Boardwalk Villas, Early December,2014, 2 Questions?

[jerseygal]

Thinking about a quick 4 night getaway, just my husband and myself early December, 2014....

4 Questions???
1. NEVER have been to WDW during the month of December or the "colder" winter months for that matter....I have read that Wilderness Lodge Villas and Boardwalk Villas decorate nicely for the Christmas Holidays...Is this the case?
2. Is Epcot decorated for Christmas like Magic Kingdom? Is there anything special that goes on during the month of December on a holiday theme like special fireworks or something at Epcot?
3. Boardwalk Villas...I always need a very quiet location and am not interested in the noise of the Boardwalk. What would you recommend for a standard room request studio for a "quiet" location within Boardwalk Villas? How many floors are the buildings? From the top floor, can you see the Epcot Fireworks?
4. Is the pool at Boardwalk Villas or the main pool at the Boardwalk Resort HEATED? In the beginning of December, is the weather normally swimming
weather?

THANK YOU IN ADVACE VERY MUCH FOR ANY RESPONSES!!!!!!!!!! A very long way off, but always fun to do some "thinking and planning" in advance, especially a kid-free trip for the two of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[erionm]

1. NEVER have been to WDW during the month of December or the "colder" winter months for that matter....I have read that Wilderness Lodge Villas and Boardwalk Villas decorate nicely for the Christmas Holidays...Is this the case?

All Disney Resort are decorated for the holidays.

2. Is Epcot decorated for Christmas like Magic Kingdom? Is there anything special that goes on during the month of December on a holiday theme like special fireworks or something at Epcot?

There's the Candlelight Processional and many of the countries have story tellers.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/christmas_world.htm

4. Is the pool at Boardwalk Villas or the main pool at the Boardwalk Resort HEATED? In the beginning of December, is the weather normally swimming
weather?

All Disney Resort pools are heated.

 

[MouseMomx2]

Thinking about a quick 4 night getaway, just my husband and myself early December, 2014....

4 Questions???
1. NEVER have been to WDW during the month of December or the "colder" winter months for that matter....I have read that Wilderness Lodge Villas and Boardwalk Villas decorate nicely for the Christmas Holidays...Is this the case?

Each resort has themed holiday decorations. I don't think anything can top the Wilderness Lodge and Grand Floridian, but they are all beautiful.

2. Is Epcot decorated for Christmas like Magic Kingdom? Is there anything special that goes on during the month of December on a holiday theme like special fireworks or something at Epcot?

There are Santas in each of the countries who share information on what the holiday is like in their country.
There is a special Illuminations tag in the weeks right at Christmas/New Year.
There are holiday decorations.
The Candlelight Processional offers a celebrity guest narrator telling the Christmas story, along with music sung by a choir and the Voices of LIberty.

3. Boardwalk Villas...I always need a very quiet location and am not interested in the noise of the Boardwalk. What would you recommend for a standard room request studio for a "quiet" location within Boardwalk Villas? How many floors are the buildings? From the top floor, can you see the Epcot Fireworks?

Standard view rooms are very hard to book so if you want one make sure you book right at the 11-month mark. If you are not a BWV owner you will probably have to settle for a Pool/Garden view. I would ask the CM to note you would like a quiet location. I would think the farther from the lobby the better, but that will mean a lot of walking.

4. Is the pool at Boardwalk Villas or the main pool at the Boardwalk Resort HEATED? In the beginning of December, is the weather normally swimming
weather?

Yes, it is heated.

THANK YOU IN ADVACE VERY MUCH FOR ANY RESPONSES!!!!!!!!!! A very long way off, but always fun to do some "thinking and planning" in advance, especially a kid-free trip for the two of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be aware that the first few weeks of December are the busiest time at DVC resorts. I would strongly suggest that you book your home resort at the 11-month mark and then try to switch at the 7-month mark. That way you know you will have a place to stay, even if your other choices are not available.

Have fun planning!

 

[chalee94]

Thinking about a quick 4 night getaway, just my husband and myself early December, 2014....

1. NEVER have been to WDW during the month of December or the "colder" winter months for that matter....I have read that Wilderness Lodge Villas and Boardwalk Villas decorate nicely for the Christmas Holidays...Is this the case?

here is a good trip report thread with a ton of holiday pics of the parks:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2855462

there are actually separate forums dedicated to pics of the resorts and parks. here are some links to those forums to get you started:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1676426

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1852086

 

[DisK]

excellent photos!

