Disney At Christmas Cause We're Crazy - DACCWC - Discussion Thread WE'RE BACK

[Madonna3]

I don't really do well with pre-trip and post-trip reports, but I love discussions. So, if you'd like to join in on the discussion or ask questions or just leave your 2 cents, then please feel free.

Last year, we did DACCWC for the first time. We stayed at AKL - Kidani in a 2 bedroom suite from Dec 21-27. It was really nice until about the afternoon of the 23rd of December. Then, EVERYONE showed up. My mother holed up in our resort and ordered room service much of the time. I was not pleased with this as she wouldn't leave the room and go explore the beautiful resort that is AKL. Myself, my son, and my husband, however, were off to the races almost every day. This was not a relaxing way to spend our time.

This year, I asked the family if we could go somewhere else besides Disney. We all agreed on St. Augustine. However, as the trip got closer and I tried to plan things out, the more I realized that for 2 days we'd be stuck in our rooms at the hotel. That's no fun, so back to Disney we go.

This time, however, I opted for 2 rooms at a moderate. It's not price that gets us, but rather atmosphere. The first year, we tacked on a night at POR before xferring over to AKL because we wanted to get to Disney early. I secretly wished we were staying at POR after I got there and didn't have to xfer down to AKL. The boat dock all lit up as we waited for the DS boat, the horse drawn carriage all lit up, the sights and smells of POR at night was just so romantic I couldn't figure out why I didn't book that instead. So, not to make the same mistake twice, I booked POR for this go.

My hope is that since my mother can't order room service at POR that she'll leave the room and go to the food court, or the shops, or scoot along the path that runs between POR and POFQ.

We have NO park plans. NONE. Last year we ran ourselves ragged. This year, the only times we set foot in the park are for our special events, of which we have 3.

Dec 22 - MVMCP
Dec 23 - Drone Show at DS and Xmas tree trail
Dec 24 - Illuminations Dessert Party
Dec 25 - JBJB at HS
Dec 26 - Head home

I am trying to tack on the night of the 21st since I just saw that you can book additional nights at a discount at certain resorts, but my husband is working until 10 and kinda ruined that for me. However, I might go anyway. Not sure.

 

[AndiSlamberg]

I don't think I could ever be brave enough to head to WDW without any plans!! That's awesome! I really hope your Mom does end up leaving the hotel room, did she ever give a reason as to why she didn't feel like she wanted to in the first place? (Maybe it would help with suggestions to get her out and about).
I love POR so much too! Sounds like you are going to have a great trip!

 

[disneydreamer781]

I kind of like the idea of not having park plans. I know my husband would love that idea. Just winging it and taking it easy sounds good to me after our trip last week. I always say I'm going to do that but have yet to. I will have to swear to get my husband to keep going. Unfortunately, our next trip is October and both Pandora and ROL should be open so that will be hard to keep to.

 

[Madonna3]

I don't think I could ever be brave enough to head to WDW without any plans!! That's awesome! I really hope your Mom does end up leaving the hotel room, did she ever give a reason as to why she didn't feel like she wanted to in the first place? (Maybe it would help with suggestions to get her out and about).
I love POR so much too! Sounds like you are going to have a great trip!

My mother is somewhat lazy. So, if we weren't around she wouldn't leave the room, but on the other hand, she wouldn't come with us either. So, it's mostly because unless we make a substantial amount of effort to get her out of the room, she won't go and there's only so much effort we can muster up ourselves.

We don't make plans because it's just too much. Running from place to place on vacation just isn't our idea of a good time. I guess because we're annual passholders that we can take that lackluster attitude. If we don't eat at a certain restaurant, then it doesn't matter, maybe next time. If we don't ride a certain attraction, then it doesn't matter, maybe next time. All the plans stopped making going to Disney fun. As soon as we stopped the plans and the schedule the magic returned.

 

[Madonna3]

I kind of like the idea of not having park plans. I know my husband would love that idea. Just winging it and taking it easy sounds good to me after our trip last week. I always say I'm going to do that but have yet to. I will have to swear to get my husband to keep going. Unfortunately, our next trip is October and both Pandora and ROL should be open so that will be hard to keep to.

I understand the draw of wanting to see it all the first time. I think because we're AP's that it just doesn't matter to us if we don't get to do something. We'll enjoy what we can do. If you're ok with that kind of cavalier attitude then you'll have a much better time imo. If you must see and do it all the first time then yes, you'll be running around. If you can just explore and take fastpasses at whatever times they become available and eat at whatever happens to have an open table then you may experience things you never "planned" on. I tried Monsieur Paul for the first time because it was where we could get a table and now it's my favorite!

