GF during christmas?

[punkin413]

we are going to disney world this year in december.....and i can't wait! it's our first holiday trip. anyway, i definitely want to check out the GF's gingerbread house while we're there. we're taking a short trip - 4 parks in 4 days. but we're not commando touring....just there mainly for the christmas stuff and the nighttime shows. my plan right now is to watch the castle lights at MK at 5:45, mono over to the poly for dinner at kona cafe at 6:20, then mono to the GF to see the gingerbread house, then back to MK for wishes at 9:00 and spectro at 10:00. just FYI - our dates are december 11 - 14, so it's not the actual mega-busy week of christmas!

my question is how long should i allow to see the christmas decorations at the GF? is there usually a line to walk through the gingerbread house? i figure we'll be finished with dinner by 7:30. that gives us about 45 minutes to take care of the GF touring before we need to go back to MK for wishes that night. is that long enough?

thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

You can't actually walk through it. It is a little store where they sell gingerbread, chocolate etc.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

That might be cutting it close, but doable. We've learned to allow an hour for everyting that includes any transportation - even when we stay at a monorail resort (unless we are going for dining at MK or another monorail resort).

The lobby scent is full of wonderful gingerbread and the decorations have all white lights - there are shops you might want to visit - and the children may want to ride the 'birdcage' elevator

Enjoy!!

 

[Connears]

We have spent the last 2 xmas mornings at GF for late breakfast at 1900PF(very yummy and fun) and then pictures of the beautiful tree and the gingerbread house. Its nice just people watching in the lobby and they also have a huge xmas chair that seats at least 2 that has GF and happy holidays on it that makes a great family shot. we also buy cookies at the gingerbread house then go off to spend the rest of the day doing NON-PARK stuff- DTD, a movie, relaxing at our OKW resort, then head for late dinner at another resort(Artist Point and Calif Grill the last 2 years). We had great view of Wishes from CG with adr for 9:00pm..very festive and a great meal. We do not go to a park..too crazy for us and we have been for the last 4 xmas weeks.

Connears

 

[disneydawn6]

Make sure your go to the WL too. It has lovely Xmas decor. I also love to walk around the Epcot Resorts and see the great Xmas stuff in there also. The BW had a gingerbread scene as does the Dolphin and the BC has a sugar merry go round that turns.

 

[punkin413]

You can't actually walk through it. It is a little store where they sell gingerbread, chocolate etc.

good to know! for some reason i thought you could walk through it.

That might be cutting it close, but doable. We've learned to allow an hour for everyting that includes any transportation - even when we stay at a monorail resort (unless we are going for dining at MK or another monorail resort).

The lobby scent is full of wonderful gingerbread and the decorations have all white lights - there are shops you might want to visit - and the children may want to ride the 'birdcage' elevator

Enjoy!!

thanks! i've heard great things about the scent as you walk into the GF lobby. i can't wait!

We have spent the last 2 xmas mornings at GF for late breakfast at 1900PF(very yummy and fun) and then pictures of the beautiful tree and the gingerbread house. Its nice just people watching in the lobby and they also have a huge xmas chair that seats at least 2 that has GF and happy holidays on it that makes a great family shot. we also buy cookies at the gingerbread house then go off to spend the rest of the day doing NON-PARK stuff- DTD, a movie, relaxing at our OKW resort, then head for late dinner at another resort(Artist Point and Calif Grill the last 2 years). We had great view of Wishes from CG with adr for 9:00pm..very festive and a great meal. We do not go to a park..too crazy for us and we have been for the last 4 xmas weeks.

Connears

we're actually not going christmas week, but two weeks beforehand. but it's cool that you get to go then! i just can't deal with those crowds.

Make sure your go to the WL too. It has lovely Xmas decor. I also love to walk around the Epcot Resorts and see the great Xmas stuff in there also. The BW had a gingerbread scene as does the Dolphin and the BC has a sugar merry go round that turns.

oh, we are definitely checking out some of those resorts! we are planning on heading over to the BW and BC on our epcot day to check out the christmas stuff and have lunch at beaches and cream. then on our last day we are doing AK that day, leaving after the parade and heading over to WL to look at their decorations before heading to MK for MVMCP that night! i'm so excited!

 

[kelleigh1]

Personally, I think 45 minutes should be ok. We were there this past November/December with dinner reservations at Narcoossee's on a Friday night. We had pictures taken in front of the tree, which is amazing and I'll see if I can find them to share - although they may be on the Photo Pass disc at home. We actually had prints made and framed of those pictures for the parents for Christmas. It helped that we were nicely dressed for our dinner too.

And we stopped at the Gingerbread House.

As someone pointed out, you don't exactly tour the gingerbread house. It's free standing with a little shop built into it. There is also a smaller version over at Epcot at the Liberty Inn in America. I have a picture of that somewhere too.

 

[castmemberb4]

I think AKL has an African gingerbread village, at least they did a few years ago when they filmed the Christmas special for the Travel Channel. You could pop in there when you leave AK.
Sounds like you've got a wonderful relaxing trip planned, just what we all need in the middle of Dec.

BTW - There's a peach tree at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens !
I grew up in GA (I'm still here) and saw lots of peach orchards back then but they all seem to be gone now. I don't think we're really the peach state any more.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I think AKL has an African gingerbread village, at least they did a few years ago when they filmed the Christmas special for the Travel Channel. You could pop in there when you leave AK.
Sounds like you've got a wonderful relaxing trip planned, just what we all need in the middle of Dec.

BTW - There's a peach tree at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens !
I grew up in GA (I'm still here) and saw lots of peach orchards back then but they all seem to be gone now. I don't think we're really the peach state any more.

Unfortunately AKL no longer does the gingerbread scene now that there isn't a FT Head Pastry Chef on staff. But the tree in the lobby is BEAUTFIUL!!

 

[bytheblood]

Don't forget to go by the Beach Club. The decorations are nice and it smells heavenly in there.