Resort Christmas Decorations

[motofox4]

From shows I've watched on different cable shows and information I've read from various sites in the past, I came up with a list of resorts that have noteworthy Christmas decorations and I want to see if this information is up-to-date and worth going to see or if they're no longer decorated like this. Here's what I have..

1. Boardwalk Resort-has chocolate made carousel and ferris wheel
2. Yacht & Beach Clubs - has a chocolate made carousel
3. Polynesian Resort - has Hawaiian themed Christmas decorations, a gingerbread village and chocolate palm trees
4. Grand Floridian - has a walk-thru gingerbread house, Christmas tree and decorations, and elves that sell cookies, hot chocolate and small gingerbread houses
5. Wilderness Lodge - has a 5-story tall Christmas tree
6. Animal Kingdom Lodge - has an African theme chocolate village
7. Contemporary Resort - has gingerbread holiday village

Does anyone know if any of this is out-of-date or is no longer there or the opposite, may have more decorations???

 

[OhioTony]

I hope someone can answer .
We had planned a couple of hours into our trip on one day to look at a few of them.

 

[motofox4]

i'm hoping the same thing because we too had planned a couple nights around going to see the decorations at the resort. but if they don't decorate like i've seen on the shows anymore then we'll use that time to do other things!

 

[raven69david]

Since when has the Ginger bread house been a walk through?! Every time we've seen it it's been courtened off. Did i miss something?

 

[motofox4]

i wasn't so sure it was a walk-thru either, i thought it was just a "life size" gingerbread house, but someplace throughout all of my reading and "tip collecting", i read that it was walk-thru. Regardless, either way i want to go to see it!!!!!

 

[J and R's mom]

I'll answer you briefly and then will try and get some pictures posted.

The BWV typically has some holiday scene made out of chocolate and candy. The BC has a chocolate carousel. The WL has a VERY large tree. The GF has an equally large tree and gingerbread houses. One is life-sized. You can walk around it but in years past, you cannot walk in it because they use it to sell smaller gingerbread houses and goodies. The other hotels I am not sure of.

In the meantime, go to this website. She has some neat photos from past years of all of the resorts at Christmas. To best find them:
1. use the accomodations link
2. then search for your hotel
3. then go to the photos links and click on the "Text" link
4. scroll down (typically at the bottom of the page) to specifically find the holiday photos.

The link above takes you to BW photos (scroll to the bottom of the page for the holiday photos).

The hotels may not have the same thing every Christmas, but what they do have is definitely worth stopping by to see.

ETA (edited to add):

Here are some pictures. They are not that good. In all of our trips during the Christmas holidays, I'm said to say, this is all we have of the decorations in the lobbies.

Here is a picture of the lobby of BWI in late Nov 2006. You can just make out the chimney of the fireplace of the living room scene:

Here is the from shot of the living room scene from last year (2006) at BWI. The picture is not very good. My MIL took it with her outdoor camera. That is a train running along the front.

This is a picture of a smaller gingerbread house on the 2nd floor of the GF (in 2000) as you come in from the monorail:

This is the back side of the above gingerbread house and the tiny furniture inside it:

This is a picture of part of the GF Christmas tree in the lobby (again 2000):

Here is a picture of the front of the life-size gingerbread house at the GF (2000):

This is a partial shot of the chocolate carousel at the BC (2005):

Another shot of the chocolate carousel at the BC (2005):

 

[DisneyDad61]

1. Boardwalk Resort-has chocolate made carousel and ferris wheel
2. Yacht & Beach Clubs - has a chocolate made carousel
3. Polynesian Resort - has Hawaiian themed Christmas decorations, a gingerbread village and chocolate palm trees
4. Grand Floridian - has a walk-thru gingerbread house, Christmas tree and decorations, and elves that sell cookies, hot chocolate and small gingerbread houses
5. Wilderness Lodge - has a 5-story tall Christmas tree
6. Animal Kingdom Lodge - has an African theme chocolate village
7. Contemporary Resort - has gingerbread holiday village

The answers to your questions are as follows:
1 - Boardwalk - Also has a very nice lobby decorations with tree plus a Mickey chocolate / candy made living room w/ fireplace scene near the Ferris Wheel in the Lobby.
2 - Yacht and Beach Clubs - Carousel decorations and assorted decorations and trimmings in the lobbies
3 - Polynesian - I do not recall seeing a Gingerbread collection there last year - otherwise, traditional tree and lobby decorations
4 - Grand Floridian - HUGE Christmas tree - largest of any resort - The Gingerbread House is NOT walk-through even though its 18 feet high. There is a mercantile within the Gingerbread house where a CM sells GB cookies and miniature replica's of the GB House - made in gingerbread, of course. The House is quite fantastic, actually. Outside grounds / courtyard decorations and holiday flowers.
5 - WL - Very Large Christmas Tree and docorations all about the lobby area on every floor. Also bear and christmas tree near spring inside lodge.
6 - AKL - Tree in Lodge and docorations about the lobby area
7 - Contemporary Resort - Gingerbread Village on Concourse level with tree's on lower lobby level

P.S. Do not forget the beautiful music, flower arrangements that adorn every resort. Plus you have a holiday sleigh ride in the evenings at WL - reservations only through WDW-PLAY.

If your not in the holiday spirit when you leave WDW at this time of year, your just a plain ole Scrooge..........

It's aweome

 

[motofox4]

wow!! thanks for all of that information!!! Touring those resorts is definitely staying on our itinerary and I can't wait to go even more so now!!!

 

[J and R's mom]

I've added some pictures into my original post (post #6).

 

[meowzer]

Everything you stated was correct from 2006 decorations but here are some additions/modifications:

1) Contemporary had a life size chocolate Pinocchio display which was really cool.
2) The gingerbread house is a store where you can buy gingerbread stuff. We ate gingerbread shingles (cookies), The actual structure of the house is made of wood and then they decorate it.
3)Wilderness Lodge has an amazing tree but also take a look at the other decorations in the lobby. We stayed there and when we left I was in the Christmas mood.
4)AKL has a beautiful tree as well.

 

[ConcKahuna]

Don't forget the campsites at FW! They've even made it into the newspaper for the amazing Halloween and Christmas decorations that people put up.

 

[Mr. Pig]

Last year there was no gingerbread village at Poly. I read there was a change in personnel and they weren't able to build one in time but there has been in past years. Hopefully that was just a one year hiatus.

 

[SLDL]

I have also read that GF has roasting chestnuts...haven't seen it but will be there this Dec. to see it!! Also, POR has some beautiful poinsettias & other decorations as well.

 

[Buzz2001]

CSR has some great decorations too.

Here are some CSR x-mas pics!!

 

[kribit]

I went searching for pics so this is getting bumped a bit. Aside from CS (beautiful photos Buzz), it appears the deluxe resorts have much nicer decorations. Does anyone have photos of POR or POFQ?

 

[meowzer]

Try to below link. The show some POFQ holiday deocrations.

http://allearsnet.com/tp/h_decor.htm