CrazzzyforDisney83
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2013
Guide to Christmas in Disney
- Thread starter PlutoTheDog89
- Start date
PlutoTheDog89
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
CrazzzyforDisney83
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2013
irishabigail
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2013
Thanks, I figured it out after a while!
Here's a list of the common abbreviations if you need to look anything else up. :-D
allears dot net/tp/abrev.htm
CrazzzyforDisney83
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2013
PlutoTheDog89
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
EPCOT POA: Part Three
A lot has changed since I began writing the POA's. If you remember, my Animal Kingdom POA outlined the different areas of the parks, the rides, and how to beat the crowds. EPCOT Part I spoke about my favorite food snacks, and part II spoke about my favorite drinks. Part III will highlight the Christmas attractions, Illuminations, rides, and how to beat the crowds. Since then, Magic Bands have been introduced and FastPass+ has become an option. As a result, the plan of action today may differ greatly from one I had a few months ago. I will run through how I did the previously approached the park, as well as my POA for this year (with FP+).
EPCOT had to be a three-part POA. There is just too much information to pack into one post. Between the food and drinks alone, there is enough information for two posts. Mix in Christmas attractions, and EPCOT is packed with things to do during the Christmas season. While all parks offer a bit of a Christmas twist, EPCOT is probably the best experience. EPCOT offers a candlelight processional, as well as a Christmas attraction/show at many of the countries.
Candlelight Processional
I have never participated in the Candlelight Processional, but I have heard nothing but great reviews. It is an extremely solemn event that takes place in EPCOT between November 29th and December 30th. Each show has a special celebrity narrator, who tells the story of Christmas, accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and choir. Special guests last year include Neil Patrick Harris and Whoopie Goldberg. Both will return this year, along with Sigourney Weaver, Ashley Judd, and many more. Be sure to check the Disney website for narrators and dates.
Show times take place three times during each day of the event - 5:00pm, 6:45pm, and 8:15pm. The show is also available as part of a dinner package. The package includes guaranteed seating, a lunch or dinner, and a VIP view of fireworks (I believe in the area by France.)
The best way to go is to purchase the dinner package. The show is immensely popular and people line up hours in advance. As a result, seating is hard to come by. By booking the dinner package, you are secured a seat, as well as a dinner and VIP viewing for fireworks.
Around the World
EPCOT offers a holiday experience in the World Showcase unique to each respective country. In the UK, Father Christmas shares stories dating back to the 15th century. In Norway, spend time with Sigrid and learn about Julenissen, the Christmas Gnome. Morocco has Taarji, a Moroccan drummer who reflects on family tradition and Ramadan. Celebrate with Los Tres Reyes Magos, the three kings, as they tell of their journey to the Posada. In Japan, hear of the Drauma doll and the Japanese costumes of the New Year. You can find the kind-hearted witch, La Befana, in Italy, and listen to Helga tell the story of the Christmas tree and the Nutcracker in Germany. Discover the magic of Perol Noel in France, and learn about the Chinese New Year in China. In Canada, follow a musical tour and learn about the seasonal customs, and in America, meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus and learn about Hanukkah.
POA
As I mentioned at the start of the post, the POA and your strategy may change with the inception of FP+. I will try my best to work FP+ into the POA, as well as give some tips for those opting out of FP+.
EPCOT can easily be made into a multi-day park. With so much to do, it sometimes seems like this park is two different parks in one. One day, my family likes to dedicate a day to the rides. We arrive at the park and hit all of our favorites - Test Track, Figment, Nemo, and yes, even Ellen's Energy Adventure (for a quick rest). We will still visit World Showcase on these days, but usually just walking around, stopping in Norway for Maelstrom, and maybe picking up a quick snack. As our trip is beginning to wind down and we've seen everything, we'll dedicate a day to the World Showcase. It's on this day we usually stop in the countries and eat and drink. We'll grab nachos at Mexico, School Bread at Norway or a pastry at France, beers and pretzels at Germany, or some fish and chips in the UK.
Let's start with the rides. By far and away, Soarin' is the most popular attraction at EPCOT, and a top-five attraction at all of Disney World. Confession time: I've never been on Soarin'. There was one time that my family was literally ten minutes away from boarding Soarin'. At the time, it was a brand new ride and we were unsure as to what to expect. Those were different times. I wasn't a big ride person. I had never been on Rock 'n' Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror terrified me, and Space Mountain was too dark. My thrills consisted of Test Track, Splash Mountain and the Goofy Coaster. Now, I'm older and wiser and a complete adrenaline junkie. My trips are incomplete without a ride on RnR or Tower of Terror.
Anyway, back to Soarin'. So, since that trip that we chickened out, every trip has been during Christmas week. Because we like to sleep in a bit and not rush to the parks (unless it's MK on Christmas day), Soarin is usually a 180 minute wait by the time we get to the park, and we'd rather use our FP- on Test Track. Well, those days are over. Soarin' was at the top of our list for FP+, and it should be on yours as well.
The next most popular ride is Test Track. Newly designed, Test Track bears many similarities to its original, but with a more high-tech "TRON" feel to it. In the new ride, you are able to design a car and are given a card to bring on the ride with you. The personalization makes you feel like you are test driving the car you just designed, and I believe it gives you feedback on the car. If you FP Test Track, go ahead and skip the customization. It's less than impressive and just adds to the wait time. Surpass those customizing their cars and get on the ride faster.
I'm also a big fan of Mission:Space. My family does not like it, as my dad gets motion sickness, my mom doesn't do big rides, and my sister is claustrophobic. Mission Space still is pretty popular, but does not get the draw it once did. You can easily wait on line for around 40 minutes. If you're a single rider, you'll get on even faster. For this reason, I would not recommend using a FP+ on Mission Space.
