Last Minute Christmas Trip!

[Girlstar30]

So by some miracle I piece together a Christmas trip today LOL! I am officially addicted! And im finally staying at my red headed stepchild SSR lol! So a few questions!

1. We are in a preferred view room. We would prefer to be by the main pool and disney springs but im assuming this isnt possible to be closest to both?? What building is closest to disney springs, which one is closest to the main pool and which one is closest to the lobby so we can make our decision? Thanks! Also which one is the first bus stop returning FROM Disney? I think id much rather be dropped off last and picked up first!

2. I want to know everything about what there is to do for Christmas!!! At the parks, Disney Springs, The Boardwalk etc. So far we have booked Mickeys very merry, jollywood nights and im working on candle light processional. I have heard of hoop de holidays, the cookie crawl at epcot, and the Storytellers at Epcot. Is there anything im missing?? We love extras like the cake bake Santa, im going to go try to book it right now!

3. By some miracle the other resort we got was Animal Kingdom Value. Are half of the studios really savannah? Why are they so cheap, are they smaller? What request should I put to get SV? Does the resort do anything special for Christmas? SSR And AKV?

Any and all feedback is welcome thank you so much and Merry Christmas to me!!!! LoL

 

[PolyRob]

So by some miracle I piece together a Christmas trip today LOL! I am officially addicted! And im finally staying at my red headed stepchild SSR lol! So a few questions!

1. We are in a preferred view room. We would prefer to be by the main pool and disney springs but im assuming this isnt possible to be closest to both?? What building is closest to disney springs, which one is closest to the main pool and which one is closest to the lobby so we can make our decision? Thanks! Also which one is the first bus stop returning FROM Disney? I think id much rather be dropped off last and picked up first!

2. I want to know everything about what there is to do for Christmas!!! At the parks, Disney Springs, The Boardwalk etc. So far we have booked Mickeys very merry, jollywood nights and im working on candle light processional. I have heard of hoop de holidays, the cookie crawl at epcot, and the Storytellers at Epcot. Is there anything im missing?? We love extras like the cake bake Santa, im going to go try to book it right now!

3. By some miracle the other resort we got was Animal Kingdom Value. Are half of the studios really savannah? Why are they so cheap, are they smaller? What request should I put to get SV? Does the resort do anything special for Christmas? SSR And AKV?

Any and all feedback is welcome thank you so much and Merry Christmas to me!!!! LoL

I can't speak to #1 or #3, but I can help with #2.

Epcot does the most for the holidays outside of a special ticketed event. There are food booths with a cookie stroll, the storytellers around the world, and the Candellight Processional. Living with the Land also gets a special layover called "Glimmering Greenhouses" and it's decorated with tons of lights. Do it after 5pm when it's dark. The waits can get up to an hour which is actually crazy for that ride, but it's beautiful. I would pre-book a LLMP. There is also a Behind the Seeds Tour specifically for the Glimmering Greenhouses, but I imagine it's sold out by now.

MK has special food items available everyday and Jungle Cruise transforms into Jingle Cruise. Outside of that and the decorations you're really looking for holiday fun at MVMCP. There are exclusive characters, free cookies, eggnog, hot chocolate, cider, and fruit punch, and ride overlays for Space Mountain, The Tomorrowland Speedway, and the Mad Tea Party. The Once Upon a Christmastime Parade and Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show are both must dos. There is also the Mickey's Most Merriest stage show, the Frozen Holiday Surprise castle lighting, and two dance shows in Tomorrowland (Cosmic Rays and outdoor stage area by Space Mountain).

DHS has my favorite decorations. It's truly "tinsel town." There are also special food items available for sale. Sunset Seasons Greetings goes off multiple times a night on the Tower of Terror. Toy Story Land gets an overlay and the AS2 music is updated and SDD gets sleigh bells. Jollywood Nights has Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! which is exclusive to the event now plus tons of characters, dance parties, a Muppets Show, a Nightmare Before Christmas show, and live performers at "The Tip Top Club" outside of Tower of Terror.

AK has the Merry Menagerie which is cute and special food items available for sale. It actually gets dark when AK is open so the Tree of Life Awakenings are updated for the holidays. Dinoland had some fun stuff in years past, but most of it's boarded up so I am not sure if anything will happen over there.

Outside of the parks there are four "icon trees" at deluxe resorts. GF, CR, WL, and AK. No one knows what is happening at GF this year. CR, BC, WL, BW, and AK will all have gingerbread displays this year. YC has a nice train display. Outside of that all the resorts will have some type of tree, wreath, garland, etc.

