Disney in December help!

[muchaloha]

Hi all! I'm looking to plan a 3 day trip with my family to Disneyland and DCA sometime in early to mid December. The last time I was planning a Disney vacation and on these boards was for my honeymoon in 2006, and WOW, so much has changed!!! I feel like a total newbie and could use some advice! Any thoughts/advice would be most welcomed!

1) We were thinking of using hotel points and trying to find discount tickets for the parks (is there a good place for this?). Is that a smart way to go about it, or are package deals a better way to go now? If so, do you all suggest Costco or specific vendors?

2) Do you suggest a certain time during early to mid December? I noticed that Disney hasn't released their dates yet for their Christmas holiday fun. Not sure if it is better to go during nights where they are having their parties or try to avoid those dates. It seems via some other threads that the crowd calendars aren't as accurate either, so I feel like I'm at a loss for leaning towards early December or Mid December.

3) ANY and ALL thoughts, suggestions, tips would be welcomed.

Thanks everyone!!!!

 

[GenGen22]

If I were planning a December vacation I would go the second or third week of December between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays as the weeks before and after the holidays it will be much busier due to people taking time off around the holiday. As fas as packages Costco is giving out a Disney gift card if you book through them but I would price it out to see if it's worth it or not. I would also check getawaytoday.com to see if their prices are reasonable as they offer 3rd and 4th nights free and free breakfasts and shuttles to the parks from the hotel. In addition to checking those two check the hotel you want to stay at and see if they offer like a AAA discount if your a member that is. You can always buy Disney gift cards to pay for your tickets from target if you have a red card for 5% off. You can also use the gift cards to pay for food, merchandise or the Disney Resort hotels. I hope this gives you a starting point. Happy planning!

 

[muchaloha]

If I were planning a December vacation I would go the second or third week of December between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays as the weeks before and after the holidays it will be much busier due to people taking time off around the holiday. As fas as packages Costco is giving out a Disney gift card if you book through them but I would price it out to see if it's worth it or not. I would also check getawaytoday.com to see if their prices are reasonable as they offer 3rd and 4th nights free and free breakfasts and shuttles to the parks from the hotel. In addition to checking those two check the hotel you want to stay at and see if they offer like a AAA discount if your a member that is. You can always buy Disney gift cards to pay for your tickets from target if you have a red card for 5% off. You can also use the gift cards to pay for food, merchandise or the Disney Resort hotels. I hope this gives you a starting point. Happy planning!

Thank you SO much!!! This is so very helpful!!!! I am going to check out all these options right away! Thank you so much for taking the time to pass this along!

 

[GenGen22]

Thank you SO much!!! This is so very helpful!!!! I am going to check out all these options right away! Thank you so much for taking the time to pass this along!

Your very welcome. I am always happy to help.

 

[Pluto468]

I agree about Getaway today, they are a great company.

I would go in the first 2 weeks of December. It's before schools are out for holiday break, but after Thanksgiving crowds.

What hotel do you have points for? There are a number of big chains around, like Marriott and Hyatt.

I would get the Disneyland app so you can start keeping an eye on wait times and familiarize yourself with the new system. You'll also want to look into mobile ordering, which is great.

Genie+ is like the new paid Maxpass, and you get that through the app, too.

For an early December trip it will be time soon to start booking reservations for restaurants, which you can do 60 days out.

 

[CandyMouse]

We're going the week after Thanksgiving for 3 days, Nov. 30th, Dec. 1st and 2nd and I think it will be a good time. I always expect it to be busy though. The Christmas holiday season starts Nov. 11th and goes through Jan. 8th. Enjoy!

 

[kikismom]

Undercover Tourist, Get Away Today and the Target Red Card buying Disney gift cards are the same tricks I use. This next trip I am paying for entirely with gift cards I purchased through Target. It saves 5% on our hotel, tickets, souvenirs and restaurants. We will eat at only a few restaurants that I'm not sure if they take gift cards.