$Christmas at Disney$

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Thanks for everyones great ideas! I think we will probably be staying at one of the moderates just because we have started staying on-site about 8 years ago and have never looked back! Between the moderates anyone have any suggestions as to which one has the best decorations, activities, etc.

Here's a wacky idea. Stay at one of the All Stars. Yes, there's a reason for my suggestion. We did 12/26 - 1/1 last year. I decided I couldn't stomach paying the max room rate for a moderate. (We go often and are DVC members, so we've stayed at all levels.) We ended up staying at All Star Sports. For Christmas, it was a GREAT decision. At night, when leaving the parks, Transportation splits the All Stars busses into 3 separate stations. Each resort was serviced with the same frequency as Pop and the moderates. Our entire trip, our bus line pretty much stayed within the queues, whereas the lines for the moderates were outrageous.

You may be able to rent points at DVC, but it may only be for the weekend nights. We booked our trip late, and I was surprised that I got into BCV so easily, but it was only for the weekend nights. (Points are higher and many DVC members pay cash for those nights.)

But for your original question about doing Christmas on a budget, you can't. Maybe if you're driving because at least then you can get to a grocery store to get some food. But the reduction in the cost of staying off site can be more than offset by the cost of car rentals then.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Here's a thread from a couple of years ago that I really enjoyed of Christmas decorations at some of the resorts:

Christmas Decorations

I've only seen CSR at Christmas (the only moderate I've seen anyways, wait, that's not true, I stayed at POR during Christmas but I can't recall the decorations. Maybe I liked the ones at CSR more?) and it was really beautiful! I loved all of the poinsettias. The deluxe resorts have more activities. Like I know WL has a holiday sleigh ride, AKL used to have a paint an Ostrich egg thing for kids, GF has a band that plays Christmas music in the lobby, etc.

 

[mareed]

Good thing you are staying on property. For those of you that suggested off site...need to remember that the holidays are one time for sure that there is a real possibility of the parks only being open to resort guests! Have a great trip!

I've stayed offsite for the week between XMAS & New Years 3 times in recent years and have never been closed out of the park I wanted to go to, nor have I spent any time in traffic congestion. All it takes is picking the right park to go to each day, arriving prior to park opening each day, and doing your research & having a plan!

I know the OP really wants to stay onsite, but this is the Budget board, so there are many off-site die-hards here! A better place for the OP's question may be the Disney Resorts board.

I just wanted to make the point that it's possible to stay offsite during XMAS, stick to a much lower budget than staying at Disney, and still have a great trip! I've also stayed at Disney Resorts several times and in certain circumstances I do choose on-site, but most of our trips are off-site.

I don't want this thread to turn into a rehashed offsite vs. onsite discussion, but I'd hate for others reading this to think that offsite is impossible & miserable during XMAS! It certainly could be without planning, but it can also be a wonderful vacation!

Good luck to the OP finding the right fit for their vacation - whether Disney or offsite!

 

[robinb]

But for your original question about doing Christmas on a budget, you can't.

I go every year between Christmas and New Years and I agree. That is not a cheap time of year, especially if you stay on-site. Even renting DVC points will not get you out the door any cheaper as the number of points needed for the reservation goes up too.

IMO, there are 4 major expenses a Disney vacation: (1) Resort, (2) Food, (3) Park Passes, (4) Souvenirs.

Resort

* Consider staying at a Value resort instead of a Moderate. You will lose a little room, the table service restaurant, the pool slide, the hot tub, the refrigerator and the coffee maker. Moderates are $219 per night ($245 with tax) and Values are $145 per night ($162 with tax) and you would save $83 per night.

* If you can't completely give up your Moderate, consider a split stay. Start off at a Value and end up in the Moderate of your choice.

Food

* Eat breakfast in your room. Buy cereal, milk and juice. All moderates have refrigerators and in-room coffee makers.

* If you're going to eat at Table Service restaurants go for lunch instead of dinner. This applies for character meals too, except you may also want to consider breakfast too. Choose the last breakfast time and make it more of a brunch.

* Eat dinner off-site to save money.

* Bring your own water bottles and snacks into the parks. I sometimes even pack a PB&J in a Glad container for my DD as she doesn't like the park kids meals (she's a vegetarian).

* Have snacks in your room. Buy any canned soda, bottled water, wine or beer outside of WDW.

* If you're heavy soda/coffee/tea drinkers *and* you spend a lot of time at the resort buy at least one refillable mug. I use them once I get home for my morning coffee.

* If you LOVE to eat at WDW restaurants, consider the Disney Dining Plan. It can save you money especially if you like the buffets that add on the "holiday pricing" surcharge. Here's a spreadsheet to see if it will or not: http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW%20Dining/DisneyDining%20Template%202009.xls

Park Passes

* Buy your park tickets from someone other than Disney. Mousesavers (www.mousesavers.com) has a link in their monthly newsletter for discounts at Undercover Tourist.

* Skip the Waterparks & More option. It may not be warm enough to stand in line for water ride. (It will be OK to swim at the pool, though).

* Consider skipping the Park Hopper option. It is possible to do one park per day, especially if you are at the park early enough to grab fast passes to use later in the day.

