We all know Christmas in the Disney parks is a beautiful and magical thing but the Disney resorts are not to be missed either this time of year! Each resort has it’s own beautiful decorations that match that resorts aesthetic perfectly. They each have different little shops, displays and activities that go on throughout the season. Of course there are different treats you can get for the holidays that can only be found at the resorts. But it can be hard to get around to all of them so I thought I would break down a few ways you can see a lot of resorts in an easy way. This is one of our most favorite things to do this time of year so let’s dive in!
The Monorail Resorts
Our first stop is going to be the Monorail resorts or the Magic Kingdom resorts but with a small twist. We are going to actually start at the Wilderness Lodge even though it isn’t on the monorail loop. This resort is usually easier to park at and you can take the friendship boats over to Magic Kingdom when you’re done to start that monorail loop!
The Wilderness Lodge
We love this resort so much at Christmas time! There are beautiful decorations outside of the resort but the main attraction is the GIANT tree in the lobby! It is gorgeous and compliments the lobby so well. You will also find a little pop up shop behind the tree by the bridge that sells gingerbread cookies, hot cocoa and other seasonal treats.
You will even find some fun arts and crafts things to do here. And if you walk down the path to the DVC side of the resort, you will find another beautiful tree in that lobby and some cute decorations in the train room as well. If you are looking for a nice quiet space to drink some coffee and read a book in a comfy leather chair by the fire this is the spot for you!
The Contemporary
After you are done exploring the Wilderness Lodge you can hop on the Friendship boats and take a nice ride over to Magic Kingdom. You will get a great view of the Contemporary Christmas tree on your ride over since it is out front of the resort. Once you get to MK you will head over to the resort loop monorail and take it to the first stop, the Contemporary!
Here you will find really classy and understated decorations with the big tree way out front of the resort. It was raining the day we went, sadly, so we didn’t get the best picture of the tree. Inside there are smaller trees and pretty garlands but the main attraction is on the third floor where Chef Mickey’s is located.
Here you will find a big gingerbread display with all kinds of hidden mickeys to find! There are even some 5 legged goats from the famous Mary Blair mural in the Contemporary! Right next to that is a little pop up shop where you can buy all kinds of treats and cookies including a 5 legged goat cookie. It’s so cute! Hahaha! This resorts gift shop always has the best window wraps for the holidays too, I always love going to see them.
The Polynesian
When you’re done with your 5 legged goat cookie you hop back on the monorail and after a brief layover at the TTC you will arrive at the Polynesian resort. The style of this resort makes me happy all year long but I especially love the Christmas decorations here. I always say that I wish I could take the decorations from the Poly and put them at my house.
You won’t find a huge tree here but the one they have in the lobby is gorgeous. They have the best garlands all over the place too. You can even get a special holiday Dole Whip here with Olu Mel the turtle on it!
The Grand Floridian
Once your back on the monorail you are heading to what is your last but not least resort, the Grand Floridan! This is my moms favorite and it is breathtaking at Christmas time.When you walk in from the monorail you are treated with a tree display and a great balcony view of the open lobby and some pretty incredible smells.
Down below is another HUGE tree that is perfectly decorated. Behind that you will find the gingerbread house that is an actual working store! You can get in line and wait to get all kinds of treats, even a gingerbread shingle like the ones on the house. There are signs all around telling you how it was made and how much of each ingredient was used, it is very cool…and tasty!
After you are done eating all the gingerbread you can get back on the monorail to Magic Kingdom and take the boat right back to the Wilderness lodge. You of course could make this a Christmas bar crawl too since each one of these resorts has at least one great bar! now you have knocked out 4 resorts in just a little bit of time, you could have even checked out the Magic Kingdom Christmas decorations on this journey. So whats next?
The Epcot Resorts
You could also cal this the Boardwalk loop since you walk around the Boardwalk to get to them all. This one will lead into our last set of resorts as well since there is access to them through the Skyliner but we will circle back to that! A nice thing about this route is that there are so many places you can take a dining reservation so you can park at Boardwalk.
The Boardwalk
I feel like the Boardwalk resort is underrated. It’s such a pretty resort on the regular but is extra special this time of year and there are so many things to do here. When you come into the lobby there are pretty trees and garlands but you won’t find the main tree inside. You will however, find a Gingerbread Boardwalk Bake Shop complete with Orange Bird popping out of the clock every hour.
