What do you do on Christmas day?

[mouseketeer mom]

Help! Not a clue how to handle Christmas Day. What would be a good plan? We'd like not to have it feel crazy if possible. Right now have Candlelight processional package for dinner, but I'm not even sure about that....

[buzznwoodysmom]

I thought you guys were going to be on the cruise for Christmas?????

[MizMissy]

You should read Denise's Christmas Day Trip Report from last year. I remember that it sounded like a wonderful and relaxing Christmas Day in the world!

[buzznwoodysmom]

You should read Denise's Christmas Day Trip Report from last year. I remember that it sounded like a wonderful and relaxing Christmas Day in the world!

Karen,
It really was a very relaxing, wonderful Christmas Day, and I know Lisa has read about it already. We even changed our original plans and opted out of visiting MK that evening. We had had such a quiet day I didn't want to end it with the chaos that can be MK on a holiday. I wish I could do it again soon!

[faline]

We've only been on Christmas day once and that was a number of years ago. Most of that experience is no longer relevant. I do recall that the Magic Kingdom was the most crowded I have ever seen it. If I planned a Christmas day trip again, I'd probably do things outside the parks but make sure I had a reservation for a lovely meal somewhere. If warm enough, I might hang out at the pool for most of the day.

[mouseketeer mom]

I thought you guys were going to be on the cruise for Christmas?????

We changed our minds, opting to do the cruise in the early summer instead. This is Katie's last Christmas home with us! It's been her dream to spend Christmas in WDW, not on a ship. So be it. We will do it. ADR's are hard to come by now..but I have LTT and MNSSHP the first night, then Sci Fi and Osbourne lights the second, nothing on the third yet. Chef Mickeys for Christmas Eve, and CP for Christmas Day with dining package., Ohana's the next day..I just still don't understand how Christmas will feel! What do we do?????

[Aggie97]

We've been at WDW on Christmas day once. We did the Candlelight Processional dinner package on the 24th. We were staying at the Polynesian, so on Christmas morning we had breakfast at Kona Cafe and then rode the monorail to the other resorts to do some Christmas shopping and see the decorations. We had dinner at 'Ohana, which was very fun and festive.

There was a huge storm system that day (tornado warnings, etc.), but the worst of it had cleared by the evening, so we put on ponchos and headed to the MK. It was completely empty -- the quietest I've ever seen it. Of course our experience was far from the norm! But even without the bad weather, we had not planned to visit a park during the day.

I will say that it was a little difficult for me to be at WDW on Christmas, as it was the first time I had spent the holiday away from family. It just didn't quite feel like Christmas to me, but we still had a great time. I have very fond memories of it. I hope you enjoy!

[faline]

..I just still don't understand how Christmas will feel! What do we do?????

Can you incorporate some of your at-home traditions into your trip? The time we went over Christmas, I packed a small table top tree and set that up after we arrived. I also brought some other decorations which I put up during our stay. Before we went, we agreed we would only exchange gifts that we had purchased at Disney World. The day before Christmas, we all split up and went "Christmas shopping". (I even packed wrapping paper and scotch tape!!). It was the most relaxed holiday shopping I've ever done!! Though we normally exchange presents on Christmas morning, that year we opted to exchange Christmas presents on Christmas eve. We gathered that evening and did our traditional present "unwrapping". Surprisingly, my son-in-law and husband bought some of the same items for each other which was rather amusing as they were revealed. And my daughter and her husband had "cheated" and done their shopping together so they each knew what the other was getting even though they diligently wrapped the gifts to each other!! Since we traditionally have Chinese food for Christmas eve (and did not plan to go to Epcot that evening), we opted for the next best thing and made reservations at Kona Cafe. Originally, we had planned to go to Downtown Disney after dinner but every bus that came through the Poly was so full that the bus driver could not admit any more guests. After 3-4 busses like this we gave up that plan and just returned to our cabin at Fort Wilderness for a relaxed evening. We did go to the parks on Christmas day but, in retrospect, would probably not do that again.