Need Info ~ Crowds week before Christmas

[Mammabruski]

I read in a couple posts that it was a zoo the week before Christmas this year. I would like to know if it was really that bad, because we're seriously considering going with my parents, my sister, my sister's family (2 boys under 5 years old), and my family (2 girls under 4 years old); this very week next year. Was it manageable with a good plan and fast pass use?

Were you there? Were the crowds really that bad? Were the Counter Service spots crazy crowded? The busses overloaded? ADR's hard to come by? That even POTC had a 40 minute wait and all Fast Passes were gone at HS by 10 am! Really?!? :confused:

I watched the Crowd Calendar on the Official Guide's website and it was all 7's. Were they wrong? Does this week's crowds now compare to the week between Christmas and New Years? I've been there that week, and it wasn't pretty...

Please share your crowd experience and any insight you have (like you think this type of crowd is now typical for this time of year), if you were there this year. We aren't planning on hitting the rollercoaster and big rides but once (if at all), but are looking for a fun experience for our kids (especially mine and my sister youngest who will be ~18months old for their first trip :cloud9:)

Thanks all! :mickey:

[Jeff]

My family was there Dec. 19 - 25. We go every year either over Christmas or the week between Christmas and New Years.

Was it busy this year, yes. Crowds really picked up by the 23. Even the first three days though it was crowded and essential to be at the parks by opening to get the major attractions done with little wait. I called to get one ADR a day as soon as my "window" opened to call. Even then I was not able to get the Candle Processional Package for LeCellier on Christmas Day (settled for Marrakesh). I did get all of the other ADR's we wanted. Counter service places were pretty crowded at the peak meal times. Surprisingly we were able to get into Downtown Disney restaurants as walk ups even at peak times twice!!!!

MK was the busiest each time we were there. Crowds were lightest at the Studios and Epcot this year.

By using FP wisely and getting at the parks as they open all major attractions can still be done with little or no wait. If your family can not get to the parks at opening, well good luck!!!!!

We have seen it much busier the week before Christmas than it was this year, but it was still crowded.

It all depends on when schools are getting out for the break and where Christmas falls. Next year, with Christmas on a Sat. I bet many schools will still be in session for 2 or 3 days the week before Christmas. If that is the case, next years "week before" should be ok.

[Melanie]

The 19th and 20th (especially at the MK) were most definitely a zoo. At least more crowds than I ever want to deal with. We just went to spend some time with old friends we hadn't seen in awhile.

But listen to Jeff on this one. He's got tons of experience with this time of year.

[faline]

I find that the crowds typically pick up beginning a week to 4-5 days before the holiday (depending on the day of the week the holiday will fall on) and increase steadily until you see maximum crowds beginning a day or two before the holiday and all the way through the following week.

If possible, I'd go earlier in the month of December.

[DVC2004]

We were there Dec 13-17th and it was steady, crowds increased each day it seemed.

[hatfield80]

We arrived Friday Dec 18 and left Tuesday Dec 22. Friday was not crowded at Epcot and we went to the party at MK Friday night which was sold out. Saturday the snowstorm hit in the northeast and I think that kept the crowds down as well. Sunday was beginning to get crowded and became more crowded as time went on. It was more crowded than I have ever seen in the summer. My son in law has been the week after Christmas and said this was nothing. We tried to get a fast pass for Soarin on our last day at 9:30 am and told us to come back at 5:30. By that time there was and hour and a half wait time. I truthfully was ready to leave. We went the last week in October and I have to say I was surprised at the amount of kids at that time. A cast member told me you can't go by those schedules because people are taking their kids out of school to avoid the crowds. She said there really wasn't a down time any more.

[RAIDER]

Ive been during the Dec period for the last 8 years . We have always gone ( except for 1999/2000 ) in the first 2 weeks of Dec and thats the best time to go as the parks are normally very quiet .
The week leading up to christmas is always mad .
This year we were there from the 6th Dec to the 20th and the 19th we left we were in Epcot and it was awful . We just walked out .

[southerngirl]

We have gone the past two years the weekend before Christmas with our infant son (because my husband is a teacher, we don't have the luxury of being able to go during the school year). Both years, we've headed down the Saturday after school gets out and have stayed three nights.

