Aristocats2
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Anyone else going over the Christmas - New Year's season? We will be there 21 December - 04 January. Two more weeks, I can't wait!!
Going at Christmastime!
- Thread starter Aristocats2
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Have a great time! 
TimNDansMom
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We have decided to go too and take advantage of the Winter Getaway rates. We are leaving (driving) on Boxing Day and arriving on Dec. 28. We are staying off-site the first three nights and then check into ASMu on December 31--January 5. Planning to spend New Year's Eve at EPCOT!
Aristocats2
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I'm so excited I can hardly wait! We are planning to be at EPCOT on New Year's Eve, as well -- it's our favourite place to spend New Year's Eve.
There is no better place than WDW to spend time with family, I think -- and to be there at Christmas and New Year's is the best. Our group lives in 3 different cities, 2 different provinces -- so this annual vacation is how we get to spend quality time together as a family. (Whenever my brother and I go home -- to Winnipeg -- there are always so many other people to see, we barely see my parents at all!)
And the best thing of all is that this year, we have a *NEW* member of our group -- DH's and my 4-1/2 month old son. He will meet my brother for the very first time at the airport in Minneapolis, when we meet up to get on the plane to Orlando!
OK, thanks for letting me ramble. It's just that we've been counting the weeks for what seems like forever (well, 7 weeks ago when we began counting, it SEEMED like forever!) and now it's almost here!!
There is no better place than WDW to spend time with family, I think -- and to be there at Christmas and New Year's is the best. Our group lives in 3 different cities, 2 different provinces -- so this annual vacation is how we get to spend quality time together as a family. (Whenever my brother and I go home -- to Winnipeg -- there are always so many other people to see, we barely see my parents at all!)
And the best thing of all is that this year, we have a *NEW* member of our group -- DH's and my 4-1/2 month old son. He will meet my brother for the very first time at the airport in Minneapolis, when we meet up to get on the plane to Orlando!
OK, thanks for letting me ramble. It's just that we've been counting the weeks for what seems like forever (well, 7 weeks ago when we began counting, it SEEMED like forever!) and now it's almost here!!
We were thinking of going to Epcot on New Year's Eve as well as it is our favourite park -- maybe we will all run into each other!
Aristocats2 -- I am sure your family vacation will be great! I am excited to go but I will be missing my family this trip. Since you have been there before around the holidays, maybe you can describe the crowds and the weather?
Aristocats2 -- I am sure your family vacation will be great! I am excited to go but I will be missing my family this trip. Since you have been there before around the holidays, maybe you can describe the crowds and the weather?
Well, Aristocats2, Julie, and ASC it all sounds GREAT! Think about the rest of us up here in snowy (well maybe not snowy, but at least chilly) Canada when you're gone. We were there last November and just at the end of our trip they had put up some of the Christmas decorations. I can recommend the GF and the Wilderness Lodge as being especially beautiful for the holidays. Hope you all have a wonderful time.
TimNDansMom
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CindyAnn, DH and I saw GF, Dolphin and Osborne Lights last November, so I'm really looking forward to seeing WL, AKL and the parks decorated this time.
Yes, Aristocats2, tell us more about NY's Eve at EPCOT! What a wonderful way to get together with all your family!
asc, if we all wear our lime green ribbons, maybe we WILL run into each other!
Yes, Aristocats2, tell us more about NY's Eve at EPCOT! What a wonderful way to get together with all your family!
asc, if we all wear our lime green ribbons, maybe we WILL run into each other!
Aristocats2
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asc - the weather over the Christmas - New Year's season can range significantly. We have always gone prepared for anything (i.e. warm AND cold) -- but have not really needed the cold-weather gear ... until last year, that is! We had about two warm (shorts-weather) days last year: Christmas Day, and the day we left! But we don't let that kind of thing bother us -- we still had a wonderful time.
Last NY Eve it was especially cold. I wore a top with a polar fleece jacket over top, PLUS a Gore-tex jacket, and a polar fleece scarf and gloves ... and I was STILL a wee bit chilly. But that is very unusual, and I've been looking at the weather down there lately and it seems to be quite warm (in the mid-70s ... I don't speak Farenheit, but I understand that to be quite pleasant). So hopefully that trend will continue. Just to be safe, though, we'll take the gear! It generally doesn't rain too much during that time; from what I can remember, a few days of rain would be about the most you should get over a 2-week period. And not full days, either -- just showers. Last year there was one day that rained most the whole day (not that we begrudged them that -- it was SO dry down there, they were absolutely desperate for it). Didn't bother us -- we just put on our ponchos and laughed at all the people who were leaving the parks at 10:00 a.m. when we were just arriving! The crowds were significantly thinner that day!
Speaking of crowds, YES, it is crowded during Christmas - New Year's period. We are all really easygoing, relaxed people who really enjoy taking our time, stopping to smell the roses (so to speak) and taking in all the little details that make Disney World such a magical place to be. We actually ENJOY queues, because it lets us have more time to savour all those little details and build the anticipation -- weird, eh? We have never had any sort of Dumbo-or-die-in-a-day-type plan, and I suspect that's why we survive quite nicely each year without killing each other or those around us. We have the attitude that if we don't get to see a particular thing this time, there is always next year. This year we'll be particularly easygoing, as we have Baby William with us for the first time, and also my mum's health is not terrific right now (she is going through chemotherapy). Fortunately, her doctor is quite pleased with the way she is responding to the treatment, so he gave the OK for her to go on the trip (our plane tickets were booked long before this situation presented itself) and her last treatment will be delayed until she gets home, so that she can go away feeling as healthy as possible. Hooray! Nonetheless, we'll be taking it even easier than we generally do, so that she doesn't get worn out.
So don't go with the notion that you'll see everything that you will at a less-busy time of year. Instead, think about seeing DIFFERENT things -- the things that may not be there the rest of the year. The Christmas decorations in the parks, the Country Bear Jamboree (the show is changed for the Christmas season), the entertainment and shows. Relax and enjoy -- believe me, if you don't let the crowds bother you, you'll have a WONDERFUL time!
EPCOT on NY Eve is a wonderful place to be. The crowds are huge, but it's still great. GO EARLY. Last year we got in at about 10:30 a.m., and apparently they closed the gates soon afterward (I think if you stay on-site you get priority. We stay off-site in my parents' timeshare, so we'll have to get there earlier this year. Makes for a VERY long day, though ...) One thing you may want to take advantage of, if you are travelling with children, is that they actually have a "mini-midnight" celebration at about 8:00 p.m., with fireworks and the whole bit, so that families with young children can celebrate the "arrival" of the New Year and still get the kids into bed at a decent hour. Last year was the first year they did this, I think (we had never noticed it before), but we thought it's a great idea.
There are DJs and bands throughout FW and WS, all sorts of entertainment, depending on your tastes, all sorts of things to do & see. And of course, there will be ToD to see, and IllumiNations at midnight. The fireworks show is just spectacular (of course -- it's Disney!), but try to get a spot around the lagoon early (I think even 10 or 10:30 is not too early), so that you can see the laser light and water show, as well. DH and I had seen it when we went in November 1999 (without the rest of the family), but the rest of the family had not seen it before, and we were standing quite far back in the crowd, so all we could see were the fireworks last NY Eve.
Any other questions, just ask -- I'd be glad to answer them if I can. Now I have one for you: where would I get a lime-green ribbon? And how do you wear it?
Last NY Eve it was especially cold. I wore a top with a polar fleece jacket over top, PLUS a Gore-tex jacket, and a polar fleece scarf and gloves ... and I was STILL a wee bit chilly. But that is very unusual, and I've been looking at the weather down there lately and it seems to be quite warm (in the mid-70s ... I don't speak Farenheit, but I understand that to be quite pleasant). So hopefully that trend will continue. Just to be safe, though, we'll take the gear! It generally doesn't rain too much during that time; from what I can remember, a few days of rain would be about the most you should get over a 2-week period. And not full days, either -- just showers. Last year there was one day that rained most the whole day (not that we begrudged them that -- it was SO dry down there, they were absolutely desperate for it). Didn't bother us -- we just put on our ponchos and laughed at all the people who were leaving the parks at 10:00 a.m. when we were just arriving! The crowds were significantly thinner that day!
Speaking of crowds, YES, it is crowded during Christmas - New Year's period. We are all really easygoing, relaxed people who really enjoy taking our time, stopping to smell the roses (so to speak) and taking in all the little details that make Disney World such a magical place to be. We actually ENJOY queues, because it lets us have more time to savour all those little details and build the anticipation -- weird, eh? We have never had any sort of Dumbo-or-die-in-a-day-type plan, and I suspect that's why we survive quite nicely each year without killing each other or those around us. We have the attitude that if we don't get to see a particular thing this time, there is always next year. This year we'll be particularly easygoing, as we have Baby William with us for the first time, and also my mum's health is not terrific right now (she is going through chemotherapy). Fortunately, her doctor is quite pleased with the way she is responding to the treatment, so he gave the OK for her to go on the trip (our plane tickets were booked long before this situation presented itself) and her last treatment will be delayed until she gets home, so that she can go away feeling as healthy as possible. Hooray! Nonetheless, we'll be taking it even easier than we generally do, so that she doesn't get worn out.
So don't go with the notion that you'll see everything that you will at a less-busy time of year. Instead, think about seeing DIFFERENT things -- the things that may not be there the rest of the year. The Christmas decorations in the parks, the Country Bear Jamboree (the show is changed for the Christmas season), the entertainment and shows. Relax and enjoy -- believe me, if you don't let the crowds bother you, you'll have a WONDERFUL time!
EPCOT on NY Eve is a wonderful place to be. The crowds are huge, but it's still great. GO EARLY. Last year we got in at about 10:30 a.m., and apparently they closed the gates soon afterward (I think if you stay on-site you get priority. We stay off-site in my parents' timeshare, so we'll have to get there earlier this year. Makes for a VERY long day, though ...) One thing you may want to take advantage of, if you are travelling with children, is that they actually have a "mini-midnight" celebration at about 8:00 p.m., with fireworks and the whole bit, so that families with young children can celebrate the "arrival" of the New Year and still get the kids into bed at a decent hour. Last year was the first year they did this, I think (we had never noticed it before), but we thought it's a great idea.
There are DJs and bands throughout FW and WS, all sorts of entertainment, depending on your tastes, all sorts of things to do & see. And of course, there will be ToD to see, and IllumiNations at midnight. The fireworks show is just spectacular (of course -- it's Disney!), but try to get a spot around the lagoon early (I think even 10 or 10:30 is not too early), so that you can see the laser light and water show, as well. DH and I had seen it when we went in November 1999 (without the rest of the family), but the rest of the family had not seen it before, and we were standing quite far back in the crowd, so all we could see were the fireworks last NY Eve.
Any other questions, just ask -- I'd be glad to answer them if I can. Now I have one for you: where would I get a lime-green ribbon? And how do you wear it?
Thank you so much for your description! I am not afraid of a little cold - I am Canadian after all! I am like you, I do not know farenheit but mid 70s is pretty good. I usually visit in the spring so I am really looking forward to seeing all the decorations.
I admit I have not sported the lime green ribbon myself but maybe I will go shopping for some. You can probably pick some up at a fabric store or at a crafts store, especially this time of year when red and green are very big. I would probably just tie a section to my bag. How does everyone else wear theirs?
I admit I have not sported the lime green ribbon myself but maybe I will go shopping for some. You can probably pick some up at a fabric store or at a crafts store, especially this time of year when red and green are very big. I would probably just tie a section to my bag. How does everyone else wear theirs?
TimNDansMom
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Thanks for all the information, Aristocats2! I will make sure that we all have warm clothing "just in case". On our last day last November, DH and I wore our shorts as we had the rest of the week and light jackets, but the day never warmed up and we were cold the whole day! We were in MGM and DH wouldn't stay for Fantasmic, even though I tried to convince him it would be worth it. He's not a Disney fan like I am and I chose EPCOT for this NY's because I thought if it was cold, at least there are lots of buildings to go into to warm up. I'm glad to hear that there is lots of entertainment going on as our DS's will be with us and they too will have to be kept entertained. Luckily the boys and I have been on the rides many times, but I hope DH will be able to experience them in spite of the crowds. I do plan to have a nice relaxing looooong NY's Eve day at EPCOT!
asc, there isn't any one spot to tie your lime green ribbon--just so that it's visible! I usually tie mine to my backpack. I have yet to see a fellow Diser, though!
asc, there isn't any one spot to tie your lime green ribbon--just so that it's visible! I usually tie mine to my backpack. I have yet to see a fellow Diser, though!
We're checking into Fort Wilderness Dec 28th and staying until Jan4th. We boarder the States so I DO like the sounds of the 70's!!!! Yehhhhh!!!!! (We tend to get more American than Canadian on t.v., radio, etc.) (Just a little FYI.......take the number given in C and double it, then add 32......that's roughly the temperature in F.........So........say 20+20+32=72F yehhhh!!
Is there a place for me to go to read up on the New Year's Eve events?
Is there a place for me to go to read up on the New Year's Eve events?
disneykins
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We're going to Disney for Xmas and on the Wonder for New Years Eve. We always wear our green ribbons on our shirts. We made up buttons last time with DIS in bold letters and met a few fellow Dis'ers on the cruise. Weather is usually great at Christmas but it does get cool at night, maybe mid-teens celsius. A light jacket is probably ok. It is crowded at Christmas but the parks do stay open longer and usually the young ones leave early and the crowds thin out a little, especially at MK.
Tony
Tony
TimNDansMom
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LML, as well as the great info that Aristocats2 has posted, I found good info at www.Disneyworld.com Just look in the 'Site Shortcuts" for "Special Events" and type in the dates you will be there.
I also discovered another good site: http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/index.htm Just click on the park you want info on, near the top of the page. Then click on "Holidays" in the sidebar on the left and scroll down and click on "New Years Entertainment" in the black bar.
This is all I've been able to find so far!
I also discovered another good site: http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/index.htm Just click on the park you want info on, near the top of the page. Then click on "Holidays" in the sidebar on the left and scroll down and click on "New Years Entertainment" in the black bar.
This is all I've been able to find so far!
After spending a cold(1999) and even colder(2000) Disney Christmas/New Year's, we swore we'd go someplace warm this year....but we just booked another Disney trip for 12/31-1/6!
There is just something about being at Disney for the holidays that keeps us going back. Hopefully we'll get to leave the hats and gloves in the room this year!
There is just something about being at Disney for the holidays that keeps us going back. Hopefully we'll get to leave the hats and gloves in the room this year!
TimNDansMom
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Hope I see some Lime Green ribbons at EPCOT on New Year's Eve. I'll be watching for you, Aristocats2 and asc!
We leave to drive down on Boxing Day~I think I'm almost ready! "See" everyone when we get back!
We leave to drive down on Boxing Day~I think I'm almost ready! "See" everyone when we get back!
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