I am actually wondering the same things for my family's first trip to Disney at Christmastime. Can't wait to hear whatever feedback y'all have to give.
I seem to have gotten lots of feedback so far so I hope it helps you as much as it helps me
Cute dorm room! Where did you get your posters from? I was just wondering because i just realized that that is what my side of my room is missing. Hopefully once you get use to things it will be less overwhelming. my freshman year I didn't really feel settled in untill i was at school for 3 weeks. Once i got settled things got alot better.
I have been to disney during the holidays a few times and there are several things i would reccomend to anyone going to disney over the holiday season. First of all, yes the parks do get super crowded depending on which part of the season you are going during. The week of and the week in between christmas and new years are uber-crowded. If you get there during the time you guys normally get there then i doubt you will have any issues with getting in. Even when the parks are maxed out they usually let resort guests in. If the very merry christmas party is still going on while you are in disney then i highly reccommend going to it. I went to disney on a surprise trip my freshman year of high school and the very merry christmas party was one of my trip highlights. The park is a lot less crowded and it is super festive. Illuminations has a nice extra ending specifically for the holidays that i would reccomend. Disney studios has this huge display of lights they show down that new york section of the park by muppet vision 3d. They play christmas music during it and it has fake snow. We were there for the end of the time period that the lights were up so of course we went and checked it out this past january trip. That is one of our favorite disney holiday things so i highly reccomend it!!!! It is even more enjoyable with cookies and hot chocolate. I also reccomend checking out each countrties holiday around the world story time in epcot. The stories are very interesting. I know that animal kingdom also has a christmas parade. For each of the shows i would wait for the highest wait time they recommend for each show.My family also love winter/summer land mini golf during the holidays because the winter side fits perfectly with that time of year. The last thing i would reccommend is just looking at all the park and resort decorations and take lots of pictures by the decorations. My mom and i particularly love each resorts christmas trees. All the deluxe resorts in particular are worth checking out. each has a amazing tree and i think all of them have a giant food display that fans can check out, although they would frown on eating it. Enjoy
Thank you!! Lets see... I got the princess poster as a birthday present during my Freshman year of high school.. so I don't know where that's from. The dark blue one I got from the art of animation gift shop in Hollywood... they have TONS of Disney posters there it's awesome!! The castle one and the light blue one with lots of pictures I actually made myself... I went on walgreens.com and made posters out of my own photos! (you can probably recognize some of the pictures from my trip reports!)
Three weeks sounds like a decent time.. so that's good to know! Yeah it already seems a little better.
Thanks for all of the information! Yes, I'm going during the insanely crowded week haha. Unfortunately they don't do the Very Merry Christmas Parties while I'm there ): But that's okay.
And okay taking notes:
- Osborne Lights
- IllumiNations
- AK Parade
- World Showcase Christmas Displays
- Winter-Summerland
- Resorts
I will try and fit all of those in!
Oops...didn't mean to quote the whole thing. Excuse the rookie mistake.
Haha totally fine!
Cute room, looks nice and spacious!
Christmas stuff, it has been a long time since I went over Christmas but if I were to go now here is what I would want to do/see:
Osborne Lights at DHS
Wilderness Lodge Lobby
Grand Floridian Gingerbread House
Epcot Storytellers
Epcot Candlelight Processional
Holiday Wishes
Magic Kingdom Christmas Parade
Christmas Stage Show/Castle Lighting Ceremony
Thank you!
Thank you very much for that list! That's really really helpful! I want to do all of those haha
Cute dorm room! It looks more spacious than Sam's! I posted some pics of Sam's on my TR and it looks kinda bare. She can't secie waht to put on the walls yet, although I did find a giant wall sticker set of a tree w/ birds it's all balck and will compilment her bedding.
Thank you!! I think I saw that update - her dorm looks nice! Hopefully she'll figure out what she wants on the walls soon! But that sticker set sounds cute! Yay!
As I said, LOVE the dorm! Those are the biggest I've ever seen- it's really nice!!!
I wish I remembered more from my Christmastime trip. The lights they have up in all the parks are INCREDIBLE. Some buildings are totally covered, it's breathtaking.
And I remember seeing some special on the Travel Channel
once, and they showed all the stuff in storage. It's awesome! The have so many christmas trees! I feel like the whole place is decked out in Christmas stuff somehow!!!
Sorry- that's probably not much help
PS TO EVERYONE: PLEASE CHECK OUT MY TRIP REPORT!!!!!!!! IT'S IN PROGRESS, AND THE LINK IS BELOW!!!!! Thanks!!!!!
