Man planning a trip to DW is so much work!

[kelmac284]

compared to DL!! I guess because of have been to DL so many times it is a piece of cake but esp too I think because we are trying to do so much too this trip. We are going to DW over Thanksgiving this year and we want to go to MVMCP and Candlelight Procession and we want to try and fit in so much. We want to see the Osborne Lights and the Santas at Epcot and everything we possibly can since this will most likely be our one and only holiday trip back there and maybe our last trip back there for a long time with the way prices are going. I just bought our MVMCP tix this morning and I am anxiously awaiting the Nov hours so I can plan my ADR's.

For those not familiar you HAVE to have ADRS back there esp for a busy week like Thanksgiving. It is not like DL where you can pretty much show up and get Dinning ressies at the last min. Esp on a week like that. There is SO much advanced planning that is needed it is almost exhausting.

Plus we have to wait till almost the LAST minute to get our airfare as Southwest has STILL not released that part of the year yet!

But I am excited as every little bit that I do gets me that much closer and I have been back since 05 and I am not going back to the "land" until next April so this is my only Disney "fix" for awhile!

So I am getting closer and closer!

 

[Janomi]

I really do feel your pain. I'm in the stages of planning trips to WDW also, and it's a tad overwhelming. I'm so spoiled knowing about our little DL resort

Taking into account that my trip will be short, wanting to do and see everything is just not an option.

On top of that, airfare, hotel, ADRs ...

Good luck in your planning! I'm right there with you

 

[kelmac284]

Thanks. I have been in May and Oct before but trying to go at such a busy time like Thanksgiving, all I can say is WOW! I am literally going to have to call every day for over a week to make our ADRS because I don't DARE wait until the LAST day because everything will be booked! And I don't know if I am going to have to get up at 4 to call by the 7 a.m. time or what! I sure the heck hope not! Even if I call at 5 my time that is already 9 Florida time. I am just hoping that since I don't want any Princess breakfasts or anything like that that I won't have too much trouble but I guess we shall see!

Good luck to you as well. When are you guys going? I hope at not such a crazy time as us! I hope I don't live to regret going at such a busy time. Going at off season the last two times was SO nice. In fact last time we went was during Hurricane Wilma which of course we didn't plan LOL but it actually worked to our favor because a lot of people cancelled and it was very slow! We even got in to the princess breakfast at Akershus on the DAY OF!

 

[DSNY4ever]

Good luck, I am jealous, I am itching to get back to WDW, and I dream of making it over there after Thanksgiving one year to see the holiday decorations. I have heard that the Candlelight processional can be chaos and people either LOVE it or aren't that impressed. I have to admit my parents went two years ago and my mom said that it wasn't very good. She said they waited for a really long time to go to "a not so great Christmas church service." That being said we have a really amazing candle light/bell service at our church, so she was comparing it to that. But if you get a reservation, I hope you love it and tell us what you think! I would love to hear another opinion.

Have fun, and as I am sure you know- you won't be able to see it all!

 

[kelmac284]

So true. We are going on the 20th of November and spending 1 and 1/2 days at Universal and then the rest of the time at DW. This will be our third trip so we know what we can "skip" at certain parks. We know that we really only need one day at MGM or should I say the Disney studios and really only one day at Animal Kingdom although if we have an extra day we may want to go back there since Expedition Everest wasn't quite open in 05 when we were there last. But you need 2 days minimum at MK and Epcot and sometimes 3. And we know we want to see the Osborne Lights, do the Christmas party, CP and see the Santas. We also want to try and see the Christmas Decs at the various resorts and DTD and we may be adding an extra day depending on how expensive the flighs are on that Monday after Thanksgiving. Luckily we know we don't need to see Fantasmic again and there are certain shows and rides that we don't need to do as we have been there done that.

So that helps for sure.

And since we are there for the holidays we will be focusing and that.

As far as CP we saw Disneylands version this past year with Jane Seymour and if you are out here and can see it it is AMAZING!!!! We were going to do the dinner package to get guaranteed seating but couldn't see paying 75 bucks each, esp for the kids, just for seats. So we took our chances and it paid off. We walked up right before it started and got lucky and a cast member let us in and we sort of were "dreamed" and got to sit in the reserved seating!!! So we got the 75/per person seating for FREE!!! And it was WELL worth it. It was beautiful and gave me chills. The singers and music was amazing and the flowers and just everything. And listening to Jane recite the nativity story. Well it was awesome.

