Help Planning a Christmas Trip (Pros-Cons)

[dixiepixie]

I would love some help weighing the Pro's and Con's of visiting WDW over Christmas.

My family and my best friends family are toying with idea of moving our trip next year from our usual Thanksgiving Week visit to a Christmas Week visit. We have only ever visited during Thanksgiving, but being there at Christmas has always been a dream of ours since our kids were little, but we didn't want to take them away from Santa and Christmas at home then. With ours kids spread out over Middle, High School, and College now we think the time is right.

As soon as the idea started to seem that it might become a reality I knew the first place I wanted to go before making the final decision was here for some feed back.

The dates we are looking at right now would be Sunday December 20 to Sat December 26, 2009. With a 4 day Hopper Pass, our family staying at All-Star Music this time and their family at Port Orleans Riverside in Alligator Bayou.

This would be my families 7th trip (my 9th) and their families 4th trip. So we have done most everything, at least we have done everything we have ever wanted or planned (with the exception of Candlelight Processional - which is a def do next year). So opting for only the 4 days should not be a prob, we want to have the 2 days w/out tickets to take advantage of some down time for out families and to keep the option of not being in the parks on Christmas Day open.

So let it begin...Thank you in advance for any and all help, suggestions, comments or concerns. All will be taken into consideration and are greatly appreciated!

-DP

 

[dixiepixie]

I hope you get some help, ideas, info from it .... we are def going to do this ( visit for Christmas ).

There will be 9 in our group. We have always just booked seperate in the past, any comments on us using Magical Gatherings ... ? From anyone who has done that.

 

[disneydiva72]

Ill be there the Dec. 23rd-27th....I cant wait!



Im crossing my fingers my Xmas tree gets there in time. :lol:

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Our trip won't be until Christmas 2009, I believe you are going this Christmas (maybe I read wrong)....so if you have any planning, touring tips, info about how the crowds or the weather was that you could pass on it may help a little for my trip next year.

Again, Have a Great Time! And Merry Christmas early!

OK - I missed that bit - I thought you were also going 2008.

I'll be posting a full report (with pics) sometime in January - although I anticipate taking that many photos it could be summer before I get them all sorted :lol:

Thanks for the Christmas wishes - keep scanning the Trip Reports in January 09

 

[DisneyPirate85]

CP is beautifull and well worth the time but line up early.

ALSO last Christmas we FEDEX'd a 4 foot pre-lit tree, ornaments, some lights to hang around our window (or our balcony we didn't know what we would get) some Disney Christmas window stickers and a extension cord to POR and decorated our whole room for Christmas :xmas:! Everyday we would come "Home" and MouseKeeping would have done something diffrent to our room, all kinds of towel animals was GREAT. We are going back again THIS YEAR :sohappy: and doing the same thing.
We had about $30.00 in decorations from WALMART including the Tree and $10.00 in shipping to POR, When we checked in it was there and waiting on us. Really added something Special to our Holiday at WDW.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Originally Posted by ClemsonTigger:
I am guessing that being there over Thanksgiving, you've seen Osborne lights, MVMCP, Storytellers, Holiday Wishes and the like...and only Candlelight was missed...

We have seen Osborne Lights, have not been to a MVMCP and since the last one is the 19th I guess we'll miss that next year too (it always starts the day after we leave from our Thanksgiving trip) - but since we'll have the later park times due to no parties that will kinda make up for it.

I don't think we have seen Holiday Wishes. We love Wishes and always see it at least 1 time during our trip, usually more. But it is always the same and it doesn't have any type of "Holiday" theme. I had always assumed that the Holiday Wishes was only done during the MVMCP. Do they do it on regular nights during the week of Christmas? If so we will def. catch it.

Is there a Holliday theme at Fantasmic! or Illuminations ?

As for the storytellers...which are the very best? We prob won't hit them all, but I would like to see a few.

We are def. going to DD to see Santa. Even though our kids are all in middle, high school, and college my BF and I both have a standing rule that they have to sit on Santa's lap if they want anything for Christmas. The bad thing is that "Santa" (the "real" Santa that they have been seeing since they were all very little) has gone back to the North Pole (his mall was closed) so last year we had to go to the new mall, and see a Santa's "helper" ... it was not the same.

I'm sure Disney has a great Santa, so we are super excited about that.
Where in DD is Santa located?

And ofcourse we are doing CP for sure next year.

Thanks for your help - DP

During Christmas week, they do the MVMCP parade during the day, so you will at least be able to experience that. Not sure about Holiday Wishes during that week.

Yes, Illuminations has a holiday "tag" on it that is very nice.

My favorites for storytellers are Canada, UK, France then Norway for something a bit different. So as for your family pictures, you can have pictures with Santa, Father Christmas AND Pere Noel

There is also a great Santa (and Mrs. Claus) in the courtyard (right side) of American Adventure.

Previous years you were able to visit with Santa Goofy in AK. The parade there is kinda cute as well.

 

[dixiepixie]

^^ We have seen Santa Goofy, actually used our picture with hima s a Christmas pic one year, and also saw Mickey and Minnie and Donald in Christmas costumes.

I'm so glad to hear that they do the parade from MVMCP, that will be a treat. And also that Illuminations has the Holliday tag, as we were planning to try to do the Cp that would let us be able to also see Illuminations after, so that would keep the holiday spirit going.

I'm def putting UK and France on my list for storytellers to see.
I know it seems a bit early to start the planning, esp since I can't even make my reservations yet, but I am a planning nut and will be planning some apect of the trip all through the year.

PS....GO TIGERS!

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I know it seems a bit early to start the planning, esp since I can't even make my reservations yet, but I am a planning nut and will be planning some apect of the trip all through the year.

We booked in April 07 for this Decembers trip. I recorded all 2007 park hours, parade and firework times and the EMH days. This came in very handy when I started to put together my proposed schedules BEFORE December 08 hours were released by Disney.

When Disney released the December hours (many days late) my schedules only needed a slight alteration here and there and I was ready to book my ADRs as soon as the 180 day mark was here

 

[EvilQueen-T]

our family booked 12/24-12/28 back on 8/7/8 and were told the dinner packages for the cp were sold out within 24 hours of going on sale but i don't know if this was just for our dates or for the entire event. if your dates are open it may be something you'll want to ask them when you book. this is our first christmas going as well and i was suprised that with 130 some odd days out we still had trouble with dining reservation mainly dinner. i'm still VERY excited about going but am hoping the crowds keep their holiday spirit :xmas:. I figure it can't be to much worse than the 4th of july and we had a great time then despite the crowds... and who can turn down wdw over christmas??? i've read some blogs that said people book a year in advance... i thought they didn't let you book anything more than 180 days out.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

i've read some blogs that said people book a year in advance... i thought they didn't let you book anything more than 180 days out.

Booking from the UK, we booked our flights and accomodation (AKL + GF) in April 2007. Disney (US) will allow room only bookings in excess of 12 months ahead and packages within 12 months (I think).

If you're referring to meal bookings then 99% are at 180 days - the only exceptions that I can find are Wolfgang Puck at DTD = 60 days and Bistro de Paris in EPCOT = 30 Days.

Check here