Obsessed w/Disney in OH
With hope, the imagination soars.
- Joined
- Sep 25, 1999
- Messages
- 254
The Sloneckers Holiday Trip to Disney-Conclusions and Suggestions(Part 10 of 10)
Slonecker Family:
Lisa-Obsessed w/Disney crazed planner; been planning this trip since last Christmas
Russ-DH, is a converted Disney-fan; read the Passporter this time
Holly-DD-15, even admits to her teenage friends that she loves Disney; future goal is to work at Disney as an architect and Imagineer
Emily-DD-12, spirited & creativeenergy galore, happy to be out of school
Jana-DD-8, nothing holds her backkeepin up with the sisters; roller coaster rider
Trip:: 7 nights at Beach Club for our third family trip to WDW-first trip for Christmas activities. November 29-December 6
Conclusions: We had a great time during our first holiday trip to WDW. We enjoyed every single aspect of the Christmas celebration there. For the first time, we took advantage of resort-hopping and really had a great time seeing other resorts and the holiday decorations. We loved the Candlelight Processional and MVMCP. We really enjoyed it all!!
We loved MVMCP and would offer the following suggestions for touring:
*get the family picture taken early(We got it right at 7 and later we saw long, long lines).
*do not miss the Twas the Night Before Cmas show and the show outdoors in front of the castle
*consider putting in a day at MK prior to attending MVMCP. Our kids were very anxious to ride the rides and although they knew we would be there another day, we felt this interfered with the enjoyment of the shows and parades because they were worried about riding the rides
*enjoy time on Main Street with the snow falling down. It is an awesome scene with the decorations and the snow and the musicahhh! That will get you in the Cmas spirit for sure
*do not miss the parade!!(ride rides during the first one and catch the second one)
*eat the cookies and drink the hot chocolateits part of the fun of the party
*relax and enjoygreat, great fun
Time of Year. We took the advise of others/tour books and went the week after Thanksgiving. Although we were hesitant to take the kids out of school, we were very pleased with the crowds and the activities offered during this week. I wouldnt say the parks were empty, but the wait times were very, very manageable. We did not see many school-age kids. However, there were tons of families with preschool kids in strollers. No offensebeen there, done that! However, this has its advantages and disadvantages! There were fewer lines for attractions that are NOT young-child friendly. However, the buses, resorts, and young-child-friendly attractions were very congested with strollers and young children. All that being said, we would not hesitate to go the week after T-giving again. We really enjoyed all of the Christmas festivities and decorations and we enjoyed the smaller crowds of this week.
Beach Club We loved Beach Club!
Pros: It was a nice, friendly resort. We loved Storm Along Bay and the beauty of the whole Boardwalk area. The convenience of walking to MGM and Epcot was a huge, huge plus for us. We could never have gotten to both parks in one evening for Fantasmic and Illuminations if we had to rely on bus service. In the mornings, we could just start walking and know that we would get to MGM or Epcot in a short amount of time rather than hike to the bus stop and wonder how long it would take. We found the service at BC to be excellent and the rooms to be clean and convenient. The extra space in the deluxe rooms vs. the moderates was very noticeable to us. We loved it! We would not hesitate to stay at BC or YC again.
Cons: BC had more of a hotel feel than our previous stay at POR. Our room was very far from the elevator and looked out over a rooftop. We had to wind down many, many halls before arriving at our room. At POR, you could step out of your room and be outside. We missed that. Additionally, we felt the bus service to MK, DD, TL was very inconvenient. Some days we waited a while and sometimes the bus stopped at the Swan, Dolphin, and YC before you could take off for the parks or arrive back at BC. This takes a lot of time. Plus, the buses would fill to the brim and over, so often we stood both ways since our family gave way to young families and older people. We didnt mind doing that, it just is a long way when you are standing.
Our next trip(whenever that might be
), I think we will be heading to Poly. During our resort-hopping, we loved the feel of this resort!! The individual buildings would give us our resort feel we want, nice pool area with the beach feel, convenience of the monorail, etc. (and the Kona Café with Kona coffee! 
) We all agreed that this might be the site for our next adventures to WDW!
