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. Not only will you experience the magic of the resorts, but you’ll be able to check out all the iconic Disney Gingerbread Displays.

You can take a Disney resort tour anytime of the year, but it’s especially magical during the Holidays. And 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 2024 Season?

• Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: This iconic Disney Gingerbread House is back on November 6th 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 back on display for the 14th year from November 8th 2024, with a brand new overlay inspired by the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights
• Beach Club Resort: A beautiful life-size gingerbread carousel decorated with chocolate, sugar and fondant. The theme for 2024 is Mickey’s Christmas Carol.
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort isn’t getting a gingerbread display this year, but the miniature train set will be back.
• Disney’s Boardwalk Inn: From November 12th 2024, you’ll be able to see the BoardWalk Deli Gingerbread House.
• Epcot – CommuniCore Hall – An 8 foot tall Spaceship Earth gingerbread creation will be on show from November 29th.
• Animal Kingdom Lodge: The life size baby Gingerbread Giraffe and Baby Gingerbread Zebra are returning for the 4th year running in the main lobby of Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge from November 24th through December 31st 2024.

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.

Parking for free at Disney Springs and taking a Disney bus to any of the resorts is another option.

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

And you can get a legendary frozen treat known as DOLE Whip at Pineapple Lanai. Yumm! Also available at Pineapple Lanai is the limited time Olu Mel Holiday Float: DOLE Whip Lime with pineapple juice, white chocolate piece, and strawberry popping candy.

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.

For the 2024 season, there will be 25 hidden Mickey’s to celebrate the 25 years of holiday tradition.

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.

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 a 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 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 12th 2024.

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

• Holiday Mickey and Minnie Sugar Cookie
• Mickey Caramel Corn Cookie
• Gingerbread Loaf
• Gingerbread Shingle

Once you’ve explored the Boardwalk Inn, head out to Crescent Lake and turn right to stroll along the boardwalk towards the next stop on this Disney Resort Christmas tour.
You can either walk around Crescent Lake, or you can take one of the Friendship Boats to the opposite side, which are free.
It’s a 10 minute walk to the next stop on this Disney Christmas resort tour.

On your way around the lake, check out the BoardWalk Deli for these festive treats that are available from November 1st 2024 through January 1st 2025. mobile orders are available too.

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 that has been showcasing for 24 years. The theme changes each year. For 2024 season the theme is Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

There are 24 hidden gold Mickeys hidden throughout the gingerbread carousel.

Over 600 hours have been spent on this stunning gingerbread creation. All moving parts on the Carousel are edible and there are 24 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:

• 2024 pieces of gingerbread
• 200 lbs of icing
• 100 pints of eggs
• 25 lbs of spices
• 10 quarts of simple syrup
• 1000 lbs of dark and modeling chocolate
• 432 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:

• Linzer Cookie
• Spiced Orange and Cranberry Bundt Cake
• Gingerbread Macarons
• Hot Cocoa Brownie
• Hannukah Sugar Cookie
• Stollen
• Gingerbread House

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

While you’re in Disney’s Beach Club Resort, check out these two limited time holiday treats, available November 1 2024 through January 1 2025

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.

Model Train & Christmas Village

The Yacht Club features an enchanting and intricate 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.

Once you have finished at Disney’s Yacht Club, you can either walk back to the Boardwalk Inn, or you can head towards Disney’s Skyliner, located just before the entrance to Epcot, from the Boarwalk bridge, to take the Skyliner Resort Tour, mentioned below.

Disney Skyliner connects Epcot/Boardwalk Resorts, 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 Disney Christmas resort tour, none of these resorts are elaborately decorated, but each resort has a themed tree and themed decor. Plus Art of Animation and Pop Century 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.

If you want a coffee or a decadent dessert, pop into Le Petit Cafe. As well as a selection of tasty treats, they also have two limited time holiday specials:

• Gingerbread Eggnog Entremet: Gingerbread financier, eggnog panna cotta, and raspberry gel

After exploring the resort and the grounds, you can either head back to the Skyliner station to take the Skyliner to the Caribbean Beach Resort, or you can stroll around the lake. It’s a 10-15 minute walk and just over half a mile.

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, walk to the Skyliner Station and head to Art of Animation and Pop Century resorts.

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 resorts 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.

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.

Parking at the resort is free, but during busy times you will likely need either a dining reservation or a mobile order pick up – you can order a beverage or bite to eat from any of the Animal Kingdom Lodge locations and show that to the guard for limited-time parking.

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.

As you enter the enchanting 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.

Disney’s Gingerbread Displays

‘GINGER-affe” is a life-sized gingerbread baby giraffe standing 7 feet tall alongside a life-size baby gingerbread Debra the Zebra and both are back for the 4ht year running. 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 24th 2024.

You can also purchase a super cute limited-time gingerbread giraffe cookie to munch on. There’s also a limited-edition pin, cookie jar and holiday ornament inspired by Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge available for purchase.

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.

When you’ve finished exploring, call at The Mara for a limited time holiday treat. Available Nov. 1 through Jan. 1st 2025. It’s also available as a mobile order.

• The Festive Tart: Vanilla tart shell with banana cake, caramel sauce, matcha crunch, chai mousse, and green magic shell topped with holiday lights and animal print Mickey

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.

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!