Hi Everyone,
I’ve decided to take a couple of weeks off to relax and enjoy the holidays. I will be back on Monday, January 2 with a new blog entitled “Christmas Week.” It will be about the crowded conditions encountered between Christmas Day and New Year’s. In the meantime, if you need a “Jack Blog Fix,” use the Allears Search Engine located on just about every page of our site. Type “Jack” and the subject you’re looking for in the Search Box and hit enter.
I want to wish you a Happy New Year and all the best the world has to offer.
Jack
Jack –
We were there that day and even made your video! Our reason: We go to my in-laws’ house in FL (we live up north) every year that week and usually spend the whole week at their house. With my in-laws.
WDW is a 3-hour drive from their place. We decided to break up the week with what I called a “kamikaze” MK trip — we drove up the night before, stayed at a value resort, and woke up early to get in some rides before all hell broke loose. And it worked. Between 8 and 10am, we did Peter Pan, Thunder Mtn, Splash (2x), Pirates (3x), and Haunted Mansion, and then got fastpasses for Buzz. We spent some good time on Tom Sawyer Island and had an early lunch at Columbia Harbor House. (We even got a table on the overpass.) We did some other less-crowded rides in the afternoon (people mover, carousel of prog, carpets). My kids have been to MK many times, so they knew what they wanted to do and have already had a chance to soak in the Disney atmosphere on other trips. We left early and drove back that night.
I would never recommend that week for anyone going for the first time. And I would never fly to Orlando that week. But escaping from the in-laws’ place for a day doing my kids’ favorite rides? It was worth fighting the crowds, and it was easily the highlight of the week for my kids.
Jack,
Happy 2012 and thanks for the comical video. The video montage of the wait-times is like a horror movie; the plaza and TTC images are insane.
We are frequent WDW visitors and were there December 15th to the 20th this year.
While we typically go in early December, we moved back a week this year, thinking we would still be leaving before the big crowds arrived. Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16th were delightful, crowds were slightly larger on Saturday the 17th. And then on December 18th — the Sunday following the Friday on which nearly every elementary school in American closed — it was like a people-bomb went off. Where there had been one person, now there were now 12. It only got worse on the Monday and Tuesday. It was unreal.
With the exception of a couple of hours each day following rope drop, we abandoned the parks and spent the time enjoying the pools and resorts. Loved all the high school choirs and music that appeared. We pin traded to our children’s delight. We had a great time. But if our focus had been on the parks, it would have been a terrible disappointment.
Quite often when we speak to folks who have been to WDW once and hated it, you find out that they tried to go over Christmas break or on Easter.
Hi Jack,
I want to wish you and yours a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I hope you enjoy your Holiday Season and maybe we’ll run into each other at Epcot in 2012.
Take Care,
Johnny
Merry Christmas to you Jack!
Take that well earned rest and enjoy every minute! Thank you for giving us all our WDW fix this year.
I hope you have a magical Christmas and a prosperous, happy and healthy new year.
Heather
Jack,
You surely have earned it. Looking forward to your up and coming blog after the Holiday. Merry Christmas!
Rob
Jack,
My family and I wish you a wonderful, magical Christmas and New Year’s break! Thanks for all of the Disney magic that you share with your readers each year.
Neil
Good for you taking some time off! Merry Christmas and see ya next year!
Dear Jack,
I wish you a wonderful Christmas and blessings in the new year. Thank you so much for the tour of Kidani Resort during December to Remember. I look forward to my next trip to WDW in a few years, when I can wander in World Showcase during a less hectic time with your blogs in hand and admire all the details you have written about! Best wishes in all your undertakings.
Thanks again,
Collette Beuther
Hi Jack,
Enjoy your time off. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and I look forward to your blogs in the new year.
We’re starting to count the days until February.
Wendy
Jack,
May you and yours have a wonderfully relaxing, safe, happy, healthy, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
See ya next year!
– Jeff
I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy your time off! I look forward to your next blog.
Merry Christmas!
Just wanted to wish you and yours a wonderful holiday! Enjoy the time off. I am looking forward to yoru next blog!
Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Jack!!! I look forward to reading all your new blogs in 2012. I also hope to visit WDW in 2012. We were suppose to be arriving today and staying the week, but my husband suffered a pay cut, so the trip had to be put on hold. Your blogs have helped keep the Disney spirit alive in my home. The best to you in the New Year!
Happy Holidays Jack.
We enjoy your blogs so much! Like others they keep us going to our next trip to Walt Disney World. You do a wonderful job and we are happy things have worked out so you have been able to continue. Thank you for all you do.
We wish you a happy and healthly New Year.
Mary Beth and David
Merry Christmas and a Great New Year to you too! Maria
Hi Jack,
Wishing you a happy and relaxing holiday. You deserve a nice break that’s for sure.
Looking forward to the new blog in 2012.
Take care
Happy Holidays Jack!
Here’s to a great 2012!
Cheers!
Lisa
Happy holidays Jack! Enjoy your time off, I can’t wait for a new year of blogs! 🙂
Hi Jack,
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Been busy lately, but love to check in and at least read your blogs.
Went with friends on Saturday to tour some of the holiday decorations at the resort hotels. Had dinner at Trail’s End, and was floored with the decorations at the campsites of Fort Wilderness. Will be returning with dad and cameras.
Have a safe New Years!
Greg
hey jack
wishing you along with the rest of the allears staff a happy holiday take care.
Thank you for all that you write Jack, it keeps me going until my next holidays in the world.
Happy holidays to you and your family. Prosperity, love and health for 2012 and all the best!
Jack,
Every great blogger deserves some time off! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and an enjoyable New Year! Can’t wait to read your next blog on “Pounding the Pavement”. Each of your blogs gets me more and more excited for our family trip coming up in February!
Mary