 

[chalee94]

excellent photos!

i can't take credit for them, but they (and more like them) are in the linked threads...

 

[DebbieB]

For standard view, I always request top floor, across from the bus stop. That gets you away from the entrance, especially now that the RAC luggage carts are right under the first rooms in the hallway. Standard view is hard to get for that week, you have to reserve right at 11 months.

 

[jerseygal]

THANKS for the BEAUTIFUL PICTURES!

Great tip on booking home resort 11 months out, then trying to change at 7 mos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How difficult will it be for Adventure Season at Boardwalk Villas, upgraded pool view? If we can't get standard, will then try for "pool view"! Think boardwalk view will be too noisy for me...very light sleeper!

Thanks again as always for the GREAT TIPS!

Planning is so much fun!

 

[drusba]

Having been during holiday times many times, I cannot say that I have seen a poorly decorated resort. WL has the advantage of the huge lobby with the extremely high ceiling conducive to the huge tree and lots of decorations. BWV is lower ceiling so it opts for emphasis in the lobby on things like the house display with the train.

Early Dec is usually nice weather but there is a risk of getting real cold weather (happened a couple years ago) so be prepared in case it occurs. As to whether it is usually pool weather, that can be hit or miss as it can often be warm enough and just as often just somewhat too cool for it.

Every park has Christmas decorations and their own kind of events. It is hard to designate a favorite decoration/event but one that we find edges out the others is the Osbourne Lights at Studios, although the Candlelight Processional at Epcot is also right up there.

Be aware that the first week of Dec is the highest DVC demand week of the year, and the second week is the third highest (Christmas week is second). If you want standard view at BWV you better be on-line at 8 a.m. exactly 11 months out to reserve it. Pool/garden view will last longer but even it will be mostly gone before 7 months out. In fact, during that first week of Dec, you need a lot of luck to get any near park resort (BCV, BWV, BLT, VWL) for any category of room at 7 months out.

 

[jerseygal]

Thanks very much for your replies!

I will book my home resort at 11 mos out and be on line at 8:00 7 mos out and cross fingers for a studio at Boardwalk Villas. Since I never traveled in the winter, I thought that the only tough weeks truly would be Christmas, Thanksgiving, and then spring break! Never realized that Adventure Season December 1-December would be so tough! THANKS for the "heads up"!!!

 

[jerseygal]

Since it is difficult getting a reservation for Adventure Season December 1-14,
does it stand to reason that the parks will be very crowded during this time?
If so, is it as crowded as July or August? Kind of surprised since kids are in school at this time???????????????

THANKS!!!!!!!!!

 

[rlovew]

Since it is difficult getting a reservation for Adventure Season December 1-14,
does it stand to reason that the parks will be very crowded during this time?
If so, is it as crowded as July or August? Kind of surprised since kids are in school at this time???????????????

THANKS!!!!!!!!!

The first 2 weeks of December are the hardest to book outside of Christmas week itself- between the low point costs and the holiday decor being up that is when everyone wants to go and the time where it is most important to have booked your home resort as sometimes there is basically nothing much available at 7 months if you want a period of time. The parks themselves don't tend to have much larger crowds it is DVC that is more crowded. I would plan on doing a garden/pool view if Boardwalk is not your home resort and be pleasantly surprised if anything else is available although Boardwalk view always seems a bit loud to me.

 

[jerseygal]

Have always "battled" park crowds during summer for school vacations, so hopefully crowds will be minimal and this will be a great time!
Took many years for youngest son to be "tucked" away in college, but we are coming down to the "home stretch"!

Wow, first WDW "childless"! SHOULD BE A GREAT 4 NIGHT GETAWAY!

 

[drusba]

Thanks very much for your replies!I thought that the only tough weeks truly would be Christmas, Thanksgiving, and then spring break! Never realized that Adventure Season December 1-December would be so tough! THANKS for the "heads up"!!!

Thanksgiving as far as holidays are concerned is a high demand time right behind those December weeks. However, spring break weeks, including Easter time, are actually moderate to low DVC demand times during which it is easy to get rooms at near park resorts at 7 months out except for Boardwalk standard and boardwalk view and BLT standard view. December is your highest demand month and it is October that is the second highest demand month.