Beating the Crowds
How is the crowd? Is it really really that bad like you will elbow everyone just walking around? i hear so many stories and its scary. Any one have pictures of just what the crowd looks like xmas week?
This is a fantastic question, and probably the number one reason why people have trouble committing to Disney during Christmas. I will not try to sugar-coat anything the week of Christmas is the most crowded time of the year. Because of this, wait times for rides can get as high as two hours or more!
When many people hear how crowded it is and how long the wait times are, the next question usually is so why do you go? While the wait times can escalate quickly, and park walkways can quickly become congested, there is a science to beating the crowds. It takes a lot of patience to get through the crowds, and is not for the weak at heart, but with a solid plan of action, you can ensure a magical time.
This post will be an overview of the crowd levels seen during the week, some tips for how to use weather and time of day to your advantage, and how to avoid burning out early on during your trip.
Of course, each park requires a separate plan of action. In my upcoming posts leading up to Christmas, I will make sure to highlight each parks POA.
Lets start with a trivia question the most crowded day of Christmas week is:
If you said Christmas, you are wrong. From what I have witnessed, the most crowded day of the Christmas week is actually New Years Eve day. Think about this, if you are in the New York area, where do people flock to for New Years Eve? Time Square. What time do you have to get to Time Square on New Years Eve to ensure a fun experience and a good spot? Pretty early.
For a majority of Floridians, Disney World is their Time Square for NYE. Combine Floridians and people in that area looking to enjoy NYE with the high volume of tourists visiting Disney and you get the most crowded day of the year.
It is on this day that my family avoids the parks at all costs. EPCOT is literally elbow-to-elbow, and while I have never gown the courage to visit Magic Kingdom, I can imagine it is the same. Below is a picture from this years NYE day at EPCOT, when my family thought it would be a good idea to walk through EPCOT and take a boat to the Boardwalk.
Disney World does do a fantastic job at preparing for the crowd levels on NYE. They actually have another bus company contracted to increase the number of buses going between parks and resorts. Even with the increase in buses, the traffic can cause increased travel times, so it is always good to leave for your destination ~1 hour ahead of time.
To answer your question, I will first show a crowd forecast graph to give you an idea of how crowded each day gets. My family usually arrives in Disney World the day of Christmas Eve, and stays until New Years Day. Here are the crowd levels we have experienced:
As you can see, on December 24th, the crowds are not too bad, as many people are just beginning to arrive and get settled. Christmas day is when the parks begin to get pretty crowded. The crowd level on Christmas day and the day or two after may be enough to make people avoid the parks altogether. However, my family is up for the challenge and actually spends Christmas in Magic Kingdom (crazy, I know!)
As I mentioned, each park has a POA that is specific to the layout, the rides, etc. But, here are some tips to still enjoy Christmas on days where the parks are crowded.
Get to the parks as early as possible
Many people are not early birds, my family included. When we go on vacation, we always talk about how we are going to relax. That never happens. In order to get the best of your vacation, there are going to be some days where you have to be up early, and some nights where you will have to be out late.
Looking at the crowd forecast, I would say Christmas day is pretty packed, right? What if I told you that within three hours, you can enjoy Space Mountain, the Buzz Lightyear ride and Big Thunder Mountain? You probably would not believe me, right? Well you can.
Last Christmas, my family tried to get to Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day for the Extra Magic Hours, one hour prior to the park opening. We didnt make it. By the time we had gotten into the park, it was just opening to the public. As people filed in, we made a B-line to Tomorrowland (we had it planned). My parents do not like rollercoasters, so my sister and I got in line for Space Mountain. We sent my parents to Buzz Lightyear to get Fast Passes. The wait time on Space Mountain was around 20 minutes, and by the time we finished, it was around 8:45am. The Fast Passes called for a return at 10:30am. We went to the Scream Theater, and then we enjoyed a cinnamon roll at Main Street Bakery. We still had a half hour, and there was a 30-minute wait on Thunder Mountain. We rode Thunder Mountain, and then returned to Buzz Lightyear to redeem our fast passes.
By the time we got off Buzz Lightyear, it was around 11am and we had completed three big rides. This is all part of the planning that goes into the parks. Knowing where the rides are, which rides will have the longest wait-times, and your way around the park.
Stay at the Parks as Late as Possible
This is the opposite of what I just told you. You will notice that during Christmas there are a lot of young families. If you are staying on Disney properties, use the late-night EMH to your advantage. At Magic Kingdom, usually after the fireworks and final parade it begins to clear out. Many times, they offer EMH until 2am. Now, I have never made it that late, however, around 12:30am the park is basically empty!
Leave the Parks in the Afternoon
Lets return to my Christmas Day story (bragging) about the three attractions in three hours. A few things figured into this:
- It was early and younger families probably opened gifts first, then went to the parks
- FantasyLand had just opened, so many people went straight there
Around 12pm, the park was swamped. It was so busy that the line for Small World extended all the way to the Haunted Mansion. That is approximately a one-hour wait given how fast Small World moves, but you understand my point. Once you start to see this, its time to leave the park.
