If you celebrate Christmas, you more than likely have your family traditions down to an art. With annual rituals that make the holidays feel authentic, it can be hard to face the prospect of missing out on those beloved moments when away from home for the occasion. Sure, being in the Disney Parks at this time of year can be a dream come true, but will you be missing those little luxuries of home that make everything feel just right? Not to worry. Today, we are sharing with you five tricks to bring all the magic of Christmas at home into your Disney resort room so you won’t miss a thing!
Pop Up Christmas Tree
Who says you can’t have a Christmas tree when traveling for the holiday? Of course, you won’t be packing all of your usual decorations; however, there is such a thing as a travel tree, and I don’t spend Christmas abroad without one. These neatly designed trees scale anywhere from a few feet up to 7 feet in height, and when the stabilizing pole in the middle is removed, it drops down flat, coiling inside itself, ready to pack. I actually have the pre-lit one shown below, and it is perfect when we are traveling. I take a dozen or so super lightweight decorations so we can add our own touches to it, and it’s done.
Keep Your Christmas Eve Traditions
If, the night before Christmas, your family prefers to watch a movie in matching PJs and wait for Santa, don’t feel the need to deviate from that plan just because you are on vacation. There are so many incredible food options around the Walt Disney World Resort that you can easily collect a few delicious treats and create a picnic in your home away from home. To make things a little easier, if your resort room has an ironing board, set it up and throw a towel over the top to create an easy, flat surface for kids to sit on the end of the bed and eat while they watch their movie. No one needs Christmas crumbs in the sheets.
Foldable Cardboard Gift Boxes
If the idea of Santa visiting your resort room fills you with anxiety, but you also don’t want to miss those Christmas Day moments, this one is for you. First, ask Santa to deliver most of the larger gifts to your home and suggest that Santa print out images or pamphlets of each gift. Place each one in an assembled (from flat pack) festive box. There are lots of great, lightweight cardboard options that travel flat and can be popped up to accommodate the gift details inside so that on Christmas morning, you still have that special time opening presents without all the fuss of needing to get them home. Recycle the boxes when you are done, and enjoy your photos of all the Christmas boxes stacked around your travel tree. Assembling this one is so easy; it could even be done in the bathroom for a bit of privacy.
Hang Your Stockings on the Back of a Door.
In our family, Christmas stockings are the first step in seeing what surprises await my teenagers on Christmas morning, so traveling without them feels wrong. But where are you going to put them? That’s easier than you think. Pack a few door hooks, one for each stocking, and hang them on the back of a door, over the front of a drawer, or even on the railing of the wardrobe area. These little plastic hooks are inexpensive, light to carry, and highly versatile. You’ll find yourself using them for so many different applications.
Set The Scene
I am a big believer in creating a particular ambiance to bring an occasion to life. When it comes to Christmas, I love to bring together all my favorite elements of the season with an ambiance track on YouTube. Whether you fancy a warm cracking fireplace with piano carols playing softly in the background or the Mele Kalikimaka of a soft sandy beach with a Ukelele ironically playing White Christmas, there is something for everyone. This is one of my favorites if you are looking for something cozy but not too over the top. Cast to your resort TV, and you’ll have a lovely feeling in the room for Christmas morning.
Those are just five ways that I like to bring my Christmas from home with me on vacation when we travel over the holidays. Remember, any decorations that you bring should be kept out of the walkways so you don’t make life extra difficult for the cast members attending to your room. If you need more tips for your seasonal travels, be sure to check in with our community of resident experts over on the DISboards!
Zoë Wood is a travel writer from Sydney, Australia. Since her first visit to Disneyland at the age of 6, she has spent her years frequently visiting Disney Parks and traveling around the world.
Join Zoë as she lets you in on all the tips, tricks, anecdotes, and embarrassments that arise from her family adventures.