Joanna71985
<marquee><font color=green>Characters are my frien
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2005
Emilee's mom said:This may seem like a dumb question, but do they close the park to everyone who doesn't have a wristband from 7pm for the rest of the evening? We are comtemplating going one evening when we are there but according to the dates that means the MK will be closed for 5 evenings of our trip!
Joanna71985 said:
canwegosoon said:We check in on the 23rd...I hope they might add our date...but if not..its ok.
Now I really need help planning this trip-I have never been at wdw for Christmas. We are doing the dining plan and want to do CP for Christmas eve. Anyone know when CP tickets usually go on sale? Anyone have a list of must do's(we are experienced wdw visitors-and will be going again just not at Christmas) So what do you do? I am expecting massive crowds, but really don't do well waiting...(not good for me I know)...but we are night owls and I am hoping to get our ride fixes in at the late EE. Does anyone have some ideas for me? Also I really need a clothing list-what is cold? TIA
Jessica thank you for your awsome post...I am c/p it to a file for my Christmas Plans. I think I am going to book a meal at GF again to get over to see the Gingerbread house. I am hoping to get into VWL or BWV (I know I will be waitlisted). Any one have suggestions for Christmas Day? I am traveling with 2 boys and hoping to have a small tree and will probably ship a 2 gifts from Santa with a note that the rest are at home. I also want to do a Santa meet, and the Story Tellers at Epcot. I am hoping to do LeCellier for Christmas eve with the CP 2nd choice is the Beirgarten...I bet that would look nice for Christmas too.Mickey's Sister said:We were at Disney the week after Thanksgiving 2005. It was quite cold for half of the trip. My DSis has lived outside Orlando for almost 14 years & warned me to be prepared for anything. Still, I brought mostly shorts & was only able to wear them a few days. We actually wore down parkas to MVMCP & CP - and I'm a northerner. (It was 19 degrees when we left PA.) We had 2 evenings in the upper 30's/low 40's. So be prepared!
CP is IMHO, the best holiday offering. It should be incredibly magical on Christmas Eve! We LOVED it! I'm probably one of the very few who did not much enjoy MVMCP. The parade & fireworks were awesome & I think everyone should try it at least once, just to see for yourself. It's probably just me but I did not feel especially 'Christmasy'. Despite reading the many threads & making plans, we always seemed to be in the area of the biggest crowds. Plus I was disappointed to be shuttled to Frontierland rather then Tomorrowland for the hour before 7. There was very little there that we wanted to do. If I had known about this, we would have scheduled dinner at that time. Instead, we had a large late lunch so we could devote as much time as possible to the party. We looked longingly at the happy diners in LTT, wishing we could join them. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say! I would suggest making ADR's as soon as you get your MVMCP tickets (or as soon after that as allowed)at your favorite MK sit-down restaurant to help cover the 6 - 7 time period. If you've never done LTT - it's a lovely meal & it looked especially festive for the holidays. My only outright complaint was about the picture takers for the free photo. The ones we had to deal with were unbelievably rude. I've never encountered behavior like that at Disney. My Dsis & her boyfriend - both former long-term CM'S - were extremely upset by the behavior & for the first time ever complained to guest services. These picture takers were talking in Spanish about the guests assuming no one could understand them. Dsis's boyfriend is fluent & so knew what was said & confronted them. Not a good experience... Then to top it off our pictures were awful, though many here have received good pictures. It might just be our bad luck.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Osborne Lights. Crowds were small & the whole atmosphere was very magical.
I also recommend visiting the different resorts to see their holiday decorations. WL is stunning - even more so at Christmas than usual... The GF lobby is very impressive as well - you must see the huge gingerbread house! You might want to consider booking one of the carriage rides during your visit to a resort. WL offers a 'sleigh ride' (the carriage is decorated to look like a sleigh). FW has a hayride through the campground which is supposed to be a lot of fun - they pass the decorated campsites & everyone sings carols. I've read about this here but have not experienced it first hand.
Sorry for getting a bit off topic. Enjoy your planning. We were doing the same thing last year at this time. That's a big part of the fun!!!
