Christmas planning questions

[vbarry]

We are planning a 2008 Christmas trip. (If I can get some points transferred!)

We have never been to WDW for X-mas and have never been away from home. The rest of our family will also be in Orlando but staying at a Marriott. I just cannot think of staying off site.

Our girls will be 4 and 8 at the time so we still need to make the trip and Christmas day very special.

First..would you suggest a one bedroom or save points with a studio? I am thinking of splurging and doing the one bedroom since it is the holidays and I would like the extra room for hiding gifts etc.

How do you get a Christmas tree? I know I have seen a tree swap on here somewhere.

Do you mail all of your gifts before you leave to the resort? Has anyone had any other problems with this.

Any other tips or advice is much appreciated!

We are thinking of arriving 12/23 or 12/24 and staying until New Years Day. I know it will be busy!!

[ChelleinNC]

If you can swing it point wise, I highly recommend the 1BR, especially if you are going to have a tree in the room.

Tree swap will be starting up in July, WDWStar has organized it for years now. It was in the DVC Planning forum last year. We had a tree and loved it :santa:

We always go home right before Christmas, so I can't help with the presents ?'s other than I'm sure shipping them to yourself at the resort won't be a problem. That's how the tree swap works.

Consider doing MVMCP, Candlelight Processional and seeing the Osborne Lights.

[vbarry]

Is there anywhere I can get info on the events during that time??

[Chellymouse]

You may want to check the wdw website for a complete listing of all of the Christmas activities. There are tree lighting ceremonies, the Osbourne lights, do buy the dinner package for the candlelight processional (if you don't you'll wish you had) MVMCP (this is awesome!) Have a great time!

[junior27]

We are booked for Christmas at AKV, arriving on 24th. As we will be coming from Scotland, we won't be bringing a tree or heap loads of presents. Looking forward to shopping at the malls.

Are the activities of MVMCP repeated on Christmas Eve/Day? As teachers we can't get to WDW before the 23rd/24th but, like the OP, we would love to see the Christmas shows and activities. Any ideas what we can hope for?

Thanks,

John

[vbarry]

MVMCP- what date does this usually end on. Last year it looks like the last date was 12/21/07. Does anyone have any info. I was hoping it would run til the 23rd or 24th.

Thanks for any help for all of us holiday pre-planners.

I did get the point transfer so BCV...here we come.:santa: :santa:

[JaxFLBear]

Correct. The last MVMCP for 2007 was 12/21. Looking at the calendar, the last one this year might be 12/19. Then again we won't know until Disney announces the dates. Tickets last year went on sale 5/1 so we will have to wait a couple of months for the event dates.

[daisyduck123]

We just spent Dec. 20-26 at AKV (our first Disney Christmas).

We checked in on Thursday afternoon, & Friday morning Peggy from www.peggyssweetsandmore.com delivered a beautifully decorated table-top Christmas tree to our room & did a little room decorating while we were out at AK.

We stayed in a studio. There was actually plenty of space to hide the gifts from our DS9. I had them all in a huge duffel bag, which fit in the cabinets under the kitchen sink. There is also a bench (seat lid lifts off) with plenty of storage space inside.

I'm a teacher...and I pulled the kids & myself out early so that we could get to WDW in time to make it to MVMCP. It was great!

We did not notice big crowd increases at the parks until Sunday Dec.23.

Animal Kingdom was totally crazy on Christmas Eve around lunchtime.

[junior27]

Daisyduck,

How did you manage to "pull yourself" out of school? I can't see any way that my wife and I could pull that one off - I am very impressed.

John

[daisyduck123]

Daisyduck,

How did you manage to "pull yourself" out of school? I can't see any way that my wife and I could pull that one off - I am very impressed.

John

"Sickdays"....and I have a very accomodating principal (who just came back from a European vacation) & school secretary :) .
I pull myself out every year for about 6 days in May. This will be the first May in 5 years that my family won't be going to WDW.

My school's reading teacher just got back from staying at the Poly last week.

[junior27]

LOL - I think people would be suspicious if my wife and I were off at the same time (different schools), particulalry as I haven't been sick in 14 years of work.

