Always Xmas at Winter Summerland

While Holiday Magic is popping up all over the Walt Disney Resort, the one location at which its always Christmas is Winter Summerland Mini Golf. The story goes that Santa saw this beautiful Florida location when flying home one night and decided it would be a perfect getaway for off-season elven vacations.

Located adjacent Blizzard Beach water park, the site features two, 18-hole mini golf courses. One features a summer, surf and sand theme and the other snow, winter and ice. But whether you choose the easier and more popular cold side or the harder and less-crowded warm one, you play through many elven campsites and other holiday-themed gags and set pieces. And, as expected, everything is on-story and appropriately themed down to the last detail.

Here yours truly enjoys a smoke effect when a ball is putted beneath a campfire scenic element.

Here the ice fishing line gets an active nibble when the ball is removed from the hole.

Even though you don’t see any elves “in person” during your game, there is evidence of having just missed them at every turn. There is story everywhere. And the only visual interruption was from all the pine needles and fall leaves the blustery fall wind kept blowing onto the “ice.”

This snow castle has a twin made of sand on the Summer side.

I am clearly overjoyed at the sight of Snow Minnie.

While the entire site is very well themed, it does seem a bit dated here and there (a “Santa’s Computer” gag in one area reeks of 1999) and Minnie’s wrist is in clear need of some TLC.

And while the gags such as this one where a snowman provides a wet surprise to my better half are welcome and fun, we expected a lot more kinetic bells & whistles.

If you have an annual pass it gets you 50% off the $12/person cover price and two people can have a very fun ninety-minute diversion for the price of a single admission to a Downtown Disney movie. Try this place out sometime soon. It’s definitely a good deal.