Since I just returned from a glorious week at Disney World, I thought I would share one of my favorite free magical activities during the holiday season! Although, the resorts are wonderful to tour all year round, during the holiday season they are just extra special! We spent a whole day just going around the resorts to see the various decorations.
Transportation is easy-peasy to the resorts from the parks, just hop the monorail, a bus, or boat. All the resorts display gigantic Christmas trees in their lobby as well as the most beautiful garland and wreaths I have ever seen! However, I love the edible displays!
Grand Floridian’s playhouse-size Victorian gingerbread house complete with porch is at the back of the lobby near the Grand Floridian Spa & Resort. The Grand Floridian celebrates its 15th year of this gingerbread house this year! This house will make you want to nibble, nibble like Hansel & Gretel! The orchestra upstairs is playing wonderful holiday music while the lights, tree and Gingerbread house dazzle your eyes!
Boardwalk’s Holiday Gazebo made out of gingerbread and chocolate is hosting retail kits so you can take home some edible magic and create your own delightful gingerbread and chocolate decorations! Stitch has his helpers working right in the lobby creating gingerbread houses right in front of you!
Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts holiday carousel has been spinning for 13 years! The chocolate and gingerbread carousel horses are just gorgeous as they go round the carousel. Just between you and me, the white chocolate with blue flowers was my favorite! But that’s not all the eye candy at Yacht and Beach Club Resorts! Also featured is a beautiful lighthouse resembling the lighthouse on the bay outside the Yacht club and an undersea arrangement of seashells, columns, and plants that Ariel would be proud to snack on! This year the Yacht and Beach Club Resort chef was especially generous and gives us an edible recipe scroll to make our own gingerbread carousel! Don’t forget to explore a bit around the lobby so you can catch the miniature train chugging its way around and through a sugar rock mountain and village!
The Grand Canyon Concourse at Disney’s Contemporary Resort decked out with a gingerbread Christmas tree hosting ornaments, presents, and candy canes. Grab a snack of Monorail shortbread and chocolate peppermint cookies while you ogle this tree!
This little excursion takes us most of a day to complete but it is completely free including the transportation! Our favorite resort to wind up our touring day is the Wilderness Lodge. Not only does it host a huge tree, lots of garland, and wreaths, but the rocking chairs and squishy couches in the lobby just whisper our names to just sit a spell! We’ve found touring the resorts to be a great break from the hustle of the parks while still providing Disney Magic!
Editor: To see photos of Leigh Anne’s Disney Christmas resort tour, check out her photos on The Affordable Mouse Facebook page! :)
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Leigh Anne, originally from Mississippi, lives in North Alabama with her husband and a menagerie of furry kids (FIDS), including dogs, cats, exotic birds, fish and a lionhead rabbit. Figment, her African Grey parrot, is named after Disney’s small purple dragon, Figment. She works as a motivational speaker and pastoral counselor. In 1974, Leigh Anne marched with the Enka High Marching Band in the Magic Kingdom daytime parade. Leigh Anne fell in love with Disney while on her Disney honeymoon with her husband in 2002. They have made an annual trip back to Disney to celebrate their anniversary every year since. Since they own a piece of the mouse with their Disney Vacation Club (DVC), some years they go twice! She also plans to be the grandmother that introduces all her grandchildren to Disney World first. She has a great start ~ 2 out of 3 so far! As a DVC member married to the best Disney shopper in the world, Leigh Anne has lots of experience in finding the most frugal way to have the most fun in the parks and resorts! Leigh Anne admits to being spoiled as a DVC member but is always on the lookout to keep their WDW vacations fun and frugal! She blogs at Queen of Hysteria and tweets @la_haygood
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