Discover how Walt Disney World Resort becomes a winter wonderland with these fun facts

Magical holiday experiences and beloved traditions await Walt Disney World Resort guests during the most wonderful time of the year. Starting on Nov. 8, theme parks, resort hotels and Disney Springs come to life with holiday charm and excitement as dazzling décor and a flurry of fun immerse guests in a festive fantasy.

Check out these holiday fun facts and discover how Walt Disney World Resort becomes a winter wonderland!

Walt Disney World Resort

• The Walt Disney World Holiday Services team provides décor for 780 locations within 41 different properties, including Disney theme parks, resorts, Disney Springs and recreation and shopping areas. The team also decorates Disney Cruise Line ships and Disney Vacation Club resorts in Florida and South Carolina.
• 41 cast members work year-round to make the holiday transformation a reality, with an additional 119 cast members added during the installation period.
• Décor installation begins Halloween night and is finished by Thanksgiving.

Magic Kingdom Park           

• During the holidays, Magic Kingdom is home to 40 trees, 147 wreaths and 590 garlands that measure a total of 5,188 feet.
• Guests can celebrate the season at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on 23 select nights from Nov. 8 to Dec. 22. This year’s celebration welcomes the dazzling new nighttime spectacular, “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks.”
• Tomorrowland Speedway joins in the merriment of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for the first time this year with a new holiday overlay that glimmers with 30,000 controllable lights and stylized décor. Guests racing around the track will spot 12 geometric trees ranging from 6 to 10 feet tall. It’s one of 4 Magic Kingdom attractions to feature holiday overlays.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom will celebrate the holidays in full for the first time in its history, with enchanting entertainment and décor in 3 new locations.
• 148 animal-inspired luminaries will cast a warm and festive glow throughout Discovery Island as a merry menagerie of 10 artisan-sculpted puppets resembling winter animals roam and interact with guests throughout the land.
• 2,600 light bulbs will adorn the DinoLand U.S.A. water tower, giving the land a festive new look for the holidays.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• The Christmas tree on Echo Lake is 65 feet tall, with a 25-foot-wide base.
• Sunset Seasons Greetings at Disney’s Hollywood Studios includes 12 high-definition projectors used to visually transform the façade of the Hollywood Tower Hotel with holiday scenes.
• 21 palm trees along Sunset Boulevard illuminate with programmable, color-changing LED fixtures.
• Dinosaur Gertie is dressed in her finest holiday attire. Her hat is so big, four people could stand inside it!

Epcot

• Epcot International Festival of the Holidays takes place Nov. 29 through Dec. 30 and celebrates holiday traditions from around the world through storytelling and music presented throughout World Showcase.
• Holiday treats are also part of the festival, which includes 13 Holiday Kitchens serving more than 50 bites from around the world and 60-plus specialty beverages.
• The Candlelight Processional will be performed 96 times at Epcot this holiday season with a 50-piece orchestra, mass choir and 12 different celebrity narrators.
• The Candlelight Processional stage at America Gardens Theatre features 2 Christmas trees that are each 18 feet tall.

Resorts

• Guests will find a life-size holiday gingerbread house in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This elaborate 10-foot-wide,15-foot-long and 14-foot-tall structure is covered with more than 10,000 pieces of gingerbread and is the perfect place to pick up holiday sweets and treats.
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort is celebrating the 10^th anniversary of its iconic gingerbread Cinderella Castle. This 18-foot-tall display is crafted from more than 5,000 gingerbread shingles, 47 pounds of rolled fondant, 38 pounds of modeling chocolate and much more!
• This year also marks the 20^th anniversary of the Holiday Carousel gingerbread display at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. This life-size spinning carousel features 20 “Hidden Mickeys,” 5 Peter Pan-themed horses and handcrafted gingerbread shingles.
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort is home to the tallest Christmas tree at Walt Disney World. This 70-foot-tall tree is adorned with 16,000 lights and more than 200 custom ornaments.
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to a 45-foot-tall tree featuring authentic African décor and reproductions of traditional African masks.

Disney Springs

• Disney Springs is the epicenter of holiday shopping at Walt Disney World. It’s also the largest of all of the decorated Disney locations, with more than 2,000 pieces of individual décor, including a 45-foot-tall tree.
• Each piece of décor was custom designed to fit the classic Florida town theme that carries throughout the entirety of Disney Springs.
• Disney Springs is also home to the Christmas Tree Trail, a walk through wonderland featuring 23 unique Disney-themed trees.

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