I think I should STOP reading the boards!

[Christmas-in-Disney]

and a good dose of Christmas elfing (see how many fun things you can do for others when you do have to wait! ie. entertain a little one in line for a tired mom, hand out tiny bubbles or glow rings to complete strangers to elicit a smile, give up your seat on that crowded bus every now and again) Warms the heart I tell you!

Oh and get your girls involved in that magic!

Oh...and I LOVE this idea!!!

I've learned recently that doing nice things for people and expecting nothing in return is an awesome feeling!

 

[RNtheRN]

It's vacation time at Christmas at Walt Disney World!!!

Take a deep breath, enjoy the train ride. All you wil do is anticipate arriving at WDW.

We stayed at ASM on our first family trip, it isn't bad. You obviously trade off some convienence for the cheaper rates. DON"T SWEAT IT!!

You are about to have the vacation and Christmas of a LIFETIME!!!!

Don't mind the little things and just have the most magical time of your lives.

 

[SkyandMeadow'smommy]

Hello,
I just joined and I've been reading everything on here to get tips, we are leaving on Sept 16 to go to WDW and I'm starting to feel like that too , i felt all excited now i'm thinking we pick the wrong place to stay, theres not going to be any fast passes they run out by NOON the lines are going to be very LONG.We also are staying at All Star Movies.....and I'm starting to stress out about
planning our days at WDW, the forums have been heplful but alot of neg stuff on here. I haven't figured out how to post a thread yet...

 

[tinkerlisa]

So, PLEASE...tell me:

(1) Why you LOVE All Star Movies Resort

(2) Your good experiences on the train

(3) What ways Disney buses are better than renting a car

(4) Why you loved using the DDP

(5) Why Christmas and NY at Disney is beautiful and magical

No negative comments please, just cheer me up!!![/QUOTE]


(1) We didnt stay there as long as you plan, but we loved it! My son though ASMO was great! He loved the huge statues and the pool. the fantasia pool was being renovated so we used the mighty ducks one! It appeals to kids and the price is great!
(2) Can't answer never been on a train but we love to do it for the experience factor.
(3) You don't have to pay for the buses. yes they get crowded and it takes a little longer to get to where you are going(sometimes), but the money you save its worth it!!! you also won't have to pay to park the bus!!!!
(4)DDP is great! We ate at places that we wouldn't have dreamed of eating at if we didn't have the plan! We did all kinds of restaurants from Character Meals to even eating at Planet Hollywood! My DH stills says that was a good vacation cuz we ate like kings!
(5) I have heard nothing but negative about xmas and NY at WDW too. I would still love to experience it though!!! even if i had to skip New Years and just do xmas. the last time we went was 2 years ago for MNSSHP! That was a blast! So i can only imagine what xmas would be like. I would rather deal with the throngs of people at xmas than the throngs of people in the middle of July! Much cooler weather!

Don't let what other people say scare you! They might not have planned their trip as well as you seemed to have it planned. That was the first mistake I made! We took our son when he was 17 months and vowed to never go again! It was the middle of July! We didn't even plan the trip. We went last minute because we got bored on our trip to Orlando.
We went 2 years ago and I planned everything! it went so smooth and we can't wait to go again next year! We were going to wait until my youngest was 4 or 5 but he loves mickey now so we decided to take him when he is 2.
Relax! have lots of fun and let me know how your trip goes!

 

[jrpopfan]

Here is my 112 cents...

(1) Why you LOVE All Star Movies Resort: I was at Music instead of movies, but was the same way. To me, it was the same as the moderate. The difference to me was the ammenties. I liked it and have now problem with it. I plan on staying next at the movies for my next visit.

(2) Your good experiences on the train: Never been on a train, but I wanna go on one across the country.

(3) What ways Disney buses are better than renting a car: Parking, getting lost, etc... Disney buses are part of the experience. You can talk to other people, have conversations with the guest and bus drivers. Yes, there is a bit of a wait, but they drop you off closer to the park.

(4) Why you loved using the DDP: You are not thinking about having enough money for food. You can choose anywhere you wanna go. It is a no brainer because it has all be paid in advance.

