Happy holidays to all of our MousePlanet readers! MousePlanet writer Steve Russo rules this week’s mailbag, answering letters in response to his latest articles. First up are readers who share their feelings on visits to Walt Disney World during the holiday season.
Kelly Z. writes:
Your article convinces me all the more to plan a Christmas excursion to Walt Disney World! Personally, being a New Englander who truly believes I was evilly misplaced here, I’d much prefer the warmer climates – so weather (even if a smidge warmer than our 24 degrees today) definitely plays a factor.
However, most importantly to me is that this is supposed to be the most joyous time of year. Yet, like clockwork every year, Thanksgiving kicks off the annual family chaos. Everyone gets so caught up in the presents, spending and stress of the season! So for me, the draw to visit Walt Disney World during the holidays is to experience fun, happy, awe-inspiring yuletides — while being able to create memories and thoroughly enjoy time with my family through it all.
Someday (and I say this every year), someday I will escape the chaos and be at Disney World for Christmas! Maybe in 2009 if we can swing it… the 21st is my birthday — and I hear there are some perks for being there for a special celebration!
Happy holidays to you and yours Steve — and everyone at MousePlanet! I appreciate what you all take the time to share!
And thank you for writing. Happy holidays.
Mike W. writes:
Our family has been lucky enough to visit the World twice during the holidays, offsite in 2002 and onsite in 2004. Like you, we spent some time touring the resorts checking out the Christmas theming unique to each resort. I also have to agree that the Grand Floridian is by far, THE Christmas resort. Although it is not my favourite resort the rest of the year, the theming of this resort lends itself to that “classic” Christmas flavour of turn of the 20th century North America. You almost expect guests to arrive in horse-drawn sleighs. I will disagree about the most impressive lobby, though. We have stayed at both Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge and have visited both at Christmas. Wilderness Lodge wins for best Christmas lobby, hands down. You almost expect the windows to have snow on the panes and the trees to be snow covered when you look out the back lobby windows.
To me, there is nothing like Christmas at the World. Even though I come from a place (Southern Ontario) where, like you, winter lasts four or five months, I would rather spend the holidays at Disney World. Yes, the weather in Florida can be hit or miss at that time of year, but it’s still much better than at home.
Laura writes:
Saw your article about enjoying the winter season at Disney. I wanted to reach out on behalf of the Swan and Dolphin Resort with some holiday rates and menus you (and your readers) might be interested in. I totally agree with you- when the winter starts to drag, the most fun I can think of is escaping to Florida!
The Swan and Dolphin is running a number of specials for the winter season, you can check them out on our site. Notably, Todd English’s Bluezoo, one of the property’s signature dining experiences, is offering a winter menu as well as a New Year’s menu (click here).
As you noted in your post, guests visiting the Resort this time of year typically experience some of the most comfortable Florida weather, considerably shorter lines at the theme parks and more time to see and enjoy all the fabulous holiday décor and special events that only Disney can create.
Bob B. writes:
Well I can’t say we have been to Walt Disney World during that timeframe, but we have made numerous trips to the Disneyland Resort during the holiday season. Normally we go after Thanksgiving and before Christmas, usually more into December. I have to agree the lines are way shorter and usually we have not seen to many rides down that kept us away.
My wife and I love the Christmas decorations all through the park and in Downtown Disney. This year we went a bit earlier on the weekend before Halloween. We had fun, but the crowds were still a bit thick. And we missed the Christmas decorations but the Halloween decorations were fun.
Kel Z. writes:
“Regarding the ‘re-imagineering’ of Pleasure Island, did Disney World’s guests really request more shopping opportunities?”
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Personally, I would have preferred to see Adventurers Club ‘improved upon’ by incorporating dining into the experience. Shopping they want? Sure, I suppose I’d jump at the chance to own a sweatshirt with the Colonel, raising a shot glass exclaiming “Kungaloosh!” Wouldn’t that have been the best of both worlds? But it doesn’t seem Disney considered ways to keep the ever-so-loved Adventurers Club intact, while incorporating the (ahem) apparent demands of their guests.
