Official December 2008

[PrincessSuzanne]

Ok as I was looking at the stuff I planned out a few months ago I realized that I was thinking of being at MK and doing LTT for dinner on 12/9. That is not going to work since MVMCP is that day. We haven't decided if we are going to that or not yet. I originally did 7 day park hoppers for our entire 7 day stay but I am thinking that might be a bit much. Maybe we could just get rid of a day or two of parkhoppers and go to the party on the 7th.

I haven't set anything in stone except for the resort and the dates. This is our first trip and I feel completely lost with all of this.

You are doing better than I am then. Since I booked my original trip in August 2007, my resort has changed 4 or 5 times and I still don't have it in stone.

The only thing I hav est in stone is MVMCP on Dec 14, oh and my dates Dec 13-21. Guess it would help to have a hotel to stay in wouldn't it

Suzanne

 

[kadee_29]

What do you have planned so far?

Not much. I have the Passporters and UG and TGM so I have been trying to plan out what days to go where and still have nothing really set.

We are arriving the 7th but since we are driving I was hoping to get in early and stay later on the 13th before doing the two day drive back home. Thats part of the reason I was figuring on parkhoppers for the full 7 days we are there. We are doing the dining plan and the kids want to do a lot of the character meals.

Here is what I have so far....
12/7.... ??? (MK for MVMCP?)
12/8....Epcot with dinner at Garden Grill
12/9... (I had MK with dinner at LTT but that won't work)
12/10...DHS with breakfast at Hollywood and Vine and dinner at Sci-Fi(DH's choice)
12/11...???
12/12...MK with lunch at Crystal Palace
12/13...???

I don't have a day for AK yet but the kids will want to go there at some point. Maybe 12/11. Since I have nothing for the day we get there or the day we leave I thought I could drop 2 days of parkhoppers and do the MVMCP.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Not much. I have the Passporters and UG and TGM so I have been trying to plan out what days to go where and still have nothing really set.

We are arriving the 7th but since we are driving I was hoping to get in early and stay later on the 13th before doing the two day drive back home. Thats part of the reason I was figuring on parkhoppers for the full 7 days we are there. We are doing the dining plan and the kids want to do a lot of the character meals.

Here is what I have so far....
12/7.... ??? (MK for MVMCP?)
12/8....Epcot with dinner at Garden Grill
12/9... (I had MK with dinner at LTT but that won't work)
12/10...DHS with breakfast at Hollywood and Vine and dinner at Sci-Fi(DH's choice)
12/11...???
12/12...MK with lunch at Crystal Palace
12/13...???

I don't have a day for AK yet but the kids will want to go there at some point. Maybe 12/11. Since I have nothing for the day we get there or the day we leave I thought I could drop 2 days of parkhoppers and do the MVMCP.

I haven't looked at it too closely, but personally I wouldn't want to go to MVMCP on my arrival day. I know after a 6 hour car ride (even if we do arrive about 1pm), I am not much in a party mood, I just want to chill out at DTD or the Boardwalk. But that is just me!!!


Suzanne

 

[disneyfreak33]

Nice list and nice work, thank you for that.

I forgot to add we will be staying @ CBR and we are going to be @ MVMCP on the 4th.

We would have loved to go on the 2nd but for lack of not wanting to spend another hour on the phone on hold we opted to go the 4th since the date for the 2nd was not in their computer at the time we called.

Either way we are going and we cannot wait. It's our first time going to the party and my parents first time going at Christmas. I think we will have more fun watching my parents enjoy themselves and seeing our daughter's face light up when she spots Mickey.

 

[joelp]

Not much. I have the Passporters and UG and TGM so I have been trying to plan out what days to go where and still have nothing really set.

We are arriving the 7th but since we are driving I was hoping to get in early and stay later on the 13th before doing the two day drive back home. Thats part of the reason I was figuring on parkhoppers for the full 7 days we are there. We are doing the dining plan and the kids want to do a lot of the character meals.

Here is what I have so far....
12/7.... ??? (MK for MVMCP?)
12/8....Epcot with dinner at Garden Grill
12/9... (I had MK with dinner at LTT but that won't work)
12/10...DHS with breakfast at Hollywood and Vine and dinner at Sci-Fi(DH's choice)
12/11...???
12/12...MK with lunch at Crystal Palace
12/13...???

I don't have a day for AK yet but the kids will want to go there at some point. Maybe 12/11. Since I have nothing for the day we get there or the day we leave I thought I could drop 2 days of parkhoppers and do the MVMCP.

First - I don't believe you pay for Park Hoppers by the day - it's a flat rate added onto the MYW ticket price for the length of your stay ... so dropping 2 days won't save you anyting ...

Second - you've identified one of your big decisions: to do the MVMCP or not? My feeling was that - since we probabky won't be going back to WDW at Christmastime for awhile - go for it ...

