We're actually going! Christmas planning 2021

[Sandraoh40]

We booked on Saturday for 12-26th. This will incorporate my birthday.
We booked as it was such a great deal, worth the gamble. We are offsite at Shingle Creek where we have stayed before, it’s a fantastic hotel.
I’m not really sure what to do on Christmas Day. I know the ‘thing’ would be to go to MK, but I’m considering AK. I love the thought of seeing all those beautiful animals on Christmas Day. Our flight home on Boxing Day is pretty late so would go to MK then.
As for Christmas Dinner, really haven’t a clue.
I would like to incorporate a Candlelight Procession and a Christmas Party. Hopefully these will be on.
This was an impulse booking but really looking forward to all the planning.
One thing I wasn’t sure about was tickets. Under normal circumstances I would just get them straight away from Disney Direct, but I actually don’t know what’s best in case we can’t go. I want to be able to get my park days booked but don’t want to be out that money just in case.

[captain-codeye]

We’re booked from the 4th to the 31st, flying in and out of Miami.

Staying at sunset lakes, it’s a trip we have done many times now😀

We will be at discovery cove Boxing Day, Christmas Day we never leave the villa, just swimming and relaxing.

We usually don’t do many parks after about the 21st as it gets too busy but sea world is normally ok, we have a universal ap so may nip in and out early before they get busy.

Op, we until yesterday had a 7 night eastern Caribbean booked from the 5th but we’re going to miss cruising until at least dec 22 now.

It’s a great time to go, crazy busy from about the 21st but this is our 7th Christmas trip so something keeps dragging us back😂

[danisleigh]

We have booked to fly on Xmas day and fly home on 7th jan. we are staying offsite at the Rosen plaza with 2 nights at HRH 3-5th jan and the plan was to not do Disney as we have 16 nights booked in May and Disney is to be the main focus that trip. I am now debating getting a one day ticket to Hollywood studios to see galaxy’s edge as we are going with a Star Wars mad family member who will not be with us in May but if we do that it would be a later decision. Other than that we have Discovery cove booked for New Year’s Day but need to make a plan for New Year’s Eve.

[Beth_Disney]

Originally Posted by Sandraoh40

One thing I wasn’t sure about was tickets. Under normal circumstances I would just get them straight away from Disney Direct, but I actually don’t know what’s best in case we can’t go. I want to be able to get my park days booked but don’t want to be out that money just in case.

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I'm the same. I'll only be buying a 1 day ticket and I expect I'll use Undercover Tourist again. They can only be refunded within 90 days of purchase so I need to wait till September/October. And also research whether they can be refunded if they've been added to MDE to book a park day. It's too much money to take a gamble on!

[act1980]

Originally Posted by Dom and Sarah

Hey act1980. We are from Hampshire too, how funny. Great post though, Xmas at Orlando is completely new for us...

We have recently changed our plans to Christmas 2021, which is the third date change we’ve had since April 2020. I’ve never really wanted to go at Christmas as I have heard it is so busy, but DD is going into Year 11, so dates were very limited. We actually got a great deal, and have an amazing 5 Bed Villa at The Abbey at Westhaven.

We are a planning family, and have already completed day plans (for both previous dates), but this is going to be completely different holiday at this time of year. I have already heard about Jeaters Bend, which looks like the most amazing lights you’ve ever seen (but apparently there are traffic issues). We are intending to stay in our Villa on Christmas Day and have a Christmas Pool Party/BBQ. My DD birthday is on Christmas Eve, so we think we’ll let her pick a park for the morning and Downtown Disney for a birthday dinner. We always do a Frenchies Saltwater Cafe dinner at Clearwater too. We would be really keen to here any Xmas tips too...

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Oh hello! Where about are you? We're near Reading.

I've not heard of Jeater Bend, I'll have to check it out Sounds like you have a nice chilled Christmas Day planned!