 

[Madonna3]

In my previous report I said:,

I am trying to tack on the night of the 21st since I just saw that you can book additional nights at a discount at certain resorts, but my husband is working until 10 and kinda ruined that for me. However, I might go anyway. Not sure.

Yeah, that's not happening. My AP room rate is average $199/night for each room. The special offer they have to "extend" your vacation is $185/ per room, per night. Not really the deal I was hoping for. With tax, it's like $208 per room, per night (and we have 2 rooms), just to get there a few hours early. No thanks.

I still might leave the night before. I just might grab a hotel in Tampa or Lakeland instead. In fact, my mother has to go to TD bank before we go and the closest one is in Bartow on our way out to Disney. So, I was thinking of getting a hotel near the bank so when it opens we can be first in line and then just head out to Disney.

 

[Madonna3]

So I did just that. I booked two rooms at the Comfort Inn in Lakeland. It's a block from the bank, so we'll check in VERY late the Comfort Inn and then we'll get up in the AM, have breakfast, and then head over to the bank and then we're only about 30 minutes from Disney at this point.

 

[Madonna3]

Well I am here at work today questioning why I always decide to work a full day on a day when I plan to leave for a trip. It does nothing but stress me right out. I modeled my outfits for my husband last night. I was hoping to wake up at 4:30am and be to work by 6. LOL! That didn't happen. I strolled through the door at 8:15. Oh well.

 

[MrsIncredibleNY]

Following along!

We arrive on Friday and we have SO many plans...whereas my husband wants to "wing it." We may end up doing a combo of both.

I've never done Disney at Christmas but I'm excited!

 

[Madonna3]

Following along!

We arrive on Friday and we have SO many plans...whereas my husband wants to "wing it." We may end up doing a combo of both.

I've never done Disney at Christmas but I'm excited!

I think you're going to find that you're going to do a combo of both. I don't know how you're planning on getting around, but add an extra 10-15 minutes to estimated travel times.

 

[ShellyShell]

I so wish I could wing it but I just might have an anxiety attack trying to do it. I don't particularly care for planning out a whole day either so I got in the fast passes of the rides I think the kids will like because this is my son's first time and my daughter hasn't gone since she was 4 so she does not remember. Other than that we will work with what we get. This is my first time going during Christmas as well so I am more so not going to stress myself on the crowds and the long lines. I just want to be able to take it all in and enjoy it.

 

[Madonna3]

I so wish I could wing it but I just might have an anxiety attack trying to do it. I don't particularly care for planning out a whole day either so I got in the fast passes of the rides I think the kids will like because this is my son's first time and my daughter hasn't gone since she was 4 so she does not remember. Other than that we will work with what we get. This is my first time going during Christmas as well so I am more so not going to stress myself on the crowds and the long lines. I just want to be able to take it all in and enjoy it.

I used to think that way and then one day, my plans all went completely in the toilet and I had an absolute melt down. I've winged it ever since and never looked back.

 

[Paulll92]

I went to WDW just after Thanksgiving this year (stayed at Caribbean Beach!). Was down there for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and got a Christmas photo with all 7 dwarfs in one sitting!! Once MVMCP starts, head over to where Pete's Silly Sideshow is! Line forms quick, so if you're interested make sure you get there early! Have fun!!!

 

[Madonna3]

So we're back.

Final thoughts.

Loved our stay at POR - Riverside. In fact, we loved it even more than our stay last year at Animal Kingdom Lodge. AKL is a really big place and last year, the walk from the room to the lobby was atrocious. POR is also very big, but we were right by the stairs in building 85 in so if we went down the steps we were right by our car and if we walked to the other side of the building we were right by the bridge to take us over to the pool/lobby. We loved the location. We also loved the food courts and choices between the two PO resorts. We would go to FQ in the morning to get breakfast and then head back over to POR. My husband and I found this to be a very relaxing resort. My ONLY complaint at POR is that you can hear the toilets flush through ALL hours of the day/night. Those are some powerful potties!!

We found bus transportation TO the park fantastic. Coming FROM the parks was awful. Also, I had read that POR was testing or had enacted a route where South depot would have their own bus. That was not true for this vacation, but it should have been or perhaps it was, but was at times when we did not take the bus.

