By: Megan Alford, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
The Christmas holidays in Walt Disney World are a big celebration. The parks literally transform overnight from Fall to Christmas like MAGIC! It’s amazing to see, if you have never had the chance.
Walt Disney World pulls out all the stops, even decorating every single Disney-owned resort. In total there are over 600 trees placed around Walt Disney World Resort. There are also nearly 1700 wreaths and enough garland to cover 9 miles! Some of the most amazing things to see are the handmade life-sized gingerbread displays.
My personal favorite (and the favorite of many others as well) is the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. This giant gingerbread display houses a bakeshop inside where you can purchase some delicious souvenirs. The first house was build in 1999 and has been a staple in the Disney World resort holiday decorations ever since! This year the house is made of 800 lbs. of flour and 1050 lbs. of honey! Your kids will love hunting for the 23 Mickey heads hidden within this display.
After seeing the amazing gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian hop on the monorail over to Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Sitting right outside the resort is the largest of all the trees in Walt Disney World Resort. Standing at a whopping 70 feet tall, complete with 16,000 lights. Inside the resort you will find the Mary Blair inspired Cinderella Gingerbread Castle.
One of my preferred resorts is the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Head over to the lobby and you will find a gigantic Christmas tree. Sticking with the design of the resort, the tree is decorated with animal themed trinkets and ornaments. Last year they debuted a life-size gingerbread giraffe who is joined by a life-size gingerbread zebra this year.
If you want to see some more amazing gingerbread displays don’t skip Beach Club and Boardwalk Inn. Inside Boardwalk Inn there is a replica of the Boardwalk Deli. Afterwards, you can walk to Beach Club where you will find the classic gingerbread carousel located in the main lobby. This years theme is Disney Princesses and each horse on the display symbolizes a different one. All the moving parts on this amazing exhibit are edible. With over 2000 pieces of gingerbread this is not something you want to miss!
Gingerbread houses may not be your thing and that’s okay! There are plenty more resorts to choose from! Just steps away from the Beach Club you will find the beautiful Yacht Club. Here you will discover an incredible miniature train display featuring a tiny village and many Disney characters. As always you can find a hidden Mickey or two in there.
Wilderness Lodge is a great place to grab a seat and relax in front of the fire. Here you can soak up views of the 60 foot tree while sipping hot chocolate. If you get cold you can get cozy in front the fireplace…there are several to choose from. We prefer to sit in the rocking chairs by the 82-foot stone fireplace with similarities to the Grand Canyon!
With over 20 Disney-owned resorts, these are just a few of the most popular Disney World resort holiday decorations during the Christmas season. Rest assured that if you head to Walt Disney World during the holidays there will be no shortage of sights to see! Whether you are traveling with friends, family, or children, they are made for people of all ages!
Ready to schedule your trip for next year? We would love to help! Please reach out to Megan, a travel agent with Marvelous Mouse Travels to plan your next vacation or you may contact Marvelous Mouse Travels.