[act1980]

Originally Posted by Disney45

We are booked for Christmas as well staying at a villa on Emerald Island hopefully leaving on the 23rd for 2 weeks. We have booked Discovery Cove for Christmas Day as a surprise for our girls 13 & 17. For New Year’s Eve we plan on doing a park so any recommendations which one would be great 👍🏻 We have Disney and Sea Word Tickets. 🤞🏻 We all get 🎉

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Discovery Cove will be lovely, I've never been but heard really good things. It will definitely be something we do when our girls are older.

I've heard Epcot is good for NYE. Failing that you could book a meal at one of the monorail resorts and watch the fireworks from a distance. I think you have to be in MK from early morning & stay all day otherwise you won't get in. Far too much for us to do so we will be avoiding and just doing a couple of hour on Christmas Day

[act1980]

Originally Posted by 2anddone

We are booked for 18th Dec-3rd Jan 🤞🤞we get there! Staying onsite at CBR booked direct with Disney. Flights booked with BA with a night in airport hotel so only needed to pay deposit. Flying direct and happy with price I got but definitely not going to look again! I have already booked all of our park days including MK Christmas Day and Epcot NYE (children are teenagers, just me and them going). Can’t wait until first flight to Florida leaves UK so that I can tell them it’s booked. Son will also be year 11 so limited on when we could go!

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Have you stayed at CBR before? We visited there last year and it was such a lovely resort, you'll have a fab time!

Good that you've booked your park days, I'm debating doing the same but we haven't bought park tickets yet so can't book anything. We're DVC so would have to buy park tickets separately but I worry that we wouldn't be able to have them refunded in the event we couldn't go.

[act1980]

Originally Posted by mason1

We’re planning on going - hopefully 18-31 December. Nothing booked yet, but current flight prices are putting me off! Not sure if we’ll stay onsite, or rent a villa - think the kids would prefer a villa (and not sure I can cope with 4 of us in a room for nearly 2 weeks!). Stuck with school holidays, as eldest will be in Y11 and doesn’t want to lose anytime from school.

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I was looking at flights and flying home on the 3rd instead of 2nd Jan makes a huge difference in price. I can only check BA at the moment but I'm waiting for Virgin to release their prices and will jump when I see a good deal.

Will you just be doing Disney or do you plan to visit other parks?

[act1980]

Originally Posted by MissPiggy2012

We have booked 24 Dec - 7 Jan and this will be our first stay at Christmas time. We have booked a fly drive with Virgin, Manchester to Orlando. I start our DVC bookings next weekend, which I’m hoping won’t be too stressful 😬 We are planning on doing a split stay between Poly, Beach Club and Saratoga.

I’ve made a park reservation for MK on Xmas day, thinking that we will be awake early as it will be our first morning, so get into the park early and leave around midday. I’ve also made a park reservation for Epcot for New Years Eve.

That’s all our plans so far, will be interested to see what everyone else is doing.

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Sounds lovely! Where is your home resort? We love the Poly, never stayed at BC or SSR but they're on our list.

Are you having Christmas lunch in MK or will you go somewhere else?

Where did you buy your park tickets? I'm not sure when to get them as I don't think they're refundable and as we're dong a DVC stay and not a package I think that leaves us more vulnerable?

[scooby99]

We've gone for 2 weeks at Christmas every year since 2012 (boo to 2020!)

With our Easter 2021 California trip cancelled last week, we've taken the opportunity to use that leave and book for 3 weeks at Christmas; flying home New Years Day; also took advantage of the BA sale running for longer this year so able to book Christmas flights in that this time.

We don't do Orlando at all; Gulf Coast for us; usually 3 trips a year.
Christmas Day is some time at the pool (if a warm/hot day) and then our annual Christmas Day tradition: stroll on Pass a Grille beach, sip our coffee watching the pelicans & boats in the bay, eat an ice cream on a bench outside the same shop each year & back to the condo for an early evening Christmas dinner; bliss 👌