Along with the flurry of holiday announcements that Disney made this week, there was one particular line from Disney Parks Blog that caught my attention:
For guests staying at the resorts or for those with valid dining reservations, the Disney Resorts Collection offers a wide array of bright and merry holiday decor.
In the past, many day guests visited the resorts to check out all the beautiful decorations, especially the larger-than-life gingerbread displays. Other than restrictions on parking at the resorts, day guests were free to visit the resorts. Now it seems that this will change for the 2026 holiday season.
Are These Changes Necessary?
In the past, guests could visit any resort they pleased, perhaps with the exception of holidays such as the Fourth of July, when resorts such as the Polynesian and Grand Floridian were closed off to anyone not staying at or dining at the resorts. Understandably, these restrictions were necessary to avoid overcrowding as visitors frequently flocked to these resorts for their fireworks views.
Similarly, the Grand Floridian lobby was known to become overcrowded during the holidays as visitors swarmed the giant gingerbread house. However, we now know that the gingerbread house has sadly been retired and will be replaced by miniature holiday displays. I find it unlikely that they will garner the same attention as the gingerbread house, and it feels like overkill to restrict access to the resorts this holiday season.
Other than the Grand Floridian, I don’t think that I can name any other resort that became overcrowded due to visitors checking out the decor and treats. Sure, the Contemporary, Jambo House, BoardWalk, and Beach Club each hosted displays of their own, but I don’t recall ever seeing those lobbies packed with visitors, yet these resorts may be closed off to visitors this holiday season. Are restrictions truly warranted here?
How Does This Impact DVC Members?
For DVC Members staying at the resorts, the policy change may not matter at all if this is like the new Disney Springs bus policy, where you could have a stay at any of the Disney resorts and still use the buses. However, if it is more strictly limited like the policy for Fourth of July, where only guests with a resort or dining reservation for a specific resort can visit that resort, then even DVC Members staying at the resorts won’t be able to resort hop, which would be a huge change. For many DVC Members, visiting the resorts are as much a part of the vacation experience as the theme parks.
For local DVC Members who like to visit the resorts to get a taste of the Disney bubble in between vacations, this change in policy is disappointing. I, for one, love popping into the resorts for shopping or just a quick service meal for a quiet break from the parks, and I know I’m not the only local Member who enjoys doing this. I’d imagine the general managers of the resorts aren’t interested in turning away additional income from visitors either.
Even for potential future DVC Members, the change is unfortunate. Hopefully, the restrictions are only limited to the peak holiday season and not a permanent policy change like the new Disney Springs bus policy, but if not, consider how many current DVC Members were once just visitors dreaming of staying at these wonderful resorts. Whether it’s just to roam the resort grounds or enjoy the lounges or a quick bite, visiting is often the first step to falling in love with these resorts.
What are your thoughts on these new changes? Do you feel that the resorts have become overcrowded with visitors?
Stay tuned to DVCFan.com for all the latest DVC news, and visit the DVC Fan Facebook group or DVC Fan Forums to join in on the conversation!
Holly
June 26, 2026Can’t people go to Disney Springs to get their taste of the Disney bubble? Much better selection of shopping and quick service there.
As a DVC member I’m fine with booking stays at resorts we’d like to enjoy or booking an experience if we want to visit.
Visiting a resort is not enough info to decide on buying as a home resort anyway. It’s much more informative to stay a few nights. That’s how you get to see how the transportation, shops, food etc work for you.
My AP is for park access, doesn’t grant me resort time. My DVC points grant me time in the resorts for no more than the number of nights we can annually book with them.
It’s gotten out of control. People say they won’t buy Poly because it was a zoo when they visited, or the cash price is too high to deal with how crazy it can get. When the General Managers are looking at budgets and accounts, I doubt they see 2 dole whips as profitable when the resort is picking up the transportation tab. Or that QS meal profit as covering a wi-fi work station in a cushy resort nook meant for resort guests.
Marcy
June 26, 2026I don’t like this new policy that was sneaked in. We like to visit several resorts or leave the Parks for a break especially as DVC members.
I agree about VGF at Christmas with the Gingerbread House but that was probably discontinued as they added the unnecessary bar in the lobby so would definitely be too crowded. Disney greed taking away tradition.
I can understand not getting on buses at DS if not staying at a resort but not for regular DW guests wanting to visit resorts.
Seems Disney is getting to regimented.
HerDotness
June 26, 2026I’m unfamiliar with resorts other than The Grand during the holiday season for more than a brief visit. Consequently, I’ll be very disappointed if we might be restricted from seeing the Beach Club Gingerbread Carousel or Yacht Club holiday electric train layout, two favorites of mine. I’m very unhappy indeed about the removal of the Gingerbread House.
While I agree that that end of the GF lobby often became crowded during the days right after the sales counter opened (when we most often stay at VGF), a good deal of that was due to management being somewhat slow to erect ropes for a “maze” approach to the sales counter. Between people trying to see the GBH details, take photos and then locate where the sales queue began, that corner of the lobby became congested oftentimes.
Consequently, I’m wondering if overcrowding couldn’t have been better managed. Of course, we can’t have joyful GBH fans get in the way of customers to very unnecessary Perch bar. Unthinkable!
My guess is that a large part of why the GBH won’t return is how very much time baking the shingles and other edibles took as well as assembling the structure and making sure every detail was Disney-perfect. Too many CM hours, too costly—the motives behind so many upsetting post-pandemic changes. And with each, the Disney magic diminishes.