***Official December 2017 thread!

[BigredNole]

Thanks. We needed to plan a night there any way. Not too big of a deal. I rearranged FPs for the next morning after DW gets in. We can go to DHS in the morning, she can take a nap in the afternoon, and we can head to DS that night...plus, I want Blaze pizza.

 

[FinnsMom7]

Thanks. We needed to plan a night there any way. Not too big of a deal. I rearranged FPs for the next morning after DW gets in. We can go to DHS in the morning, she can take a nap in the afternoon, and we can head to DS that night...plus, I want Blaze pizza.

I just found out there is now a Blaze Pizza 5 mins from my work, I will have to check it out

 

[hsmamainva]

For whoever was asking, Universal is notoriously bad about posting hours! They just don't have their IT act together as well as Disney does. You can do a google search for Universal Christmas and find links -- I know there's a Harry Potter Christmas celebration this season. Lights and fireworks etc. But don't know much more than that.

 

[sbarisch]

I just found out there is now a Blaze Pizza 5 mins from my work, I will have to check it out

I second Blaze Pizza. There's one here. Love it!

 

[BZMomNJ]

We just booked a trip for Christmas week!!! Feeling insane but also super excited! We'll be arriving late on 12/24 and hope to Rope Drop MK Christmas Day. EEK!
I noticed that the Christmas Parade has already replaced FoF each day of our visit. But Happily Ever After is still showing as the fireworks show. I've read that the show usually changes Christmas week to the one they show at MVMCP. I'm hoping that's not the case this year because we are all dying to see HEA. Anyone care to guess what they'll decide and when the updated info will be available?

 

[whitesidelady]

Hi to all!! My family ( girls ages 9 & 20 months are headed to Disney on dec 10-16. This is our first trip to Disney as a family. We were scheduled to go in sept but Irma rerouted us to dec which is actually a blessing in disquise. We will celebrate my now 8 year old birthday there! Shhh it's a secret she has no idea we are still even going. Anyhow, we have booked MVMCP, but what others are "must do" at Christmas?? Suggestions greatly appreciated!!

 

[dnllmz]

Hi to all!! My family ( girls ages 9 & 20 months are headed to Disney on dec 10-16. This is our first trip to Disney as a family. We were scheduled to go in sept but Irma rerouted us to dec which is actually a blessing in disquise. We will celebrate my now 8 year old birthday there! Shhh it's a secret she has no idea we are still even going. Anyhow, we have booked MVMCP, but what others are "must do" at Christmas?? Suggestions greatly appreciated!!

The resorts are decorated for Christmas & if you have some down time you might want to check some of the deluxes out. Contemporary has a Frozen themed gingerbread display which we really enjoyed. People staying at the campground decorate. We haven’t made it over there but have heard some people go all out.

HS - has the Jingle Bell Jingle Bam show which is cute & are having a new projection show that is off the Tower of Terror. I think that one runs through the night. The Frozen Sing Along is adding some new songs for the holiday season so if she likes Frozen that might be fun. And the lake is going to be decorated this year.

Epcot has Storytellers in each country that tell how that country celebrates. We only saw the Norwegian one & it was so cute. We are definitely doing more this year. Disney Tourist blog usually has a nice write up of what each country has. New this year is the Chip N Dale ornament hunt in WS. You buy a map & if you find all the hidden ornaments you win a prize. We did the Santa & Mrs Claus meet & greet last year. It was pretty cute to get both of them in the picture with the kids.

AK I don’t think they have a lot. The tree is beautiful & I know Mickey & Minnie are dressed in Christmas themed clothing at their meet & greet.

Someone posted about Disney Springs with their list of stuff a couple of days ago so you can scroll up a little to see that. You’re going to have a great trip!

 

[NurseNoa]

Just found this thread. We're going Dec 10-15, staying offsite. This is our first visit (we live overseas) except DH who visited from South Africa over 30 years ago as a teenager. We = DS - age 11, DD - age nearly 9, and DS - 5.5, plus myself and DH.
I managed to get a last minute throw-away tent site so I have been able to book FP's for our first 3 days so far. I would love any advice.