Thanks princess! Yeah, they are SUCH nice dorms. I'm very comfy here
That's okay! Those suggestions are helpful! Every little bit counts. Yeah I went for like a couple days when I was 10 during Christmas time... but that was right before my Disney obsession kicked off and I can't remember much. I'm SO excited to see it all now that I'm older!
And that special sounds really good! I want to see it haha
YES EVERYONE GO READ ALLIE'S TR, IT'S REALLY CUTE!!
OMG your dorm is huge! That's awesome. It's soo cute I love it! I love all the pics and posters.
You put that picture that the video camera took up didn't you? I think I see it by your desk. LOVE IT.
I am so glad you feel better after this weekendd. You're gonna do great I just know it!
I've never been for Christmas, as you know, but the Beach Club has a lot of cool decorations and that huge chocolate caroussel with all the characters. That would be fun to see. Maybe if there's a nice day that's warm you could do a waterpark? Although Typhoon Lagoon is gonna be closed then so it would have to be Blizzard Beach. You could go mini-golfing too hehe. At like Winter Summerland. That place is Christmaseyyy.
Can't wait for the Wiener Run!
Why thank you! Yes, it's a nice dorm... I'm a frump and I spend a lot of time in there. But why wouldn't you when it's so spacious and comfy? lol
And LOL you are correct! That picture is right in the middle of my bulletin board. There are LOTS of pictures of you on my walls hahaha
And thank you! I hope so!
That carrousel at the Beach Club sounds lovely!! Good thing I booked Cape May! I'm gonna have to spend some time there!
And those two ideas sound cute... I'll try and see if I could squeeze them in. Do they decorate the waterparks for Christmas? I don't even know. I bet my Dad and Jonathan would love to go mini golfing!!
And I can't wait either!!! And for Lion King 3-D
Jess your dorm room looks great!!!!! Nothing like bringing home to where you need to be,
it really makes all the difference. I know what you mean.. I went to a very small all girls catholic high school (you did too right?)..anyway even though i couldnt live on campus because I had just had Ryan i STILL felt like a small fish in a huge pond...and my college was NOT even that big. Then I transferred to a Community college for the convienence and flexibility and let me tell you WHOLE different readjustment (i get what you mean about people not talking. LOL)
But you're room looks fabulous!! and I am glad that you got to come home last weekend..is your college close to home?-- Sometimes exactly what you need is a little bit of home to put everything into perspective
I would love to be in Disney at the same time as you one day... haha I'd love to actually meet you after reading your TRs !! Can't wait for the ending and for the new report to begin!!
Thank you! I know... having Disney exploded all over my walls makes me very happy!
Yes, I went to a small all girls catholic school as well. Yeah... I can imagine wherever you would go it would be a huge readjustment. I'm trying to stick it out here... and it can only get better now that I have begun! So we will see how it all turns out as time goes on!
Thank you very much! And yes, my college is only an hour away. I was going a little crazy... but when I went home I went right back to normal and now I can look at everything with a much better perspective.
Aww haha I know I wish I could meet all of my readers! Maybe one day! And yes, lots of fun TR updates to come! I am excited, too!
Here's the Bay Lake Tower photo thread for ya!
Official Bay Lake Tower Photo Thread
Enjoy!
Thank you!! I will treat myself to that once I get all of my homework done!
Your dorm is so cute!! And oh my gosh you have so much space, I'm SO jealous!! Lol I'm sure you could tell from my dorm pics that I seriously have that one little corner and that's it, haha. We also have to share a bathroom between the 5 of us, so we go through literally a roll or more of toilet paper a day
I love all the Princess posters and how you put your photos around them, that's a really cute idea! I'm glad the dorm situation has worked out well for you too, I'm really happy about my dorm as well. It's nice having a place to relax in after classes that you actually like and feel comfortable in!
But yeah I know what you mean about the whole not knowing people thing. It's so weird because no one really talks to each other in any of my classes! So yeah it's just gonna take time like you said to get adjusted to everything and get to know more people. I just hate waiting for that to finally happen
I've never been to Disney at Christmas time so I have no advice, sorry! It's defintely one of my Disney bucket list dreams though to go for the holidays, it looks absolutely perfect there during Christmas
Aww thank you! And ughh I'm sorry girl. I know.. it looked like a tiny space. I'm sorry you're so crammed. But hey, if you work for Disney one day, it'll all be worth it!
