Need help!!!!!!!

[disneydreamerjenn]

OMG,

So my friends ask us yesterday morning to join them for Christmas at WDW!! And we're going!!!! So, needless to say, I'm in a panic and need some help, advice, tips, basically, anything you got!!!
This will by my four trip to WDW (second this year), we are staying onsite with FREE dining! If you have any money saving ideas or suggestions on how we could get to Wal-mart for some essentials, it would be great!!
There will be 10 people in total...Six adults...4 kids.

T I A

 

[WDWisTheBest]

OMG,

So my friends ask us yesterday morning to join them for Christmas at WDW!! And we're going!!!! So, needless to say, I'm in a panic and need some help, advice, tips, basically, anything you got!!!
This will by my four trip to WDW (second this year), we are staying onsite with FREE dining! If you have any money saving ideas or suggestions on how we could get to Wal-mart for some essentials, it would be great!!
There will be 10 people in total...Six adults...4 kids.

T I A

Do you have your resort plans squared away? Do you have your tickets to the theme parks squared away?

Don't panic.

 

[momof1princess]

don't panic give us a few details:
1. where are you staying?
2. will you have a car?
3. what sort of tickets do you have?
4. have you made any ADRs? if not, what types of food does your family like best?
5. do you have a touring plan? doesn't have to be down to the minute, a simple list of must-sees is more than sufficient.

sounds like you've been a few times before, so i'm sure you'll be fine, no matter what happens.

 

[disneydreamerjenn]

Do you have your resort plans squared away? Do you have your tickets to the theme parks squared away?

Don't panic.

We have our resort booked with free dining at Coranado springs with an eight day park pass. We decided not to do the water parks (it may be too cold) and we thought that there was no need to have the "parkhopper".

don't panic give us a few details:
1. where are you staying?
2. will you have a car?
3. what sort of tickets do you have?
4. have you made any ADRs? if not, what types of food does your family like best?
5. do you have a touring plan? doesn't have to be down to the minute, a simple list of must-sees is more than sufficient.

sounds like you've been a few times before, so i'm sure you'll be fine, no matter what happens.

1. Coranado springs
2. No
3. Just base tickets to the parks
4. We have a few adr's...Boma, Kona, 1900 park Fare, Coral reef and the Wave. I want O'Hana and Chef Mickeys but they are all booked up
5. As for a plan, I think we may go to each park that would coincide with the adr's. I have a plan for must see's for sure. I just don't know what different things they may have for Christmas. I don't want to miss anything!!

I think we'll be okay, but right now I'm on a WDW super high!!!!

Thanks Ladies

 

[momof1princess]

We have our resort booked with free dining at Coranado springs with an eight day park pass. We decided not to do the water parks (it may be too cold) and we thought that there was no need to have the "parkhopper".





1. Coranado springs
2. No
3. Just base tickets to the parks
4. We have a few adr's...Boma, Kona, 1900 park Fare, Coral reef and the Wave. I want O'Hana and Chef Mickeys but they are all booked up
5. As for a plan, I think we may go to each park that would coincide with the adr's. I have a plan for must see's for sure. I just don't know what different things they may have for Christmas. I don't want to miss anything!!

I think we'll be okay, but right now I'm on a WDW super high!!!!

Thanks Ladies

ok, since you don't have a car and are using base tickets, you'll be going to one park per day. make sure you check the park hours for each day and the parade times, so you can see as much as possible and figure out what days you want to go where.
as for adr's, keep calling back-you can quite possibly get a seating at ohana or chef mickey's. be a little more flexible than normal with the time you want to eat (such as a 2 pm lunch or 10 am breakfast), that can help you get the restaurant you want.
well, MK has the mickey's very merry Christmas party, but you'll need separate tickets for that. if it's in your budget, i would definitely recommend it.

 

[Mrs D]

Go to http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar now so you can see the crowd calendar without the subscription (unless you have one and even then I might recommend getting the subscription. It's just over $7.50 for a year with the Allears.net newsletter code).
I would use that to plan which park on which day and rearrange any ADRs if possible.
You could do a one day car rental for a grocery store stop, take a limo from MCO that offers an included grocery store stop, take a taxi to a store, head to a nearby HESS, get a grocery delivery from garden grocer.com or WEGOshop.com, or take snacks/dry items in a suitcase and get milk, etc from the resort store.

I now just pack the snacks/cereal I want then buy milk at the resort. If on the DDP you shouldn't need much more than that. I've not yet done the QSDP.

 

[mmeb144]

Try gardengrocer.com for groceries. The delivery fee should be cheaper than a cab.

 

[disneydreamerjenn]

Thanks everyone!!

I think we may rent a car for one day and everyone give us a list for items to pick up and then we will all split the cost of the rental. Gardengrocer.com does not deliver alcohol, so that's out for us!! Our DH's want to have a few drinks for Christmas

 

[momof1princess]

don't forget to keep calling for seating at CM and Ohana, OP! with just a tad of flexibility, i'm confident you can find a dining time that will work! good luck!

 

[AlaskaMOM]

wegoshop http://www.wegoshop.com/location/wgs-location15.htm is also a grocery delivery service, but they deliver alcohol. Well only if there is an adult present at delivery. Their fee is reasonable and they let you make up your own list; with the product names and sizes you want as well as which store(s) is your preference.

Also to do at christmas time:
the resorts (grand floridian, Yacht/Beach Club, Boardwalk) have special christmas displays - free and no park ticket required.