Jessica
Joanna71985 said:Mickey's Sister, would you suggest getting advanced reservations to the CP at Epcot? I am thinking about going and I'm not sure if I should just wing it when I'm there, or order it in advance.
canwegosoon said:Jessica thank you for your awsome post...I am c/p it to a file for my Christmas Plans. I think I am going to book a meal at GF again to get over to see the Gingerbread house. I am hoping to get into VWL or BWV (I know I will be waitlisted). Any one have suggestions for Christmas Day? I am traveling with 2 boys and hoping to have a small tree and will probably ship a 2 gifts from Santa with a note that the rest are at home. I also want to do a Santa meet, and the Story Tellers at Epcot. I am hoping to do LeCellier for Christmas eve with the CP 2nd choice is the Beirgarten...I bet that would look nice for Christmas too.
Has anyone else heard of some great ideas for Christmas.
Joanna71985 said:Mickey's Sister, would you suggest getting advanced reservations to the CP at Epcot? I am thinking about going and I'm not sure if I should just wing it when I'm there, or order it in advance.
Mickey's Sister said:You're welcome! It's fun for me because talking about Disney is the next best thing to being there.
Speaking of Christmas trees, last year triplefigs arranged a tree swap. Someone would buy a little tree for their resort stay, put lights & decorations on it & then at the end of their stay would pass it on to another pre-arranged person who would also add things & then pass it on to someone else, and so on... Maybe someone will do that again.
The Santa at DTD was absolutely Great!!! One of the best I've ever seen. We saw him in the early afternoon & there was no line. Plus there was no pressure to buy the photo package. They let you take your own photos at the same time.
I would book Le Cellier as soon as it is possible. That one seemed to be a very difficult ADR to get, I would grab that the day it becomes available - seriously! Especially for Christmas Eve. We actually did the Biergarten & ended up not liking the food The staff was lovely & it's a very festive environment, but there was almost nothing we liked to eat. But everyone's taste is different...
I agree with the dinner at GF idea! We always eat dinner at 1900 Park Fare on the day we arrive at Disney. It's especially lovely at the GF at night, when they have the live music playing, plus add those incredible holiday decorations...(wow, I envy you!) Then we take a ride around the monorail loop.
Another thing your boys might like, depending on their ages, is the Winter Summerland miniature golf. It's all Santa/Christmas themed. We had hoped to do that too, but couldn't fit it in the schedule.
The resorts all have special things going on around Christmas - visits from characters, live carolers & music, gingerbread decorating - it varies by resort. It's usually on Deb Wills's site as soon as it's available. So you'll know what your resort is offering.
Now before I get into serious trouble for being off-topic... SORRY!
Jessica
canwegosoon said:Yes I am definatly doing the LC as the CP dining...I have heard it is impossible to get an ADR otherwise(I will try as we are on the dining plan). Any advice as to going to CP first then dinner or vice versa...I am trying to get a feel for it, but have never done it, so don't know what to do as far as booking and ADR. I am aware of the CC hilding the reservation. Is it something like the Fantasmic dinner package? That I have done a few times. Any advice on when to see Osborne lights? I was thinking about that too as a must do.
MemoryMakers2669 said:It will be dark for the 6:45 show right? What are the times for the CP?
canwegosoon said:Yes I am definatly doing the LC as the CP dining...I have heard it is impossible to get an ADR otherwise(I will try as we are on the dining plan). Any advice as to going to CP first then dinner or vice versa...I am trying to get a feel for it, but have never done it, so don't know what to do as far as booking and ADR. I am aware of the CC hilding the reservation. Is it something like the Fantasmic dinner package? That I have done a few times. Any advice on when to see Osborne lights? I was thinking about that too as a must do.
canwegosoon said:Yes I am definatly doing the LC as the CP dining...I have heard it is impossible to get an ADR otherwise(I will try as we are on the dining plan). Any advice as to going to CP first then dinner or vice versa...I am trying to get a feel for it, but have never done it, so don't know what to do as far as booking and ADR. I am aware of the CC hilding the reservation. Is it something like the Fantasmic dinner package? That I have done a few times. Any advice on when to see Osborne lights? I was thinking about that too as a must do.
gssmks said:What is everyone's favorite restaurant for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners?