Has anyone been to Disney World on Christmas before? Just wondering if there's anything we should make sure we don't miss? We're going on Xmas day (kids don't know yet, it's a surprise!) and the Mickey Xmas party isn't on that day, just wondering if there's anything else there, or in Orlando in general that we should make sure we see or do that evening? I checked allears.net but they didn't have anything.
I'm not sure, but if you aren't registered at www.disboards.com, you should be, they know everything!
Hi! What day are you going and for how long? I can tell you what's happening there. We just got home from Disney few days ago. I'm also a part-time Disney Online Travel Specialist, you can ask me any questions and I'll be very happy to answer it for you. 8)
We were there Thanksgiving week. I love Disney....hated the hotel we stayed at this time, but love Disney...
We stayed at Pop Century, and it was the first time I've ever stayed at a value resort. I wasn't impressed....at all.
Pop Century is one of Disney's first value hotel. The room is smaller than any other Disney resort. According to my email news from Disney Travel Company, they will convert the rooms into Family Suite, much similar to Nickeleon Hotel, which is located right outside of Disney World. A lot of family complained about how small All Star resort (Pop Century, Music, Sport, Movie) rooms are.
If you are going to be at Disney World on Christmas Day (actually anytime starting a few days before Christmas and going to a day or so after New Years), you need to be prepared for the worst crowds you have ever seen in your life. I've never been at that time of year, but that is the information that is consistently reported. Crowds during the Christmas week are at the highest levels of the entire year. It is not at all unusual for the parks to actually close to guests arriving later in the day. I've heard of plenty of people that have done trips at this time, but you need to prepare and know what to expect. You can read plenty of first-hand accounts of people that have been on Christmas Day. You don't have to worry about missing the Christmas Party because Magic Kingdom is open early and very late and all of the special events are typically available. If possible, I would suggest you try to see the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. I strongly recommend disboards.com for discussion groups, allears.net and wdwinfo.com.
Yeah, I know, not really excited about the crowds, but hubby insisted that's when we go, because he takes that week off every year, says nothing gets done anyway. Although I keep hearing they are a little slower than normal this year, hoping that's true. We're going to FL on Xmas day and staying until the 30th probably. Only doing Disney 2 days, the other will be whatever we find to do. MamaApe - sshh! It's a secret so don't mention it to any of my kids!! Wish I had known you were going on the cruise, we might have joined you. We've always talked about doing it, but never have. Now I'm jealous! Are you going the long weekend from school?
PS - I've always heard that about the value resorts, and as a family of 5 I didn't even consider it. We've booked a room at the Embassy Suites in LBV, but looked at Port Orleans in Disney today, price wasn't too bad. We've never stayed on Disney property before, but guess we won't this time either. The ES is the only hotel I found there with an indoor pool.
Yes, it's true that Christmas at the park get crowded. I suggest you get Fast Pass first thing when you enter the park. If you wait until later, Fast Pass will be all out. Be sure to visit the Disney Hollywood Studio and see the amazing Christmas light decorations there. All Disney parks will be open til midnight, which is a good thing. Enjoy your trip!
We're going to be there the week of the 12th to the 20th, in hopes of missing the holiday crowds. From what I'm hearing, the parks should be pretty empty until the weekend of the 20th, so we should be able to do everything we want to. And I would also love any tips you guys can give. We're staying at Celebrity Resorts Orland - Oaks. We're having my mother in law (they live just a few miles from Disney) buy the kid's tickets so that we can get the Florida resident discount on theirs (which Disney said was perfectly fine as long as the kids are with her when Grandma buys the tickets). It will only save us about $35 total, but that's still something. We haven't decided whether to spend the money on the Very Merry Christmas thing at night. From what I'm reading, it should be free (part of regular admittance) the last weekend we're there, although we should expect big crowds. My little ones are 3.5 and 7. We're just doing the Disney parks. Thanks so much! And DMJ, I'll be sure to post anything I can think of that is helpful as soon as we get back. ~Crysta
Thanks Crysta!! This will be my 4th time, the kids 3rd time going. I'm more curious about the weather than anything...hope it's warm!! The last time we went my little one was just a baby, it was April and HOT, I think they actually broke records while we were there. And it was Spring break but wasn't too crowded. The other time we went with the kids it was Feb, and the weather and crowds couldn't have been any more perfect. That's when I'd go again if it were up to me...We're very excited, and can't wait to see the kid's expressions when we tell them we're going!!! :hurray:
