Theme parked out? Fed up with crowds? Did you know you can still experience a sprinkling of Disney magic without the cost of a theme park ticket? Take a Disney Resort Christmas Tour.

You can take a Disney resort tour anytime of the year, but it’s especially magical during the Holidays. The Disney Gingerbread displays are spectacular! As are the Christmas Trees and themed decor at all resorts.

Disney Christmas decorations come in 150 semi-trailer truck loads. Spectacular trees are themed to each resort. Stunning Disney gingerbread displays look good enough to eat. Literally.

And best of all, Disney Resort Christmas Tours are free for all guests. Even if you are not staying in a Disney resort, you can use all of Disney’s awesome transport to get yourself around.

Below we’ve outlined a few Disney Resort Christmas Tour itineraries and ideas. You can switch them up, visit one or visit them all. There are no rules, just lots of fun and holiday sparkle.

But first, lets take a look at some Disney Christmas fun facts:

• There are 29 custom themed iconic trees in the parks and resorts.
• Themed trees range from 15 to 70 feet tall.
• The tallest tree is located outside Disney’s Contemporary Resort and stands at 70 feet.
• The Contemporary tree is adorned with 16,000 lights and over 200 custom ornaments.
• Toppers and stars for trees can measure up to 7 feet tall and weigh over 200 pounds.
• There are 596 smaller trees ranging from 2 to 14 feet throughout Walt Disney World.

Where Are Disney Gingerbread Creations for 2023 Season?

• Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: This iconic Disney Gingerbread House is back on November 8th 2023 to January 1st 2024. Chefs use a classic Austrian inspired recipe for ornaments, cookies and the spectacular 14 foot tall gingerbread house. There is a Bake Shop in the gingerbread house offering holiday treats.
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort: The Mary Blair inspired Cinderella Gingerbread Castle will be on display from November 10th 2023 through January 6th 2024.
• Beach Club Resort: A beautiful life-size gingerbread carousel decorated with chocolate, sugar and fondant. The theme for 2023 is Ducktales.
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is getting a gingerbread display for the first time ever in the form of a Gingerbread Lighthouse.
• Disney’s Boardwalk Inn: From November 17th until December 27th 2023, you’ll be able to see a miniature, edible version of hot spots around the  Boardwalk.
• Epcot – The American Adventure: Patriotic flair meets pastry magic at Epcot, where gingerbread recreations of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and The American Adventure building with Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue. You can see the display from November 24th through December 30th 2023.
• Animal Kingdom Lodge: A life size baby Gingerbread Giraffe and Baby Gingerbread Zebra will be on display in the main lobby of Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge from November 22nd through December 31st 2023.

If you are annual pass holders, parking is of course free at any of the parking lots at the theme parks. You will be able to park and use the Disney transportation to get around.

If you are staying offsite and don’t have parking for that day, you can pay to park at Disney’s Transportation and Ticket Center. Use of Disney transport including buses, monorail and Skyliner is free to everyone.

Alternatively, if you want to park at a specific resort, you can make a dining reservation at any of the resorts and incorporate a Disney resort tour with breakfast/lunch/dinner or a snack, giving you free parking. You can also make any mobile order pick up, which will give you free parking.

You can also park for free at Disney Springs and get a Disney bus to any of the resorts.

Remember – Disney Buses, Monorail and SkyLiner are all free to anyone visiting Disney World. Make the most of the transport for your Disney Resort Christmas Tour.

Park at the Disney Ticket & Transportation Center. You’ll see three monorail options. Epcot Monorail is on the right and Magic Kingdom Monorail is in the center. A smaller sign for Resort Hotels is on the left, which is the one you want to take.

Disney Resort Christmas Tour Stop 1: Polynesian Resort

Hop on the Resort Hotels Monorail and get off at the first stop, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, which celebrates the spirit of the South Pacific.

The Polynesian Resort at Christmas isn’t overflowing with Holiday features, but it’s still worth a stop. And you can get a legendary frozen treat known as DOLE Whip at Pineapple Lanai. Yumm!!

There are beautiful themed garlands, a large tree in the lobby and a couple of smaller trees.

If you’re looking for a unique place for some liquid refreshment, call in at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. If you’ve been on the Jungle Cruise at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, you’ll have come across Trader Sam.

Hop back on the monorail to continue your Disney Christmas resort tour and get off the next stop, Grand Floridian.