Third - I'll second PrincessSuzanne and recommend not going to MVMCP the day you arrive. Plus - I understand they'll be filming the WDW Christmas parade for TV that weekend, so the MK will probably be mobbed!!

Fourth - when planning, make sure you take the afternoons off. You, the DH, and the kids will need the break - especially later in the week. For that reason, I tend to focus the TS meals on breakfasts and lunches and wing it with CS meals for dinner ... (But I won't be following my own advice this trip - and I may pay for it!! )

Gotta run - taking the car for some work ...

 

[bamor]

Can you add us in too?
12/7 to 12/14, BWI.
Me, DH and DD6
Cannot wait!
I think we are going to pass on the MVMCP. Even with the 40% Pin code off the room, I've spent too much already

 

[keelhauled]

Add me too please? Nov 30- Dec 7. Thank you!

 

[kadee_29]

First - I don't believe you pay for Park Hoppers by the day - it's a flat rate added onto the MYW ticket price for the length of your stay ... so dropping 2 days won't save you anyting ...

Second - you've identified one of your big decisions: to do the MVMCP or not? My feeling was that - since we probabky won't be going back to WDW at Christmastime for awhile - go for it ...

Third - I'll second PrincessSuzanne and recommend not going to MVMCP the day you arrive. Plus - I understand they'll be filming the WDW Christmas parade for TV that weekend, so the MK will probably be mobbed!!

Fourth - when planning, make sure you take the afternoons off. You, the DH, and the kids will need the break - especially later in the week. For that reason, I tend to focus the TS meals on breakfasts and lunches and wing it with CS meals for dinner ... (But I won't be following my own advice this trip - and I may pay for it!! )

Gotta run - taking the car for some work ...

First...I checked into the actual prices for MYW tickets and you are absolutely right. I would only save about $15 if I dropped to 5 day tickets instead of 7.

Second...this is the exact reason I was thinking we should do it. I don't know the next time we will get back period, let alone at Christmastime. I know the kids would love it. I think the only thing holding me back right now is thats extra money we could use on the house we are building right now.

Third...I thought the Christmas parade was being filmed the weekend before. That would definitely change plans. I think I was just concerned that if we didn't get there until later in the afternoon we wouldn't have a lot of options for what park to visit.

Fourth...I am already on the nap thing. Especially for the 2 year old (he will be 2 in October). I haven't really set anything in stone yet. Just gotten ideas for a basic timeline on when we could do things.

I thank you for all your help. I just feel so clueless about this whole vacation.

 

[BKMETV]

OK after three months of waffling and too many hours on the food & "beverage' porn threads...I think I've finally picked where to eat...just in time to do the ADRs. I'd really love to hear what everyone thinks:

Dec 7: arrival/HS
D: Sci Fi (then fantasmic & Osbourne lights)

Dec 8: AK
B: Room (we are ordering stuff from Garden Grocer)
L: Flametree BBQ
D: Earl of Sandwich (need to go to DTD for DS to build a lightsaber )

Dec 9: HS
B: Room
L: Planet Pizza
D: Boma

Dec 10: AK in morning then Move to Poly
B: Room
L: Capt Cook
D: Chef Mickey's

Dec 11: MK & MVMCP
B: Capt Cook
L: CRT (for DD & Me OOP - boys will fend for themselves!!)
D: Ohana's

Dec 12: Epcot (late start)
B: Ohana (Lilo & Stitch)
L: Seasons
D: Teppan Edo (I haven't decided if we'll do the candlelight Processional or not)

Dec 13: Epcot
B: Room
L: CS somewhere in WS
D: Narcoossee's (to celebrate my birthday - kids to go to Neverland Club)

Dec 14: MK
B: Kona
L: Columbia Harbour House
D: Whispering Canyon

Dec 15: Early start to the airport

Thanks
Ev

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

First...I checked into the actual prices for MYW tickets and you are absolutely right. I would only save about $15 if I dropped to 5 day tickets instead of 7.

Second...this is the exact reason I was thinking we should do it. I don't know the next time we will get back period, let alone at Christmastime. I know the kids would love it. I think the only thing holding me back right now is thats extra money we could use on the house we are building right now.

Third...I thought the Christmas parade was being filmed the weekend before. That would definitely change plans. I think I was just concerned that if we didn't get there until later in the afternoon we wouldn't have a lot of options for what park to visit.

Fourth...I am already on the nap thing. Especially for the 2 year old (he will be 2 in October). I haven't really set anything in stone yet. Just gotten ideas for a basic timeline on when we could do things.

I thank you for all your help. I just feel so clueless about this whole vacation.

I believe the Christmas parade taping is the weekend before, it has always been the last weekend in Nov/first weekend in Dec. It should be Nov 28 and 29, and 30 only if needed.

Have you looked at the crowd level chart on UG, I went by that for our trip in Dec 2006 and it worked out quite well. That is what I have used to get this years trip in order, now if Disney would just put out the December schedule. Heck, they can't even get the hours out for November, hope they don't do that next month for December. The days for your dates crowd levels range from a 4-6, so that is a good sign.

