🎄The Official HOLIDAY DECORATIONS at Disney Resorts Thread🎄

[mrsap]

Hey guys! With the holidays just around the corner, I thought it would be beneficial to have a central thread to keep track of the Holiday Decorations as they arrive at Disney Resorts!

Although the dates vary each year, we might be able to get a rough idea of what to expect as the new year approaches. As resorts get decorated, Page 1 will be updated with current dates. Feel free to discuss all things holiday season here! Enjoy!!!

RESORT HOLIDAY DECORATIONS


​

NOVEMBER 2023

• All Star Movies - 11/16
• All Star Music - 11/16
• All Star Sports - 11/16
• Animal Kingdom: Jambo - 11/22
• Animal Kingdom: Kidani - 11/22
• Art of Animation Resort - 11/16
• Beach Club -
  • Gingerbread Carousel Began/Completed 11/8
  • Decorations Up 11/15
• Boardwalk Inn -
  • Decorations Up 11/14
  • Gingerbread Display Up 11/17
  • Treat Stand Opens 11/17
• Caribbean Beach - 11/16
• Contemporary -
  • Gingerbread House Construction Began 11/6
  • Gingerbread House Complete/Open 11/10
  • Outdoor Christmas Tree Up 11/17
• Coronado Springs - 11/16
• Fort Wilderness Resort - 11/15
• Grand Floridian -
  • Gingerbread House Construction Began 10/31
  • Gingerbread House Opened 11/8
  • Tree/Decorations Up 11/20
• Old Key West - 11/19
• Pop Century - 11/15
• Port Orleans - F.Q. - 11/17
• Port Orleans - Riverside - 11/18
• Polynesian Village - 11/18
• Riviera Resort - 11/17
• Saratoga Springs - 11/18
• Wilderness Lodge -
  • Treat Stand Arrives 11/15
  • Tree/Decorations Arrive 11/21
• Yacht Club -
  • Train Display Begins 11/9
  • Train Complete 11/10
  • Gingerbread Lighthouse Began 11/9
  • Gingerbread Lighthouse Complete 11/10
  • Decorations Arrive 11/16

 

[mrsap]

DECORATIONS OF HOLIDAYS PAST
​

NOVEMBER 2022

• All Star Movies - 11/18
• All Star Music - 11/18
• All Star Sports - 11/18
• Animal Kingdom: Jambo - 11/23
• Animal Kingdom: Kidani - 11/23
• Art of Animation Resort - 11/17
• Beach Club - 11/17
• Boardwalk Inn - Decorations 11/15, Gingerbread House Opened 11/17
• Caribbean Beach - 11/17
• Contemporary - Gingerbread House Completed 11/11, Decorations 11/19
• Coronado Springs - 11/17
• Fort Wilderness Resort - 11/15
• Grand Floridian - Gingerbread Construction Began 11/1- Opened 11/9, Tree and Decorations 11/21
• Old Key West - 11/21
• Pop Century - 11/16
• Port Orleans - F.Q. - 11/21
• Port Orleans - Riverside - 11/19
• Polynesian Village - 11/19
• Riviera Resort - 11/18
• Saratoga Springs - 11/22
• Wilderness Lodge - 11/22
• Yacht Club - Gingerbread Carousel up 10/31, Decorations 11/17

ADDITIONAL DATES DVC RESORTS:

VGF:
2022 - 11/21
2021 - 11/12
2020 - 11/13
2019 - 11/13
2018 - 11/17

Poly:
2022 - 11/19
2021 - 11/20
2020 - 11/14
2019 - 11/17
2018 - 11/18

BLT/Contemporary:
2022 - 11/19
2021 - 11/11
2020 - 11/13
2019 - 11/12
2018 - 11/14

CCV/Wilderness Lodge:
2022 - 11/22
2021 - 11/11
2020 - 11/12
2019 - 11/19
2018 - 11/20

AKL:
2022 - 11/23
2021 - 11/15
2020 - 11/14
2019 - 11/19
2018 - 11/21

Boardwalk:
2022 - 11/15
2021 - 11/19
2020 - 11/18
2019 - 11/15
2018 - 11/17

Beach/Yacht Club:
2022 - 11/17
2021 - 11/14
2020 - 11/20
2019 - 11/12
2018 - 11/16

SSR:
2022 - 11/22
2021 - 11/17
2020 - 11/14

Riviera:
2022 - 11/18
2021 - 11/19
2020 - 11/18

Thank you so much @Philsfan77 for sharing your DVC Decor data!! It’s truly appreciated!

