Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail Tour & Tips

One of my favorite things to do at Walt Disney World during the holiday season is the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail.

It’s basically a walk through Disney Springs, from one end to the other, to view elaborately decorated Christmas trees.

This activity is completely free and a great way to get into the holiday spirit. It’s also a great way to get some ideas for Disney Christmas tree decor!

The trees go up in early November and stay up a bit past Christmas. In 2024, the Disney Springs Tree Trail will be up from November 8 through December 30.

Whether you’re looking for more information before heading out to do the trail or can’t make it this year and want to still see the trees, keep reading for my guide to the Disney Spring Christmas Tree Trail.

Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail Map

Disney Springs is broken down into four neighborhoods: West Side, Town Center, Marketplace, and The Landing.

The trees are spread through the first three neighborhoods, with none located in The Landing.

This year there are 21 Christmas trees set up throughout the West Side, Town Center, and Marketplace neighborhoods, which is 2 more than last year.

Let’s go through each of these neighborhoods and where each tree is located.

Marketplace

The Marketplace neighborhood is the east side of Disney Springs and includes landmarks like the World of Disney, the LEGO store, and Once Upon a Toy.

If you arriving at Disney Springs from the ferry boats, ride share, Disney’s Saratoga Springs, the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, or Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs, you’ll start off in Marketplace.

Once Upon a Toy tree

One of the biggest trees in the Marketplace neighborhood is the Once Upon a Toy Tree.

It’s located near the Once Upon a Toy store, but is actually closer to Earl of Sandwich, Disney Pin Traders, and Star Wars Trading Post.

I love this tree because it reminds me of my family’s Christmas tree growing up. Some of the ornaments are designed to look like DIY projects, like the peanut shell moose, gingerbread men, and garland made with faux sewing thread spools.

When I visited, a PhotoPass photographer was stationed there to take photos. What a fun way to capture photos for your holiday cards!

Disney+ tree

The Disney+ tree has moved over in front of the main entrance of World of Disney. It has also gotten a complete makeover!

Last year it was quite simple, decorated with blue and silver bulbs, a Disney+ logo topper, and small ornaments with Christmas movie logos on them.

While it was nice to see some of the Christmas movies represented, they were hard to pick out as those ornaments were small. Plus they were overpowered by the blue and silver garland.

In 2023, I wished for ornaments of classic Disney movies, perhaps faux DVD and VHS covers as ornaments. And I kind of got what I wished for!

The new tree is stunning and a far better advertisement for Disney’s streaming service than the previous year.

This time it has character ornaments from Disney+ movies and shows, like Miss Minutes from Loki, in between layers of blue and silver bulbs.

Disney parks tree (NEW in 2024)

In front of World of Disney is a brand new tree with ornaments representing all 4 theme parks at Disney World: Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom.

They even gave some love to Disney transportation, like the buses, boats, and monorail!

World of Disney tree (NEW in 2024)

Also near the main entrance of the World of Disney is a, well, World of Disney themed tree! More info to come on this tree, as I haven’t seen it yet.

Encanto tree

Head over to World of Disney and walk down the pathway between World of Disney and Basin.

Here you’ll find the Encanto tree, which is filled with brightly colored flowers and butterflies, as well as wooden carvings of each character. At night, the carvings light up, too!

This is a new location for this tree, which was located between City Works Eatery and House of Blues in 2023.

Town Center

The middle of Disney Springs is split between Town Center and the Landing.

Town Center is where you’ll be dropped off if you’re coming to Disney Springs via the resort buses or if you drove there and parked in the Lime or Grapefruit garages.

If you park in the Orange garage and exit through the far end, you’ll end up right on the border of Town Center and West Side, by the AMC movie theater.

I’m going to start the tour from the border of this neighborhood closest to the LEGO store and work over to the West Side of Disney Springs.

Star Wars tree

Nearby the LEGO store is a Star Wars inspired Christmas tree.

There are so many different ways that such a tree could be decorated, but I was happy to see the classic Star Wars themes with Stormtrooper helmets, Jawas, and Christmas bulbs with various symbols and outlines of ships. It even had a C3-PO tree topper!

Toy Story tree

Across from BB Wolfe’s you’ll find the Toy Story tree, which has Pixar balls, Mr & Mrs Potato Head, green aliens bulbs, slinky dog, and faux paper chain garland.

The only thing I didn’t like about this tree was the tree topper, as it was unrelated to the tree’s theme.

I would have loved to see something connected to the films instead, like Woody’s cowboy hat, Mr. Hamm, the Pixar ball, or even a plain yellow star.

Mickey & Minnie tree

Between the LEGO store and Uniqlo, you’ll find a Minnie and Mickey Mouse inspired tree.

You can’t miss this tree, as the theme is recognizable even from far away! I love the gold Mickey Mouse shaped bulbs, red and white polka dot bows, and red bows with yellow buttons.

Disney Cruise Line ‘Treasure’ topiary

Over by D-Luxe Burger and the Welcome Center is more of a Christmas shrub or topiary than a tree.

It’s actually a replica of the newest Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Treasure, which is a repeat from 2023.

In 2022, they had a replica of the Disney Wish, so perhaps in future years we will see replicas of different ships, consider Disney has BIG plans to expand Disney Cruise Line.

Coco tree

Circle around D-LUXE and you’ll find the Coco tree, which is one of my absolute favorite trees!

You can’t miss this tree with is bright orange marigold garland. It also has family photos, sugar skulls, a guitar, and fruits. It’s kind of like an ofrenda, an altar for lost loved ones, but in Christmas tree form!

Do not miss this tree – it really is a beautiful site to see and quite impressively decorated.

Town Center tree

Circle back to town center, between Zara and the Town Center entrance, where you’ll find the Town Center tree.

This is a more traditionally decorated tree with gold garland, red and white striped bows, and solid Christmas bulbs.

Starting at sunset, you’ll sometimes see “snoap,” aka faux snow, falling in this area, adding to the Christmas-y ambiance.

There are also some large Christmas decorations nearby, like some giant Christmas bulbs and a giant snowflake, for fun photos, too.

Annual passholder tree

Inside the covered shopping alley is the annual passholder tree, which is a new location. In 2023, it was nearby the fountain across from the AMC movie theater.

This tree got a bit of a makeover this year. There are still lots of fun ornaments, but my favorite is the kid-classic paper chain garland!

Haunted Mansion tree

Also inside the covered shopping area is the Haunted Mansion themed tree.

You can’t miss the giant corpse bride on this tree, which definitely sets the tone! There’s also a Leota tombstone, as seen in the photo above.

There’s also lots of old books and framed photos, following the dark and creepy haunted mansion vibes.

Sphere tree

If you walk outside the covered shopping area, past the Coke store, there is a metal sculpture shaped like a tree, made out of gold and white spheres.

It’s not Disney themed, although it does kind of look like it has replicas of Spaceship Earth from Epcot on it!

Moana 2 tree

In previous years, there was a Moana themed tree, but this year, it’s gotten a bit of a makeover in anticipation of Moana 2 debuting in theaters on Thanksgiving weekend.

It’s located alongside the fountain between the Coke store and the AMC movie theater.

This tree has beautiful brightly colored hibiscus flowers, replicas of Moana’s boat, kakamora, seashells, seahorses, and even a glowing heart of the ocean!

Lilo & Stitch (NEW in 2024!)

Also nearby the fountain is a new Lilo & Stitch tree!

This new tree is covered with fun ornaments like Lilo’s dress, and Stitch himself.

Given that a live action version of this movie comes out in 2025, I bet we’ll see a revised version of this tree next year.

Wish tree

Next up is the Wish tree, which is located over by the DVC kiosk, just before you cross over the bridge into the West Side of Disney Springs.

This tree got a little bit of a makeover, with new character ornaments, which fits the movie better than the tree from 2023.

West Side

The area where the AMC theater is located and further back, toward the Cirque de Soleil theater, is known as the West Side.

There are 4 trees located in this area, so we’re in the home stretch now!

