowy landscape seems right. I want a photo of that carriage sitting on top of snow pronto!

Any of the Main Streets and Castle

A clear and easy choice here as walking down Main Street and seeing the castle with the serene fresh powder would be an amazing experience. The snow could add to the charm of small town Main Street while still adding to the majesty of the castle. Of all the castles to see, Disneyland Paris sits atop the list thanks to the small hill around it and the interesting landscaping. That’s also the most feasible location to expect snow! Against all odds, seeing snow in Magic Kingdom would also be beautiful with the expanded hub and little park courtyards. Bundle up and build a snowman in the little grass areas! I tried to put anything else in first place but sometimes the clear choice is the right one.

With apologies to the Germany Pavilion, Rivers of America and pretty much anywhere else in a Disney Park, those are my top five places to see in the snow! Now, good luck staying cool. (Editor’s Note: I would like to personally throw Kilimanjaro Safaris into the mix, because getting photos of savannah animals in the snow would be a wonderful experience!)

What would you like to see in the snow at a Disney Park? Let us know in the comments below! Planning a trip to a Disney Resort? Check out our guides! Thank you for reading Wandering in Disney. If you enjoy our content please subscribe to the blog (via WordPress or email) and like our social media pages. You can find all of those things on the right side of this page. Have a great day!