How could we forget about Spaceship Earth? It's the first thing you see upon arriving at the park. The ride was refurbished a few years ago to add personalization. Welcomed with questions about yourself, Spaceship Earth presents you with a personalized mini-show at the end of the ride based on your answers. It's still a favorite in my family, and is one of the beloved classics at Disney World. You will not usually wait long for this ride. It is a continuous-loading ride, so the line usually moves pretty quickly. During Christmas, however, you will face longer wait times. If you get there early in the morning, you should be able to walk right on.
My FP+ for the park are Soarin', Test Track and Spaceship Earth. I know what you're thinking - in a previous post, I told you not to use a FP+ on a continuous-load ride (like Pirates or Spaceship Earth). Well I did. My mom doesn't go on rides like Soarin' or Test Track, and we wanted to keep her included. As a result, we opted to use FP+ on Spaceship Earth and even Pirates. After all, the only other ride that would be FP+ worthy is Mission Space and I'd be waiting on the Single Rider line anyway.
Those are my recommendations for FP+. Now, a Plan of Action..
My family has a reservation for Chefs de France on Christmas Eve. As a result, we plan on heading to the park around 5pm and staying until close. Being that it is later in the day, we used our FP+ for the three rides mentioned above. We will be riding Test Track and Spaceship Earth before dinner, heading to our reservation, then Soarin' after dinner. Booking your FP+ like this requires planning. Write down your reservations and/or add them to MDE. Be sure to take these into account while booking your FP+.
We also plan on spending an entire day or two in the park as well. As I mentioned, we like to dedicate one day to going on the rides, and another to eating and drinking around the world.
On a day dedicated to the rides, we like to get to the park fairly early. If we can get there for rope drop, it's great. If not, we try and get there within an hour of the opening. We'll usually secure a FP for Test Track (remember, we have never been on Soarin', so I'd recommend Soarin' as your FP). Let's assume that the FP requires us to return at 1pm. It is now around 9am, and we have some time.
We head over to Spaceship Earth, which is about a 30 minute wait. The line seems to go pretty fast, and we are on before we know it. After Spaceship Earth, it's almost 10am. I want to go on Mission Mars, which is about a 20-30 minute single rider line. My family tells me to meet them in Mouse Gears after. I ride Mission Space and head over to Mouse Gears, where my family is buying gifts and souvenirs for family members and friends. My dad keeps reminding us that our luggage is heavy as it is, so we can't buy too much "stuff". We finish at Mouse Gears (which is an attraction in itself). It's about 11am and we have some time to kill. My mom recommends heading to Maelstrom. We can go to Maelstrom, then stop in Mexico for a snack on the way back to Future World. We get on Maelstrom in about 30 minutes and grab some nachos and quesadillas at the Mexico quick service. It's about 12:45pm and we're walking over to Test Track. We get on the FP line for Test Track and are done by 1:20pm. We're a little tired, so we head over to Ellen's Energy Adventure to get off our feet for a while and relax. After, we check out the lines for Figment and Nemo. If the lines are too long, we save it for an EMH night and call it a day for EPCOT. If not, we ride them both then head back to the hotel.
As I mentioned, we usually cut our days in half. We'll spend a morning/early afternoon at a park, head back to the hotel to relax, then spend the night at a park. We usually tailor our evening plans around reservations and EMH. For example, if a certain park is open until late, that park will be our evening park. We'll usually stay as long as we possibly can. We will also work the park around our ADRs. On a night we are scheduled to eat at Primetime Cafe, we will plan on visiting Hollywood Studios. An exception would be if we had a reservation for Primetime and DHS was set to close early. We would then "hop" over to whichever park has EMH.
Since nearly all the shows and parades take place at night, they usually fall into our plans. Illuminations is one of our favorites. There's just something about watching the fireworks over the water that has a special feel to it. Our go-to location is the bridge between the UK and France pavilion. For some reason, it never feels too crowded and it offers an awesome view of the show. Other areas that we have found to offer great views include:
- World Showcase Plaza (where World Showcase meets Future World)
There's a solid area right between the gift shops that offers a solid view. Do know that this area usually gets pretty packed and congested. Remember, many people who are late to the show coming from Future World will settle for this area. It unfortunately leads to some pushing and shoving.
- Between Norway and Mexico
- Outside terrace at Tokyo Dining: It's covered and elevated. This would be great for a later dinner.
- Mexico Pavilion: If you can't get a seat, try the bridge that leads to Future World
- Canada Pavilion: There are definitely some open areas
- Seating near Rose and Crown: In an earlier EPCOT post, I addressed an area to get drinks near Rose and Crown. Just below this, there is an area to sit and look over the water. This area gets filled hours before the show, however.
If you're willing to spend some money, try the following:
- Rose and Crown Dining: Set up a reservation for Rose & Crown for about 7:30pm and show up early. During Christmas week, show up around 30 minutes early. Ask for a table outside by the water. If you're lucky, you'll have a lagoonside table. It is covered by a canopy, so you may miss the higher fireworks, however.
- Illuminations Cruise: If you don't feel like leaving it up to chance, you can always book an Illuminations Cruise. The boat stops by the UK/France bridge and offers an amazing view and experience. I believe soda and snacks are offered on the cruise
Crowds
Last, I'll talk about the crowds a bit. There's not doubt that crowds are at their peak during Christmas week. Other than NYE day, EPCOT never seems very crowded. Maybe it's the spacious layout, or because there is so many different things to do, but EPCOT is the one park where you never feel claustrophobic. The downside, however, is that due to the smaller amount of rides offered, the popular attractions see astronomical wait times. I once saw Soarin' at 270 minutes (On NYE day).
