Holiday Crowds & Christmas Magic: Help Me Choose Between Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge!

[minniekimp]

Planning my first-ever trip to WDW this Christmas (the week of) and need some advice—Wilderness Lodge or Grand Floridian for a solo holiday. Costs are about the same, so I’m hoping for insights from those who’ve stayed at either during the holidays.

The Grand Floridian looks beautiful with its holiday decorations and newly renovated rooms. However, I’ve read that it gets super packed during the holidays and I also saw that the monorail lines can get quite long. I’m less worried about the monorail since I can walk to MK, but I’m wondering if it’s worth staying onsite given the crowds. Does it feel totally chaotic? Do you still feel like you have privacy staying onsite?

Wilderness Lodge, on the other hand, looks so cozy, and I’ve heard it’s also beautifully decorated for Christmas. But, I’m a little worried about the boat transportation to Magic Kingdom—could that be just as hectic as the monorail at the Grand Floridian?

Any tips or personal experiences? I’m also doing a split stay, starting at Yacht Club, for context. Appreciate any advice—I’m excited but a bit overwhelmed by the options!

 

[wildlodger]

Hi there! In my experience, I've found the boat to be better than the monorail, though you could also walk back to the Grand Flo, so that's a bonus. If transportation is the deal breaker, Grand Flo has a walkway, boat, and monorail, while Wilderness only has the boat as an addition to the buses.

Wilderness is the smallest resort on the property, so in terms of crowds, the Lodge is the better option. Their Christmas tree is also the tallest indoor Christmas tree on all of property and is gorgeous.

Dining-wise, Grand Flo takes the cake with the Enchanted Rose and Citricos lounges. Plus, their beach area is lovely. Wilderness has Geyser Point, which has a clear lake view and great food. They do have a nice fireplace and rocking chairs to sit in both the main lobby and Boulder Ridge. In terms of the number of food options, Grand Flo wins. Both have lovely areas to sit.

I suppose if you want a cozy, warm Christmas, then Wilderness is the best choice. An elegant and bright Christmas would be more Grand. Overall, you can't go wrong!

One note: Wilderness is undergoing external refurb right now, and they don't have an exact end date. That may impact your experience.

Enjoy yourself!! Yacht will be lovely, too.

 

[pinkxray]

We haven’t been the week of Xmas, but have stayed at both right after Thanksgiving. They are my 2 favorite resorts. You can’t go wrong with either. The monorail can be tough at peak times at GF since it is the last stop before MK. We typically walk to MK and take the boat back, so that avoids the monorail most of the time.

Grand Floridian is my favorite resort on property unless Xmas decor is up. If Xmas decor is up, WL is my favorite. I just enjoy the decor and theming more at WL, which will be personal preference. Either resort will get busy Xmas week with visitors from offsite/other resorts. For me I feel like the lobby at GF gets more hectic.

Both have good food options. Both are pretty easy to use transportation to explore other resorts. Transportation will be hit or miss no matter which resort you pick. The boat to MK from WL has always been great, the only trouble we’ve had is waiting after the fireworks. We traveled with a double stroller so didn’t catch the first boat. Once you are past strollers, it is pretty easy to get the boats. They come quickly.

Overall they are both awesome resorts, especially during Xmas season. I would pick based on which decor you want to spend time in.

 

[gottalovepluto]

WL would be my pick but it’s also chaotic during the day and night as everyone comes to see the decor.

If you’re worried about the WL boat they offer a bus to MK that doesn’t tend to be crowded.

 

[Bete]

You can't beat the Grand Floridian for Christmas time; it's simply gorgeous.

Although, it's a busy place it's not really packed to the nth degree.

The monorail not only connects you to the parks but also other resorts like the Polynesian. This expands your eating choices and your holiday decorations to look at.

The monorail fits a lot of passengers; so, the waits aren't that bad. Also, they come pretty fast.

Your commutes will be shorter staying at the Grand Floridian compared to Wilderness Lodge.

 

[Cybertruck]

Wilderness Lodge at Christmas is our favorite and we have been there several times including this past Christmas. A Christmas morning traditional for us and the kids (all adults now) after we open the presents Santa has left is the Christmas Monorail crawl. We take the boat to start off with another round of coffee at Contempo Café, Then walk and use the monorail to see all the Christmas decorations. Of course snacks, adult beverages and lunch are a requirement if you decided to partake this adventure yourself.

The Wilderness Lodge also has wonderful nooks to soak of the Christmas atmosphere without all the crowds. Grand Floridian is just too crowded for our us to consider a Christmas stay. But it Christmas decorations are worth the visit.

Our Christmas week trips over the last several years are resort only stays. One of our favorite past times during these trips is to see how many modes of transpositions (including walking) we can use to get from point A to B. The spilt stay will enable you to see of the best resorts at Christmas. Enjoy!