Thank you! I was having SO much fun decorating my dorm haha. I'm glad you're liking your dorm, too! That makes all the difference. I LOVE just relaxing in my dorm. Sometimes I feel like I'm being antisocial..
Then I just remember, I'm a frump. So it's fine hahaha.
And YEAH RIGHT?!? Why does no one talk I don't get it!!
I want to make friends but it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I suppose it'll just take some time. For now I have my roommate and a couple other girls.. and that's all I need for now, I suppose! Hopefully everyone else will open up soon! I hate waiting too.. I TOTALLY understand haha
That's okay! But I know... I am SO excited for this trip. It's a very special one! I've been wanting to go for Christmas so bad.. so I'm glad it's finally happening!
HI! I am popping in because over this long weekend I have read all of your trip reports (and Kristen's too!) and quickly came to the conclusion that you and your friends are just about the cutest things ever.
Seriously, adorable! I didn't visit WDW for the first time until I was 30, so I love seeing you and your friends enjoy it so much!
I felt compelled to comment after seeing your last update. I realize I am a complete stranger to you, so take this for what it's worth. When it comes to the first week of college, most people are feeling exactly the way you are. Even if they don't admit it. Going from being a senior (big fish) to becoming a freshman (little fish) again is jarring. If it's any comfort, you are not alone in your experience. And as time passes, it will get better!
Congrats on the great new room mate! Having a friendly home on campus can be a real life saver when life gets stressful. That's great!
And finally, thank you for writing such fun and enthusiastic TRs! Your reports have supercharged my excitement about my upcoming trip! Thanks a lot!
Aww thank you so much! That's so nice!
I'm glad you've enjoyed reading along - we love writing our TR's! And of course going on the trips! They're way too much fun! And I'm glad you love Disney so much even though your first time visiting was when you were 30! It proves that Disney is truly for all ages!
Thank you so much for that advice... it really is comforting hearing that from people! I hope it proves to be true.. and I have a feeling it will eventually!
Thank you! And I agree! The room situation couldn't have worked out better! We're both super comfortable with just coming back to the room and I think it's going to continue to go well for the rest of the year!
And you are so welcome!! I am SO glad! I hope you have a wonderful and magical time on your vacation!
So I just finished reading the entire trip report, sounds amazing. My mom and myself have been going to Disney every couple months for about 5 years now with our annual passes, luckily we only live about 2hrs away by car.
Haha if my Mom and I lived that close we would do the same thing! Heck, I live about 2 hours by plane and I've been doing that this whole year
I don't know how long we can keep this up, but 2011 was a fantastic Disney-filled year that I absolutely LOVED!
I'm with you on my school not offering the Disney College Program opportunity, but I'm pretty sure I could fit it in my plans somewhere.
That's how I feel about it too! I have a feeling it'll work out when it's meant to!
As for Disney at Christmastime, I've been in the Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day the past 3 years (call me crazy). My mom has done New Years Eve the past 2 years.
That is AWESOME. Yay I'm excited to read your suggestions.
The list of things I would recommend:
Osborne Lights at DHS- The music and light show start at sundown and run until park closing. It's a continual experience so you can walk through the "New York" street setup and watch.
Do I want to get there right at sundown for the beginning of it?
The Hotel Lobbies- All of the hotel lobbies are dressed up in Disney Christmas gear, each hotel has its own tree in the main lobby and themed decorations. If you are looking for more elaborate displays I would recommened the Moderate and Deluxe Resorts.
Okay! I will make my list!
Grand Floridian Gingerbread House- Located in the main lobby at The Grand Floridian is a gingerbread house that is constructed out of real gingerbread made in the Disney kitchens. The house is setup and fully decorated with images of Disney charactures (it's breath taking). Inside the house they sell treats including gingerbread shingles. My mother and I got one that had been dipped in dark chocolate and snacked on it for the remainder of the day.
That sounds AMAZING. I made an ADR at Narcoossee's for Christmas Eve so I think we'll probably go check that out before or after our dinner!
The Beach Club Carousel- At Disneys Beach Club resort they construct a working carousel made of gingerbread and chocolate horses. Unfortunately, you cant take a bite out of this display, but it does look amazing.
Haha well I will definitely take lots of pictures of it! Wow, that's amazing!! It's gonna make me want to stay there even more!
Epcot Storytellers- Throughout the World Showcase each country has its own Story-time with Santa. Basically each country version of Santa (i.e. Papa Noel, Kris Kringle) comes out at specified times (which are found in the times guide you can pick up at the front gate) and tells the traditions of that country at Christmas.