I would recommend EPCOT most days during Christmas week. I would not recommend EPCOT NYE day, although I will be going NYE after dinner. In my three years, I have only seen MK closed due to capacity on NYE day. While the crowds are ridiculously high, I have never seen EPCOT close.
A lot has changed since I began writing the POA's. If you remember, my Animal Kingdom POA outlined the different areas of the parks, the rides, and how to beat the crowds. EPCOT Part I spoke about my favorite food snacks, and part II spoke about my favorite drinks. Part III will highlight the Christmas attractions, Illuminations, rides, and how to beat the crowds. Since then, Magic Bands have been introduced and FastPass+ has become an option. As a result, the plan of action today may differ greatly from one I had a few months ago. I will run through how I did the previously approached the park, as well as my POA for this year (with FP+).
EPCOT had to be a three-part POA. There is just too much information to pack into one post. Between the food and drinks alone, there is enough information for two posts. Mix in Christmas attractions, and EPCOT is packed with things to do during the Christmas season. While all parks offer a bit of a Christmas twist, EPCOT is probably the best experience. EPCOT offers a candlelight processional, as well as a Christmas attraction/show at many of the countries.
Candlelight Processional
I have never participated in the Candlelight Processional, but I have heard nothing but great reviews. It is an extremely solemn event that takes place in EPCOT between November 29th and December 30th. Each show has a special celebrity narrator, who tells the story of Christmas, accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and choir. Special guests last year include Neil Patrick Harris and Whoopie Goldberg. Both will return this year, along with Sigourney Weaver, Ashley Judd, and many more. Be sure to check the Disney website for narrators and dates.
Show times take place three times during each day of the event - 5:00pm, 6:45pm, and 8:15pm. The show is also available as part of a dinner package. The package includes guaranteed seating, a lunch or dinner, and a VIP view of fireworks (I believe in the area by France.)
The best way to go is to purchase the dinner package. The show is immensely popular and people line up hours in advance. As a result, seating is hard to come by. By booking the dinner package, you are secured a seat, as well as a dinner and VIP viewing for fireworks.
Around the World
EPCOT offers a holiday experience in the World Showcase unique to each respective country. In the UK, Father Christmas shares stories dating back to the 15th century. In Norway, spend time with Sigrid and learn about Julenissen, the Christmas Gnome. Morocco has Taarji, a Moroccan drummer who reflects on family tradition and Ramadan. Celebrate with Los Tres Reyes Magos, the three kings, as they tell of their journey to the Posada. In Japan, hear of the Drauma doll and the Japanese costumes of the New Year. You can find the kind-hearted witch, La Befana, in Italy, and listen to Helga tell the story of the Christmas tree and the Nutcracker in Germany. Discover the magic of Perol Noel in France, and learn about the Chinese New Year in China. In Canada, follow a musical tour and learn about the seasonal customs, and in America, meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus and learn about Hanukkah.
POA
As I mentioned at the start of the post, the POA and your strategy may change with the inception of FP+. I will try my best to work FP+ into the POA, as well as give some tips for those opting out of FP+.
EPCOT can easily be made into a multi-day park. With so much to do, it sometimes seems like this park is two different parks in one. One day, my family likes to dedicate a day to the rides. We arrive at the park and hit all of our favorites - Test Track, Figment, Nemo, and yes, even Ellen's Energy Adventure (for a quick rest). We will still visit World Showcase on these days, but usually just walking around, stopping in Norway for Maelstrom, and maybe picking up a quick snack. As our trip is beginning to wind down and we've seen everything, we'll dedicate a day to the World Showcase. It's on this day we usually stop in the countries and eat and drink. We'll grab nachos at Mexico, School Bread at Norway or a pastry at France, beers and pretzels at Germany, or some fish and chips in the UK.
Let's start with the rides. By far and away, Soarin' is the most popular attraction at EPCOT, and a top-five attraction at all of Disney World. Confession time: I've never been on Soarin'. There was one time that my family was literally ten minutes away from boarding Soarin'. At the time, it was a brand new ride and we were unsure as to what to expect. Those were different times. I wasn't a big ride person. I had never been on Rock 'n' Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror terrified me, and Space Mountain was too dark. My thrills consisted of Test Track, Splash Mountain and the Goofy Coaster. Now, I'm older and wiser and a complete adrenaline junkie. My trips are incomplete without a ride on RnR or Tower of Terror.
Anyway, back to Soarin'. So, since that trip that we chickened out, every trip has been during Christmas week. Because we like to sleep in a bit and not rush to the parks (unless it's MK on Christmas day), Soarin is usually a 180 minute wait by the time we get to the park, and we'd rather use our FP- on Test Track. Well, those days are over. Soarin' was at the top of our list for FP+, and it should be on yours as well.
The next most popular ride is Test Track. Newly designed, Test Track bears many similarities to its original, but with a more high-tech "TRON" feel to it. In the new ride, you are able to design a car and are given a card to bring on the ride with you. The personalization makes you feel like you are test driving the car you just designed, and I believe it gives you feedback on the car. If you FP Test Track, go ahead and skip the customization. It's less than impressive and just adds to the wait time. Surpass those customizing their cars and get on the ride faster.
I'm also a big fan of Mission:Space. My family does not like it, as my dad gets motion sickness, my mom doesn't do big rides, and my sister is claustrophobic. Mission Space still is pretty popular, but does not get the draw it once did. You can easily wait on line for around 40 minutes. If you're a single rider, you'll get on even faster. For this reason, I would not recommend using a FP+ on Mission Space.