They also have a pop up shop with all kinds of gingerbread cookies and treats including a completely plant based and gluten free gingerbread shingle cookie! When you walk outside you will find the big tree in the courtyard and it is a beaut. There are also garlands around the balcony by the courtyard. I love this area anyway but with the tree and the lights it’s extra special! This is also where the resort shows movies so imagine watching a movie or having a s’more by this Christmas tree looking at the garlands on the balcony….Heaven!
The Beach Club
When you are done hanging out at Boardwalk you can start to walk around the boardwalk to the Beach Club resort. You will pass right by the International Gateway entrance to Epcot so if you want to pop in there to see all the Christmas decorations it’s very easy access! This resort is so cool this time of year because they have a chocolate and gingerbread carousel that is a different theme each year. Last year it was Duck Tales (a wooo ooo) and this year it is characters from Mickey’s Christmas Carol, one of my favorites!! Look at the top hats!
You will also find some smaller decorated trees and garlands as well as the light posts outside all lit up. They also have a pop up shop that is super cute. This is where you will find hot cocoa and all kinds of treats.
The Yacht Club
Just down the sidewalk is the Yacht Club resort. This is home to a beautiful nautical themed tree and garlands. But it is also home to the coolest Christmas village (except my moms Dickens Village, it takes up an entire room and is incredible!). This village has a working train, a whole Mickey themed section and some really great lighting effects. Just behind the village you can find a gingerbread lighthouse with a plaque that tells you how it was made and what went in to making it. This really is a beautiful resort anytime of year but seeing a working chocolate carousel is just cool!
You can continue your tour here by going over to the Swan and Dolphin resorts as well since they are also walking distance or a short boat ride away. Full disclosure I have never been to either one of these resorts but I have seen pictures and their trees are really pretty so if you’re making a day of it you might as well add these two on! Technically you would have seen 3 more Disney resorts and 5 if you decide to do Swan and Dolphin by visiting the Boardwalk. Where to next?
The Skyliner Resorts
Now if you really want to make a day of it you could continue your Boardwalk tour by hoping on the Skyliner, or it could be it’s own day! With the Skyliner route you could check out Epcot or Hollywood Studios decorations too. But the resorts you could hit up are:
- The Riviera
- Caribbean Beach
- Pop Century
- Art of Animation
Thats four more resorts with one transportation mode to get you there! And each one will have their own trees and styles that go with the resort. Plus you get to ride around in the Skyliner and personally, I love doing that so I highly recommend doing this one even though they don’t necessarily have as much as the other resorts as far as decorations go. This one could also end up a bar crawl as they each have bars!
Disney Springs Resorts
There are also resorts that connect with one another through Disney Springs so you could knock Springs off your list to here. You could start at Port Orleans Riverside (home to us) to see their tree, then walk or boat over to French Quarter and from there you can boat to Disney Springs. If you want to see all that you can check out there you can read my Christmas in Disney Springs post form a couple of weeks ago. But from Springs you could walk or boat over to Saratoga Springs and Old Key West to check out their decorations too. So on that loop you hit 4 resorts and Disney Springs, not too bad!
The Other Resorts
Of course there are many more resorts to check out. Corando Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge has a gorgeous tree, the Allstar resorts and I know I’m missing some others. These others are no less wonderful, they are just more difficult to get to because you would have to take a bus or drive to each one and that can be hard when you are on vacation. But if you are looking for something to do on your non park day and it’s too cold for the pool (it does happen here!) this could be a great thing to do to see some things you have never seen at Disney and maybe eat somewhere new.
Conclusion
Honestly, if I was able to pick up and go to a different resort every other day to just walk around and see the decorations and try a treat….I would do it! It’s one of the things I love about being so close and not feeling like I have to rush to fit it all in. The Disney resorts truly have a certain charm and magic that is unique to each one of them. I always wanted to go explore the resorts but never had the time on vacation, or at least I thought I didn’t. I wish I had thought of how connected so many of them are back then and taken advantage of our “off” days by going to different ones. So I highly recommend you make time when you are here to try and hit some of these resorts, especially at Christmas time. They are so magical and beautiful. As always I hope you have enjoyed this weeks post and I thank you so much for reading along. Have a magical day!