Christmas in Disney World: Resorts Decorations Tour
A day well spent in Walt Disney World shouldn’t be strictly in the parks. Resort hopping is one of our favorite ways to spend time in Disney, especially during Christmas season! The holiday season in Disney starts in early November and ends in January. Disney resorts and parks are decked out in decor and seeing as much as you can is important- everything is unique to it’s location!
Christmas decorations are all over the Walt Disney World resort property, but some resorts go ALL OUT and are a must-see! Decorations will be going up until the week of Thanksgiving, so keep that in mind as you plan your resort-hopping route. My favorite time to visit is the week after Thanksgiving; it’s usually slightly lower crowds, and you will see Christmas decorations in all their glory.
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Which Resorts Have Displays
Disney’s Contemporary Resort: A fun gingerbread display, multiple Christmas trees (check out the one in front of the resort!) and beautiful decorations all around the property. Just imagine the pounds of icing to create this work of art!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort: A beautiful “life-size gingerbread house made of real gingerbread with a bakery inside, a giant Christmas tree, and a beautifully decorated lobby.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: This resort isn’t as decorated as some of the other Disney hotels, but you will find nods to the holiday season and it’s one of the monorail resorts, so you will have easy access inbetween visiting the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge: Stunning displays around the property and beautiful decorations throughout the lobby. It’s worth a second visit to see the Christmas lights at night! It’s often mentioned that this Disney resort hotel has the best Christmas decorations on Disney property! To really get the full experience, I suggest trying to get dining reservations for Wispering Canyon which is within the lobby of the resort.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: This is another beautifully transformed resort for the holidays! You will find decorated trees and garland adorning the lobby, and wreaths throughout the resort.
Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort: Gorgeous decoration in the lobby and throughout the resort, even in the valet section! I love the classic and charming decor at this resort.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort: This is a very fun stop for decorations! The lobby has a gingerbread carousel, nautical decor around the resort and delicious drinks at their festive bar in the lobby.
Yacht Club: There are slight nods to the holidays around this resort. On display you will find nautical and sailing Christmas trees and decorations.
Boardwalk: I love being outside of this resort for decorations! The Ggrand tree on the lakeside lawn is so fun and festive. You will also find creative decorations throughout the lobby and property.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campgrounds: There are decorations around the property but also look out for campsites to be decorated! This is a really fun experience at night to see the variety of decorations from guests!
While I have a few favorites and choices for the best resort, I highly recommend visiting every resort if time permits. You can eat and drink along the way in some of the best restaurants and bars on Walt Disney World property, and it’s a great break from the parks!
Other resorts not included on the above list but with some decorations: Art of Animation, Pop Century, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Port Orleans: Riverside and French Quarter, Old Key West Resort, Saratoga Springs, Riviera Resort, and the All-Star resorts.
How to Get Around
To get around to see the various resorts with grand decorations, you can entirely rely on Disney transportation, but remember, this is a time commitment!
If you are staying on-property- take the bus (or boat/monorail) from your resort to Magic Kingdom
- Walk or monorail to The Contemporary (it’s a 10 minute walk on the walking path) >
- Monorail to the Polynesian >
- Monorail to Grand Floridian >
- Walk, monorail or boat to Magic Kingdom >
- Boat to Wilderness Lodge >
- Bus to Animal Kingdom >
- Bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge >
- Bus to Epcot >
- Bus to Coronado Springs >
- Bus to Hollywood Studios >
- Walk, boat, or skyliner to Boardwalk >
- Walk to Beach & Yacht Club
And that’s it! You will have toured the beautiful Christmas displays at some of the Walt Disney World resorts!
Other Options for Christmas Festivities
If you want to explore the Walt Disney World theme parks, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom park are my favorite for holiday decorations. They are also the two parks which host host theme park events around Christmas time. On select nights guests can can attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom or Jollywood Nights in Hollywood Studios. Both events allow for meet and greets with Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters in their holiday attire, fun photo ops (especially on Main Street USA in MK and Sunset Boulevard or in Toy Story Land in HS), beating the long lines, and having a great experience.
Disney Springs has a few fun activities! You can meet Santa Claus, partake in the Christmas Tree Stoll to see all of the decorated trees around the area, experience Jock Lindsey’s Holiday Bar overlay, and watch some of the entertainment. Don’t forget to grab festive desserts from the incredible pastry chefs at Amorette’s Patisserie.
See the Candlelight Processional in Epcot. Often hosted by celebrities, this is a beautiful way to get into the holiday spirit. Look into the Candlelight Processional Dining Package if you would like reserved seating; otherwise, you can wait in line for general seating. Depending on the speaker, you may want to consider lining up early.
The Festival of the Holidays and the Holiday Kitchen Booths in Epcot include delicious festive drink and food options around the World Showcase. It usually starts mid-November and ends on Christmas day.
The Holiday Cookie Stroll is a fun way to check off a variety of cookie options served from the festival booths. Once you have checked off five cookies, you will receive a prize.
Animal Kingdom is decorated for the holidays, but it isn’t as crazy as the other three parks. However, if you have 4-day theme park tickets or the park hopper option, I still recommend checking it out!
While you are at it, though, consider a skyline or monorail bar crawl! This post has all the details to make the most out of your day!
Experiencing the magic of the Christmas holidays around the Disney World Resort hotels, parks and Disney Springs is a wonderful time. I hope this guide was helpful in viewing everything available for the holidays around the property.
Have you ever participated in a Disney resort tour?
