December 2011 Code Watch!

[annmarieda]

Just called and all std view rooms at the WL are booked solid during our stay between Dec 9-13.

I'm shocked since I thought this was supposed to be a quiet time of year! Is it typical for resorts to book up this fast for mid-December?

I think the resorts are in an odd state of flux right now as people shuffle around their reservations to fit with the fd. I know I was looking just a couple days ago and NOTHING was available at WL then couryard and woods view came up again. Hang in there... it might become available. However, correct me if I am wrong.. but WL only has like 50 total standard view rooms.. that could be a part of the problem too.

 

[Lexi221]

Just called and all std view rooms at the WL are booked solid during our stay between Dec 9-13.

I'm shocked since I thought this was supposed to be a quiet time of year! Is it typical for resorts to book up this fast for mid-December?

Could also be due to the AP discount that came out last week as well... it covered your dates. I am staying Dec 9-12 as well, but just not at WL. I also agree with the PP about the shuffle that is most likely going on right now with FD announced. Keep checking... it is quite likely that something just may pop up!!

 

[LGH1946]

I was going to stay at Contemporary Dec.4-10, no discount or FD. But I got laid off from my job so I had to cut cost a little so I booked Port Orleans Riverside with FD for Nov. 13-19. I have a preferred room. Do you think I will get a refurbished room? Or should I just book at French Quarter. It has all been refurbished. Do you like Pop better than Riverside? I have a package booked so I don 't know the cost of room only. I need some opinions, please.

 

[lillieandlilahsmommy]

My family and I went to the ICE and SNOW exhibit last year in Orlando. For the ICE exhibit, we were given thick blue coats to wear and they were great because it was VERRRRYY cold inside the exhibit. While in line to buy tickets, someone gave me a coupon that they had gotten in a local newspaper so I was able to buy tickets for both exhibits for 5 people (2 adults and 3 children) for under $100. We did very much enjoy the exhibits and I am very glad we had the experience one time, but it is not something we plan on doing again this December. If you live in an area where there is alot of snow, then you really could skip the SNOW exhibit. We were let in as a "group" of about 200 people and were given a time limit of 1 hour. The kids spent most of their time waiting in line to ride down the hill in a tube. They also had an area of snow for them to play in but we had on our regular clothes and jackets, hats, gloves so they ended up soaking wet when they were done. They also had carnival games and snowball fight games but the lines were too long for them to enjoy it. I "might" consider revisiting ICE because it truly was amazing but we would not even consider "SNOW again. It just wasn't worth it. We left Animal Kingdom at 5pm, and drove to Gaylord Palms. We walked through the ICE exhibit (this is go at our own pace and let the kids ride down the ice slide as many times as you want or they can stand the cold temperature) waited about 45 minutes to be let into SNOW (which they only allowed an hour inside per group) and we were back in our resort and in bed by 10pm . I did look at the packages that included all of what you mentioned and honestly, if you are spending alot of time at the Disney parks with characters, your little ones probably wouldn't miss anything at all---remember Gaylord Palms is a beautiful resort but it is not Disney---unless your kids reeeeeeally like the characters that will be in attendance there. If we would visit again, I would allow about 3 hours--for seeing the ICE exhibit and touring the Gaylord Palms resort because it was truly fabulous, and skipping SNOW. It can easily be done in an evening after a disney park. I hope this helps .

Thank you that does help, we were looking at spending $600 for those two nights. My whole 7 night/8 day trip to DW is only $2200. I don't think my girls will know what they are missing if we skip the character encounters. The Ice display will be enough of a wow factor for them! Thanks for the help!

I know you said the snow exhibit was kind of not worth it, we live in south AL, we wear shorts to Thanksgiving (and sometimes Christmas) here. So seeing snow would be something really fun for my girls, but is it real snow?

 

[mariamouse]

Thanks for the insight, everyone! I think you all raise very valid points about FD/AP rates/#of rooms. We are holding out for a GP discount, so will keep checking and see what happens!

 

[emmakatbaby]

Thank you that does help, we were looking at spending $600 for those two nights. My whole 7 night/8 day trip to DW is only $2200. I don't think my girls will know what they are missing if we skip the character encounters. The Ice display will be enough of a wow factor for them! Thanks for the help!

I know you said the snow exhibit was kind of not worth it, we live in south AL, we wear shorts to Thanksgiving (and sometimes Christmas) here. So seeing snow would be something really fun for my girls, but is it real snow?

We live in south Louisiana so I know exactly what u mean about the snow. It was sort of like real snow but since they have really never seen "real" snow they were excited to play in it. I will try to PM some pics to you. Your little ones may enjoy it if they have no interest in playing the games because that is where the lines were. Just make sure to dress them in some clothes that can get wet or bring some dry ones with you to change them after. That was a huge lessoned learned for me! Lol

 

[dsnydaddy]

I have to give a tip of my hat to the person that posted the Free Dining story on this thread. As a result of that tip, I was on the phone at the very instant that the deal was available and was able to score an upgrade to a deluxe on the money we saved on dining!

 

[raven69david]

Just called and all std view rooms at the WL are booked solid during our stay between Dec 9-13.

I'm shocked since I thought this was supposed to be a quiet time of year! Is it typical for resorts to book up this fast for mid-December?

You can thank free dining for that. I HATE FD. , specially when they offer it after I've got my trip booked months in advance like I always do. FD doesn't work for us as I would never pay rack rate at our resort (AKL) to enjoy FD since wife and I share plates (too much food for one) and DD6 is not a big eater.