Sunday - drive in from Ft. Lauderdale straight to MK. Hope to arrive by 11:30 am. Need to go to guest services and try and arrange a DAS for myself (I am on chemotherapy for breast cancer - this trip was planned before knowing I had cancer). Our FPs are:
1:15-2:15 Buzz Lightyear
2:15-3:15 Peter Pan's flight
4:00-5:00 Meeting Rapunzel and Tiana (this is is booked for myself and the 2 younger ones)
4:59-5:50 Space Mountain (booked for DH and DS11, I will rider-swap it)
Park closes early for party, so we'll go check in. Whatever else we manage to do in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland is great

Monday - EPCOT
10-11 Mission:Space
11-12 Spaceship Earth
5:15-6:15 FEA

Plan is to do future world in the morning, go back to hotel for a couple hours and then return for our Frozen FP and do the world showcase until Illuminations.

Tuesday - AK
I just managed to get a FP for us all at NRJ at 1:30. Not an ideal time, and FoP was all gone even at 7:00 am. Within 5 minutes all the NRJ were gone too.
So, we have
11-12 EE
1:30-2:30 NRJ
4-5 Kili safari
We have an ADR at Tusker House for 11:40 that I am trying hard to get moved to 10:00 or so. I really want a late breakfast, not early lunch (we keep kosher and cannot eat most of the lunch buffet). My daughter also desperately want to meet Pocahantas and this is the only place to find her (I think)

We'll probably leave the park in the late afternoon. Kids will be tired. And I have no idea how I will manage with everything. Of all the nighttime shows, RoL seemed like something we could skip.

Wednesday- DHS

The most important thing for us here is to get my Star Wars obsessed kids into Jedi Training Academy. We'll be trying for these FPs tomorrow - will go for the usual.

THURSDAY - MK
This is also a party day, and I think we will be staying for the party. Haven't gotten tix yet, but my brother has offered to spoil us a bit, and I think this will be it.
I'll be trying for 7DMT obviously, and then we will probably aim for frontierLand, liberty sq, and that side of the park. If we do end up staying for MVMCP we'll likely take a break for several hours.

Any advice?

 

[BriLovesDisney]

We just booked a trip for Christmas week!!! Feeling insane but also super excited! We'll be arriving late on 12/24 and hope to Rope Drop MK Christmas Day. EEK!
I noticed that the Christmas Parade has already replaced FoF each day of our visit. But Happily Ever After is still showing as the fireworks show. I've read that the show usually changes Christmas week to the one they show at MVMCP. I'm hoping that's not the case this year because we are all dying to see HEA. Anyone care to guess what they'll decide and when the updated info will be available?

We are going Dec 20-27. I called Disney to ask if HEA will be showing Christmas week. They, thankfully, said yes. It's our first time going in 5 years and we are so pumped about everything - but especially about seeing HEA!!!

 

[BriLovesDisney]

Our FastPass+ window opens next Saturday. Hoping that runs as smoothly as ADRs did. We recently added a day to our trip and now need a breakfast close to Epcot but nothing is available! Hoping something opens up soon.

 

[shairpdrh]

New narrators announced for CP: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...nson-return-to-list-of-candlelight-narrators/

I'm excited for Jodi Benson on our dates!

 

[nursejackie]

I've been trying for nearly 3 hours to book our final day's fastpasses. As we are going for 17 nights we could only book 14 days of fastpasses at the 60 day window, then each day a further day opens up. I've haven't had any problems until today, come FASTPASS, only 26th December to book

 

[JennLTX]

New narrators announced for CP: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...nson-return-to-list-of-candlelight-narrators/

I'm excited for Jodi Benson on our dates!

I've been waiting to finalize our plans, and now it's officially Garden Grill breakfast, 6:45 show with Whoopi Goldberg. Because Kurt Russell didn't care enough to be there a week earlier. I'll hopefully recover one day...

But I just finalized all our plans and FPs, and now I can relax... and start wondering what the heck the weather is going to do and how many layers we'll need to bring if any and and and...

 

[dnllmz]

Just found this thread. We're going Dec 10-15, staying offsite. This is our first visit (we live overseas) except DH who visited from South Africa over 30 years ago as a teenager. We = DS - age 11, DD - age nearly 9, and DS - 5.5, plus myself and DH.
I managed to get a last minute throw-away tent site so I have been able to book FP's for our first 3 days so far. I would love any advice.

