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| Sat, 04-28-2007 - 6:48pm |
Hi all, I'm Angela. I just found this board and I am loving all of the great advice.
My husband is coming home from Iraq in Oct-Nov and we have been planning on this trip since before he left. He was supposed to come home June-July but, it works out well because I will be giving birth to our 2nd child in July (That would have been a little hard to do lol). Anyway, now we are planning on going in December. Sometime in the 2 weeks before Christmas but not on Christmas day (we want to be home for this). According to the disney website these weeks are supposed to be less busy, I don't know how true that is. We'll be there with a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old and we're hoping to stay for 7-8 days.
I have a few questions if you don't mind :)
1. We went last April with our daughter who was 9 months at the time and we absolutely loved it. We're not big ride riders so it worked out nicely. We went to the parks early. Went back to the hotel when it got hot and played in the pool/took a nap with the baby and went back once it started cooling down at night. I've never done disney in the cooler weather and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this. It worked out so well last time that I'm not sure what to do without a pool to play in and tire the little ones out.
2. We stayed at the pop century resort last time and loved it. We were planning on staying there again but, now we'll be there with 2 small children and will probably be spending a lot of time at the resort. So, I was thinking of maybe upgrading to some place a little nicer since we'll be there so much. I am considering the Animal kindom lodge or comtemporary (not sure if I spelled either of those correctly). Has anyone ever stayed at those or have any suggestions?
3. Any other tips/suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. I still have plenty of time but I love planning trips and researching every detail. I think maybe I should've had a career as a travel agent. Thanks so much in advance for any help you can give.

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Welcome!!! Congrats on your hubby coming home soon. I can't imagine being in the position you're in - pg and a little one, and hubby in Iraq. I'm sure he knows we're all behind him and all the soldiers, but can you pass on our support and good wishes for him!
Ok, now onto your quetsions...
1. We went last year in December. You'll really enjoy all of the Christmas activities and decorations! But definitely make sure you bring warm clothes (that was our biggest mistake - we just didn't have enough layers.) For us, there was always plenty to do, even without the pool. My daughter was a little sad about not having pool/water park time, but we had tons of stuff to fill our time!
2. We stayed at AKL and LOVED it, but not sure your kiddos will be old enough to appreciate it. However, you and your hubby might really really love it. The best part is hanging out on your balcony and watching the animals that are right outside your room. It is VERY peaceful and relaxing. I haven't ever been to the contemporary, so I don't know anything about that. But another one we really liked was the Polynesian, and it's right on the monorail. The AKL is a little far away from everything, so you might be on the bus a little more than you'd like.
I've never been to Disney with babies, so I don't have any other good tips for you right now, but I look forward to seeing what you have planned out!
JoAnna in TX
Welcome to the board!
December is our favorite time to go! you will find the crowds to be less than what you saw in April, but we've noticed it's been getting progressivly busier during that time of year, and it gets more crowded the closer to Christmas you get.
Two years ago I took the kids up the week before Christmas.
If you don't already know about the military resort Shades of Green (SOG), please check it out. I know last year my friend went on a post deployment package they were offering at a good deal. I don't recall the details. I can't say enough about this resort. If you search through other posts you will find lots of info on this board about it. It's right next to the Polynisian so it's really close to the Magic Kingdom. You get all the perks of an on-site hotel.
Their website is www.shadesofgreen.org
I too had the same concerns you have about going in December.. but surprise surprise when we were there the week before Christmas last year, it was warm enough to wear shorts/capri pants, or you would also be comfortable in pants and short sleeves. I do know that it can cool off some in the evening.
We too stayed at the Pop Century during that trip and was able to make several trips to the heated pool as well as the kiddie pool, even in the evening. Do not make the assumption that since it is December you will not be able to get out there. I had to go buy some shorts and capri pants because I was tired of wearing the long pants..
I hope this helps, be sure to check the weather first and pack the swimsuits.
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