Which option would you pick?

[Disneysince82]

More days, and I'd stay on site. In Dec, it's so much fun to see all of the decorations and holiday attractions. More days when it's first time for the kids makes it easier to do things at a less frantic pace and still see what you want and repeat what you love. You can take more time for dining if you want--Blue Bayou, maybe a F! dining reservation, etc. Are you staying on site? That makes it nice to come and go and let the kids have a little free time, and during the holidays the decor is amazing. They have Santa in the lobby and you can get a family pic in front of the giant tree in the Grand and last I looked they had Santa with a mid-century-modern setting in DLH. I'm not sure what they have at Pixar.

So we’re 99.98% doing on site in fact, I already have reservations. I’m well aware that it is going to cost a lot more(especially that time of year) and we are planning on doing onsite pretty much either way. I feel like it’s needed especially that time of the year but I know that people debate that is not worth it but I feel like that’s one thing I’ll be kicking myself if I don’t. I’ll be the first debate…. And I’m just going to keep it real…. The whole worth it not worth it debate is one not worth having when you have Disney in the title because it’s about an experience. Which is why they can keep raising their prices and we’re gonna keep coming back. Which is why I’m grateful that even though I don’t mess with WDW, I’m glad that it does seem more cost-effective for families to go in a lot of ways. And I love people who share cost saving tips so others can experience DL.

I even did a breakdown of five hotels, GC, DLH, Cambria, BWPI, & Courtyward Entrance… I was gonna put Westin on there, which I love, but for the same price I might as well go to DLH. and even when I look at the prices and it’s very apparent I still keep looking at the GC because it’s Christmas. And where I know I might be able to get a 1 bedroom somewhere else. I think I’m even OK with us all sharing a woods-courtyard view. I know DLH Would save a little bit but IDK it seems like this especially is the one time a year if you’re gonna do it, you need to go to go GC

 

[Disneysince82]

I would favor the VIP, LLPP, LLMP, but it does depend on your priorities and your kids.

I would really favor this type of trip if you could put a resort day in middle of it (maybe after the VIP day) but not sure if that would be in the budget? Doing all of those days back to back might be too much for some kids or teens (or adults for that matter!). My late teens would absolutely love to do this itinerary!

We have done several WDW VIP tours (maybe one day at DLR!), and they are wonderful if your kids really like rides (and sometimes also for characters; also gives you VIP fireworks and parade viewing which may or may not be important to your family). It is a VERY FULL day, and we always pretty much go non-stop, so we are tired at the end! You realize that standing in lines is a rest time that you have very little of on the VIP tour! So a resort day (or at least a sleep in a little day) after the VIP day can be nice. You could do your LLPP day following the VIP day, if you don’t have the budget to do a resort day here, as you don’t need to rope drop or get there super early for your LLPP day.

Also, as the person who is booking the LLs (and modifying and modifying…), I would LOVE to do LLPP one day so that I can just enjoy the day, my family and atmosphere. I picture it like a VIP-lite.

But if your kids are going to be fried, or they don’t like rides, or they need a lot of breaks, then the longer trip gives you more time for that. And maybe more time for other things like shows etc. It really depends on your family’s style and your goals for the trip, Either way, it sounds like a great trip!!

I’m gonna be the 100% booking and managing everything which is why when I kind of dreamt up that itinerary, I thought that I had came up with pure gold and I know you get it because if you’re someone who has to do it, you know that there’s not easily handed over. I wouldn’t even mind handing over the control of it, but I know that it’s not something. I also 100% believe that and I don’t think this is like any type of conspiracy theory I’ve built up in my head that Disney does this on purpose on some levels

I really would like to do a resort day And you’re right probably the day after the tour it would be a perfect one. Even when we are looking at doing more days, one of those days where it’s going to be a rest day. I know a lot of people think it’s too 'cold' during December But I would have no problem sitting in a cabana that I will wake up at midnight to try to book 60 days out by the pool lol fireworks are a huge thing for me and I’m gonna go as far as say that every ride could break down. I’m still gonna have a blast, but if fireworks got canceled every single day I still would have a blast, but I wouldn’t internally be broken a little bit. It’s also one of the reasons I considered a VIP tour because I really want reserved seating. To the Point when I spoke with them, I told him I was going to change days that there was too many people booked on one and they thought that I wouldn’t possibly get Reserved seating for the fireworks.