(5) Why Christmas and NY at Disney is beautiful and magical: I would love to go despite the crowds. So people just do not appreciate it. I work at a flower shop and I can never leave for the holidays, so the fact you can go then and I can't makes me sad. My advice is, be on vacation. Relax look at all the pretty lights and again RELAX. Just because it is takes a bit longer doesn't mean you aren't loving what you see and where you are.

 

[SkyandMeadow'smommy]

How do you post the count down to your vacation? I have made one
but don't know how to get it on my posts?
do you paste it every time or is there a way to keep it so it automatic
pop up on your post/ replies???

 

[Christmas-in-Disney]

How do you post the count down to your vacation? I have made one
but don't know how to get it on my posts?
do you paste it every time or is there a way to keep it so it automatic
pop up on your post/ replies???

I got mine at www.magicalkingdoms.com

It's pretty step-by-step and then it gives you a link to add to your signature (you can do this in the Control Panel) and then it stays there all the time!

I also have a desktop countdown which is a Yahoo Widget and it counts the days, hours, minutes and seconds. My kids love checked EXACTLY how long until we leave!

 

[Christmas-in-Disney]

I've LOVED everyones reponses! I feel so much better! I'll look back to this thread whenever I have ANY doubts!!!

Thanks to all!

 

[lucy_love_]

first and foremost its your holiday and although taking advice and getting insider tips is great you shouldnt care that someone else thinks the rooms are too small or youve made certain wrong choices.

your holiday is what you make of it

i come on for advice every trip. some of which i take and some i dont. some suits my needs and some doesnt. for instance i hate being tied to adrs where other people plan their holiday around them. its personal preference as with everything in life. we cant all love akl or pop.


just remember its your holiday and people will vent if they have had a bad experience with something. it doesnt mean you wont like it just because they didnt.

 

[Chellymouse]

I joined the DIS community a month or so ago. I am plannning our first trip to Disney World. I have found many great tips here. Our package is now picked and all our ADRs made. Our family is me, my DH and our 2 DDs ages 9 and 14, so no small kids to contend with. We are staying for 12 days at All Star Movies from Dec. 22 - Jan 2. We will use our 10 day park hopper and not visit parks on arrival or departure day. We plan to visit Downtown Disney on our arrival evening. We are using the Disney Dining Plan. Plane tickets were through the roof for that time frame and I am not a person to sit and wait for a last minute deal...I feel better when all plans are in place! So...we decide to travel on Amtrak, surprise the kids with a limo to pick us up and then use Disney buses to get around the parks.

Now, I thought all sounded great!!!

*Yes, I know we will be there for Christmas and New Years which is the busiest time of the entire year, but it has been our dream to spend Christmas there! We compensated for that by making our vacation as long as we could and figured 10 full days would be enough not to have to rush around every waking moment!

*Yes, I know the train is a long ride. However, it is less then 1/2 airfare -and- it is still faster than driving considering if we drove, we would stop for overnight stays.

So what's the problem you ask???

Well, I love coming here to read all the tips and advice and I am still finding new insiders secrets. Things I never would have thought of on my own! It's great!!! HOWEVER, lately it seems that I am reading so much negative on here! It has me second guessing my choices.

*I've heard people say the All Stars rooms are too small, so I am left wondering will we have enough space for all our stuff for 12 days? We couldn't afford to stay that long anywhere else.

*I've heard people say out of all the All Stars that Movies is older and not as nice. Pop is really talked up so should I have chosen that one?

*I've heard people say the train rides are long, uncomfortable and stinky.

*I've heard nothing but bad comments about Disney buses. Is it THAT BAD??? It would cost us a fourtune to rent a car that week and many already booked up. I haven't been able to find a deal on a car we could rent at a decent price for the length of time and time of year we are there!

*I've heard people say the the DDP isn't worth the money. That they wished they'd have been on there own to pay for meals and it would have been cheaper. Would we eat at as nice of places though or sacrifice to stretch pennies?

*I've heard people say that Christmas and NYE is so crowded you can't move! Will we be miserable even if we have 10 days to get everything in?

So my *Magical* vacation is now feeling less appealing riding a stinky train and then staying in a old room that is to small and doing waiting an hour for a bus to take us to a location 10 minutes away to an overcrowded park!

I don't want to stop reading the boards, I love the tips! I guess I just need some "feel good" replies!!!!

