Xmas at Disney?

[KingdomHearts]

Hey Disfamily!! We are looking to book a trip for this upcoming Xmas! I do have a few questions...

How did you handle actual xmas day? We have 3 kids who range from 1 year to 13 years so we're kinda trying to figure out xmas day with presents etc. Did you ship them back and forth? Leave them home to open when getting back? How about the tree? I have heard of the owners lockers (i'll search for it) so I'm not sure if that is a good option. Any feedback or advice would be appreciated! thank you so much!!

 

[disneydiz]

I purchased a 4-ft tree from Home Depot and we bring that along with tree skirt and ornaments. We also bring lights for the doorwall and the balcony. It probably helps that we drive. You could probably order a tree from Amazon. The owner's lockers will not fit a tree - they are more for misc. items (keuirig, k-cups, ponchos, etc.). We bring a few small gifts, but my kids are older.

 

[Barbydoll8]

There is a FB group DVC recycle that you can join. Some people celebrate Christmas before Christmas and they pass around a tree from member to member. Not a gaurantee but it's a resource.
I believe you can have things shipped to the resort (presents) prior to arriving and they will hold them at the front desk. Not sure so if someone else can confirm that and/or call the resort.

 

[dez1978]

I guess that depends on if you are flying or driving. Personally, if I was going to be there on xmas day, I'd explain to my kids that santa will still come to the house but we'll have to wait until we get home to open the gifts. I am too lazy to figure out the logistics of getting gifts back and forth to disney without losing or breaking anything. I'd take some sting lights to decorate the room and leave it at that. Also thinking about dealing with all this is why we won't travel over xmas until my kids are out of the santa stage. We also tend to do larger gifts like outdoor things that you couldn't really ship anyway.

 

[MICKIMINI]

You can ship a box "from Santa" to your resort filled with wrapped goodies. They will hold it at the desk for your arrival. I always bring string lights any time of year.

Why not ship wrapped pajamas and a few trinkets/candy or tee shirts? Use USPS one price large box and make sure you ship it with time to spare. Enjoy!

 

[clm10308]

We usually fly southwest so 2 checked bags per person helps. I bought a cheap small tree from Walmart and had one suitcase with the tree, decorations, and a very few gifts. We bought Disney stockings there. I left most of the decorations and the tree behind when we left. (Bagged for trash or housekeeping to keep). The “big” gift for each kid was a Disney gift card to be used on the remaking days of the trip for what ever they wanted. My kids were a bit older though and we never tried to keep up the Santa stuff, so Santa issues we’re not a big deal.

 

[NoTime42]

We just did a a few strands of lights in the room and a small tree with like 1 small gift for each kid. Although it was a surprise trip. We made an excuse to early give them a (used) monorail set that they finished assembling and found magic bands inside the Contemporary.
We explained the trip was their big gift, and they were quite happy with it. So happy that they asked to do it again the following year (knowing it was the trip and less presents). I considered that a huge win that they would rather spend Christmas at Disney with their parents vs more stuff.

 

[jtopp]

Love xmas at disney. Something about walking down main street in shorts and holiday music is so special. We would get a small tree with lights, but would leave all gifts at home (kind of softens the disappointment of leaving). We waited until the kids were past the santa stage, however. Only down side is how crowded it is, making even simple things difficult.

 

[tgropp]

We purchased a six foot tree at Walmart. 400 lights and decorations all for under $50. we had it for 10 days and left it by the elevator on the third floor of BRV’s on the day after Christmas. It was gone in five minutes. We brought some gifts for the grandchildren but that was it. Avoid MK on Christmas day

 

[tgropp]

We purchased a six foot tree at Walmart. 400 lights and decorations all for under $50. we had it for 10 days and left it by the elevator on the third floor of BRV’s on the day after Christmas. It was gone in five minutes. We brought some gifts for the grandchildren but that was it. Avoid MK on Christmas day

 

[Her Dotness]

Definitely avoid MK entirely on The Day.

We thought we could eat early (8:00ish) at CRT and get out before it got crazy. Except, Main Street was literally shoulder-to-shoulder by 9:30. Thankfully, a kind CM noticed my DH and another guest were in ECVs and led us to the gate to escape.

Even Epcot was a madhouse around noon.

As a result, I suggest making Christmas Day a resort-only day. We wished we had.

I really felt for the CMs at the Epcot monorail station who screened Magic Bands to allow only guests staying at the monorail resorts to get on the train after the MK closed. People were nuts, screaming at CMs that if their kids didn't get x-y-z, their entire Christmas would be ruined.

 

[vinmar4]

We usually fly southwest so 2 checked bags per person helps. I bought a cheap small tree from Walmart and had one suitcase with the tree, decorations, and a very few gifts. We bought Disney stockings there. I left most of the decorations and the tree behind when we left. (Bagged for trash or housekeeping to keep). The “big” gift for each kid was a Disney gift card to be used on the remaking days of the trip for what ever they wanted. My kids were a bit older though and we never tried to keep up the Santa stuff, so Santa issues we’re not a big deal.

We did the exact same thing one Christmas regarding the small Christmas tree. I also packed a Christmas table runner for dinner and some of those small twinkle lights that we used to decorate different areas. We also got them GCs to get something they really wanted at the parks.
We actually took some homemade tamales frozen in our check in luggage and just steamed them on Christmas Eve ( we had to have some homemade tamales, lol) if not, is not Christmas for us. We bought a small ham after going to Christmas even Mass in Celebration , and cooked it there, we had a 2 bedroom at AK Jambo house. We saw a lot of families come down by the big Christmas tree in the lobby to open presents and take pictures. I remember they had Santa there a few days. This was Christmas 2019.

 

[CaoilinnsMom]

Pop-up tree, there are bunch of them on Amazon all price ranges. You could probably have some other stuff sent to the hotel for decorations as well. I have done stockings at Disney and presents at home, but in my family Santa only brings stockings. Kids knew the presents were at home. Disney PJs and Christmas morning breakfast at the hotel restaurant. We went to the candlelight processional this year, on the 23rd, and it was great, I highly recommend if you want to emphasize the Christmas story. My kids liked it as much as I did. I agree that Christmas Eve and Day can be kind of crazy. We had a Dessert party reservation for fireworks viewing on Christmas Eve 2019, that was awesome too.