How could we forget about Spaceship Earth? It's the first thing you see upon arriving at the park. The ride was refurbished a few years ago to add personalization. Welcomed with questions about yourself, Spaceship Earth presents you with a personalized mini-show at the end of the ride based on your answers. It's still a favorite in my family, and is one of the beloved classics at Disney World. You will not usually wait long for this ride. It is a continuous-loading ride, so the line usually moves pretty quickly. During Christmas, however, you will face longer wait times. If you get there early in the morning, you should be able to walk right on.
My FP+ for the park are Soarin', Test Track and Spaceship Earth. I know what you're thinking - in a previous post, I told you not to use a FP+ on a continuous-load ride (like Pirates or Spaceship Earth). Well I did. My mom doesn't go on rides like Soarin' or Test Track, and we wanted to keep her included. As a result, we opted to use FP+ on Spaceship Earth and even Pirates. After all, the only other ride that would be FP+ worthy is Mission Space and I'd be waiting on the Single Rider line anyway.
Those are my recommendations for FP+. Now, a Plan of Action..
My family has a reservation for Chefs de France on Christmas Eve. As a result, we plan on heading to the park around 5pm and staying until close. Being that it is later in the day, we used our FP+ for the three rides mentioned above. We will be riding Test Track and Spaceship Earth before dinner, heading to our reservation, then Soarin' after dinner. Booking your FP+ like this requires planning. Write down your reservations and/or add them to MDE. Be sure to take these into account while booking your FP+.
We also plan on spending an entire day or two in the park as well. As I mentioned, we like to dedicate one day to going on the rides, and another to eating and drinking around the world.
On a day dedicated to the rides, we like to get to the park fairly early. If we can get there for rope drop, it's great. If not, we try and get there within an hour of the opening. We'll usually secure a FP for Test Track (remember, we have never been on Soarin', so I'd recommend Soarin' as your FP). Let's assume that the FP requires us to return at 1pm. It is now around 9am, and we have some time.
We head over to Spaceship Earth, which is about a 30 minute wait. The line seems to go pretty fast, and we are on before we know it. After Spaceship Earth, it's almost 10am. I want to go on Mission Mars, which is about a 20-30 minute single rider line. My family tells me to meet them in Mouse Gears after. I ride Mission Space and head over to Mouse Gears, where my family is buying gifts and souvenirs for family members and friends. My dad keeps reminding us that our luggage is heavy as it is, so we can't buy too much "stuff". We finish at Mouse Gears (which is an attraction in itself). It's about 11am and we have some time to kill. My mom recommends heading to Maelstrom. We can go to Maelstrom, then stop in Mexico for a snack on the way back to Future World. We get on Maelstrom in about 30 minutes and grab some nachos and quesadillas at the Mexico quick service. It's about 12:45pm and we're walking over to Test Track. We get on the FP line for Test Track and are done by 1:20pm. We're a little tired, so we head over to Ellen's Energy Adventure to get off our feet for a while and relax. After, we check out the lines for Figment and Nemo. If the lines are too long, we save it for an EMH night and call it a day for EPCOT. If not, we ride them both then head back to the hotel.
As I mentioned, we usually cut our days in half. We'll spend a morning/early afternoon at a park, head back to the hotel to relax, then spend the night at a park. We usually tailor our evening plans around reservations and EMH. For example, if a certain park is open until late, that park will be our evening park. We'll usually stay as long as we possibly can. We will also work the park around our ADRs. On a night we are scheduled to eat at Primetime Cafe, we will plan on visiting Hollywood Studios. An exception would be if we had a reservation for Primetime and DHS was set to close early. We would then "hop" over to whichever park has EMH.
Since nearly all the shows and parades take place at night, they usually fall into our plans. Illuminations is one of our favorites. There's just something about watching the fireworks over the water that has a special feel to it. Our go-to location is the bridge between the UK and France pavilion. For some reason, it never feels too crowded and it offers an awesome view of the show. Other areas that we have found to offer great views include:
- World Showcase Plaza (where World Showcase meets Future World)
There's a solid area right between the gift shops that offers a solid view. Do know that this area usually gets pretty packed and congested. Remember, many people who are late to the show coming from Future World will settle for this area. It unfortunately leads to some pushing and shoving.
- Between Norway and Mexico
- Outside terrace at Tokyo Dining: It's covered and elevated. This would be great for a later dinner.
- Mexico Pavilion: If you can't get a seat, try the bridge that leads to Future World
- Canada Pavilion: There are definitely some open areas
- Seating near Rose and Crown: In an earlier EPCOT post, I addressed an area to get drinks near Rose and Crown. Just below this, there is an area to sit and look over the water. This area gets filled hours before the show, however.
If you're willing to spend some money, try the following:
- Rose and Crown Dining: Set up a reservation for Rose & Crown for about 7:30pm and show up early. During Christmas week, show up around 30 minutes early. Ask for a table outside by the water. If you're lucky, you'll have a lagoonside table. It is covered by a canopy, so you may miss the higher fireworks, however.
- Illuminations Cruise: If you don't feel like leaving it up to chance, you can always book an Illuminations Cruise. The boat stops by the UK/France bridge and offers an amazing view and experience. I believe soda and snacks are offered on the cruise
Crowds
Last, I'll talk about the crowds a bit. There's not doubt that crowds are at their peak during Christmas week. Other than NYE day, EPCOT never seems very crowded. Maybe it's the spacious layout, or because there is so many different things to do, but EPCOT is the one park where you never feel claustrophobic. The downside, however, is that due to the smaller amount of rides offered, the popular attractions see astronomical wait times. I once saw Soarin' at 270 minutes (On NYE day).
I would recommend EPCOT most days during Christmas week. I would not recommend EPCOT NYE day, although I will be going NYE after dinner. In my three years, I have only seen MK closed due to capacity on NYE day. While the crowds are ridiculously high, I have never seen EPCOT close.
babybartione
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2012
These have been great posts and can't wait for your next.
