DemonLlama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2000
- Messages
- 4,021
Nothing like posting a trip report from 6 months ago! But like those crazy Christmas in July things, you get as far away from the Christmas season as you can in a year and start wishing for the next one to come around.
Also, TONS of photos. If you're bored senseless and want to scroll, you've come to the right place!
We do quite a lot of comparison shots, usually with the earlier photos we have following the current trip's, so try not to get lost.
The quick backstory: we almost always go in mid-December for a week for our WDW trips.
We started in 2000 and have generally kept it up for the past 16 years going every other year. We missed 2012 when we went to DL in October instead.
Sometimes we've stayed through Christmas Day, most times we come home around the 23rd. In 2014 we went the first week in January.
In 2015 we went back to mid-December, arriving on Dec. 15 and leaving Dec. 22.
Yes, it can get crowded. But it's Christmas at Disney World! Totally worth it, especially if you're willing to rope drop and stay until close. That hasn't changed in 16 years, even if the prices and crowds and planning strategies and fastpasses have.
Enough of that.
To the latest trip!
In addition to our regular four, we've added my daughter's SO, Jason to the mix. My son's SO, Ali, wasn't able to get off of work to join us, so we were a party of 5.
My daughter is going to Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, so she met us at the resort. That left me and the boys to fly from Denver to Orlando.
We managed to select our date of departure and book our flights back in April, which means it's always a dice roll on predicting the weather.
Turns out Dec. 15 had us arriving at Denver International Airport during one of the wickedest blizzards of the season. Reason #1 to never plan much for arrival day.
I'd booked my DH (Bob) and Jason on a super cheap fare via Frontier, which doesn't have the Magical Express bag privileges and whose fare doesn't include any bags at all. But . . . CHEAP!
The plan was for us to combine all our luggage into two to check on my fare with Southwest. Then, a few months after the initial airfare purchase, plans changed for my son (Nick), who was supposed to be flying from Austin to meet us but instead would be home in Denver before the trip. I added him to my flight which gave us 4 checked bags instead. Both the Frontier and the Southwest flights were taking off within 5 minutes of one another. All set.
Of course, we were all delayed and mine and Nick's flight arrived in Orlando an hour ahead of Bob and Jason's, but in the end, we and all the bags made it to the All Star Sports resort by the end of the afternoon!
I'd gotten the online check-in text that our rooms were ready in Basketball while we were on the Magical Express, which was strange, because the only request I'd made was for the Football section, since my son had just graduated college as the first football player in more than half a century from Southwestern University. (They restarted the program in 2011 after is was disbanded in 1951.)
We needed two rooms (and two bathrooms) and staying at the All Stars (our first Value resort trip ever) was our most inexpensive option, although I'd made a point to note we did NOT require connecting rooms. Just to be in the Football section, since this trip was both for Christmas and his graduation.
We went to the front desk on arrival but they said there was absolutely nothing in Football to be had for our length of stay and that we could check back the next day if we wanted.
I don't know about you, but once I'm unpacked in a room, unless it's flooding or filthy, I'm not moving.
Sam had arrived at the resort when we were standing at the counter waiting to see if Football rooms were available, so we all trooped over to Basketball (ground floor, very quiet, facing a little wooded area) and unloaded.
And, as it turned out, we did get connecting rooms in Basketball, which was pretty nice, since we left the door open most of the time and plenty of room. This was the only time all 5 of us were in the same room for a photo!
After we unpacked, we headed to the bus stop for Disney Springs for the evening. That's always our go-to on arrival day, since we're never sure if a winter snowstorm will be in the way of our travels.
And yes, Nick is wearing the same jersey from 2002 to 2016, albeit a slightly larger size. Thank you Ebay. We take our comparison photos seriously around here. Please note Pluto wearing his hat.
But, alas, the Tweedles have been removed! We've gotten them every year here until now. Dangit.
(2002)
(2004)
(2006)
(2008)
(2010)
(2014)
(2004)
(2008)
(2010)
(2014)
(2004)
And it was quite warm. This trip was the warmest we've ever encountered. All the Frozen stuff doesn't make me forget the sweat.
We met up with our friend, who works for Disney, for dinner at Raglan Road (hint: use Open Table for this reservation instead of ADR), and he showed us around all the new stuff that makes it Disney Springs instead of Downtown Disney.
