The Surprising Numbers Behind the Walt Disney World Holiday Decor

It is a well-known fact that The Walt Disney Company knows how to decorate and accessorize the Disney Parks and Resorts to suit each season. The Holiday season at Walt Disney World is no exception to this rule. Instead, every part of the Walt Disney World Resort is transformed into something even more magical than any other time of the year. But do you know how many Christmas decorations are installed each Holiday season? Let’s take a look at the Holiday decor in terms of figures.

260,000 Lights

You best believe it! Two hundred sixty thousand lights are required to light the Christmas trees that decorate the Walt Disney World Resort at Christmastime. While this figure may seem shocking, it’s not too difficult to believe when considering the number of lights required to light your Christmas tree, especially if you plan to do it properly. There’s nothing more irritating than a beautifully decorated Christmas tree where the lights aren’t evenly spread between each branch, right?!

To help justify this incredible figure, did you know that the giant Christmas tree at the front of Disney’s Contemporary Resort requires 16,000 of the 260,000 lights? The 16,000 lights exclude the light-up ornaments that adorn the tree too.

It’s even more surprising to think about the number of lights required during the festive season, without the Holiday lights on Cinderella Castle and the lights that used to feature at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. This figure would have been much higher only a few years ago!

40,000 Pieces of Decor

There are 780 locations to decorate for Christmas, including the Disney theme parks, Resort hotels, and Disney Cruise Line ships. It is no surprise then that 40,000 pieces of decor are required to decorate for the Holidays. This figure includes Christmas trees, garlands, wreaths, and other pieces that are used across 41 properties. It isn’t easy to imagine installing every piece, but the finished product is worth it. There’s no place like Walt Disney World for the Holidays!

Over 16,000 Gingerbread Pieces

Yes, that’s how many gingerbread pieces are required to create the gingerbread displays around the Walt Disney World Resort during the Holidays. But let’s break it down to see what each display needs. Most gingerbread pieces – 10,000 pieces, in fact – are required to build the life-sized gingerbread house in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Disney’s Contemporary Resort’s gingerbread castle requires an additional 4000 pieces. A further 2,021 pieces are needed to create the gingerbread carousel in Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Let’s not forget the gingerbread required to create the BoardWalk Deli display at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, the gingeraffe and gingerbread zebra in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the gingerbread monuments in the American Adventure at EPCOT! Now that’s a whole lot of gingerbread to make each year!

15,000 Oversized Ornaments

If you have ever looked closely at the Christmas trees and other accessories, you’ll notice that oversized ornaments help make the Disney Holiday decor special. To be precise, 15,000 oversized ornaments are required to make the Christmas pieces what they are. Which oversized ornaments come to mind in the Walt Disney World Resort? How about:

• The giant monorails that feature on the EPCOT Christmas tree at the entrance to World Showcase from World Celebration?
• The wilderness-inspired decorations that adorn Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Christmas tree, including the teepees, antlers, canoes, and snowmen?
• The snowflakes, bird cages, swans, and horses that are displayed on the Christmas tree at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa?
• The candlesticks, toys, and popcorn garlands that decorate the Magic Kingdom Christmas tree at the top of Main Street, U.S.A.?
• The African-inspired pots, animal masks, and wooden decorations that add the finishing touches to the Christmas tree found at the entrance of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park?

5,000 Garlands

Christmas trees aren’t the only Holiday decor pieces found around the Walt Disney World Resort. Garlands adorn entrances to Disney Resort hotels and shops. They also decorate windows and balconies, helping to create that cozy Christmas feel. That being said, did you realize that there were 5,000 that feature as part of the Christmas decorations? Each one is accessorized with ribbons and ornaments that compliment the theming of their location so perfectly.

2,000 Pieces of Holiday Decor in One Place

This may come as a surprise, but Disney Springs is home to the most Holiday decor pieces. It beats the Disney Parks by a mile, including trees, garlands, ornaments, and other festive details.

1,700 Wreaths

When it comes to Christmas wreaths, you probably think of those similar to the ones you hang on your front door at Christmastime. The wreaths in Walt Disney World often decorate doors but also look perfect hung above fireplaces, on walls, and along Main Street, U.S.A. To be precise, 1,700 wreaths are installed each year in time for the Holidays.

625 Christmas Trees

Yes, you read that correctly! There are 625 Christmas trees to be admired around the Walt Disney World Resort during the Christmas season. Twenty-nine of them are known as ‘Icon Trees’, ranging from 15 to 70 feet tall, of which the largest can be found at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, weighing more than 33,000 pounds. Additionally, 596 smaller trees range from 2 to 14 feet tall. Across all of the trees, there are over 12,000 branches to decorate, that are made from more than 110 tons of steel.

140 Cast Members

Such alarming figures relating to Holiday decor mean that there’s a wonderful team behind them. 140 Cast Members help to bring magical Christmas decorations to the Disney Parks and Resorts each year. The Holiday Services Team consists of 50 year-round Cast Members who work throughout the year to maintain each Holiday piece. Additionally, up to 90 seasonal Cast Members join the team each year to help to install and remove decoration pieces. Teamwork certainly makes the dream work!

4 Weeks to Decorate

All of this comes together in around four weeks, beginning on Halloween night, with completion expected by Thanksgiving. During that short period of time, the Walt Disney World Resort is transformed into a Christmas wonderland! Magic Kingdom Park is usually the first location to be decorated, ready for the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party of the season.

And there you have it – a summary of the Christmas decor in numbers! Next time you visit the Disney Parks and Resorts and admire the Holiday decorations, keep in mind the astonishing figures that help make them a reality. There’s nothing quite like a Disney Christmas and its holiday magic!