Okay, just got back from Disney. Some notable items: It can get cold, especially at night. I recommend bringing lots of layers and, if you're bringing a stroller, a fleece blanket or two. Our first two days there were beautiful in the high 70's. Then we had 2 days of light rain, followed by 3 days where it progressively got colder. So I would expect chilly and hope to be pleasantly surprised. Be prepared for some massive crowds. This week and next week are two of their busiest weeks of the year. This past Saturday was INSANE. They were actually parking people on the grass at Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and had to delay the parades and fireworkds at Magic Kingdom because the crowds were so dense. For any of the parades, make sure to scope out a place to sit a good hour before the parade starts on the weekends. If you can't find a spot, try the road that goes from Main Street to Adventure Land. The parade goes over the bridge from Frontier Land, the next road over, so you can get a great view without being smashed into a million people. For the fireworks at Magic Kingdom, they will go off behind (not over) the castle (more like over Future World). Plan your spot accordingly, because the view is obstructed from many spots, including near the castle. For the display at Epcot, our favorite place to stand was at the end of Main Street where the sidewalk slopes down. You can stand amongst a crowd and still have a great view because of the slope, and you won't have to sit there for an hour before the display starts in order to see something. They completely re-did Space Mountain, so fast-pass it when you get there (the fast-passes were completely gone by 7pm on Saturday) and check it out. The Candlelight Illumination at Epcot was great, but if you want a seat you either have to spend $50 per person on dinner (and eat very early) or get in line at least 1 hour before hand for a seat. Or you can just stand outside the arena area and watch it from the sidewalk (my recommendation). That's probably the best I have to offer for a seasoned Disney person. Have fun!!
i haven't been to WDW in a long time. I have been doing some preliminary research and it is very confusing. I have stayed at Caribean Beach and Dixie Landings(now port orleans), when i stayed on park property the park passes included ..Park Hopping and Water resorts, from what I am reading you have to pay extra to add those features. Is that correct? Also, I will be traveling with family for a total of 6, 2 adults, 4 children, what is the best, most affordable place to stay? Thanks
Yes, water parks, park hopping, and the no expiration options are all extras for any of the Disney tickets, including those with most of the package deals. You really have to do your price comparisons to figure out what the best deal is. Most of this depends on your personal vacation style and preferences. Often you can get a meal plan as part of the resort packages, and there are several different meal plans that you can buy. If you typically do the character meals or eat at the Disney restaurants a lot, they can be a good deal. Whereas for us they would be a waste of money because we always bring in a cooler and prefer to snack and graze instead of doing sit down meals. Some people like to park hop, whereas we prefer to do a park for the whole day. Disney can be as affordable or expensive as you want to make it. If you do your research and travel during non-peak seasons for the parks, you can often get great deals on hotels. If you're willing to do time share presentations, you can get fantastic deals (we stayed for a week at a 2-bedroom condo with a full kitchen and 2 bathrooms and family room for less than $200 total)(also, you can do presentations for cheap or free tickets or cash). The tickets are cheaper per day the more days you go to Disney, so the best deal can be found by going for 10 days. After the 4th day, you're paying about $3 per person for each additional day. We skip the park hoppers and other options and just to whatever park for the whole day. There is so much to do, this is easy. You're allowed to bring food and beverages (no glass containers) into the parks, so you can save a ton on food by bringing your own. We bring a stroller (renting theirs is super expensive) and stock the bottom with snacks, sandwhiches, and drinks. Another tip is to bring your own souveniers. I go to the Disney store at the mall before we go and stock up on stuff my kids will want (t-shirts, autograph books, toys, etc) and hide them at the bottom of the stroller. I'll walk them through the stores a bit, but will make them wait outside while I "buy" surprises. I give them the stuff and they're super excited. Saves me a ton. Also, there are Disney outlet stores in Kissimmee that have similar items for significantly less, so check those out too for authentic Disney souveniers. If you're going in 2010, make sure to do a participating volunteer day (the kids can do one too) for a free ticket to Disney. You can get a list of qualifying charities on their website. I'm sure others can add to my list, and there are a ton of Disney planning websites out there. You just need to spend (a bunch of) time doing the research and planning the trip. Oh, and if you plan to do any of the character dinners, you typically will need to make the reservations exactly 180 days in advance. You can often find something the day of, but your choices will be very limited and you often get stuck with off-peak times. Other than 180 days out and the day of, it is often hard to get any reservations, as people call at 180 days and make reservations at several restaurants for each meal so that they can pick and choose when they get there, thus booking up all the reservations way in advance.
