Crowds at Christmas...how bad could it be? Dec. 18-26, 2009 - Completed 5/25/10

[VegasVick]

Before I begin this trip report, I just wanted to say how happy I am to have discovered the DISboards! I have been keeping travel journals for years, and love to live vicariously through other people's trips. The thing I love about the trip reports here is that they tell the story, complete with pictures, and welcome the reader in...and so, join me as I relive a wonderful vacation.

But before I continue, my question for you...is our trip from last Christmas too long ago to be interesting?

Here is the itinerary:

Pre-Trip: Introductions and background.
Day 1: Drive and drive and drive.
Day 2: Will we ever get to Florida?!
Day 3: Get up! Let's go! AK in the morning and DHS in the evening, part 1. ...part 2.
Day 4: Mom, we want to sleep in...how bad can the crowds be?...part 1...part 2.
Day 5: Mom, make us get up! We want to beat the crowds at MK...part 1...part 2
Day 6: Mom, make us get up even earlier! We want to ride Toy Story Mania...
Day 7: No more parks...can we sleep in now?
Day 8: Merry Christmas, DTD! Can you say "humanity in the mass"?
Day 9: Goodbye WDW, hello Carnival Dream!

 

[VegasVick]

Some brief introductions are in order:

VegasVick - that's me, 49 years young. Lover of all things Disney. Trip planner extraordinaire and queen of the bargain.

Joe - a.k.a. DH, 50. Loves me, therefore goes to Disney. Never has a preference about when or where...I tell him and he comes along for the ride. I guess you could call him easy-going.

Ben - a.k.a. DS, 20 years old. Likes fast rides and a good filet mignon. Pretty flexible, like his father, but opinions can be coaxed out of him.

Amy - a.k.a. FDIL (future daughter-in-law), 19. This is where it gets interesting. She has never vacationed with us before. The good news...she LOVES Disney...I have a new partner-in-crime

Elizabeth - a.k.a. DD, 17. She's a teenager. Enough said.

Joe, Amy, Elizabeth, Ben, and Vick

Background:

This trip was really an afterthought. DD graduates from high school this year, so when asked where she wanted to go on her graduation trip, she replied "don't I get a cruise too?" So, I scheduled the week of New Year's Eve, Dec. 26-Jan. 2 on the new Carnival Dream leaving out of Port Canaveral, Florida. And that was that. No talk of Disney this year. And then it happened...Disney decided to salute our military...and guess what -- that's us! Even DH couldn't pass up a FREE 5-day ticket to WDW. Our family passes were $99 each for a 5-day ticket. Wow!! We couldn't pass it up. Because of school schedules, etc., it made the most sense to piggy back the two trips together. WDW the week of Christmas, followed by the cruise. Christmas at WDW! I had always wanted to see the world decorated for Christmas and to see some of the special stuff that Disney does at the holidays. How bad could the crowds be?

DH and I then made a big decision. We told DS that he could invite his girlfriend (FDIL) of 3 years to join us. He immediately called her and then we were five. My DD was NOT happy. I told her it was the perfect opportunity for us all to get to know each other better since they'll probably get married. And, I was right! (About the getting to know each other better part...they're not engaged yet...)

We own timeshare, so I reserved a two-bedroom unit at the Polynesian Isles Resort which is about 15 minutes from WDW. But, I couldn't get it for the first night in Florida, so I shopped around and found a great deal for military at the Dolphin. Reserved two rooms for the Saturday night and we were good to go!

Then Joe took a new job...in Texas...we live in Illinois. Enough said. So, I shopped for airfare...not great at that time of year. Finally got him into Orlando on AirTran on the Saturday. Planned on him taking a shuttle from the airport (wait for it...) and then booked him out of Atlanta on Jan. 3rd (we pass through Atlanta on the drive home). Okay, now we are good to go!


But wait...Christmastime...I had better make a couple of ADRs.

Sunday - Safari member at Rainforest Cafe, so will eat lunch at the AK's Rainforest. Ben & Amy celebrate their anniversary with a surprise dinner at the Kona Cafe.
Monday - Candlelight Processional dinner package = Chefs de France (1st time), reserved seating at the processional, and reserved viewing for Illuminations.
Tuesday - Afternoon tea at the Garden View Lounge in the GF...girls only (1st time). Wishes Dessert Party in the MK in the evening (another first).
Wednesday - none
Thursday - none
Friday, Christmas Day - dinner at Raglan Road in DTD. A favorite place!

