PDA

View Full Version : Just booked - January POR!!



The Hitchhiking Ghost
12-12-2014, 04:49 PM
The DW has been, for lack of a better word, hounding me for months to get us back down to Disney. We had started out 2014 thinking that in Nov/Dec we'd try get back down, hopefully on free dining or some other such package. Unfortunately all the package discounts that were offered didn't cover our desired time frame, nor did they include POR (family of 5), so we had all but abandoned going for a while.

About a month ago CBR started popping up for us on the Stay-Play-Dine (which was new) but no POR. CBR was enough to pique my interest, but not quite enough to get me there. I like the resort ok, but have never felt the desire to stay there a 2nd time. So after 3-4 weeks of monitoring Disney's website, out of no where POR shows up as part of SPD package. Ok, not as good as free dining, but it was still by my calculations a 22% savings (around $1200) and it was my favorite mod. And, airline prices came down just a tad. So now we are booked and at least for awhile, I can do no wrong.

This will be the first time in probably 5 or 6 visits that we haven't done post Thanksgiving. Not sure how I'm going to react walking thru the train station onto Mainstreet and not seeing the decorations. I'm sure a part of me is going to have a negative reaction.

Upside hopefully is that the park attraction lines should be a lot shorter 3rd week of January.

YeeHaw Bob, here we come :beer:

Kids won't find out until Christmas day, hopefully magic bands will arrive by then.

ibelieveindisneymagic
12-13-2014, 08:05 AM
We love POR too! Have a great trip!

We went in January once, and it was a new time of year for us too ... turned out great. There were some shorter lines, I loved the cooler weather, and it was a super trip.

Janmac
12-14-2014, 03:29 PM
After December & decorations trips we went in January, arriving 5 January, possibly. Without the decorations the parks seemed bare, plain. But the lines were slight, as well. Unfortunately many of the CMs seemed worn out. Exhausted. KInda like when you arrive at a popular restaurant right after the lunch rush is over.

But we still had a great time and have made several other January trips.

Jan

The Hitchhiking Ghost
12-15-2014, 11:57 AM
While I'm going to miss Candlelight Processional, Osborne lights, visiting the deluxe resorts, it also frees up a lot more time. So our hope with the January trip is that we can make it a bit more relaxed, that we won't have to do every day rope drop to close and allow for more resort time, even though the temps will be cooler. I'm also hoping that now that the kids are a bit older, and their 3rd visit, that we can cut down on character meet and greet lines. Or if we do, the lines won't be as bad.

Trying to recalibrate how I usually approach a Disney vacation.

#1donaldfan
12-16-2014, 12:14 PM
We have done every season at Disney and are coming to realize there are only spotty weeks that it's not busy. I realize there are many times that are not as crazy as Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it's always busy. If I were going mid to late January, I'd still rope drop the parks, have my FP's for later that evening. Exit the park around noon ish, resort play for several hours, then head back out for the evening / night. :mickey:

The Hitchhiking Ghost
12-17-2014, 11:36 AM
We have done every season at Disney and are coming to realize there are only spotty weeks that it's not busy. I realize there are many times that are not as crazy as Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it's always busy. If I were going mid to late January, I'd still rope drop the parks, have my FP's for later that evening. Exit the park around noon ish, resort play for several hours, then head back out for the evening / night. :mickey:

Thanks for the insight. I think that is what we are looking to do. Maybe not rope drop every day, but get in early, fastpass late and then (other than MK days) try get some resort/pool time in.

Janmac
12-18-2014, 10:27 AM
I agree with the previous poster about rope drop even during the somewhat slower times.

On our last trip we were in a villa for 7 days with 4 day tickets. On park days we still rope dropped, mid-day resort rest and then another park in the evening. We enjoyed sleeping in on the non-park days so much that we are repeating that plan on our trip next month. And yes, most of our fast passes are for the evening park.

On non-park days we found plenty to do around the resort we were staying at and visiting other resorts. We were lucky enough to have warm enough weather for swimming.

Unfortunately tho the weather for January, at this time, looks less than positive for swimming, POR and sister FQ should be great for resort time. I wish there was a way to investigate resort activities on line but I have yet to discover any. If swimming is out, there should be other resort activities.

Won't be long now until we can check Chris's weather at Vacation Planning.

Jan