Even though we are a family of 3 adults, we go back to the room during the early afternoon to give the off property people time to be crowded and then we go back around 4pm and stay til close. We LOVE the parks at night, especially at Christmas.

Suzanne

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Here is my schedule:

Dec 13 Arrival day
Check cousin and her family in at AS Music
Check us into WL
Have lunch at resort
Go to outlets or DTD
maybe go to MK

Dec 14
MK
MVMCP/dinner at LTT

Dec 15
Epcot
Bkfst at Akerhaus Princess Storybook Bkfast
Dinner Cape May Cafe Clam Bake
Boardwalk
Illuminations

Dec 16
AK
Lunch or Dinner at Tusker House
DTD

Dec 17
DHS
Dinner at Hollywood and Vine
Fantasmic

Dec 18
Bkfst at O'hana
Free day to revist AK/DHS/Epcot
DTD
Hoping for T-rex Cafe to be open, if not Rainforest Cafe Dinner

Dec 19
MK
Dinner at 1900 Park Fare
Cousin and most of her family leave for home
DTD

Dec 20
MK
Dinner at Trails End
DTD

Dec 21
Possibly re-visit outlet closest to WDW
DTD?
lunch at CS
head for home


I may have to do some more fine tuning once the schedule comes out, but not much. Hoping for some Evening EMH, especially at DHS/AK. Epcot is not one of our favorites, so one day there is enough and we must begin and end with MK.

We don't take "down" days, we just take a mid-day break and it works out well for us. We would ge to antsy if we tried to take a "down" day away from the parks. We aren't into the Water Parks either.

Suzanne

 

[BKMETV]

This is a quote from Robo (who is all-knowing!!) on the dates for Christmas Parade taping:

"• First weekend that has at least one day in December.
• It starts on Friday and continues thru that Saturday and, sometimes, Sunday.
• Only affects Main Street and Castle in MK
• Most guests seen in the parade crowd are pre-selected in advance by the parade producers.
They spend long hours watching the same 5 minutes of the event, over-and-over, as the cameras capture different angles of the same thing. Then, on to the next 5 minutes of event, over-and-over.

They shoot the show in the mornings, so if you go past Main Street, the rest of MK is pretty empty of guests until, say 2pm, when all of the parade watchers are finished for the day and come into the rest of MK. "

So I'm assuming the parade will be the weekend of Nov 30/Dec 1...right??

 

[thesupersmartguy]

Nov 30-Dec 7.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

This is a quote from Robo (who is all-knowing!!) on the dates for Christmas Parade taping:

"• First weekend that has at least one day in December.
• It starts on Friday and continues thru that Saturday and, sometimes, Sunday.
• Only affects Main Street and Castle in MK
• Most guests seen in the parade crowd are pre-selected in advance by the parade producers.
They spend long hours watching the same 5 minutes of the event, over-and-over, as the cameras capture different angles of the same thing. Then, on to the next 5 minutes of event, over-and-over.

They shoot the show in the mornings, so if you go past Main Street, the rest of MK is pretty empty of guests until, say 2pm, when all of the parade watchers are finished for the day and come into the rest of MK. "

So I'm assuming the parade will be the weekend of Nov 30/Dec 1...right??

I'm sticking with Nov 28-30, but since Thanksgiving is Nov 27, I'm not sure. I won't be there then, can't deal with that mess and Pop Warner and Mousefest, that is just too much overload for me

Suzanne

 

[kadee_29]

I'm sticking with Nov 28-30, but since Thanksgiving is Nov 27, I'm not sure. I won't be there then, can't deal with that mess and Pop Warner and Mousefest, that is just oo much overload for me

Suzanne

I really am starting to rethink our dates for going after looking at all this stuff.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I really am starting to rethink our dates for going after looking at all this stuff.

That was one reason we made a short trip in Dec 2007, to see how crowded it was later in the month. Everything you read says that earlier in the month is least crowded, but to me it wasn't. Mom and I both use ECV's to get around and had a much easier time without all those teens in the evening, which is our favorite time in the parks. We went to Morning EMH at DHS on Sat Dec 22 and the crowd wasn't too bad, but we left about noon and then went to the MK and it was fairly crowded but after the parade and fireworks, there was nobody there and I mean nobody. We slipped out of the crowd at Starlight Rays and after we ate it was unbelievably empty.

Suzanne

 

[suzimar57]

december 5 - 13 for us!

 

[misricsmith]

WE ARE going December 7-14
staying at POLY garden view

 

[marvin12]

Could you please add us to the list Dec 14-Dec 21. Thanks. I don't know if will do the xmas santa: seeing that we have done it the past 6 years. But you never know, there is still lots of time to make up our minds.

 

[BKMETV]

WE ARE going December 7-14
staying at POLY garden view

Looks like we'll be at Poly at the same time. We are staying a AKL 7th-9th then to Poly until the 15th.