Our first day we did Skipper's Canteen and MVMCP. We won't do the party again as we did not find it enjoyable, but may return to Skipper's Canteen. Skipper's Canteen just wasn't anything special for me. The food was "ok", with the steak being fantastic and that's the ONLY reason I would visit again, but otherwise, we really didn't find anything as a stand out to bring us back. However, if we're hungry and they have an open table, I'd go back. I just won't go out of my way to go back. The wait for Space Mountain was over 45 minutes long. We don't do character meet n greets so this didn't really phase us. The only rides we went on were Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and The People Mover. My son rode the Tomorrowland Speedway 3x, however. We found it to be too crowded and if I ate one more cookie I was going to turn into a cookie. They were just shoving cookies in our faces everywhere we went. The attitudes were STRONG with the cast members at this event. In fact, when one cast member asked my disabled mother to move her parade spot after sitting in that spot for 90 minutes I objected stating she had that spot for over 90 minutes, he had 90 minutes to ask her to adjust, and if someone wants to come to the viewing area two minutes before the parade starts then they should not expect others who have been waiting to accommodate them. Now I said this VERY politely as I realize he is only trying to make everyone happy, but moving my mother would have forced her into a lamp post and completely have obstructed her view, so this is why I objected. The cast member said, "Fine, but you don't have to get an attitude about it." Um, excuse me? His supervisor was immediately summoned. This cast member was treating everyone in the disabled area as if they were an inconvenience so he had angered quite a few others before me. However, I wasn't going to tolerate his behavior and scolded him in front of his manager for talking to me and other in such a disrespectful way. He was removed from the area. Regardless of attutide-y cast members, the party still held no appeal for us and we all agreed it was nice to see it once, but we'll stick to Halloween.

Our second night we did resort time and DS. My hubby and I arose around 10 and went to FQ for breakfast. We intended on getting the Pain Perdu, but couldn't find it until we were at the register paying. We didn't see the station to the far, far right. So we paid for what we already had and decided we'd come back the next day. After breakfast we hung around FQ for a bit and then went back and napped. We rose for lunch around 2 and had salads at the POR food court. I *love* the make your own salad station. Around 5, we jumped the boats to DS and headed over there with the intention of seeing the drone show and the Christmas trees. These plans got thwarted by an ill timed visit to Guest Relations. See, our AP's when we purchased them included DQ. They removed this as an option shortly after renewal. So, in July I paid to enter DQ. This trip, my son who was prepared to pay for entry, was informed that his pass now once again included DQ, and he was let in free with instructions to go to Guest Relations and have it added back onto his band. Well, he called his father and I and told us this, so we diverted to Guest Relations. Now, not only did Guest Relations refund my money back in July as I was able to prove my purchase via a credit card statement, but they added the passes back to our bands. Only problem was it took 1.5 hours and I had missed our 8:15pm ADR at Bongos which is where I planned to catch the 8:30 drone show. Our son had checked in so he got to see it, but my husband and I missed it. The show is only 4 minutes long, but my son said it was "AWESOME", so I'm sorry we missed it, but I am glad he got to see it as he had a perfect view of it from Bongos 2nd floor outdoor seating area. Bongos sucked. Will not return.

Our third night was Epcot Sparkling Dessert Party. I honestly cannot remember what else we did, but I am pretty sure it was nothing. We headed into Epcot around 6pm and check in for the party at 7:30. This is a MUST do. If you are considering this for your vacation, I highly recommend it. We had a lovely time and it was made even better by the special Christmas finale after Illuminations, so it was like 2 shows in one. This was the most enjoyable dessert party we've ever done. After the dessert party, my husband and I who had slept ALL day weren't ready to head home. So, we grabbed a cab from Epcot and made it back to POR in record time. We jumped in the car and managed to park and get tickets and seat ourselves for an 11pm showing of Rogue One. We returned to POR pretty late.

Our final night, Christmas night, we had tickets for the Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam dessert party. This was meh. I won't do this one again. What I liked about it was the food offerings. Not everything was a sweet. There were some salads available and some other hot snacks along with dessert offerings and a wonderful bar service that was included. So, I felt the food was a bit more high quality than other parties, but what I really didn't like was the dedicated viewing area. Sure, there's a spot for you to watch the show, but there are 400 other people stacked directly in front of you and it just doesn't feel like a view worth paying for and I would have been better off seeking out a spot on Hollywood Boulevard. After the show, we were able to make our way to a nearly empty Fantasmic!, so we watched that. My son did 2 drops on Tower of Terror and then we shopped in all the stores until we resigned to the fact our trip was coming to a close and it was time to leave. We headed back to POR (Bus service was actually decent today, the only time in the trip) and started packing up.

Uneventful ride home for the most part. I-4 was nuts in both directions, so we diverted off and took the back roads home.

We're thinking Thanksgiving next year instead of Christmas.