Holiday Room Decorating at Disney Resorts

I want to talk about making your resort room a special haven for the holidays.  Disney does an amazing job decorating their resorts and parks during the holidays. No detail is left undone.  Except your own room! This is where you come in. Below are some tips for making your resort room special during the holiday season. Many Disney visitors decorate for Halloween, birthdays or just because. Same tips apply!

THE WINDOW

• Best place to start is your window. Before you head out, buy items at local dollar stores or Christmas Tree Shops.  LED string lights are best as they don’t get hot. Bring some suction cup hooks to help display them. Window clings are cheap, lightweight, and available in Disney themes. I find mine at the Dollar Store. Depending on how you pack you can go as nuts here as you like. Most rooms have a ledge under the window to place any other decorations you like.
• Fake snow spray is a cute idea, but be nice and clean it off before you leave!
• A small wreath will look great on your window or door. If you have the time make something custom with the kids before you leave. A stop at the craft store should get you a wood or felt crafting
  kit.
• Have your travel agent give you an idea of the window setup in your room.  Art of Animation and most Deluxe resort rooms have windows to the outside with interior hallways.

TIP: Make sure you have all the tools you need for setting up your decorations. Extension cords, tape, wreath hangers, suction cup hooks etc. Avoid nails or push pins, after all you are visiting!

THE TREE

Small trees will be allowed in your room. Keep in mind the size of your room when considering this. Depending on your method of travel there are several ways to carry out your Christmas Tree plan.

• Get a tree before you leave and bring with you in your car. Ship a small tree ahead of time to your resort.
• Purchase a tree from a local grocery store or department store. 
• Lastly, trees are available for delivery from Disney Florist or other Flower and Gift companies in the area. We used a personal shopper for our tree, and she sells many theme baskets as well. Her ornaments are from the stores at Downtown Disney. We found the Disney Florist trees extremely pricey at $400. 

Bring your own decorations if you are bringing your own tree. You can also stop by the shops in the parks, or Downtown Disney for one of a kind decor. Our tree came with decorations and we purchased a few during our trip. Now as we decorate our tree at home, we have such lovely memories of our trip to Disney.

TIP: Remember you need to have a plan to get your tree back home. If flying you can either ship home or leave at the resort. We stripped ours of decor and left outside our room with a note. I like to think it found a nice home and made some child very happy. 

THE ROOM

• Pack some holiday hand soaps and lotions for a unique touch. Holiday room spray is perfect for a small room. Candles are not allowed in your room, but now a lot of realistic looking, flickering LED candles are available. Some are even scented.
• Don’t forget your stockings if you will be at the resort over Christmas. You can also buy new ones at the parks or check out the Days of Christmas Store in Downtown Disney.
• If you have the space bring a few holiday pieces from home. Especially your kids favorites so they know Santa will still find them.

Disney does sell Room Celebrations through Disney Floral and Gifts. While pricey, they include a few items to guarantee a Christmas filled room.  Last years package ($400) included fabric wreath, Christmas blanket, pillowcases, cookie decorating kits, plus much more. It seems more practical than years past.

TIP: Don’t forget to take pictures! I was so wrapped up in our trip I forgot to take pics of everything but our tree. So my awesome window display only exists in my memories.
While there is certainly no need to decorate your room for the holiday, I highly recommend it. Even if you are only in your room a bit, it’s fun to continue the Magic of Disney. Especially if you have children or are a ” child at heart”.

Maria aka Mickey Mom is a travel planner with Snapshot Getaways and remembers her Christmas 2010 trip fondly.  Visit her Facebook page for ariticles and tips!