WDW at Christmas

[Laura's Dad]

My wife has informed me that we will be at WDW next Christamas (break my heart) We have never been at Christmas and would like any info, tips, resort reccomendcations, etc.

 

[MKEMSE]

bump for info.

 

[Pjimmeyer]

We just got back from a fantastic anniversary trip 12/14 - 12/21. We stayed at our favorite resort, the Contemporary and everything was perfect. The best trip we have ever had...we already set up another trip for next December .

A brief report of what worked for us:

Just got back on Tuesday...we were in room 4745 from 12/14 - 12/21 which is on the 11th floor MK view, far on the Fantasia store side. 2nd to last odd numbered room on the floor. This was in celebration of our 26th anniversary and the first time my wife and I were alone on a trip in over 22 years. To say this was magical would be an understatement...it was our best trip ever to either Disneyland or Disneyworld. The service was the best we have experienced with a universally attentive and friendly staff, and perfect performance by mousekeeping. Some highlights:

Monday 12/14 - Arrived at 5pm. Room was spotless and there was a complimentary bottle of champagne for our anniversary. They then delivered a mickey shaped gift basket from the CR staff of chocolates, fruit, cheeses, etc. There were also some special decorations already set up in our room for our anniversary. Magical touches as we watched the fireworks from our balcony the first evening. We have a MK view and odd numbered room so go to sleep every night watching the castle.

Tuesday 12/15 - crowds were not bad at all at MK. We had a character lunch at CP and then a late dinner at Tony's. CP was great with a signed card from Pooh, Tigger, Eyore, and Piglet for our anniversary and fun character interaction. The food at Tony's was a little disappointing this time. Had tickets for MVMCP and crowds weren't that bad for it in our opinion. Also noticing how good mousekeeping has been for us...working around our leisurely schedule and everything spotless. Turn-down every night without fail.

Wednesday 12/16 - Epcot was fun and crowds were again on the lower side from what we saw. Lunch at Biergarten and then an early dinner at Garden Grill with dinner package for the Candlelight Processional. Great food at both places. Candlelight Processional is fantastic and worth the effort.

Thursday 12/17 - back to MK with a MVMCP later. Castle lighting ceremony is special. We did the Holiday Wishes Desert party and that was superb! Great desert bar, with good quality and variety of deserts. View was fantastic with a table near the balcony closest to the castle.

Friday 12/18 - AK with crowds still fairly low. Finished with another MVMCP and wishes desert party...fantastic. Crowds were the busiest yet Friday evening but still very manageable.

Saturday 12/19 - Epcot with a late dinner at Le Cellier's. Super food. Crowds much busier but we went with the flow. Sum of All Thrills was pretty cool.

Sunday 12/20 - Hollywood Studios with a Fantasmic dinner package at Hollywood & Vine. Nice food for a buffet...we usually like it there. Crowds were pretty heavy on a long-scheduled fantasmic day / Sunday before Christmas. We still got to hit TSM twice due to the kindness of a CM the night before and a free Fastpass. We were there early so were able to ride what we wanted before things got crazy including both main shows. Rope drop and fastpass is your friend on busy days.

Monday 12/21 - a last couple of hours at MK and pleasant ride on Disney Magical Express to the airport.

There was a nice bounce-back offer in the room, so we took advantage of that to book a 10 night for 2010 from 12/7 - 12/17 this time.

 

[_Athena_]

After just getting back ourselves (17th-23rd) here are our tips:

The closer you get to Christmas, the busier the park is. You may want to revisit your dates to be the week or 2 before the 25th. The park did not start getting crowded until the 20th for us...and once it did I was very 'spoiled' by the non-crowds!

DH and I had 5 day tickets- we arrived early on the 17th, set up camp and took a nap. We attended MVMCP that night. Our 'full day' park tickets started on the 18th so it's like we got a extra day! We loved MVMCP! We were able to ride EVERY ride- longest we waited for anything was 20 mins. The free snacks were nice- but watch out because most of the food vendors were closed- we grabbed dinner @ Cosmic Rays and the sandwich side was already closed! I'm not sure if we would put a 'party' in the middle of our stay though- but we are planning for MNSSHP in 2010!

Early Magic Hours when in the AM are a PLUS! DH and I knocked out Sorin, TT, Living with the Land and an early lunch all before 11am! Making it for Rope Drop is the smartest thing to do with your time, IMO.

HOWEVER LATE Magic Hours aren't so magic- most of the food vendors and shops close up around the 'normal' close time. Sure it makes it easier to ride some rides but DH and I sure got hungry! (And the CM's get a bit cranky at night, esp after 9PM)

Some people have been reporting that the parks "weren't as decorated as previous years". Honestly I didn't mind or notice- I don't like the "Xmas threw up all over" decor look anyway.

