Christmas 2010 advice please

[iuelliott]

We are family of 5 planning a trip to DW Dec 21-26. Please give us "must do/see" activities list to make our holiday vacation special.
We are on a budget but can probably spring for a couple of special dinners/events on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.
Also, tips for managing food & lodging for a family of 5 would be appreciated.
I'm considering staying at the Swan hotel since they give teacher discounts or Buena Vista Suites; and upgrading to a disney resort hotel maybe for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.
Thanks for any advice & tips!

 

[LG2]

See http://allears.net/tp/holiday.htm . It still has 2009 info, but should be updated as the season draws nearer.

For budgeting, see http://www.mousesavers.com/wdw.html

 

[DisneyTiger]

Christmas is my fav time to go to WDW and we are going this Dec 12/1 - 12/7 Our must sees are as follows:

-The Candlelight Processional in Epcot
-Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
-Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
-All of the story tellers around the world showcase. Each country has someone there representing their respective "Santa Clause:
-Sleigh ride through Ft. Wilderness Resort
-Resort hopping to see all of the beautiful decorations

Most of the above are free. Mickey's very merry chirstmas party requires a ticket and I think they are around $50 each. The sleigh ride is also extra. I want to say it's around $60 for the ride. Hopping around from resort to resort is a fav past time of ours. One year, we hopped to each hotel and had a drink at each bar. This was a trip without kids, of course. We ended our hopping at California Grill to watch Wishes while we ate our Thanksgiving dinner. It was a great experience!

There is Christmas magic around every corner. I do recommend the christmas party though because it allows you to be in the park with a much lower crowd. The time frame that you are going in is going to be very busy. It would be nice to have a night in Magic Kingdom where you can ride rides without having to wait 2 hours in line!

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions if you like

 

[Rylee]

Hi,

Christmas 2010? If so, you really need to make those reservations ASAP, like now!

Christmas is busiest time of the year for Disney.

I would start with making your room reservation/s, right away, especially if you have your heart set on a certain resort.

Is this your first visit? Not sure how familiar you are with the Disney Resorts... themes, room occupancy, location, etc, but Port Orleans Riverside is the cheapest option for a family of 5, (and it's a great resort) unless one child is under 3, then you can stay in any room for 4. Another option would be a Family Suite at All Star Music. This would give you a mini kitchen, (fridge and microwave) for fixing simple meals, plus you would have 2 baths.

Next, check park hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades and special event times, and decide which day you'll visit each park.

Once you have an idea of where you'll be each day, you need to make some Advance Dining Reservations, (ADR's) if you want to dine in any of the Table Service restaurants, otherwise you definitely won't get in. We try to book a reservation IN or NEAR the park we are visiting to cut down on traveling time. You can read menus here or at the allears site.

If you have children in your party, they would probably enjoy a character meal.

Consider purchasing a Disney Dining Plan, (DP) if you decide to stay at a Disney owned resort. Disney has "holiday pricing," or a price increase, for the DP, as well as at some restaurants during that time.

If the DP doesn't interest you, or isn't right for your family, you still need to make some ADR's, even if you plan to pay OOP, or you'll be stuck eating Counter Service, (CS) on Christmas Eve and Day.

Plan to be at the parks at rope drop, (opening) as parks can reach, and close due to capacity during Xmas week.

Learn about Fast Passes and use them!

Once you reserve your accommodations and maybe a couple of special meals, you can focus on the details of your daily schedule.

Hope this helps. Have fun planning.

 

[iuelliott]

Thanks for the information!

We went to DL last summer and loved it. This is our 1st time to go to DW.

We are booked at the Swan hotel at the moment. I'm looking at others to make sure that this is the right choice. -teachers receive a discount so that helps.
I didn't realize everything would be reserved already. I've got to get busy.
I have a daughter (teen) that is a vegetarian so I'm looking at restaurants that will cover her along w/ our carnivores in the family.

In looking at the candlelight processional - do I go ahead and reserve the dining table at one of the processional restaurants - or do I call a special tel. # to make those arrangements??

Thanks again for any tips.

 

[iuelliott]

We changed reservations to POR to obtain the free dining as was suggested. Thanks for the great tip on that by the way.
What are your favorite restaurants for:
Candlelight Processional
Fireworks observation
Osborne Lights
Fantasmic

Thank you! Our daughters are going to be so excited w/this vacation!

 

[The Hendies]

Don't worry about veggie daughter.. Just mention it to the wait staff and they will help. At a buffet they walked our daughter through the food lines pointing out exactly what options will meet her preferences.

