Though RiverWalk Resort is a magical place to be all year round, the holidays take it to the next level. However, what people may not know is that a large part of that magic is powered by our extraordinary team. While our primary focus will always be on our guest experiences, there is also quite a lot that goes on just for our team! Between decorating, special events and challenges, RiverWalk employees feel merry indeed.

"The holidays at RiverWalk are as much for our team as for the families and guests we serve. I believe I can speak for our Resort Developer and all our management team in saying we really look forward to celebrating the holidays and commemorating the year with our extraordinary family of staff and owners. This includes decorating the exterior and interior of the resort and hosting a variety of special events including Cookies and Cocoa with Santa, our employee holiday luncheon and gift exchange, annual individual department get-togethers and the distribution of hams to all team members as well as the much anticipated tradition of our Holiday Cup Challenge. The holidays are truly a special time at RiverWalk and are one of our most favorite times of the year!" said Renee Blood, General Manager

Deck the Halls

Decorating RiverWalk is a major effort, but one that everyone loves greatly. 

“We begin decorating mid-November. Our goal is to be completely decorated by Thanksgiving.  There are so many employees involved in dressing up RiverWalk! Our engineering team ensures that we have all of our decorations from storage and assembles our trees for us – they also hang the lights outside and use a lift to hang wreaths on every one of our balconies! After that, it’s ‘all hands on deck’ – the trees get decorated, presents wrapped for underneath, finishing touches on everything from décor on the front desk to window dressings in the Owner’s Club!” said Amy Whitaker, Assistant General Manager 

Cookies and Cocoa with Santa

In addition to providing an option for children to place their Santa letter in our North Pole Letter Box, this annual public event allows guests to have hot chocolate, games and treats. The event never fails to inspire employees.

“A moment like this can last a lifetime. When we see a little person hugging Santa and dashing to get a cookie while moms, dads and grandparents watch, a community of smiles fill the room.  As time goes by, these moments turn into traditions and fond memories that inspire us to keep doing what we do.” said Peggy Wargo, Owner Services Manager

The Holiday Cup Challenge

Every holiday season, RiverWalk has a friendly interdepartmental competition. 2023 will mark its sixth year and it's still going strong.  

“We choose a theme and provide very basic starting supplies and some ground rules. Each department creates/decorates within the theme and the items are displayed in the owner’s club from mid-December through the beginning of the year. They are numbered and then we all vote!  Voting is open to everyone – all employees, owners, guests (owner’s club is open to the public when Santa comes),” said Amy. 

The winner of the competition gets the Holiday Cup, which (along with bragging rights) passes to a new winner each year.  

Previous themes and winning departments include: 

• 2018: “Gingerbread Houses,” won by Real Estate 
• 2019: “Trees,” won by Engineering
• 2020: “Wreaths,” won by Engineering
• 2021: “Stockings,” won by Real Estate 
• 2022: “Ugly Sweaters,” won by Front Desk

This year’s theme will be “Holiday Cards.” We can’t wait to see the entries!

A Holiday Luncheon

Togetherness is a theme for everyone at RiverWalk, which is one of the reasons why the annual holiday luncheon is such an important and cherished tradition here. 

“We have an annual holiday luncheon that everyone looks forward to. We ensure that there is coverage for the front desk so that every employee can attend the luncheon. It’s a really nice time to enjoy each other’s company and reflect on the year gone and look forward to the year ahead. An active Yankee Swap and desserts follow our luncheon. You’re sure to spot some ugly sweaters, too!” said Amy. 

Join in the Cheer

As we work on expanding the extraordinary experience at RiverWalk, there’s still time to join our team before the holidays have passed. A rewarding atmosphere, growth opportunities, incentives, holiday joy and more are waiting.