 

[mrsap]

DISNEY RESORT HOLIDAY DECORATIONS​

Grand Floridian


Wilderness Lodge


Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo


Coronado


Boardwalk


Contemporary


Beach Club


Yacht Club

 

[mrsap]

HOLIDAY NEWS FOR 2023

​

*Gingerbread Houses will return to Disney Resort Hotels, with the addition of Yacht Club!

10/30 - Preparations Begin for 2023 Gingerbread House Installation at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

10/31 - Construction on Disney’s Grand Floridian Gingerbread House Has Begun

11/1 - Construction Continues as Grand Floridian Gingerbread House Prepares for November 8th Opening

11/3 - Food Guide to Walt Disney World Gingerbread House Displays During 2023 Holiday Season

11/6 - Foodie Guide to Holidays at Walt Disney World Resort 2023

11/6 - Construction Begins on Gingerbread Castle at Disney’s Contemporary Resort (Featuring Disney100 Medallion)

11/8 - Disney’s Grand Floridian Gingerbread House is Officially OPEN

11/9 - Train display is being assembled at Yacht Club

11/9 - Inaugural Gingerbread Lighthouse Under Construction at Yacht Club Resort for 2023 Holiday Season

11/10 - The Gingerbread display is complete/Store open at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

11/10 - The Giant Gingerbread Lighthouse & Christmas Village at
Disney’s Yacht Club is Complete

11/14 - Boardwalk trees/decorations are now up

11/15 - Pop Century Resort is Decked Out for the Holidays

11/15 - Holiday Treat Stand Arrives at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

11/15 - Disney’s Beach Club Resort Decorations Arrive

11/15 - Decorations Put Up at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

11/16 - Decorations and Tree Put Up at Disney’s Yacht Club

11/16 - Decorations Arrive at Art of Animation Resort

11/16 - Decorations Arrive at Caribbean Beach

11/16 - Decorations and Tree arrive in Coronado Springs

11/17 - Outside Tree and decorations arrive at Contemporary

11/17 - Decorations Arrive at Riviera Resort

11/17 - Treat Stand Opens at Boardwalk

11/18 - Decorations Arrive at Poly

11/18 - Decorations Arrive at PO Riverside

11/18 - Decorations Arrive at Saratoga Springs

11/19 - Decorations Arrive at Old Key West

11/20 -The Grand Christmas Tree and Decorations Arrive at Grand Floridian

11/21 - The Grand Tree and Decorations Arrive at Wilderness Lodge

11/22 - The Grand Tree and Decorations Arrive at Animal Kingdom Lodge

11/22 - Decorations and Teee arrive at Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani

 

[Finerfam]

This is amazing - thank you for starting the thread! I will be on my trip 11/10-11/17 and would love if we could see some decorations on our last night/morning. It would be so magical to wake up to a tree in the lobby on our departure day

 

[ErinF]

Thank you for doing this thread again!!! I used the one from last year to help me gauge for this year, as we are going for the first time during the holiday season—Nov 20-24 to be exact. I’m a little nervous and do hope AKL and WL are at least just a day earlier than last year. We are planning to have lunch at WL and see their decorations on Nov 21st and we have a Boma breakfast reservation on Nov 22nd with hopes to see theirs.

 

[mrsap]

This is amazing - thank you for starting the thread! I will be on my trip 11/10-11/17 and would love if we could see some decorations on our last night/morning. It would be so magical to wake up to a tree in the lobby on our departure day

Thank you for doing this thread again!!! I used the one from last year to help me gauge for this year, as we are going for the first time during the holiday season—Nov 20-24 to be exact. I’m a little nervous and do hope AKL and WL are at least just a day earlier than last year. We are planning to have lunch at WL and see their decorations on Nov 21st and we have a Boma breakfast reservation on Nov 22nd with hopes to see theirs.

I hope it works out for both of you!