Hopefully I can do a bunch of those! I have a feeling that will be something that my Mom and I do haha
Epcot Candlelight Processional- This show can have a very lengthy wait-time (Be Aware). Disney has already posted the listed of narrators that are scheduled so I would check that out to see who is narrating your night. The premise behind this show is the reading of the Christmas story with a living Christmas tree chorus. The chorus will sing all the tradition Christmas songs accompanied by a live orchestra. The show itself takes about 1 hour and has 3 showings per night. Usually the first show starts at 5pm and the last one ends with time to find viewing for Illuminations. A dining package that you can purchase is the Candlelight Processional Package which includes dinner and a variety of Epcot restaurants with a reserved seat at the show, and reserved seating at Illuminations. Personally, Ive never done the dining package, but the Candlelight Processional is definitely worth seeing.
I booked a Candlelight Processional Package at Teppan Edo because I figured the package would be the way to go after hearing about the insane waits. I am excited to see that - I bet it'll be great! My Mom loves the Christmas story so I'm sure it'll be beautiful!
Holiday Illuminations- At the end of Illuminations they include an extra segment about the holiday season, including MORE FIREWORKS!!
YESSS!!! That's my favorite show so this will be beautiful!
Holiday Wishes- The same applies to Magic Kingdom. The normal show happens and they might include some holiday music. But at the end of the show they pack in some more ooh and ahh with fireworks.
YAYY I will definitely make sure we see that, too!
Magic Kingdom Christmas Parade- The nighttime parade is replaced by a themed Christmas parade. Its worth seeing if youve never before because it only comes out during this season.
Yeah I haven't seen it, so I will make sure I do! How early should we line up for that? And is Main Street the best place to see it?
Christmas Stage Show/Castle Lighting Ceremony- At dusk a stage show commences on the stage right in front of the castle. This show ends with the castle covered in twinkling ice-crystal lights. The Magic Kingdom started covering the castle only a couple years ago, but it is breath taking. Throughout the night the icicle lights will remain on giving the impression the castle is covered in snow.
That's really cute! I want to see that for sure!
As for getting locked out of a park,
It Happens A Lot! A couple years ago my mother and I were driving separately than my brother. We made it in to the Magic Kingdom parking area & he did not. He had to go park in the Epcot parking area and ride the monorail over. One way to avoid this is staying at one of the Disney resorts and planning ahead. If there is a specific dining reservation or show you would like to see, plan that is will take you twice as long if not more to get to where you want to be. IT IS CROWDED!
Okay we're staying onsite so that's good. And That's a REALLY good tip. I made a lot of reservations because we want to avoid the insanity of the quick services. So we will make sure we plan accordingly with our travel time.
On New Years Eve the parks will come to a stand still the closer it gets to midnight. Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios all having amazing countdowns and fireworks, it just depends on where you want to spend the evening. Personally, I enjoyed the Epcot countdown: They showcased each country in lights and wished everyone a Happy New Year in the native language; it was quite a show.
That sounds really cute! I made an ADR at Ohana t 7:35 pm... so should we venture out into the parks? We're staying at BLT so I don't know if my family wants to go out into the parks... but I sort of want to to get the experience. Haha we'll see. What happens at Magic Kingdom for the countdown?
Overall I would say my advice is to plan ahead especially for Top Priority events.
Thank you SO MUCH for that list. That was SOOOO extremely helpful and I will be putting all of that information to very good use! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
I just remembered about the candlelight processional- thanks for reminding me! I just wanted to add in that the contemporary as a chocolate display of pinnocchio and geppetto in the check-in area. The beach club carousel sounds amazing!!!!the grand floridian display is amazing as well! I love that you can walk inside of it.
Yup I booked a CP dining package! Yay! And Aww does it?! Yay we're staying at BLT so I will definitely check that out! And I am going to dinner at both of those resorts so I'll see all of that stuff too!
Hi! Wow, your dorm room looks great! I can imagine it would be overwhelming, but happy to hear it's getting better and I hope it continues to get better
So glad that your rommate and you are getting along! My friend's sister went to college last week and she has a great roommate too! I just hope I'm as fortunate
Looking forward to more updates!
Thank you so much! Yes, I hope it does too!
I'm happy for her! It really makes the experience much more enjoyable. I hope you get a good roommate too!
From what I remember, it took until about Thanksgiving time for everyone to really feel comfortable, so hang in there!
And I'm SO glad I get along with my roommate. She's great!
haha yes, everyone feel free to take notes! This is good stuff we're getting here! THANK YOU EVERYBODY!
