Need advice for December trip....

[panfan]

About a month ago I decided it might be nice to try to squeeze in a 4 night trip in the beginning of December. As all of you might guess there was NO AVAILABILITY!! Of course as a new DVC member , I was un-aware that this is such a popular time!! Anyway I waitlisted for a studio or one bedroom the second week of December for sun-thurs. Today, I called to see if there was availability the previous week or the next week. I pretty much could have my pick of rooms and resorts the third week so I booked a studio at BCV while staying on the waitlist.

My question is--will having the reservation affect my waitlist status?? I really would like to go the second week. Also if any of you have gone so close to Christmas and have small children and responsibility that goes along with the whole holiday thing--how did it work out?? I just think getting home one week before Christmas may be cutting it a little close!!( although I really want to go)

Decisions, Decisions!

 

[JimC]

Hey fellow PAer.

You can have a reservation and a waitlist for somewhere else. It should not hurt your chances.

December is a great time to be at Disney. The Christmas decorations all over are great. The Candlelight Processional at Epcot is incredible. We try to do it at least twice when we visit in December (hint, book a dinner package, it costs no more than a dinner would, maybe less and you get preferred seating at the Processional -- book in advance). Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is a lot of fun and it snows on Main Street (special ticket required and its wise to book in advance). Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights is worth at least one visit.

Go for it!

 

[Caskbill]

Having both a reservation and being on the wait list at the same time is quite common. In fact many times there occurs what I think of as 'waitlist dominoes'.


Example: Person 'A' has a ressie at BWV
Person 'B' has a ressie at BCV and is waitlisted for BWV
Person 'C' has a ressie at OKW and is waitlisted for BCV
Person 'D' has no ressie and is waitlisted at OKW

Person 'A' cancels entirely. They will not be making their trip after all.

Person 'B' gets their BWV
Person 'C' then gets their BCV that was vacated by person 'B'
Person 'D' then gets their OKW that was vacated by person 'C'

Thus the one single cancellation rippled through the system and gave three other people their waitlists.

 

[JimC]

Caskbill -- that is a great explanation! And I love your "waitlist dominoes" moniker.

 

[DeeP]

Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights is worth at least one visit.

Not that this is directly related to the OP, but just a FYI, there will not be any Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights display this year. Disney will be re doing that section of MGM so no Osborne lights this year.

 

[Donna Borer]

In response to your question about a mid-December visit....we visited 12/15
thru 12/23/01. We put our tree (artificial) up the weekend before we left and
I shopped very early that year and made sure EVERYTHING was wrapped before we left. I usually have the whole family (about 23 people) to our
house late Christmas afternoon/evening. I called everyone in late November
and made plans to do our Christmas visit the weekend between Christmas
and New Years since I knew it would be much too hectic to get to the grocery
store and do a lot of preparation/cooking for that many people on
Christmas Eve. It was a perfect week.....crowds were extremely light
until the 20th .....when it became VERY crowded. .....decorations are
absolutely gorgeous. So as long you prepare in advance I would say you
should be fine. The key is PREPARATION!!!