Princess & the Frog tree

Over in the food truck area is the Princess & the Frog tree. This is a new location for this tree, which was over by Amorette’s in 2023.

On this tree, you’ll see fleur de lis ornaments, french pastries, and lots of purple accents. I would have loved to see more frogs, fireflies, maybe some faux beignets.

In fact, I think it was a little odd that they had croissants and French bread, but no beignets – despite that being one of Tiana’s signature dishes and more unique to New Orleans than the other items.

The frogs were kind of hidden, too. I actually didn’t realize they were there until I was reviewing the photos I took after the fact! I think they might need some pink flowers to help them stand out against the green of the trees.

Overall this tree is beautiful, but not as on-theme as it could be, in my opinion.

The Nightmare Before Christmas tree

Last year, the Nightmare Before Christmas tree was located under the covered shopping area in Disney Springs Town Center area. However, in 2024, it has moved near the food truck park.

Front and center of this tree is a portrait of Jack and Sally, but you’ll also see their face on bulbs throughout.

There’s also Lock, Shock, and Barrel masks, black and silver bows (like Jack’s suit), pumpkins, and even orange and black snakes!

Guardians of the Galaxy tree

Heading over to the area between the House of Blues and the M&M store is a Guardians of the Galaxy tree. This one is very cute, with baby Groot, mix tapes, gameboys, and even a Star Lord mask at the top of the tree.

I really would have loved to see Rocket the Raccoon represented here, given that he was the focus of the latest movie, which came out earlier this year.

But other than that, this was a solid tree. Also, I like the new location better, as this was previously over by the food trucks.

Lion King tree

The last tree on the trail is the Lion King tree, which is just a further bit down from the Guardians of the Galaxy tree.

I love that this tree is themed more after the Broadway version of the Lion King. It has wooden Lion masks and a wooden Simba tree topper from the iconic opening scene where Rafiki holds up baby Simba. It’s definitely worth making the trek through the entire trail to see this one!

BONUS: Disney Ever After Stuffed Animal Tree

So this one’s not a part of the Disney Springs Christmas Tree stroll, but it is worth checking out!

Inside the Disney Ever After store, where they sell customizable character headbands, there’s a cutesy stuffed animal sculpture shaped like a Christmas tree. It’s so cute and fun!

Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail tips

If you’re thinking of doing to the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail, keep reading for a few tips.

Bring your MagicBand+

If you have a MagicBand+, bring it with you. You can use it to turn on the Christmas lights on a few of the trees, adding a little extra something to the experience.

Get your Christmas photos taken

While you’re at Disney Springs, why not get some photos taken for your Christmas cards? There’s a PhotoPass studio nearby, right behind the Ghiradelli Ice Cream shop.

It doesn’t require reservations, but you can make one if you prefer.

In addition, it’s free to take the photos – but you’ll either need to pay to download the photo(s) you want or have the Memory Maker package.

Plus, as I mentioned earlier in the post, there’s a PhotoPass photographer outside the Once Upon a Toy tree, as well as the annual passholder tree.

Meet Santa

Last but not least, save some time to meet Santa Claus at Once Upon a Toy, so you can pass on your wish list this year.

This experience runs from November 8 through December 24, 2024. It uses a virtual queue, so if you’re set on meeting him, go put your name on the (naughty and nice) list, and do the trail while you wait!

Get a map

For an extra challenge, grab an official Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll map at one of these shops:

1. City Works Eatery & Pour House
2. Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers
3. Joffrey’s Coffee
4. The LEGO Store
5. The Luxury of Time by Diamond International (new pick up spot in 2024!)

And yes, this experience is officially called the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll, but most people refer to it as a trail, probably because of that being the original name. Although it has expanded through the years, they should have just kept the branding! But I digress..

The map includes stickers that you add to the map as you make your way through. Once you’re finished, bring it back to one of the locations listed above for your prize (which is a fun Christmasy button).

The map also includes some small discounts for over 2 dozen shops and restaurants.

But if you don’t want to bother getting a map, you can also get a general idea of where the trees are from this blog post.

