Is it normally packed During these Dates Dec 26-Jan 1

[mckinley]

I have never been during christmas time. I was hoping to suprise dd8 this year with a trip. I still am not positive that we will be going, still trying to talk hubby into going with us the past couple of times he has refused to go. I was just on disney.com just trying to get an idea of what price we was looking at and nothing is available except saratoga (suite) or key west and that is not something i believe i am willing to pay. We normally stay at pop century and love it. Should i just call will there be available rooms? Or am i just out of luck.

 

[kathie859]

I have never been during christmas time. I was hoping to suprise dd8 this year with a trip. I still am not positive that we will be going, still trying to talk hubby into going with us the past couple of times he has refused to go. I was just on disney.com just trying to get an idea of what price we was looking at and nothing is available except saratoga (suite) or key west and that is not something i believe i am willing to pay. We normally stay at pop century and love it. Should i just call will there be available rooms? Or am i just out of luck.

Christmas week is wall to wall people. Just look at the attendance barometers in the UG or TGM. Having said that, Christmas at Disney is truly magical AND with proper planning, it can be fun as long as you don't have any delusions about wait times, etc.

 

[portocall]

It is usually packed that time of year because many people make their holiday plans there. In fact, my bf was dissapointed a few years ago because it the parks were closed due to occupancy, but they were staying offsite and that is the first group they close it to.

As far as rooms go, you might not be as out of luck as you may have been in the past, but you would need to be viligant and ready to book as soon as an opening happens (because of a cancellation)

If I were you, I would can it this year, and try for Christmas 2009...

 

[MermaidsMom]

Of course with Disney you are almost never completely out of luck! Keep trying to call and check online for the resort you want to stay in and maybe something will open up. If your heart is set on going you may want to make whatever dining reservations you can get in case you are able to get a room. Just be sure to cancel them if you decide not to go! Call every day or even more and maybe you will luck out. Good Luck!

 

[MJMcBride]

Packed like sardines. I would never go that week

 

[brergnat]

That is THE busiest week at WDW. Period.

When you say "suite" at Saratoga/Old Key West, you are actually talking about a villa, which is not the same, by Disney standards. The villas are FAR cheaper than Disney suites. However, they are much more expensive than the Value resorts.

Be forewarned, at Christmas time, Disney charges HOLIDAY pricing for the hotels. This the the TOP TIER of pricing for their matrix, so it will be the most expensive time to go. You can get all the festivities of Christmas without the crazy crowds and pricing by going just a couple of weeks earlier if you can manage to take DD out of school. Disney has some FABULOUS deals out right now for November/December...they are all decked out for the holidays by mid November.

Something to keep in mind.

And, to answer your original question...you know how Main Street looks AFTER a fireworks show? Wall to wall people? Imagine if EVERY walkway in the MK looked like that...all day long...for a week. You get my drift.

 

[MermaidsMom]

That is THE busiest week at WDW. Period.

And, to answer your original question...you know how Main Street looks AFTER a fireworks show? Wall to wall people? Imagine if EVERY walkway in the MK looked like that...all day long...for a week. You get my drift.

Is this a completely serious picture of MK during that week? Yikes! I hope not. Are all the parks that bad, or just MK?

 

[deej696]

Its bad....very bad. I'm having a panic attack just thinking about it

 

[ElizabethB]

I would consider a cruise during Christmas week, but never a trip to WDW. Why a cruise? Because there is a maximum number of people who can be packed on a ship, which number is limited by number of lifeboats, Safety of Life at Sea laws, Coast Guard regulations, etc.

There is no limit at WDW, except that WDW can and does start closing the parks when they reach maximum capacity, however Disney chooses to define maximum capacity.

A few years ago, we went to Disneyland and California Adventure on the day after Thanksgiving. We got on one ride all day -- and we stayed until midnight. It was body to body people in the park, which was actually rather frightening. It would have been easy to be trampled had there been some kind of panic. Overall, the day was truly miserable and a complete waste of money.

After that, we swore we would never go to any Disney resort over a holiday again. And we haven't.

 

[Lynne M]

Most crowded week of the year, by far. The crowds are insane. Hours-long waits for rides, I've even heard of people waiting an hour or more in line for a CS meal. The parks are so crowded they even reach capacity and close some days.

The only way I'd go that week is if I had no intention of setting foot in the parks, and just wanted to enjoy my resort, and visit other resorts. if you're going to visit theme parks, you absolutely need to be there when they open, so you can get some rides in before the parks hit capacity and the lines get crazy. You'll also have to make use of EMH and FastPass.

It's also the most expensive week to visit. Resort prices are at their highest, and there are surcharges at the TS restaurants.

If you simply want to see the Christmas shows and decorations, go between Thanksgiving and the week before Christmas. All the Christmas festivities are in full swing, and the crowds are much more manageable.

 

[Stewy]

Is this a completely serious picture of MK during that week? Yikes! I hope not. Are all the parks that bad, or just MK?

