How to Plan the Perfect Holiday Resort Tour at Disney World (2025 Guide)
The holiday season at Walt Disney World is a wonderland blend of lights, music, and festive magic! You don’t even need a theme park ticket to feel that holiday cheer either! One of my favorite ways to soak in the spirit is by visiting different Disney Resorts on a Holiday Resort Tour!
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Use this resort hopping tour to see the spectacular seasonal decorations, elaborate gingerbread displays, and uniquely themed lobbies.
Below is our step-by-step guide to planning a holiday resort tour! Plus which resorts are must-sees in 2025! (Spoiler Alert: The Grand Floridian won’t have its iconic gingerbread house this year!) And download our free printable reference sheet to make sure you see as much Christmas magic as possible!
When to Visit for the Best Holiday Magic
Disney World’s holiday season officially begins in mid-November and runs through New Year’s, with resort decorations typically going up not long after Halloween. If you want to catch the full display without the heaviest crowds, aim for the first week of December.
By then, all the trees are trimmed, holiday treats are available, and the lobbies sparkle all day long! Early December tends to strike that sweet spot, full of cheer, but still manageable before the Christmas rush.
Planning Your Disney Resort Tour
Creating a holiday resort tour plan will help your day go more smoothly! Decide how many resorts you want to see on that day, and plan the order of how you’ll be getting between them.
Download our Disney World Holiday Resort Tour reference guide to help plan your day!
You’ll want to group resorts by area so you can easily hop from one to another! Use Disney transportation to get from place to place, and reference our transportation guides for more information on every method of transportation at Disney World.
Magic Kingdom & Monorail Loop Area
This route is classic for a reason. You can visit several of Disney’s most beautifully decorated resorts without ever leaving the monorail line.
And Wilderness Lodge is just a short boat ride away from the theme park.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
The Contemporary Resort always brings sparkle to the season, with a towering Christmas tree out front and its signature gingerbread display inside. I love starting out my holiday tour here!
It is often designed as a nod to Cinderella Castle. Don’t forget to browse the holiday treats at the holiday treat station while you’re there!
They have had some of my favorite treats in recent years. With both a great selection of drinks and bakery items.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Step into a tropical holiday oasis at Polynesian Village Resort. Think natural materials, lush garland dotted with hibiscus flowers, and festive ornaments with an island twist.
The Polynesian’s decor is more understated than other resorts, but it’s full of warmth and aloha spirit. I love stopping by here to grab a coffee or treat, while I take in their holiday decor.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
The Grand Floridian Resort usually steals the show with its iconic life sized gingerbread house. However the big holiday news this year is that the famous display will not return in 2025.
Ongoing construction in the lobby, including the completion of a new bar, means the gingerbread house is taking a year off.
Even without it, the resort’s Victorian style tree, elegant wreaths, and piano music still make this stop feel straight out of a holiday storybook.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Accessible by boat from Magic Kingdom or the nearby resorts)
For a cozier take on Christmas, head to Wilderness Lodge Resort. Its soaring lobby, giant rustic tree, and glowing fireplace make it feel like stepping into a mountain lodge.
Just announced for 2025!! After a 5 year break, a gingerbread display will be heading back to Wilderness Lodge!
The lodge has a relaxed holiday feel and is one of my favorites for a relaxing afternoon, full of pure Christmas comfort.
Stop over here after visiting the monorail resort locations by taking a quick boat ride over from Magic Kingdom.
EPCOT & BoardWalk Area
Over by EPCOT, the resorts that surround Crescent Lake take their decor seriously and the results are fun to go see! These are easy resorts to stop by after a day at EPCOT, or take the Disney Skyliner over from Disney’s Hollywood Studios to visit this area. Plan to visit these stops next on your tour, or group these resorts together on the same day.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Beach Club Resort has one of the most unique gingerbread displays! Each year it is a differently themed and functioning gingerbread carousel!
These horses are handcrafted and decorated with intricate details (and hidden Mickeys!). The seaside color palette mixed with holiday sparkle gives it a breezy yet festive charm.
They also have had a holiday treat station in past years, so this is a great place to try a special holiday treat!
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
The Yacht Club complements its sister resort with a miniature holiday village and train display that delights both kids and adults.
It’s elegant and nostalgic, with a touch of New England charm. It’s worth stopping over to see the train village if you’ll already be visiting Beach Club Resort to see the carousel.
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Resort
BoardWalk Inn Resort resort brings whimsy to the season with a gingerbread version of its own BoardWalk Deli. The gingerbread deli is surrounded by colorful lights and vintage-inspired decorations.
