Disney in December Resort/Dining Plan

[tjohn33]

My wife and I are going to Disney Dec 6-12th. We are in our mid 20's. We currently have booked the WL. We have not stayed there before and heard it is nice at at this time of year. We have always stayed in the epcot area. Last 3 trips were Boardwalk, BC and CBR and have been to Disney aprox 10 times. Is it worth the extra $1,000 to stay at WL vs CBR? Also we were doing the Deluxe Dining plan. We really enjoy eating at sit down restaurants. We usually do a sit down lunch early and a Signature restaurant at dinner each night. I'm just not sure if it is worth it for $1300. We have done it before and didn't waste food, but I'm second guessing myself. Please help me with these 2 questions. Thanks!

 

[spiceycat]

wl is wonderfully at christmas - it is so decorated.

that say I no longer pay cash for WDW resorts - use my DVC points - so probably not the best source. Now I would stay with WL - but don't know about the deluxe dinning plan.

 

[jesusluvsu2005]

I can't answer the WL part, but on the dining plan part, what I would do is to check the menus for the places you want to eat. Get an idea of what your total bill would be for each place and then add them together. Don't forget to factor in your snack credits as well. Then see if you come out ahead with the dining plan or not.

 

[aVASTGrl]

I love WL and am staying there in October, but if it's your first time, be aware that there will be construction along the lake ongoing there, so if that sort of thing is going to bother you, you might want to reconsider. Otherwise, it really is a beautiful resort.

I agree with PP, price out what you think you might spend and see if the Deluxe plan is worth it. We like TS meals as well, but after pricing out the plans, we realized the DPs aren't for us.

 

[Accident]

We did the first week of december last year and enjoyed it so much we're doing family thanksgiving + the first week of december again this year. horrible time for discounts though. We're also staying at WL for part of this trip because of how well it's decorated. We only stopped in for a lunch last year but it really impressed us. For cost reasons we're going to switch to our favorite moderate for the rest of the week.

We did the deluxe dining plan and really regretted it. There is never a free free meal plan discount for this week so we paid for the entire thing. What got us by surprise is what a fair gratuity cost after everyone had 3 courses. Most of the meals we would have just skipped some of the food. We figured it out after and priced what we would have ordered or skipped and going with the deluxe plan doubled our cost. To be fair though, we do the parks very unplanned and spontaneous for how we feel that moment. We have some family tradition quick service places we always stop at at every park. It just didn't fit our style.

Keep in mind you can upgrade the plan after you get there if your going on a free dining plan or even upgrade it on your reservation before you get there. Plan your trip, make your food reservations and then decide which meal plan better fits what your expecting. This is the best meal plan advice I can give. Plan your trip and adjust your reservation when you know what fits you better. don't forget to add in the cost of gratuity when making that choice.

 

[raddisneyfan]

My opinion. Do you like the holidays? If so, then WL is beautiful in December. CBR is really spread out; it's decorated, but not as "grand" as WL. If you'll be spending time at the resort, then I would spend the extra cash, plus I love taking the boat to the Contemporary and walking to MK. I've never stayed at the WL, but have been there many times for walks and to dine at various times during the year including Christmas time. WL was an option for me this December, but decided on 2 nights at POR and then 7 nights at AKL villas (on friend's points because I could never afford to stay at a villa otherwise--thank you L for giving me the points!!!). I'm sure, however, that I will be visiting WL at some point since it's a destination worth going to even if you are not staying there.

As far as the DDP; you've been to the World 10 times, missing or not missing rides and getting to the parks at a certain time must not be that important to you. I think a lot of folks don't do multiple sit downs in a day because of the time it takes. If the food you get at Disney is that important, then by all means you should do it. I think a lot of people would agree that the food at TS beats out the CS meals hands down. That said, I never liked the idea of paying in advance for the food--just gives them your money to invest when you could be making the extra. They say you save 15% by paying in advance--if I were to pay for a plan, I'd really price everything out before I went. Also, you really are obligated to make ADRs with a DDP even during this slow time of year to make sure you get the restaurants you want since you've already paid for the food.

Anyway, just my 2 cents--as always Disney gets the rest.

 

[com_op_2000]

WL is great as PP have stated - go for it.
IMHO, get the TiW card and over the course of your stay will most likely save some $$.
If you plan or are expecting to continue to vacation at WDW yearly or every other year, look into DVC to save some more $$ over the course of 5 - 7 years. You are prepaying for your lodging and can save even more by buying resale. Do your research and understand DVC before you buy.