New to the boards and this whole planning thing!

[NurseShannon77]

hello, my name is shannon and I am from Ohio.
My husband and I are attempting to try to, start to, realistically think of a Disney trip.
We are aiming for Dec. 2008 or Jan 2009...
Basically, I just need someone to point me in the right direction so I am hoping that I find it on this board!!

 

[Jrabbit910]

Hi Shannon, welcome to the boards... Your in the right spot for finding out a bunch of information... Dis is a great start... If the boards cant help you out there is also the books called the Unofficial Guide & the Passporter both being very helpful... Anywho, the first thing is picking the days that you would like to travel..... Any specific questions you have you can always post a thread and get alot of answers for whatever you need to know... Everybody is very helpful and you will learn alot... Remember no question is silly... Its all part of the fun...

So Enjoy & I hope that you enjoy planning a wonderful trip! Disney in December is BEAUTIFUL!

 

[DizneyNutz]

I assume you are new to the boards. This site will help you. http://www.wdwinfo.com/abbreviations.htm
You will need to ask specific questions to get the most responses. There are many boards here. Resorts, budget, restaurants, etc. You should try to post questions most specific to the board you are on at the time, or it may get relocated to the appropriate forum by the moderators. This just helps to keep the forums operating smoothly. So when you have questions just ask away and many will be happy to respond. Have fun planning your trip

 

[DizneyNutz]

We love going in December and it is becoming a much more popular time than it was in years past. The first two weeks of December are still fairly low attendance although attendance is increasing. From about the middle of December until Christmas week the crowds continue to grow. Christmas Day usually has some parks closing due to full capacity. The Christmas Decorations are usually most of the way completed by about mid November. The have a special event called the Mickey's Very Merry CHristmas Party, that you may be interested in, but it requires the purchase of an additional ticket. The Osborne Lights are not to be missed at MGM. Make sure to make dining reservations ahead of time especially if you have your heart set on dining in specific restaurants.

 

[Pakey]

Welcome. We are January fans. Going Jan 08 with friends and then doing a grand gathering in Jan09 with family. Dec is also great.

If you have a question, there will be someone on the dis who can answer it.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

 

[byoung]

Welcome to the DIS!!! You will learn a lot here.

 

[DLBDS]

Glad you're here! Have you decided if you're staying on site or off? If on site, have you selected a resort? If not, try this website....http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/faq_hot.htm It'll provide lots of info on each resort with LOTS of pics. The resorts are sorted by location. For example, the MK area, EPCOT area, MGM area, DTD area and AK area. (I love the MK so I prefer to stay in that area.) Once you know where you're staying, you can move on to the more difficult (but OH SO FUN) part of planning....what park each day, ADRs (advanced dining reservations), special events, off days (must have) etc. etc. Don't worry though! You're starting your planning just in time and everyone is here to help you! Good luck....and HAVE FUN PLANNING!

 

[MagiKitty]

Welcome to the DIS Shannon! December trip fan here. I just love the holiday atmosphere. We tend to go after Thanksgiving, early December. Crowds are low, everything is decorated, and the weather is a perfect change from freezing NY! Glad to see you here and hope to help you out more!

 

[DLBDS]

Forgot to add that we chose the week after Thansgiving for our first time. It was GREAT. You won't be disappointed. This time frame falls within Value Season too!

 

[noahdove]

Welcome, and enjoy all the info..There's plenty of us here to answer your questions and concerns. No, question is too silly...that's what these threads are for.. I would suggest too, that you get the Unofficial Guide to Disney by Steve Birnbaun. It's great and if you will be taking children, he has a unofficial guide for kids by kids...I must admit, that I get on here reading and I lose track of all time and what I should really be doing...enjoy and start asking the questions.

 

[Disney Crazy Debbie]

Part of the fun of a WDW vacation is the planning. So whoever plans it gets to have the fun. Seeing the fun you anticipate for everyone come to fruitition is very satisfying. If you have questions and don't see any threads that addresses your own then don't be shy - ask them. We all love sharing our experiences! (It also gives us a chance to relive our own!)

But do be very careful - this board is very addictive!

Whether you make your reservations through AAA, the WDW resort site or one of the many TAs on here you will have FUN!

 

[I believe]

Welcome to the boards, Shannon!
Between Dec 08 and Jan 09 you say? Well, if you are OK with taking your DS-8 out of school, I'd recommend coming the week after Thanksgiving through a week before Christmas, every time. The crowds are less than the weeks of Thankgiving and Christmas and you'll still reap all the benefits WDW gives guests during the Christmas season. The differently themed Christmas decorations, across the parks and resorts, along with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) nights, together make Christmastime truly the most magical time of the year at WDW. While it will be a while before you can call 407-wdw-dine (currently 180 days before arrival) to reserve some sit-down meals (ADRs), it's never too early to jumpstart your magical vacation by roughly planning what you want to do with your family while you're there. I love planning my vacations, it adds so much to my whole Disney experience. If you can figure out the park(s) you want to do on each of your days, you can then plan some nice sit-down meals. These meals will be fun and can really refresh your family. We love the character meals most, especially the ones near the MK. At these meals the characters will come to your table and interact with your children. The kids LOVE this and it's a great opportunity to take some fabulous pictures to remember your vacation by. Disney World is even more fun when you have a good rough plan under your belt. While it is so important to plan, remember it is just as important to be able to go with the flow. Disney is at it's best for the kids when they are able to open up and receive the magic. If you try to do too much they could miss the magic, and that would be the worst thing that could happen on your vacation. I know your are going to have a great time. I will check back here another time and see if you have any specific questions. By the way, in January, Disney is launching a Moms Panel that I believe was created for people just like you. You will be able to find it in Jan 2008 at www.disneyworldmoms.com

Happy Planning!
-kristenc