Welcome to planDisney, Tara. I'm so happy you're planning your festive trip for next year around the holidays. What a great time to get some of the details in order!
Visiting the
Disney Resorts Collection Hotels is one of my favorite things to do around the holidays. The entire resort is decorated so beautifully and I especially love to visit the hotels that have
gingerbread displays. And of course, there's just nothing like
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Christmas time. The grandeur of this hotel and that amazing Gingerbread House just make it a classic and a must-visit any time I'm there during the holidays! Just make sure you don't visit at the very beginning of November as not all of these wonderful offerings will be ready. Mid-November is usually a safe bet, but stay tuned to the
Disney Parks Blog leading up to your vacation!
Parking at the Disney Resorts Collection Hotels is strictly limited to Guests who are staying there or Guests who have an advanced dining reservation at the hotel. So, you can either plan to dine at one of their wonderful restaurants or you can take a break from your day at
Magic Kingdom Park and hop on the monorail to tour the three resorts on the monorail line. Then, once you're done, hop back on the monorail for more magic back in the park!
Even when it's not the holidays, I usually try to take a mid-day break and escape to one of the hotels on the monorail line for a nice lunch and to take in the sights! Some of my favorite restaurants at these hotels are
Steakhouse 71 at
Disney's Contemporary Resort,
Narcoosee's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and the underrated
Kona Cafe at
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. But these are just a few of the options!
Don't forget that there are usually gingerbread displays at some of the hotels on Disney's BoardWalk, including
Disney's Beach Club Resort and
Disney's BoardWalk Inn. I suggest you visit these during an
EPCOT day as you can exit the park in the middle of the day at the International Gateway near the United Kingdom Pavilion and easily walk to them. And while you're there, you might as well visit
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney's Beach Club Resort. And since you'll be on vacation, I think an over-the-top milkshake is in order, so make sure you get one during your meal!
Tara, I wish you a year of excitement as you plan your ultimate holiday vacation. And then once it arrives, I hope it's full of holiday magic only the Walt Disney World Resort can deliver!
If you have any other questions,
please reach out directly to me and I'll get those answers to you right away!
The cold never bothered me anyway,
Matt