First timers in December.

[cal1967]

Hello there everyone. I will be visiting WDW for the first ever time in December 2013. We are a party of 5, DH, DD (14), DS (12) and my 83 year old mum. I have organised an electric scooter for mum to get around. I am trying to get as much info as possible without overwhelming my poor little brain. As we are not staying on site I am trying to ensure we have the best time, even if it is only a short time. We get in on the evening of Dec 11 from San Diego and leave on the 6pm flight onthe 18th of Dec. So far I have planned - 12/12 - Universal, I need to get Harry Potter over with before the mouse. 13/12 - Epcot, 14/12 - MK, 15/12 - DHS, 16/12 - AK, and then the Hoop de doo show that evening, 17/12 - return to Epcot and then MVMCP that evening. Then on our last day we are going to Kennedy Space Centre. Flying back to San Diego that evening. Does this look too much. I am hoping that it won't be massively. This is a massive trip for us we are only spending a short time on the East coast and will also be spending a couple of days in Disneyland. We are visiting friends in California for Christmas from Oz. any guidance from you guys will be awesome.

Thank you heaps

Carolyn - excited first timer

 

[Figgy1]

It is a lot but doable. Have a magical time and make sue to make your ASDRs at 180 days for each day 6 am eastern by computer and 7 am by phone. Seeing you are near Disneyland make it a top priority to see the attractions that are only in Florida. Also get a copy of the Unofficial Guide to Disney it is a must read for first timers!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a magical time!

 

[kfergdisney]

Congrats on your first trip!!! To me, that doesn't look like too much. I will be doing about the same itenerary (without Kennedy Space Center) a week before you go (we have to get Harry Potter over with, too, before the most Magical Place on Earth!). It sounds like a great trip! Make sure to soak in everything you can. WDW will be beautiful!!

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

I noticed that you said your staying offsite and your AK and HS days overlap with the estimated EMH days which will be the more crowded days. So Id keep an eye on the calendar. But I think your plans are pretty solid. Have a wonderful time!

 

[Figgy1]

I noticed that you said your staying offsite and your AK and HS days overlap with the estimated EMH days which will be the more crowded days. So Id keep an eye on the calendar. But I think your plans are pretty solid. Have a wonderful time!

I just checked easy wdw and crowd levels are 4-6 so there should be no problems there

 

[Zman-ks]

Congrats on your first trip!

 

[JillC LI]

You'll have a blast, and I think it sounds very doable. We flew to Florida last December, also visited Uni and Potter on 12/12/12 before heading to the Mouse. The only thing I would check is that MVMCP is not taking place on the date you have selected for the MK or you will not be able to stay there very late to see the evening parade and fireworks. Try to arrive at the parks at rope drop to avoid crowds. And make your dining reservations as soon as you can. You may want to consider eating at the Cape May Cafe to give you an excuse to go to the Beach Club to see the chocolate carousel, or at the Grand Floridian so you can see the life size gingerbread house they set up for the holidays. And don't miss the Osborne Light Spectacular at DHS!

 

[cal1967]

You'll have a blast, and I think it sounds very doable. We flew to Florida last December, also visited Uni and Potter on 12/12/12 before heading to the Mouse. The only thing I would check is that MVMCP is not taking place on the date you have selected for the MK or you will not be able to stay there very late to see the evening parade and fireworks. Try to arrive at the parks at rope drop to avoid crowds. And make your dining reservations as soon as you can. You may want to consider eating at the Cape May Cafe to give you an excuse to go to the Beach Club to see the chocolate carousel, or at the Grand Floridian so you can see the life size gingerbread house they set up for the holidays. And don't miss the Osborne Light Spectacular at DHS!

Thanks guys, you are all so helpful. My next question was going to be where to eat. My mum is Gluten intolerant, but I have read here and there, that if we let the restaurants know beforehand they will cater to that. All I have in my mind at the moment for ADR's is Chef Mickeys and Ohanu for breakfast. My kids want to do as much character stuff as possible, but I don't want the flow of the day to stop too much, if you know what I mean.

 

[cal1967]

Oh. We are staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort. So not far from the parks I believe.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Thanks guys, you are all so helpful. My next question was going to be where to eat. My mum is Gluten intolerant, but I have read here and there, that if we let the restaurants know beforehand they will cater to that. All I have in my mind at the moment for ADR's is Chef Mickeys and Ohanu for breakfast. My kids want to do as much character stuff as possible, but I don't want the flow of the day to stop too much, if you know what I mean.

When you book the restaurants online, they ask about any food allergies and you can let them know that way. Every restaurant should be able to accomodate your mother.

Ohana, Chef Mickey, Tusker House, and Akershus offer great character breakfasts.

I will say, IMO the food at character meals can be a little ehh... underwhelming. So Id stick with character breakfast then enjoy a nice relaxing dinner.

I would suggest looking into the menus so you know what works best for your family.

www.disneyfoodblog.com offers great reviews, pictures, and menus of every restaurant.

 

[wdwmomof3]

Congratulations on your first trip!! We have been several times but this will be our first trip during the holidays and we will actually be there the week of Christmas!!

One of the special Holiday things that we are looking forward to is The Candle Light Processional at Epcot. You can get a dinner package for it too so that you don't have to wait so long in line. From what I understand there are three shows nightly and it's very popular. I'm sure there is more information on it here.

