Nothing can compare to the holidays at Walt Disney World. When someone thinks about the holidays at the “World”, they usually think of the decorations and offerings at each of the theme parks. Unless you are staying on Walt Disney World property, the holiday offerings at the resorts themselves go unnoticed. I had the opportunity to check out the holiday decorations at the resorts around the Magic Kingdom (the Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Resort, Grand Floridian Resort, Fort Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge/DVC Villas at Wilderness Lodge). Each resort was decorated different, some with trees and others will other offerings.
My husband and I started off our journey at the Transportation and Ticket Center and then took the pathway to the Polynesian Resort. The decorations at the Polynesian were very modest, but had some nice touches here and there. What we noticed the most was that there were signs pointing guests in the direction of the Grand Floridian and telling them about the famous Gingerbread House. The Polynesian did have a couple of trees in the Great Ceremonial House, both on the upper and lower level (near the monorail station).
Following the Polynesian, we took the walkway over to the Grand Floridian. The main attraction at the Grand Floridian is not only the gigantic Christmas tree in the lobby but the incredible Gingerbread House. I was able to get a closer look at the structure itself and was amazed at the amount of detail that was put into creating such a magical piece of art. Between the piano player in the lobby and the jazz/swing band on the second level, the Grand Floridian Resort is truly a magical place during the holidays.
Following our time at the Grand Floridian, we then took the monorail to the Contemporary Resort. Something interesting that I found was the Christmas tree was not located in the lobby or on the second floor, but actually outside the resort near the front. I did not get a chance to get closer to the tree, but I was able to see it from afar. Instead of a Christmas tree inside the resort, the Contemporary instead, has a Gingerbread Tree. It was really neat to see up close, as I had seen it from the monorail station a week or so prior. The Contemporary Resort does have a very interesting and one of the biggest Mickey wreaths I have ever seen. If you are taking the resort monorail from the Magic Kingdom, you are able to see it as you are heading into the resort. What is ever cooler is that once it gets dark enough, it lights up. I have always wondered how it is hoisted up in one piece. I suppose it’s all Disney magic.
From the Contemporary, we took a boat over across Bay Lake towards the Wilderness Lodge, the DVC Villas and Fort Wilderness. We started at Wilderness Lodge, where the decorations are also very modest. The Wilderness Lodge has one of my favorite Christmas trees on property. It’s so tall, that it’s hard to get a good picture of it. From the Wilderness Lodge, we walked over to the DVC Villas. Luckily we got there at a time where we were able to walk right in and snap pictures. I have always liked the common room at the villas, especially the rocking chairs and fireplaces. As darkness fell, we decided to walk the path to Fort Wilderness.
During the day, the path to Fort Wilderness is a nice walk, but at night it’s quite dark. I do not recommend walking the path at night, but it was a little cold to take the boat over. The decorations at the campground are very subtle until you come across the decorations that the guests have put up around their camp site. I did not get the opportunity to walk around and check it out, but I did get a quick glimpse of one camp site. It’s really quite amazing how much time and energy guests take to not only set up their camp, but to decorate as well. There is a tree located near Pioneer Hall, which was quite nice. I think it’s great that Disney allows guests to bring their decorations with them on vacation. From what I understand, people really give Disney a run for their money!
As Christmas draws near, I have begun to realize that the holidays in Florida are just as good as the holidays in Maine (where I am originally from). I do not miss the snow one bit, and all I have to do is walk around the resorts (and the parks) to get in the holiday spirit. I sincerely hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas (or whatever holiday you may celebrate) and a healthy new year.
-Katie Bonneau
Katie can be reached on twitter at @waltcast_katie
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