At a Glance – 2025 Disney Holiday Food Adventure
In just a few weeks, our family will celebrate Christmas week at Walt Disney World for our first Food‑Focused Holiday Adventure as Disney Vacation Club members. Here’s the plan we’ve been counting down to:
Dates – December 23 through 29, 2025
Resorts – Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Holiday Focus – Enjoying Disney’s gingerbread displays, seasonal treats, and new restaurant experiences together
Christmas Eve Plans – A day in Animal Kingdom with a special lunch at Tiffins
Disney Springs Evenings – Boat rides from Old Key West, live music, and gingerbread‑themed desserts under the lights
Our Goal – To slow down, taste something new, and capture the magic of Disney Christmas through shared food and family moments
Check back in December for photos and stories from our Disney Holiday Food Adventure as we turn these plans into memories.
This Christmas week, our family is heading to Walt Disney World for what we’re calling our 2025 Disney Holiday Food Adventure. From December 23 to 29, we’ll combine family time, new dining experiences, and the festive atmosphere that makes Disney such a fun place to explore together.
We’ll split our stay between Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, spend Christmas Eve at Animal Kingdom, and take plenty of boat rides to Disney Springs. Almost everything about this trip will be new for us, from the resorts to the gingerbread displays we’ve always wanted to see.
🏝️ Two Resorts, Two Holiday Vibes
We’ll start at Old Key West Resort, a colorful and calm place that feels just right for early‑morning coffee and evening walks. We’re especially looking forward to the boat rides to Disney Springs. Floating down the waterway and arriving in the middle of lights, music, and food sounds like the perfect way to end a day.
Later in the week, we’ll move to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. We’ve visited before, but never during Christmas. We’re excited to see the tropical decorations and imagine how the mix of palm trees, lights, and soft island music will feel during the holiday season.
While we’re there, we already have a few possible treats on our list:
Olu Mel Holiday Float (Pineapple Lanai) – DOLE Whip Lime with pineapple juice and strawberry popping candy. It sounds fruity, bright, and fun for our daughter. Maybe…she’s picky with sweets, but Dad is ready to save her from this burden.
Holiday Cupcake (Capt. Cook’s) – A simple chocolate cupcake with festive frosting that’s easy to share.
🎁 Seeing the Gingerbread Displays for the First Time
This will be our first time visiting Disney’s famous gingerbread displays. We’ve seen photos of them for years (check out last year’s gingerbread display!), but soon we’ll finally be able to walk through each themed lobby, smell the spices in the air, and see the details up close.
We plan to stop by
Contemporary Resort
BoardWalk Inn
Beach Club Resort
Wilderness Lodge
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Each resort has its own kind of holiday charm, and we’re looking forward to discovering which one becomes our favorite.
Here is a video from Disney Parks showcasing the amazing gingerbread displays!
Treats we might try during the tour:
Stollen Bites and a Gingerbread Brownie at the Grand Floridian’s Gasparilla Island Grill
Cheesecake Brownie at BoardWalk Deli
Classic Gingerbread Cookie with coffee at the Riviera’s Le Petit Café
🎄 Christmas Eve at Animal Kingdom
We’ll spend Christmas Eve at Animal Kingdom, taking in the lights, live music, and the animal‑themed holiday decorations that make it feel so peaceful. Between the glowing lanterns and the Merry Menagerie puppets, it’s one of the prettiest parks to wander through this time of year.
We’re planning a late lunch at Tiffins, a first‑time dining experience for us. Its artistic atmosphere and global flavors make it the perfect spot to slow down and celebrate the day without rushing.
Snacks we want to check out in the park:
Cranberry Cherry Cheesecake Pop from Flame Tree Barbecue
Mickey Cinnamon Roll or Sugar Cookie from Restaurantosaurus for our daughter
Brownie Bite or another seasonal treat from Creature Comforts for me
🍪 Why We’re Excited About Disney Springs
With boat access from Old Key West, Disney Springs will likely be where we unwind most evenings. We love places where food, live music, and atmosphere come together, and Disney Springs seems to offer all of that in one walkable location.
We picture grabbing dessert, enjoying the lights, and letting our daughter dance to the sounds of live performers before heading back across the water. The relaxed energy and variety of food make it sound like a perfect fit for our family.
Foods that caught our eye include:
Gingerbread Float (Coca‑Cola Store Rooftop Bar) – Coke with gingerbread syrup, ice cream, whipped cream, and a cookie topper.
Gingerbread Churro (Sunshine Churros) – Rolled in spiced sugar with a drizzle of buttercream.
Mickey Gingerbread Cone (Swirls on the Water) – A gingerbread cone filled with DOLE Whip pomegranate and sprinkles.
Hot Sipping Ganache (The Ganachery) – Warm, rich, and good for sipping while walking under the lights.
Gingerbread Tiramisu (Vivoli il Gelato) – A holiday‑inspired twist on one of our favorite desserts, which sounds too interesting not to try.
We’ll share the treats so everyone gets a few tastes without feeling too full.
🍴 First‑Time Feasts and Familiar Comforts
Every restaurant on this trip will be a first for us. Discovering how each one expresses its own story and flavor is part of why we love a food‑focused trip. Tiffins, Boma, and Homecomin’ all offer something different, from adventurous dishes to comforting Southern favorites.
💫 Why This Christmas Feels Special
This is our first Disney Christmas trip, our first time staying at both Old Key West and the Polynesian, and our first time seeing the gingerbread displays. It will also be our first visit to Disney as Disney Vacation Club members.
We aren’t trying to do everything. We just want to explore at our own pace, try new food, and enjoy the magic of being together in a place that’s creative, colorful, and full of stories.
Our 2025 Disney Holiday Food Adventure is about slowing down, tasting something new, and finding joy in every shared moment.
🎬 Coming Soon on Nola Nerd Couple
🌴 Resort Hopping for the Holidays: Family Tips for a Merry Stay 🎅 Christmas at Disney: Highlights from Our 2025 Holiday Adventure
Follow our holiday fun this December at nolanerdcouple.com and on our social channels for photos, stories, and family travel updates from our Disney Holiday Food Adventure through resorts, parks, and Disney Springs.
Kurt Hargis, also known as Mr. Nola Nerd, is an award‑winning Louisiana educator, writer, and the co‑creator of NolaNerdCouple.com, a family‑run blog focused on Disney travel, fan conventions, and everyday nerdy life.
With more than a decade of experience in education and storytelling, Kurt brings a thoughtful, experience‑driven approach to topics like Disney parks, Disney Vacation Club, and family travel, as well as firsthand coverage of major fan conventions including Star Wars Celebration, Fan Expo, GalaxyCon, and Pensacon.
A proud Disney Dad and Disney Vacation Club member, Kurt writes from direct, real‑world experience—whether navigating theme parks with a child, attending conventions with media credentials, or exploring how fandom, food, music, and pop culture intersect in everyday family life.
His work emphasizes accessibility, curiosity, and helping families feel confident exploring nerd culture, travel, and learning together.
Kurt lives in the Greater New Orleans area with his family and can be reached at kurt.nolanerdcouple@gmail.com.
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