We are also looking forward to visiting the other resorts for dinner and to see the Christmas decor. The Grand Floridian is on the top of my list because they have a life size gingerbread house in the lobby every Christmas. I can't wait to see it, plus the resort is beautiful!! They do have a character dinner there that my kids love called 1900 Park Fare. There you can dine and meet Cinderella and the Prince as well as my favorite, the step sisters and step mother. They are hilarious!! They really play it up to the boys. My kids are your children's ages and they love it. The food is just OK, but its still worth it to me.

There are several videos on YouTube of Christmas at Disney World. They will show everything from the Holiday Wishes firework show to Osborn Lights at Hollywood Studios. It's a great way to sort of see what you will be seeing there and maybe show you something that you didn't know about that would interest your family.

It really does take a lot of planning to pull one of these trips off. I remember our first trip down, on the very first day I was overwhelmed. That place is HUGE!! Once you have been there for a little while and figure out the fast pass system, which ever one it will be at that time, then you will sail right on through. You have come to the right place though. I have learned so much from wdwmagic over the years. Just ask questions here and read all you can. The people here are awesome!!

 

[wdwmomof3]

You will love Bonnet Creek!! I almost booked us there for this trip but I got free dining so we will be at Port Orleans Riverside. Bonnet Creek is just like being on property to me because you don't have to leave the Disney property. Its also so close to Down Town Disney and Hollywood Studios, which is a great location to be at. I did read that they are now charging $5.00 a TRIP per person to the parks. With five of you going it would be best to drive and pay the $14.00 Disney parking fee, which will be good all day at any park. That's what I had planned to do, and don't be afraid to drive because its easy to get around. They have the cutest Disney signs to help you. One tip though, when it says "next right", it means turn then!! Lol

 

[cal1967]

I would really love to do the princess lunch, but my DD (14) informs me she is too old. Lol

 

[Figgy1]

I would really love to do the princess lunch, but my DD (14) informs me she is too old. Lol

OMG you're never too old. Heck I want to go to one and I'm a bit older than14

 

[HollyAD]

Congrats on the upcoming East Coast trip! Ohana's breakfast has a really fun atmosphere and the food is decent. Chef Mickey's is also a must do so good choices! Down town Disney also has some fun places to eat such at the T-REX restaurant and Rainforest Cafe and parking is free. This would be a good plan on your AK day because AK closes pretty early compared to the other parks. You should also try to visit some of the resorts and see how they decorate for Christmas. They are absolutely beautiful! Also as far as your mom's dietary needs, Disney has always been great accommodating my mom's food allergies! We have never had a problem.

 

[JillC LI]

Thanks guys, you are all so helpful. My next question was going to be where to eat. My mum is Gluten intolerant, but I have read here and there, that if we let the restaurants know beforehand they will cater to that. All I have in my mind at the moment for ADR's is Chef Mickeys and Ohanu for breakfast. My kids want to do as much character stuff as possible, but I don't want the flow of the day to stop too much, if you know what I mean.

Yes, they will definitely work around any allergies you mention when you make your reservations. As another poster said, the food at many character meals is meh, so I agree that you should stick with them for breakfast and enjoy some of the nicer places for dinner. We like to book any sitdown breakfasts very early so that we can still make it to rope drop. If you book Crystal Palace early, it will give you an unobstructed view of Main Street in the MK before opening. Same for Tusker House breakfast. We enjoyed 1900 Park Fare for breakfast because of the less common characters (Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins, etc.), and the strawberry soup on the buffet there is amazing. Kona Cafe is not a character spot but I highly recommend a breakast (or maybe a "brunch") there. For dinner, consider the Rose & Crown Pub during IllumiNations.

 

[cal1967]

Oops, seems I just added another day to our Orlando visit. Mwahahahahaha

 

[luv]

If you're going to both WDW and DL, do be sure to figure out where to see the attractions at are in both places! I'd see Pirates and the Tiki Room in DL, for sure!

You can certainly do one park per day! You won't be able to do everything in them, of course, but you can hit the highlights! I would consider trying to squeeze the highlightesty highlights of the Uni parks into one day, with my morning in IoA and my afternoon/evening in US. Can't go to Uni and totally skip the Mummy and the Simpsons!

My favorite restaurants at WDW are Crystal Palace for breakfast and Restaurant Marrakesh for dinner. At Uni, I adore Pastamore (it may be my favorite restaurant in Orlando) and love a cheeseburger from Margaritaville. But I really think that newbies should try whatever appeals to them...unless Tony's sounds appealing, in which case they should go somewhere else, lol.

Get a Birnbaum's Official Guide touch your favorites and an Unofficial Guide to learn how to do as much as possible and you will be all set!!!

Do what you can and have a great trip!

(A bunch of Americans will be confused by the MK on 15/12 and will be thinking, "We don't have fifteen months?! What is this woman talking about?!" )

 

[cal1967]

(A bunch of Americans will be confused by the MK on 15/12 and will be thinking, "We don't have fifteen months?! What is this woman talking )


Hahaha. Sorry to confuse everyone. Here in Aus we write our dates - dd/mm/yy

 

[jennycap]

Help...arriving Sunday 12/8.. Will hit HS as they r open late that night, Monday MK, Tuesday NIGHT ONLY we will go to MK for the MVMCP..Wednesday AK, Friday Epcot...the rest of the time/days we will play it by ear...does this seem reasonable? Not doing a Hopper Pass...