Try not to miss Osbourn lights at the Studios
Santas from around the world at Epcot worldshowcase
The Christmas store in DTD

Make sure to take family pictures in front of alot of the different Christmas trees, especially the ones at the parks - they are huge! I have some of these photos, and they are some of my most treasured memory reminders (the very last picture I'll ever get with my whole family was taken in front of the Animal Kingdom Tree Dec 2006)

Don't know if this would appeal to you; but I decorate our room at Christmas time. Use those removable hooks by command and a small wreath shaped decoration on the room door (mine is in the shape of Mickey's ears with red/white spiral ribbon) and put up our stockings across one wall. granted we stay DVC so we may have more room to do the stockings, but I bet you could find room maybe on the back of the door?

Don't forget to bring or order the fixins for hot drinks, it just feels right during the holidays to have a cup of apple cider or hot cocoa. (you should be able to make them with the coffee pot in the room.

The holidays at Disney are truly a great time to go! So no matter what it will be great

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

The best way to get to Walmart is to rent a car. There are several hotels across the street from downtown disney that have rental counter. The Regal Sun has a Dollar car rental and Hilton has Avis.
We have rented from both locations with no problems. Just take the downtown disney bus from your resort. Hop off at the marketplace stop and walk across the street. We usually get a car for less than $40. for a 24 hour period. When renting from Dollar use the code "kiss" for a discount. The code is a kissimee code that anyone can use.

The best thing about have a rental car, the money you save by getting items at Walmart verses buying a disney, will pay for the rental car. Also while you have the rental car you can take the family off property to eat at least 2 meals which will save even more money! I know you will be going with another family but you could go offsite and bring meals back to the resort for everyone to eat.
I would stay away from Alamo on site at Disney their prices tend to be higher than Avis or Dollar

We usually wait till the day after we arrive to rent a car for one day. That way we have settled into the resort and have had a chance to realize what we forgot to pack like a toothbrush or such. So when we go to Walmart I can get those items which I forgot to pack!

 

[Mrs D]

Thanks everyone!!

I think we may rent a car for one day and everyone give us a list for items to pick up and then we will all split the cost of the rental. Gardengrocer.com does not deliver alcohol, so that's out for us!! Our DH's want to have a few drinks for Christmas

Garden grocer sure will deliver alcohol! We ordered 2 cases of Sierra Nevada from them.
Just add additional items into the notes before check out and they will call you with a revised total.

 

[horseshowmom]

We have our resort booked with free dining at Coranado springs with an eight day park pass. We decided not to do the water parks (it may be too cold) and we thought that there was no need to have the "parkhopper".





1. Coranado springs
2. No
3. Just base tickets to the parks
4. We have a few adr's...Boma, Kona, 1900 park Fare, Coral reef and the Wave. I want O'Hana and Chef Mickeys but they are all booked up
5. As for a plan, I think we may go to each park that would coincide with the adr's. I have a plan for must see's for sure. I just don't know what different things they may have for Christmas. I don't want to miss anything!!

I think we'll be okay, but right now I'm on a WDW super high!!!!

Thanks Ladies

I was able to get ADR's a few days out a couple of years ago due to cancellations so that may work out yet. I agree with the poster who said to be flexible. We'll be in Orlando then too but will be visiting Harry Potter and Sea World this trip (except for breakfast at Boma!) Have a great time!

 

[disneydreamerjenn]

Garden grocer sure will deliver alcohol! We ordered 2 cases of Sierra Nevada from them.
Just add additional items into the notes before check out and they will call you with a revised total.

Ah, I see. Thanks

I think we may end up renting a car, just b/c there are a couple places we want to go.

Here's a question...Has anyone ever rented a carseat from one of the rental places onsite??? I feel bad asking someone to look after my son while we go do the shopping.

Thanks

 

[disneydreamerjenn]

I was able to get ADR's a few days out a couple of years ago due to cancellations so that may work out yet. I agree with the poster who said to be flexible. We'll be in Orlando then too but will be visiting Harry Potter and Sea World this trip (except for breakfast at Boma!) Have a great time!

I'm calling almost every day!!

Hopefully we get into CM'S or O'Hana for dinner, but if we don't it's no biggy, we have a bunch of really good ADR'S. We are very flexable, but with eight adults...it can get a bit sticky
Have fun at Harry Potter and Sea World, we'll have to put that on the next trips plans!!!

 

[disneydreamerjenn]

The best way to get to Walmart is to rent a car. There are several hotels across the street from downtown disney that have rental counter. The Regal Sun has a Dollar car rental and Hilton has Avis.
We have rented from both locations with no problems. Just take the downtown disney bus from your resort. Hop off at the marketplace stop and walk across the street. We usually get a car for less than $40. for a 24 hour period. When renting from Dollar use the code "kiss" for a discount. The code is a kissimee code that anyone can use.

The best thing about have a rental car, the money you save by getting items at Walmart verses buying a disney, will pay for the rental car. Also while you have the rental car you can take the family off property to eat at least 2 meals which will save even more money! I know you will be going with another family but you could go offsite and bring meals back to the resort for everyone to eat.
I would stay away from Alamo on site at Disney their prices tend to be higher than Avis or Dollar

We usually wait till the day after we arrive to rent a car for one day. That way we have settled into the resort and have had a chance to realize what we forgot to pack like a toothbrush or such. So when we go to Walmart I can get those items which I forgot to pack!

THanks for the great info!!! I think we are going to go with Dollar. I'll try to use the discount word too!!!
The only thing is that I feel guilty leaving my son with the others, I want to bring him. Have you ever rented a carseat?? DO you know how much they are to rent??