Next Up: Day 1 at the Parks!
Also, TONS of photos. If you're bored senseless and want to scroll, you've come to the right place!
We do quite a lot of comparison shots, usually with the earlier photos we have following the current trip's, so try not to get lost.
The quick backstory: we almost always go in mid-December for a week for our WDW trips.
We started in 2000 and have generally kept it up for the past 16 years going every other year. We missed 2012 when we went to DL in October instead.
Sometimes we've stayed through Christmas Day, most times we come home around the 23rd. In 2014 we went the first week in January.
In 2015 we went back to mid-December, arriving on Dec. 15 and leaving Dec. 22.
Yes, it can get crowded. But it's Christmas at Disney World! Totally worth it, especially if you're willing to rope drop and stay until close. That hasn't changed in 16 years, even if the prices and crowds and planning strategies and fastpasses have.
Enough of that.
To the latest trip!
In addition to our regular four, we've added my daughter's SO, Jason to the mix. My son's SO, Ali, wasn't able to get off of work to join us, so we were a party of 5.
My daughter is going to Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, so she met us at the resort. That left me and the boys to fly from Denver to Orlando.
We managed to select our date of departure and book our flights back in April, which means it's always a dice roll on predicting the weather.
Turns out Dec. 15 had us arriving at Denver International Airport during one of the wickedest blizzards of the season. Reason #1 to never plan much for arrival day.
I'd booked my DH (Bob) and Jason on a super cheap fare via Frontier, which doesn't have the Magical Express bag privileges and whose fare doesn't include any bags at all. But . . . CHEAP!
The plan was for us to combine all our luggage into two to check on my fare with Southwest. Then, a few months after the initial airfare purchase, plans changed for my son (Nick), who was supposed to be flying from Austin to meet us but instead would be home in Denver before the trip. I added him to my flight which gave us 4 checked bags instead. Both the Frontier and the Southwest flights were taking off within 5 minutes of one another. All set.
Of course, we were all delayed and mine and Nick's flight arrived in Orlando an hour ahead of Bob and Jason's, but in the end, we and all the bags made it to the All Star Sports resort by the end of the afternoon!
I'd gotten the online check-in text that our rooms were ready in Basketball while we were on the Magical Express, which was strange, because the only request I'd made was for the Football section, since my son had just graduated college as the first football player in more than half a century from Southwestern University. (They restarted the program in 2011 after is was disbanded in 1951.)
We needed two rooms (and two bathrooms) and staying at the All Stars (our first Value resort trip ever) was our most inexpensive option, although I'd made a point to note we did NOT require connecting rooms. Just to be in the Football section, since this trip was both for Christmas and his graduation.
We went to the front desk on arrival but they said there was absolutely nothing in Football to be had for our length of stay and that we could check back the next day if we wanted.
I don't know about you, but once I'm unpacked in a room, unless it's flooding or filthy, I'm not moving.
Sam had arrived at the resort when we were standing at the counter waiting to see if Football rooms were available, so we all trooped over to Basketball (ground floor, very quiet, facing a little wooded area) and unloaded.
And, as it turned out, we did get connecting rooms in Basketball, which was pretty nice, since we left the door open most of the time and plenty of room. This was the only time all 5 of us were in the same room for a photo!
After we unpacked, we headed to the bus stop for Disney Springs for the evening. That's always our go-to on arrival day, since we're never sure if a winter snowstorm will be in the way of our travels.
And yes, Nick is wearing the same jersey from 2002 to 2016, albeit a slightly larger size. Thank you Ebay. We take our comparison photos seriously around here. Please note Pluto wearing his hat.
But, alas, the Tweedles have been removed! We've gotten them every year here until now. Dangit.
(2002)
(2004)
(2006)
(2008)
(2010)
(2014)
(2004)
(2008)
(2010)
(2014)
(2004)
And it was quite warm. This trip was the warmest we've ever encountered. All the Frozen stuff doesn't make me forget the sweat.
We met up with our friend, who works for Disney, for dinner at Raglan Road (hint: use Open Table for this reservation instead of ADR), and he showed us around all the new stuff that makes it Disney Springs instead of Downtown Disney.
Next Up: Day 1 at the Parks!
