Question for Christmas guests with small children

[luvgoing2disney]

We have been on one trip to Disney for the week after Christmas, arriving Christmas night. But I've always wondered about how families handle it if you are there Christmas morning. I've read where some families put up small trees but how does the Santa part work. Especially if you have flown in?

 

[kristainohio]

This will be our first Christmas trip, but I'm planning on bringing a small tree and few presents for our girls to open Christmas morning. They are 5 and 2.5 so while they "get" it, I'm not sure they will fully understand that it's actually Christmas Day. We will celebrate with family when we return. We are driving so I can't imagine flying with a tree

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Disney for Families board.

 

[Darcy03231]

From other threads I've seen it seems like people pack an extra suitcase with a small tree, decorations, stockings and a few small presents. Anything big is left at home under the tree there and opened when the family returns.

 

[dimndgal1]

We didn't go to Disney last year, but we went out west to visit family and left Christmas Eve. DD was really worried about Santa finding us, but somehow, our Elf on the Shelf smuggled in with our luggage and appeared once we got to my in-laws. Then DD KNEW she would tell Santa where we were.

You could also write a letter to Santa from the kids saying they will be at Disney. Or, if the trip is a surprise, have a note from Santa saying "Enjoy your visit with Mickey Mouse" or the like.

In terms of access, the first to places we lived with oldest DD had no fireplace, so my mother-in-law bought us a 'Santa Key' (tons to choose from online). On Christmas Eve, you set it outside your front door, and it let's Santa get into your house without a chimney... then, Christmas morning, the key is hanging on the tree! Even with our fireplace, DD insists on leaving the key out for Santa "just in case"... you could do the same for your resort room and Santa can come in that way.

 

[michellejed]

What a great idea the Santa Key!! Will use that for my grand kids!!

 

[NotUrsula]

If we are there at that season we usually leave to come home on Christmas Day, and we do bring a tree in our baggage when flying. It's a 36in. silver LED tree with a revolving stand, so it doesn't need ornaments, and in the fabric sleeve I've made for it, it fits diagonally in a 29" suitcase along with clothes. I just pop it out, set it in the stand on an end table in our hotel room, and turn it on when we are there; twinkling its little silver heart out. I bought the tree on clearance at Target about 10 years ago; it is strictly our travel tree and is not otherwise used.

We actually don't do Santa, but the simple answer is to have Santa leave his gifts at home, waiting under the big (artificial if you won't be there to care for it) tree for your return. We always take a couple of small parental gifts for the children to open on Christmas morning, but when we are at WDW for the holidays, they understand that the trip *is* the big gift.

To do Santa in your absence, put all the Santa gifts in a box and leave them with a friend or relative who can be trusted to go over to your home and set them out under your tree while you are gone.

 

[vratiana]

To do Santa in your absence, put all the Santa gifts in a box and leave them with a friend or relative who can be trusted to go over to your home and set them out under your tree while you are gone.

I like the idea of Santa coming to your house while you are gone, that's what my parents did when we were young and traveled during Christmas.
Here's how my mom did it: she loaded us all in the car and then pretended she forgot something and had to run back inside. Then she'd put the presents under the tree so they'd be in place when we returned. We never had a clue.