Christmas day at WDW

[Marseeya]

For those who spend Christmas day at WDW, what exactly do you do and how do you handle it? Do you still exchange gifts with the family? When?

I really wish we could do it, but the whole family would have to be on board with it. DS would hate it.

 

[SandiH]

For those who spend Christmas day at WDW, what exactly do you do and how do you handle it? Do you still exchange gifts with the family? When?

I really wish we could do it, but the whole family would have to be on board with it. DS would hate it.

We spend Christmas day there last year. We took the kids Santa gifts (they get one present each from Santa - not their main present either) and stockings. We bought a few things while we were there for the kids as well. We had a small tree in the room and set the gifts out after they went to sleep. There faces the next morning were precious! They were checking things out from their bed while trying to be quiet not to wake us! We were back home on the 27th so we opened the rest of the presents that afternoon. We don't have extended family that we see at Christmas time so that's not an issue.

Being away from home on Christmas is not something we'd do every year but have talked about going back to WDW at Christmas in the future - when the kids are a bit older.

BTW, the boys are 7 and 10.

 

[Marseeya]

I wondered about the tree thing too. That would be so nice!

Normally I wouldn't want to be away from home on Christmas either, but now that the kids are older and don't believe in you-know-who anymore, I'd love to get away.

 

[CamColt]

We did it 2 years ago and hope to do it next year. I'm trying desperately to get my whole family to come, but it's not happening.

What we did last time was since I usually do Christmas Eve at my house, instead I did a party on New Years Eve and we did the usual gifts then. As for Santa, he came to our house like always (my parents live around the corner to help Santa get the gifts out), and the gifts were waiting for us when we got home. Santa did bring us a bag of treasts that he left on every door in the hotel and I added one more thing from him to it(a "coupon" for a sleigh ride we were taking Christmas night).

As for the decorations in the room, I decided against it. With all we had to lug down for all kinds of weather (we literally went from winter jackets and mittens one night to swimming 2 days later) for 10 days, I couldnt be bothered worrying about trees and lights. I figured I dont have them in our bedrooms at home, so I didnt need them in the hotel room. We saw enough of them around the resort.

 

[mom2boys]

Thanks for posting this. DH & I just discussed potentially taking a Christmas trip in the future. I suggested in two years & he asked "why in 2 yrs" as in what's wrong with next year. This is "Mr. Disney has gotten enough of our $" (He talks tough but he loves Disney as much as the rest of us.)
We attempted this two years ago but the boys still believe in you know who & I wasn't going to spoil that magic.
My thoughts are: The trip would be the family's main Christmas gift. I would prepare them to recieve nothing to unwrap & talk up Disney. Or maybe do a Secert Santa stocking stuffer with each of us filling one other person's stocking.

 

[Aidensmom]

We were just thinking about this today, while we were watching the Disney parade on TV this morning. I am seriously considering getting my DH and DS a Christmas trip to Disney next year as their gift, but because my son is still very young, Santa would still need to make a visit.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

We were there last year for Christmas. We stayed at the Dolphin and our kids were 5 and 10. Santa's elves came to visit at 10:00 p.m. and read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to the kids and brought them cookies and milk and a gift from Santa.

I shipped a 3 foot tree with lights and ornaments to be there for our arrival. I put a few sets of clings on the windows and that was all our decorating.

We sent a letter to Santa explaining that we would be away from home, and it would be too difficult to bring gifts home on the plane. Thus Santa left our gifts at home. He did stop by the Dolphin with stockings, however.

The kids were told that the trip to WDW was their major gift from mom and dad.

I enjoyed it immensely, but DS11, says it doesn't feel right to him, and DH isn't thrilled with it either. Thus, not sure when we'll be back for Christmas.

 

[Stitchfans]

After watching the parade, and all that was going on there, I want to be there even more for Christmas. My family seems to have fallen apart. Everyone is own their own "doing their own thing". I wish with all my heart that DH and my two DDs and I could go to WDW for Christmas. But it will be a very long time before DH has enough senoirity at work to get off at that time of the year.

 

[momrek06]

WE did it for the first time 2 years ago. We stayed at WL and it was SO AMAZINGLY FESTIVE!! It was the BEST Xmas ever. The atmosphere all over WDW was EXTREME CHRISTMAS (which we love). I will say my DS' were 17 and 21!!! We have all been going to WDW since they were quite young but never at Xmas. Never ever gave it a thought to go at Xmas. So hectic that time of year between holiday parties and holiday concerts and family???? Youngest DS' bday is 12/30..so we stayed in WDW right through until Jan 2! Celebrate Xmas, BDAY and New Years. It was fab. They spent a ton of time on the speed boats at WL. And of course the DS who had his bday at WDW, they really make you feel sooo special. He wore the FESTIVE bday hat they sell and WOW everyone at all the PARKS and at WL gave him unbelievable attention. Anyway, XMAS is the BEST at WDW. momrek06

For those who spend Christmas day at WDW, what exactly do you do and how do you handle it? Do you still exchange gifts with the family? When?

I really wish we could do it, but the whole family would have to be on board with it. DS would hate it.

 

[Shel]

We went over the Christmas/New Years holidays about 5 years ago. What we did was use the services of Gifts of a Lifetime - they decorated our room w/a small tree, used some of our own ornaments that I'd shipped down, and used our stockings. They used some new decorations that were ours to keep also. On Christmas Eve (afternoon) we met Jane at the MK where we'd prearranged gifts to "fall from the sky" at various places throughout for our DD8. It was a lot of fun & DD still mentions it & wonders how those presents came w/her name on them, and were exactly what she'd asked for that year.

Christmas Day at MK was a madhouse so we went back to CB & swam. Being from Ohio this was a rare treat.

 

[YourMajesty]

DH always has this week off and I only work one day a week so I would love to go Christmas to New Year! We were always so worried about the crowds but as we add trips we realize we don't have to do everything each trip. I'm really hoping for 12/07 trip...I will be 40 on the 12/21. I'm not sure we could get down on my bday but by the 25th would be great! We went the first week of December and loved the Christmas feel. I would love for my mom to get to go at Chrsitmas too but there is no way we could get the whole family to agree. I'm the only Disnay nut.

 

[momrek06]

OH PLEASE! Plan for it now. Save your pennies and GO! I will say it was one of the more costlier trips to WDW. I believe that tends to fall under one of their PEAK times.Between air fare and hotels. We stayed at WL ($$$)! Ya, and there were crowds BUT you can deal with them. Some things you do and other things would have to wait until a quieter time. We decided to hit all the rides between 11pm and MID on New Years Eve as EVERYONE was lining up on Main St for those FAB fireworks and we figured LETS DO THE RIDES. We did and NO ONE was around. We hit Splash Mt, Big TM, Pirates, Haunted Mansion in just a matter of 20 mins or as there were NO lines. SAVE NOW and be sure to get there. It is so FESTIVE! momrek06

 

[NMAmy]

We were there for Christmas last year. We stayed two weeks and, boy, was I glad we were there for that long a stretch. Even though the crowds were horrendous, we were able to just leave and know we'd still have time to do all that we wanted.

After all my talk about the trip to WDW being the main gift, I still went overboard for dd. She was 14 at the time and I just couldn't stand her having no presents to open on Christmas Day. I'd taken several little gifts with us and then I bought her a bunch of souvenirs while we were there and wrapped them all up. I'm such a pushover when it comes to Christmas.

We had a blast but we will probably not do Christmas there again. The crowds were just too much to deal with--plus it was really cold last year which really put a damper on our enthusiasm for EE.