Alternatively, you can take the pathway from the Polynesian and walk to Grand Floridian. It’s a pleasant 10 minute stroll and well signposted.

Disney Resort Christmas TourStop 2: Grand Floridian

The Grand Floridian features the most elegant Disney resort Christmas decorations. The Grand Floridian is oozing with traditional charm and has a majestic five-story Christmas tree as the center piece.

The Grand Floridian Christmas tree is adorned with decorations from a bygone era and features snowflake artwork commemorating the 12 Days of Christmas.

Disney Gingerbread House

The main attraction is the life-size Gingerbread House which takes the Pastry Team 500 hours to bake and 480 hours to decorate. The Grand Floridian Gingerbread House is adorned with white chocolate candy canes, edible snowflakes, sugar poinsettias and an array of holiday characters and features. There are also 24 hidden Mickeys to spot.

Along the porches, you’ll find an 85-pound chocolate Santa, nutcrackers, toy soldiers and snowmen that have all been hand-painted by the Grand Floridian Bakery team.

The Grand Floridian Gingerbread House is made up of over 10,000 individual pieces of gingerbread and ingredients include:

• 140 pints of egg whites
• 600 lbs of powdered sugar
• 700 lbs of chocolate
• 800 lbs of flour
• 35 lbs of spices
• 1050 lbs of honey

Located inside the Gingerbread House is The Bake Shop. The perfect place to pick up some sweet holiday treats.

• Freshly baked, homemade items, such as Gingerbread Mickeys and Shingles, Stollen Bread, Brownie Christmas Tree, and Gingersnap Cookies
• House-made Gingerbread Ornaments and Gingerbread Houses
• Assorted Gingerbread Cookie Bags, Marshmallow Pops, and Milk Chocolate Pecan Fudge
• Grand Floridian Combo Box featuring assorted fan favorite treats, including the cookies n’ cream Christmas Tree, exclusive to this box
• Plant-based, no sugar added, and gluten-friendly options

Take some time to explore the decor around the Grand Floridian lobby, it’s beautiful and charming.

Hop back on the monorail and get off at the next stop, which is Magic Kingdom.

Detour By Boat

For this next stage of the Disney resort Christmas tour, you’ll take a detour from the monorail loop to reach Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Camp Grounds. This part is by boat, right outside Magic Kingdom.

As you get off the resort monorail at the Magic Kingdom, head down the exit ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, most of the crowd will head left towards the entrance of Magic Kingdom. You’re going to head towards the water, to the Boat Ramps. There are two boat stops – one to Fort Wilderness Camp Grounds, one to Wilderness Lodge. Jump on either one – you’re going to do a triangle that will bring you back to the same spot, so it doesn’t matter which way round you go. Whichever boat comes first! They run every 10 to 15 minutes and the trip takes about 10 minutes.

Disney Christmas Resort Tour Stop 3: Wilderness Lodge

In stark contrast to the Victorian elegance of the Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge has oodles of rustic charm. It’s probably our favorite stop on the Disney resort Christmas tour. The giant 60 foot tree in the lobby is breathtaking as it towers and twinkles above you. There are themed garlands and lights all around the balconies surrounding the impressive courtyard lobby.

It might be baking heat outside, but you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’re in a snowy mountain lodge. You’ve found yourself the coziest spot of the season.

There’s no Disney gingerbread display here, but the decor and wintry atmosphere more than makes up for it.

One of our favorite features is the enormous stone fireplace, complete with roaring log fire. Grab a cup of cocoa and a tasty treat and take a seat in a rocking chair in front of the fire.

You have multiple choices of fireplaces too! There’s a towering 82-foot fireplace in the main lobby, with stonework that duplicates the layered rock strata of the Grand Canyon. There are 3 rows of rocking chairs in front of the ornate fireplace.

If those seats are taken, head upstairs and you’ll find two more cozy fireplaces tucked away. One on the second floor and one on the third floor.

Get hot cocoa from the stand in the main lobby, which sells a selection of treats and beverages during the holiday season.

For our fireside treat, we headed to the Roaring Fork and picked up a delicious ‘Roaring Smores’. This tasty delight is three layers of deliciousness! A white chocolate paint-splattered Mickey and toasted caramel marshmallow sits on top of a fluffy chocolate mousse. The middle layer is a shimmering marshmallow surrounding a crunchy crisp chocolate pearl and caramel center, all sitting on top of a caramel-soaked graham cracker cake layer.