They also had a nice treat station setup here in previous years, with an assortment of bakery goods you could only purchase at this location.
Boardwalk Inn Resort also has a large tree on their lawn, making this a great place to grab a seat and do some holiday people watching!
Other Fun Holiday Resort Stops
We’ve noted all of the resorts that featured either lobby trees or have a special holiday treat stop on our printable reference guide! There are unique tree displays at many of the Walt Disney World resort locations though.
If you particularly love a resort’s theme, it may be worth stopping by to check them out! And using the Disney Skyliner makes it easy to stop at a number of resorts that are right along the Skyliner route. Plan these stops after visiting the EPCOT area resorts on your tour.
First stop on the Skyliner route is at Riviera Resort, the decorations are understated and elegant. They also serve up some excellent holiday treats in the Petit Cafe.
You’ll need to transfer to a different Skyliner line at the Caribbean Beach Resort main station hub. However the lobby at Caribbean Beach Resort is quite a distance from the Skyliner station. Make sure to only plan in this resort stop on your tour if you have around 45 minutes to complete that resort.
It is fairly quick to ride over to Disney’s Art of Animation resort, which has a brightly colored tree featuring animation. And from there you can walk to Disney’s Pop Century Resort that has a tree with decorations from various decades.
From there you can head back over on the Disney Skyliner to Hollywood Studios, and from there board a bus to the next resort you’d like to visit. This is a great place to grab a bus over to Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
If you can fit in one more stop, make the trip to Animal Kingdom Lodge… it’s worth it! The soaring lobby is breathtaking year round, but at Christmas, it glows with an African-inspired holiday tree! I love stopping by here to take some photos.
One of the most creative gingerbread displays on property is at Animal Kingdom Lodge, featuring safari animals like giraffes and zebras. This is a unique stop on the Disney Holiday Resort Tour and it makes for a fun afternoon!
Other Resorts to Visit via Bus
If you’re looking for even more holiday fun, or if you’re already staying in this area, there’s even fun holiday decor over at each of the All-Star Resorts! Which all have holiday decor that matches their resort theme. One of my holiday trips I stayed at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, and the music inspired holiday decor was fantastic!
And if you’re not staying in the Disney Springs resort area, you can take a bus to Disney Springs to see all of the festivities happening there. (They have their own holiday event, the Christmas Tree Stroll!) After you finish at Disney Springs, use the boat transportation to head over to those area resorts to see the trees in their lobbies.
Depending on how much time you want to devote to your holiday resort tour will determine how many resorts you’ll be able to see.
Tips for a Magical Holiday Resort Tour
To make the most of your Disney resort holiday tour, plan for a relaxed pace and give yourself time to truly soak in the magic. Start early in the day and take some time to explore the atmosphere of each lobby.
Dress comfortably but don’t be afraid to add a little festive flair, because these are some of the most photogenic festive spots on property!
Here’s how we like to plan our Holiday Resort Tour Days:
- Make it a full day: Grab breakfast at one resort, tour during the day, and end with dinner at another.
- Use Disney transportation: The monorail, Skyliner, and boats make it easy to explore and go from place to place.
- Check for seasonal treats: Each resort often sells exclusive holiday cookies, cocoa, or gingerbread goodies.
- Time your tour for golden hour: Late afternoon into evening gives you both daylight and twinkling nighttime views.
This is always a highlight of my holiday trips and I’ve gotten some of my favorite holiday photos on resort tour days!
Download our free printable reference guide to the Walt Disney World resorts during the holidays!
What’s New (and Missing) for 2025
The biggest change this year is the absence of the Grand Floridian gingerbread house, which is on pause due to the lobby bar construction.
While that’s a loss for many long-time fans, it also gives visitors a chance to appreciate other displays that sometimes get overshadowed, like the Beach Club’s carousel or Animal Kingdom Lodge’s gingerbread safari.
Disney continues to elevate its resort decorations each season, and there’s still so much to enjoy across property. Every resort brings its own personality to the holidays!
Holiday Magic Beyond the Parks
A Disney World holiday resort tour is one of the best ways to experience the magic of the season. Also the best part is, it’s completely free to enjoy! You can hop between lobbies, admire the craftsmanship of the gingerbread creations, and even sip a peppermint mocha while soaking in the atmosphere.
So whether you’re visiting for a week or just want a low key day outside the parks, this self guided adventure is pure Disney holiday joy, no Lightning Lane required!
As you’re planning your holiday trip to Disney World, check out these other helpful articles below!
Disclaimer:
** All opinions are unbiased and independent. This post contains affiliate links. Moms with Mouse Ears is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
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