 

[TinkAgainU]

WDW solo around the holidays is a blast! I would pick GF since the monorail gives you so many fun options to resort hop. Don't forget to watch the fireworks on the dock one night - the dark sky and music piped in are amazing. I stayed at GF last holiday, then took an Uber to Wilderness for one meal and to wander around - it was beautiful and restful - then took the boat back to the Magic Kingdom, then boat to GF.

 

[minniekimp]

WDW solo around the holidays is a blast! I would pick GF since the monorail gives you so many fun options to resort hop. Don't forget to watch the fireworks on the dock one night - the dark sky and music piped in are amazing. I stayed at GF last holiday, then took an Uber to Wilderness for one meal and to wander around - it was beautiful and restful - then took the boat back to the Magic Kingdom, then boat to GF.

Sounds like you had a great holiday! Did the GF lobby being so crowded affect your experience at all? Also, how were the monorail crowds and wait times?

 

[TinkAgainU]

The lobby can be overly busy during the holidays, but I made a point to go there with a cup of coffee early in the morning or glass of wine in the later evening to enjoy the quiet. Monorails were fine during the day (often had to wait for the second train, so be prepared to wait for 10 minutes or so). You are going to see a lot of "extra" tourists during the holidays who want to see the decorations and ride the monorail - that is just a trade off. Be sure to grab some mickey holiday tshirts or holiday ears and simply join in the fun. Book dining reservations (you can cancel them as you get closer) so you have options for meals. I Uber whenever I want to check out other places like Boardwalk, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs without the bus - honestly, it added little to my trip cost overall - just look on Uber and compare that to the walk to the bus at the time I figured if I rode the bus half the time, that was enough The Monorail, Skyliner, and Boats add a lot of fun to a disney trip so use whenever you can!

 

[minniekimp]

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful and detailed responses! I really appreciate all the insights into both resorts. It sounds like the monorail at GF can be busy, but it moves quickly, and the boat from WL is super convenient, which puts my mind at ease. I love the idea of walking to MK from GF and the variety of dining options there. At the same time, the cozy, festive vibe of WL is really appealing as well. Hearing about everyone’s great experiences is getting me even more excited!

I do plan on exploring the other resorts and taking advantage of any on-site amenities. Since I’ll probably be spending most of my time in the parks or exploring, do you think my home resort being crowded would really affect my experience if I’m mostly using my room for downtime? I’m hoping for a peaceful space to relax in when I’m not out and about. Have you noticed any differences in noise levels between GF and WL, especially in the rooms?

 

[Mousetopia]

With your high concern about crowds and people I strongly suggest choosing a different time of year. The week of Christmas is the busiest of the year. All of Disney will be busy and crowded. The magic is there but youll need to embrace the idea of lots if people, long waits, etc. If you do, next step is strategy. Be at the bus atop 60 to 90 min before park open to get ahead of the crowds then mid day when it gets crazy take a break at your resort. ..and so on

 

[jimmymc]

I've stayed at Wilderness Lodge during the holidays when it's sold out, and it still did not feel crowded. There are plenty of spaces around the resort for people to be in when not at the parks.

Grand Floridian can feel crowded in the main building around dinner time because of all the restaurants and monorail access. The walk over to your room won't feel crowded. Getting a monorail in the morning might be an issue, and unless you're showing up before extra magic hours, I would take the boat.

 

[J&J]

Planning my first-ever trip to WDW this Christmas (the week of) and need some advice—Wilderness Lodge or Grand Floridian for a solo holiday. Costs are about the same, so I’m hoping for insights from those who’ve stayed at either during the holidays.

The Grand Floridian looks beautiful with its holiday decorations and newly renovated rooms. However, I’ve read that it gets super packed during the holidays and I also saw that the monorail lines can get quite long. I’m less worried about the monorail since I can walk to MK, but I’m wondering if it’s worth staying onsite given the crowds. Does it feel totally chaotic? Do you still feel like you have privacy staying onsite?

Wilderness Lodge, on the other hand, looks so cozy, and I’ve heard it’s also beautifully decorated for Christmas. But, I’m a little worried about the boat transportation to Magic Kingdom—could that be just as hectic as the monorail at the Grand Floridian?

Any tips or personal experiences? I’m also doing a split stay, starting at Yacht Club, for context. Appreciate any advice—I’m excited but a bit overwhelmed by the options!

Grand Floridian the best for Xmas wilderness too far away. The orchestra will be playing xmas music. If you get tired or to crowded you room is close by. Xmas is always crowded and so will be wilderness. Getting back and forth way too crowded.

 

[TinkAgainU]

I agree with J&J, plus the monorail checking out the different hotels is a fun diversion on it's own. I went last Christmas and stayed at Boardwalk, then the Grand Floridian. I Uber'ed to Wilderness just to see it for the holidays, had breakfast at the cafe there, then an Irish Coffee with the lake view at the bar, then took the boat "home" to Magic Kingdom and Grand Floridian. You can visit to enjoy both resorts but I'd stay at the Grand Floridian for the holidays, even with the extra people it has a certain special Holiday charm.