Souvenirs

* Have a budget ahead of time and stick to it. Visa gift cards work very well for that kind of thing. Once the gift card is gone, there is no more to spend.

 

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I

Food

* Eat breakfast in your room. Buy cereal, milk and juice. All moderates have refrigerators and in-room coffee makers.

* If you're going to eat at Table Service restaurants go for lunch instead of dinner. This applies for character meals too, except you may also want to consider breakfast too. Choose the last breakfast time and make it more of a brunch.

* Eat dinner off-site to save money.

* Bring your own water bottles and snacks into the parks. I sometimes even pack a PB&J in a Glad container for my DD as she doesn't like the park kids meals (she's a vegetarian).

* Have snacks in your room. Buy any canned soda, bottled water, wine or beer outside of WDW.

* If you're heavy soda/coffee/tea drinkers *and* you spend a lot of time at the resort buy at least one refillable mug. I use them once I get home for my morning coffee.

The problem with Christmas, if you fly, is that saving money on food requires a trip to the grocery. When we go to Disney, we fly and generally rent a car. At Christmas the car rentals were outrageous. (As were the flights. We flew back on New Years Day and saved some money that way.) I'm thinking you'd have to call a cab to get to the store (unless you're driving).

Same thing with offsite. You could easily lose the savings of staying offsite if you have to pay a boatload for a car rental plus daily parking.

 

[robinb]

The problem with Christmas, if you fly, is that saving money on food requires a trip to the grocery. When we go to Disney, we fly and generally rent a car. At Christmas the car rentals were outrageous. (As were the flights. We flew back on New Years Day and saved some money that way.) I'm thinking you'd have to call a cab to get to the store (unless you're driving).

Same thing with offsite. You could easily lose the savings of staying offsite if you have to pay a boatload for a car rental plus daily parking.

Very true. I left airfare and rental car out of the equation since the OP said she was driving. I can usually score pretty good airfare, but the car rental is a killer. I usually start making reservations in January as soon as the car rental rates open up and before they jack them up to the screw-you holiday rates of over $500 per week for a compact . If anyone is looking for a decent car rental for December, check out this thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2231289

BTW, you can order groceries to be delivered to your resort via Garden Grocer or We Go Shop for a small fee (less than a cab ride). I think one of them will even deliver beer and wine .

 

[Kay1]

I've stayed offsite for the week between XMAS & New Years 3 times in recent years and have never been closed out of the park I wanted to go to, nor have I spent any time in traffic congestion. All it takes is picking the right park to go to each day, arriving prior to park opening each day, and doing your research & having a plan!

I know the OP really wants to stay onsite, but this is the Budget board, so there are many off-site die-hards here! A better place for the OP's question may be the Disney Resorts board.

I just wanted to make the point that it's possible to stay offsite during XMAS, stick to a much lower budget than staying at Disney, and still have a great trip! I've also stayed at Disney Resorts several times and in certain circumstances I do choose on-site, but most of our trips are off-site.

I don't want this thread to turn into a rehashed offsite vs. onsite discussion, but I'd hate for others reading this to think that offsite is impossible & miserable during XMAS! It certainly could be without planning, but it can also be a wonderful vacation!

Good luck to the OP finding the right fit for their vacation - whether Disney or offsite!

That's right. The posters who worry about closed parks and traffic have a point, but those considerations can easily be managed by a little extra planning. Like I said, we do this every year. Now, I've never stayed at Windsor Hills but it looks pretty darn close to Disney and may be just as close to certain parks as on-site hotels.

 

[robinb]

That's right. The posters who worry about closed parks and traffic have a point, but those considerations can easily be managed by a little extra planning. Like I said, we do this every year. Now, I've never stayed at Windsor Hills but it looks pretty darn close to Disney and may be just as close to certain parks as on-site hotels.

I have to say that your price of $890 for Christmas week for Windsor Hills rocks!

Overall, traffic is not all that bad. Sure, it's busy and all but usually not stop and go traffic except for NYE itself. We rent a car and end up driving about half the time that week. The only park we don't drive to is the MK because the parking lot closes by about 10:00 am and I hate the Ticket and Transportation Center. The other lots are always open and even the parks themselves will re-open in the late afternoon if they close down earlier.

Maybe you can answer a question about parking I've always wondered about. If you pay for parking at the MK and leave to go back to your condo are you able to re-enter the MK parking lot even if it is "closed"? Do the CMs allow previous parkers to re-enter?

 

[NotUrsula]

We have a holiday strategy that I haven't seen mentioned. We stay at S/D on Starwood SPG points. 50K points buys you 5 nights, and there are no blackouts on full-points stays. We've done this twice now. It normally takes us two yrs to build up that many points, so it's not something that works as a last-minute plan unless you happen to already have amassed the points, but it normally saves us in the neighborhood of $1800 on lodging.

When we go for the holidays we leave home on the final day of school (normally the 20th here), and we fly home on Xmas Day. It's a LOT cheaper to do that way, and you miss most of the crowding, as it typically does not get crazy-crowded until Xmas Eve. Then we have a mellow evening Christmas celebration at home.

