Santa and Mrs. Claus, accompanied their elf, Kandy Kane, have arrived at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort for their annual vacation.
Kandy Cane, Santa Claus, and Mrs. Claus greet guests at the Tiki hut, which is decorated for the holidays in true Florida style with palm trees and flamingos. Make sure to bring your camera for fun photo opportunities. The causeway is also home to the dancing lighted palms, which come alive nightly every 10 minutes to tunes of the season.
Join Mrs. Claus in the Dolphin lobby for the lighting of the Christmas tree starting at 6 p.m. The ceremony comes with indoor snowfall and is followed by hot holiday beverages and crafts for kids at Santa’s Tiki Hut. Check dates of the meet-and-greet and the Christmas tree ceremony upon check-in.
Another great treat for children is to invite one of Santa’s Elves into your room to read The Night Before Christmas. This service is available on select nights in December and on Christmas Eve. The elves, dressed in full costume, bring cookies and milk in a keepsake mug. Price varies by date and a service charge of 24 percent is added, in addition to tax. Reservations are required, and space is limited. To book, call 407-934-4206.
Make sure to check out the chocolate holiday Santa scene hand-crafted by two-time World Pastry Chef Laurent Branlard. The display is located in the lobby of the Swan and features chocolate Santa sitting in his chair; a 7-foot-tall, 400-pound chocolate nutcracker; chocolate fireplace; chocolate Christmas tree; and chocolate toy train.
The resorts offer lots of activities, such as holiday cookie decorating and arts and crafts. A complete list is available here. The restaurants at the Dolphin and Swan resorts also offer special holiday menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s.
If you’re traveling with little tykes who wonder how Santa Claus is going to be able to deliver presents to the resort, there is a magical solution. Stop by the Concierge desk and pick up a copy of Santa’s magic key to hang on your hotel room door on Christmas Eve. The key works for Santa only, of course!
The Swan and Dolphin are located on the shores of Crescent Lake, in walking distance from both Epcot’s International Gateway and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Rates for a room on Christmas Eve for a family of 4 start at $278, plus taxes and resort fee. The resort fee is $28 plus tax per day, per room. Daily parking is an additional $20. For reservations, check out the website.
For all there is to see and do at Walt Disney World, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. If you enjoyed this post, sign up for our newsletter here.
