December 2005 Info, Code, Dining, & Special Package Watch! :)

[The6ofUs]

Hi December Tripmates!

I'm getting excited about the deals that seem to be coming for those planning for trips in earlier months and thought we could use our own special place to watch for December codes, free dining plans, free rooms, free tickets, free everything... okay, guess I'm getting a little carried away. I told you I was excited!

Seriously, I hope it's okay for me to post a thread for just us December folks since we're on the tail end of things. Post when you have a chance and let us know your travel dates, and what types of codes or discount packages you're looking for most (low AP rates, free dining, deeply discounted AAA rates, whatever!)... we can all dream together!

Helpful links for December:

December Park Hours
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/calendar/parkhours.asp

Priority Seating Calculator (so you'll know when to make your reservations!)
http://www.pscalculator.net/pscalc.php

DIS Thread about Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=752567

Holiday Highlights around WDW
http://www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/index.htm#xm

Holiday Happenings at WDW
http://allearsnet.com/tp/holiday.htm

Christmas Celebrations
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/holidays/christmas/default.asp

Thanks to triplefigs and mom2cinderella for their help in compiling this list. If you know of any links related to December trips, please PM me and I'll add them to the list!

Hope this helps!

 

[The6ofUs]

I guess I should go first! We're traveling tentatively from December 10th to December 17th. I was hoping for a great AP rate, but I think it would be a better bargain for our family of six to get the free dining plan. So I'm probably going to change our room reservations to one of the value resorts (probably Pop Century) and hope for the current free dining offer to be extended through our travel dates.

If I have a room-only reservation, I can upgrade to the package with free dining (if it comes out), right? Or would it be better for me to go ahead and book a package and then get them to apply the discount if/when it becomes available? I remember reading that if you have a room-only reservation, they'd have to drop the reservation and start over for a package, and that it could result in no special package rooms being available - even with dropping my room-only rooms. Does that make sense? Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Claire4dpins]

Hi
I am another one in this group with an early December trip planned - just DH and me. Nothing is set in stone yet except that we will be going! We have not even booked the flights yet - but at the moment we are planning an arrival on the 2nd December, probably for two weeks. We will probably stay at POP or maybe POR.
I am hoping for any discounts that come up - have had an Anuual Pass on our last few trips, but the dinning plan looks good - so if it was FREE we would certainly be considering it.
Happy waiting & good luck to us all,
Claire

 

[NYRN]

We are going- we being myself, 2 grand daughters, my daughter and her husband in the first week in December. We got a great rate already and are working on my son, his wife, and his 2 daughters as well! The dining plan would be great, but we have 2 CY WL rooms booked at $204... I am just so THRILLED about that! I have DREAMED of being able to share the WDW magic with my grand daughters as I have with my own kids, and to be able to go to the WL in Dec, in my opinion, couldn't be better!

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

We are waiting and hoping as well.

If I remember right, they extended the 7 for 4 deal in 2003, to include the first part of Dec. Here's hoping.

We were just in WDW last month, but convinced DH, that we need to go for the Christmas decorations. Last night, I tried to convince him that Halloween would be nice to do again. Didn't work. But $1227, for our 5 night stay, incl dining is a really sweet price.

 

[mom_rules]

Count us in too! Dec 9-18th room only AAA at YC $249 per night. Would sure love a better AP rate (some of us have AP's-others do not) or dining plan and a good general code!

 

[DznyDreams]

. . . .If I remember right, they extended the 7 for 4 deal in 2003, to include the first part of Dec. Here's hoping.

We were just in WDW last month, but convinced DH, that we need to go for the Christmas decorations. Last night, I tried to convince him that Halloween would be nice to do again. Didn't work. But $1227, for our 5 night stay, incl dining is a really sweet price.

Does anyone remember how long, after the 7 for 4 deal came out, did they wait before they extended it to include early Dec? Was it days, weeks, months after the original anouncement of the special offer?

I've tried every way in the world to find a way to make it work out financially for us to change our Dec trip to early Oct so that we can take advantage of this general public free dining offer, but it just isn't going to happen. I really need those extra couple of months to get my trip funds together. After calling and staying on hold 2 times this morning, I have finally given up. (The hold time allowed me to put the numbers on paper so that I could PROVE to myself that it just won't work. lol) Besides, I have really been looking forward to an early to mid-Dec trip. I haven't been in Dec. since 2000, and I miss it!

