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Peek Inside the Most Splendidly Decorated Disney World Hotels at Christmas

by Mommy Frog on December 12, 2023 26 Orlando   Video

Inside This Post Inside This Post

I don't know about you, but I just love the most wonderful time of the year! As of Nov. 11, 2023, Walt Disney World is ALL in for Christmastime — not just at the theme parks but also at the hotels. Each and every Christmas, Disney’s elves get to work making sure every bit of the resort feels like your home for the holidays. From Value to Deluxe, each Walt Disney World Resort hotel is decked out with unique, themed ornaments and decorations sure to catch your eye. Most of the Deluxe Disney World Resort hotels get an extra-special dusting of Christmas magic with life-size gingerbread houses, carousels and more decadent displays.

Disney World Christmas Decorations - Grand Floridian Gingerbread Display

What Should I Expect?

Disney World Christmas Decorations - Gingerbread Carousel

Disney World Christmas decorations and over-the-top gingerbread displays are a classic addition to select resorts during the holidays. We are so excited to see the life-size gingerbread houses at the Grand Floridian, the Contemporary and the rotating carousel at the Beach Club Resort. Whether you’re staying on- or off-site, you can make like a frog and hop to any and all of the hotels to see the decorations. (And catch some savings if you book your hotel with us!)

Along with the gingerbread displays, you can expect each hotel to deck its halls with magnificent trees, garland, special holiday tunes (including a live pianist at Disney's Grand Floridian in the evenings), Disney pal pop-ups and more. You can find some unique treats at each of the hotels to ring in the holidays, from peppermint to eggnog. Some of the sweets even pay homage to the traditional gingerbread displays, including gingerbread shingles at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort. Each resort also has special, limited-edition ornaments in the gift shops if you'd like to check some shopping off of your list!

Resort hopping during the holidays is a fun and festive day-off activity. Anyone is welcome to use Disney transportation to hop from resort to resort. However, if you're driving, you will need a dining reservation to park at any of the resorts. If you don't have one, we'd suggest parking at the Transportation and Ticket Center (though you would need to pay the parking fee) and taking the resort monorail. Alternatively, you could park for free at Disney Springs and take a bus to your first stop.

When Do the Disney Hotels Decorate and What Is the Best Way to Tour Them in Person?

Disney World begins decorating for Christmas the week after Halloween (yes, really), but most of the resort hotels aren't fully decked out until around mid-November. Most of the decorations and displays are ready by the official holiday season start date of Nov. 11, but some take another week or so. They're all on slightly different schedules, but if you know you want to visit them all, we recommend you book your stay for the week of Thanksgiving or later.

Hotel Holiday Hop Infographic

If you want to see all of the displays in person, we recommend dedicating a full day to touring them. Many of our favorites can be found along the resort monorail loop near Magic Kingdom or in the EPCOT resort area, making it easy to hop from one to the next. As we mentioned before, we personally started out by parking our car at the Transportation and Ticket Center and hopping on the resort monorail. If you're using Disney transportation, take the bus to start at Magic Kingdom or one of the resorts along the monorail loop. (Our list above follows the exact order that we took!) Once you're done touring the resorts around Magic Kingdom, drive or take Disney transportation to Disney's Hollywood Studios or EPCOT and take the Friendship Boat to Disney's Beach and Yacht Club Resorts. Want a copy to take with you? Here are Holiday Hotel Hop infographics you can save and use later!

Take a peek at the most decked-out Disney hotel Christmas decorations. Hoppy hotel hoppin'!

Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations Near Magic Kingdom

Disney's Polynesian Resort

The Polynesian Resort (or "Poly" as Lily calls it) is a great spot to kick off your Disney World Resort Christmas decorations tour. Compared to the others on this list, the decorations are more subtle, but it's still worth a visit if you've got the time. Fans of "Moana" or "Lilo and Stitch" in particular will love the tropical-themed tree! The tree is wrapped from top to bottom with colorful leis, pink hibiscus flowers, pineapples, fish and starfish ornaments. Wreaths and garland also hang everywhere in the lobby and outside on the monorail platform.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Disney World Christmas Decorations - view of the Grand Floridian's Gingerbread House

The Grand Floridian is dressed head to toe in elegant Christmas fashion. We'd expect nothing less! The resort boasts beautifully decorated trees, wreaths and garland throughout, with a gigantic tree at its center.

Disney World Christmas Decorations - Santa figurine sitting on the porch of the life-size gingerbread house

The Christmas decorations at the Grand Floridian remind me of my grandma’s house growing up … in the best way possible. The décor is complete with swans, delicate flowers and velvet bows, all in gorgeous pink and blue hues with golden accents. This beautiful combination perfectly embodies the sophisticated, classic style of the Grand Floridian.

Now onto the main attraction … the life-size gingerbread house! There's so much to admire with all of the details, including the hand-carved flowers, candy canes and snowflakes on the "siding" of the house — created by the Grand Floridian pastry team. It smelled delicious and even puffed smoke out of its chimney!

Here’s what went into this delectable display in 2023:

  • 1,050 lbs. honey
  • 140 pints egg whites
  • 600 lbs. powdered sugar
  • 700 lbs. chocolate
  • 800 lbs. flour
  • 35 lbs. spices
  • 23 hidden Mickeys to discover
  • Tons of creativity, Disney magic and pixie dust

I find the most impressive part of this gingerbread house is that it's actually habitable! Maybe not for living, but certainly for selling gingerbread. The Bake Shop sells gingerbread ornaments, cookies, house kits and more — all made using a classic Austrian recipe. Note that this popular location often has a line and is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations - Wilderness Lodge Christmas Tree

Wilderness Lodge may seem out of the way, compared to how easy it is to hop from resort to resort along the monorail route or in the EPCOT resort area. However, it is definitely worth the boat ride from Magic Kingdom! The rustic, national park-inspired theming already makes you feel like you've been transported out of Florida and into the Pacific Northwest. But then Disney adds a giant Christmas tree, a gingerbread cabin, a crackling fireplace and holiday music. It just feels like Christmas.

The towering Christmas tree is decorated with animal-inspired lanterns, moose antlers and red-and-black flannel print bows. For the best views, take the stairs up a level and circle around the second floor. There are even spots along the balcony where you can sit and soak it all in.

Disney's Contemporary Resort

Disney World Christmas Decorations - Disney 100 Gingerbread House

And finally, we have Disney's Contemporary Resort! The design this year features a gingerbread castle display inspired by the Disney 100th Anniversary Celebration! You can also find a giant Christmas tree outside in front of the hotel, as well as plenty of treats, including some new gluten-free sugar cookies, a dark chocolate peppermint holiday bar and hot cocoa bombs.

Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations Near EPCOT

Hotel Holiday Hop Infographic - Epcot Area

After visiting the Magic Kingdom area hotels, take a bus to Disney's BoardWalk Inn, where you'll start touring the EPCOT area hotels.

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn

Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations - Boardwalk Inn Tree

We’re huge fans of The Boardwalk’s Christmas decorations, both inside and out. A large tree on the outside lawn features traditional ornaments that remind you of something you’d find in your own home. In the beautiful Florida sun, this is the perfect photo-op! Inside, you'll find smaller corresponding trees, garland and swag. We found this to be the most traditional of the resort décor. For 2023, the gingerbread display recreated the BoardWalk restaurants, including the new BoardWalk Deli.

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations - Yacht Club Tree

Disney's Yacht Club Resort has our favorite themed decorations. Trees, garland and wreaths alike are abundant with every type of boat you could imagine to match their nautical theme. No detail was forgotten … one sailboat even features a lifejacket! Binoculars and other perfectly matching ornaments hang upon the large lobby tree.

