Christmas at GF Garden View or AKL CL?

[Shanti]

I'm planning a short Christmas vacation trip for my son and I to experience Mickey's Christmas Party for the first and only time before he becomes a teenager. We're currently booked for the Grand Floridian, but I'm considering switching to club level at Animal Kingdom Lodge, in order to take advantage of the extra/early FPs you can purchase as a club level guest. We'll be there for three days (arriving Friday morning and leaving Sunday afternoon, or perhaps extending the trip to Monday) and two nights, so it's enough time to take advantage of the club level FP program. We can't stay any longer than 3 nights at most due to scheduling issues, and even the 3rd night probably won't happen as that Mobday is Christmas Eve, and last time we flew home on Christmas Eve we were too worn out to attend church that evening.

I was thinking that the extra & early FPs could help us tour during the Christmas madness, but maybe that pilot program will have ended by December? We've never stayed club level before. It sounds nice, but I don't know how useful the food would really be, as we'll be in the parks most of the time, and my son is gluten-free.

Opinions?

 

[CynBeth]

I would keep GF. It is decorated beautifully for the holidays and also a boat ride away from WL for their decorations plus easy to travel to MK and Epcot which I would hope you planned to get to for the storytellers and CP.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

For me, it would really depend on which parks and which rides I was hoping to get on in those three days. Keep in mind, traffic gets pretty bad during that week, so you, while you would gain the extra FP+ (and the added expense), you will lose the ease of getting to MK and EP via monorail.

 

[mkh531]

I love AKL but for such a short trip I’d stay at GF so you can get to MK and back more easily.

 

[TJA]

The new CL AP offer sounds enticing, but considering the short length of your trip and that you'll be attending MVMCP, I'd stick with GF due to proximity. You'll get back and forth to MK quicker (first monorail stop when going to MK; first boat stop when leaving MK).

 

[Shanti]

What about riding Slinky Dog & Flight of Passage? Do you all think those would be possible with a 2-night stay that's not club level?

 

[Deb & Bill]

What about riding Slinky Dog & Flight of Passage? Do you all think those would be possible with a 2-night stay that's not club level?

Your chances of getting one of those FP+ will be no worse or no better than any one else at 60 days out.

 

[kslo69]

anyone know how long they keep the decorations up at gf? will be there on the 5th and was wondering if they would still be up

 

[gillep]

I think it depends on your priorities for this trip, if the new TSL rides and FOP are a priority then I would do AKL CL to get the fastpasses, if they are not a huge priority for you then I would go with the GF for the close proximity to the party and decorations. I personally, have not had great luck with FOP fastpasses for shorter stays, although others may have more luck than I.

 

[Deb & Bill]

anyone know how long they keep the decorations up at gf? will be there on the 5th and was wondering if they would still be up

I'd bet they will be down by then. They usually go down shortly after the 1st.

 

[Shanti]

Your chances of getting one of those FP+ will be no worse or no better than any one else at 60 days out.

Really? Club level guests who pay $50 extra per day currently get to choose 90 days in advance.

 

[Shanti]

I think it depends on your priorities for this trip, if the new TSL rides and FOP are a priority then I would do AKL CL to get the fastpasses...I personally, have not had great luck with FOP fastpasses for shorter stays...

This is what I have been thinking, too.

 

[Nancyg56]

Your chances of getting one of those FP+ will be no worse or no better than any one else at 60 days out.

CL guests who purchase the program get all of their FP 90 days out, if I remember correctly. For this alone, I woudl book CL at AKL.

 

[Shanti]

CL guests who purchase the program get all of their FP 90 days out, if I remember correctly. For this alone, I woudl book CL at AKL.

I think the regular ones still have to be booked at 60 days.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think the regular ones still have to be booked at 60 days.

For some reason I thought that all could be booked at the same time, however you were paying for three, and getting the rest well....for free for now. For the three days purchased. I have made up my own story before though, so take my memory with a grain of salt. (I once announced on the DIS that my Godchild was playing catcher in women's softball in the olympics. My sister told me so why not, right? Well not because women's softball is not an Olympic sport. And dont get me started on what I was positive my nephew's role was on Marine 1. Yes, he would have stepped in front of a bullet for the President, however that was not his job at the time....again my sister )

 

[Shanti]

Thanks, everyone. I'm going to try to book a club level room if my travel agent can find a discount.

 

[justme0729]

I don’t think you can go wrong but it might actually help more transportation wise to be at GF if you plan on going to MK often. The buses often run late with all the xmas-nye traffic so getting around can be a pain.