Hi Karen! Welcome to planDisney.
December is the most merry and magical time to visit the Walt Disney World Resort! The weather is dreamy, with cooler mornings and evenings, and earlier sunsets mean you can enjoy the lights and ambiance in the theme parks and resorts. Don't even get me started on the holiday treats and drinks! I'm so happy to hear you're planning a Christmastime visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth.
I have visited in late November and early December several times, and the
holiday magic is usually in the air by Thanksgiving. Usually, the theme parks are decorated first in early to mid-November, and the resorts are decked out by early December. Each
Disney Resorts Collection hotel has its own holiday decor theme, and it's impossible to choose a favorite, though the majestic tree in the lobby at
Disney's Wilderness Lodge and the life-sized gingerbread house at
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa are definitely contenders.
My advice is to watch the
Disney Parks Blog and Walt Disney World Resort's social media feeds this year to see when decorations begin to appear. Your pals here at planDisney are sharing our tips and discoveries from inside the parks and resorts on our
Instagram page, so be sure to follow along with us for lots of festive fun. We won't know about 2022's holiday plans until sometime in mid-2022, and often we don't get official dates for the decorations to appear - Guests just arrive one day and discover a winter wonderland of holiday magic. Having said all that, my experience and best guess is that by December 1, the theme parks will have decked their halls!
Karen, as you make your list and check it twice, the elves here at planDisney are happy to help! Please come back and see us if you have any questions about your visit to the Walt Disney World Resort.
Wishing you the happiest holiday,
Robyn