WDW... instead of traditional Christmas

[MKhead72]

Our kids are now 16 and 15, we have always followed the stay at home with family and friends, decorate the tree, open gifts, Christmas dinner kind of thing. But I think Christmas of '08 we may try something different. We want to do a Disney vacation for the Christmas week. For those of you that have done this with your kids, we have a few questions. How old were your kids? Did they like it better than tradition? Did you like it better than tradition? Over-all on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, how did it go? Thanks in advance to all that reply !!

 

[ASFCurly]

Ok, we didn't go to WDW but we did something very similar last Christmas. My grandmother decided that she didn't want everyone at her house for Christmas, she gets stressed and took a joke my uncle said about taking a cruise or visiting a resort seriously. So she paid for all 18 of us (that includes herself) to go on a cruise over Christmas, no transportation though. So myself, my siblings, and cousins for the most part our Christmas gifts was the cruise from Granny and plane tickets from our parents. My Mom paid for an excursion for my brother and sister and I (we were 24, 19, and 27) and my cousins got a couple of little things as a couple of them are fairly young and they couldn't leave out their older siblings. But for the most part the cruise was it, and we woke up Christmas morning thinking, you know what, I am in the Carribbean (you can substitute WDW) it's ok that we didn't get anything Christmas morning. Even the younger kids didn't really think about it and it was great family bonding time. Plus you end up with things you bought on the trip sort of as suveniers and Christmas gifts combined.

Christmas in Disney can get pretty busy, and I think you should talk to the kids about it and not just spring it on them, especially if you plan on the trip being really their only Christmas gift. But if you can handle the crowds then I would jump at it.

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

I am interested in the response to your question as well. Dh and I are thinking of spending Christmas in WDW in Dec 2009 - from Christmas Eve until the after the New Year's...only that our dd and ds will only be 6 1/2 and 4 1/2 at the time. I think it will be a great experience. The only concern I have is the crowds especially with my two little ones, but your kids are much older than mine.

 

[ScottNBecky]

OK this will be our 3rd Christmas at WDW. Our kids werew 7 & 5 when we first tried this. We had decided that at some point we nedded to start our own family tradition. Without getting into a ton of details our kids loved it! Santa still brought them presents and we even took a small tree (12 in.)

It was relaxing with all the Christmas decorations up everywhere. We celebrated Christmas with one set of Grandparents before we left and the other when we returned. This is now our families tradition and I cannot imagine spending Christmas any where else.

 

[ScottNBecky]

Enchanted Princess, check out my site and I have some Peak Season tips that cna make your Christmas trip a bit more managable. Dont be scared of the large crowds. Check out my tips and you can have plenty of fun.

 

[elemusing]

We did this a few years ago. It was WONDERFUL. DH and I didn't get each other anything at all for Christmas and then we had DS who was 5 at the time. I had a small tree delivered from the WDW florist and took a few lights and decorated the room window. (Lots of people do this.) Then I took just 3-4 small gifts for DS and Santa came with gifts bought at DTD the day before!!

I packed and extra suitcase in a suitcase so we could fly the gifts home with us and just shipped the tree home UPS.

IT WAS GREAT and I hope to do it again someday!

Takes a lot of planning - but when you get to call people from the Magic Kingdom on Christmas morning and say Merry Christmas - guess where I am? ;-) It makes it worth it!

Angie

 

[mommy2mrb]

we are hoping to do this in 2009 with my family, convincing my DM is the hard part, she likes being home for x-mas. we always travel up to my family so we are never in our own home for the holidays.........we will see what happens.

 

[Mickeys_n_me]

Our kids are now 16 and 15, we have always followed the stay at home with family and friends, decorate the tree, open gifts, Christmas dinner kind of thing. But I think Christmas of '08 we may try something different. We want to do a Disney vacation for the Christmas week. For those of you that have done this with your kids, we have a few questions. How old were your kids? Did they like it better than tradition? Did you like it better than tradition? Over-all on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, how did it go? Thanks in advance to all that reply !!

I'm not a parent but a kid of a parent who took us to WDW for Christmas back when I was 18 and my younger sister was 7. It was a blast!!! I can speak for my sister as well.
What I missed about having a WDW christmas was snow, or at least the hope that it may snow (I'm from Boston). Gifts under a Christmas tree.

My sister loved getting "tucked in" by an Elf (not sure if they still do this). I loved the atmosphere.
What I could have lived without where the crowds and crowds of people.

So over all I would give it a 7.

I would definitly wait until the kids get older and Santa is not that big a deal though.

 

[NMAmy]

We did this when dd was 13. We were at WDW for two weeks. I loved it. My dd, on the other hand, hated being gone for Christmas. She's a traditionalist and prefers to have everything be exactly the same at home when it comes to Christmas--same decorations, same food, same family. Now don't get me wrong, she had fun. But she asked if we could go back to having Christmas at home so that's what we do now. She's 17 this year, we won't have many more Christmases at home like this so I'm glad to indulge her.

Have a great time if you do decide to go!