So, PLEASE...tell me:

(1) Why you LOVE All Star Movies Resort

(2) Your good experiences on the train

(3) What ways Disney buses are better than renting a car

(4) Why you loved using the DDP

(5) Why Christmas and NY at Disney is beautiful and magical

No negative comments please, just cheer me up!!!

Hold the phones!! Please remember that sometimes we vent on the boards also and that one person's vent is another person's scratching his/her head!
I've never traveled by train, so I can't comment on that, but it's probably alot of fun. Furthermore, planes can be stinky as well! Enjoy your trip!!
Yes, WDW is very busy that time of year, however, with 10 days in the parks, you should be able to see and do everything you want. If you hit the parks early, make the most of your FPs and use EMH wisely you should be in good shape. The wait times are going to be a bit longer, but again, with some planning there isn't any reason that you should still be able to hit everything!

1. We haven't stayed at the All Stars for a few years now, but we really didn't have any major complaints. Disney is Disney no matter where you stay. The theming is beautiful and while it's not the most spacious rooms on property, you should be absolutely fine.

2. I can't fathom paying for a rental car if I'm staying on property. There is no reason for it. Disney buses are fine, yes, sometimes the busess are not as timely as we'd like them to be, but there is nothing wrong with Disney transportation. If anything, since the bugs have been worked out, the transportation has improved. I was just there 3 weeks ago and other than 2 minor snags, it was a vast improvement over last summer.

3. DDP, when used properly, really is a huge savings. I've done both the 07 and 08 plan and while I'm not a huge fan of the changes (no appetizer and having to pay gratuity) it is still a savings. In order to obtain the most food for your $$ eat your breakfast either in the room (gardengrocer.com) delivers and has a wonderful selection and is WAY cheaper than Disney's groceries or buy your breakfast. Breakfast is usually $5-6 per person. You can also order bottled water, soda and snacks from the grocery service which will also save you $$. Also, the refillable mugs are a must, unless you plan on ordering soda. If you do order, don't bother with the mugs, you won't need them. Use your CS meals for lunch and your TS for dinner as these are the more expensive meals and the best use of your DDP. ) 07-DH and I paid $740 for 2 adults for 9 nights, we kept our receipts and totaled everything up....we ate $1380 on the DDP. We would NEVER have spent that kind of money on food and we both agreed it was the best we'd eaten and felt ever. We didn't eat nearly as much junk. 3 weeks ago, my BFF and I paid $498 for 2 adults on 6 nights and we ate $918 on the DDP. We ordered soda, water and snacks for a grand total of $48 and paid $12 a morning for breakfast (and that was for both of us eating a hot breakfast), did not do the refillable mugs as we had ordered our soda. Using the DDP wisely truly does save you the 30-40% advertised.

4. What can I say? The most magical place on earth completely decked out for the most special time of year! DH and I have done a couple of Dec. trips and we are looking forward to this Dec. The decorations are amazing, the sites are amazing...I just don't know what else to say! Make sure you check out the gingerbread house at GF and the chocolate carousel over at Boardwalk. Makes for a great afternoon break!

Most importantly...don't listen to those who of us who whine. (I'm guilty also!) These boards are great and while it is going to be busy while you're there, I'm sure you will have a very magical trip! Take everyone's suggestions and decide what works best for your family and have a wonderful Christmas at the most magical place on earth!

 

[Rose&Mike]

I joined the DIS community a month or so ago. I am plannning our first trip to Disney World. I have found many great tips here. Our package is now picked and all our ADRs made. Our family is me, my DH and our 2 DDs ages 9 and 14, so no small kids to contend with. We are staying for 12 days at All Star Movies from Dec. 22 - Jan 2. We will use our 10 day park hopper and not visit parks on arrival or departure day. We plan to visit Downtown Disney on our arrival evening. We are using the Disney Dining Plan. Plane tickets were through the roof for that time frame and I am not a person to sit and wait for a last minute deal...I feel better when all plans are in place! So...we decide to travel on Amtrak, surprise the kids with a limo to pick us up and then use Disney buses to get around the parks.

Now, I thought all sounded great!!!