Don T. writes:
Great article! Good tips also. The real reason I am writing is to find out how you took the pictures of Wishes and Illuminations? Specifically I would like to know the equipment you used and the positions you used; in other words I have tried and tried since 1971, over 37 years, and never even come close to capturing the clarity of those images.
I look forward to your reply and I am sure I can come up with a few helpful tips I have discovered over the years!
For many years (the film years) I considered myself a pretty fair amateur photographer. I used predominantly Minolta SLRs – graduating from an older SRT-102 to a more current Maxxum-5. I carried them religiously, complete with camera bag, flash, lenses, etc. In 2006, I borrowed a digital (my first) from my daughter, specifically for a Disney trip. That was a Canon Power Shot SD400 ELPH… and I loved it. Easy to carry, easy to use, etc.
I bought my own, but not the Canon. Mine is a Sony DSC-W7 (7.2 MP). That camera took all the photos in the article. I experimented for the fireworks a lot… different shutter speeds, adjusted ISO, etc. What worked best for me was setting it on automatic and shooting away. The shots you saw are hand-held – I typically brace my elbows against my body. And I shoot lots of pictures. I might get 1 good one for every 3 or 4 I take of fireworks but isn’t that the beauty of digital photography?
Give a look at a few of Frank Anzalone’s columns on MousePlanet. Unlike me, Frank knows what he’s doing and he offers some great tips and wonderful photographs.
Donald writes:
I love the columns and enjoyed the tips in your latest article. I wanted to respond to one thing that you stated regarding driving to the parks if you are staying on grounds. My comment also goes along with another article written regarding the right age to take your children to the parks.
I have three girls and they are all four or younger. We always stay on grounds at one of the value resorts and we have never taken the buses since our first trip after having our second daughter. With the two of us handling the girls, the strollers, and all things that go along with both, maneuvering on a bus is impossible. We like being able to park the van at our pace and then we walk in from the parking lot without taking the parking lot trams.
It takes a little longer, but no one is giving us those killer looks about taking 20 minutes to fold up strollers and get the kids to settle down and stay seated for the ride to the hotel or another park. The first (and only) trip we rode the bus with two kids turned into a nightmare as I held the strollers while standing on the bus and my wife held two girls sitting and crying because they wanted to stand up with dad.
Just letting you know that there are some reasons behind the apparently maddening things that people do.
Thank you for those nice words. You make some great points and offer one excellent reason for driving; I’m certain there are more.
I guess my comment, excuse me, my opinion, was more directed at the many adults I hear that state they wouldn’t visit Disney World without a car. Most of them claim to need the ability to control where and when they travel. I could certainly agree with them when talking resort-to-resort, or even resort to Downtown Disney but never to the Magic Kingdom. When you introduce other factors such as small children, strollers, wheelchairs, etc. those are certainly valid reasons for driving.
David writes:
A couple of quick responses to things you noticed on your visit
1) The lines are way overstated in the morning and look longer than they are. Having been an attractions manager before, I doubt that this is due to a legitimate intention to make them look longer. We never want our lines sticking outside the queue, we always want it packed into the queue to keep the queue out of everyone else’s way. The real reason is just poor queue management and cast members not opening up all the sections of the queue fast enough to suck the rapidly growing line in the morning. It backs up very quickly and takes a moment to get sucked back in when more queue space is opened. That’s pretty much all it is.
That being said, I do recall hearing legitimate stories of Soarin’ managers intentionally putting EXTREMELY exaggerated wait times up on the board to discourage guests from coming. I believe someone cracked down on that though.
2) Regarding Pleasure Island: Did guests ask for more shopping and dining? You can make surveys say anything you want if you manipulate the questions properly. Also you can artificially create a demand for more dining, for example, by offering the dining plan. That’s my guess on that one, manipulative surveying.
Thanks for those insights. It’s nice to hear from someone “in the know” – even if it exposes my paranoia. So it’s not intentional, huh?