 

[Disneysince82]

This is SO true. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of our VIP day (we also just did our family of four). You don't realize how much rest you get just standing in line until you never stand in line! We did a cabana day at the pool the day after, which was perfect. Actually, we frequently do 5 days in the park with a cabana day midway through. Just need the break.

You've got a tough decision. You say it's a special trip, which to me would mean that's perfect for VIP, **but** you also say it's your kids' first trip. I'd be cautious about setting expectations too high by doing VIP my first trip, and you're already going at Christmas, which would be special in itself.

Also, I don't know what your financial situation is, but one thing to consider is that the price of the VIP is so expensive these days -- is that something you know you'll always be able to afford if you put it off for another time? That hasn't always been the case for us, so I'm glad we did it when it was in the cards.

So it’s when you bring up the cabana cause I just posted about that because a cabana has been like my obsession! to the point, I’m actually kind of embarrassed with my obsession with them! I do not care if some people think it may be a tad big chili in December. I need a cabana and I will wake up at 12:00 AM Pacific time 60 days out to try to book one! We had originally planned on doing 5 to 7 days and we were gonna do like you said a midweek resort/cabana day and I would still like to do one.

So I did the bullet and I spoke to the VIP department and like always whenever you speak to anyone at Disney it was a great experience and she gave me pricing on a bunch different days(I didn’t even ask her. She just started rambling them off which I appreciate it so much!!) and pretty much November-December you’re looking at $700-800 a day. But there is a week in November that it does drop down to $600 but she was very upfront with me that that is a week they consider off-season and there was very good chance that there could possibly be no fireworks that would be devastating for me personally if that happened it’s the week before Thanksgiving. we could 100% go that week before Thanksgiving. She also let me know last year they had fireworks that week, but there’s a chance that it could not happen and then the previous years there was some days they didn’t. You make a good point about doing a VIP tour in the future originally I had planned to do a VIP tour with our whole family. We have three adult children two of them who probably will be engaged or married here within the next two years. I would love to bring all of them to Disneyland. I love all of our children but it’s going to be a very stressful trip and maybe possibly not the most enjoyable on some levels which is why a VIP tour might make it actually maybe easier …. It’s gonna be very hard to coordinate all their schedules. I’m hoping that we could also potentially bringing their partners. Two of them are in pretty serious relationships and probably will be there engaged or married within the next few years. I will just be very brutally out of those 5 people — 2 of them have very strong personalities. I love spending time with everyone together schedule wise it be almost impossible to get everyone there for a week. Also a week that type of situation could result in possibly(hopefully not but I’m a realist) 75% of us, probably having a little more stressful situation than we would want. But….. a 1-2 day VIP tour trip that most likely would not be an issue at all!

 

[Disneysince82]

My goodness, you've been through a lot! It is what you dreamed about and you are making it happen. Kudos to you!

I think my original question was more about whether this was a vacation so that the family could spend time together (while they are still willing) or is a trip to try and conquer everything because you might never come back? If it is about spending time together, I would choose the longer vacation. If it about conquering the world, go for the tour.

Thanks but you want to hear something as I was writing that response to you. It actually got me thinking a lot and you hit the head on a nail is it about spending time together his family or is it about conquering everything all at once? And that’s something I have to really ask myself! I need to also be really honest and remember that not only is this going to be a trip to Disneyland but it’s also a holiday trip. I need to really maybe focus more what type of holiday trip this will be. One of my first memories was spending Christmas at Disneyland when I was very young. And when I was planning our trip to Disneyland, I had intentionally planned on doing a longer trip because I didn’t want rope drop and I wanted to just go at my own pace. So I have to just really focus on what I want out of this trip. Also my big rambling post to you lol reminded me that this might be their first trip, but it won’t be there last.