My final bit of planning...I made each person tell me their preferences for each park: must rides/must see, will go if others want to, and, do not make me ride/sit through. It helped alot, knowing no one wanted to ride any of the Fantasyland rides and that everyone wanted to ride TofT No one cared about parades, but everyone wanted to ride Big Thunder Mountain.

This was a wonderful trip in spite of the crowds. If you're ready, sit back 'cause here we go...

 

[VegasVick]

Elizabeth had finals, so we didn't plan to get started on the road until around 1 p.m. Thank goodness, because I was not packed!

The whirlwind of packing for a two week vacation!

Elizabeth got home around 11:30 and we proceeded to pack for Ben. He had gone to pick up Amy. Can I just say that the car was jammed packed! Thank goodness Joe was flying to Orlando and not home to travel with us...we'd never have fit! I don't know how he did it, but Ben got everything in my Santa Fe...including a Christmas tree! We were on the road by 1:20...not too far behind schedule.

Elizabeth drove the first leg.

Ben made it his mission to memorize how to solve the Rubik's cube.

Amy slept. You can see how packed the car was by looking behind her!

The rest is pretty boring. We drove and drove and drove...finally stopping at an Olive Garden just over the state line in Georgia. We decided to push on and made it to a Drury Inn just south of Atlanta in Morrow, Georgia. The room was clean and reasonably priced, and included a free buffet breakfast...sold!

 

[GoofTroop]

Looking forward to reading your trip report. We've been to WDW numerous times, however, never at Christmas. We've been the week after Thanksgiving and the first week of December.

Next year we are planning on going at the same time-frame as your trip.

Elizabeth

 

[VegasVick]

Looking forward to reading your trip report. We've been to WDW numerous times, however, never at Christmas. We've been the week after Thanksgiving and the first week of December.

Next year we are planning on going at the same time-frame as your trip.

Elizabeth

I hope this helps! There are things that worked great and things I would do differently. I hope you can use my missteps to your advantage...welcome!

 

[VegasVick]

Saturday morning came too soon. We dragged ourselves out of bed and went downstairs for the buffet breakfast. It was ok. They did have make your own waffles, which I liked. Packed up the car and got on the road around 10 a.m...a lot later than I had hoped! Elizabeth started us off again and drove to Valdosta, Georgia where we stopped for lunch. Ben wanted BBQ, so we stopped at the Smok 'n Pig. The food was plentiful and tasty. We had too many leftovers and probably should have shared a couple of meals...oh well, hindsight. The girls both bought t-shirts.

My kids.

The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful and long! Again, Ben's shift had the worst traffic conditions. We ended up literally parked on the I-75 (there had been an accident in the section that was under construction). Meanwhile, we were also in contact with Joe who was flying from San Antonio to Orlando today. He was scheduled to arrive mid-afternoon and the plan was for him to shuttle to the Dolphin and we'd meet him there eventually. Well, he decided to take a bump for two free tickets (which BTW he has yet to use) and ended up sitting in Atlanta for hours! As it worked out, we were near the Orlando Airport when his flight got in, so we stopped to pick him up...now the car was crowded before, but we squeezed him and his carry-on in and headed to WDW.

We got to the Dolphin around 8:30 p.m. It had been a very long day. When I made the reservation, I asked for rooms next to each other or across the hall and was told no problem. But when we checked in, they didn't have any rooms near each other, only on the same hall. So Joe and I had a king bed room and the kids shared a two queen room down the hall. I wasn't too concerned since they're adults, but I would have been upset if they were little and I had specified adjacent rooms!!

Our king room.

We decided to go in search of food, since it was about 9 p.m. Our special military room rate included 50% off at any restaurant in the hotel. At that hour, Picabu, the buffeteria, was still open.

Picabu's entrance.

The food was edible, but not worth full price...Joe & I shared a glass of wine. Then we split up; the kids hung out at the arcade for awhile to burn off some energy.

Racing.

Joe and I walked around the resort. It was cold...colder than it should be in Florida! I didn't pack winter clothes! We didn't walk outside too long.

Blurry because I was shivering!

The tree in the lobby of the Dolphin.

We called it a day around 11 p.m., since tomorrow is our first day in the parks! Next stop, Animal Kingdom...

 

[VegasVick]

After having researched the crowd levels at this time of year, I knew we had to get an early start if we didn't want to wait in line for hours, so "Get up! Let's go!" We headed down to Picabu for breakfast. The breakfast was much better than dinner, IMHO. Maybe it tasted good because it was 50% off We took a couple of pictures in the lobby, checked out, stored our bags with bell services, and grabbed the first bus for the Animal Kingdom.

Joe, Elizabeth, Ben and Amy.

It wasn't too crowded when we arrived, about 9:30 a.m. So far, so good. We rode Expedition Everest (twice), Primeval Whirl, and Kilimanjaro Safaris.

On the path heading towards Dinoland. Notice the sweats and jeans...it was cold!

The entrance to the safari.

The obligatory pictures of animals. Please tell me -- how many pictures of elephants does one family need?

Our next stop was Dinosaur, Amy's favorite. It was down, so we grabbed Fastpasses for later. Next stop, Festival of the Lion King since we hadn't seen it since 2000! By the time we got in line, it was standing room only.

Amy, Vicky and Elizabeth outside the FotLK theater.

Standing room only...at 1 p.m. Hmmmm...it didn't phase my family. Time for lunch. As a Rainforest Cafe Safari Club member, it basically lets you jump to the next in line...so we did. We only waited about 15 minutes for a table...walk-ins were being told 1 hour...yup, crowded.

Food at the Rainforest Cafe is always hit or miss. My burger was very good. Everyone else was pretty pleased with their meals too. Since Elizabeth was in a very good mood, and loves to be the center of attention, it became her un-birthday. And so, with much ado, V-O-L-C-A-N-O! Even after our huge lunch, we still managed to eat the entire dessert.

A Volcano for your un-birthday.

Amy and Ben, looking kind of tired...

Since we had our fastpasses, we braved the crowds and went back to ride Dinosaur. And hooray, it was running! At that point, it was shoulder to shoulder people, and we all decided it was time to leave AK. A couple of pictures, just for the fun of it...

One final shot next to the tree at the entrance.

We caught the bus back to the Dolphin, loaded up the car, and headed for the Polynesian Isles Resort in Kissimmee.

 

[VegasVick]

After picking up our luggage and car at the Dolphin, we headed over to the Polynesian Isles Resort. It's about a 15 minute drive from WDW. Joe and I had stayed here before. This trip we had a large, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit. Full kitchen, balcony, sleeper sofa, and 3 televisions. An excellent space for 5 people for the week. Once we unloaded the car, we headed out to DHS. This was my first mistake...trying to squeeze too much into one day. We should have taken a little down time. But I was on a mission to see the Osborne Festival of Lights. No one else cared. I, however, was not disappointed...but the crowds!!! It was like being swept along with a herd of cattle!! We got separated from Joe, which really stressed me out. Thank goodness for cell phones!

Elizabeth.

Vicky and Joe.

Amy and Ben.

Next, we separated on purpose this time. Amy and Ben were dressed to go out for dinner after the lights. They celebrated their 3rd anniversary with a surprise dinner (for her) at the Kona Cafe. Both agreed the food was excellent! They shared the sushi appetiser...Ben loved it! Amy loved her entre -- scallops. This was followed by fireworks on the beach of the Polynesian (romantic but too cold). They left DHS at 7 p.m. Joe, Elizabeth and I rode Tower of Terror...Elizabeth's favorite ride at night. It did not disappoint, but the line was ridiculous!

After surviving the tower, we headed out. The three of us had an inexpensive dinner off site at a Bob Evans near the condo. Comfort food, which we needed since we were hungry, tired, and grumpy...not a good combination. After dinner, we picked up groceries for the week at the Super WalMart on the corner and headed back to the condo. I got everything unpacked. The kids rode the monorail from the Poly to the Contemporary, so I picked them up there when they called. Our first full day at Disney was over and it was lights out at 11 p.m.

We were all exhausted, so I didn't argue when the kids asked to sleep in. Tomorrow evening was scheduled, but the day was flexible, so I said okay...second mistake.

 

[Luna_Lovegood]

Great report so far--I love it when there are several posts in one day! We were leaving Disney about the time you were getting there, and we could definitely tell when the crowds arrived. Wow!

 

[VegasVick]

Great report so far--I love it when there are several posts in one day! We were leaving Disney about the time you were getting there, and we could definitely tell when the crowds arrived. Wow!

Thanks! We had been to both Disneyland and WDW during the week between Palm Sunday and Easter and thought that was crowded! It doesn't even compare...honestly, I really wasn't prepared for the number of people. Never at Christmas again.
Vick

 

[heaven2dc]

Joining in! We have never been during Christmas week but we did go 12/13-12/20/08 and the crowds were fairly low (except Sunday when I arrived and Friday night at HS). I love seeing the Osbourne Family Lights (I didn't spell that right, did I?). We are going this year 11/28-12/3/10 and can't wait to take my youngest 2 boys (who will be 17 & 23 and their first visit). Teens and young adults are pure fun!!

 

[VegasVick]

Joining in! We have never been during Christmas week but we did go 12/13-12/20/08 and the crowds were fairly low (except Sunday when I arrived and Friday night at HS). I love seeing the Osbourne Family Lights (I didn't spell that right, did I?). We are going this year 11/28-12/3/10 and can't wait to take my youngest 2 boys (who will be 17 & 23 and their first visit). Teens and young adults are pure fun!!

Welcome! I have to agree that teens and young adults are fun...They're willing to try "adult" stuff yet still like to be "kids"...

 

[VegasVick]

So we slept in...Joe and I got up around 9 a.m. and went to tour a neighboring condo and got a $100 VISA gift card. We returned to find the three of them hadn't stirred...at 11:30 a.m.!! So, I made them get up and we headed to EPCOT, arriving around 2 p.m.

Ben, Joe, Elizabeth and Vicky

OMG!! The crowds were unbelievable!! There were NO fastpasses left for any ride. And the wait times -- 120 minutes for Test Track -- 180 minutes for Soarin', yup 180...3 hours. It was almost funny because it was so ridiculous

After the initial shock wore off, we regrouped and decided to ride whatever we could just to make the most of our afternoon before dinner. And, it's not like there was nothing to do...we rode Ellen's Energy Adventure, the Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Spaceship Earth. At the Seas, we also took some time to check out the aquarium...my kids had forgotten that part of the pavilion even existed. Amy loved the manatees. It was nice to relax and enjoy the "calmer" side of EPCOT. We all enjoyed Spaceship Earth since we hadn't been on it since the update, but what a crazy line!

Waiting in line for Spaceship Earth.

After fooling around at the end of the ride for awhile, we headed out to do some shopping. The girls and I wanted sequin-covered Minnie ears to wear to tea.

Should we get Winter Silver?

Or Classic Red and Black?

It was getting close to our ADR at Chefs de France, so we headed towards World Showcase.

Near the Future World fountains.

 

[VegasVick]

As we entered World Showcase, it was wall-to-wall people...even now, months later, I am still in shock. We checked in at Chefs de France at 5:15 p.m. for our 5:30 p.m. ADR. I had actually reserved the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package. We were seated around 5:45 p.m. While we were waiting, they must have turned away 20 people or more at the podium...lesson learned during busy times -- make a reservation! Walk-ups were not happening!

We had never eaten here, and I was a little nervous after reading mixed reviews. But it was fantastic! And the price wasn't that bad...with alcoholic drinks, tip and tax for the five of us...$392. Included appetizer, entree, dessert, and one non-alcoholic beverage, reserved seating at the American Gardens Theater for the processional, and a reserved viewing spot for Illuminations...About $79 per person...at Disney...worth every penny!

Amy had the tomato and goat cheese flatbread...yummy. Joe had the creme fraiche, onion and bacon flatbread...also yummy. And both were huge...so they gladly shared. Ben, Elizabeth and I all had the French onion soup...fabulous! For entrees, Amy had the chicken (a little dry, but excellent flavors), Elizabeth had the salmon (cooked perfectly), Ben had the tenderloin (said it melted in his mouth), Joe tried the duck (he was very pleased with his meal) and I had the seafood plate with mahi mahi, scallops and shrimp (delicious...I wanted more scallop!) While we were waiting for our entrees, we had a guest at our table...

