The holidays have arrived at Walt Disney World for the 2023 season! And we are here for it! Last Sunday we took a last minute trip to Magic Kingdom. There wasn’t really anything specific on the agenda other than a cup of holiday cheer on Main Street, USA and a stroll around the perimeter of the park. But as we were leaving, my husband asked me if I wanted to go see my favorite holiday decoration Walt Disney World has to offer…the Grand Floridian gingerbread house!
Instead of taking the Resort Monorail track around, we decided to take the scenic route since the weather was absolutely gorgeous!
The distance from the Magic Kingdom turnstiles to the lobby of the Grand Floridian Resort is just shy of one mile. But the pathway is beautiful! Just head toward the Resort Water Taxis for Grand Floridian and Polynesian. There’s a little trail that leads you right to the Grand Floridian. (Right now the trail is not very user friendly from GF to Polynesian as there is resort construction on the new DVC tower of Poly. But the pathway to GF is in perfect condition!). You do have to walk past a smoking section on this trail…just a heads up for anyone with asthma or breathing problems. But it’s a small area.
The gingerbread house is in the main lobby. You can smell it before you can see it! The sugary sweet scent of the holidays is impossible to miss as you make your way through the hallways. It pulls you in like a magnet! And then…there she is in all her holiday glory!!!
We were there so early in the season that the kiosk was not yet open to purchase treats. BUT you better believe that we’ll be back when they open! In fact, one of my favorite things to do it a holiday cookie monorail crawl with the kids! (There is sure to be another blog post on that in the coming weeks!)
The gingerbread house is, hands down, my favorite holiday decoration at Walt Disney World Resort. It’s intricate and masterfully constructed. And each year the decorations are slightly different. Last year it was themed in the blue and purple hues for the 50th Anniversary. This year it’s donned with red and silver poinsettias. As always, there are hidden Mickeys to be found and counted while you admire the artistry.
One of the best things about seeing this beauty (and the monorail cookie crawl) is that you don’t need admission to Disney to enjoy it. You also don’t need to be a guest at the resort. There are a few ways to gain access to the resorts. You can make a dining reservation at one of the Monorail Resorts (Contemporary, Polynesian, or Grand Floridian). Or you can park at the Transportation and Ticket Center and take the monorail from there. There is a fee associated with this, but it’s well worth it! If you time it right you may even catch a fireworks display! This is a great option for local families with out of town guests over the holidays who don’t want to buy tickets to the parks!
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