As far as your EPCOT if Soarin is the same as the one in California Adventure than it would be #1 on my list. I love DL and when I was younger had a year pass for 12 continuous years. Than had worked in California Adventure. Still every tiume I go Soarin is the one ride that I must ride ever time.
This is going to be my first time going to WDW and will be going 24-30 DEC. I have been to DL on all holidays including working them all for a year. New Years Eve is the worst for crowds there followed closely by X-mas.
As far as your EPCOT if Soarin is the same as the one in California Adventure than it would be #1 on my list. I love DL and when I was younger had a year pass for 12 continuous years. Than had worked in California Adventure. Still every tiume I go Soarin is the one ride that I must ride ever time.
This is going to be my first time going to WDW and will be going 24-30 DEC. I have been to DL on all holidays including working them all for a year. New Years Eve is the worst for crowds there followed closely by X-mas.
KJF0528
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2013
This is my poa for MK the Sunday before Christmas. Do you mind looking at it and telling me what you think?? My kids are 10 and 11.
Rope Drop 8AM
*****Head straight to Fantasyland******
Peter Pan
I can go get FastPass for Winnie
Ariel
Tea Party
It's a Small World
Winnie the Pooh
Probably around 11 here
******Head to Tomorrowland ******
Fast pass+ for Space Mountain (by 11:15)
Fast Pass+ for Buzz Lightyear (by 12:30)
-try to get another fp for Buzz
Stitch
***Liberty Square*** Lunch at 1:35 at Liberty Tavern
*****head to Frontierland*****
~~~~Watch Dreams Come True Parade~~~~ at 3
Fast pass Splash Mountain+ (by 3:30)
Big Thunder Mt RailRoad (try to get FastPass before lunch)
****head back to Liberty Square**
Ride Haunted Mansion(maybe ride between lunch and parade)
Hall of Presidents
Go get dinner at Columbia Harbor House (Liberty Square)
Go sit by Casey's Corner by 7:30. Parade starts at 9. Next one at 10
***Head to Adventureland***
Ride Pirates of the Caribbean
Park closes at Midnight
Rope Drop 8AM
*****Head straight to Fantasyland******
Peter Pan
I can go get FastPass for Winnie
Ariel
Tea Party
It's a Small World
Winnie the Pooh
Probably around 11 here
******Head to Tomorrowland ******
Fast pass+ for Space Mountain (by 11:15)
Fast Pass+ for Buzz Lightyear (by 12:30)
-try to get another fp for Buzz
Stitch
***Liberty Square*** Lunch at 1:35 at Liberty Tavern
*****head to Frontierland*****
~~~~Watch Dreams Come True Parade~~~~ at 3
Fast pass Splash Mountain+ (by 3:30)
Big Thunder Mt RailRoad (try to get FastPass before lunch)
****head back to Liberty Square**
Ride Haunted Mansion(maybe ride between lunch and parade)
Hall of Presidents
Go get dinner at Columbia Harbor House (Liberty Square)
Go sit by Casey's Corner by 7:30. Parade starts at 9. Next one at 10
***Head to Adventureland***
Ride Pirates of the Caribbean
Park closes at Midnight
PlutoTheDog89
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
Hey! First, congrats on the first trip in December. That's really exciting. Your kids are at an awesome age. Around 10 or 11 was my first real memory of Disney World. Anything before that is a blur.
Your POA looks really good. From rope drop to around 10am, you really won't hit LONG lines. While Winnie can get a very long line, it's a continuous-load ride. Especially early in the morning, I don't see the wait time exceeding 25-30 minutes.
Keep in mind that a lot of people are still crazy about the new Fantasyland, so it will be more packed than you would expect.We were surprised last Christmas how short the wait times were after rope drop. We were able to get a FP for Buzz, ride Space Mountain, enjoy a cinnamon roll and ride Thunder Mountain before 11am. I think the combination of it being early and so many people rushing to Fantasyland, it made the park appear less crowded.
By 12pm, Fantasyland was a mad house. The line for Small World extended back to the Haunted Mansion (which is very, very long for Small World), the line for BOG looked like a top attraction, and you could barely move. Granted, this was during Christmas Day, but I do believe this seems to be the trend until the novelty wears off -- then they'll open the new roller coaster and the novelty will be back!
I would not not get another FP for Buzz. Use it to make sure you can secure one for Thunder Mountain. In all honesty, Buzz is great. But, for your first trip I think you should concentrate on hitting the rides you can once and work from there.
As for the parade at night, I don't think you need to get to Casey's 1.5 hours in advance. 45 minutes to an hour will be more than enough. Also, as a small tip, if you get there early, stand with your elbows out separating your family members. It doesn't matter how early you get to the parade, SOMEONE will come and try and cut in front of you.
I would try and tackle Pirates during the second parade (for some reason, my family loves Pirates at night) and then hit any "repeat" rides during this time.
Here's how I'd (slightly) re-work your POA:
8am: Rope Drop
- Head directly to Fantasyland
- Ride Peter Pan (est. wait time: ~20 minutes)
- Ride Small World (est. wait time: ~20-30 minutes)
- Ariel
- Ride Winnie (est. wait time: ~30 minutes)
- Tea Cups (est. wait time: ~10-20 minutes)
~11am: Head to Tomorrowland
- Ride Space Mountain FP+
- Ride Buzz FP+
- Ride Stitch (est. wait time ~30 minutes)
== LUNCH ==
Head to Frontierland
**Change your FP+ from Splash Mountain to Thunder Mountain. You don't know what the weather will be like. It could be freezing or gorgeous out. If it's freezing, you won't want to go on Splash, OR, the wait time will be exponentially lower. The wait time for Thunder will always be high
- FP Splash if available
- Watch Dreams Parade
- FP+ Thunder Mountain
- Head back to Liberty Square
- Ride Haunted Mansion (est. wait time: ~30-45 minutes)
- Hall of Presidents ( if you need a rest )
- Dinner at Columbia Harbour House (please let me know what you think!)