In addition, I couldn't justify taking time off at that point in the term, it is just when we set our preliminary exams so I have to be there to set and mark exam papers. :(

Glad you made it to MVMCP though.

John

[Coastie]

I hope the last day for MVMCP is 20th! That is our arrival date. :santa:

[Connears]

We have been to WDW for the last 3 xmas weeks including xmas eve and day. We drive so we bring some of our gifts and I bring stockings and xmas disney beanie babies to decorate and a small fiber-optic xmas tree with mickey heads on it to decorate our OKW unit. One we did put up lights on the porch. We also spend xmas day away from any of the parks-we have late breakfast at 1900 PF then hit DTD or a movie and then dinner at one of the resorts(California Grill, Artist Point and Boma). We love the holidays and love doing it at disney.

Connears

[JaxFLBear]

I hope the last day for MVMCP is 20th! That is our arrival date. :santa:

I wouldn't count on it. That's a Saturday and last year there were no Saturday dates.

[mackeyapp]

Hi

Daisyduck123 posted a website that I wanted to check out since we too will be spending our first Xmas :santa: morning at DW. The site didn't work. :surfweb: I thought maybe if was an error on my end but every time I try - nothing.

Thanks for all the great imput - I am readying intently.

[vbarry]

What was the website???

[dianeschlicht]

Vbarry, I hope you already have your ressies, because I have a hunch those dates are pretty well booked already....especially NYE.

[mackeyapp]

www.peggysseetsandmore.com was the website that she had submitted. I can't get it to work.

[vbarry]

I just tried www.peggyssweetsandmore.com and it worked!

The 2008 Christmas trees are there!

[BCV2002]

I did get the point transfer so BCV...here we come.:santa: :santa:

OK, not to totally bum you out, but just to help you out, make those ressies FAST!!! I tried one week after you could make ressies for the BCV for 12/27/08-1//3/08 and I was waitlisted. It is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to get a room at BCV especially at that time of the year. Luckily my DF and DM have points at SSR that we were able to swap and book a room there. If you can't get at BCV, which I hope you can, I'd try to find someone to swap with. Good luck!

[vbarry]

Well....I got a studio for 12/23 checking out on 12/28. I then waitlisted day by day for 12/28-1/1/09. I then got a cash discount reservation just to back it up.

Hopefully- the waitlist will come through. If not- I will pay cash or just try and move for those days at the 7 month mark to another resort. I would really hate to move...but oh well!!

[daisyduck123]

Sorry...I just went back to my original post & fixed the website link....I had a misspelling...

"vbarry" did it correctly though..it's www.peggyssweetsandmore.com

(from now on,,,when I post a link, I'll try it out myself :) )

[iluveeyore]

My Dsis and I took my two oldest DS last year Dec. 9-13, and there's a lot to see and do for the holidays. If you have time, make sure you visit each resort, especially the deluxes and DVC's to see their decorations - amazing! Also, Epcot has a tree lighting show at the entrance to World Showcase every night at 6pm - characters are all in Christmas attire, and it's entertaining, and the tree is beautiful. DO NOT miss the Candlelight Processional - we watched from the back behind the rope and saw and heard the whole thing perfectly, so didn't need the extra $$$ for the dinner package. There are also different 'Santas' in each country to visit or listen to stories from, very neat.
AK has Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald in their holiday garb in Camp Minnie Mickey - great for photos! Also the parade is holiday themed.
Hollywood Studios - you have to see the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Lights - we went three times and couldn't seem to leave, it's so amazing! They also had a special show with the Harlem Gospel Choir at the Beauty and the Beast theater, which was wonderful.
The Grand Floridian has a huge life-size gingerbread house in the lobby, and they have demonstrations by the baker and you can buy miniature fresh-made versions.
We also went for Christmas in 1999, and I just packed a few small gifts and stockings - bought them something at DTD Christmas Eve and surprised them. We didn't decorate the room much, because Disney does it so well everywhere you go! When we just went last year, I did order a few gifts online and had them shipped to our resort - some things I can't order and have shipped to Canada, so just brought them home on the plane.
You'll love WDW at Christmas, it's so magical. Have a wonderful holiday!:santa: :santa: :santa: :santa: