Dec. Trip: want it special, but $ is tight...Mickey's Chirstmas Party?? Osbourn Light

[Puffy2]

Well, we are heading to Disney mid Dec. - money is a little tighter this year and dinners that cost$30 - $40.00 per adult are a bit much just to get a seat at the CP at Epcot....

What are the absolute musts for holiday trips? What can we enjoy without the extra costs? Tips?

Osbourn LIghts looks good. Any tips for seeing the lights without big crowds? What about Fantasmic?

Still thinking of Mickey's Christmas Party but wondering if it is really all that big of a deal if we have the Osbourn Lights to do . We aren't big "parade" people. Is the Christmas Party mostly just a parade?

Suggestions for avoiding crowds and getting the most for our money?
Thanks

 

[DebbieB]

If you go to CP in the middle of December during the week, you can get seats without the package. Get in line 45 minutes before the show. They also have Christmas around the World at Epcot during the day, each country has special shows about their country's traditions (included in admission).

Osborne Lights - they start at 6:00, I would get there at 6:30, most of the initial crowds will have moved through. Fantasmic is year round.

MVMCP includes the parade, special fireworks and special shows. Very festive evening. Avoid Friday nights.

You can tour the resorts at no cost. GF, WL, YC, BC & BW are worth seeing.

 

[disneymom3]

The Osborne lights are fantastic! My only regrets are not buying hte mug with hot chocolate at the first stand we saw--thought there would be more further in and there weren't-- and not turning around and going right back through a second time! They were fantastic and it was pretty darn crowded, but we diidn't even care. We enjoyed them so much that when they didn't have them last year, I didn't mind not going to WDW at all.

the resorts have great decorations for the holidays. The gingerbread house at the GF is just wonderful and the Beach Club was done up really neat too. Those are free.

For me, MVMCP was all about enjoying the park with less people in it and without my kids. We stay offsite and had hired a sitter so DH and I got to ride on all the stuff we usually skip. Saw the parade in passing--we are not parade people either--and what we saw looked so neat I wished we had spent more time watching it. The fireworks were really great too. If money was tight, I am not sure if I would go though. When in Dec are you going? That would affect the decision too in relation to crowd levels.

 

[mickeysaver]

MVMCP is a cheap way to get your vacation started if you arrive on a Sunday or Tuesday, you can really get a lot of bang for your buck. We did this last year and really enjoyed it. We didn't really focus much on the shows the first night. We got our free family photo and had a blast just riding everything without more than a 5 minute wait for anything. Oh, and the hot chocolate was a big hit too. MVMCP was just awesome! I can't wait to go again next year.

As for the Osborne Lights, I am anxiously awaiting the chance to see them next year. They were not offered last year.

We enjoyed resort hopping on the Saturday before we officially arrived at WDW. We took in all the monorail resorts. The decorations were wonderful. We did the afternoon tea at the GF and it was just so much fun! I never thought that I would say that. The gingerbread house and the Voices of Liberty singing Christmas carols in the lobby of the GF were just picture perfect WDW magic.

DTD was of course decked out for the holidays. We enjoyed spending time there too. We even managed to catch the opening night, midnight showing of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. I wouldn't do that again, but it's more about trying to stay awake at 3:30am while driving back to the resort and trying not to hit the armadillos along the way.

The decorations at Epcot and the tree lighting there are not to be missed. We really enjoyed the light display they had up that twinkled and changed patterns in time with the music. It was beautiful.

AK had the cutest Christmas trees over in the Camp Minnie Mickey area. Each little tree was decorated for a character. Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Stitch, Lilo, Rutt & Tuke, Kenai and Koda, Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Chip & Dale, and more. The trees were really inventive. I thought they were quite a lot of fun to look at too.

As for CP, I was not a big fan. I loved the music. It was moving, but the night that we went, it was COLD and the wind chill was TOOOOOOO COLD. The bench seats that you sit on are much like the ones you would find at a football stadium. They are steel.....very COLD steel bench seats. I thought I was going to freeze my buns off. I was actually too uncomfortable even wearing layers to enjoy it. I don't plan on doing it again. But, I am glad that I did give it a try once.

That's all I can think of to tell you right now. Any day in December prior to the Friday of the week before Christmas is a low crowd day with great touring potential. I wish you a wonderful trip. Maggie

 

[Puffy2]

Wow, great replies, thanks. We'll be down around Dec. 12 - 15 -

Orlando, Cold? December?....I really wasn't expecting it to be cold. Is this only at night? what kind of clothes do you recommend?

Can you see Fantasmic and then wander through the lights at MGM or do they rush you out?

 

[disneyfan551]

Expect cold, just in case! We went the week after Thanksgiving last year, and froze! It warmed up somewhat during the day, but we had mittens, hats, coats and the like on in the mornings and at night! Be prepared!

 

[DebbieB]

Temps that time of year can be variable. I've had trips where it was near 80 the whole time, a little cool at night and other trips where it never got above 65 and down into the 40's at night.