 

[SandrA9810]

No, if they close the parking lot, you CAN NOT re-enter. They let you through the toll plaza, to allow resort guests to get to the hotels and CM's to work, but traffic is turned around back to World Drive just before the SpeedWay (the turn to the gas station), That way it doesn't mess with the traffic leaving the parking lot.

To be able to have EMH, Bus transportation, and more than likely not be turned away at the turnstiles is all the worth for staying on property. Last New Year's I spent 1.5-2hrs trying to exit the Hollywood Studios parking lot. And if you were in the wrong lane, you got sent the way the police sent you. My lane of traffic had to make a right out of the parking lot, then a right on to Victory Way (POP's road) before being able to go in the direction you wanted. Thankfully that's the way I get home.

as a resort guest they don't have to worry about staking a spot in the parking lot by 7am. Even though they could enter the park at that hour for EMH, parks are generally open at 8am to all guest with EMH morning every day starting at 7am, and this does not affect evening EMH schedules. But I feel they could have a much more stress free trip by staying on property. And even if you have to wait for a bus, much much better than dealing with the cars in the parking lot.

I would definatly save by eating breakfast in your room. Get a couple of refillable mugs for your trip. Eat your meals at the resort counter service, they're generally much quieter during dining hours than the theme parks. And you can find practically the same food anywhere in a resort as you can find in the park. (I do love POR food court) But be sure to bring your mug with you, and you can save 2.50 on a drink.
There's always a hotel close by to any theme park. And like you said, you like lounging, so it will take you out of the hussle and bussle.

Don't forget MK does thier NYE fireworks for two nights, on the 30th and 31st. I'd suggest going to MK on the 30th since it's slightly less crowded for the fireworks, and then go to Epcot or Studios on the 31st.
Don't bother with park hoppers, even without it being so busy, trying to see all the holiday stuff can take a whole day, well usually all night.

Since you've said this is an annual thing for you, you know what the rides are, so pick a couple you'd like to do for each park, and just enjoy the special holiday stuff instead. Like Epcot does the story telling of Christmas from the country. (Aviod the CandleLight on Christmas day unless you're doing a dinner package, you'll be in line all day long to see the final show). We did this a couple years ago to see Gary Sinece, at the Garden Grill for practically the same price as regular dinning, and had the BEST time with Dale, and didn't have to wait 5 hrs to see Gary.

There's going to be lots of grumpy and down right mean people who think they paid millions to have the park to themselves and Disney let out the flood gates. But just smile and laugh at them for not planning ahead. And lots of cast members are out and about for entertaining kids and stuff. Don't forget to pay attention to alternate routes. Usually during Christmas and Easter they open up a way through main street by going behind the shops. From the gates by Tony's to the gate by the Plaza.

You can do it, just take a close look at food and souviniers. But don't forget they usually start to mark down all dated items (2009) half off by December. So you might find some good deals on stuff.

 

[Kay1]

I have to say that your price of $890 for Christmas week for Windsor Hills rocks!


Maybe you can answer a question about parking I've always wondered about. If you pay for parking at the MK and leave to go back to your condo are you able to re-enter the MK parking lot even if it is "closed"? Do the CMs allow previous parkers to re-enter?

It looks like Sandra answered your question. I wouldn't have known anyway as we don't leave and come back. If we want to see something at night, we just go in late, after the afternoon parade. So far, so good.

As far as the price goes, I also got a $900 and a $910 quote-if you're tempted.

 

[robinb]

As far as the price goes, I also got a $900 and a $910 quote-if you're tempted.

I would be tempted, but we're staying at our DVC resorts of AKV and BWV . I have always wanted to stay in a house/condo at one of the Windsor developments. We came very, very close a couple of years ago when we had 12 people going but then Disney announced free dining for when we were going and we ended up at Pop Century instead as it was cheaper.

 

[horseshowmom]

We're going over christmas this year. Our first time so I can't give you any first hand experience. What we're doing is staying offsite renting a house. I know this isn't an option for you but it works for our family. We'll also be eating at the house for breakfast. We'll pack lunch in a cooler and eat one meal a day at the parks. For our souvies, we'll have a car and plan to hit the disney outlet stores for any good deals. We'll only be making a few ADR's so hopefully we'll be able to eat onsite christmas eve and christmas day at chef mickeys or crystal palace. Yes, it will be crazy but get there at rope drop and do your favorites then take a break and relax when the parks get to be too crazy. Enjoy your trip!!

Oh, I almost forgot. Make sure to visit all the resorts on the monorail to check out the wonderful christmas decorations.

Just a suggestion: If you haven't already made your ADRs, you probably need to make them as soon as possible. I think you can make them 180 days out (but maybe only 90 days out when not staying onsite). http://themouseforless.com/tripplanning/dining/ADR.shtml

We went last year for Christmas and were able to get the ADRs we wanted at the last minute, but they weren't the ones that were hardest to get - no character meals, just Boma and Kona (and they took calling several times to get what I wanted). After Kona, we toured the monorail resorts. After Boma, we toured AKL too. We had a great time!