biggest tip the week after christmas....

[mousiemom]

okay dissers!!! what is your biggest tip for the week after christmas in the parks and for nye night?

 

[mesaboy2]

1. Go early.
2. Don't leave.
3. Use FP until you're sick.
4. Pack your patience.
5. Manage expectations.

 

[mousiemom]

yes, my dh keeps looking @ wait times and i told him to stop looking, don't worry and just enjoy being there. we always go off season!

 

[mesaboy2]

yes, my dh keeps looking @ wait times and i told him to stop looking, don't worry and just enjoy being there. we always go off season!

Sounds to me like you already knew the answer.

 

[Alesia]

Don't plan on having a relaxing trip.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Rope drop, rope drop, rope drop. and use AM EMH's to thier fullest extent and park hop to avoid the crowds from the EMH draw by noon.

 

[KCMiller]

1. Go early.
2. Don't leave.
3. Use FP until you're sick.
4. Pack your patience.
5. Manage expectations.

This . AND, even if you don't usually do TS, make some ADR's, if possible, anywhere you can. Otherwise, you could potentially stand on line for over an hour to get a hot dog. Trust me - I've been there and I've done that.

But it IS the most wonderful time of the year!

KC

 

[bouncycat]

LOTS of patience!!! The crowds will be very thick!! We'll be at DHS on NYE, and have a late lunch ADR at 50's prime time. That'll be to get away from the crowds!! Spread out the shows so you can sit for a while at each of them to rest up. Otherwise....just go with the flow!!

 

[mom2rtk]

1. Go early.
2. Don't leave.
3. Use FP until you're sick.
4. Pack your patience.
5. Manage expectations.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

In the past 12 months, we tried, arguably, both the busiest and least busy weeks of the year. The week after Christmas had some real advantages, IMO. The weather is cooler, so we found it easy to go all day without returning to the hotel (we can't do that in the summer). You can get just as much done as you would on a day with shorter lines, but it will take all day to do it. However, with the weather not dragging you down, you can really take advantage of the extended hours.

The benefit to waiting in line is that you can really enjoy those well-designed and entertaining queues that would would breeze right past at other times of the year.

You could also bring some easy games to play in line - pre-made hangman game boards, Disney trivia cards, etc.

Make ADRs where you can. Seating at some of the CS restaurants is a nightmare; those were the only times we didn't enjoy last Christmas.

I have no advice for NYE. *laughs* I found the crowds in Epcot last year to be just too much for me. Just getting into Akershus where we had reservations and back out of the park after eating was stressful. Crowds really don't bother me that much generally, but I found those particular crowds to be over my limit (though it was day 10 or 11 of the trip, so I might have just been at my personal limit).

 

[mariethecat]

I was at Walt Disney World once during Christmas and New Years. The morning of January 1st, Magic Kingdom was almost empty until noon. Most of the rides were walk on which was a nice surprise after a very busy week. By noon the park was getting filled up again. So go early on New Years Day if you can. Don't expect to do a lot of rides that week and have a lot of patience. We did a couple of the behind the scenes tours that week and that got us away from the crowds for awhile.

 

[alby87a]

early early early for EVERYTHING enough said. Fast Pass is a given! Also make friends with a Cast Member and maybe he/she will make your day even more magical

 

[sparkles_grrl]

Is all of Jan busy? Kinda worried im going jan8-14

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Get there at rope drop, collect Fastpasses everytime your window opens and most importanty, remember, FASTPASSES DO NOT EXPIRE UNTIL THE END OF THE PARK DAY!

 

[rafiki14]

Get there at rope drop, collect Fastpasses everytime your window opens and most importanty, remember, FASTPASSES DO NOT EXPIRE UNTIL THE END OF THE PARK DAY!

very well said. be aware of when you're available to get another fast pass. many people don't realize they can have two at once.

 

[hearts8701]

Is all of Jan busy? Kinda worried im going jan8-14

no crowds are much lower after the 6th

 

[Dodge34]

So if I understand this, even if I take a Fastpass for Soarin and the returning time is between 12pm and 1pm and I forgot I had them and get there at 3 or 4pm they should be accepted ??? Never knew this, a great trick to know.

 

[magicbob]

We'll be at Animal Kingdom on December 28th. We are committed to being there for 7:00 am EMH. Ride as much as we can before 11:00 am and collect FPs to use later in the day along with viewing animals on the trails, and maybe seeing FotLK or Nemo.

What we would really like to do is leave around 11:00 am and eat lunch, shop, and view animals on the savannah at Animal Kingdom Lodge and return to AK around 2:00 pm. I realize we run the risk of a capacity closure, but as resort guests using the bus from AKL, I think it would require a full closure of AK to affect us (which seems to be a pretty rare occurrence).

If, for some reason, we do experience a capacity closure, we'll have done most or all of what we wanted to. We would then probably drive over to the Boardwalk and/or DTD for the rest of the afternoon.

We've gone on days with crowd ratings of "10" around spring break before and had a great time (and managed to avoid most of the crowds), but this will be our first time at Christmas. My biggest concern is wall to wall people blocking the pathways. But as veterans with a touring plan, lots of FP savvy, and reasonable expectations, I think we'll be fine.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

So if I understand this, even if I take a Fastpass for Soarin and the returning time is between 12pm and 1pm and I forgot I had them and get there at 3 or 4pm they should be accepted ??? Never knew this, a great trick to know.

Yes, that is correct. Fastpasses are never accepted early, but will be accepted past the printed return time up until park closing on the date of issue.

 

[DisneyMim]

Go with the flow and be flexible. And yes you can have a very magical, enjoyable, wonderful vacation. We always do.

Enjoy The Magic!!