To save a few $, counter service meals are usually pretty big and can be shared. Bring a few granola bars, etc with you for snacks. Our biggest savings is that we almost NEVER purchase beverages in the parks. You can get ice water at any counter service. One drink per person (5 in your case) twice a day at $3.00 each for 6 days is an astounding $180.00! At POR you'll have a fridge. Refill water bottles, freeze them overnight and they'll last through most of the next day.

And, if this is your first visit to DW for Christmas, there are so many free things to see and do, you can get away with no additional fees for events and entertainment. Have fun!

 

[mom0299]

We will be there almost the same time (12/20-12/25). We have been to WDW in June a few times, week b/t Christmas and NY and the week before Christmas. I think the busiest time was the week b/t Christmas and NY. The first few days of your trip won't be as busy as the last few days. It will get busier the closer it gets to Christmas day.
I would definitely visit as many resorts as possible. The decorations are beautiful. They aren't booking the Candlelight Processional yet. I hope to get one booked when they start. In the meantime I booked dinner ressies in case I don't get a Processional package. We booked a meal at Hollywood and Vine with a Fantasmic Dinner Package. They don't have those kinds of dinner packages for fireworks or Osborne Lights.
You will love being at WDW during Christmas. Just be prepared for crowds and ALL kinds of weather. During our December trips we have worn everything from shorts to layers and gloves. But it is all worth it - it is Disney after all.

 

[iuelliott]

Do I need to call wdw dining reservations to obtain the fantasmic dinner reservation or can it be completed online?
I'm confused as to which can be made online and which I must call on.
We are interested in the candlelight proc. dinner; cinderella table service and the fantasmic dinner.
I see that I can reserve cinderella on line but I wanted to wait for the other 2 before committing to cinderella in case I need to change dates.


Thanks!

 

[Rylee]

We changed reservations to POR to obtain the free dining as was suggested. Thanks for the great tip on that by the way.
What are your favorite restaurants for:
Candlelight Processional
Fireworks observation
Osborne Lights
Fantasmic

Thank you! Our daughters are going to be so excited w/this vacation!

Hi,

Me, again. Did you change your travel dates or are they really offering Free Dining Christmas week?

Did you get the regular DP... 1 Table Service meal, 1 Counter Service meal and 1 snack, per person for each night of your stay?

We always get the DP, but I have a couple of children who are used to eating the minute their feet hit the floor, so (and to save time in the mornings and money) we keep snacks and breakfast items in the room... granola bars, pop-tarts, fruit cups, juice boxes, water, etc.

We fly and use Disney transportation, so we place an order with gardengrocer or wegoshop, and have it delivered to our resort. You can pack it, ship a box to your resort or order and have it delivered... it really is a money saver.

Will you have a car while at Disney?

Do you plan to visit all 4 parks?

Will you have Hopper Passes?

We are a family of 7, and we all have our favorite restaurants. We have never traveled during the Christmas holiday, so I'm not sure which restaurants, (if any) will have special holiday menus, you might want to ask this on the restaurant board. Also, for Xmas and Xmas eve, are you looking for a "Disney experience" or a more traditional meal?

We usually don't purchase Hoppers, so we eat in or near the park we are visiting. Dining at resort restaurants is a great way to check out other resorts.

Family favorites include - (We book some restaurants for the food, some for the atmosphere and some for the experience.)

In or near MK -
(MK area Resort Restaurants are just a quick ride on the monorail.)
Crystal Palace, character buffet, (Pooh & friends) in MK. We prefer breakfast.
Kona @ the Poly
California Grill at the top of the Contemporary. (Signature restaurant, uses 2 credits, reserve a time to view the fireworks.)
Chef Mickey's, character buffet, (Mickey, Donald, Minnie, etc.) @ the Contemporary. (We are not big on buffet dinners but we like a buffet for breakfast.)
A couple of the kids really like Tony's in MK.

Epcot - (So many good restaurants here, we don't leave to dine.)
Teppan Edo in Japan
LeCellier in Canada
Coral Reef (One entire wall is an aquarium.)
One daughter's fav is Chef's in France.

In or near DHS -
We usually book a Fantasmic package at Mama Melrose.
Cape May Clam Bake @ the Beach Club - Take a boat just outside the entrance of DHS.
A couple of the kids like the Si-Fi Dine-In. (Sit in cars at the drive-in movies.)

AK
Yak & Yeti
Boma @ the Animal Kingdom Lodge

-or-

Since AK usually closes earlier than the other parks, we visit and dine at Downtown Disney later in the evening.

