Have a Holly Jolly Disney! A Dec 2013 PTR!

[serene56]

I've reserved a golf cart so we can explore the resort (although I am debating cancelling and doing the Sleigh Ride). Hopefully we'll be able to participate in the campfire sing-along and either catch the movie or see the Electrical Water Parade!:

information on a golf cart please.

and the sleigh ride.

we are going the 8th thru the 15-- will the camp sites be decorated that early?

 

[::danielle::]

information on a golf cart please.

and the sleigh ride.

we are going the 8th thru the 15-- will the camp sites be decorated that early?

The Sleigh Ride is basically a 25-minute ride in a horse drawn carriage through the wooded area around Fort Wilderness. Some of the reviews that I read made it sound as if you could also view the decorated campsites. I'm not 100% certain about that. It's $60 for 4-5 people (I think). Here's a link to the official Disney info page:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/holiday-sleigh-rides/



The golf carts are available for rent at Fort Wilderness. It's $59/day with a pick up at 1 pm and a drop off at 11 am the next day.


https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/cabins-at-fort-wilderness-resort/golf-cart-rental/


I am really torn about which of these options to choose. The truth is my family will enjoy the golf cart rental more but there's something magical and special about riding in a horse drawn carriage at Disney!

 

[happybelle]

The Sleigh Ride is basically a 25-minute ride in a horse drawn carriage through the wooded area around Fort Wilderness. Some of the reviews that I read made it sound as if you could also view the decorated campsites. I'm not 100% certain about that. It's $60 for 4-5 people (I think). Here's a link to the official Disney info page:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/holiday-sleigh-rides/



The golf carts are available for rent at Fort Wilderness. It's $59/day with a pick up at 1 pm and a drop off at 11 am the next day.


https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/cabins-at-fort-wilderness-resort/golf-cart-rental/


I am really torn about which of these options to choose. The truth is my family will enjoy the golf cart rental more but there's something magical and special about riding in a horse drawn carriage at Disney!

Oh my, I would have to rent the golf cart I think. I believe I would not even go to the parks, because we would have so much fun riding around the resort. Thank you for the information.

 

[marybogue]

Hi Danielle!

I am on the Contemporary thread too. I clicked on your PTR and enjoyed reading about your planning! My parents used to take us the first week in December when we were growing up, and I have the very best memories of Christmas at Disney. I hope you all have a fabulous time!

I look forward to reading more of your updates. Particularly when you get to book your ADR's. I love planning meals!

 

[MamaJessie]

Joining in from the Dec FB group

 

[::danielle::]

Thanks for joining Marybogue and MamaJessie!

It's Spring Break here in Texas. With both kids home I've had less time on the DisBoards than usual!

I'm starting to review menus so that I can be ready when my 180 days opens up in June! ADR's seems to be the most stressful part of planning. My kids are so picky! Buddy doesn't like pizza or hamburgers but he's a bottomless pit. Cupcake doesn't like meat other than chicken.

I'm also afraid to over-commit us to reservations. I don't want to constantly look at the clock to make sure that we are not late for a reservation.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions that works for their family?

 

[lestroismartins]

Joining in from the Dec. 2013 board. Glad to find your thread. We also try to book a trip once a year; sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more, but we took 2012 off to save up for 2013 in Dec since we usually go value season. I can't wait to go and have already started planning days too, with our first day flying in from Rochester, NY and spending the remainder of the day at the Fort and Wilderness Lodge. We will book a golf cart the week we're there My parents will join us but they're camping, already devising their decorations for their site. Check out the YouTube videos of the campsites during December. They are amazing. Loads of campers stay all winter! Who knew? Anyway, I'd love to find a thread for folks who will be staying at FW when we're there, but haven't found one yet. If you find one, give me a shout. Again, glad to find this thread. I love Disney!

 

[::danielle::]

Hi everyone! As always, I am terribly neglectful of this PTR.

Today we are driving home after visiting my in-laws for Easter. I finally have a chunk of time to sit and think about our trip. I thought I should stop in and say Hi before I spend the next few hours researching restaurants.

I haven’t spent much time on the boards lately. I pop in and pop out on occasion but I’m trying to avoid getting on here during the day. I find that I can easily spend hours absorbing as much information as I possibly can about Disney World. I would say that I don’t have an addictive personality but there is something about planning Disney trips that suck me in! For me, planning the trip is a way to bring Disney happiness into my everyday life. When I’m lonely, happy, bored, or sad, I turn to Disboards to make me happy. Strange, isn’t it?

Of late I’ve been paying close attention the free dining (or lack thereof) threads. So many people are waiting on pins-and-needles to see if/when free dining will be released this year. There are rumors that the age of FD is over. Revamping of several menus and the opening of BOG to rave reviews makes me wonder if that is true. I hope that if FD is ending then the food quality will improve across the board. Even though FD does not impact my trip in any way, I have tremendous empathy for the families for whom FD is the only way they can afford to go to the World. It makes me sad to think of the Disney Devotees who can no longer afford to go.

I’ve also developed a full-blown obsession of owning DVC. For months I’ve monitored (uh, stalked) the DVC boards to learn everything there is to know about purchasing DVC. Despite all I learned, the most important thing I know is that my husband will never go for it. If I asked my husband if we could pull $10,000 out of savings to purchase a timeshare he would look at me like I had suddenly grown a second head. Then after he recovered from the shock he’d have my evaluated to make sure I hadn’t lost my mind. It has taken me a while to recover from the sadness of accepting that it will not happen. I feel like a spoiled brat for boo-hooing over not buying DVC. I am so tremendously blessed to be able to take my family to Disney at all! When I’m honest about it, what I really want is the assurance that Disney will be a regular part of our lives for the foreseeable future. A DVC membership makes that more likely (at least in my mind). All of this has been a distraction from focusing on the task at hand: planning our December trip.

Thank you all for tolerating my Disney ramblings. I want this PTR to be more personal and less analytical. If I want my personality to show through, I’m going to have to spend more time sharing myself (good, bad, and spoiled) with everyone.

I hope you all have a blessed Easter!

 

[Tinker_Tam]

Oh please, "ramble" away! The more we ramble the faster our trips will get here. I just started my PTR today so that I have something to do to pass the time. It is easy to spend WAY too much time on the Dis but at least its a fun way to pass the time!

 

[kthshh]

I followed you over from my PTR. Loving reading your plans so far. One of my trips for this year is a long weekend in Dec. I want to see the Christmas decorations.

 

[teekathepony]

Your title caught me, I'm hooked! Christmas and Disney are my two favourite things!

 

[::danielle::]

Thanks for joining in hthshh and teekathepony (my auto-correct insists that your name is actually "tweak theogony." I don't even know what that means!)

I cannot tell you guys how much time I devote to Disney "research"! I'm on the Disboards app every free moment that I have!

I'm heavily into research mode for our ADR's. As I've mentioned our family dining plans are complicated. I made a spreadsheet of all the CS and TS restaurants in HS and AK and noted which have food options that both of my kids will like (yes, I'm a nerd). It turns out that my kids will be happy at most of the TS restaurants, with only a few CS restaurants that will work. I'm really torn about committing to TS restaurants. I don't want an obligation hanging over our heads as we tour the parks. I need to get going because I only have 68 days left to get it all figured out!!!

The weather here in Houston right now is so much like the weather I remember from growing up in Orlando. It warm, humid, and breezy. The afternoon rain clouds ("sun showers" is what we called them) are just like central Florida. It only makes me long for Orlando even more!

Cupcake turned 5 just before Easter. Her party is this weekend. I found the cutest free printable Princess paper dolls online to give out as party favors! I was so excited to plan an Ariel themed party! Then Cupcake tells me that she wants a Barbie party. I was crushed. No matter how hard I tried she wouldn't budge.

If you guys want a link to the paper dolls, let me know and I'll post it. They are adorable. They even have the Princes!

Before I run, I thought I'd share a random Disney fact about me. I purchased a mobile hotspot in December so I wouldn't have to ask extended family for their wifi passwords at Christmas. When I went to set it up, I could chose a name for my network. I pondered it for a long time. Then I had an epiphany! I named it "Electric Mayhem." Sadly, not a single person in my life knew anything about what that is from!

Sometimes, I wish I had a Disney best friend locally so we could meet for coffee and plan our trips.

Fortunately I have you kind ladies and countless virtual friends!

 

[serene56]

i"d like the paper dolls'please

 

[MamaJessie]

I cannot tell you guys how much time I devote to Disney "research"! I'm on the Disboards app every free moment that I have!

I'm heavily into research mode for our ADR's. As I've mentioned our family dining plans are complicated. I made a spreadsheet of all the CS and TS restaurants in HS and AK and noted which have food options that both of my kids will like (yes, I'm a nerd). It turns out that my kids will be happy at most of the TS restaurants, with only a few CS restaurants that will work. I'm really torn about committing to TS restaurants. I don't want an obligation hanging over our heads as we tour the parks. I need to get going because I only have 68 days left to get it all figured out!!!

If you guys want a link to the paper dolls, let me know and I'll post it. They are adorable. They even have the Princes!

Fortunately I have you kind ladies and countless virtual friends!

Nothing wrong with studying every single menu

A link for the paper dolls would be great.

Sometimes virtual friends are the best kind to talk Disney trips with

 

[teekathepony]

Thanks for joining in hthshh and teekathepony (my auto-correct insists that your name is actually "tweak theogony." I don't even know what that means!)

My phone tries to autocorrect me every time I type it! Haha I've seen a lot of guesses but maybe none as good as yours.

I totally get the obsessive planning. I do it too. I have charts and lists on every scrap of paper for months before a trip!

Hope you can find some restaurant options that work for all of you.

 

[::danielle::]

I just wanted to pop in to give you guys the link to the paper dolls. It's on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/PaperDollsByCory

Scroll down and you'll see the Disney paper dolls eventually.

You can also google Paper Dolls by Cory and find another site that has her paper dolls to download. It has a lot of extra stuff so I didn't link to that one. It's more work to dig through.

Have a magical day!

 

[wiigirl]

Your title caught me, I'm hooked! Christmas and Disney are my two favourite things!

Mine too!

 

[MamaJessie]

I just wanted to pop in to give you guys the link to the paper dolls. It's on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/PaperDollsByCory

Scroll down and you'll see the Disney paper dolls eventually.

You can also google Paper Dolls by Cory and find another site that has her paper dolls to download. It has a lot of extra stuff so I didn't link to that one. It's more work to dig through.

Have a magical day!

Thanks, those are awesome!

 

[CupcakeKelly]

Hi Danielle! I just stumbled over here from the December thread (I'm also in the facebook group, I'm a little obsessed!) I love that you are a self proclaimed "nerd" because of your spreadsheet. You should see the mega-excel I have for this trip. So far it has 14 tabs on it (and growing!) I also rented DVC points, but we are doing AKV - Kidani. My DD (turning 3 on Tuesday) loves animals and can't wait to see some "raffes" and "zeebahs" outside the room.

 

[Lbachelot]

Hi Danielle!

Fellow Texan here and close neighbor, we are from Beaumont!

Jumped over from the December 2013 thread.

I can't get enough DIS while planning our upcoming Christmas Trip either.