Plus FD will now have the parks packed....and if you haven't got your ADR's in order, OMG....best of luck with getting a signature restaurant. I can only imagine how packed the parks will be during our trip (12/9 - 12/16).

 

[mikmouse]

You can thank free dining for that. I HATE FD. , specially when they offer it after I've got my trip booked months in advance like I always do. FD doesn't work for us as I would never pay rack rate at our resort (AKL) to enjoy FD since wife and I share plates (too much food for one) and DD6 is not a big eater.

Plus FD will now have the parks packed....and if you haven't got your ADR's in order, OMG....best of luck with getting a signature restaurant. I can only imagine how packed the parks will be during our trip (12/9 - 12/16).

Yea, our reservations were made 499 days out and our dining was made as soon as we were able to make them. I knew FD would come out and we'd never get the restaurants we wanted. Glad I did it early.

 

[raven69david]

Yea, our reservations were made 499 days out and our dining was made as soon as we were able to make them. I knew FD would come out and we'd never get the restaurants we wanted. Glad I did it early.

Good job. I book online at 180 days out that way i get a jump on the ressies before Disney Dining opens. Gotta have my Pretzel bread sticks at Le Cellier.

 

[ocalla]

We live in south Louisiana so I know exactly what u mean about the snow. It was sort of like real snow but since they have really never seen "real" snow they were excited to play in it. I will try to PM some pics to you. Your little ones may enjoy it if they have no interest in playing the games because that is where the lines were. Just make sure to dress them in some clothes that can get wet or bring some dry ones with you to change them after. That was a huge lessoned learned for me! Lol

What do you mean!!! Don't you remember last winter, that little "flurry" that came through and had most of Louisiana shut down!!! If you closed one eye, squinted the other and looked real hard, you could see flakes falling!!

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

Good job. I book online at 180 days out that way i get a jump on the ressies before Disney Dining opens. Gotta have my Pretzel bread sticks at Le Cellier.

I always book at 180 days out expecially for my must haves .... cheese soup and pretzel bread .... yummy!!!

 

[mommyof3princess27]

I always book at 180 days out expecially for my must haves .... cheese soup and pretzel bread .... yummy!!!

Where is that served????Sounds YUMMY!!!!!!!!

 

[micknme]

Where is that served????Sounds YUMMY!!!!!!!!

You are right...it is yummy!!! They are two of our favourite items found at Le Cellier, a must for us every year.

 

[tink's girls]

I did the customized maps thing on the Disney site this morning and this evening I received a PIN via email. It doesn't help me since I'm not going until 2012 BUT it does cover December travel dates up until the 22nd. So maybe try making maps and put in 2012 travel dates and they will offer PINs trying to get you there this year instead.

just curious - did you print the maps or ask them to mail them to you?

 

[DisneyGuess]

Good luck to all still waiting for a discount that works for you & your trip!!


To those you've gotten their pins for a room only in the mail/email/etc. or who have booked with the FD.....do you feel a little let down now?! I swear, now that I've booked the FD, I feel like I have nothing left to plan, wait for, etc., except the trip, which is 4 months away!!! LOL I am hoping for a GP room only for our 1st night, December 10 but, that's about it, lol.

So, ADRs made, CP package booked, resort locked in, transportation decided.....now what?!

 

[DisneyGuess]

You are right...it is yummy!!! They are two of our favourite items found at Le Cellier, a must for us every year.

I am so looking forward to trying both of those this year!!

 

[cybrkitn]

To those you've gotten their pins for a room only in the mail/email/etc. or who have booked with the FD.....do you feel a little let down now?!

We received two in the mail a day apart from each other. I swear, I felt like I was on Deal or No Deal with Disney

FD is announced via the web on different sites (including Disney itself), which we have been waiting for. We get a card in the mail from Disney with a 25% off room only deal for moderate resorts, then the following day we get another one with 10% off room only for moderate resorts. NO DEAL. We're taking FD, thank you very much

 

[lillieandlilahsmommy]

Good luck to all still waiting for a discount that works for you & your trip!!


To those you've gotten their pins for a room only in the mail/email/etc. or who have booked with the FD.....do you feel a little let down now?! I swear, now that I've booked the FD, I feel like I have nothing left to plan, wait for, etc., except the trip, which is 4 months away!!! LOL I am hoping for a GP room only for our 1st night, December 10 but, that's about it, lol.

So, ADRs made, CP package booked, resort locked in, transportation decided.....now what?!

I feel the same way!! I keep giving my husband updates on our vacation countdown, as he doesn't keep up! We are both ready for a vacation!! But I now need something Disney to occupy my time since I don't have anything left to book.

I am working on my girls Disney Christmas outfits and will soon be working on their scrapbook/autograph book, that will take up a lot of time!!! Cannot wait, cannot wait, cannot wait!!!!

 

[2girlsR2good]

Good luck to all still waiting for a discount that works for you & your trip!!


To those you've gotten their pins for a room only in the mail/email/etc. or who have booked with the FD.....do you feel a little let down now?! I swear, now that I've booked the FD, I feel like I have nothing left to plan, wait for, etc., except the trip, which is 4 months away!!! LOL I am hoping for a GP room only for our 1st night, December 10 but, that's about it, lol.

So, ADRs made, CP package booked, resort locked in, transportation decided.....now what?!

I'm so with you--and I'm afraid it is going to make me over-think and over-plan our meals. Which would be silly--my kids eat almost nothing and don't care about atmosphere except for the couple of character meals we'll do. I can make my touring plans. . . and that is about all.