 

[bama_ed]

DECORATIONS OF HOLIDAYS PAST
​

NOVEMBER 2022

• All Star Movies - 11/18
• All Star Music - 11/18
• All Star Sports - 11/18
• Animal Kingdom: Jambo - 11/23
• Animal Kingdom: Kidani - 11/23
• Art of Animation Resort - 11/17
• Beach Club - 11/17
• Boardwalk Inn - Decorations 11/15, Gingerbread House Opened 11/17
• Caribbean Beach - 11/17
• Contemporary - Gingerbread House Completed 11/16, Decorations 11/19
• Coronado Springs - 11/17
• Fort Wilderness Resort - 11/-9
• Grand Floridian - Gingerbread Construction Began 11/1- Opened 11/9, Tree and Decorations 11/21
• Old Key West - 11/21
• Pop Century - 11/16
• Port Orleans - F.Q. - 11/21
• Port Orleans - Riverside - 11/19
• Polynesian Village - 11/19
• Riviera Resort - 11/18
• Saratoga Springs - 11/22
• Wilderness Lodge - 11/22
• Yacht Club - Gingerbread Carousel up 10/31, Decorations 11/17
• All Star Movies - 11/18
• All Star Music - 11/18
• All Star Sports - 11/18
• Animal Kingdom: Jambo - 11/23
• Animal Kingdom: Kidani - 11/23
• Art of Animation Resort - 11/17
• Beach Club - 11/17
• Boardwalk Inn - Decorations 11/15, Gingerbread House Opened 11/17
• Caribbean Beach - 11/17
• Contemporary - Gingerbread House Completed 11/16, Decorations 11/19
• Coronado Springs - 11/17
• Fort Wilderness Resort - 11/-9
• Grand Floridian - Gingerbread Construction Began 11/1- Opened 11/9, Tree and Decorations 11/21
• Old Key West - 11/21
• Pop Century - 11/16
• Port Orleans - F.Q. - 11/21
• Port Orleans - Riverside - 11/19
• Polynesian Village - 11/19
• Riviera Resort - 11/18
• Saratoga Springs - 11/22
• Wilderness Lodge - 11/22
• Yacht Club - Gingerbread Carousel up 10/31, Decorations 11/17

Not sure what the source of these dates are but I was at Fort Wilderness last November for two weeks.

It's impossible for everyone to be everywhere every day/night on every square foot of a resort but I was camped down by Pioneer Hall, Hoop Dee Doo, Trails End, for the week before Thanksgiving and week of Thanksgiving.

To be specific, I checked into the Fort on 11/13/22. These were the Christmas decorations at the check-in building that same morning. That's well after the posted 11/9 date of the replied thread above.

This was on page 4 of our FW Trip report thread for November 2022.

As I reported, I saw the first resort decorations go up anywhere the night of 11/15 (morning of 11/16).

See post #80

As I also posted in the thread above, it took a few nights to get electrical extension cords to light up the lights that were part of these decorations. So even when they're up they're not "ready for prime time" yet.

So I can't put much faith in the 2022 resort dates posted above other than the gingerbread houses.

Bama Ed

 

[mrsap]

To be specific, I checked into the Fort on 11/13/22. These were the Christmas decorations at the check-in building that same morning. That's well after the posted 11/9 date of the replied thread above.

Bama Ed

Actually, Bama Ed, it was just a typo. If you noticed, I had written 11/-9. I meant to write 11/19, which is the date I quoted you HERE. I started typing this up at 6am this morning so please excuse my error.

Resort dates are based on the blogs post dates from last year’s holiday thread. If you would like to check all the dates for accuracy, please be my guest. Just trying to be helpful.

 

[bama_ed]

Actually, Bama Ed, it was just a typo. If you noticed, I had written 11/-9. I meant to write 11/19, which is the date I quoted you HERE. I started typing this up at 6am this morning so please excuse my error.

Cool, glad I could be the copy editor on the Fort entry. And the 19th was around the time the decorations were finished with the extension cords going up.

 

[LordVader]

This is discouraging lol. I'm taking my family for our first time to WDW on November 8th-13th and was hoping decorations would be up on the resorts or at least maybe Disney Springs? I thought that since MVMCP happens on the 9th the resorts and etc would follow suit.

Crossing my fingers we get lucky! At least we'll be at the first party day at MK on the 9th and we'll be going on our first cruise which is a Disney Merrytime Cruise lol. So no shortage of Christmas but wouldn't mind more.