- Line up for parade by Casey's around 8pm
- After parade, head over to Pirates
- Pirates of the Carribean (est. wait time ~30-40 minutes)
- Ride repeats, Dumbo (AWESOME AT NIGHT), Splash Mountain if you could not get it earlier.
Some tips:
- It starts to get crowded on the 22nd, so do expect crowds
- It's your first trip, just enjoy it. It's going to be packed, so prepare to not see and do everything.. Just be happy that you're there and try and enjoy what you can.
- Use the railroad to your advantage. It's a lot to walk around the parks, so hop on the train for an enjoyable, quick trip across the park.
- You'll be on your feet a lot. If you need a break, head to Carousel of Progress, hop on the train, or the people mover for a little break.
- I'd skip Hall of Presidents. It's boring.
- Get a Dole Whip (near pirates)
- RIDE DUMBO at night! If you're gonna ride the other classics, may as well ride the most classic Disney ride of all time!
lthiesfeld07
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2009
Thank you for this thread!!
I'll be in WDW with my family 12/29-01/4.
I've got my dining and Fast Pass + reservations all planned out. I'm just nervous about crowds.
My expectations are managed, but I worry about my family's. They haven't been in 10 years, and I've been 8 times in the past 2 years.
I'm planning on NYE in Epcot. We're planning on staying the whole day at Epcot.
Do you advice on where to wait for Illuminations?
Sent from my iPad using DISBoards
I'll be in WDW with my family 12/29-01/4.
I've got my dining and Fast Pass + reservations all planned out. I'm just nervous about crowds.
My expectations are managed, but I worry about my family's. They haven't been in 10 years, and I've been 8 times in the past 2 years.
I'm planning on NYE in Epcot. We're planning on staying the whole day at Epcot.
Do you advice on where to wait for Illuminations?
Sent from my iPad using DISBoards
PlutoTheDog89
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
PlutoTheDog89
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
The Disney website has released the EMH hours for the week of Christmas. While the times and dates may change as the week approaches, the current EMH seem pretty consistent with the past few years.
A few notes and tips regarding the EMHs and Hours:
- I'm surprised to not see later times on Christmas Eve. My family usually eats dinner then heads back to the hotel, so I'm not completely in-tune with the late night EMH, but 10pm seems a little early for DHS. Wouldn't be surprised to see hours added here.
- If you decide to do Magic Kingdom on Christmas day, get there for the morning EMH. Last year, we got there around 7:45am, with the park opening at 8am. We got on Space Mountain within 20 minutes, and were able to fastpass Buzz at 8am on the dot. The park gets pretty crowded around 11am.
- As I expected, December 27th is a very late night at Magic Kingdom. The park closes at 1am, and the EMHs go from 1am to 3am. This is usually our very late night. It rained last year, so the park was less crowded than usual. My sister and I basically had the park to ourselves around 2am. While I can't promise that will be the case again (let's hope it doesn't rain) if you can pull a late nighter, do it. It's completely worth it. Catch up on the sleep on Saturday.
- On Monday, December 30th, MK does a pre-encore of the NYE show at 12am. For anyone who would like to go to MK for NYE but does not want to deal with (as high of) crowds, this is a solid option. The EMH will not present as low of crowds on the 30th as it will on the 27th. People pack MK on the 30th for the 12am show, and will stick around for the EMH. Expect around 30 minute waits for larger rides still, which will decrease as it nears 2am.
- Not surprised to see MK close at 12am on December 31st. The main reason is the park is so crowded, that they decide to close at midnight. This helps in crowd control. DHS' EMH almost do not even matter on NYE. I remember last year following the fireworks and clean up, TSM has a one hour wait. RnR had about a 45 minute wait. I'm kind of glad we're going to EPCOT this year. After the clock strikes midnight, it's not worth sticking around. You will wait for rides.
A few notes and tips regarding the EMHs and Hours:
- I'm surprised to not see later times on Christmas Eve. My family usually eats dinner then heads back to the hotel, so I'm not completely in-tune with the late night EMH, but 10pm seems a little early for DHS. Wouldn't be surprised to see hours added here.
- If you decide to do Magic Kingdom on Christmas day, get there for the morning EMH. Last year, we got there around 7:45am, with the park opening at 8am. We got on Space Mountain within 20 minutes, and were able to fastpass Buzz at 8am on the dot. The park gets pretty crowded around 11am.
- As I expected, December 27th is a very late night at Magic Kingdom. The park closes at 1am, and the EMHs go from 1am to 3am. This is usually our very late night. It rained last year, so the park was less crowded than usual. My sister and I basically had the park to ourselves around 2am. While I can't promise that will be the case again (let's hope it doesn't rain) if you can pull a late nighter, do it. It's completely worth it. Catch up on the sleep on Saturday.
- On Monday, December 30th, MK does a pre-encore of the NYE show at 12am. For anyone who would like to go to MK for NYE but does not want to deal with (as high of) crowds, this is a solid option. The EMH will not present as low of crowds on the 30th as it will on the 27th. People pack MK on the 30th for the 12am show, and will stick around for the EMH. Expect around 30 minute waits for larger rides still, which will decrease as it nears 2am.
- Not surprised to see MK close at 12am on December 31st. The main reason is the park is so crowded, that they decide to close at midnight. This helps in crowd control. DHS' EMH almost do not even matter on NYE. I remember last year following the fireworks and clean up, TSM has a one hour wait. RnR had about a 45 minute wait. I'm kind of glad we're going to EPCOT this year. After the clock strikes midnight, it's not worth sticking around. You will wait for rides.
