Walking in a Disney Winter Wonderland: Delightful Christmas Tree Stroll At Disney Springs in 2023
What happens when the happiest place on Earth celebrates the most joyful time of the year? You wind up with the merriest of Christmases…and Christmas trees!
This year, the 2023 holiday season at Walt Disney World kicks off on November 11th (Veteran’s Day). At the same time, there are so many exciting events to enjoy (and we do recommend that you make your way to as many of them as you can!). One activity that you absolutely should not miss is the Christmas Tree Stroll at Disney Springs.
Offering extravagantly decorated Disney-themed Christmas trees, the Christmas Tree Stroll is FREE and open to all! Simply make your way over to Disney Springs (no park pass required!) and begin your search for these unique, one-of-a-kind holiday trees featuring some of the most beloved Disney characters.
Please note that while WDW holiday celebrations kick off on November 11th, Disney Springs is subject to its own schedule. As of writing, 2023 dates are strangely still TBA on Disney’s website, but in the past, they’ve been known to get into the Christmas spirit a few days earlier than the parks. (WDW Prep School is reporting a November 10th start date for 2023.1)
With glittering lights, jolly décor, and a few extra special holiday surprises, Disney Springs’ transformation into a winter wonderland is sure to enchant you. As you wander through the various neighborhoods, you’ll find Christmas magic around every corner!
Disney Springs is a great holiday destination, and the Christmas Tree Stroll is the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit!
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From Christmas Tree Trail To Christmas Tree Stroll
In previous years, Christmas at Disney Springs was celebrated with the Christmas Tree Trail, a cluster of lavishly decorated Christmas trees, all located in the Marketplace neighborhood. However, since the pandemic, this trail has morphed into the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll, with the trees spreading out to engulf even the Town Center and West Side neighborhoods in evergreen. With this expansion also came the opportunity to incorporate a new element into this holiday tradition – a scavenger hunt!
For this activity, each participant is given a map that reveals the location of every Christmas tree, along with stickers that represent each tree’s theme. It’s up to you to hunt down the Christmas trees and discover which one corresponds to which theme! Correctly match up the special stickers with their locations on the map to complete the scavenger hunt. If you complete this quest, you’ll be granted a prize!
In the past, successful participants were awarded a special Christmas Tree Stroll button!
As of writing, Disney’s website doesn’t specifically mention the scavenger hunt, although the Christmas Tree Stroll (hosted by AdventHealth) has been confirmed for 2023. We sincerely hope to see the return of the scavenger hunt and do suspect it will be part of the Disney Springs festivities!
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Festive Disney-Themed Christmas Trees
Details surrounding the Christmas trees for this year’s stroll haven’t been released either, but we have been promised extravagant, over-the-top decorations inspired by the Disney movies we all know and love!
While we can only speculate about this year’s Christmas trees, we can take a look at Christmases past to get a good idea of what to expect.
There are usually around 20 trees scattered across Disney Springs for the Christmas Tree Stroll, each one sporting a unique theme. Some trees are used multiple times, like the Frozen, Lion King, and Toy Story trees we saw last year. It’s exciting to know that old favorites may be brought “out of retirement” from time to time. New trees seem to appear for a couple of years in a row before being taken out of the cycle (for example, we saw Haunted Mansion again last year after its 2021 debut).
Last year, Encanto and Guardians of the Galaxy both debuted in the Christmas Tree Stroll. The Encanto tree was especially beautiful as it boasted all of the bright colors of the movie, with blooming flowers, butterflies, and twinkling ornaments that paid tribute to its characters. We’d be surprised if these newer trees didn’t make an appearance for the 2023 stroll.
Of course, there was also an iconic Mickey and Minnie Mouse Tree decked out in polka-dotted bows and mouse ears, and fun films Star Wars and Nightmare Before Christmas received their own trees and were popular stops along the stroll.
Needless to say, last year’s Christmas tree forest was delightful, festive, and unforgettable – and we have no doubt that this year’s trees will be just as memorable! With the ever-growing Marvel and Star Wars franchises, we’d predict some super trees that are out of this world.
Merry Stops Along the Way
As you seek out Christmas trees across Disney Springs, don’t forget to take in the other sights and sounds you encounter along the way!
Throughout the various neighborhoods, you’re likely to happen upon a few additional surprises, including live entertainment, a wide variety of merry photo opportunities, holiday carolers, toy soldier stilt walkers, snowflake skaters, and, if you’re lucky, maybe even Santa Claus himself!
When you get to Town Center, be on the lookout for something extra special. While not typically seen in Florida, the Town Center will be transformed into a literal winter wonderland, complete with (you guessed it!) snow! This magical snow will fall throughout the neighborhood in the evenings, adding joyful excitement, wonder, and holiday spirit to your Christmas Tree Stroll.
You’ll also want to make sure to set aside some time to stop by the various shops and restaurants that line the streets of Disney Springs. In addition to good food and great merch, you’ll also find many of them decked out in their own festive decorations.
One restaurant in particular is known for going all out – Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar: it becomes Jock Lindsey’s Holiday Bar during the Christmas season. Not only is the restaurant’s décor over the top in all things merry and bright, but they even offer a few holiday-inspired delicacies that you can try (think “Ugly Sweater Bread” and “Jingle Bell Pops”). Located in the Landing, this Indiana Jones-inspired restaurant is not to be missed!
On top of that, a number of the stores around Disney Springs typically offer special holiday discounts that can’t be found any other time of the year, making it the perfect opportunity to squeeze in some holiday shopping. In fact, the map used for the Christmas Tree Stroll scavenger hunt sometimes included a list of available discounts, providing guests with the information they need to plan out their stroll and shopping stops. We’re hopeful we’ll see more of the same this year!
Whether you come to Disney Springs for the festive environment, the elaborately decorated Disney Christmas trees, or the holiday discounts, we have no doubt that you’ll have a joy-filled time at the Christmas Tree Stroll.
Did you participate in the Christmas Tree Stroll last year? If you did, which trees were your favorite? Share all the jolly details in the comments below!
Featured photo: Canva.com