Now I don't know how good the DW version is but we still want to see their version and it is much cheaper there. Basically it is about 30 bucks for adults and 15 for kids and that is for your dinner and that gets you the reserved seats. We figure you pretty much pay that anyway for the meals and then you get a reserved seat for the show. So I will def let you know how it is. Of course we only have one day to choose from so I don't know who the narrator will be on the night we go but I still want to see it.

But anyway I am just anxious to see their version of the icicle lights on the castle and just all their christmas decs as I LOVE DL at Christmas!

I will be sure and make a FULL report when we get back with plenty of pics!

 

[DSNY4ever]

Wow sounds like an amazing trip- and yes, please do a report and post pictures! I have to admit even though my mom wasn't impressed I am still planning on making my DH go with me to the CP when we finally do this same trip someday. Haha, I guess you have to try everything for yourself. (Yes I am crazy about DL at Christmas time too!)

Good luck with your ADRs!

 

[4Ollies]

Thanks. I have been in May and Oct before but trying to go at such a busy time like Thanksgiving, all I can say is WOW! I am literally going to have to call every day for over a week to make our ADRS because I don't DARE wait until the LAST day because everything will be booked! And I don't know if I am going to have to get up at 4 to call by the 7 a.m. time or what! I sure the heck hope not! Even if I call at 5 my time that is already 9 Florida time. I am just hoping that since I don't want any Princess breakfasts or anything like that that I won't have too much trouble but I guess we shall see!

Good luck to you as well. When are you guys going? I hope at not such a crazy time as us! I hope I don't live to regret going at such a busy time. Going at off season the last two times was SO nice. In fact last time we went was during Hurricane Wilma which of course we didn't plan LOL but it actually worked to our favor because a lot of people cancelled and it was very slow! We even got in to the princess breakfast at Akershus on the DAY OF!

For most ADRs you can call at 180 days out from your first day and make them all at once. If you want Cinderella, that's a whole different ballgame! You need to be up and on the phone early for that one. Glad I have boys so we avoid that one.

 

[joech]

We are going to DW over Thanksgiving this year and we want to go to MVMCP and Candlelight Procession and we want to try and fit in so much.

In case you haven't found out. You can get into the park at 4:00 pm with your MVMCP ticket even though the party doesn't start till 7:00 pm.

 

[ironpig70]

did wdw about 5 years ago. about a week before we flew my mom passed away. i'll tell you all the planning that i did went up in smoke. so we rebooked to go a month late disney was great and i didn't get dinged cause they moved my reservations and didn't cancel them. we lost every reservation we made and worst was we had a princess dinner made and even worse we where to spend our anniversary there. well day before we left i got a last minute reservation at the castle with the princesses. and we spent 4 great days there. alot more planning due to the scope of wdw.

 

[kelmac284]

Thanks everyone for the input. As far as trying to make the ADRS at the start of the 180's I know you can do that if you are a resort guest but we are staying ofsight so I am not sure if they will let me do that. Of course I will ask but don't know if they will let me. Now we ARE staying at Pop at the END of our trip so maybe we will get lucky on that one

Also we ARE going to eat at Cinderellas table but NOT for the princess breakfast just for dinner so I know that is easier to book. I never even TRIED to do that. We did however luck out and got into the Akershus breakfast when we went in 05. We got in the SAME day because of last minute cancellations becaue of the hurricane. It was awesome but we have done that AND the one at Ariels grotto so I don't feel the need to do any of those. I am just making regular old dinning ressies. The only reason I even feel the need to get them in so early is because of it being Thanksgiving week and especially the Thanksgiving DAY one cuz I am sure that day is going to be packed. And we are opting for France that day so I don't know if that is going to be more or less packed then any of the other restaurants or not.

But I guess we shall see. Then the only other thing I need to worry about is my Candlelight Procession package. Does anyone know do they sell "tickets" or how that works?

I know here in CA they sell a dinning package with reserved seating but I am not quite sure how they do it there. I know you purchase the dinner and you get reserved seating but I wasn't sure how that all worked and WHEN can you make those reservations?