What many people forget is just how many things Disney offers other than the park, especially during Christmas. I will be sure to highlight these offerings in future posts.
Go back to the hotel and take a nap, relax by the pool, or go exploring. When the park gets extremely busy, we usually leave and return later that evening.
Use the Weather to Your Advantage
Disney World is in Florida, which means every day has a chance on rain. But, it also means that the rain usually does not last too long. Dont let it rain on your parade. Some of the best times we have had in the Disney parks were during, or right after a rain shower.
When it rains, people usually run for cover. They flock to shows, take the time to go shopping, grab a bite to eat in a covered area, or even leave the parks. I remember one instance this past trip when it was pouring in them morning. Worried we would not be able to get a good day at the parks in, we ate breakfast at the hotel, and checked the weather channel. The radar showed that it would be passing by in about two hours. We waited about an hour before heading to Animal Kingdom.
As we were getting to Animal Kingdom, it was beginning to stop, and the sun was starting to emerge (which looks awesome looking at the Tree of Life.) We entered and immediate went to Mount Everest, which had a wait time of thirty minutes. A thirty-minute wait on a good day is unheard of for Mount Everest. After the ride, the wait time was back up to sixty minutes.
Another time I can think of the rain working in our favor was during Magic Kingdom Extra Magic Hours. We had eaten at Whispering Canyon, and then taken a carriage ride around the camp grounds to view the Christmas lights. It was during the carriage ride that it began to absolutely downpour. When we finally returned to the hotel, we dried up and decided to get a few hours in at Magic Kingdom, as Magic Kingdom had EMH until 3am. The rain was still pretty heavy upon arriving, so we got some pictures with Mickey indoors, then saw the Country Bear Jamboree. By then, it was reduced to a drizzle and the park was empty. We rode Big Thunder Mountain (which is awesome at night and even cooler when it is raining) and rode Space Mountain. The wait times were basically inexistent on these rides. The EMH, combined with the terrible weather, mixed for an empty park.
Normal Night at Magic Kingdom:
During EMH After a Night Full of Rain:
Purchase a Park Hopper
Adding a Park Hopper onto your ticket during Christmas week is definitely worth it. With a normal ticket, if you get to a park and it is too packed to be enjoyable, you are stuck there or lose that day if you leave. With the Park Hopper, you can leave the park and go to a less crowded park.
Get Your Fast Pass Early
Fast Passes for big attractions go fast, and even faster during Christmas week, when crowds are at a high level. I remember once, I rode Tower of Terror. We then went back to Toy Story Mania to get our Fast Pass. Well, by the time we got back there (around 11am) the Fast Passes were no longer being distributed for the day. For Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios, it is best to get your Fast Pass upon entering the park.
Another way to plan your Fast Pass is to try to get your time slot for 6-7pm. So, lets say you spend your morning at Hollywood Studios and leave when it gets crowded in the afternoon. Go back to your hotel around 1pm to relax, wash up, and maybe throw on an extra layer for the night. Return to the parks around 5:30pm, use your Fast Pass, eat dinner, then enjoy Fantasmic. To me, that sounds like an outstanding day and you avoid the crowds!
Stay in a Smaller Hotel
How many times have you gone to board a bus and it was too packed. You then have to wait until the next bus, which can be up to 15 minutes. Staying at a smaller hotel, or a hotel along the Monorail line can cut down on this. Check out the occupancy and the map of the hotel before booking your vacation. The less stops, the smaller the hotel. The smaller the hotel, the faster you are able to get onto a bus and head to the park.
As a rule of thumb, the value resorts are usually the largest. The monorail hotels offer buses, the monorail (of course) and boats to Magic Kingdom. You can also get a boat from the Boardwalk hotels to EPCOT, and most Boardwalk hotels are within walking distance of Hollywood Studios.
Now, this is in no way telling you not to stay in a value resort. If you find yourself in a larger resort, try to find the first stop that buses make when picking up guests.
Enjoy Yourself
So what if its crowded? You are spending Christmas, the happiest time of the year, at the happiest place on Earth. Why let the crowds get you down?
Yes, its very crowded, and yes, the lines can get very long. But, I think a lot of people hear crowds at Disney and immediately think of a hot July today, surrounded by too many people and sweating their rear end off. That is not the case during Christmas. The weather is enjoyable, sometimes even cold, so the crowds do not reflect negatively on your vacation. The only thing the crowds can do is increase your wait time; but with the lower temperatures, it really does not cause a problem.
Continue to ask some great questions! In my next post, I will address the
scooter/wheelchair situation during Christmas week.
Also, how hard is it for scooters and wheelchairs to get around during that week.
!
