Everything you need to know about WDW Christmas- Tips & Secrets

[mickeysaver]

Check out the info on all of the cool pins coming out for the holidays!

Click here for the info found on the DIS Disney Collectors Board.

 

[sskem96]

I haven't read through the whole thread yet, but in case it hasn't been mentioned, Santa has a place set up at DTD where you can talk to him and get your picture taken. We were there in early Dec. 2007, and I think that was one of the highlights of the trip. There was no line, so the girls just got to sit on Santa's lap and talk to him, and there was a Photopass photographer there also. The girls had just gotten done at BBB, so they were all done up for their Santa pics. It was somewhere along the water close to the World of Disney store. We will be going to see him again in just a few weeks!

 

[mandy2012]

Awesome tips! I'm going the first week in dec. Cant wait

 

[Mary T in PA]

Check out the info on all of the cool pins coming out for the holidays!

Click here for the info found on the DIS Disney Collectors Board.

Thank you!

Mary

 

[pixiefairy]

Ooh....I really really hope that the GF Gingerbread house is up as early this year as it was in '07! We are going the 13-16 and I would love to see it!

 

[my3sons77]

I am going the first weekend in Dec with my mom and her husband What time do they tape the Christmas parade and how early do I need to be to get good spots?! Anybody have any tips?

We'll be there Dec 4-6! I am so excited I can hardly stand it.

 

[IZHAYMAMA]

We'll be arriving on Dec. 26th. I know the Christmas parade will be going on twice a day at MK, but will Santa still be a part of it?

 

[Puget Peach]

I am going the first weekend in Dec with my mom and her husband What time do they tape the Christmas parade and how early do I need to be to get good spots?! Anybody have any tips?

We'll be there Dec 4-6! I am so excited I can hardly stand it.

Just so you know, the "parade" is really a multi-hour production period with long waits between activity. Just my opinion, but for me it's NOT a good use of my park time. It creates lots of dead end foot traffic areas, so if you are in the MK during filming, plan on using the periphery paths, not the hub, to navigate.

 

[JoJo1980]

Check out the info on all of the cool pins coming out for the holidays!

Click here for the info found on the DIS Disney Collectors Board.

Those are great! Thankyou so much for the link

I love the stitch and chip n dale party pins I'll be on the hunt for those!!

I havent read this thread yet, so i'm gonna go back to the start - I have a feeling I will become addicted

 

[aharbin88]

Thanks to all the posters in this thread! It's making me literally ACHE to go back to the World!

5. Visit the resorts. All the resorts decorate in line with their theming. My faves are the GF & FW. At GF, 5pm the cms come out to the lobby and sing xmas carols while passing out cookies. The Gingerbread house store offers more delicious treats and the gingerbread carosel is breathtaking. Sit in the lobby with roasted chestnuts and a beverage and enjoy the xmas music by the band and pianist.

FW is never to be missed especially the closer you get to Dec 25th. The guest here go all out decorating their campsites and golf carts. You will see anomatronic characters and music. Take the hayride in the evening they depart from PH. We walk it or ride on bikes or golf carts. The campfire and movie is another option.

WL gets honorable mention. The lobby tree and hidden mickey tour are great.

I thought the sleigh ride at the WL was very boring. It only went through a wooded area with NOTHING to see. If you just want to ride in a sleigh then it is ok but if you want atmosphere dont waste your money. I have heard the campground takes you past all the campers who have decorated for the holiday. i vote for that. have a great time.

Awesome tip about the carols and the cookies at GF. I will definitely add that to my To-Do list!

After reading this entire thread (in one day- whew!), I am a little confused about the different sleigh/carriage rides. From what I gather, there's a $45 carriage ride at POR/POFQ, a $60 ride at WL, and a hayride at FW. Is that right? Is the hayride free? And am I right in assuming that you get nothing more than a ride and a photo op for the cost? I find $60 to be shockingly high for nothing more than a sleigh ride. They can't sell me a $60 cup of hot chocolate and throw in a free sleigh ride?

There is indeed a lifesize gingerbread house and you can eat the roof! Well, the shingles, anyway. The inside is actually a little gift shop and you can buy a roof shingle. One side is coated with chocolate! YUM!

Surely you can't go inside the gingerbread house! Can you?

I was hoping to send "Merry Christmas from Disney World" cards. I'm not sure if that's going to work. I might just need to mail them late this year. I used Walgreens last year. They was great and fast!

I am hoping to do the same. Ideally we will take our photo super early in the week and have them mailed (maybe even overnighted) to the hotel. I'll bring stamps with me, and I will mail them from the parks so they will be postmarked from there. If my plan falls through, I won't be heartbroken, since the postmark actually reads Lake Buena Vista, rather than Disney World. I'm pretty shocked that they don't have their own postmark.

