Disney Christmas Tour free

The best place to start your FREE Disney Christmas tour is with FREE parking at Downtown Disney or the Boardwalk. There are more spaces at Downtown Disney and the ones near the bus stops are farthest from the shops and restaurants. That means they're open and convenient for you to start your journey on the bus.

Although if you want to stroll along the shops and restaurants at Downtown Disney, park wherever you'd like and jump on the bus later. Better yet, jump on a boat for a really pleasant ride. The monorail is available too. But plan ahead, all modes of transportation are not available everywhere. Well the buses are, but you can't get a direct route in a few cases like from Downtown to a park. That's probably because they don't want people to use the free parking if they're going to spend the day at the parks. But hey, you're not going inside the parks so it's all good for you. You're on the FREE Disney Christmas Tour of the Resorts!

There are several boats that operate on the Disney waterways. All of them are free for Disney guests. That means you too when you're on the Disney Christmas tour of the resorts. My favorite ride from Downtown Disney begins behind the Rainforest Cafe. There are 2 boat routes that begin there. One just goes to other stops around the stores. It's a nice break if the only other store you want to go to is way at the other end of Downtown. But the best ride is the 25-minute cruise out to Disney's Old Key West and Port Orleans resorts. Get off at either one to check out the holiday decor, food courts, restaurants, bars and gift shops. You can take the boat back to Downtown from the dock you arrived at, or head to the front of the hotel and hop on a bus.

There are also resort boats which leave from the front of the Magic Kingdom. Take a bus to the park, then you can take a relaxing boat ride to the Wilderness Lodge, the Contemporary, the Polynesian or Grand Floridian. And the front of the Magic Kingdown is a great place for a family photo without spending a dime. Looks pretty festive from the boat ride too.

The boat rides throughout the Boardwalk waters take you to the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, the Yacht and Beach Club (2 separate hotels in one huge building), Hollywood Studios, Epcot and the Boardwalk hotel itself. All of these areas are lit up with holiday lights and covered in decorations.

Honestly, the bus rides are not as scenic as the boat rides, but they are free and efficient, especially if you're just going to one resort. I can spend a whole evening in the lobby/gift shop/restaurants/bars of the Wilderness Lodge. Sit by the fireplace and admire the tree and people watch! It's one-stop shopping for a night out with your "tourist" friends and family.

The buses go from the resorts to the parks or to Downtown Disney and the Boardwalk. If you're going to do more than one, it's a good idea to pick up a map of the resorts so you can see the most holiday decor on your trip. For instance, if you want to go to the Yacht Club or the Beach Club, a map will show you that they are both at the Boardwalk. So are the Swan and Dolphin hotels as well as the actual Boardwalk hotel. One stop and a little walking will take you through a lot of holiday magic. And when you get tired of walking, jump on another bus or a boat or the monorail.

Destinations via the monorail are limited, but it's the most fun to ride on the FREE Disney Christmas tour of the resorts. It stops at the Transportation Center, which is the parking lot for the Magic Kingdom. It also stops just outside Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. And it stops at the Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary Resort hotels. These 3 hotels are lovely at Xmas. All have wonderful restaurants and gift shops. The Polynesian also has a Wyland Art Gallery. The Grand Floridian has a huge gingerbread house where you can buy gingerbread. The Contemporary has a nice food court. And if you want dessert and coffee, there's no place like the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian. The desserts are works of art!

So go have a Disney adventure outside the parks. Take your camera along and remember to look up because the Christmas decorations are BIG. Weeknights are usually less crowded and try to finish your travels before the parks close so that you won't have those crowds out on the transportation system.

If you're going to stop for food at one of the resort restaurants, it's a good idea to make a reservation. But the food courts and grab 'n go places are enough for me.

I hope you enjoy your tour of the resorts at Christmas. It never fails to impress the tourists who come to stay with us.