 

[gottalovepluto]

This is discouraging lol. I'm taking my family for our first time to WDW on November 8th-13th and was hoping decorations would be up on the resorts or at least maybe Disney Springs? I thought that since MVMCP happens on the 9th the resorts and etc would follow suit.

Crossing my fingers we get lucky! At least we'll be at the first party day at MK on the 9th and we'll be going on our first cruise which is a Disney Merrytime Cruise lol. So no shortage of Christmas but wouldn't mind more.

Resort decor is unlikely as you can see so I would count that out now but park decor you’ll see. MK for sure. DHS and AK might be up as they were early Nov last year and DHS has to be ready for its own parties this year. Disney Springs was also underway early Nov last year!

 

[LordVader]

Resort decor is unlikely as you can see so I would count that out now but park decor you’ll see. MK for sure. DHS and AK might be up as they were early Nov last year and DHS has to be ready for its own parties this year. Disney Springs was also underway early Nov last year!

You think there's a chance that the Christmas Tree Stroll at Disney Springs might be ready?

 

[gottalovepluto]

You think there's a chance that the Christmas Tree Stroll at Disney Springs might be ready?

It started 11/11 last year

 

[mickey916]

Here's some pictures I took last year from some of the other resorts (after mrsap convinced me to book a trip) :

Fort Wilderness:


Riviera:


Art of Animation:


Pop Century:


All Star Music:


All Star Movies:


All Star Sports:


Saratoga Springs:


Port Orleans French Quarter:


Dolphin:



Thanks to Southwest offering 50% off flights, we're going again this year. Can't wait!

 

[mrsap]

Here's some pictures I took last year from some of the other resorts (after mrsap convinced me to book a trip) :

Fort Wilderness:
View attachment 803732

Riviera:
View attachment 803734

Art of Animation:
View attachment 803735

Pop Century:
View attachment 803736

All Star Music:
View attachment 803737

All Star Movies:
View attachment 803738

All Star Sports:
View attachment 803739

Saratoga Springs:
View attachment 803740

Port Orleans French Quarter:
View attachment 803742

Dolphin:

View attachment 803744

Thanks to Southwest offering 50% off flights, we're going again this year. Can't wait!

Hey! How are you?! Good, I hope!!! Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing!!!! I’m so happy you went last year!! Nothing like the holiday season in Disney!!! When are you going this year?!

 

[mickey916]

Hey! How are you?! Good, I hope!!! Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing!!!! I’m so happy you went last year!! Nothing like the holiday season in Disney!!! When are you going this year?!

I'm doing great! We loved it so much last year. I thought it would be a one and done for us but just couldn't pass up going again when I saw cheap flights! We're going 11/28-12/6. Since this was a spur of the moment trip we decided to stay offsite to save some $. When are you going? Glad to see you're still around the DISboards! Hope you are well too!

 

[TinkAgainU]

This is discouraging lol. I'm taking my family for our first time to WDW on November 8th-13th and was hoping decorations would be up on the resorts or at least maybe Disney Springs? I thought that since MVMCP happens on the 9th the resorts and etc would follow suit.

Crossing my fingers we get lucky! At least we'll be at the first party day at MK on the 9th and we'll be going on our first cruise which is a Disney Merrytime Cruise lol. So no shortage of Christmas but wouldn't mind more.

Good news is you'll have a lot of decor to appreciate between the party and cruise. It might be a "blessing" to not have everything up when you arrive, gives you something to look forward to on a "next" Holiday Trip to WDW and might mean a little smaller crowds If you've not been to WDW you'll have a LOT to look at already. When I can't get on a new ride, I'm always sad, but then take it as a "sign" I should come back and do that next time!

 

[mrsap]

I'm doing great! We loved it so much last year. I thought it would be a one and done for us but just couldn't pass up going again when I saw cheap flights! We're going 11/28-12/6. Since this was a spur of the moment trip we decided to stay offsite to save some $. When are you going? Glad to see you're still around the DISboards! Hope you are well too!

I’m good, thanks!! So happy you’re going back! It really is the perfect time of year to go!! I hope you enjoy it!!!

 

[Shellyred8]

Don't forget the Swan and Dolphin (mostly the Swan). The usually have some sort of display made of chocolate and it smells amazing!!!!

I haven't been to the Swan Reserve during the Christmas season. Does anyone know if they do anything for a big Christmas display? Or just general Christmas decorations like the Dolphin usually does?