The crowds the first two days in 2008 were manageable, especially if you went right at park opening. For example, we'd go to the MK right at opening and be able to walk onto almost every ride that we wanted before 1:00. By the 23rd, though, the crowds were nightmarish all day long. I honestly think that, because the economy tanked in October that year, a lot of people held off on going to Disney unless they had planned to be there ON Christmas. (In other words, I think a lot of people who normally take pre-Christmas trips down there to see the decorations didn't do that in 2008.)

This past year, we thought that because Christmas fell on a Friday, most people would arrive on the 23rd. So, we were hoping for lighter crowds during our Dec 19-22 visit but were disappointed. It was much more crowded than last year. Plus, there were no morning EMHs at the MK, so you really did have to get to the park right at opening if you wanted to beat the crowds. By noon, the place was mobbed. We went to Epcot the afternoon of the 21st, and it was also very crowded, even back in World Showcase, which I think can typically handle bigger crowds.

However, I will say that since you're going with two young children, you'll probably be doing mostly morning park hours and then spending time in the afternoons at the resort. If you do that, then you'll probably be okay. We've found that a lot of people do tend to stay away from the parks at Christmas time until late morning (10:30 seems to be the "magic hour" for increasing crowds). I guess that's because they're taking it easy and having a big breakfast before hittng the parks, sleeping in, etc. So, as long as you don't go expecting to find off-season crowds, you'll be fine.

[Mammabruski]

MORE QUESTIONS! PLEASE READ!

Thanks everyone for your replies. It seems if we have a plan, get to the parks early, use fastpass wisely, then we'll be fine.

What I now want to know is if the lines for rides such as (at MK) POTC, ISW, HM, JC and (at EPCOT) Nemo, SE, Ellen and (at HS) Playhouse Disney, the shows like Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast; will have really long lines in the late afternoon/evening. Is it that busy? Will we have to wait 40 minutes to ride POTC? If this is the case, it just might not be possible.

So what is the line situation later in the day during this week?

[Jeff]

Late in the day waits can really vary. This year we did Pirates about noon and it was a 5 minute wait. This was on the 23rd or 24th I think. The rides you mention seem to have an ebb and flow. If you are there and the line is 30 min plus for most of these we just bypass them and come back in the evening. They are usually fine by then.

[LittleRoosMommy]

We were there this year from 12/18-12/26. We also have 2 DDs, ages 3 and 5. DH & I have been to WDW during the week between Christmas and NY's, so we were prepared for it to be crowded. I was secretly hoping that the week leading up to Christmas Day wouldn't be too horrible.

We were a little disappointed that the parks were so crowded at the beginning of the week. We went to MK on Sat 12/19 and it was more crowded then, than Christmas Day! We got there at park opening and DH ran for FP for BTMR, while I took DDs for pictures w/ characters on Main Street. We then met up in Fantasyland. We were able to walk on to some rides there, then headed over to Frontierland for the FPs. Splash was a walk-on. As the day went on, it got more crowded. We utilized FPs and still managed to have a great time!

The other parks for crowded as well. We tried to be at park opening and have a game plan as to what we wanted to do for the day. But, as you can imagine, with young kids, the plan was constantly changing. At DHS, we were able to get into Playhouse Disney, Beauty w/o any trouble. We used FP for Toy Story, Star Tours, and Journey of the Little Mermaid.

We were able to ride and see everything we wanted to see. I would tell you to just have a plan in your head of what you really have to see/ride and then be flexible with your day. If the ride is longer than 30 min come back. As pp said there is an ebb/flow to many of the rides you were mentioning.

We walked right onto Nemo at Epcot w/o any trouble at all. TT and Soarin - definitely get FP.

Overall, yes it was horribly crowded. BUT, we still had the best trip ever!! Our girls were just so excited to be back at WDW. We kept our expectations low and I think it really helped! We actually got to see alot more than what I had anticipated us being able to see/do. We took the attitude that we weren't going to go commando, we were going to stop and smell the roses. Whatever the girls wanted to do/see was fine with us. And it actually worked out really well for us! The girls were happy and so we were happy!