Make sure you get ADRs or you might go hungry.

The Fast Pass is your FRIEND.

Photo Pass photographers are your friend, esp if you are a couple. Don't be afraid to talk with them or ham it up! Most are bored of taking the same photo over and over, give them some variety! Sure you're on vacation but at $130 for those photo CD's you may want to make sure you look snappy at least one day for some great vacation photos.

Since it's just DH and myself I felt weird about getting my photo taken with the characters so following some advise on this site I purchased children's books to bring with me to the park for the characters to sign. This way I also could get unique christmas gifts for the nieces. I had hardbooks of Thumper's Fluffy Tail & Little Mermaid for my 15mo nieces, the Classic Pooh and Tao of Pooh, Taking Tea with Alice and Disney's Christmas Storybook Collection. DH and I now have some very unique Christmas gifts for our nieces and friends. It was so great to see the characters get EXCITED by their own book, not just an autograph book! They would point to the book, point to themselves and some would even tug their handler's hand and show them! It was great! I have a great pic of Minnie all excited over getting to sign by her illustration! If I was thinking I should of brought my silver and gold sharpie markers- I only had my black one. DH and I had a great time tracking down the characters as well- our tip: ask in the stores in Epcot- they have the schedule down behind the cash wraps. We would ask about a character, plan our FP, rides and meals around their appearances. We were normally 1st or 2nd in line when the character would appear.

FL apparently can be COLD in December! Coming from the north and camping @ Ft. Wilderness we had thermals, long sleeve shirts, puffy vests, jeans and boots for night, little did we know we would need them during the day! We saw many little ones with very blue toes and noses! I felt bad for the kids who were in shorts and had no coats!

Bring your own 'glow' items- they are cheaper from party stores and websites.

I would 100% stay at Ft. Wilderness Campground again. It was quiet and relaxing....but I hate crowds and to me camping is a vacation.

 

[suzyqn]

Just wanted to say we had a wonderful time today at Magic Kingdom (Christmas Day). Although busy, it wasn't insane as it has been in the past. Ate at Crystal Palace. Well worth the money on a special day. Saw a family eating their hot dogs and french fries around a trash can (all the seats were taken). Just after I passed by it started to pour. So glad we did something special. We are locals so a whole lot of planning was NOT involved other than booking dinner 90 days before.

 

[cman]

Just saw your thread and was reminded of our trip 2 years ago this week. We had the best time of our lives!! Here are some thoughts I had after getting back from our trip:

I'm not much for detailed day by day reports but I thought I give some thoughts on our recently completed trip. Some specifics first:

Who: 16 in all. My wife, son(15) and daughter(16). My parents, in-laws, wife's sister's family including my bother-in-law's parents.
When: 12/18 - 12/27
Where: BWV - 2 two bedroom units and a studio all with Boardwalk view.
Passes: 9-day Park Hopper


At little background. 2 years ago we went through a crappy Christmas season. Health and a few disappointments led to a less than festive Christmas in '05 My wife and I decided we needed to try something different to get the spirit back so we asked all those we spend Christmas Eve and Day with if they wanted to come with us to Disney. Everyone needed to say yes or we weren't going - there was no way we were going to leave someone behind at Christmas time You have to understand we are a very conservative New England family - snow on the ground and a fire roaring on Christmas Day type of family. I thought for sure someone would object to not being home for Christmas. I sent out an email at 11pm to all those involved and by 8am the next day I had a yes from each and everyone.

That started 680 days of planning - all of which was left to me. There was no problem with that as I like to plan things and no one else in my family likes to plan. I am blessed with a GREAT family who all tend to go with the flow. In fact, I don't think half of them would ever had gone to Disney (this is our 4th trip together) if I hadn't planned each trip for them. I always explain to everyone that the plan I put in place is for me, my wife and kids. They should never feel like I was forcing them to do anything they didn't want to do. On Thanksgiving day we all sat down together and I present each family with a 2" binder that represented the nearly 2 years of planning. Everything you could imagine - day by day itineraries, articles on special events we were doing, restaurants we were eating at, and an explanation as to why this trip would be different than any other trip because of the crowds. They were blown away. I have a great family and now they were really excited about this trip.

The Resort: It's our second time at BWV and I have to say that I like it the best of all the DVC resorts. The view is just fantastic and the location as far as I"m concerned can't be beat. Being able to walk to Epcot and MGM can't be underestimated. Avoiding the buses when at all possible just makes things easier. The lobby is just gorgeous at Christmas time and the staff were more than friendly. One complaint though. The TV's in the living rooms need to be replaced. I know you don't go on vacation to watch TV but when you do want to something bigger than a 19" would be nice. That being said BWV is #1 in our hearts. We had rooms on the 5th floor and had a good view of Illuminations from our balcony and I just love walking into our room at the end of a long day, stepping out on the balcony and taking in the view!

The Parks/Crowds: We prepared ourselves for the inevitable crush as the week went by. I have to say that by the 25th it had gotten crowded but nothing that we couldn't handle. We have taken 8 trips to WDW and consider ourselves knowledgeable of all things Disney. This was the first time however that we used TGM. I can't say enough about his advice. We only went to parks that were green, stayed away from EMH parks and used Fastpass more this trip than all other trips together. We got to the parks by opening each day and took a midday break back at BWV before heading back to the parks for the evening. The longest line we waited in our whole time there was about 10-15 minutes. This is not to say that there weren't 60-100 minute waits. By following TGM's advice we had already done the rides/attractions that now had long lines. We focused our efforts on doing as much as possible before the 25th as possible and then playing it by ear from that point forward.

The Events: We went to MVMCP, CP and Osborne lights.

MVMCP was on the 20th and we found the crowds to be heavy but manageable. We followed TGM's advice and arrived early, around 4pm. We did a few rides and then watched the 6pm Wishes from the bridge leading to Tomorrowland. A few times during the evening I felt like we were swimming upstream while all the fish were coming right at us. If you get that feeling your doing things right because your going somewhere that hordes of people are leaving. We got this feeling twice, once after the 6pm fireworks going to Tomorowland and then again coming over the same bridge after the first parade - people seemed to be pouring into areas we were leaving. During the first parade we spent most of our time on rides in the backside of the park. We then move to main street for the 9:30 Wishes and the parade. By the way, the parade was one of the nicest Disney parades I have ever seen and the Holiday Wishes was very nice. We used TGM touring advice all night and it worked to perfection.

CP - We had the dinner package at Le Celiere at 4pm on Christmas Eve and the went to the 6:45 show. I'll comment on the meal later. I was surprised by the length of the line for the dinner package guests but in the end we got great seats. This was a very emotional night as we would normally be together as a family at midnight mass back home so there was nothing better than to be at CP as a family on Christmas Eve.

Osborne Lights - As the week went by we didn't think we were going to be able to see Osborne Lights. On Christmas night on our way back from dinner we stopped at MGM just for the lights. We got there during the 2nd Fantasmic show and found the crowds at the lights to be light. Didn't know what to expect and were very pleased by how nice a display it was. A must see.

The Food: We had ADR's for each day of our trip and unlike trips in the past we made everyone one of them. Here's a list:

Coral Reef - we had a diver message and personalized menus. That was a nice touch. The food was very good. Grade:A-
Rainforest Cafe at AK - Food was ok and the atmosphere was nice for the kids. Grade:B
Hollywood and Vine w/ Fantasmic Dinner Package- average food. Grade:C+
California Grille - fantastic food and service. Top notch. We watched Wishes from the patio (although it was foggy) Grade:A
Cape May - good food bad waiter. Grade:B-
Le Celiere - great food, excellent service, nice atmosphere. Grade:A+
1900 Park Fare - food was just ok, characters were fun. Had to wait an hour. Grade:C+
Ohanas - food was very good, entertainment kept the kids busy. Grade:A-

Overall the buffets were not as good as the other meals. Next time I think I'll book less buffets. A word about service. We had a couple waiters who weren't the best. I try not to let that bother me too much since everyone is human and while you expect your waiters to be chipper and happy that isn't always going to happen. You don't know if they have a sick child at home or something that would tend to make any one of us less the happy. For those that weren't at their best we just didn't leave anything extra for the tip. For waiters like the ones at Cali Grille and Le Celiere we gave them a much bigger tip because the services was so good.

Photopass: We never used Photopass before but figued we'd give it a try. We prepurchased the CD and split the $99 cost between 5 familes. The first day there we got 5 Photopass cards and took advantage of every opportunity we haf to get our pictures taken. There were only a couple times where the line for the photographer was too long to wait - maybe twice. We ended up with about 300 pictures on the CD. On Christmas day we had reservations for 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian so I booked the 30 minute photo session there. Everyone was dressed for Christmas so it worked out perfectly. They took about 75 pictures. I would recommend Photopass to anyone.

