Questions about December WDW Trip. Advice?

[shmoogrrrl]

We are planning a Disney trip for December of this year. We know that we would like to go December 6 through the 14th, so it is my job now to figure out where we should stay and what we should do while we are there. Yay me!

I've been looking at the different packages and options and find myself to be very confused. I've tried to utilize the search function here but haven't really found the answers to my questions. I do apologize if they are repeats. I should also mention that the travelers would consist of me, my Husband, and our wee little daughter, who will be 18 months when we go, in case that makes a difference for the answers to my questions.

1. Is the Gold package that includes meals worth it? I know that we could eat cheaper, but if we planned to eat at some of the nicer places anyway, is it worth the price? It can't be beat for convenience, it seems.
2. If we skip the package, it seems like the Annual Pass price is about the same as the cost of a Park Hopper/Length of Stay pass for the length of our trip, assuming I am reading the pricing correctly. We'd probably go for the AP if that were the case since it is likely that we will go back within a year. If we do that, can we still get any AP rates at Disney hotels, even though we wouldn't have our AP activated until we got down there?
3. What sort of hotel discounts can we expect around early December, if any? We'd be willing to splurge for a deluxe if the price wasn't too silly, but are currently looking at moderates. Any hotel suggestions for us and our 18 month old? Any good Kiddie pools?

Thanks for any help! We've been doing the Disney Cruise Line over the past few years and are now old pros there! Although we just returned from a DCL trip with a brief two night stay at the All Star Movies, we were not there long enough to worry about Length of stay passes, etc?This will also be our first lengthy stay with a child, which is a world of difference compared to our solo trips! We are planning on it being a much calmer trip since we can't go commando style with a baby!


Thanks!

Kathy

 

[becka]

First off I have to tell you how much I LOVE the new picture of Katie! She is a cutie!

We are planning to be down at WDW the week before you are going with our 18 mo/old so while I have not actually been there with a little one I have been researching and thinking about logistics for the last 2 months or so.

Question #1: I don't know how used your little one is to nice restaurants but while my DS is great for about 45 minutes to an hour anything past that is questionable. Some of the nicer places take at least 1.5 hours minimum to have a meal. We have decided to stick more with buffets for our trip just so we don't have to worry as much about DS not being able to handle longer meals. Also, I think you need to eat at least 2 meals a day at pretty nice places to break even and we will probably only do one real sit down a day. In that case since DS is free the package plans with meals are not a good deal for us.

Question #2: Usually with the AP you break even after 7 days and the PAP you break even at 10 days. If you are not planning on doing PI or the water parks then I think the AP is the best bet because you are not paying for features you will not use. You can get AP rates before you activate (or even purchase your AP) so that will not be a problem. You only have to have the AP when you check-in.

Question #3: Unless things have changed there have not been any AP rates during December but you can sometimes get pretty good deals without them. We are hoping to get a good price on the Polynesian so we will have access to the monorail and be close to the MK but if we cannot get a decent rate we will probably end up at CSR. We loved CSR and they have a fantastic pool. The bus service (if you plan on using it) is the best we have ever experienced.

I hope this helps you a little!

 

[shelly3girls]

We went to WDW Dec 2002. We stayed at the AKL savannah view for about $155/night + tax. I believe the standard view at that time was about $125/night. The WL was very reasonable also, but was sold out by the time I called. BTW I called the day the codes came out, but waited until the evening. I thought I remembered AP rates coming out closer to our trip, but I don't think I would have saved much (maybe $5-$10/night) so I didn't bother changing. We have enjoyed both resorts while traveling with young children and found them both to be convenient. My children loved seeing the animals! We did find the rooms in both hotels smaller than those at the GF, but we saved a significant amount over the GF rates. There was plenty of room for the port-a-crib.