We usually book 1 ADR for breakfast, (a character meal) and make the rest of our ADR's for dinner. Breakfast is usually something in the room while we are getting ready for the day, and we grab counter service for lunch.

 

[Rylee]

Do I need to call wdw dining reservations to obtain the fantasmic dinner reservation or can it be completed online?
I'm confused as to which can be made online and which I must call on.
We are interested in the candlelight proc. dinner; cinderella table service and the fantasmic dinner.
I see that I can reserve cinderella on line but I wanted to wait for the other 2 before committing to cinderella in case I need to change dates.


Thanks!

We were there for 12 days in April, (and stayed at POR ) and since then, the online ADR system has been changed. (Info I learned from reading these boards, but I haven't checked out the new system yet.) Back when I was booking ADR's for our last trip, you had to call for a Fantasmic package.

Both the Fantasmic package and CRT book up quickly. I would call now and see what you can get.

 

[disney*mom*82]

We will be at POR Dec 21- Jan 2, just booked it yesterday, with the FREE DINING!! Yes to the person who asked, they are doing free dining up til the 21st, but since we will be checking in on the 21st, we will have free dining our whole trip

First, I have to say that POR is a GREAT resort, it is our families absolute favorite! This is our 5 trip there since March 2008, we cant see ourselves staying anywhere else.

I got online yesterday and got EVERY reservation I wanted, including Cinderellas castle on Christmas day! We have never been there, but our 2 year old is going to love this! Im a planner and LOVE to planour trip to WDW. I already have all our days planned as in what park we will be at, where we will eat, etc. I cant wait!

I too am a vegetarian, so I can relate to your dd. I must say that WDW is one of the most accomadating places. I reccomend Ohana for your family. I was scared of this place cause it is known for the meat (chicken, steak, shrimp, wings, etc) but we tried it and the chef (usually chef TJ) is wonderful and they will make a wonderful vegetarian dish for you if you let them know she is a vegetaian. It is at the Poly resort, it overlooks the MK. The food is all you care to eat, family style. We just love ths place. We always book for late evening, 8-8:30ish so we can watch MK fireworks while eating. So magical.

Feel free to ask me any questions, Im happy to help.

 

[iuelliott]

That's wonderful news that you were able to receive the dining package for the remainder of your stay. What a wonderful early Christmas present

So far, these are our reservations:
21st - hopefully a candlelight processional; Trace Adkins is the narrator; I went ahead and booked the Biergarten if able to obtain this reservation
22nd - MK Liberty Tree Tavern
23rd - MK Cinderella's Table
24th - Rose & Crown
25th - Fantasmic Lunch at Mama Melrose

All of your tips have been so helpful. I truly appreciate tips and love hearing of everyone's plans.

Ok, I have another ? Do I make a reservation for lunch also, or do we just show up at the quick service restaurants??
We will probably keep snacks and breakfast foods available in the hotel.

 

[Rylee]

That's wonderful news that you were able to receive the dining package for the remainder of your stay. What a wonderful early Christmas present

So far, these are our reservations:
21st - hopefully a candlelight processional; Trace Adkins is the narrator; I went ahead and booked the Biergarten if able to obtain this reservation
22nd - MK Liberty Tree Tavern
23rd - MK Cinderella's Table
24th - Rose & Crown
25th - Fantasmic Lunch at Mama Melrose

All of your tips have been so helpful. I truly appreciate tips and love hearing of everyone's plans.

Ok, I have another ? Do I make a reservation for lunch also, or do we just show up at the quick service restaurants??
We will probably keep snacks and breakfast foods available in the hotel.

You need a reservation for any Table Service meal, (staff serves you) regardless if it's breakfast, lunch or dinner. For Counter/Quick Service, just get in line, no reservation required. You might want to take a look at the menus for CS to have an idea of what is offered and where the restaurant is located.

Have you ordered the Free planning DVD? Also, study maps to become familiar with park lay-outs and where the major attractions are located. (This is a great way to involve older children and teens in the planning.) Otherwise there will be a lot of time spent standing around trying to figure out where to go.

Make a list of some must-see-and-do's for your family and hit these attractions first thing in the morning. Always have a Fast Pass... get another one as soon as allowed, (time stamped on current FP.) For some attractions, you need to grab a FP as soon as you enter the park. Example - for Toy Story Mania in DHS, (hugely popular) wait times can approach 89 - 90 minutes (or longer) and they can and do run out of FP's. Grab a FP for TSM as soon as you enter DHS, then go ride Tower of Terror or Rockin' Roller Coaster in the stand-by line.

