** December 2019 Check In **

[bcinohio]

Very excited!! Just made our reservations for Dec 8-13, 2019 at the Homewood Suites using my husbands Hilton points. Even better when you don't have to pay for it. We have stayed there 2 other times and really liked it. Can not wait!!

 

[Kittyskyfish]

SO excited!! We just made our hotel reservations at the GCH, December 4-11!

 

[JavaDuck]

We made our reservations today at the the GCH, December 29th-January 3rd for my 50th Birthday Celebration!

 

[robmar]

Just booked my first solo trip…Dec 3-Dec 6. Staying at Paradise Pier. Can’t wait!

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Last night I nearly had a heart attack!

Yesterday I bought our annual passes because we are planning 7 days this December and 7 days in October 2020. So two trips on one AP, as we always do. We always buy our APs early in the year to avoid the risk of ticket price hikes in the months preceding the trip. So! Bought the APs online, printed out the hard copies. That night, the AP passes were linked to our Disneyland apps ….. showing activated THAT DAY AND EXPIRING MAY 4, 2020!

I was like "$2500 and no Halloween trip???"

Never had that happen before!!! We buy 6 months in advance and day one always counts as the day the APs are activated at the Ticket Booth! So I called Disney's Ticket office at 11:45 p.m. and they pulled up all of my purchase and AP info. Turns out the Disneyland app can be glitchy and the dates are an error, so we're good! As before, the 365 AP dates begin when we show up December 4 at the Ticket Booth to get our passes.

Needed an hour to get my adrenaline down....so I'm lacking sleep right now... LOL!!!!

 

[dieumeye]

Last night I nearly had a heart attack!

Yesterday I bought our annual passes because we are planning 7 days this December and 7 days in October 2020. So two trips on one AP, as we always do. We always buy our APs early in the year to avoid the risk of ticket price hikes in the months preceding the trip. So! Bought the APs online, printed out the hard copies. That night, the AP passes were linked to our Disneyland apps ….. showing activated THAT DAY AND EXPIRING MAY 4, 2020!

I was like "$2500 and no Halloween trip???"

Never had that happen before!!! We buy 6 months in advance and day one always counts as the day the APs are activated at the Ticket Booth! So I called Disney's Ticket office at 11:45 p.m. and they pulled up all of my purchase and AP info. Turns out the Disneyland app can be glitchy and the dates are an error, so we're good! As before, the 365 AP dates begin when we show up December 4 at the Ticket Booth to get our passes.

Needed an hour to get my adrenaline down....so I'm lacking sleep right now... LOL!!!!

It will show it expires 365 days from purchase UNTIL you use it. Then it will reset to 365 days from first use.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

It will show it expires 365 days from purchase UNTIL you use it. Then it will reset to 365 days from first use.

Thanks! Wish this was explained in the fine print, but Disney is not exactly known for clarity.

 

[RobertaMomof2]

We are going December 31st - January 4th (in the parks January 1-3, although I am not sure we may go a bit earlier, since we may drive down, dates aren't solid yet). Really excited. We went last year for the holidays and have our expectations reasonably set. Staying at the Candy Cane Inn. Has been a while since we stayed there and the rate was good (we have been staying at the Homewood Suites Convention Center, but the rates are REALLY high this time, darn it).

I am thinking about buying my tickets now... I am worried they will increase the prices before SWGE opens, or at the minimum before the holidays when we go... what is everyone's opinion on that?

 

[B3rlingirl]

We are going December 31st - January 4th (in the parks January 1-3, although I am not sure we may go a bit earlier, since we may drive down, dates aren't solid yet). Really excited. We went last year for the holidays and have our expectations reasonably set. Staying at the Candy Cane Inn. Has been a while since we stayed there and the rate was good (we have been staying at the Homewood Suites Convention Center, but the rates are REALLY high this time, darn it).

I am thinking about buying my tickets now... I am worried they will increase the prices before SWGE opens, or at the minimum before the holidays when we go... what is everyone's opinion on that?

Yes I am worried about a price increase as well...(tickets as well as maxpass) so I am considering buying tickets from Disney with maxpass included...
but after missing buying the tickets for the old prices by about week I just pushed it to the back of my mind...

 

[jerzeystar09]

We will be going for our first trip and honeymoon December 12-16. Most likely staying at the Best Western and can’t wait.

 

[hjgaus]

12/13-12/17 GCH
Thread for those of us making our way to the parks allll the way at the end of this year.

Staying at the Villas at The Grand Californian from Dec. 12th to Dec. 14th !!!! We are usually there for the Disney Vacation Club annual members meeting!
Short but informative & sweet treats!!

 

[EmJ]

We are going December 31st - January 4th (in the parks January 1-3, although I am not sure we may go a bit earlier, since we may drive down, dates aren't solid yet). Really excited. We went last year for the holidays and have our expectations reasonably set. Staying at the Candy Cane Inn. Has been a while since we stayed there and the rate was good (we have been staying at the Homewood Suites Convention Center, but the rates are REALLY high this time, darn it).

I am thinking about buying my tickets now... I am worried they will increase the prices before SWGE opens, or at the minimum before the holidays when we go... what is everyone's opinion on that?