Sit in a chair, enjoy the roaring fire and devour!

Two fireplaces on levels two and three, plus the towering main lobby fireplace.

Back in the main lobby, there’s a bridge over a babbling brook that makes a great photo spot. The tree shimmering in the background makes a beautiful backdrop.

Fort Wilderness is our next stop Disney resort Christmas tour. Take the boat back to the Magic Kingdom dock and hop on the boat to Fort Wilderness. Alternatively, you can get a bus between the two resorts, then take a boat back to Magic Kingdom boat dock.

Disney Resort Christmas Tour Stop 4:
Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds are wonderful for all ages to explore. You’ll find a rustic charm and country flair in abundance. The Christmas tree is accordingly themed with wagon wheels, cowboy boots and gingham ribbons.

Take some time to stroll around the Trading Post, or call in to Crockett’s Tavern or Trails End Restaurant for some refreshments and a sit down.

You can even take a Horse Drawn Holiday Sleigh Ride around the secluded woodlands surrounding the resort. Sleigh rides take around 25 minutes, run at select times from December 1st through December 30th, excluding December 24th.

Carriage rides can fit up to 4 adults, or 2 adults and 3 small children and cost $80.

See full details on Disney’s website.

Fort Wilderness is magical after dusk. RVs and campgrounds are decorated by guests and brightly lit golf buggies roam around.

When you’ve finished exploring, head back to Seven Seas Lagoon to take the boat back to Magic Kingdom. When you land back at the Magic Kingdom, turn left to head back to the Resort Hotel Monorail for the next stage of your Disney Christmas resort tour.

Stop 5: Contemporary Resort – Disney Gingerbread Castle

The Contemporary Resort is next on the monorail loop. From November 10th 2023 through January 6th 2024, the 17 foot tall Mary Blair inspired Cinderella Gingerbread Castle will once again be on display.

For the 2023 season, the gingerbread display features a 100th Celebration overlay, along with 12 hidden 5-legged goats to find!

The Disney Gingerbread Castle was created using 4000 gingerbread bricks, 612 pounds of sugar, 1012 pounds of flour and 112 pounds of gingerbread spice.

Eats and treats at the Contemporary Resort gingerbread store offers:

• Gingerbread Castle Brick
• Paint Your Own Cookie Box
• Hot Chocolate Caramel Fudge
• Chocolate Peppermint Cookie
• Pistachio Linzer Cookie
• 5-Legged Goat Cookie
• Gluten/Wheat Friendly Gingerbread Cookie
• Gingerbread Latte Cupcake
• Christmas Tree Butter Cookie
• Frozen Hot Chocolate (Also available with Peppermint Schnapps)
• Frozen Apple Cider (Also available with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky floater)

The Contemporary Resort also features the largest Christmas tree in all of Disney World. It’s located at the resort entrance and stands 70 feet tall.

If you do Disney resort Christmas tour at night, you’ll be able to view fireworks on the 4th floor observation deck or from the bridge connecting the Contemporary Resort with Bay Lake Tower, also on the 4th floor. If you time it for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, you’ll be able to view Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks. The view from the deck is slightly obscured though.

Disney Resort Christmas Tour Parking: Resort parking can be limited, depending on when you visit. You will possibly either need a dining reservation or a mobile pick up reservation to be able to park at the Boardwalk. If you don’t want a dining reservation, you can order any beverage or snack from any of the locations in the Boardwalk and show that to the guard at the gate.

If it’s quiet, the guard may give you an hour or two parking.

Alternatively, if you already have parking for that day or an annual pass, you could park at Epcot and walk through the International Gateway from World Showcase to reach the Boardwalk. You could also park at Hollywood Studios and take the Skyliner to Epcot. The Skyliner is located outside Epcot, next to the Boardwalk, so you don’t need to enter the park.

The Boardwalk Resort area is a wonderful place to visit any time of the year. It’s reminiscent of an elegant turn-of-the-century coastal boardwalk such as Coney Island. There are several hotels located around the Boardwalk’s Crescent Lake: The Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club and Swan and Dolphin resorts. The latter two are not Disney owned.

The walkway around Crescent Lake is just under a mile.