*Yes, I know we will be there for Christmas and New Years which is the busiest time of the entire year, but it has been our dream to spend Christmas there! We compensated for that by making our vacation as long as we could and figured 10 full days would be enough not to have to rush around every waking moment!

*Yes, I know the train is a long ride. However, it is less then 1/2 airfare -and- it is still faster than driving considering if we drove, we would stop for overnight stays.

So what's the problem you ask???

Well, I love coming here to read all the tips and advice and I am still finding new insiders secrets. Things I never would have thought of on my own! It's great!!! HOWEVER, lately it seems that I am reading so much negative on here! It has me second guessing my choices.

*I've heard people say the All Stars rooms are too small, so I am left wondering will we have enough space for all our stuff for 12 days? We couldn't afford to stay that long anywhere else.

*I've heard people say out of all the All Stars that Movies is older and not as nice. Pop is really talked up so should I have chosen that one?

*I've heard people say the train rides are long, uncomfortable and stinky.

*I've heard nothing but bad comments about Disney buses. Is it THAT BAD??? It would cost us a fourtune to rent a car that week and many already booked up. I haven't been able to find a deal on a car we could rent at a decent price for the length of time and time of year we are there!

*I've heard people say the the DDP isn't worth the money. That they wished they'd have been on there own to pay for meals and it would have been cheaper. Would we eat at as nice of places though or sacrifice to stretch pennies?

*I've heard people say that Christmas and NYE is so crowded you can't move! Will we be miserable even if we have 10 days to get everything in?

So my *Magical* vacation is now feeling less appealing riding a stinky train and then staying in a old room that is to small and doing waiting an hour for a bus to take us to a location 10 minutes away to an overcrowded park!

I don't want to stop reading the boards, I love the tips! I guess I just need some "feel good" replies!!!!

So, PLEASE...tell me:

(1) Why you LOVE All Star Movies Resort

(2) Your good experiences on the train

(3) What ways Disney buses are better than renting a car

(4) Why you loved using the DDP

(5) Why Christmas and NY at Disney is beautiful and magical

No negative comments please, just cheer me up!!!

I haven't read through every single post, so I might be repeating some stuff, but I will be very happy to cheer you up.

#1 Can't comment, because we haven't stayed at ASM, but I think it was a great choice to stay on property with kids, because it cuts down on transportation issues.

#2 While we haven't taken the train to WDW, we have taken Amtrak on the east coast and my family loves it. We play card games, listen to music, read and sleep. My husband is trying to figure out a reason to be on the east coast next fall so that we can take the autotrain. So enjoy the train, it really can be fun family time.

#3 We have taken 6 trips to WDW, and the only time we didn't use the bus is when our DS was having asthma problems. The other times we either parked our car for the week if we drove, or took magical express. Sometimes the buses can be crowded (ex: leaving EPCOT after illuminations), but we have met so many nice people on the buses, and so many nice bus drivers. One year on Christmas day we were the first ones on the bus and the driver gave us transportation trading cards, just because it was Christmas. We didn't even know there were transportation trading cards. If you have advance dining reservations somewhere, just make sure you leave lots of time, just in case.

#4 In my opinion DDP with kids is great. It cuts down on asking for things. My son liked that he didn't have to ask for money for snacks. DH and I often split counterservice meals, which gave our teenager "fourth meal."
I wish they still had the appetizers, because we like appetizers better than desserts, but we will still probably use it next time we go. We figured that most days we more than paid for the cost just with the table service meal, and that made everything else free. I think it makes it so much easier when you know that while you are there you won't be spending a ton of extra money on dining.

#5 There is no place like WDW at Christmas. 5 of our six trips either included Christmas or New Years. (Only one in the summer.) Is it crowded--absolutely. But manageable. Plan ahead, take advantage of EMH and FP. Plan some time just to walk around the parks. The Osbourne lights at DHS are AMAZING!!! Epcot has Santa's from around the world who give talks, so cool. Make a list before you go of each persons top 5 things that they want to do, and that will help you plan your days. We were there for New Year's eve (at MK) last year, and despite rain and a broken camera we had a blast. There are DJ's playing music, the castle is lit up beautifully, they have noice makers and hats, and fireworks at midnight. (Don't try to leave right after the fireworks, though because the buses were very crowded--just hang out and enjoy the music!)

