Booking Christmas Question

[javamom]

Just curious if anyone has any tips regarding booking for Christmas 2009.

This will be my first time booking DVC for this time period. I DO remember how hard it was to get through to MS last year, just trying to get my dues payments set up. So, I am NOT looking forward to trying to get through this year to make my Christmas booking.

Here are my nights:
December 20 to the 24th in BWV 2BR Standard (i'll take preferred if that's all that is still available, or am I foolish to think that either will be available?)

I already know that I will need to call at the crack of OMGosh to try to get through. Does anyone have any other tips that might help?

 

[DebbieB]

Call on Jan 20 (assuming you own at BWV) at 9:00am Eastern Time. I don't think you will have a problem. Good Luck!

 

[javamom]

Yes, we own at BWV. I'll be crossing my fingers that I actually get through and can get my dates!

Thanks!

 

[fluffykim]

We have gone to Disney EVERY year for xmas (minus this year) for the last 4yrs.

Dates: 12/21 - 12/27

I have called as early as the 11mos window and as late as 3 weeks before at SSR and never had a problem getting my 1 bedroom.

Myabe because sSR is big or Im lucky..but we have never had an issue booking Xmas the last 4 years in a row.

Kim

 

[DeeCee735]

I'm thinking of actually flying down and checking in on Christmas day. Never went in December...is this a bad idea? If so, why?

How insanely crowded will the parks be, is it even worth doing?
We own at BW and that's where we'll want to stay, so I was going to call on Jan 25 at 9 a.m. and see if I can get it.

Any opinions?

 

[fluffykim]

HI DeeCee-

HEre is my 2cents:

Disney is all "Xmas" from right after Thanksgiving up through as late as MLK weekend in January.

IF you are going for the experience of Xmas, you can go anytime in that timeframe.

IF you are going to spend actual Xmas in Disney, know this, it is THE busiest time of the year at the parks. What that means is the park fill up by about noon time every day to maximum capacity. It is CRAZY.

We were at animal kingdom one day for the 25th (not too bad bright and early) and Magic Kingdom one day and it was miserable it was so crowded. We ended up leaving and going back late night

The good news is the parks are open till like 3am or so , so we would spend all day at the pool and chill out, take naps and do the parks super extra late.

 

[DeeCee735]

HI DeeCee-

HEre is my 2cents:

Disney is all "Xmas" from right after Thanksgiving up through as late as MLK weekend in January.

IF you are going for the experience of Xmas, you can go anytime in that timeframe.

IF you are going to spend actual Xmas in Disney, know this, it is THE busiest time of the year at the parks. What that means is the park fill up by about noon time every day to maximum capacity. It is CRAZY.

We were at animal kingdom one day for the 25th (not too bad bright and early) and Magic Kingdom one day and it was miserable it was so crowded. We ended up leaving and going back late night

The good news is the parks are open till like 3am or so , so we would spend all day at the pool and chill out, take naps and do the parks super extra late.

Thanks, your "two cents" is going to come in very handy. One question though, you say it can be Christmas through MLK. Does that mean the decorations are still up? We are going to be there this Jan 11th thru the 16th, and now I'm wondering.....

Thanks again.....

 

[szymcl]

We were there after New Year's Day 2 years ago and they were starting to take the decorations down by the 3 or so. The Osbourne Lights were up until around the 6th. You just need to check the website for the dates.

 

[drusba]

Decorations generally start coming down Jan 3 or 4 and are all gone within a day or two thereafter (at hotels, you go to bed one night and in the morning everything is gone). Christmas week is very crowded and parks can reach capacity and stop taking new entries. Popular rides have 2 to 2 1/2 hour standby lines essentially all day and night after first hour in the morning and some rides like Test Track and Soarin' go to over 3 hour standby. Even the Treehouse has greater than 60 minute line. Fast passes for popular rides can run out for entire day by noon. Streets get so packed at MK that it can take 40 minutes or more to walk from Space Mountain to Splash Mountain. At noon in MK if you enter and stand at base of Main Street and look down toward the castle, you will not see the street, you will not see the sidewalks, what you will see is a sea of bobbing heads crammed next to each other. And then there is Dec 31 ... which is even worse at MK and Epcot than any other day of the holiday. Making dinner ressies well in advance is a necessity if you want to eat. Even counter service places in the parks can get 45 minute lines.

 

[Connears]

We have been for the last 4 xmas weeks(arriving today at OKW), with many other holiday times since we began members in 1994, and have never had a problem at 11 months out for that time. I do not call right at 9am like the rest of the world, but maybe your specifics at BWV may warrant it. I have never had any special requests and have not gotten a "bad" location yet.

Connears

 

[fluffykim]

HI-

We went down at MLK weekend one year and DTD was completely done up still. The resorts were not still decorated, but DTD was...it was pretty cool

 

[Vickis3js]

Thanks for asking that question! We are looking at booking at AKV for Christmas 09. We went down this Christmas just returned today and we bought DVC!!! First time down as a family and we knew it was for us!!! Our dates this year were 12/20-12/27 and it was not bad at all. If you plan right its a breeze!

 

[DeeCee735]

Thanks for asking that question! We are looking at booking at AKV for Christmas 09. We went down this Christmas just returned today and we bought DVC!!! First time down as a family and we knew it was for us!!! Our dates this year were 12/20-12/27 and it was not bad at all. If you plan right its a breeze!

Can I ask what kind of planning do you suggest? We are thinking about going next Christmas, but the thought of such crowds is making me seriously think twice about it. Any suggestions?

TIA

 

[javamom]

If you can swing it, I would definitely try to end your trip by the 25th, JMHO.