Christmas Ornaments in Disney World
If you’re shopping for a Disney fan back home, a Christmas ornament is a gift they’ll actually put on display every holiday season. Be careful, ornaments can be tricky gifts because they are fragile.
Here are three year-round spots:
Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe (Magic Kingdom – Liberty Square)
Let's address the elephant in the room: this shop used to smell like poop. I'm not sure why it happened, but if you visited a few years ago, you know exactly what I mean. I live close to the parks now and pop in all the time, and I'm glad to say it doesn't smell anymore.
Tucked into the colonial brick facades of Liberty Square, this shop is a great stop for classic character ornaments, attraction miniatures (like the Haunted Mansion hearse), and personalized ornaments. It's always good to pop in to take a little shade break. Besides ornaments, there is usually a pin trading board inside.
Die Weihnachts Ecke (Epcot – Germany Pavilion)
What this boutique lacks in sheer variety, it makes up for in pure, old-world authenticity.
They carry traditional mouth-blown glass ornaments, including the German Christmas Pickle (Weihnachtsgurke). The tradition involves hiding the glass pickle deep in the tree branches. The first child to find it on Christmas morning receives a special reward or good luck. The origins of the tradition are debated. Some point to a late 19th-century Woolworth's marketing scheme, while others trace it to a darker medieval legend in which St. Nicholas miraculously resurrected schoolboys who had been murdered and pickled in a barrel by an evil innkeeper.
Since blown glass is fragile, ask the Cast Member to double-wrap it in bubble wrap, and always pack it in your carry-on, never your checked luggage.
Disney's Days of Christmas (Disney Springs – Marketplace)
If you aren't visiting the theme parks—or just want the widest selection without a park ticket—this is the ultimate holiday mega-store.
This is the flagship spot for custom personalization. Resident artists will hand-paint names, dates, or "First Visit" milestones directly onto your ornaments. Parent Hack: Let your kids drop a letter into the shop's year-round Santa Drop Box. Just make sure you know what was in the letter. Discreetly snap a photo of it on your phone before they drop it in the slot, so you actually remember what they asked for come December.
-Aaron