Sunday - drive in from Ft. Lauderdale straight to MK. Hope to arrive by 11:30 am. Need to go to guest services and try and arrange a DAS for myself (I am on chemotherapy for breast cancer - this trip was planned before knowing I had cancer). Our FPs are:
1:15-2:15 Buzz Lightyear
2:15-3:15 Peter Pan's flight
4:00-5:00 Meeting Rapunzel and Tiana (this is is booked for myself and the 2 younger ones)
4:59-5:50 Space Mountain (booked for DH and DS11, I will rider-swap it)
Park closes early for party, so we'll go check in. Whatever else we manage to do in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland is great

Monday - EPCOT
10-11 Mission:Space
11-12 Spaceship Earth
5:15-6:15 FEA

Plan is to do future world in the morning, go back to hotel for a couple hours and then return for our Frozen FP and do the world showcase until Illuminations.

Tuesday - AK
I just managed to get a FP for us all at NRJ at 1:30. Not an ideal time, and FoP was all gone even at 7:00 am. Within 5 minutes all the NRJ were gone too.
So, we have
11-12 EE
1:30-2:30 NRJ
4-5 Kili safari
We have an ADR at Tusker House for 11:40 that I am trying hard to get moved to 10:00 or so. I really want a late breakfast, not early lunch (we keep kosher and cannot eat most of the lunch buffet). My daughter also desperately want to meet Pocahantas and this is the only place to find her (I think)

We'll probably leave the park in the late afternoon. Kids will be tired. And I have no idea how I will manage with everything. Of all the nighttime shows, RoL seemed like something we could skip.

Wednesday- DHS

The most important thing for us here is to get my Star Wars obsessed kids into Jedi Training Academy. We'll be trying for these FPs tomorrow - will go for the usual.

THURSDAY - MK
This is also a party day, and I think we will be staying for the party. Haven't gotten tix yet, but my brother has offered to spoil us a bit, and I think this will be it.
I'll be trying for 7DMT obviously, and then we will probably aim for frontierLand, liberty sq, and that side of the park. If we do end up staying for MVMCP we'll likely take a break for several hours.

Any advice?

I'm not sure if you meant Pocahontas is at TH or just in AK. She isn't at the Tusker House character dining but she is in AK at Discovery Island. We have yet to meet her but my daughter wants to meet her this upcoming trip. Also there aren't any fastpasses for Jedi Training. You need to get to the park before opening and go right to sign up when it opens. Unless you grab a PPO breakfast at Hollywood & Vine. They will let you sign up before you go to breakfast.

 

[Rich M]

I am not sure I want to do a dinner for it but I wouldn't mind seeing Kurt Russell at all during my Epcot night

 

[shairpdrh]

FINALLY got FOP for our second day! It was only for 2 people, but we are ok with that with rider switch. Now I just have one 7DMT FP to get for our first afternoon. Can't believe that is the toughest get this trip.

 

[BZMomNJ]

We are going Dec 20-27. I called Disney to ask if HEA will be showing Christmas week. They, thankfully, said yes. It's our first time going in 5 years and we are so pumped about everything - but especially about seeing HEA!!!

Thank you!! This makes me so happy. My husband thought I was crazy when I told him I may postpone our trip if they update the hours/shows and HEA is removed that week.

 

[LucyBC80]

MK hours have been extended for December 2nd-9th! Check for extra FP now!

Also a second ROL was added most December days at AK.

 

[bebec22]

MK hours have been extended for December 2nd-9th! Check for extra FP now!

Also a second ROL was added most December days at AK.

I can’t wait to see what they do with Christmas week!

 

[NurseNoa]

I'm not sure if you meant Pocahontas is at TH or just in AK. She isn't at the Tusker House character dining but she is in AK at Discovery Island. We have yet to meet her but my daughter wants to meet her this upcoming trip. Also there aren't any fastpasses for Jedi Training. You need to get to the park before opening and go right to sign up when it opens. Unless you grab a PPO breakfast at Hollywood & Vine. They will let you sign up before you go to breakfast.

Thank you. Yes, I know she's at Discovery Island. I meant that this was our main reason for going to AK (otherwise I'd likely skip the park. My family just went on safari in Africa last year).

And yes, I know that I can't get FPs for Jedi Training, and that we'll have to run. Besides the PPo breakfast res, any other tips there?