KathleenlovesMickey
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2007
For those of you talking about Soar'n just my take on it. The Disneyland ride is so much better!!! We waited almost two hours to ride this a few years ago in WDW and never again!! The screen looks OLD there are rips or damaged areas all over it. I was so disappointed. When we went the ride had only been open a year. The one is DCA is so much better. The cue is more interesting and the screen is so clear you really do feel like you are soar'n!
With that said I still do not understand why they don't do a soar'n over Florida? There are plenty of things to see there. Just the fly over the World would be really cool.
With that said I still do not understand why they don't do a soar'n over Florida? There are plenty of things to see there. Just the fly over the World would be really cool.
babybartione
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2012
A soar'n over the 8-10 top places in America would be cool as well. Always thought they would update the ride every few years with new videos and new simulation flight, they could also keep the older flights and make it like Star Tours where each time is a different experience.
KathleenlovesMickey
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2007
Wow what a great idea! I would love that but they still need to replace the screen at WDW! I guess they don't feel they have to do that tho as the line at both parks is always huge!
toolmanjan
Love DVC Vero Beach
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2008
Looking forward to our first Christmas in the world 12/22-12/30.
Thanks for the help planning!
Thanks for the help planning!
PlutoTheDog89
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
Hollywood Studios POA 1/2
In the EPCOT POA, I covered the huge array of food and beverages that can be found within the park. While EPCOT is known for its food and beverages, Hollywood Studios also offers a fantastic variety of holiday treats.
Perhaps my favorite snack during Christmas time is the Gingerbread cupcake from Starring Rolls. Starring Rolls is the bake shop located near Brown Derby. It is home to some extravagant cupcakes and pastries, including the famous Butterfinger cupcake.
I tried the Gingerbread cupcake for the first time last year. The cupcake features a gingerbread cake, which has the perfect combination of spice and sweetness. The cake is moist and soft. It is complimented by a cream cheese frosting, which offers a sweet and slightly tangy taste. You can use a snack credit for all cupcakes at Starring Rolls, among other pastries. It's a lot of fun to sit outside Starring Rolls and people-watch. My only problem with Starring Rolls is that it is small inside and gets crowded and a bit overwhelming.
DHS also offers a holiday-themed drink menu at Studio Catering Company. The bar, called 'Yuletide Cheer" offers just that. They offer Hot Cider spiked with Captain Morgan, a Merry Margarita, Baileys Coffee, a "Snow Ball", which has Coffee liquer and Baileys, and a "Sleigh Ride", which includes Gin, Rum, Vodka, and cranberry juice.
Of the three times my family has celebrated Christmas and New Year's Eve at Disney, we have gone to DHS for NYE. While it is the least popular of the three parks, it is the least packed. We will be heading over to EPCOT this year, but I will definitely miss kicking off the new year with a ride on Rock 'n' Rollecoaster (or a ride whatsoever - not happening at EPCOT -- maybe it's for the best, because we won't be out late with an early flight.)
In the spirit of NYE, we like to have a drink or two. Our prime spot to watch the fireworks is outside of Primetime Cafe' (but I'll touch on that later). Outside of Primetime, however, is one of a few pop-up bars offered during NYE. My go-to drink has been the Electric Lemonade. It is served with a light-up ice cube (which drives up the cost), but it is fun for NYE. There's something about a drink with a light in it that screams "Happy New Year!"
As far as the holiday "eats" go, you can find many of them throughout the park. At the Streets of America Newsstand, you can find buckets of caramel popcorn, spiced egg nog, and different flavors of hot chocolate.
One of my favorite holiday treats that is offered year-round is the carrot cake cookie at the Writer's Stop. There's something about carrot cake and the holidays that just seems to go. Maybe its the spiciness of the cake, combined with the sweetness of the cream cheese filling. The cookie is a whoopie-pie style cookie. It is two pieces of carrot cakey-cookies with a thick cream cheese frosting in the middle. It's decadent, soft, moist, creamy, and incredible.
As far as holiday meals go, the go-to places here are Brown Derby and 50's Primetime Cafe. Places like the Brown Derby offer a special Christmas entree, and I believe offer a special package for New Years Eve (which I'll touch on in a future post.) The reason why I mention Primetime is that it offers an old "50's experience." I am always craving comfort food during the holidays, and Primtetime Cafe offers just that!
In my next post, I'll cover DHS' christmas attractions and the POA. Stay tuned!
In the EPCOT POA, I covered the huge array of food and beverages that can be found within the park. While EPCOT is known for its food and beverages, Hollywood Studios also offers a fantastic variety of holiday treats.
Perhaps my favorite snack during Christmas time is the Gingerbread cupcake from Starring Rolls. Starring Rolls is the bake shop located near Brown Derby. It is home to some extravagant cupcakes and pastries, including the famous Butterfinger cupcake.
I tried the Gingerbread cupcake for the first time last year. The cupcake features a gingerbread cake, which has the perfect combination of spice and sweetness. The cake is moist and soft. It is complimented by a cream cheese frosting, which offers a sweet and slightly tangy taste. You can use a snack credit for all cupcakes at Starring Rolls, among other pastries. It's a lot of fun to sit outside Starring Rolls and people-watch. My only problem with Starring Rolls is that it is small inside and gets crowded and a bit overwhelming.
DHS also offers a holiday-themed drink menu at Studio Catering Company. The bar, called 'Yuletide Cheer" offers just that. They offer Hot Cider spiked with Captain Morgan, a Merry Margarita, Baileys Coffee, a "Snow Ball", which has Coffee liquer and Baileys, and a "Sleigh Ride", which includes Gin, Rum, Vodka, and cranberry juice.
