Hi Kimberly,
Thanks for stopping by the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question!
December is a lovely and beautiful time to visit the Walt Disney World Resort! The resort hotels are all decorated in their Christmas finery and there are so many things to delight all of your senses. I particularly love the Deluxe Resorts-their grand lobbies tend to have incredibly tall and fantastically decorated Christmas trees, along with plenty of decorations. If you haven't gotten into the Christmas spirit, these will give you cheer in spades!
You may pay to park at Disney's Transportation and Ticket Center and use both the world-famous
Monorail and
Walt Disney World Bus Service to travel all around the Walt Disney World Resort. Alternately, you may park for free at
Disney Springs and catch a bus to any Walt Disney World Resort hotel from there as well.
Kimberly, are you a gingerbread fan? I find that even folks that aren't fond of the flavor are still in love with the smell of gingerbread. There's something about it that really gets me into the holiday spirit. I'm a Florida local, so it doesn't get too cold in December-once I smell gingerbread, I know Christmas is coming soon. I also love seeing gingerbread used as an artistic medium, which Disney does incredibly well. I highly suggest a stop at
Disney's Beach Club Resort, which you can visit by bus. They have a beautiful gingerbread carousel each year that is such a spectacular sight and a wonderful first stop.
The Monorail will take you to
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa,
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and
Disney's Contemporary Resort. I love these resorts in December-bring your camera, as you will want to show your friends and family all that you've seen during your visit. The Contemporary Resort has had some fun gingerbread displays in the past, including theming from Frozen and Cinderella. I anticipate seeing what they have dreamed up for the display of the year at that resort.
The Grand Floridian offers a stunning gingerbread display that is truly photo-worthy. The lobby of the Grand Floridian is magnificent-a giant decorated tree stands in the center of the atrium and is breathtaking. There is a huge gingerbread house that is quite a sight to see. The
Disney Parks Blog often posts a time-lapse video showing how all the gingerbread is put together for this display, plus tells you how much gingerbread was made for the house. It's truly mind-blowing seeing it in person. Should you visit in the afternoon or evening, live music is available to enjoy as well.
Finally, you absolutely must visit
Disney Springs for a variety of sights and fun. Among the things to do: the Christmas Tree Trail, featuring trees dedicated to our favorite characters, Stitch's Holiday Gift Hunt, and finally, Santa's Chalet, where Santa meets kids of all ages for photos.
Kimberly, I hope your December visit is magical! Please come back and see us with any additional questions.
Best Wishes,
Amy S.