Disney World at Christmas

[christine8603]

Everywhere I read it says DO NOT go to Disney World during Christmas. We have always wanted to be at Disney on XMas Eve and XMas. We have booked a house 3.5 miles from the Disney World property from 12/19/07 through 12/29/07 has anyone gone during this time and what advice besides getting there early can you give me??

[awaggett]

Don't worry! We went last year and it was great. We did the Magic Kingdom on the 23rd (Saturday) and Epcot on Christmas Eve and the crowds were fine--no long waits. Using the FP really helped too. We noticed the crowds really pick up on the 27th, and by the 29th (our last day) the Magic Kingdom was wall to wall people. My guess is that folks stay home for the actual holiday, then head to Disney. A lot of advice I read last year said to just take it all in--we might not have been able to ride everything we wanted, but we had an amazing time.

I would definitely plan on doing the Candlelight Processional, seeing the Osborne Lights at MGM, the Gingerbread house at GF, and the Wilderness Lodge.

Another thing to make sure you do is to get ADRs. We had only one night without them at the Magic Kingdom and could not eat at a TS--they were booked solid.

[Tick-Tock]

Actually, I think the weather had a LOT to do with the crowds this past Christmas. I arrived in Orlando on the 23rd, and the 24th and 25th were both rainy (at least it was at The Villages, an hour north of Orlando). We had one day at MK on the 26th, and a CM told me that because of the overcast skies and occasional showers they were predicting @30-35K people, way down from normal during Christmas. The day was pretty manageable, though MK started to feel a little crowded when it cleared up in the evening. On the 27th, the sun came back out, and I hear that the parks started to get crowded.

So plan well (maybe have back-up plans for another park or another activity if a park gets too crowded, definitely get ADRs), and take advantage if the weather's not great! You'll probably get the most done in the first few days of your vacation before the holiday weekend arrives, so plan your must-dos for the beginning of the trip.

[Strmchsr]

:welcome: to Intercot!!!

Any time of the year is manageable if you want to go badly enough. If this is your dream, you'll make it work. One big key, though, as you mentioned, is to be sure you get there the moment the parks open. Some days from Christmas Eve-New Year's Day the park gets so crowded they close it to all non-resort guests. Since you're not staying on property you don't want to run the risk of being shut out.

The crowds will probably not be too bad when you first arrive and will grow as you get closer to Christmas. So, hit a lot of the shows and most popular things early on so that you can do the less popular things and take a slower pace once the crowds hit. You'll be there enough days that, regardless of crowds, you should be able to do what you want and have a great time.

[Aggie97]

We were there Dec. 16-26 last year, and I do agree that the bad weather may have had something to do with the smaller crowds on the 24-25th.

For us it was all about managing expectations as I planned the trip.

We "front-loaded" our park time and rode our favorite attractions the 16th-21st; we saved our nicer, time-consuming table-service dinners and character meals for later in the trip, when the crowds picked up.

You just need to prioritize before you go. For example, is it more important for you to get a FP for Soarin' or Test Track? ... what are your "must-do" rides at the MK? Just plan accordingly, and know ahead of time that you will have to wait in longer lines for attractions (we usually go during slow times of year, so this was kind of a first for us :mickey: ).

It helps to eat meals at off times, to avoid lines at counter-service restaurants. I agree that you will want to make ADRs before you go - we had no problems getting them in early October.

We don't do early mornings, but we also don't have kids, so we stayed 'til closing on all EMH nights. So on Christmas Day, we stayed at the MK until 3 a.m. and encountered short or no lines afer midnight (once again, could've been due to the rain, too).

I second awaggett's recommendations on "Christmassy" things to do while you're there. If you do MVMCP, be sure to watch the fireworks - they are AMAZING! (And the crowds really diminished after the first parade.)

Have a great time -- it is a really magical experience!

[Lynn J Mc]

If this is going to be your first Disney trip - I don't advise it. If you have been before, go, with lots of patience and have fun. If at all possible, stay on site. The value resorts are nice and not too expensive. The biggest problem we saw when we were there at Christmas was the long, long, long lines of traffic coming in to the park all day. We were glad to be on a Disney bus or the monorail. They have the designated lanes and you can't beat that. Christmas Eve was not too crowded but the rest of the time Christmas DAy onward was elbow to elbow. At times I could not see my feet touching the ground. However, I love Disney and a crowded day at Disney is better than an uncrowded day any where. I want to go back at Christmas, we were there 2003, my family says no way. I may just go one day by myself. Have fun.

[LoriMistress]

If you plan well, you're trip will be stress free and you'll be able to do most of the things that you want to do. I would suggest either the Ultimate Guide or TourGuideMike.com If you use either of them, it will help plan your trip extremely well, instead of reading and hearing horrid stories of people having a miserable time at WDW during the holidays.