Disney World Christmas Decorations - Yacht Club Christmas Decorations

However, the annual Holiday Miniature Train and Village is the main attraction at Disney's Yacht Club. One side features a traditional New England snowy village, including an operating ski lift, glowing lights and Christmas shops. On the opposite side, tadpole-friendly favorites such as the Fab Five and Elsa’s ice castle are on display. There is truly something for everyone to admire in this detailed winter wonderland.

"But when, what to my wondering eyes should appear?" There's a new display featured at Yacht Club for 2023! It is a quarter-scale replica of the resort's very own lighthouse. What makes it even more special is that this is the first time Disney's Yacht Club has had its very own gingerbread display. We loved viewing this stunning new creation!

Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Disney World Christmas Decorations - Beach Club Gingerbread Carousel

We can’t figure out which display we were more wowed by ... Grand Floridian’s life-size gingerbread house or Beach Club's moving gingerbread carousel. We’ll have to call it a tie! Each year, the display changes themes — last year, each horse celebrated a Disney Princess: Belle, Elsa, Snow White, Tiana and a stationary Jasmine.

This year, the carousel is designed after the DuckTales World Showcase Adventure at EPCOT! Each horse's design is inspired by a different pavilion in the World Showcase: Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany and France. You'll even see Webby making a cameo appearance! I think we can all agree that the pastry chefs who worked over 600 hours on the carousel are definitely on Santa's Nice List.

Disney World Christmas Decorations - Beach Club Gingerbread Carousel Display

Crafted with care, the 2023 carousel includes the following ingredients:

  • 432 lbs. honey
  • 1200 lbs. rye flour
  • 100 lbs. eggs
  • 25 lbs. spices
  • 10 lbs. simple syrup
  • 200 lbs. icing
  • 10 quarts egg whites
  • 100 lbs. confectioner's sugar
  • 50 lbs. dark chocolate
  • 20 lbs. Grand Marnier syrup
  • 2022 pieces gingerbread
  • 23 hidden Mickeys

Hotels Along the Disney Skyliner

Now that you're right next to the Disney Skyliner station at International Gateway, you can hop on a gondola and continue to tour the hotels along the Skyliner route, if you wish. These resorts have more low-key decorations, but we think they have some great theming. For instance, the Christmas trees and garland at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort have a tropical flair while Disney's Art of Animation Resort is covered with white and silver garland and detailed sketch ornaments.

Other Notable Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations

Hotel Holiday Hop Infographic - Honorable Mentions

While these may be out of the way from the other resort hotels, we think they're worth a visit if you have the time!

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

Check out the Gran Destino Tower with its unique lighting effects — both inside and outside of the hotel — and its giant Christmas tree.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

In 2021, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge began a new tradition with a life-sized gingerbread baby giraffe — a Gingeraffe, if you will! Last year, a life-sized baby zebra joined the giraffe on Nov. 23. We are happy to report that both have made a delicious return for 2023!

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Christmas decorations at Disney World - Fort Wilderness Mater golf cart and decorations

Stop by the Fort for some Christmas "site" seeing. The Settlement is decorated with garland and wreaths, but the best decorations can actually be found at the campsites! Campers have the freedom to decorate their motorhomes and campsites with elaborate inflatable displays and strings of Christmas lights. It's amazing to see how creative they can get. There's also an unofficial holiday golf cart parade. Just be mindful that it's their own personal property!

Holiday Treats at Disney World Resorts

Disney World Resorts Christmas - Gingerbread Shingle from Grand Floridian

With all this resort hopping, be sure to treat yourself to delicious holiday goodies at each of the resorts! We especially love relaxing and enjoying our treats while taking in the lobby views. They are the perfect snacks as we went about our afternoon. If spending the entire day resort hopping, every resort has quick-service options for a full meal.

Disney World Christmas Decorations - Gingerbread house and holiday cookie snacks

Nearly every resort on property has specialty desserts and drinks available for the holidays. Items have a limited timeframe, so some items may only be available for Christmas week, while others are available all season long. Take a look at the menus or special signage for sweet holiday goodies. We can't wait to try all the treats — yum!

