Which is better crowd/price wise...

[GoCamels]

We plan to go with a Gold Dreammaker Package for 2 adults and 2 under 5 years old plus a 2 year old...but are thinking of dates 12/19-12/26?

Is that smart in terms of number of guests and prices?

Ive seen on AAACarolinas Destination Disney a trend on many of their prices that the discouunts run up to 12/19.

Just trying to see if we would be smart to go a week earlier.

We've done WDW at its busiest (July 4th 2002) but really didn't think it was that bad (IMHO). And waking up Christmas Day in the World is beyond any sugar plums that have ever danced in my head for the last 30 years!!!!

Thanks for the info.

 

[disneydudette]

To be honest....

Disney is not really worth it for christmas time....
1) the decorations are great...but I truely expected more...especially in Disney....
2) The crowds were unbarable....I mean bad!!....Fantaslyland was swamped by 11....and all the mountains had 1 and 1/2 waits...and most fast passes were gone with-in hours.....
3) THE PRICE! Its crazy....

IMHO....hit Disney a week earlier....the decorations are up...rooms are somewahat cheeper....or a lot cheeper depending on which week you go....and you still expeirence Disney at Christmas...just a week or two early....especially with the GOLD package....

Also...waking up Christmas morning is awsome...but it just wasn't the same....were form MA...so maybe that was it....but we just felt that the kids didn't apprechiate it as much as we would have liked....

I feel that even if you go to WDW a week before....you can still get that feeling...as well as the feeling of being in your PJs on Christmas day watching the little rascles drive there new toys over the cats....in the own comfort of your own home...and not in some hotel room....

It may just be me???:xmas:

 

[matt&helen]

I agree with DisneyDudette. You should go a week earlier. You still get the Christmas feelings, and none of the crowd frustrations.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

I'm with the crowd on this one.

Disneydudette is probably right on this one--the kids won't appreciate it as much as you want them to. I think I would rather have my kids open presents in their jammies at home than to wake up in a hotel room.

Go a week earlier--the prices are great, the decorations are as good as they'll get, and you can be home on Christmas morning--watching the WDW parade on TV.

It will mean a lot more to your kids to watch the parade a week after being there.

It will make you really want to go again, and you will book next year's trip.

(Take advantage of not having to travel in peak season while you can. Once they start school, you will have to go during busy times)

 

[DisneyPhD]

Another strong vote for the week before. We went Dec 13-20 2001 and it was wonderful. Low crowds, great rate on a room at poly and all the christmas excitment. It was a terrific trip and I really recomend it to anyone. This way you also have all the joys of going to WDW, all the memories and still get Christmas morning at home. (Also lots of Christmas gifts from WDW, what a great place to shop.)

If you can in anyway go before do it, only people who have no other choice in dates due to school and work should go the week off Christmas.

Since the college where my husband teachs changed their schedule and we won't have time before Christmas, we plan to go Jan 1-7 2004.

 

[GoCamels]

Thanks. That sold me, plus the prices I have found since posting. MAN WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK CAN MAKE!!! Or for that matter a room with a view.

Stuff like this has kept me coming back to WDWMagic over and over since I found it last spring.

 

[DisneyPhD]

btw GoCamels, I really like your advatar. My dad's family is from Ocracoke Island and we go there almost every summer of my life. (missed one or two here or there.) Boy has it changed in the past 30 years. We call it our "anti" Disney vacation, because you can't get much different then that. How is the weather this time of year? I think we might end up skipping our Annaul trip to NC this summer because no one else in our family wants to come with us this year, we are considering an extra trip to WDW to get more use out of our annual pass or a trip to California since we have never been there and my hubby has some family there.

Anyway I just wanted to say HI and welcome to WDWmagic. Hope you have a magical trip.

Mrs. Phd

 

[surfsupdon]

I agree with the majority. I could never be away from home on Christmas Day with all the little extras that make it special for our family. We go during the week after Christmas through the first few days of January. The rates are extremely high from 12/26-1/1 still, but drop a lot after that. And the crowds were slower here than over Easter, our generic time frame for vacations. (it was crowded, but not Easter quality) And if i had the option, I would go the week before Christmas and then be home for Christmas. So def. gothe weeek before. Cheaper, less people, still festive and magical...

 

[kennyj29]

Christmas

We leave the day after Thanksgiving every year. We take the first couple of days (which are busy) and we go to the shopping area, go miniature golfing. Go to Epcot to have a nice dinner and just relax. It's wonderful@! Then we stay about a week after that or so sometimes longer and the parks are empty! We love it!!! It's decorated, the Christmas music is everywhere, the kids will love it because of the thinner crowds! I'm telling you Christmas day is awful, go a little earlier!:sohappy:

 

[GoCamels]

We had snow flakes early monday morning...85 and sunny Wednesday.

As we like to say here... "Don't like the weather? Just wait 5 minutes."

You HAVE To see the pictures of Ocracoke from the snowstorm in Jan. Here's a link...Tradewinds Tackle Shop has some AWESOME snow pics up...we had already rented a house in Kitty Hawk that week for my 30th birthday...man what a party with a blizzard on top of it.

http://www.fishtradewinds.com/ocracoke/scenes.html