Miscellaneous Suggestions:
**Bring a hard sided roller cooler as part of your checked luggage. This was a great convenience for this trip. Unlike the styrofoam coolers from the grocery, the ice stayed for a couple of days with a little additional ice along the way, and we packed snacks in it on the way down and we utilized those in the parks. We did not opt for refillable mugs this time, so it was nice to ice down our pop. We also packed quick breakfast items for the walk to the parks if we were not doing a p.s. breakfast. This saved time and money.
**Mail in your photos as you complete the rolls of film. We brought along envelopes from our favorite mail-in photo developer which is York. As our film was finished, we mailed it in. We had some pictures waiting when we arrived home and we didnt have to worry about the film being ruined by the x-ray at the airport. Bring plenty of film and an extra camera battery. Also, when you get the pictures home, immediately number them on the back to designate which day of your trip the picture occurred. It sure helps later with the photo album!
**Pack you favorite snacks at the park. We always brought snacks in a back pack. We had a small cooler which attaches to the bottom of the back pack. We packed beverages in this. When we arrived at the park, we would get a locker and put our beverages, sweatshirts, etc. in the and hit the park. It was so convenient to have those things available for a later snack or meal. Having a locker is also a great way to always be prepared for a change in weatherits much easier to bring sweatshirts or ponchos and not have to carry them all day. It was worth our $5 a day to do this.
**Take advantage of FastPass!! We were hardly ever in a park without a fastpass in our possession. This makes it so convenient to either avoid the lines or to experience your favorite ride multiple times.
**Do not miss the evening shows & parades at the major parks, ie. Fantastic, Illuminations, etc. These just seem to get better all the time and are so amazing! Get there early, get a good seat, have a snack or visit with the people around you, and enjoy!!
**Video-tape For the first time, we took our video camera on this trip. We really wanted to videotape this trip to show DHs parents. Because of health issues, they will probably never be able to experience Disney and we wanted them to see why we love it so much! We stored the camera in the locker some of the time and took it some days but not others. We had a low battery at one point, so remember that guest services will charge your camera while you tour(but you must have your charger with you! ) We have watched our tapes with DHs parents since then and what fun it has been to share the experience with someone else and re-live our great trip!!
**Take time to relax and enjoy!! This advise is coming from someone who finds it really hard to sit around when there are things to see and places to go at WDW!!! However, I tried really hard this trip to not schedule every minute. Swim, sit for a traditional Disney snack while you people watch and soak in the sights, go resort-hopping, rent a surrey bike, etc. Enjoy other things in addition to the rides and shows at the major parks...take time to be a family and enjoy!
**Write it down! At the end of the day or throughout the day of touring, take notes on things you did and saw. By the end of the trip, events and days get to be a blur. Even if you are not planning to write a trip report, put your thoughts down to save for your family. We have read and re-read past trip reports and we enjoy the memories.
**Plan, plan, plan. Read the suggestions on DIS, take notes, buy a tour book(we like Passporter) and make an itinerary. Think it through so you can zig when others zag. If you plan your days to meet the needs of your family and the touring suggestions of others, you will get more done at the parks and allow more time to relax and enjoy! The plan should include some flexibility depending on the weather, mood of the family, etc. However, dont go to WDW without some plan in place!
**Ziplock Bags Cant travel to Disney without them! Their many uses: to pack underwear and socks(squeeze them as you close them to save space), to pack snacks in the cooler, to bag up ice for the cooler in the park, to save leftover pizza in the cooler for the next day, to bring home wet swim suits, to bag up snacks after the box was opened, etc. etc.
**Meals We planned for one big meal every day. This might be a p.s. character or menu breakfast or a late lunch. For the other meals, we utilized snacks we brought or counter service sandwiches. We felt that taking the time and money for one big meal a day worked well for our family and it was an enjoyable way to start our day or take a break from touring.
**Have a great time! Whatever you do, where ever you stay, just have a great, great time at WDW. It wont be perfect, it wont happen without a glitch or two, but take the time to relax and enjoy. Soak in the sights, sounds, and attractions that make Disney the magical place it is.
Slonecker Family:
Lisa-Obsessed w/Disney crazed planner; been planning this trip since last Christmas
Russ-DH, is a converted Disney-fan; read the Passporter this time
Holly-DD-15, even admits to her teenage friends that she loves Disney; future goal is to work at Disney as an architect and Imagineer
Emily-DD-12, spirited & creativeenergy galore, happy to be out of school
Jana-DD-8, nothing holds her backkeepin up with the sisters; roller coaster rider
Trip:: 7 nights at Beach Club for our third family trip to WDW-first trip for Christmas activities. November 29-December 6
Conclusions: We had a great time during our first holiday trip to WDW. We enjoyed every single aspect of the Christmas celebration there. For the first time, we took advantage of resort-hopping and really had a great time seeing other resorts and the holiday decorations. We loved the Candlelight Processional and MVMCP. We really enjoyed it all!!
We loved MVMCP and would offer the following suggestions for touring:
*get the family picture taken early(We got it right at 7 and later we saw long, long lines).
*do not miss the Twas the Night Before Cmas show and the show outdoors in front of the castle
*consider putting in a day at MK prior to attending MVMCP. Our kids were very anxious to ride the rides and although they knew we would be there another day, we felt this interfered with the enjoyment of the shows and parades because they were worried about riding the rides
*enjoy time on Main Street with the snow falling down. It is an awesome scene with the decorations and the snow and the musicahhh! That will get you in the Cmas spirit for sure
*do not miss the parade!!(ride rides during the first one and catch the second one)
*eat the cookies and drink the hot chocolateits part of the fun of the party
*relax and enjoygreat, great fun
Time of Year. We took the advise of others/tour books and went the week after Thanksgiving. Although we were hesitant to take the kids out of school, we were very pleased with the crowds and the activities offered during this week. I wouldnt say the parks were empty, but the wait times were very, very manageable. We did not see many school-age kids. However, there were tons of families with preschool kids in strollers. No offensebeen there, done that! However, this has its advantages and disadvantages! There were fewer lines for attractions that are NOT young-child friendly. However, the buses, resorts, and young-child-friendly attractions were very congested with strollers and young children. All that being said, we would not hesitate to go the week after T-giving again. We really enjoyed all of the Christmas festivities and decorations and we enjoyed the smaller crowds of this week.
Beach Club We loved Beach Club!
Pros: It was a nice, friendly resort. We loved Storm Along Bay and the beauty of the whole Boardwalk area. The convenience of walking to MGM and Epcot was a huge, huge plus for us. We could never have gotten to both parks in one evening for Fantasmic and Illuminations if we had to rely on bus service. In the mornings, we could just start walking and know that we would get to MGM or Epcot in a short amount of time rather than hike to the bus stop and wonder how long it would take. We found the service at BC to be excellent and the rooms to be clean and convenient. The extra space in the deluxe rooms vs. the moderates was very noticeable to us. We loved it! We would not hesitate to stay at BC or YC again.
Cons: BC had more of a hotel feel than our previous stay at POR. Our room was very far from the elevator and looked out over a rooftop. We had to wind down many, many halls before arriving at our room. At POR, you could step out of your room and be outside. We missed that. Additionally, we felt the bus service to MK, DD, TL was very inconvenient. Some days we waited a while and sometimes the bus stopped at the Swan, Dolphin, and YC before you could take off for the parks or arrive back at BC. This takes a lot of time. Plus, the buses would fill to the brim and over, so often we stood both ways since our family gave way to young families and older people. We didnt mind doing that, it just is a long way when you are standing.
Our next trip(whenever that might be
), I think we will be heading to Poly. During our resort-hopping, we loved the feel of this resort!! The individual buildings would give us our resort feel we want, nice pool area with the beach feel, convenience of the monorail, etc. (and the Kona Café with Kona coffee! ) We all agreed that this might be the site for our next adventures to WDW! Miscellaneous Suggestions:
**Bring a hard sided roller cooler as part of your checked luggage. This was a great convenience for this trip. Unlike the styrofoam coolers from the grocery, the ice stayed for a couple of days with a little additional ice along the way, and we packed snacks in it on the way down and we utilized those in the parks. We did not opt for refillable mugs this time, so it was nice to ice down our pop. We also packed quick breakfast items for the walk to the parks if we were not doing a p.s. breakfast. This saved time and money.