Extra Tips About Visiting Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations

Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind as you tour the resorts:

Christmas Decorations at Disney World — Tree at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

  • It took us about four hours to complete the Magic Kingdom resort circuit (the three on the monorail line plus Wilderness Lodge). This was at a leisurely pace, with the most time spent at the Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge.
  • Know that every time you get back on the monorail at a hotel, you'll have to go through security. Pack light, or don't even bring a purse or backpack at all!
  • Grab gingerbread shingles as the perfect souvenir gift to bring home to loved ones.
  • The line for treats at the Grand Floridian gingerbread house was fairly long, so we decided to grab a quick treat from the Gasparilla Island Grill. This quick-service spot offers grab-and-go options with holiday treats all ready to go. The holiday treat stand at Wilderness Lodge had no line, so we grabbed some gingerbread cookies then instead. If you do decide to wait for the Grand Floridian options (some of which you can only get there), we recommend having some of your party sit and relax, or take more photos of the lobby.
  • Prepare to take lots and lots of photos! Have extra camera batteries or a phone charger, just in case ;)
  • It takes a lot of energy to resort hop all day! If you find that the tadpoles (or yourself) are getting tired, stop by the resort's snack stand first. Munching on a yummy gingerbread cookie will surely help with the little ones' patience levels.

Every year, we are amazed by Disney World’s resort Christmas displays and decorations — we hope you have a magical hop too!

Which of these displays is part of your frog family’s holiday tradition? Let us know in the comments! We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Hoppy New Year. Check out our Disney World Resort Hotel comparison tool and book your discount hotel room with us!

Related: Complete Guide to Disney World Holiday Events

Hoppy planning!

Keep hopping, Mommy Frog!
View Comments
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Dec 6, 2022 at 1:12 a.m. LB Says...

Really interested in the gingerbread carousel at Beach Club. Have never seen that one before.

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Nov 8, 2022 at 6:06 p.m. ELLEN OLSON Says...

DO YOU HAVE TO BE STAYING ON PROERTY TO TAKE THE TRANSPORTATION FOR THE TOUR OF THE HOTELS?

Reply
Nov 9, 2022 at 9:05 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Ellen!

No, you do not need to be staying on-site to use Disney transportation! However, in order to park at a resort, you will need a dining reservation. Alternatively, you could park at the Transportation & Ticket Center (Magic Kingdom parking) and take the resort monorail to your first stop. Or you could park at Disney Springs and take a bus to your first resort.

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Dec 23, 2021 at 2:27 p.m. Alex Gomez Says...

Really powerful article. Enjoyed the read!

Reply
Dec 23, 2021 at 8:40 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Thanks for hopping by, Alex!

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Oct 28, 2021 at 6:02 p.m. Kourtney Says...

This is SO helpful! Thank you for putting this together

Reply
Oct 28, 2021 at 3:46 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Thank YOU for hopping by, Kourtney! And keep an eye out - we'll be updating this guide for the 2021 season :)

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Dec 19, 2020 at 2:59 a.m. Cathy Orr Says...

I was wondering how a handicap person in a motorized scooter would best be able to tour the hotel Christmas displays

Reply
Dec 23, 2020 at 12:16 a.m. Ted Jennings Says...

I have been to WDW 51 times (in all but two of the 12 months) with trips #52 and 53 already planned for Jan. and June, 2021; and, I have never had a problem with my ECV. Go anywhere and you will be treated with respect and special kindness and you will miss very, very little.

Reply
Nov 13, 2020 at 1:48 p.m. Jenica Campbell Says...

This is great information!! Thank you!! What about the carousel?? It’s so beautiful!!!

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Nov 13, 2020 at 8:10 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Jenica!

No problem! The carousel won't be on display this year, unfortunately. We're crossing our fingers for 2021!