Disney Resort Christmas Tour Stop 1 – Disney’s Boardwalk Inn

Start this Disney Resort Christmas tour at The Boardwalk. This charming resort celebrates the elegance of a bygone era. The gingerbread display this year is a replica of the Boardwalk Deli , complete with Mickey & Minnie working away in the kitchen and silhouettes of Disney characters. It will be on display from November 17th through December 27th 2023.

If you get peckish with all that gingerbread aroma wafting all around, be sure to pick up some sweet treats:

• Mickey and Minnie Sugar Cookies
• Mickey Caramel Corn Cookie
• Christmas Tree Pop
• Peppermint Bark
• Gingerbread Shingles
• Gluten/ Wheat-Friendly and Plant-based Gingerbread Shingles

Once you’ve explored the Boardwalk Inn, head out to Crescent Lake and take a right along the boardwalk towards the next stop on this Disney Resort Christmas tour.

You can either take a stroll around Crescent Lake, or you can take one of the Friendship Boats to the opposite side, which are all free.

It’s a 10 minute stroll to the next stop on this Disney Christmas resort tour.

Stop 2 – Disney’s Beach Club Resort

If you choose to walk, follow the Boardwalk around Crescent Lake, across Gateway Bridge (the International Gateway entrance to Epcot is on your right). Keep walking around Crescent Lake until you come to the first resort, which is Beach Club Resort. The Christmas tree and garlands around the lobby are all beautifully themed with coastal decor.

Disney’s Gingerbread Carousel

As you enter the main lobby, you’ll discover the scrumptious classic life-size rotating Gingerbread Carousel. The theme changes each year. For 2023 season the theme is Ducktales World Showcase Advebnture at Epcot, featuring Donald Duck and nephews.

Over 600 hours have been spent on this stunning gingerbread creation. All moving parts on the Carousel are edible and there are 22 hidden Mickeys to find throughout the display.

If you wonder what goes into such a massive magical creation, there’s a list of ingredients. As well as lots of enthusiasm, talent and over 2000 pieces of gingerbread

Ingredients used to make this massive candy structure include:

• 200 lbs of icing
• 100 pints of eggs
• 25 lbs of spices
• 10 quarts of simple syrup
• 1000 lbs of dark and modeling chocolate
• 434 lbs of honey
• 100 lbs of confectioner sugar
• 96 lbs of bread flour

And if you get peckish or thirsty while you are gazing at this tasty treat, there’s a Gingerbread Counter serving Holiday offerings:

• Signature Stollen Bread
• Lighthouse Fudge
• Mickey Snowman Pop
• Crispy Rice Treat
• Peppermint Bark
• Gingerbread Shingle

Plus a Hot Chocolate Bar serving an array of hot cocoa delights with lots of toppings and a Hot Chocolate Flight.

When you’re done, head back out and turn right to continue to the next stop of this Disney Resort hop Christmas tour.

There is an indoor corridor most of the way, or you can head back to the main Boardwalk walkway and follow the path.

Stop 3 – Disney’s Yacht Club

Disney’s Yacht Club is a graceful resort modeled on a New England style yacht club. The elegant tree in Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is beautifully decorated with model boats, sailing yachts and lots of nautical features. And you get a double whammy at the Yacht Club – there’s a gingerbread display and a model train display.

Disney’s Gingerbread Lighthouse

For the first time ever, the Yacht Club is has it’s very own gingerbread display in the form of a Lighthouse, which is modeled on the lighthouse outside the resort, overlooking Crescent Lake. Pastry Chef de Cuisine Michael Craig used the actual blueprints from the real lighthouse to create the gingerbread display.

The Holiday Pop Up Shop in the Yacht Club lobby will be offering an array of holiday treats, including a brand new Lighthouse Fudge.

Model Train & Christmas Village

The Yacht Club also features an enchanting miniature train set meandering through snow-capped mountains and tiny villages. Spend a little time and look closely at the tiniest features. There’s incredible attention to detail and lots of moving parts.

You’ll see lots of Disney characters and movie references too. Plus lots of Hidden Mickey’s to find.

As you come out of Disney’s Yacht Club, turn right and follow the path back to the Boardwalk Resort.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is a stand alone Disney Resort Hop Tour. You can either drive directly to the lodge, or take Disney transport from other resorts, Disney Springs or Ticket and Transportation Center.

Exploring the rest of the lobby, you can’t miss the Christmas tree. It’s HUGE! The thatch-roofed lobby, with a mud fireplace and flowing stream, is adorned with animal themed garlands and decor. It’s a super cozy atmosphere.

