The Walt Disney World Resort has endless amounts of things to do and see over the Christmas holidays, the resort hotels should definitely be on your list this season! From beautifully decorated trees to specialty treats and cocktails you can only see and get at the resorts they are their own special kind of magic!
There are so many ways to enjoy all the different resorts but in this article I am going to focus on my 7 favorite resorts at Christmas and how you can enjoy them easily! Let’s get started!
1. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
This resort is so beautiful anytime but especially at Christmas time. The main tree is enormous and the view with the tree in the middle, garlands all around and the fireplace in the lobby is breathtaking!
No part of the Wilderness Lodge went untouched by decorating! Even the boat launch and the bus stations have pretty garlands and wreaths. There are also specialty cocktails and treats for sale right in the lobby!
When we visited we walked all around the resort getting pictures of all the decorations, even the DVC building has a gorgeous tree! We took pictures of EVERYTHING (and by we I mean me) and then had a great meal at Geyser Point before heading to the next resort a short boat ride away.
2. Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Our next stop is Disney’s Contemporary Resort. We just had to hop on the boat at Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom and from there you can either ride the resort launch boat or the monorail to the Contemporary.
The big Christmas tree here is located outside at the front of the resort. There are also lots of smaller trees throughout the resort. The main attraction here is on the 4th floor….The Gingerbread Castle! This years theme is a nod to imagineer Mary Blair and her work on It’s A Small World and the mural in this resort with a 50th anniversary flair.
Theres a fun activity here where you can hunt for the iconic 5 legged goat from the mural in the Contemporary. You can even buy a 5 legged goat cookie along with other yummy treats right next to the gingerbread castle.
We enjoyed exploring and seeing all the decorations and then had a drink at the Outer Rim Bar before hopping on the monorail to the next stop!
3. Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Just a short trip on the monorail and we arrived at the Polynesian Resort. This resort has the best tropical vibes any day of the week but at Christmas it is next level. The main tree here is not as big as some of the others but it is just as beautiful.
There are also smaller trees all around the resort as well as garlands and tropical wreaths. The island Christmas music is a great touch here and truly makes you feel like you should wish everyone Mele Kalikimaka instead of Merry Christmas.
Here you have lots of options for a festive drink or snack. The Tambu Lounge is upstairs and always has a great bartender on duty and of course there is the fantastically fun Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto around the corner by Captin Cooks.
4. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
The last resort on our monorail adventure was the Grand Floridian. This resort is so stately and stunning on a normal day, at Christmas this is beyond beautiful! There are decorations everywhere in the resort but the main attraction here is the entirety of the lobby.
The huge tree is amazing and has a PhotoPass photographer set up to take some great holiday photos. Behind the tree is the life-sized Gingerbread House. Not only is it huge but it is a working shop! You can purchase gingerbread shingles here as well as other holiday treats.
There is also a pianist here in the lobby playing Christmas and Disney music that really adds to the ambiance of the Grand Floridian. Even the outside decorations here are classy and beautiful. Just like the other resorts we have covered so far, there are many spots to get a festive drink or treat here but we opted for the Enchanted Rose and the Gingerbread Martini!
5. Disney’s Boardwalk Resort
The next “loop” if you will of resorts started at the Boardwalk Inn. This resort is so great all year long with all the shops, restaurants and bars on the actual boardwalk but it’s super pretty decorated for Christmas! The lobby is decorated with pretty trees and a gingerbread Boardwalk Deli with Mickey and Minnie working hard inside.
Right there where this super cute gingerbread deli is located you can also get some Christmas treats! A giant gingerbread Mickey Mouse, plant based and gluten friendly gingerbread shingle, popcorn bucket sugar cookie, Mickey or Minnie Mouse sugar cookie, peppermint marshmallows and holiday carnival bark are all offered here for purchase!
When you step outside on the balcony there is a large, beautifully decorated tree on the greenspace below. It makes for a wonderful picture from the balcony overlooking the water. From here I walked to the right passed the Boardwalk Deli to the next resort.
6. Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Just a short walk around the boardwalk and you arrive at the Beach Club! In the lobby here you will find pretty trees and decorations but the main attraction is the Chocolate and Gingerbread Carousel.
This is a working carousel with horses themed to Disney Princesses. Princess Jasmin, Snow White, Belle, Princess Tiana and Elsa are all represented on the carousel and so pretty!
7. Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
The final resort I visited was the Yacht Club Resort. It was so beautiful and had the cutest Christmas mini village set up in the lobby in addition to that beautiful tree pictures above!
The Christmas village had a train going around that was really cool! It also had all kinds of Disney Christmas touches like the Mickey water tower, a Christmas Tow Mater and little Disney Gingerbread buildings!
This was the perfect ending to our Christmas resort tour and after visiting here we actually decided to go to a bonus resort because it was so convenient!
Conclusion
So to wrap this Christmas Resort Adventure up, lets talk about how you could easily make this list a top 10! After we finished up at the Yacht Club we actually hopped on the Skyliner because it’s right there and went to the Riviera Resort! This resort is so beautiful and although the Christmas decorations were not over the top, they were classy and beautiful.
You could easily continue your tour by visiting the Swan and Dolphin from the Boardwalk Resort by walking or boat. You could also continue on the Skyliner to the Caribbean Beach Resort, Art of Animation and Pop Century!
No matter what resorts you visit over the holidays, they will no doubt be beautiful decorated and have treats and drinks for you to enjoy. I really loved visiting all these resorts and seeing things I had never had the chance to see before. I highly recommend carving out time during your holiday trip to visit some resorts, it will just boost your Christmas spirit!!
Let us know in the comments what your favorite resort at Christmas time is and why! We love to hear from you! And also make sure you are following us on Facebook and Instagram to see even more beautiful pictures and videos from these Disney resorts.
