Christmas at Disney Resorts Top 10

Visiting Walt Disney World during the holidays is made a whole lot easier when you know where to stay. While all Disney Resorts at Christmas are great and bring the magic with fun snacks and decorated lobbies, some Disney Resorts simply feel better during Walt Disney World’s busiest time of year. If you’re looking for festive decorations, specialty snacks, extra fun, and scents of balsam in the air, here are the Best Disney World Resorts for Christmas. And if you’re looking for the best places at Disney World to stay for Christmas, we’re sharing the resorts and hotels that offer easy transportation, fewer crowds, more conveniences, holiday surprises too. 

Walt Disney World at Christmastime is simply magical. And you can’t really go wrong with any Disney World resorts for Christmas time! They’re all beautifully decorated and beautifully themed. Disney hotels at Christmas can be a destination all their own. Stop by to check out the decorations. Grab some holiday snacks. And easily spend a whole non-park day for FREE, just exploring the Disney hotels decorated for Christmas.

We are big fans of taking a break from the Parks during what’s considered to be the busiest time of year and heading over to the resorts. Each resort is all decked out for Christmas in its own theme, so it can be difficult to know where to start! Read on for our favorite Disney resorts to visit at Christmas time. And if you’re really committed, we consider these some of the best places to stay at Disney World for Christmas too. 

What are the Best Disney Resorts At Christmas?

Visiting Walt Disney World For the Holidays means tons of magic. But it can also be overwhelming! This is why your Disney Resort choice is so important. Having been to Walt Disney World for Christmas, we know that there are a lot of things that will try your patience. ( Or at least tried ours.) Test your tolerance levels ( helloooo one hour wait at the bus depot.) And test your ability to function as a kind human being (how long is this line gonna take?). Long lines, first-time visitors, family arguments, and the feeling of having to get it all done before you go can often leave you feeling defeated.

As you can probably guess, these are not the things Disney Christmas Dreams are made of. That’s why we’re going to make it easy for you! With on site restaurants, easy transportation options, and gorgeous Disney Christmas Decorations at the resorts, these are some of the most fun places to stay for the holidays at Disney World.

While some of the best Disney World Resorts for Christmas are Disney Deluxe Resorts, we’ve added some moderate resorts into this mix as well, to give you options if you’re looking for places to stay at Disney World for Christmas on a Budget. 

When do Disney Resorts decorate for Christmas?

Generally, Walt Disney World starts decorating Magic Kingdom on November 1st and everywhere else is completely festive by November 15th. But, in general you can expect to see Magic Kingdom fully decorated for Christmas by the first week of November. After that, it’s like a slow trickle of decorations around Walt Disney World. Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom typically have all their Christmas stuff up by mid-November, and EPCOT has all it’s halls decked by the time the Festival of Holidays rolls around later in November. The Disney World Resort Christmas Decorations however, tend to go up last, but you can expect to see them dressed up for the holidays around by the third week in November.

Fort Wilderness Resort at Christmas

As girls who love a good fancy resort, our newfound love of Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds was a surprise. But it is by far one of the Best Disney World Resorts for Christmas. With everything you need on-site, you can settle in and just enjoy the season. The Trails End Restaurant offers great family and budget-friendly options, and you can get takeout to bring back to your site too. We have stayed in both the cabins at Fort Wilderness and rented an RV at Fort Wilderness. And they’re both great options that give you a totally different Walt Disney World experience!

Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds transportation options include a Ferry to Magic Kingdom and access to Disney Buses. But for the transportation within the resort, you can rent a Golf Cart. We highly recommend getting a golf cart so you can make the most of your stay at Disney’s most expansive resort in the wilderness.

During the holiday’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds get dressed up to the nines! Campers, RV’s, and Fort Wilderness Cabin guests alike all decorate the campsite, and areas for the holidays. Complete with lights, trees, blow-up figures, and wreaths. Think Christmas lights, life-size castles, Cinderella carriages, the works. The possibilities are endless here, and you can easily make a night out of these festive holiday displays. This is one of our favorite Disney World Resorts for Christmas. Rent a Golf Cart, grab a cocoa and make the most of it!  Drive around the 22 campground loops and the rest of the resort to get a glimpse of all the festive decorations for Christmas.

The Grand Floridian Resort at Christmas –Gingerbread House UNAVAILABLE IN 2025 ( due to construction)

As Walt Disney World’s most expensive resort the Christmas decorations sure live up to the bill. With a huge multi-story legacy Christmas Tree in the lobby, the Grand Floridian is a must-see for the holidays. So if you’re eager to check it out, but can’t stomach the high holiday cost, maybe only stay a night or two with a Disney Resort Hopping experience instead. This is one of the Disney World Resorts for Christmas that you simply cannot miss. 

