Ok! Call Me Crazy!!

[GAGirl13]

but we are thinking about going down the week of Christmas.

My husband just started a new job and will not have vacation time until then. The kids really want to go to Disney this year and we were thinking about just forgoing all Christmas presents and taking a big trip. Plus we got a pin code for
FREE DINING!

I have always wanted to do the dining plan so why not take advantage of the pin number!!

Sooooo.....let me know if you have been the week of Christmas and what your experience was like. Any help would be appreciated!! We have been Spring break many times so I have been there with big crowds.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!!

Pay no attention to the ticker below.....can't figure out how to fix it!!

 

[Postal68]

The only thing I remember about being down there at vacation was it was the only time I've seen a park at Max capacity (MK on Christmas Day)
However, the Christmas decorations at Disney are great, but to actually be there at Christmas was magical.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

We were booked to do the same thing but had to move it up to Thanksgiving. We still got free dining though!! I would say to go for it!!

ETA, if you have not booked it yet I would do it soon. I heard that some resorts are already full for the free dining offer.

 

[kandb]

Wow, they are offering some people free dining for Christmas week, that very surprising.

 

[ddwwelsh]

We went during Thanksgiving during 2005, and although we saw some of the Christmas decorations, etc., we said we'd someday like to go at Christmastime.

I'm not so worried about the crowds. In the past, I've been during band week, Spring Break, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, etc., and I survived all of those. LOL

Like your situation, you go when you can.

We're doing the dining plan, too, but I didn't know of any pin codes, etc.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Wow, they are offering some people free dining for Christmas week, that very surprising.

It's really for the week before but if you check in by that Saturday, you get it for your entire stay.

 

[Djali]

We will be there this year over Christmas and I can't wait. We will be arriving on Dec. 21st and leaving on the 27th. This will be our third trip during this time period and we have always found the crowds to be manageable. We have also been there during Spring Break many times and found the crowds to be similar in size. My biggest tip is to be there at rope drop. You will be able to get so much done first thing in the morning and then can spend the rest of the day soaking in the atmosphere of Disney at Christmas. Since you have been before I would recommend building in time to do the special Christmas activities - parades, fireworks, Candlelight Processional, Osborne lights, and resort hopping to see the decorations. Christmas at Disney is truly magical and I would go every year for Christmas if possible.

 

[GAGirl13]

We were booked to do the same thing but had to move it up to Thanksgiving. We still got free dining though!! I would say to go for it!!

ETA, if you have not booked it yet I would do it soon. I heard that some resorts are already full for the free dining offer.

I am looking into it as we speak. I thought about the week of Thanksgiving too. We went down a couple of years ago that week but left the day before Thanksgiving. It was great! The weather was perfect and was not all that crowded!! Have you done the dining plan before? Just trying to figure out if it is a good deal or not.

 

[d1gitman]

Week of Christmas to New Years is great. The key is to do rope drop. By 11am its pretty much a complete madhouse. We did rope drop to lunch and then would hit our last Fast Pass attraction after lunch and go back to the resort Nd do other activies. We love Christmas week at Walt Disney World and Disney Land / California Adventure

 

[MrsDuck]

Last year we were there from the 20-23rd. We didn't hit any of the parks (we got married the 22nd) but it definitely was busy. Not as bad as the summer months though and the weather was beautiful!!

On the 23rd we went to EPCOT to ride TT before we went on a DCL. The line wouldn't have been SUPER bad if the ride hadn't been down (apparently the track was frozen!).

All in all, I'd go the week before Christmas but I am not sure if I'd do a park on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day unless you were super patient and ready for anything!

 

[jessa07]

We were there the 21st-26th in 2010 and did parks on Christmas Eve/Day. Yes, there are a lot of people. Yes, you will see signs saying park(s) closed for capacity. Don't let this scare you. As a PP said, be there for rope drop. This will probably be a slower paced trip than you're used to - just accept it. If you play your fastpasses right, you won't wait in any crazy lines. Just relax and have fun! You're at Disney!

 

[lugnut33]

Spent 11 days there over Christmas/New Year's last year and loved it. Rented a town house off site. I'll be doing it again next year.

 

[Allies mom]

We were there last year at Christmas. I would definitely do it! We had so much fun We got free dining and loved it. We are going this year at Thanksgiving but paying for dining plan

 

[mrsarbogast]

We are going the week of Thanksgiving checking in on the 21st... With FD as well. We're
checking out before the holiday though.

 

[su_A_ve]

It's really for the week before but if you check in by that Saturday, you get it for your entire stay.

Surprisingly it is actually check in by Sunday 12/22. We drive and we would never be able to get in on Sat. We had already discarded FD and had settled for a shorter Xmas trip and a 3n cruise on the Magic.

But then we got the FD PIN and were able to book it. Right now we have it for 12/22 to 12/28, however we still have the cruise booked. We will shorten it to 12/26 more than likely and do both.

And ADRs are all done too We did Xmas in 2008 and 2010 with FD. On 2011 we did early December with FD because it was a family reunion as well. Loved it. But you do need to take into consideration that the parks will be AT capacity. My biggest mistake was driving on Xmas day late morning towards WL for lunch there and then going to MK, instead of taking the bus. Traffic was a nightmare.

Also, looking back, I remember in 2008 we arrived also about 12/22. Stayed at CSR. It was more than half empty. In fact, one whole section seemed to have been closed. Parks were also light. They picked up on 12/24, and crazy busy on 12/25 and on. CSR followed the same pattern.

 

[paintnolish]

Ooh, take me with you! I've been thinking about the same thing.

 

[luvgoing2disney]

Week of Christmas to New Years is great. The key is to do rope drop. By 11am its pretty much a complete madhouse. We did rope drop to lunch and then would hit our last Fast Pass attraction after lunch and go back to the resort Nd do other activies. We love Christmas week at Walt Disney World and Disney Land / California Adventure

What he said

 

[MulanMom]

Go for Christmas week. We visited WDW this past Christmas and had a wonderful vacation. We didn't do rope drop. We did the parks night owl style....went in midafternoon and stayed until close, usually ending at a park with night EMH. I surprised my family with a Wishes dessert party on Christmas Eve. It was definitely worth it and made the night extra special in addition to keeping us away from the crowds. When it was over, they opened a back way that emptied out near Tony's Restaurant, saving us the hassle of navigating down a crowded Main Street.

If we weren't headed to WDW this summer, we would definitely plan to do Christmas there again.

 

[Jenny1975]

We are going 12/22-12/28 with free dining pin and it is the only time my hubby could get off work too!

We went the week before Christmas in 2010 and it was crowded and record low temps then but I was in Disney so I was happy just to be there!

I know that it is going to be super busy but we plan on doing rope drops and park hopping...

 

[dllocals]

We are going 12/22-12/28 with free dining pin and it is the only time my hubby could get off work too!

We went the week before Christmas in 2010 and it was crowded and record low temps then but I was in Disney so I was happy just to be there!

I know that it is going to be super busy but we plan on doing rope drops and park hopping...

When does the rope drop?