Remi.

Armand, Remi's "handler".

Well, dinner had certainly raised our spirits, so we had to celebrate another un-birthday...

Vincent, our adorable waiter, et al., singing Happy Birthday...in French!

Amy's un-birthday.

Everyone had cream puffs, except Elizabeth who chose assorted sorbet.

Profiteroles au chocolat.

Assiette de sorbets du jour.

Did I mention that it was COLD out...really COLD! We were freezing in this picture, and the processional wasn't going to start for 45 minutes!

The Candlelight Processional was lovely. Our guest reader was Brian Dennehy. I know I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't numb from the cold. The kids were bored out of their minds. Joe took some pictures, but they didn't come out great.

When it was over, the consensus was...let's go, we're freezing! So, we didn't stay for Illuminations. We kind of watched it as we made for the exit.

We got back to the condo and I finished getting the presents under the tree...I was determined to celebrate Christmas, even if we were on vacation!

Ben and Amy braved the cold to check out the hot tub by the pool. They didn't stay long. It turned out to be a very good day...everyone was well rested, dinner was superb, and we did some things at EPCOT that we hadn't done in years...all good. But as we said our good nights, I was reminded..."Mom, make us get up...we want to beat the crowds at the Magic Kingdom tomorrow!"

 

[VegasVick]

So that's exactly what I did...I made them get up...early. And it was worth it. We didn't make it for rope drop, but we were there by 9:15 a.m.

We got a lot more in today! Picked up FPs for Space Mountain, then got in the 15 min. line for Buzz Lightyear. Good thing too...later, when we returned to ride Space Mountain, the line was over an hour!

Pretending to be Vulcans in line for Buzz Lightyear.

Next stop...Pirates and Haunted Mansion. It was still cold today, but we stood still for a couple of pictures.

Vicky and Elizabeth after HM.

Vicky and Joe.

After a ride on my favorite, Big Thunder Mountain (with only a 20 min. wait), we stopped at Sleepy Hollow in Liberty Square for hot and yummy funnel cakes...can you say sugar overload?! Used our FPs on Space Mountain, then stopped at the rose garden for pictures.

They became good friends on this trip

Love this shot.

As you can see, we chose to buy the classic red and black, sequined Minnie Ears. And so we left the boys on their own...(late lunch at Planet Hollywood and some video at DisneyQuest)...while we headed to the GF for Afternoon Tea

It's all good...

 

[VegasVick]

None of us had ever done the afternoon tea, so we were very excited to be doing something different We took the resort monorail to the GF and stopped for a couple of pictures.

The girls.

GF lobby Christmas tree.

I checked us in at the podium (we were 10 mins. early) and was told that they were very backed up...people weren't leaving right after they finished, so tables weren't being freed up, blah, blah, blah. I told him to seat us as soon as possible and we sat in the lobby.

And waited...and waited...and waited...we were fine. Did some window shopping, etc. but some people were yelling at the host...poor guy. Finally, 45 minutes after our ADR time (so we waited 55 minutes), we were seated in the Garden View Lounge.

Mrs. Potts greets you when you enter.

The girls shared a love seat, and both ordered the Buckingham Palace.

I ordered the Grand Tea, complete with some bubbly.

We also shared a cheese plate, since this was a late lunch/early dinner.

Delicious! I cannot wait to go again in August! After their strawberries and cream, the girls were given pink roses.

Where's mine? Sorry ma'am, those two are the last. I was a little bummed. When the host came by (since it was closing time) to see if we'd enjoyed ourselves, I joked about not getting a rose. He immediately went to one of the huge floral arrangements and pulled a long-stemmed red rose out for me. Disney magic We took a couple of parting shots with the flowers as we left the GF to head back to MK.

While we waited for the boys to get to MK from DTD, we took some more pictures.

This is a great shot from the train station looking down Main Street.

At this point, it gets a little hazy...I know we did a couple of things...carrying long-stemmed roses...but I was also watching the clock. I had secretly reserved a table at the Wishes Dessert Party for tonight! I wanted to make sure we were there in plenty of time. So, I herded my unsuspecting family towards the Noodle Station. "We don't want noodles!" Surprise! How about all the dessert you could possibly eat!? We had a reserved table right at the wall. There was a name card and Mickey confetti on our table.