The Grand Floridian is a Disney Monorail Resort, which means guests get access to the best, and fastest transportation in the parks. For guests at the Grand Floridian Resort, your first stop on the monorail is Magic Kingdom. Is that convenient or what??? And if you’re up for visiting the other monorail resorts or EPCOT, the monorail can get you there too! If you’re looking for no-fuss transportation that gets you close to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and that always leads you back to your resort, this may be the place to stay for you!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is at the very top of our resort list for Christmas at Walt Disney World. Featuring a life-size gingerbread house, that just fills the entire resort lobby with the most wonderful holiday smells, this gingerbread house is a masterpiece in itself. They actually start creating this beauty in June! A sight to behold, this is one Disney World Resorts for Christmas not to miss; and even better, it’s an easy ride on the monorail from Magic Kingdom. So if you’re tight on time, this is an easy one to fit into your schedule.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at Christmas

Absolutely one of the BEST Disney World Resorts for Christmas, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge brings home everything we love about Christmas. With an amazing lobby-sized tree, a small gingerbread log cabin, cozy stuff in the gift shop, a warm fireplace, and S’mores Coffee over at Roaring Fork Café, everything you need for a cozy holiday is here.

An easy boat ride over from Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is one of our all-time favorite resorts on Walt Disney World property. And at Christmas, it gets even better. The rustic charm of this resort is so cozy and inviting and even more so at Christmas. This resort was made for Christmas! With the 60-foot Christmas tree in the lobby, plenty of decorations throughout, Christmas music playing, and their signature fireplace, this resort will give you a homey, relaxing holiday feel. We’d argue that during the holidays, it may actually be the best place to escape those Christmas crowds.

Caribbean Beach Resort at Christmas

We definitely have a soft spot for the Caribbean Beach Resort at Walt Disney World. So it’s no surprise that it made this list, but we have a good cause! We promise. Frankly, nothing is more fun than Christmas on an island, and that’s the feeling of Caribbean Beach Resort at Christmas. Add in stellar transportation options and this may be the Christmas Vacation you were looking for.

The Disney Skyliner hub is based at Caribbean Beach which means you get access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios via the Disney Skyliner. And once at EPCOT, you can take the monorail to the TTC to head to Magic Kingdom. So if you’re looking for really easy transportation this is it.

Caribbean Beach Resort during the holidays gets a tropical tree in the lobby, island Christmas music, and holiday movie nights on the lawn! If you’re looking for relaxation, on Christmas Island, this is it. And if you’re up for it, head over the Le Petit Cafe at the neighboring Disney Rivera Resort for specialty Christmas drinks, and seasonal snacks. While CBR does have these, the  specialty cafe at Rivera, just has more. Definitely one of the most laid back Disney World Resorts for Christmas.

The Boardwalk Inn at Christmas

Another favorite Boardwalk Area resort is The Boardwalk Inn. While this Disney World Resorts for Christmas has holiday displays that change every year, you can count on classic, vintage décor that may seem like something out of a Norman Rockwell Christmas card. In the past, they’ve had gingerbread houses and other fun displays in the lobby as well as a beautifully adorned Christmas tree on the front lawn.

By far one of our favorite parts about staying at this Disney World Resort for Christmas is the easy transportation options. Sure, you may be thinking that’s not magical, but it really, really is. This Disney Resort is within walking distance of both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. And its location on the Boardwalk means you get easy access to restaurants at the Beach and Yacht Club, and the Swan and Dolphin Resorts too. Plus, access to the walking path between the parks, means you can get close to the action. And simply walk to both the EPCOT Festival of Holidays and Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios. And frankly, any options that keep us off the buses at Christmastime is a godsend, so we’ll take it! 

As part of the many Gingerbread Displays at Disney World, you can see across select Disney Resorts, and at EPCOT, the Boardwalk Inn features on all it’s own. Showcasing a mini Disney Boardwalk, you can see miniature Disney Gingerbread Houses of restaurants and even Mickey and Minnie, baking up a storm! 

The Beach Club at Christmas

If you’re looking for an easygoing beachy Christmas, then Disney’s Beach Club at Disney’s Boardwalk is the best place to stay. Let’s face it, the holidays can get stressful, but heading into the Beach Club’s lobby, scented with cucumber and aloe fixes almost everything. They are also home to the iconic Gingerbread Carousel, and seasonal snacks at the Market at Ale and Compass. Add in a laid back vibe and one of the best pools at Disney World, and you’ll see why staying here or visiting the Disney World Resorts for Christmas is a good idea. 

Making this one of the best Disney World Resorts for Christmas, The Beach Club is home to the Disney Gingerbread Carousel. This resort has a 20+ year tradition of building a gingerbread carousel, themed with Disney characters, that is larger than life. So you can be sure to have gingerbread smells and whimsy to cheer you up every time you walk through the lobby. This carousel actually moves and includes a giant gingerbread recipe card to share the hundreds of pounds of ingredients to make it. Did we mention every carousel has hidden Mickeys too? Yep, you can take some time and see if you can find the little mickey heads added to this giant confection. And then head to the nearby gingerbread shop to pick up treats for later. 