Of the three times my family has celebrated Christmas and New Year's Eve at Disney, we have gone to DHS for NYE. While it is the least popular of the three parks, it is the least packed. We will be heading over to EPCOT this year, but I will definitely miss kicking off the new year with a ride on Rock 'n' Rollecoaster (or a ride whatsoever - not happening at EPCOT -- maybe it's for the best, because we won't be out late with an early flight.)
In the spirit of NYE, we like to have a drink or two. Our prime spot to watch the fireworks is outside of Primetime Cafe' (but I'll touch on that later). Outside of Primetime, however, is one of a few pop-up bars offered during NYE. My go-to drink has been the Electric Lemonade. It is served with a light-up ice cube (which drives up the cost), but it is fun for NYE. There's something about a drink with a light in it that screams "Happy New Year!"
As far as the holiday "eats" go, you can find many of them throughout the park. At the Streets of America Newsstand, you can find buckets of caramel popcorn, spiced egg nog, and different flavors of hot chocolate.
One of my favorite holiday treats that is offered year-round is the carrot cake cookie at the Writer's Stop. There's something about carrot cake and the holidays that just seems to go. Maybe its the spiciness of the cake, combined with the sweetness of the cream cheese filling. The cookie is a whoopie-pie style cookie. It is two pieces of carrot cakey-cookies with a thick cream cheese frosting in the middle. It's decadent, soft, moist, creamy, and incredible.
As far as holiday meals go, the go-to places here are Brown Derby and 50's Primetime Cafe. Places like the Brown Derby offer a special Christmas entree, and I believe offer a special package for New Years Eve (which I'll touch on in a future post.) The reason why I mention Primetime is that it offers an old "50's experience." I am always craving comfort food during the holidays, and Primtetime Cafe offers just that!
In my next post, I'll cover DHS' christmas attractions and the POA. Stay tuned!
PlutoTheDog89
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
I'd like to start by wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. If you are traveling, I hope that you all have a safe and successful trip without any delays or traffic.
It was a little easier waking up this morning. Maybe it was the fact that I have a short(er) work week, or that I'm excited for my favorite holiday. Either way, I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I went through my normal morning routine. I prepared breakfast. My mom had the radio playing the news, and I skimmed through the news, Twitter, and my email. I came across an email, the email from Disney letting me know that my MagicBands had shipped. I could expect them today! Seconds later, I heard on the news about travel complications tomorrow due to the impending storm here in the Northeast. My mom and I just looked at each other and at the same time said "I sure hope there's no delays in a month.."
It certainly is a scary thought. I remember our first trip my mom predicted a storm. It was Thanksgiving and I was about to head back to school. She restricted me from bringing my car back down with me because she had a "feeling" it was going to snow and did not want me having problems getting back up to NY. If you remember the week of Christmas in 2009, it snowed, and snowed a lot. I took Amtrak up to NY, and we had booked an Amtrak train down to Disney as we did not want to fly and thought the weather would be too uncertain to drive. We were right. However, the morning we were supposed to leave, they said on the radio that there were delays on Amtrak due to the weather. We panicked. We wound up not hitting any delays, but it was certainly nerve-wrecking to say the least.
Anyway, let's stay positive. With a little over a month left until Christmas, it's starting to get exciting. There is still plenty of information to cover, so I will be sure to try my best to get everything in. over the next two weeks, I will cover the second part of the POA for Hollywood Studios, as well as the POA for Magic Kingdom. I will also cover New Years Eve, any questions, and keep you updated as to the weather in Disney. It is uncertain what weather we may see that week. It can easily be 80 degrees one day, then 50 the next. The weather forecast can change literally by day. However, I'll post it Saturday December 21st and Sunday December 22nd as I pack and keep you updated with how I am packing.
...Countdown picture to be uploaded later! Haven't had the chance to do it as I was doing Thanksgiving prep last night!
It was a little easier waking up this morning. Maybe it was the fact that I have a short(er) work week, or that I'm excited for my favorite holiday. Either way, I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I went through my normal morning routine. I prepared breakfast. My mom had the radio playing the news, and I skimmed through the news, Twitter, and my email. I came across an email, the email from Disney letting me know that my MagicBands had shipped. I could expect them today! Seconds later, I heard on the news about travel complications tomorrow due to the impending storm here in the Northeast. My mom and I just looked at each other and at the same time said "I sure hope there's no delays in a month.."
It certainly is a scary thought. I remember our first trip my mom predicted a storm. It was Thanksgiving and I was about to head back to school. She restricted me from bringing my car back down with me because she had a "feeling" it was going to snow and did not want me having problems getting back up to NY. If you remember the week of Christmas in 2009, it snowed, and snowed a lot. I took Amtrak up to NY, and we had booked an Amtrak train down to Disney as we did not want to fly and thought the weather would be too uncertain to drive. We were right. However, the morning we were supposed to leave, they said on the radio that there were delays on Amtrak due to the weather. We panicked. We wound up not hitting any delays, but it was certainly nerve-wrecking to say the least.
Anyway, let's stay positive. With a little over a month left until Christmas, it's starting to get exciting. There is still plenty of information to cover, so I will be sure to try my best to get everything in. over the next two weeks, I will cover the second part of the POA for Hollywood Studios, as well as the POA for Magic Kingdom. I will also cover New Years Eve, any questions, and keep you updated as to the weather in Disney. It is uncertain what weather we may see that week. It can easily be 80 degrees one day, then 50 the next. The weather forecast can change literally by day. However, I'll post it Saturday December 21st and Sunday December 22nd as I pack and keep you updated with how I am packing.
...Countdown picture to be uploaded later! Haven't had the chance to do it as I was doing Thanksgiving prep last night!
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Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