In addition, the My Disney Experience app had trees sprinkled throughout the app during the time that the trees were up, although this year they were a few days delayed in updating the app with this info.

Go during the day AND night

If time permits, I recommend doing the trail twice – once during the day and once at night.

During the day you’ll get a nice clear look at all of the ornaments and hard work that went into decorating each tree. But at night, you’ll get to see the trees lit up!

Jock Lindsay’s Holiday Bar

After your done completing the trail, make your way to Jock Lindsay’s in The Landing, which transforms into a winter wonderland during the holiday season. In fact, it’s called Jock Lindsay’s Holiday Bar this time of year!

In addition to the Christmas decor, there’s also a holiday-inspired menu with fun appetizers like deviled eggs, cranberry meatballs, pigs in a blanket, and yummy cocktails.

Buy ornaments for YOUR tree

Head to World of Disney, as well as Disney’s Days of Christmas, to stock up on new ornaments for your Christmas tree.

Maybe you’ll feel inspired to recreate one of the trees on the trail or the experience will spark an idea for your own Disnified Christmas tree!

Christmas trees I’d love to see in the future

I love that this experience has a mix of trees from years past, as well as new ones. Here are a few ideas I’d love to see in the future.

• Disney transportation tree with Skyliner gondolas, ferry boats, monorail cars, and resort bus ornaments. With the new Disney parks tree in 2024, we sorta got this one!
• Inside Out tree with all of the emotions and feelings represented. I had this on my “wish list” last year because I thought we’d get one due to the movie being released in June 2024. But for some odd reason, there isn’t one!
• Disney Gingerbread tree with all of the iconic gingerbread houses, carousel, castles, etc. that appear at the deluxe resorts and DVC properties each holiday season.
• A tree inspired by other Disney parks and resorts – either one tree per property or at least 1 tree with all the other properties represented. I called it in 2023 and we got it in 2024!
• A Loki “Yggdrasil” tree – if you’re a fan of the show and have seen all of Season 2, then you definitely know what I mean! I don’t know if Loki is allowed at Disney World, as many Marvel characters are not, but it will still be a beautiful sight to see. While we didn’t get a Loki tree in 2024, we did get Loki representation on the Disney+ tree.
• An Agatha All Along tree – This Disney+ original show was a not-so-surprising hit for Marvel Studios, but unfortunately we didn’t get one this year.
• An Aulani tree with menehune, hibiscus flowers, and the resort logo would be so fun! I suppose this one would be very similar to the Moana tree, but it’d still be fun to see.
• A Disney Cruise Line tree with ornaments for each ship in the fleet, plus the upcoming ships, and ornaments for their private islands.

Trees of Christmases past

While many trees return year to year, some do not and some are completely redesigned. Here are the trees from 2023 that did not return in 2024.

Frozen tree

Oddly, the Frozen themed tree, which was between the LEGO store and World of Disney, did not return in 2024.

I’m not super bummed, though. This tree was beautifully decorated with ice skates, snowflakes, carrots, and ribbons, but it was not as obvious of a theme as other trees.

I would have liked to see Olaf, his snowbies, maybe some troll rocks, Sven, and other clear character representation. Maybe we will get this tree back when the next installment of Frozen is released.

Disney Vacation Club tree

This tree also did not return in 2024, which is a bit odd, as it was previously located next to a DVC kiosk. Instead, the newly decorated Wish tree moved into that spot.

The DVC tree had names of all the DVC properties around the US, as well as few ornaments, like the new Fort Wilderness cabins in the photo above.

It also had red poinsettias, which was a nice contrast against the green trees and blue DVC property name ornaments.

What’s your favorite tree on the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail?

Overall, this fun and free experience is worth taking the time to do. It’s gotten better and better over the years since it first debuted and I have no doubt that it will continue to improve.

This year, my favorite tree is a tie between the Coco and Moana trees. How about you?

Let me know in the comments below what your favorite tree was this year or in years past.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This post was originally published November 21, 2023. It was last updated December 15, 2024.