 

[HayGan]

Yep, waiting for a code here as well. In addition to 3 nights at the Hilton DTD, we have the Poly reserved for 4 nights in early December (6th thru 10th) with a AAA discount/package. We also have the dining plan. I would love to get a special deal like the free dining. I have no problem in adding another night in order to get FREE FOOD! I thought about moving our trip up but we really want to go to MVMCP.

Now we will just have to wait till August to see what deals they will come out with for December (at least that is when they have come out before). I should say that I have already accepted what it will cost but I'm always in search of better deals

 

[Wendy*Darling]

We have a great deal with my TA right now for early December. We have POR for $89/night from Dec 3 to the 6th and then the Poly for $234 from the 6th to the 10th. That saves us $150.53 off of rack for POR and $312.20 off of rack at the Poly. We can get meal vouchers for the old hotwire prices too. I've been trying to figure if the free dining plan would be better for us if they offer it but with using the meal vouchers, I'm not sure if it will or not (of course we don't even know if they will offer it but I'm just that type who has to play with the numbers constantly! ).

Time to get out the calculator!

 

[WDWBetsy]

I'm keeping watch, too - thanks for starting this thread!

We're currently saving $356 with a AAA discount on the room portion of a MYW package + dining ... but of course I'd love to save a little more!

Keeping my fingers crossed - but I will still be happy with what I have already booked.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

We are going December as well. I would LOVE the Dining Plan for free. We will most likely get it anyway.

 

[hockey mom]

OOOHHH- I really hope they offer this special in December. It weould sure save a ton of money for a family of 5.

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

We were also pleased with the AAA package discounts this year. They were just a little better than last years.
We noticed the free dining extended to October on the mousesavers page this morning and are also hoping they continue it thru to Decemeber.

 

[mom_rules]

Dumb question but........can someone give me details of the dining plan?

Is it kind of like the old silver or gold dreammaker packages?

 

[HayGan]

Dumb question but........can someone give me details of the dining plan?

Is it kind of like the old silver or gold dreammaker packages?

Here you go:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/tickets/packageDetail?id=PackageDetailMYWDiningPkg05Page

 

[calie_j]

Another half-way Dec traveler, our dates are Nov 24-Dec 4. We're staying 2 nights at sis's in St Petersburg, 1 night at HoJo (cheap so sis can spend 1 day at Disney with us), 3 nights at CSR and 4 nights at Poly (AAA room only rate).

I'm open to any discounts that come out and watching those coming out now to try and prepare for the possibilities. I haven't bought any tickets so we can get an AP if we use AP discount or can buy our tickets on the package if needed. This free dining that just came out looks great but now I have so many questions to look up (can we use it with a split stay? can I get my tickets mailed to me or do they have to be on the room key? (we're going with Sis Sat and not checking in til Sun), will it really save us money giving up the AAA discount & having to buy 1 day tickets if we can't get them before check in, and can we still afford Poly if we can't do the split stay???) My head hurts just thinking about it

Calie

 

[triplefigs]

We'll be there Nov 29- Dec 6 at the GF. We have 2 rooms booked, so any other discounts, AP, free dining, etc would help a ton! I'm on the watch with everyone else!!!

 

[CarolinaBlue]

We'll be at POFQ Dec. 18th-26th. We have a AAA room only discount (20%)
ressie right now. I'm looking at the "free dining" package and trying to figure out if it would benefit us if it is offered during our trip. I was seriously considering buying an AP just for the room discount and then buying the DDE card to save some $$ on food. I hope there is a good offer for those of us going in December!

 

[DonaldDuckFan]

We're going also and hoping for any good discounts that come out!! Our dates are December 2nd-11th. We don't have anything reserved yet, but depending on the discount are considering POFQ or WL. It's me, dh, ds3 and ds1 and both of my parents. We've never been to disney in december and we all are really looking forward to it!!!

 

[mickeys_girl]

We are going Nov.28-Dec.6, and are probably going to have to stay at an all stars, because it just isn't cheap for us Canadians. If there are any good discounts that are going to be coming out, maybe it'll make it a little easier to stay at a nicer hotel. My mom really wants the coronado, so I'm crossing my fingers. We will also weigh our options of the annual pass vs. the dining, but, if they extend the free dining, I guess that makes our decision a little easier.