Also, grab a schedule of events, show and parade times at the entrance of each park. Seeing all the shows at DHS requires advance planning. Plan to see shows and 3D movies in the afternoon, when the park is most crowded, as these can generally accommodate large groups of people at the same time. (If your in the "holding area" you'll get in.)

 

[iuelliott]

Thanks for the tips!
Have a great week.

 

[iuelliott]

Since we will be there during the Christmas "peak" season, I'd love to hear of some tips on finding a way to get the family a break in the parks. I'm assuming that we won't be able to leave the park for a break due to the parks reaching capacity.
Tips for breaks in the parks for:
Epcot
MK
Studios

Another question - can we use the quick service credits toward a lunch table service and pay the difference out of pocket ?
Thanks!

 

[RMulieri]

Since we will be there during the Christmas "peak" season, I'd love to hear of some tips on finding a way to get the family a break in the parks. I'm assuming that we won't be able to leave the park for a break due to the parks reaching capacity.
Tips for breaks in the parks for:
Epcot
MK
Studios

Another question - can we use the quick service credits toward a lunch table service and pay the difference out of pocket ?
Thanks!

No you can not change qs credits into TS credits and pay the difference.For breaks in the parks we like to hang out in some of the countries in World Showcase in Epcot, and at the MK we like to head over to Tom Sawyers Island.We usually don't stay at DHS all that long so no help there

 

[mom0299]

Since we will be there during the Christmas "peak" season, I'd love to hear of some tips on finding a way to get the family a break in the parks. I'm assuming that we won't be able to leave the park for a break due to the parks reaching capacity.
Tips for breaks in the parks for:
Epcot
MK
Studios

Another question - can we use the quick service credits toward a lunch table service and pay the difference out of pocket ?
Thanks!

Like the PP said, you can only use TS for TS and CS for CS.

As for Breaks, here are my thoughts:
Epcot: Two years ago we spent NYE at Epcot (12 of us with 6 kids) and we found lots of places to take breaks. Inside Innoventions there are places to sit while the kids play. There are dancing fountains to the left of "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" - if you go a little further you'll see benches tucked back there. It is right next to the fountains and Figment's Place. Don't forget the playground at M:S, you can sit down while kids play. You can also find some great spots in WS. The back of UK is usually quiet. Or go watch the Canada and China movies.

MK: We like to go to Carousel of Progress when we need to get off our feet for a while. Ride the train. Hall of Presidents. Swiss Family Tree house.

DHS: Can't help you here. It's our least favorite park and we don't stay there long.

 

[iuelliott]

We will have a 17, 13 & 11 year old on this trip. If you have only 5 days and can't count on using hopper passes which parks would you think the older kids would find most interesting??

Maybe I've misunderstood,- I was not counting on hopper passes since everyone says that the parks reach capacity during Christmas break and I thought we wouldn't be able to depend upon hopping?? (We'll be there Dec 21-26)

I was under the impression that MK was geared more for younger children so I had thought HS would be a 2 day choice due to it having Osborne lights???
Please give your suggestions before I get bookened w/ressies.
I truly appreciate any and all Christmas holiday input!

 

[mom0299]

We will have a 17, 13 & 11 year old on this trip. If you have only 5 days and can't count on using hopper passes which parks would you think the older kids would find most interesting??

Maybe I've misunderstood,- I was not counting on hopper passes since everyone says that the parks reach capacity during Christmas break and I thought we wouldn't be able to depend upon hopping?? (We'll be there Dec 21-26)

I was under the impression that MK was geared more for younger children so I had thought HS would be a 2 day choice due to it having Osborne lights???
Please give your suggestions before I get bookened w/ressies.
I truly appreciate any and all Christmas holiday input!

My kids are 13 and 11. We are going Dec. 20-25. Where are you staying?

Four years ago we went Dec. 19-22 without park hoppers. It was a quick trip so we just planned on one park per day. Three years ago we went Dec. 26-Jan. 2 and had park hoppers. The only day we did not use park hoppers was on NYE. I think the days you'll need to be concerned about filling to capacity are possibly Dec. 24 and 25. You should be okay to hop the other days. We haven't purchased the park hopper option for this trip yet, but we'll probably end up getting it when we get there.

MK is not just a park for little kids, although it's probably the best one for them. Your kids will love the mountains (Space, Big Thunder, and Splash), Haunted Mansion, and Pirates.

DHS has ToT and RnRC. Try to get a Fantasmic Dinner Package - that is a must-see show. Osborne Lights is great, but doesn't take long to walk through or watch them dance to the music. Of the four parks, DHS is my least favorite, but that doesn't mean I don't like it.

Have a great time! Maybe we'll see you there.