Help me plan my December 2013 trip please

[TLPL]

Since they are offering us the discounted PAP, I would like to go down to WDW again next December 2013/January 2014.
My DS (who will be 7yo by then) and I both have 2 weeks off from before Chistmas to after New Year. DH has only Christmas day and New Year day off (so he will need to take his own paid vacation days for additional time off).
I can't decide if it is better to go on the week of Christmas or the week of New Year. Which week do you know will be less crowded of the 2?
We will be flying down, which day of that 2 weeks will be cheaper to fly there and back?



Please help me plan my trip!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Since they are offering us the discounted PAP, I would like to go down to WDW again next December 2013/January 2014.
My DS (who will be 7yo by then) and I both have 2 weeks off from before Chistmas to after New Year. DH has only Christmas day and New Year day off (so he will need to take his own paid vacation days for additional time off).
I can't decide if it is better to go on the week of Christmas or the week of New Year. Which week do you know will be less crowded of the 2?
We will be flying down, which day of that 2 weeks will be cheaper to fly there and back?



Please help me plan my trip!

Well, the week of Christmas is pretty much the week of New Years since they are only a week apart. So would you be coming before Christmas and leaving around Christmas or arriving right before Christmas and leaving before New Years or arriving right before New Years and leaving shortly thereafter??

Whatever you choose, it will be very crowded. This is the time of the year when the parks close to guests on a regular basis and the guests in the parks are getting very familiar with each other because the park is so full.

And whatever you choose, you need to book it exactly 11 months out or even "walk the reservation". That means start booking it about a week before you actually want to go, call back the next day and drop the first day and add the seventh day and keep doing that until you get the week you want.

 

[rentayenta]

Sometimes its cheaper to fly on Christmas Day.

 

[TLPL]

Well, the week of Christmas is pretty much the week of New Years since they are only a week apart. So would you be coming before Christmas and leaving around Christmas or arriving right before Christmas and leaving before New Years or arriving right before New Years and leaving shortly thereafter??

Whatever you choose, it will be very crowded. This is the time of the year when the parks close to guests on a regular basis and the guests in the parks are getting very familiar with each other because the park is so full.

And whatever you choose, you need to book it exactly 11 months out or even "walk the reservation". That means start booking it about a week before you actually want to go, call back the next day and drop the first day and add the seventh day and keep doing that until you get the week you want.

I am guessing our Christmas break will start on Saturday Dec 21st until Sunday Jan 5th. I am thinking to go for 6 or 7 nights. Since Christmas day and New Year day will be on Wednesday. Maybe arrive on the Saturday or Sunday before Chirstmas (or New Year), and leave the Saturday or Sunday after.

So the question is still: which of these 2 weeks would have slicely less crowd?

Also, fi we are going to go during Chirstas week, what should we do about our Christmas presents? DS still very into Santa, how am I going to sneak in his presents from Santa??

 

[Lizard Valley]

I work for the airlines, and I can say with certainty that flying on the weekends during the holidays will be the most expensive. If you can leave the Wednesday before Christmas, you may be able to save a few hundred dollars on 3 tickets. Anything from the Friday before Christmas right through to the Monday after New Years will be double the price. If you can't leave on the Wednesday, your best prices will be Christmas day to New Years Day.

Last year, I remember reading in the news about how MK was full to capacity by 10 am, and other parks by noon. They didn't allow anyone else in. Just be prepared for crowds, plan to arrive at the parks about 1 hr before rope drop (I think they open around 7 during the holidays?), and to leave by lunch.

My family spent Christmas day in Mexico a couple of years back, and I bought a couple of presents in the toy section of the grocery store while we were there, and made sure I had left room in the suitcase to bring them home.

You could escape to Target or buy something at the fabulous toy store or the Lego store in DTD. Or order from Disneystore.com and have the gifts delivered to your resort. Or do Christmas before you leave. Or keep Christmas simple, a couple of toys, and give him gift cards to spend on his heart's desire at Disney. Or get him one expensive but packable gift (like a Nintendo DS or iPod touch). I don't know what your budget is, but Disney and its tempting stores seem like a pretty cool Christmas present all on their own...

 

[TLPL]

Thanks for the great info Lizard Valley. Christmas Day 2013 and New Year Day 2014 are both on Wednesday, so it is difficult to predict the airfare for that period. I guess I just have to buy the tickets as soon as they are available.

Oh boy, I sm starting to think it will be hard to pull this off!

 

[MrShiny]

Looking at some rates this year, it seems the week before Christmas until Christmas eve are cheaper than Christmas day through New Years.

As for crowds, my experienced is that they build all week, but they really get big Christmas Eve on.

If you can go starting the full week before Christmas (starting the weekend of the 14th), I think you'd find pretty low crowds.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Looking at some rates this year, it seems the week before Christmas until Christmas eve are cheaper than Christmas day through New Years.

As for crowds, my experienced is that they build all week, but they really get big Christmas Eve on.

If you can go starting the full week before Christmas (starting the weekend of the 14th), I think you'd find pretty low crowds.

Interesting you say that, because our plan for Dec. 2013 is to arrive on Dec. 15 and leave on Dec. 23. Good to know that we might actually get to do a FEW things we love.

 

[MrShiny]

Interesting you say that, because our plan for Dec. 2013 is to arrive on Dec. 15 and leave on Dec. 23. Good to know that we might actually get to do a FEW things we love.

We went at that time in '99, '01 and '11. We found it very manageable! It really doesn't seem to get oppressive until Christmas day.

 

[Harlemgirl720]

Yes I did the Christmas trip last year. I ended up leaving on the 21st to fly down to Orlando. It was also cheaper to fly down at night vs the morning. Much cheaper. I returned on Jan 3 which helped also.