This is a completely valid description of MK and all of the parks that week. Even Epcot feels crowded. When we were there last year (and the 5 before that), we saw 280 minute wait times at Soarin'. Be very prepared if you are going that week and have plans and back up plans in place. Make sure you have at least some dinner reservations because if you don't you will be waiting for long lines for counter service and then have nowhere to sit. Sometimes with the volume of crowds, you just need someplace to sit down or know you will be going to sit soon.

I would not even consider staying offsite that week and we will not stay anywhere but a Boardwalk area (YC/BC, BW, S&D) location (walk to MGM/Epcot) or a monorail location (MK/TTC to get to Epcot). Roads are backed up and busses take a long time to get where they are going.

 

[Allison]

Is this a completely serious picture of MK during that week? Yikes! I hope not. Are all the parks that bad, or just MK?

This was not our experience. We went last year. If you tour at the right time and place you can have a wonderful time. Being there at rope drop is important. With proper planning we did lots of attractions without any long waits.

See post #3 in this thread for the details of our trip http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1701028

Here's a picture of Fantasyland on December 27 early in the morning:

Here is MGM on the morning of New Years Eve:

 

[johnnyr]

We have been during Chrismas week for the past 3 years. It's insane. Last year was the worst one of all. I thought we would take advantage of EMH. NOT! Every park was jammed packed to well past closing. There was a 90 minute wait for Space Mountain at 1:00am! You have to have lots of patients (which will be exhausted by the end of your stay) if you go during Christmas week. Combined with the inflated pricing for food, gouged airfare and no room discounts, it will be a long time before we go during that time again.

 

[luvs_eeyore]

This was not our experience. We went last year. If you tour at the right time and place you can have a wonderful time. Being there at rope drop is important. With proper planning we did lots of attractions without any long waits.

See post #3 in this thread for the details of our trip http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1701028

Here's a picture of Fantasyland on December 27 early in the morning:

Here is MGM on the morning of New Years Eve:

Allison, THANK YOU for posting your pictures!! Everyone else was terrifying me with their descriptions of the crowds -- your morning pictures made me feel MUCH better!! We're planning on getting up early every day and then being out of the parks by mid-day, so hopefully that plan will work for us.

 

[lexis53]

We did it over those dates during the 06-07 holiday season.

I won't do it again. We are going the 18th-23rd this time. However, we don't have high expectations of riding lots of rides. We have ADR's for every TS including Candlelight Processional. We're planning on just going for the parades and shows and decorations and leaving before fireworks nightly.

We don't expect anything but a fun trip.....however, we don't plan on riding everything

 

[Allison]

Allison, THANK YOU for posting your pictures!! Everyone else was terrifying me with their descriptions of the crowds -- your morning pictures made me feel MUCH better!! We're planning on getting up early every day and then being out of the parks by mid-day, so hopefully that plan will work for us.

This is what we did and it worked wonderfully. I would not hestitate to go back for this week again.

The crowds entering the park as we were leaving were huge but by that time we were done and ready to hang out by the pool or in the arcade or enjoying other things.

 

[luvs_eeyore]

This is what we did and it worked wonderfully. I would not hestitate to go back for this week again.

The crowds entering the park as we were leaving were huge but by that time we were done and ready to hang out by the pool or in the arcade or enjoying other things.

That's so great to hear. Thank you again!

 

[DVC-Don]

Been twice for Christmas week. The parks can start out nice, but our experience is that by early afternoon they are packed.

 

[dizneyluv]

We went on our first trip ever in 2005 with 10 people total. I researched and planned diligently for a year. I expected the crowds to be horrible so set my expectations and plans accordingly.

We were there at opening at every park through the week and the a.m.'s were as manageable as our past June trip. The only difference that it was much more crowded afternoons/nights than our June trip. We saved the least popular attractions for the high crowd times, visited resorts to see Christmas decorations, etc. We use Fastpass and Baby swap (our youngest was 2 at the time). We had a fabulous time.

We loved many things about the trip. When the MK filled up by noon we boated over to Ft Wilderness for a lunch meal at Trails End Buffet. It was wonderful! Then we boated to the Wilderness Lodge and just walked around in awe.

We did not nap much back a the villa we rented because we wanted to see Disney at Christmas as much as possible! I was sick so did have to go back while the others stayed and I missed some great things. That's why we are headed back this year! We are heading home a few days before XMas eve so not the same timeframe, we need to be home this year for Christmas.

The other half of the family that went with us ended up hating Disney, and not because of crowds. They just hated it for some reason! We went the other way, completely addicted and making our 4th trip this December since that first trip as a family!

Take Care!

First thing in the a.m. at the then DHS!

and then what happens at night, it hard to see but we are at MK trying to watch Spectro

 

[mckinley]

Thanks for the replies, we are still not sure about going. We have been during July 4th and it was jam packed at least i thought. Most everytime we have been to disney we go early and go back to hotel about 2 pm till about 6 pm or so. We don't have to ride or see everything since we have seen it before. We spend most of our time at MK & Epcot only anyway. I just want to go and see the christmas decoration (that is if they are still up on those dates i just assumed they were)