Celebrate Today!

Wow...it was great! My favorite was the chocolate covered strawberries. We ate until we could eat no more...

The view of the castle from our table.

Did I mention that it was another COLD evening? It was...thank goodness for plentiful hot coffee, tea, and hot chocolate! Tinkerbell flies right over the Tomorrowland Terrace...that was cool! I love Wishes...my favorite Disney fireworks.

Back to the condo and into bed...another early day is required tomorrow, since we all want to ride Toy Story Mania!

 

[VegasVick]

Sorry about the long break between posts...my DD graduated from high school and I've had a houseful of company! On with the trip report

This would be our last park day because the special military tickets were only good through the 23rd, so we knew that DHS was where we needed to be. "Get us up!" were the words to me the night before, so, I did. We made it to DHS by 9:30 a.m.

Well, I'm sure you have all guessed that the crowds here were not to be believed We went straight to Toy Story Mania to find a 2 hour wait...at 9:30 a.m...we got fastpasses instead for...3 p.m...OMG! Maybe it's a good thing this was our last park day! So, with FP in hand, we headed back towards Sunset Blvd. and the other two "must" rides.

Tower of Terror and Rock 'n Roller Coaster both had 60 minute waits...so in line we went...ToT first...

I love the tower...day or night, east or west...love it. But not enough to stand in the line for a second ride Next up was Lights, Motors, Action! stunt show. None of us had ever seen this show, and it was pretty exciting. Exiting the stadium, the girls ran into the Red Power Ranger...

Go Power Rangers!

What to do next? Really? Stand in a 60 minute line? Okay...back to Rock 'n Roller Coaster because that's what everyone wanted to ride. An hour plus later, we were looking at our photo. It was cute, but I really didn't want to spend the money. And guess what...Disney magic strikes again The cast member was Norma...Merry Christmas! I bought a 5X7 for $5...it's the little things that keep me coming back year after year.

After this, I was in a very good mood. And, it was break time. We shopped a little along Sunset, heading to the Backlot Express for lunch. The lines here weren't too bad and we found a table for five...took our time. By now, it was almost 3 p.m., so off to Toy Story to use our FPs.

My kids

This is a great ride After losing (I always do...) we left the studios. We chilled at the condo until dinnertime, and grabbed a reasonably priced dinner at Pizzeria Uno. And that was that.

 

[VegasVick]

And the answer was...yes, you can sleep in...and they did.

We went to Oviedo (about an hour north) to visit with my mother since it was Christmas Eve. We had a wonderful dinner at the Outback Steakhouse.

Elizabeth, Amy and Ben

Grammie, Vicky and Joe

We headed back to DTD and decided to see the movie "Avatar" in 3D. We all enjoyed it...nice to just relax. No shopping today, that's planned for tomorrow afternoon...Christmas Day...WHAT WAS I THINKING!?

 

[VegasVick]

We had a wonderful Christmas morning. Presents all around and a homemade breakfast.

Chocolate covered strawberries from Ghirardelli

Elizabeth and Amy

Illinois logo socks for my Illini

Then it was time to go shopping! Can you say "humanity in the mass"? I thought everyone went to the MK on Christmas Day! Nope, they go to DTD...

After circling for what seemed like hours, we followed a couple to their car. Just call me a parking vulture...but it was a good parking place. We fought the crowds, and actually completed all our purchases at the World of Disney, the Christmas store and the Pin store with time to spare before our ADR at Raglan Road. We checked in and asked to wait for the Great Room, then took advantage of their happy hour Good food, great entertainment, and fantastic traveling companions...can vacation really be over?

Christmas dinner

Full, tired, and happy

Our view of the Irish Dancer

My princesses

My kids

And then it was over...

 

[VegasVick]

Some final thoughts...

• I love WDW
• I hate crowds
• It was great having Amy with us
• I prefer staying onsite
• WDW is beautifully decorated this time of year, but I'll never go this late in the season again
• Afternoon Tea was fabulous
• Wishes Dessert party was fun, but not a must do every time
• Chefs de France was a pleasant surprise
• This was probably our last family vacation for awhile

And so we were off to Port Canaveral...if you'd like to read about our cruise, click here

Our next trip to WDW is in August...click here for my pre-trip report.

Thanks for reading!
Vicky