Modeled on an African wildlife reserve, Animal Kingdom Lodge is a great resort to tour at any time of the year, but it’s extra magical during the holidays.

Disney’s Gingerbread Displays

‘GINGER-affe” is a life-sized gingerbread giraffe standing 7 feet tall alongside a life-size baby gingerbread Debra the Zebra. Both have Hidden Mickey’s to find and are made from gingerbread, sugar dough, and modeling chocolate.

They are located in the main lobby of Jambo House and will be on display from November 22nd to December 31st 2023.

You can also purchase a super cute limited-time gingerbread giraffe cookie to munch on.

Take a stroll outside too. The 46-acres of grounds replicate an African savanna. There are over 200 free-roaming mammals and tropical birds of almost three dozen species.

You might see giraffe, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, ostrich, flamingo, African spoonbill, sacred ibis, white-bearded wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, zebra, bongo, vulturine guinea fowl and more.

Sunset Savanna, Uzima Savanna, Arusha Savanna and Pembe Savanna each offer a spectacular view of wildlife. Right outside the main lobby, there’s an elevated rock outcropping which puts you within 15 feet of roaming animals.

Parking at Animal Kingdom Lodge

If you are driving and visiting during a busy weekend, or the week running up to the holidays, you will probably need a dining reservation or a mobile order pick up reservation to be able to park. If you don’t want to dine, you can place an order for a mobile pick up from any of the locations inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Even just a coffee. As long as you can show the guard you have a mobile order to collect, you will be able to park.

Disney Skyliner connects Epcot, Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, Pop Century and Art of Animation. It also connects to Hollywood Studios.

You can start a Skyliner Resort Tour from any of the above locations, but you will either need a dining reservation or mobile order pick up wherever you want to park. We usually park at Disney’s Boardwalk, have a bite to eat, then head to the Skyliner station at the International Gateway of Epcot. (You don’t need to enter Epcot or need a park ticket).

If you do the Skyliner Christmas resort tour, none of these resorts are elaborately decorated, but each resort has a themed tree and themed decor. Plus they are great to explore and wonderfully themed.

Riviera Resort

If you board the Skyliner at Epcot, your first stop is Riviera Resort. Not that much in terms of Holiday decor, but it’s a beautiful resort to explore. The first thing you’ll see as you arrive from the Skyliner station are the wonderful mosaics that span the walls and cross the ceiling of the entrance tunnel.

Over a million hand-cut tiles were used to create two 20 foot tall scenes. The first is Peter Pan, Wendy, Michael and John flying over the London sky to Never Land. The second is Rapunzel’s floating lantern scene from Tangled.

There are some beautiful wreaths and a Christmas tree, but take note of the artwork and photographs adorning the walls. Many pay homage to the life and times of Walt and Roy Disney as they traveled through Europe, with their wives.

After exploring the resort and the grounds, you can either head back to the Skyliner station, or you can stroll around the lake to reach the Caribbean Beach Resort.

Caribbean Beach Resort

As you would imagine, the Christmas tree and decor is themed around the Caribbean. It’s a pretty resort to stroll around, with some beautiful pathways and boardwalks and lots of little spaces to get some quiet time.

Once you’ve finished exploring Caribbean Beach Resort, head back to the Skyliner to take a trip to Art of Animation and Pop Century.

Art of Animation & Pop Century

The next two resorts on the Skyliner resort tour are at the end of the line. As you exit the station, turn left for Pop Century and right for Art of Animation. Both are bright and colorful and wonderfully themed. Take some time to stroll around the grounds of both resorts. All ages will love the elaborate giant theming and features.

Art of Animation covers the magic of Disney and Pixar movies. Huge decor features Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. The Christmas tree is themed with art and sketches from movie hits.

Pop Century will take you back in time to the 1950’s through the 1990’s. Giant yoyo’s, Rubik’s cubes, skittles, roller blades and more. A themed Christmas tree featuring vinyl records and decor from decades gone by.

That’s the end of our Disney Christmas Resort Tours, We hope you love touring these magical resorts as much as we do!

If you are visiting to take a Disney Christmas Resort Tour, we’d love to welcome you to one of our cozy Orlando Vacation Homes locations just a few miles from Disney World. An awesome alternative to hotels for comfort, space and privacy!