The weather at Christmas can be a little unpredictable. Last year on one day we had shorts and t's and the next day coats and mittens. So, pack for both.

We absolutely love WDW at Christmas (and will actually be there again this year!) I hope your family has an awesome time. Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

[PEANUT1]

it will be wonderful if you make it wonderful....none of these things can make or break your trip. It's all up to you

 

[dnoyes]

Hello,
I just joined and I've been reading everything on here to get tips, we are leaving on Sept 16 to go to WDW and I'm starting to feel like that too , i felt all excited now i'm thinking we pick the wrong place to stay, theres not going to be any fast passes they run out by NOON the lines are going to be very LONG.We also are staying at All Star Movies.....and I'm starting to stress out about
planning our days at WDW, the forums have been heplful but alot of neg stuff on here. I haven't figured out how to post a thread yet...

We've been 3 times in September. First time over labor day it was very crowded. The next time we went on the 15th and never had to use a fast pass once so we went on the 15th the next September trip and found it to be the same. I think the only fast pass we used on that trip was at the test track in Epcot. It is warm still in September so hit it early and take it slow during the mid day. I think you picked the best time of the year to go

OP
1) I visited ASM to see friends on our last trip and from what we saw it was very nice and very clean. I think that any room you stay in for 12 days will feel small by the end of the trip
2) Never used a train before but would love to try it. Please let us know how it went when you return.
3) The buses in some small way make Disney a vacation for me. I drive every other day of the year so it's a nice change of pace for me to just relax and look out the windows or talk to total strangers. I've never waited more then 20 minutes for a bus at any resort.
4) We've used the DDP 3 times and are again this December. We love it. If you like having things in place before you travel then this will fit you like a glove.
5) Christmas time at Disney .... enough said

 

[jnetzer17]

I must admit, reading everyone else's posts cheered me up too! We're going over Thanksgiving week and everyone keeps asking if we're crazy. Like you, we're staying at value resort-Music...and going for 8 days. We live in Florida so the drive isn't that bad and we will visit no parks on first and last day! I have scheduled some down time...never thought of that before. I mean literally, not enough passes for all the days we're there, unless we decide to go to water parks which were included when we bought our hopper passes. Anyway, sit back and enjoy...you'll be in the most magical place on earth. It may be more crowded when you're there than other times of year, but who cares? You have more time to get done what you want to get done!!!

 

[kimis]

Hello! I can comment on #3 and #4:

#3 The buses are great. Starting with magical express. We have visited before magical express and after the magical express started. It is so much easier with magical express. In our case our plane lands about 5:30 pm and we get picked up. We check in at POR and go to DTD to eat. When we get back the lagguage is there and we can unpack. The resort buses are awesome too. My dh feels like he is on a real vacation because he doesn't have to drive any where. I find that most but not all the people that have trouble with the disney transportation haven't allowed enough time to get where they were going. We have only had one semi-negative experience with the buses and that was when we didn't allow enough time. Disney says allow 90 minutes to get to a ADR and we only allowed 50 minutes. So take it with a grain of salt when you come accross negative opinions.

#4 We love the DDP We actually used the DxDDP this past Feb and will use it again this coming Feb. It allows us to eat healthier and at more of a variety of resturants than our budget normally allows.

 

[tdfam]

re: the train
I can tell you that I took 23 scouts from Ohio to New Mexico via Amtrak. It was a 26 hour train ride there and 36 hour return because of the flooding in the mid-west. We loved the train and no we did not have sleeper cars. I would recomend taking botteled water in your carry on and plenty of snacks. We even took peanutt butter and jelly and buns for sandwiches. The seats were very roomy and comfy. The view car was great. They even had small tables in the view car so the kids could play board games. The staff was helpfull and the ride was fun. Yep I'd do it again to save the meny. Just remember that the trains are delayed often by weather so be prepared to be delayed. Oh take a blankeyt because it does get chilly some times.

 

[freesone]

You are going to Walt Disney World, that alone should cheer you up!!!!!! Just go and have a good time. Everyone has their own opinion on crowds and dining and whatever. Just have fun!!!!

 

[fan of the TTA]

do keep reading the boards, it's a very useful resorce, even if you're not at this time planning a disney vacation... it is still fun and informative to read