 

[N10CJT]

I for one wouldn't consider Disney World for Christmas (the season, absolutely, the day, no), but I'm sure you'll have a great time. My sister's family went once and enjoyed themselves, but it wasn't the same when the kids came back and opened their grandmother's presents 5 days into January. It's a give and take, I'd say.
I prefer to spread out the joy! I'm originally from the NYC area, and Christmas in New York beats just about everything, I look forward to that each year. I don't have kids, but I would much rather take the kids out of school for a week sometime in January, February or March (as long as they get ahead on their studies before the trip). That way, I would have Christmas in New York to look forward to AND a vacation to Disney thereafter (and, theoretically, better crowds). I know there are logistical concerns about taking any trip, but the way I see it, you can visit Disney any time of the year, so why do it during a time when you could be having an amazing time at home?
But as always, everyone's different. I wouldn't say that going for Christmas would be a bad choice, after all!

 

[RumpleMom]

We went to WDW for Christmas when the kids were young teens. We had a wonderful time, but they were concerned about not being at our Christmas Eve church service. We booked the Candlelight Processional and dinner at Epcot on Christmas Eve. It was a beautiful experience with Art Garfunkle reading the Christmas story.

If this is your first trip to WDW, do not go at such a busy time. If you have been there before and will be satisfied enjoying the decorations and music, then go for it.

Be sure to check to see if the kids have any chorus, band, dance, etc. performances that they would miss before scheduling your trip.

 

[Mom loves Disney]

We are trying this same thing this year. My kids are 8 & 10. Some of the family are not too happy, but I think it will be great to have a Christmas somewhere else. We have always done the traditional Christmas and it is a hassle to get everyones schedule together. So this year my husband said let's go away for Christmas and I jumped on it!! We can't wait to be at the Wilderness Lodge come Christmas.

 

[mlill]

We spent Christmas in WDW last year. It was amazing. We can't wait to go back and do it again next year! My kids were 12,14, & 17 at the time. I wrote a Trip Report about our vacation and it's linked in my signature...

Happy Planning,
Michelle

 

[cthawes]

WHo wouldnt want WDW as a Christmas present, i was the happiest person in the world when i found out i was going there for my christmas present

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

This will be our fourth Christmas at Disneyworld and we wouldn't have it any other way! We spent many Christmases at home and then as we graduated from high school/college/Grad school, spending Christmas at the World was a lot more appealing.

Our extended family lives in Florida so this year we're starting a new family tradition of having Christmas dinner at 'Ohana. I can't wait!

 

[verticalchaos]

We're getting ready to do our second. Sis and I are adults now ~ neither married and neither with kids (Mom and Daddy joke about their grandcat (sis's) and grandbird (mine).) Since we're spread out ~ sis is currently a CM at WDW, I'm in NYC, and Mom and Daddy are in Tennessee ~ it's a nice way to get us all together. We fly in on Christmas Day and are there for a few days...this time we leave the evening of the 29th. The only thing I really miss is traditional Christmas Morning breakfast ~ though a lot of it (country ham and grits) had to be shipped in for me last year...kind of hard to find those things in NYC! Hee!

This year in exchange for Daddy paying for my flight, room (shared with them...I think sis said it's a 1 BR villa at SSR) and most meals, I'm buying one meal for them ~ I've selected Rose and Crown. Makes it easier than having to find and ship presents, that's for sure!!

 

[STEAMBOAT209]

I would love to be at WDW Christmas week. We normally go the first week in Dec to avoid the crowds, but I would really like to try it during Christmas week, but DW feels that the Grandkids are too young for us not be around Christmas Day. So looks like it will be a few years before we plan for Christmas week.

 

[Catrinabeach]

We are doing it this year. We have a 14 yr , 12 yr and 3 yr old.

We decided last year after another noisy, messy, stressful Christmas in our house that we were running away for Christmas this year. We warned everyone right then and booked our trip in Feb.

We figured with what we spend on the kids and everyone for Christmas and all the food for Christmas Eve and day we could take our trip for the same price.

Now for this year to make it more special we booked a fireworks show for the first night we arrive, the Christmas party the next night and then a Character breakfast and dinner for Christmas day.

We are also taking my BF's 15 yr old with us at her request !!!

 

[TinkerbellMama]

We are going the week before Christmas 2008 and leaving just a few days before the holiday. My family, who live in Orlando, will celebrate Christmas with us during that visit (presents, tree, etc.), and then we'll fly home for Round 2 with dh's family a couple days later. For us, it's the issue of crowds/more $$ to be there ON Christmas, as well as missing out on the traditional New England Christmas we always love at home. I would not rule out Christmas at WDW in the future, but it will probably be many years from now! Good luck!

 

[cman]

Well we're about 80 days away from enjoying Christmas at WDW. DS is 15 and DD is 16.

Right after the holidays in '05 and after we host ed5 separate holiday events at our house in the month of Dec. I has an idea - let's not do that again!! I told my wife that we needed to shake things up a bit and try something new.

We're a very traditional New England family and I told her that if we couldn't convince the other 14 people we spend Christmas with (parents, siblings and their families...) to come with us we wouldn't go.

We're DVC memebers so we would cover the resort for everyone. I carefully crafted an email that night and sent it to everyone around 11pm. When I checked my email the next morning every family member was completely for the idea - they couldn't wait.

I've spent the last 21 months planning this thing. ADR's, CP, MVMCP, Wishes cruise, Fantasmic Dinner Package, park planning with TGM...... I'm not complaining but doing this for 18 people is TOUGH!!

This will be our 4th trip with the same group of family members and they are very easy going so that makes things easier on me.

Anyway, 78 days and counting and we can't wait. I'd say don't look back, go for it.