So we are planning a trip from 12/27/14 - 1/6/15. We picked these dates because we cannot take our 4 kids out of school and have joint custody of our oldest (and were able to negotiate for this time), but I am starting to second guess our decision. In another thread that I posted, it was mentioned that 12/31 will be so busy that IF we get into the park, we will not be able to leave throughout the day due to full capacity. That got me thinking that maybe those days will be wasted , as the ride lines will be atrocious and we will be miserable with the crowds. We were planning on not going to the park until the afternoon as we would be staying late - but that may not be possible. Any opinions from people who have gone during this time will be much appreciated. Thanks.
Unfortunately, the beginning part of your trip (the 27th-1st) sees the heaviest crowds of the entire year. You will see crowds begin to lighten towards the end of your vacation but it won't be low crowds. All isn't lost. Instead of planning to be at the parks in the afternoon, plan for rope drop (RD). You will be pleasantly surprised with just how many of the attractions you can accomplish during those morning hours. You can certainly leave whichever park you're in for an afternoon break but leave knowing that you may not be allowed re-entry to that particular park if it starts to hit capacity closures. If you have park hoppers and are staying on property, you will be able to get into another park via the Disney bus system. Just plan ahead. Knowing ahead of time that it will wall to wall people is key to making the vacation enjoyable. Knowing that it will be crowded lessens the shock factor and allows you time to prepare and change plans around. Not everything will go according to plan with such high crowd levels but go and enjoy your time together!
My boss did the Christmas to New Year's trip a few years ago. Was it worth it? Yes. Would he do it again? Never in a million years. He did say they ended up in Epcot on NYE, which was nice for the fireworks, but it took hours just to walk around. You were elbow to elbow everywhere. Lucky for them, they are not big drinkers, so they were early to bed and early to rise on New Year's Day and had no problem getting anywhere.
We went that week once and stayed off site to go to the beaches daytona and cocoa , see ice at the Gaylord and other stuff. We went to Mk on New Year's Day and never again. I could not even find the ends of the lines they were that long. The only thing we could do was sit up at the train station and people watch. When the parade started we were crushed by people forming around us. My 15 year old set off alone to ride space mountain with no luck. It was impossible to move through the park and the line too long. Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards
