Hi newbie with some questions

[darlabru]

Hi I have been lurking and am finally ready to book our 1st family trip to disney!! I am so excited I can not stand it lol. Its going to be my husband, myself( Darlene) and our 2 sons who at the time will be 6 and 3 years old. we are planning on going Dec 7-13th 2008. I really want to see disney at christmas time. My 2 favorite things are disney and x-mas so why not right?? My questions to you seasoned disney travelers. How is this time of year to go weather wise? Where do you book through? we want to do a package with meals. I saw some people have gotten 40% off rooms. I have just gotten the disney visa will I get a discount using this card? I saw I can book the trip through dreams unlimited or the disney site. Is one better then the other or should I try something else. I used to have AAA I do not anymore . Is it worth becoming a memeber for the discount? I know way too many questions. hoping someone can answer some. thanks so much in advance.
God I just read that back its a bit wacky sounding but its the disney excitement I think LOL.

 

[wilde_oscar]

weather good, hurricane season is over.

there are more then a few ways to book... a package deal, al a cart, etc. Some discounts depend on what package, time of year, etc. Ya might just try pricing it each way, a free no obligation quote to Dreams Unlimited, putting it all together yourself... there is a board for budget ideas, there is a board for discount codes. Some folks wanna work the best deal possible on each part of the trip, for some, having Dreams put together the package makes it easy that is something goes wrong, it is a one stop shop to fix it.

it is low crowd time of year, so don't worry about that as much.

 

[wilde_oscar]

and discounts... well Disney only discounts when they have to... and 40% off is a pretty deep discount on the room... there is a lot of timing that goes along with finding the right discount.

 

[chalee94]

How is this time of year to go weather wise?

FL weather is always a question mark. i went the 2nd week of dec 2007 and it was upper 70s and mostly sunny the whole week. YMMV.

the decorations are terrific, though. i highly recommend a trip over to AKL to see the tree and the animals, and maybe try the buffet at boma.

if you are considering staying at a value resort, be aware that you may run across some pop warner participants...

Where do you book through?

i bought into disney's timeshare, "DVC", so i do booking differently. if you decide to go back to wdw on a regular basis, check out the DVC boards to help decide if it's for you.

we want to do a package with meals.

the DDP changed in 2008. please check out the dining boards for explanations of what is included and what is out-of-pocket. do the math and make sure a dining package is worth it.

I saw some people have gotten 40% off rooms.

check the codes and rates board to find out more about that. be aware that internet messageboards can distort the likelihood of getting things like codes and upgrades. it's pretty rare to get a code like that.

I have just gotten the disney visa will I get a discount using this card?

discounts: almost never. IIRC, you can get 0% financing if you book a disney package using the card and if you earn rewards on the card, you can spend them at wdw...

 

[Kar44]

I'm new to the boards but not disney. I've been a "lurker" too. I've never had enough time to respond before. Anyway, you have picked a fantastic time to go and you won't be disappointed. It's beautiful and has a little extra magic during the holidays. It may be a little cooler (65-70 day-time) sometimes, but the atmosphere is worth it.We have booked with packages including dining and other times booked separately for everything. For us personally it has always saved us money to book separately. You can book right through Disney. I really haven't used Dreams Unlimited before.You can always ask if you have a discount available to your household if you call disney reservations. You can't do that over the website unless you are a passholder. We have a disney visa and while they have offered discounts in the past, it never really is that much of a discount to help much. We have bought food and "treasures" with our disney reward points though. Our friends have AAA and swear by it everytime they go disney but we have never had it. They stay in the moderates which they love and have gotten at least 10% off there room when they go. We have received as much as 30% off as an annual passholder before and that was our biggest discount. Finally, you don't have too many questions. It can be confusing, but also so much fun to plan (especially if you save!) and SO MUCH MORE fun when you get there! Hope this helps, if not don't be afraid to ask. I love the people here. They are so helpful and you will eventually get your questions answered.

 

[MARIONER]

It should be mostly warm but can get cool in the evenings, very busy over Christmas and queues can be long, but atmosphere lovely.