Disney Springs has a Christmas Tree Stroll which is cute. It's probably worth heading over since you will be so close at SSR. Lots of restaurants will decorate and do special menu items. Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar is probably the most notable. Gideons also has seasonal cookies.

HDDR has some fun additions for the holiday season. There is also a horse drawn sleigh ride available at Fort Wilderness. You'll see some of the fun decorations the campers put up.

The Cake Bake Shop Santa experience sold out pretty fast. It's waitlist only now, but it doesn't hurt to join.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[Girlstar30]

Oh my word thank you so much, that is ALOT and I feel overwhelmed, I want to do everything!! Maybe a dumb question, but my wife asked me to ask if it is cold or what the weather is like haha. I have some major planning to do! Sad about cake bake as it is probably my favorite restaurant but maybe i can worm my say in somehow lol!

 

[PolyRob]

Oh my word thank you so much, that is ALOT and I feel overwhelmed, I want to do everything!! Maybe a dumb question, but my wife asked me to ask if it is cold or what the weather is like haha. I have some major planning to do! Sad about cake bake as it is probably my favorite restaurant but maybe i can worm my say in somehow lol!

That is not dumb at all and I honestly wanted to warn you, but forgot while typing up all the WDW festivities. It can be the typical hot, humid Florida weather (milder, but still warm), or it can be in the 40s or 50s and bone-chillingly cold at night with the humidity. Dress in layers and bring coats, hats, gloves and scarves. The indoor shops, rides, and queues will be heated so you will melt if you can't take some layers off. The stores will have plenty of cute seasonal Disney merch to purchase, but if you need something warm you're better off bringing it or heading to Columbia in DS or The Fjording Shop in Norway.

 

[Girlstar30]

That is not dumb at all and I honestly wanted to warn you, but forgot while typing up all the WDW festivities. It can be the typical hot, humid Florida weather (milder, but still warm), or it can be in the 40s or 50s and bone-chillingly cold at night with the humidity. Dress in layers and bring coats, hats, gloves and scarves. The indoor shops, rides, and queues will be heated so you will melt if you can't take some layers off. The stores will have plenty of cute seasonal Disney merch to purchase, but if you need something warm you're better off bringing it or heading to Columbia in DS or The Fjording Shop in Norway.

Oh Geez so the weather is Florida haha I should have known! I hope we will get to use the pools at some point, but im just excited to be there for christmas mostly! Should I make theme park reservations? I dont even know where to start i just bought jollywood and very merry cuz I was terrified they sell out lol

 

[PolyRob]

Oh Geez so the weather is Florida haha I should have known! I hope we will get to use the pools at some point, but im just excited to be there for christmas mostly! Should I make theme park reservations? I dont even know where to start i just bought jollywood and very merry cuz I was terrified they sell out lol

Yup, very unpredictable. HAHA you can probably see what it's like closer to your dates, but I always like to be prepared. I've had plenty of frigid MVMCPs where you can't see my holiday t-shirt because I am bundled up. The cold front this week brought temps into the 30s overnight! WDW salted paths. The pools are heated so you can still swim.

I don't think park passes will sell out since you're not going on actual Christmas or NYE, but it doesn't hurt to book them if you have a basic plan. You can always change them if you get a different CP ADR or something like that.

It was smart to buy the party tickets. MVMCP will 100% sell out. Jollywood Saturdays will also most likely sell out.

 

[Girlstar30]

Yup, very unpredictable. HAHA you can probably see what it's like closer to your dates, but I always like to be prepared. I've had plenty of frigid MVMCPs where you can't see my holiday t-shirt because I am bundled up. The cold front this week brought temps into the 30s overnight! WDW salted paths. The pools are heated so you can still swim.

I don't think park passes will sell out since you're not going on actual Christmas or NYE, but it doesn't hurt to book them if you have a basic plan. You can always change them if you get a different CP ADR or something like that.

It was smart to buy the party tickets. MVMCP will 100% sell out. Jollywood Saturdays will also most likely sell out.

There were only three dates left for very merry so I wasnt taking any chances!!

That happened to me at WDW in january I was so mad I bought a cute lion king shirt for animal kingdom and nobody saw it because it was so cold lol!