We aren’t traveling until 2020 but I asked a similar question on another thread and was strongly encouraged to buy the tickets with MP now. I plan to do so tonight. We’ve never been to Disneyland and I’m excited and kind of scared to press “buy”, lol.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

We are going December 31st - January 4th (in the parks January 1-3, although I am not sure we may go a bit earlier, since we may drive down, dates aren't solid yet). Really excited. We went last year for the holidays and have our expectations reasonably set. Staying at the Candy Cane Inn. Has been a while since we stayed there and the rate was good (we have been staying at the Homewood Suites Convention Center, but the rates are REALLY high this time, darn it).

I am thinking about buying my tickets now... I am worried they will increase the prices before SWGE opens, or at the minimum before the holidays when we go... what is everyone's opinion on that?

Well, definitely now! It'll be over seven months before your first day, so there is a reasonable chance prices will go up. One thing is for sure....prices NEVER DROP (chances are similar to pigs sprouting wings), so at the very least you'll be spending the same now as this winter. Another good thing about buying now is getting that big expense out of the way and paid off before long before the trip. Christmas at Disneyland is very expensive, and December in general can be expensive because of holiday celebrating. Spending now gives you extra time to build up funds for dining and presents.

 

[B3rlingirl]

Well, definitely now! It'll be over seven months before your first day, so there is a reasonable chance prices will go up. One thing is for sure....prices NEVER DROP (chances are similar to pigs sprouting wings), so at the very least you'll be spending the same now as this winter. Another good thing about buying now is getting that big expense out of the way and paid off before long before the trip. Christmas at Disneyland is very expensive, and December in general can be expensive because of holiday celebrating. Spending now gives you extra time to build up funds for dining and presents.

I was wondering a about what makes „Christmas at Disneyland very expensive“? I mean apart from hotel rates and presents and maybe more snacks...? Is there anything I am missing?

 

[Kittyskyfish]

I was wondering a about what makes „Christmas at Disneyland very expensive“? I mean apart from hotel rates and presents and maybe more snacks...? Is there anything I am missing?

Yes, hotel rates go up during the Christmas season, airfare as well. Factor in the cost to eat and shuttle costs, a Disney vacation is very expensive.

December is also an expensive month for those who observe the holidays. Big grocery bills, travel costs, presents, stuff. It all adds up! That's why I championed paying for the Disneyland vacation early, because Christmas and costs that happen during Disney trips are a budget double-hit.

 

[B3rlingirl]

Yes, hotel rates go up during the Christmas season, airfare as well. Factor in the cost to eat and shuttle costs, a Disney vacation is very expensive.

December is also an expensive month for those who observe the holidays. Big grocery bills, travel costs, presents, stuff. It all adds up! That's why I championed paying for the Disneyland vacation early, because Christmas and costs that happen during Disney trips are a budget double-hit.

Yes of course a trip to DL isn’t cheap..
I was just wondering if anything at DL is getting more expensive during the Christmas time...(it is my first time going during Christmas time so I have no idea what to expect...)
And of course December is already expensive enough...

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Yes of course a trip to DL isn’t cheap..
I was just wondering if anything at DL is getting more expensive during the Christmas time...(it is my first time going during Christmas time so I have no idea what to expect...)
And of course December is already expensive enough...

I'm not sure if I'm correctly reading your written tone, but please be assured I'm not holding back any information. My posts were meant as a justification for purchasing tickets early.

 

[B3rlingirl]

I'm not sure if I'm correctly reading your written tone, but please be assured I'm not holding back any information. My posts were meant as a justification for purchasing tickets early.

Yes, I guess we both didn’t quite understand each other correctly... sorry if I sounded somehow impolite or anything like that. That wasn’t my intention at all! I was just genuinely curious if I was missing anything so widely known you didn’t went in to details because it is so obvious and well known... I didn’t think you were holding back any information...
(I might not have expressed myself correctly or it might have been lost in translation...sorry...)

Oh, and December is just about 206 days away... so there isn’t even that much time left...

 

[RobertaMomof2]

Thanks everyone. You are right, going to buy them early. They wont go DOWN for sure I have noticed that hotels are more expensive this year than last (same with airfare) during this time. Holidays + SWGE is making things more expensive than normal.

ETA: Southwest moved their dates to show pricing/open purchasing for December to June... was 5/23. I wonder why... all the flights are VERY expensive right now (we come from the Bay Area and normally fly into SNA) Last year we flew same time frame and it was $120 a person. This year it is about $190 PP. Going to wait and see what happens with SWA. We may just drive down instead.

 

[sjmac42]

We’re arriving Dec 21st, flights and 6 nights booked at the Hilton with a stonking good rate but have Anaheim Desert Inn booked as a backup. We will get 5 day parkhoppers, use our MM on Christmas Eve and book Blue Bayou for lunch on Christmas Day. Then we’re doing a loop of Hwy 1 to Monterey and back to LA on the 101 for our last few nights with a VIP tour at Universal Jan 5th or 6th before we fly home on the 7th.
Really looking forward to a Christmas visit, haven’t done that since before DCA was built!
All the best