The holiday season is in full swing especially here in the vacation capital of Orlando, FL. People travel from all over the world to spend the holidays under the warm Florida sun at beach resorts, water parks, RV campsites and of course theme parks like Busch Gardens, Sea World, Universal and Disney.
These activities come with hefty price tags. With the financial load vacations can put on your wallet, vacationers often seek out low to no-cost alternative ways to spend a day or two outside the big ticket attractions.
I’m sharing one of my favorite free holiday activities to do with family, friends or even solo and get this – it’s at a Disney property!
Disney Springs is a popular Orlando destination for shopping, dining and entertainment. During the holidays the entire property is decked with beautiful holiday decor, including 19 beautiful Christmas trees. These trees are part of an annual activity called the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll.
There are four map distribution and redemption locations throughout the property. Those locations are listed on the map. I got mine from Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Company. You can also download a PDF of the map from the Disney Springs website here.
Keep in mind the earlier you arrive, all four locations may not be open. I arrived at 9am on a weekday and all locations were closed except for Joffrey’s.
The goal is to find each uniquely decorated tree using a map. Each tree location is marked on the map with a coordinating sticker. Once all trees are found and marked, the map is taken to one of the map distribution and redemption locations for a quick review. Once approved you get a prize.
Each tree is themed after a Disney movie, character or attraction. There’s even a Disney Annual Passholder tree. The Passholder magnet ornaments are the perfect touch to this vibrant fan favorite!
Not only do you get to enjoy beautifully decorated Christmas trees on the stroll, you’ll burn some calories in the process as you’ll need to cover the entire expanse of Disney Springs to find each tree – no complaints here!
This was my first year doing the Christmas Tree Stroll and I had a blast. I chose to arrive very early which gave me a big advantage to navigate Disney Springs with low crowds and minimal effort. The disadvantage of doing the stroll during the day is you miss out on seeing how the trees look at night with all the beautiful lights.
The beauty of the stroll is you can take as long as you want, or not. You can leisurely window shop along the way (keeping it a cost-free visit) or you can actually shop and even grab a bite to eat.
On certain days you’ll find a school dance group, band or chorus performance going on at the Advent Health Waterside Stage. Street performers will often put on shows at different areas of the property as well.
I got a pic of every tree except the Treasure, which wasn’t even a tree. It was a huge topiary of the Disney Treasure cruise ship!
It was nice to receive a free button commemorating the stroll completion. It’s a great keepsake especially if you’re visiting from out of town.
I look forward to seeing the trees at night on my next visit. I’m sure it’s a completely different look and feel and I can’t wait to take it all in and capture the night time perspective on camera! Whether you go day or night you’ll enjoy the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll and even better, spend no money doing it!
Mo Goes | The Blog 