The Yacht Club at Christmas

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort has its own kind of magic. Not only does it have a grand Christmas tree in its own lobby, but as home to the Ale and Compass Lounge, also gets you access to seasonal drinks, and menus. And since you’ll already be headed to the Beach Club (which you should be), it’s an easy stop next door that’s well worth the extra steps. During the holidays, The Yacht Club features a gingerbread lighthouse as part of it’s Gingerbread display in the lobby, along with Christmas trees that it make it one of the best Disney World Resorts for Christmas.

The Yacht Club has recently entered the Disney Gingerbread display game with a room sized, gingerbread lighthouse! The lighthouse can be found in the lobby, near to the train village that is also set up complete with a running train, mountains, and shops. Add Christmas trees in the lobby and place to grab Gingerbread cookies to snack and we’re happy to just hang out here most of the day, watching that little train. 

Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower at Christmas

Gran Destino Tower often flies under the radar. It’s technically not a standalone resort, is slightly out of the way, and is part of a large, moderate resort.  But we think it deserves a lot more attention than it gets, and Christmas is no exception. We think this is a great Disney World Resorts for Christmas to visit for a few reasons. It has a gorgeous towering Christmas tree, reminiscent of what you’d see in a deluxe resort. Along with that, it also has several other smaller trees all around the lobby that just add a little something extra. And if you’re looking for an extra special Christmas stay, it has the Chronos Club, which is one of the best Disney Club Level Lounges. 

The only Disney World Resort for Christmas we would consider a little tougher to get to, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort only offers Bus transportation to the park, and Disney Springs. That said, we still think its very much worth the visit. 

The gorgeous tree at Gran Destino Tower is enough of a reason to visit this resort. But we also love that Toledo and the Dahlia Lounge often have seasonal menus and drinks to try. You can even see gorgeous Christmas decorations strewn up outside the resort for the holidays. Check out everything to do at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort for Christmas. 

Animal Kingdom Lodge at Christmas

Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of our favorite resorts, especially at Christmastime! Not only does it have one of our favorite Christmas trees, but it now also has a gingerbread life-sized baby giraffe display! Found at Jambo house, you can see the 4-story legacy Christmas Tree, and the Gingerbread Giraffe and Zebra in the lobby! Plus, if you’re heading to Kidani Village, you can see even more Christmas Trees and sometimes hear the Christmas Carolers in the lobby!

Animal Kingdom Lodge is another of the Disney World Resorts for Christmas that only offers Bus service. While this tends to be a travesty during busy times, we like that it encourages us to stay at the resort more. 

During the holiday season you can find arts and crafts in the lobby, seasonal drinks at the lounges and decorations everywhere. Spread across two buildings, you can see decorations at both Kidani Village and Jambo House, all while watching the animals on the savannah. So grab a rocking chair and settle in with some hot cocoa, for a cozy resort day, while you wait for the s’mores roasting and holiday movie shown each evening. 

The Gingerbread display at Animal Kingdom includes Ginger-affe along with the baby zebra Debra, who’s made of chocolate. We love this new addition to the resort for the holidays.  It really showcases the incredible skill of the pastry team there, and well it’s just really cool to see! You can also find fun holiday snacks and treats at The Mara, the quick-service restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Be sure to read our post on the Gingerbread Display at Animal Kingdom Lodge for Christmas. 

Christmas at Disney World Resorts

As you can see, there is so much magic around the Walt Disney World resorts at Christmas! The holidays are simply magical at this time, and visiting the resorts is one of our favorite activities. And best of all, it’s one of the Free Things to Do at Disney World for Christmas! And even if you’re not able to stay at or visit one of the deluxe resorts on this list, all of the resorts are beautifully adorned. So no matter where you are, you can still enjoy the festive feelings throughout Walt Disney World.

And, just like at the parks, you can find Disney Christmas merchandise at each resort for the season. Backpacks, hoodies, treats, decor and Mickey Ears all show up in the shops at the Disney World Resorts for Christmas.  As such, be sure to grab a cute souvenir during your visit or stay. Or head to the Disney Store Holiday Shop for ornaments and gifts. 

Hopefully, this has given you some amazing resorts to try out this holiday season at Walt Disney World. Be sure to let us know your favorite places to stay  and visit at Disney World during Christmas time. When it comes to Disney World Resorts for Christmas we don’t think you can ever have enough amazing choices to choose from. Have we convinced you to visit these resorts at Christmas? We sure hope so! Imagineers spend months working on resort decorations, so be sure to plan some downtime in your holiday trip to enjoy all that the season has to offer