Our Favorite Walt Disney World Resorts To Stay At During the Holiday Season
With uncertainty looming over whether Disney World will be reopening in time for Summer 2020, many vacationers are setting their sites on a Christmas visit to the theme parks and its easy to understand why!
Each year Disney pulls out all of the stops for a Christmas celebration that is positively unrivalled. Each park has it’s own special celebration from the Festival of the Holidays at Epcot which celebrates holiday traditions from around the World to Sunset Seasons Greetings adding a touch of glamour to the holidays at Hollywood Studios.
For those opting to stay in the heart of the magic, you can’t go wrong with any of the 29+ resorts on property. However, we have a few favorite properties that really go ALL OUT for the holidays. Let’s take a look:
Animal Kingdom Lodge
I’ll start off our list with a ‘wild card” no pun intended! Everything about Animal Kingdom Lodge is wonderfully over the top and the resort’s Christmas celebrations are no exception. You’ll find towering trees, giant garlands, dazzling lights and holiday touches throughout. Our favorite thing about the holiday decor at this deluxe property? Look closely and you’ll notice that they’re filled with wonderful tributes to some of the animals that call the resort’s beautiful savannahs home. Add to this some of the best restaurants at Disney, an amazing pool area, and a ton of fun resort activities and its a recipe for holiday magic!
Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
I’ll let you in on a little secret, this is where I’m spending Christmas this year! For those looking for a very special yet rustic place to make merry, Fort Wilderness is just the ticket. This sprawling campground set amongst a beautiful Cyprus forest is all about community. Whether you’re staying in your RV or in one of the cabins you’re sure to find friendly neighbours and a host of fun activities. During the Christmas season, residents take decorating to the next level and half the fun is driving around to check out how people have decorated their campsites! You can expect everything from giant inflatables to model trains and tons of lights. There’s even a golf cart parade where guests decorate their golf carts (Yes, you’ll need one and can rent them on the property) and drive them through the resort
Add to all of this even more magical fun activities like horse-drawn sleigh rides, dinner theatre, self-catering accommodation with full kitchens perfect for cooking Christmas Dinner, some awesome general stores, and a campfire Sing-Along with Chip ‘n Dale and it is a rustic Christmas wonderland!
Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts
Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club are two interconnected Disney resorts and both pull out all of the stops during the holiday season. With close proximity to both Epcot for the International Festival of the Holidays and Hollywood Studios (Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land) either of these resorts are a win-win for the location alone. Add to that some amazing decor and turn of the century holiday charm and its nothing short of magical. Each year the properties are known for their stunning gingerbread creations like the carousel pictured above. They also set up a Christmas Village each year which attracts guests to the property just to check it out.
And let’s not forget that a stay here means you have Disney’s bustling Boardwalk in your backyard with nice retail, dining experiences, entertainment and more. For those looking for more room for the family to spread out, the properties, in addition to their standard rooms also offer villas! Oh, and the Yacht Club is dog-friendly meaning you don’t have to leave your pooch at home during the holidays!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
We don’t need to say too much about the holidays at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Instead, we’ll let this life-sized victorian gingerbread house do the talking! Yup, that’s just a small fraction of the amazing decor you’ll find at this property. Add to that a pianist playing Christmas tunes, carolers, and the occasional visit from Cinderella and Prince Charming and you’ve got a recipe for holiday magic.
A stay at the Grand Floridian isn’t cheap with rooms in the $600+ a night range during the holidays but with its location on the Disney monorail and the over-the-top glamour, it’s definitely the place to be for those that want to go all out for the holidays!
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
We’ve saved the best for last! There is so much to love about a Christmas stay at Wilderness Lodge. From the moment you walk into the towering wooden atrium to the sounds of a roaring fire and the smells of pine, you know that you’ve come home for the holidays! The giant Christmas tree is one of the best at Disney World and with a ton of greenery everywhere you look, it just feels like Christmas here! Add to that the fact that the Magic Kingdom is just a short boat ride away and you have all of the trimmings for a magical holiday getaway.
What About Value and Moderate Resorts?
We hear ya. Though all of the options above are simply stunning they will set you back upwards of $400 a night. For those looking to enjoy the holidays without breaking the bank, we recommend looking into Pop Century and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Why? Both of these properties are newly renovated (including the rooms) and are now situated on Disney’s Skyliner Route. This means you simply walk out of your rooms, hop on a gondola and are whisked away to Epcot for their Festival of the Holidays or Hollywood Studios for all of their incredible offerings including Sunset Seasons Greetings, the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! fireworks and more!
Thinking about a destination Christmas to Walt Disney World? There are still plenty of great deals to be had! Simply fill out our form below to get your FREE, no-obligation quote from MickeyTravels!
Find articles like this helpful? Then why not consider working with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? As an agent with MickeyTravels, I’ll be on hand to assist you with everything from finding your perfect package to helping you plan lots of special touches to make your visit truly magical. Best of all my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.800.801.4025 via email at mroden@mickeytravels.com or follow along on Facebook