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Nov 12, 2020 at 10:57 a.m. Toni Grant Says...

I’m glad they’re not making the gingerbread houses this year. Don’t get me wrong, they’re very beautiful and I am blown away by the skills to make them but that’s a lot of wasted food. All I could think about when I was reading how much sugar, eggs etc they use is the empty grocery shelves we’re still experiencing some days. It’s so sad co-vid has even affected Christmas at the happiest place on earth.

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Oct 26, 2020 at 12:55 a.m. Stephanie Says...

What resort will have the most Christmas lights up and Christmas family activities?

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Oct 26, 2020 at 1:24 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Stephanie!

This year, things are more low-key due to COVID (and resort hopping will be limited), so it'll be a more even playing field in terms of decorations :) All of the resorts will have activities available such as Movies Under the Stars, and will each have decorations and a tree to enjoy. While they're all beautiful, we really love the rustic feel of Wilderness Lodge (and its gigantic lobby tree!) around the holidays. It's a great place to enjoy a cup of cocoa by the fireplace.

Hoppy holidays!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Sep 28, 2020 at 2:54 a.m. Niki Says...

Is it only the Grand Floridian gingerbread house that won't be happening due to COVID or all of them?

Reply
Sep 28, 2020 at 7:17 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Niki!

None of the gingerbread houses will be up this year. (Light holiday decorations will still be at each resort, just no gingerbread this year!)

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Jun 17, 2020 at 5:10 p.m. Lisa Says...

Would the Gingerbread displays be up before Thanksgiving?

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Jun 17, 2020 at 3:59 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Lisa!

Yes, these are generally up by mid-November to enjoy!

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Dec 18, 2018 at 4:22 p.m. MaryBeth Burns Says...

You mentioned that the decorations come down January first, but I have read and heard that they remain up through the weekend after the New Year. Do you have confirmation that they come down on January 1st? I sure hope not. Our trip is January 1-6. Thanks for a great deal on our resort!

Reply
Dec 19, 2018 at 12:07 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi MaryBeth!

Yay, we're so hoppy we could get you a great deal. When the resort decorations come down depends on location and year ... it always tends to vary, so we don't want to get people's hopes up if they're visiting a bit later. However, there is a good chance you'll still catch many of them during the entirety of your trip :)

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Dec 2, 2018 at 10:52 p.m. a little confused Says...

Hi, i'm a little confused as to what is 2018 )most or all?) and what is maybe left over from 2017's article? i'm looking for gingerbread displays, and the wording in boardwalk makes me think thats from last year and may be empty this year?

i saw another article on polynesian - are there a pair of carousels or is one picture from this years display?

Reply
Dec 3, 2018 at 8:41 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi there!

This is a combo of last year and this year, and we've specified which is which! There is a NEW carousel at the Beach Club this year that's Donald Duck themed ... we love it! The Polynesian just has fun trees and wreaths :)

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Nov 29, 2018 at 2:09 p.m. susan heidi pollard Says...

hello mommy frog!! thank you for this info. We'll be visiting (off site). Was wondering if it is possible for us to visit resorts to see displays if not staying at them? we'll have 3 little ones (6y/o and 4 y/o twins) Is santa on site anywhere for little ones to visit? Thank you for your awesome information!!!

Reply
Nov 29, 2018 at 9:52 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Susan!

Your best bet to visit Santa outside of the park is near the Christmas Tree Trail at Disney Springs. You absolutely CAN visit the resorts even if you aren't staying there ... you can check out how in our Disney World Holidays post :)

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
Oct 5, 2018 at 1:28 p.m. Melanie Says...

We're thinking of visitng WDW ins 2019 the week before Thanksgiving, (Nov. 16-23) Since Thanksgiving is a week later next year, is it safe to assume we would be able to see the resort decorations during our trip?

Reply
Oct 5, 2018 at 9:05 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Melanie!

That would be our assumption :) They're gorgeous, so we hope you can check them out!

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Reply
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