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The Walt Disney World Resort is an amazing place to visit during the Christmas season, and Disney Springs is no exception!
Disney Springs is a dining, shopping, and entertainment complex. (If you’ve been to CityWalk at Universal Orlando or Downtown Disney at Disneyland, Disney Springs is similar to those places.) Unlike the theme parks at Disney World, you don’t need a ticket or park reservation to visit Disney Springs.
Disney Springs at Christmas time is a lot of fun. There are a number of entertainment options – and some special Christmas food offerings as well!
We’re going to go over the holiday things to do and the different Christmas treats available. And then we’ll share our advice on the best places to stay if you’d like to visit Disney Springs this holiday season.
Disney Springs Christmas Activities
There are a number of fun things to do at Disney Springs during the holiday season!
Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll 2025
The Christmas Tree Stroll is back at Disney Springs in 2025!
In the past, you may have visited its previous version, the Christmas Tree Trail. Prior to 2020, all of the Disney Springs Christmas trees were located in one section so that you could walk down the trail and enjoy them all.
Now, the trees are located at various points throughout Disney Springs. There are 21 Christmas trees in all, each with elaborate, themed decorations. Those themes include:
- Lilo & Stitch
- Disney Villains
- Fantasia
- Frozen
- Encanto
- Haunted Mansion
- Moana
- Star Wars
- Disney World Annual Passholder
- Mickey & Minnie Mouse
- The Lion King
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Toy Story
- The Princess and the Frog
- Coco
- and more!
You can pick up a special map to help you find them all. These maps are distributed at the following locations:
- Havaianas
- City Works Eatery & Pour House
- House of Blues
- The Polite Pig
- The LEGO Store
- Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers
You can also see the map here, even before you visit Disney Springs.
How the map works is that once you find a Disney Springs Christmas tree, you place its corresponding sticker on the tree’s location on the map. When you’ve found all the trees, bring your map back to one of those 6 locations, and you’ll receive a special prize!
Some of the trees even have special MagicBand+ interactions. We previously discussed whether or not MagicBand Plus is worth the cost here. If you have a MagicBand+ or decide to buy one, here are the trees that have special experiences:
- Star Wars
- Haunted Mansion
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Annual Passholder
Meet Santa
Santa is at Disney Springs again this year!
You can meet him at Santa’s Marketplace (near Disney’s Pin Traders) now through December 24, 2025. You’ll need to enter a virtual queue, which has been implemented to keep wait times down. You can join the virtual queue through the My Disney Experience app on your phone. (There is no traditional standby queue – the virtual queue is the only way to get a spot in line to meet Santa.)
The times when you can join the virtual queue are 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 6:00 PM. You’ll need to be in Disney Springs in order to join the queue (you can’t do it from your hotel or one of the parks).
Please note that your group to meet Santa can have up to 10 people. Only one person in your group needs to join the virtual queue, though. They can request to join it for your entire group.
And if you aren’t able to meet Santa in person at Disney Springs? Consider visiting Once Upon a Toy, where you can send a letter to Santa directly to the North Pole.
Christmas Shopping
Looking for some special Hanukkah or Christmas gifts for your friends and family? Or do you want some holiday-themed souvenirs for yourself? Here are some ideas for where to shop at Disney Springs and what to get:
- World of Disney
- Festive MagicBand+
- Mickey Hanukkah mug
- Holiday spirit jerseys
- Disney Christmas countdown
- Mickey Mouse light-up necklace
- Peppermint Loungefly backpack
- Festive comfy sweatshirts
- Holiday Pluto hat
- Disney-themed Squishmallows
- Santa Mickey keychain
- Christmas Disney plush
- Holiday crossbody bags
- Mickey Santa mug
- Peppermint lamp
- Marketplace Co-Op
- Disney Christmas ornaments
- Christmas-themed throw pillows
- Holiday spirit jerseys
- Disney Christmas countdown
- Mickey Mouse light-up necklace
- Peppermint Loungefly backpack
- Festive comfy sweatshirts
- Holiday Pluto hat
- Disney-themed Squishmallows
- Santa Mickey keychain
- Christmas Disney plush
- Holiday crossbody bags
- Mickey Santa mug
- Peppermint lamp
- Disney’s Day of Christmas
- Disney Christmas ornaments
- Christmas-themed throw pillows
- Mickey Hanukkah mug
- Holiday spirit jerseys
- Disney Christmas countdown
- Mickey Mouse light-up necklace
- Peppermint Loungefly backpack
- Festive comfy sweatshirts
- Holiday Pluto hat
- Disney-themed Squishmallows
- Santa Mickey keychain
- Christmas Disney plush
- Holiday crossbody bags
- Mickey Santa mug
- Peppermint lamp
- Disney’s Pin Traders
- Festive MagicBand+
Note: We also recommend these Disney Hanukkah merchandise favorites!
Daily Entertainment
Each day features a number of special seasonal acts:
- Holiday Brass Band
- 6:00 PM
- 7:00 PM
- 8:00 PM
- 9:00 PM
- Icicle and Toy Soldier Stilts
- 5:30 PM
- 7:00 PM
- 8:30 PM
- Douglas Fir
- 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- DJ Sleigh
- 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
- Seasonal-Skaters Holiday
- 6:15 PM (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday)
- 7:15 PM (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday)
- 8:15 PM (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday)
- 9:15 PM (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday)
- Toy Soldier Drummers
- 6:15 PM (Thursday – Sunday)
- 7:15 PM (Thursday – Sunday)
- 8:15 PM (Thursday – Sunday)
- 9:15 PM (Thursday – Sunday)
These acts will appear through December 30.
Snow at Disney Springs
There is something so special about experiencing a snowfall in Florida! You can enjoy a nightly “snowfall” in Disney Springs Town Center near the Town Center tree. This happens every half hour beginning at sundown.
Other Entertainment
Whether you visit during the day or at night, there will often be a musical act performing at some point at the AdventHealth Waterside Stage. (This is the stage across from the World of Disney store.) Check the sign behind the Stage’s seating for the day’s performance times. You can also check the Disney Springs events calendar online.
Disney Springs Christmas Treats
If you’re looking for special Christmas food at Disney Springs, you’re in luck! There are a number of special seasonal snacks and menu items you can enjoy at some of the Disney Springs restaurants.
We go over the offerings in detail, including where to find them, in this Disney Springs Holiday Food Guide.
Where to Stay Near Disney Springs
My family loves staying at an official Disney World hotel in the Disney Springs area. You get to enjoy boat transportation to Disney Springs, which we find more peaceful and enjoyable than a bus ride.
There are two deluxe Disney resorts near Disney Springs:
If you’d like to stay at either of these hotels, we highly recommend using David’s Vacation Club to book your stay and have had great experiences using them. You can find great prices that are often more in line with what you’d pay at a value resort if you booked directly through Disney World.
The two moderate resorts close to Disney Springs are:
These are beautiful hotels that, like Old Key West and Saratoga Springs, have boat transportation to and from Disney Springs. Unlike Old Key West and Saratoga Springs, though, you cannot book them through David’s Vacation Club. We’ve used Undercover Tourist to stay at Port Orleans in the past as they also offer more affordable prices.
In addition to the official onsite Disney World resorts, there are a number of other hotels that are within walking distance of Disney Springs:
- Holiday Inn Orlando
- Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
- Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Renaissance Orlando Resort & Spa
- Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando – Disney Springs Area
- DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
- Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
- Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
