Changing our trip dates to 12/26 - 1/1/19. Looking for lodging and touring suggestions.

MsHershey

Mouseketeer
Joined
Sep 17, 2006
Due to a change in jobs I am having to change our Disney trip from 12/8 - 12/15 to 12/26 - 1/1/19. I'm wondering how challenging this is going to be. I would love to hear your stories and suggestions of how to tour the parks amidst all the crowds.

A little background on us: My name is Tracy and I'm 55. My adult daughter, Brandi, is 31. We are travelling buddies. We have been going to Disney yearly since 2012. We have always stayed on property until last year when we ventured off property. We decided that we actually liked staying of property.

I had a reservation at WBC through Vacation Upgrades. I tried to change it to our revised dates but they are already booked. So, I'm looking for recommendations for lodging. I would really like a condo with 1 or 2 bedrooms. I plan on renting a car so lodging doesn't have to be super close. Something reasonable in price is more important than close proximity to the parks. I would consider a hotel if it has a kitchenette. We really want to cook a few meals to help with costs.

Also, would love to hear suggestions on touring with the crowds. We usually go in September and understand this is the "slow" time. I'm feeling overwhelmed with the thought of trying to enjoy the parks among so many people. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
 
Hi, Tracy. You're in the right place for advice about off-site lodging. I can't help with condos, as I stick with actual hotels when I visit. My favorite hotel is the DoubleTree Suites Lake Buena Vista. All rooms are one-bedroom suites with kitchenettes. So, that may work for you.

http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/ho...rlando-disney-springs-area-MCOFHDT/index.html

The DoubleTree Suites is one of the seven Disney Springs Hotels. Those hotels are located on Disney property, but are owned and operated by outside companies. For 2018, these seven hotels are participating in Extra Magic Hours and FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance. Since you'd be going at the absolute busiest time of the year, those perks might be more valuable than other times of the year.

Although doubtful for that time, be sure to check for discounts at the Disney Springs Hotels marketing website.

http://disneyspringshotels.com/

As I mentioned, that week is the busiest of the year. It's going to be BUSY. You may want to check out the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies forum. Try searching for "Christmas" or "New Year's" to get some opinions of what it's like. For example, here's one thread to check out:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/afraid-of-crowds-at-christmas.3692376/
 
Awesome! Thank you so much for the suggestions and the helpful links. I will definitely check those out. I was unaware about the hotels you mentioned having EMH hours. That is definitely something to consider.

This is the first time we will be renting a car. I will search the board for suggestions on that. If anyone has any experience with car rental especially at the busiest time of the year I would certainly love to read your tips.

Again, thanks so much for the helpful reply.
 
You have picked a very expensive time frame and likely highly booked, so depending on your budget might need to be open to lots of different options. I have only stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, Sheraton Vistana Resort, a few Marriotts .... and some hotels with suites, 1 and 2 bedroom.

If you consider a hotel, Staybridge Suites has nice newly renovated 2 bedroom with living room and kitchen minus oven - and free breakfast. The Doubletree Suites that @writerguyfl mentioned has a few 2 bedroom suites but I would check sooner than later. But I also enjoy their one bedroom suites as well as Embassy Suites. You could check the B Resort in Disney Springs (especially via Mousesaver) as they have some 1 bedroom suites too.

Hopefully some folks will pop in that have stayed at more condos.
 



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