**Mail in your photos as you complete the rolls of film. We brought along envelopes from our favorite mail-in photo developer which is York. As our film was finished, we mailed it in. We had some pictures waiting when we arrived home and we didnt have to worry about the film being ruined by the x-ray at the airport. Bring plenty of film and an extra camera battery. Also, when you get the pictures home, immediately number them on the back to designate which day of your trip the picture occurred. It sure helps later with the photo album!
**Pack you favorite snacks at the park. We always brought snacks in a back pack. We had a small cooler which attaches to the bottom of the back pack. We packed beverages in this. When we arrived at the park, we would get a locker and put our beverages, sweatshirts, etc. in the and hit the park. It was so convenient to have those things available for a later snack or meal. Having a locker is also a great way to always be prepared for a change in weatherits much easier to bring sweatshirts or ponchos and not have to carry them all day. It was worth our $5 a day to do this.
**Take advantage of FastPass!! We were hardly ever in a park without a fastpass in our possession. This makes it so convenient to either avoid the lines or to experience your favorite ride multiple times.
**Do not miss the evening shows & parades at the major parks, ie. Fantastic, Illuminations, etc. These just seem to get better all the time and are so amazing! Get there early, get a good seat, have a snack or visit with the people around you, and enjoy!!
**Video-tape For the first time, we took our video camera on this trip. We really wanted to videotape this trip to show DHs parents. Because of health issues, they will probably never be able to experience Disney and we wanted them to see why we love it so much! We stored the camera in the locker some of the time and took it some days but not others. We had a low battery at one point, so remember that guest services will charge your camera while you tour(but you must have your charger with you!
) We have watched our tapes with DHs parents since then and what fun it has been to share the experience with someone else and re-live our great trip!!**Take time to relax and enjoy!! This advise is coming from someone who finds it really hard to sit around when there are things to see and places to go at WDW!!! However, I tried really hard this trip to not schedule every minute. Swim, sit for a traditional Disney snack while you people watch and soak in the sights, go resort-hopping, rent a surrey bike, etc. Enjoy other things in addition to the rides and shows at the major parks...take time to be a family and enjoy!
**Write it down! At the end of the day or throughout the day of touring, take notes on things you did and saw. By the end of the trip, events and days get to be a blur. Even if you are not planning to write a trip report, put your thoughts down to save for your family. We have read and re-read past trip reports and we enjoy the memories.
**Plan, plan, plan. Read the suggestions on DIS, take notes, buy a tour book(we like Passporter) and make an itinerary. Think it through so you can zig when others zag. If you plan your days to meet the needs of your family and the touring suggestions of others, you will get more done at the parks and allow more time to relax and enjoy! The plan should include some flexibility depending on the weather, mood of the family, etc. However, dont go to WDW without some plan in place!
**Ziplock Bags Cant travel to Disney without them! Their many uses: to pack underwear and socks(squeeze them as you close them to save space), to pack snacks in the cooler, to bag up ice for the cooler in the park, to save leftover pizza in the cooler for the next day
, to bring home wet swim suits, to bag up snacks after the box was opened, etc. etc.**Meals We planned for one big meal every day. This might be a p.s. character or menu breakfast or a late lunch. For the other meals, we utilized snacks we brought or counter service sandwiches. We felt that taking the time and money for one big meal a day worked well for our family and it was an enjoyable way to start our day or take a break from touring.
**Have a great time! Whatever you do, where ever you stay, just have a great, great time at WDW. It wont be perfect, it wont happen without a glitch or two, but take the time to relax and enjoy. Soak in the sights, sounds, and attractions that make Disney the magical place it is.
Glad you had such a wonderful time!!
I'd really, really like to go to BC for all the reasons you mention. I'm thinking of gettng us AP's and going the 2nd week in May this year and then the 1st week in May in 2005 to get 2 trips (minimum) out of them. Was it worth it for the AP rate at BC?? You did manage to get that I thought I read earlier? We have resort hopped over there and I do love it! My son thinks it would be a bonus to walk to our fav park too, Epcot!!