I havent even started on my dining reservations, im sure everything will be booked, im going to have to pay for one of those subscription services or does epcot have a bunch of food booths and holiday food booths at every park so maybe I shouldnt make dining reservations except for at DS? We like to try new things!

I probably should have looked this up but is the mickey christmas party during the day or night I know jollywood is at night

 

[PolyRob]

There were only three dates left for very merry so I wasnt taking any chances!!

That happened to me at WDW in january I was so mad I bought a cute lion king shirt for animal kingdom and nobody saw it because it was so cold lol!

I havent even started on my dining reservations, im sure everything will be booked, im going to have to pay for one of those subscription services or does epcot have a bunch of food booths and holiday food booths at every park so maybe I shouldnt make dining reservations except for at DS? We like to try new things!

I probably should have looked this up but is the mickey christmas party during the day or night I know jollywood is at night

Yes, it was a smart move!

It's so sad, especially when people try to match or coordinate

I'm not sure what restaurants you want to try, but I always like to book those too and cancel within the cancellation window. Epcot will have plenty of food booths, but if you want guaranteed admission into a specific Candlelight Processional you may want an ADR. It all depends on who your narrator will be. Some are more popular/crowded than others.

MVMCP is a night time event. It officially runs 7pm - 12am, but you can enter at 4pm with your party ticket.

Check the park hours too. MVMCP will close MK four out of seven nights during the week. Make sure you plan MK on a non-party night if you want Happily Ever After and Starlight. Same thing with Jollywood Nights. DHS will close early two nights every week. Plan accordingly if you want more Fantasmic! options. There will still be one at 6:30pm, but it's not as dark and other nights may have two showtimes. With that said, MK and DHS are great parks to tour in the morning when there is a party in that park that night since crowds are typically lower. People don't want to waste non-hopper tickets.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Girlstar, I believe you are a fellow Southern Californian — we have been to WDW between Thanksgiving and January at least 4x in the past 6 years and I think it’s been borderline pool weather maybe a couple days (out of 25 total?)…we may be unlucky but it’s often colder than home for us. I am often layering multiple layers on top and bottom for evenings at the parks, especially Epcot where you are outdoors for long stretches for FOTH.

Long story short— I would not pick a room on pool proximity.

Our family loves the food booths at Festival of the Holidays and we especially love hunting for Olaf, who is collecting Holiday Traditions around the world showcase.

 

[sndral]

So by some miracle I piece together a Christmas trip today LOL! I am officially addicted! And im finally staying at my red headed stepchild SSR lol! So a few questions!

1. We are in a preferred view room. We would prefer to be by the main pool and disney springs but im assuming this isnt possible to be closest to both?? What building is closest to disney springs, which one is closest to the main pool and which one is closest to the lobby so we can make our decision? Thanks! Also which one is the first bus stop returning FROM Disney? I think id much rather be dropped off last and picked up first!

2. I want to know everything about what there is to do for Christmas!!! At the parks, Disney Springs, The Boardwalk etc. So far we have booked Mickeys very merry, jollywood nights and im working on candle light processional. I have heard of hoop de holidays, the cookie crawl at epcot, and the Storytellers at Epcot. Is there anything im missing?? We love extras like the cake bake Santa, im going to go try to book it right now!

3. By some miracle the other resort we got was Animal Kingdom Value. Are half of the studios really savannah? Why are they so cheap, are they smaller? What request should I put to get SV? Does the resort do anything special for Christmas? SSR And AKV?

Any and all feedback is welcome thank you so much and Merry Christmas to me!!!! LoL

Values at AKL/AKV are so few they usually won’t take requests. They are smaller & have lower occupancy, hence the great point cost. If you’re on Giraffe trail you won’t see a savanna but there’s a door on your way to/from the bus stops that’s a bit of a hidden shortcut to get to your villa. If you’re on Ostrich trail half of them abut Sunset savanna. There’s a gorgeous tree & large gingerbread animals in the lobby.
Of the many Dec. trips I’ve made to WDW 3 stand out because they were freezing, literally . More typically the weather is much nicer although it does get chilly at night especially when you’re near large bodies of water such as in front of the MK & likely over at SSR which is near a river. On a positive note it’s not hot or humid & it rarely rains.
I always swing by the lobbies of the big tree resorts - AKL, GF, & the WL - I make it a point to schedule ADR’s at those resorts to combine a visit to the lobby w/ a meal. On an Epcot evening I’ll head out the international gate to check out the chocolate/gingerbread carousel in the BC’s lobby.