Although our trip isn't until December of 2010, I just wanted to jump on and thank everyone for the tips and hints. I'm already adding them to my planning notebook.

Ditto!

I haven't read through the whole thread yet, but in case it hasn't been mentioned, Santa has a place set up at DTD where you can talk to him and get your picture taken. We were there in early Dec. 2007, and I think that was one of the highlights of the trip. There was no line, so the girls just got to sit on Santa's lap and talk to him, and there was a Photopass photographer there also. The girls had just gotten done at BBB, so they were all done up for their Santa pics. It was somewhere along the water close to the World of Disney store. We will be going to see him again in just a few weeks!

Do you remember if there was a charge to see that Santa? I read somewhere on this thread that the DTD Santa was the best, but that there was a charge to see him. Do you remember how much it was?

 

[wide receiver]

The week from Christmas to New Years is the busiest Disney ever gets.Parks close due to CAPACITY being reached, and fairly early in the day.I know the one Christmas morning the parks closed at 1030am .New Years Eve is just as bad.Important for you to note...If a park closes a phase 4 capacity closure, no one gets in.Not for any reason ,including adrs so I advise not picking restaurants in the parks on the holidays if possible.I never fully realized how busy it was till I saw it myself...It is literally a sea of humanity ...As long as you get to the parks for rope drop,and use fastpass to the fullest it is doable.Forget commando and having to See and Do everything...It won't happen and you will be disappointed if you go thinking you will.It can be a lovely time and a lot of people love it....I prefer earlier in December and will never go back to disney christmas week.

I have only gotten as far as this post pg 17, forgive me if this has been answered. We will be at Disney from 12-27 to 1-2. Wondering how much risk of parks closing due to capacity on multiple days? New Years Eve for sure? What time is a must arrive by time so you don't get left out?

 

[heatherb0827]

I have only gotten as far as this post pg 17, forgive me if this has been answered. We will be at Disney from 12-27 to 1-2. Wondering how much risk of parks closing due to capacity on multiple days? New Years Eve for sure? What time is a must arrive by time so you don't get left out?

We have gone the week between Christmas and New Years a few times and have not had any issues between 12/26 and 12/30. We are going again this year 12/27 - 01/05, so I hope that doesn't change. New Year's Eve is different story you MUST be there early.

 

[Halbleib1]

Supposedly you can start in Mexico at 11am when World Showcase opens and see the first story, then make your way around clockwise and catch every performance in a row.

This is no longer true as last year the Mexican Storyteller did not come out until 1:45 pm. Canada starts at 11:15 am I have the times guide from last year if anyone needs it. You will have to do a lot of walking back and forth in order to see them all as there is no way to do them in order and fit them all in.

 

[Halbleib1]

Hope this helps. Sorry it is kind of small to read.

If you save it as a picture on your computer and open it up using windows photo gallery you can zoom in and see it better.

 

[Minniekins]

How late do they keep doing the Christmas parade? Do they keep doing this until the same time the stop showing the Castle Dream Lights on Jan 3rd?

How about the Holiday Wishes, how long do they show this?

Any chance either the parade and holiday wishes will both go through Sunday, Jan 3rd? That would be awesome if that was the case!

 

[RMulieri]

I have only gotten as far as this post pg 17, forgive me if this has been answered. We will be at Disney from 12-27 to 1-2. Wondering how much risk of parks closing due to capacity on multiple days? New Years Eve for sure? What time is a must arrive by time so you don't get left out?

The only day that will be HUGE issue is NYE..The rest of the week shall be packed solid.Closures can happen, but are not a definite. Last year wasn't too bad, but remember we are in an economic crisis so alot of people may not go .

 

[wide receiver]

Thanks for the info on park closings! Can't wait until Christmas/New Years!

 

[MadilynnsMomma]

Hope this helps. Sorry it is kind of small to read.

If you save it as a picture on your computer and open it up using windows photo gallery you can zoom in and see it better.

Is that from last year? Do you suppose it will be the same?

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Is that from last year? Do you suppose it will be the same?

I'm hoping so...I am going to use this as an idea to get a sort-of planning guideline!!

Thanks to the OP for putting this up!

 

[DisneyMom14]

Hope this helps. Sorry it is kind of small to read.

If you save it as a picture on your computer and open it up using windows photo gallery you can zoom in and see it better.

Thanks for posting this! Oh and we'll be at POP at the same time! We'll be arriving on the 17th but staying til the 24th! Maybe we'll bump into each other??