Some ramdom thoughts:
This was the first time we got passes for the lenght of stay. That enabled us to have the flexibility to go whereever we wanted each day - like on Christmas night when we went to MGM just to see the lights. We wouldn't have wasted a day on a 4 or 5 day pass just for that.
Crowds are a matter of expectation and common sense. We set our expectations that the parks were not going to look like they do in Oct. Common sense - if everyone goes to MK and Epcot every Christmas Day then STAY AWAY from those parks. It's not a secret that they are going to be crowded - resist the urge!
People need to listen to their kids. When they are tired there's no ammount of yelling at them that will reverse the effect of being in a park all day running around.
Not everyone that works for Disney can be happy and chipper every day. Don't be insulted if someone doens't act up to what you expect.
The Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Creme is easily conquered by 6 people.
Illuminations and Wishes are simply the best fireworks shows I have ever seen.
TGM says to stay away from EMH - I concur. We did, however, go to the MK one night from 10pm-3am and had a ball.
I thought I would come back and be depressed. I am not. We did so much that I feel that there wasn't anything left to accomplish.

Conclusion: Our best trip ever - just magical. Everyone enjoyed themselves so much. We returned tired but who hasn't returned from a Disney trip wiped out. Of the 16 people who went, young and old, they all told me that it will be a Christmas they will remember for a lifetime. There's no place like DIsney for family fun and memories.
__________________

 

[peppermintpea]

NEVER AGAIN.... just back from 6 days....crowds were horrible...CM's not friendly.....i think im done with Disney for awhile(and we go ALL the time)

 

[disneymom2one]

NEVER AGAIN.... just back from 6 days....crowds were horrible...CM's not friendly.....i think im done with Disney for awhile(and we go ALL the time)

We're on the road from a 9 day trip and had just the opposite experience. I think a lot of it was the resorts(POR,OKW,&WL). We had an awesome Christmas Eve biking around Ft Wilderness-even saw4 deer!

We also saw Wishes&Illuminations & our teen did thePirate League -cm's were great with her!

 

[Geoff_M]

Arrived on the 20th... and still here. Parks are crowded, but if you get there at opening or go back late, the lines can be very short. FPs are also key to doing more at this time. The biggest issue is food. Most sit-down restaurants aren't taking walk-ups, so you'll likely be stuck with counter service or very early or walk ADRs if you wait to get them until you're here.

 

[dobtia]

I have a crowd comparison question. We normally go first week of June. Been five times so we know the parks. Next year we are doing our first Christmas trip from around the 16 to the 23.


If we are used to early June crowds, will we pretty know what to expect for that week? I know how busy it gets on Christmas Day, and we have been once on July 4th.

 

[peppermintpea]

I have a crowd comparison question. We normally go first week of June. Been five times so we know the parks. Next year we are doing our first Christmas trip from around the 16 to the 23.


If we are used to early June crowds, will we pretty know what to expect for that week? I know how busy it gets on Christmas Day, and we have been once on July 4th.

NO WAY!!! We have been at peak summertimes, spring break and this week was nothing compare to those times. Seriously I was shocked at the crowds....i knew going in it was going to be crowded but not like this. On Dec 23 evening at MK they opened up a different area for people to exit...behind The Plaza Restaurant. Plus they announced due to crowd level they were keeping the MK open until 12 instead of closing at 11!

 

[BradyBz12]

A lot depends on what day Christmas falls on, and how that effects when most kids have vacation.

Reports this year have been that up until the weekend before Christmas (up until Friday, 12/18), crowds were not bad, but that changed virtually overnight to crazy crowds the Saturday before Christmas, right up through this weekend, and likely it will continue through much of next week. Presumably this is because lots of kids were out the full Christmas week right through New Years.

Really important to keep that in mind when reading other's experiences - the dates/days really do matter.

Christmas-New Years is THE busiest time of the year to be at WDW, which means to make it work, you must have a good touring plan, plan to be at the parks at rope drop, use FPs as much as you possibly can, and most importantly of all, have realistic expectations about what you'll be able to do in the parks. As others have noted, walking up to a TS restaurant in the parks (or MK/EP resorts) is likely to be almost impossible, so plan to have your ADRs made WELL in advance, unless you're fine with CS dining. There will be lines for everything - stores, food, bathrooms.... and at some places/times you'll be packed in like sardines with thousands of your closest friends.

It's definitely doable - but unless you're a "crazy WDW crowd veteran" it will take some planning. On the plus side, it's one of the most festive times of the year to be at the Happiest Place on Earth.

 

[Kay1]

Yes, it's chilly. I don't think it made it to 60 today, though the forecast calle for mid-sixties. Tomorrow should be cooler still.

 

[Minnie Mi]

Thanks CMan. With the exception of my age 75+ parents, my family and I are all disney vets too .... but have mostly attended in off seasons. Your description of your family sounds just like ours, and all the info you posted was fabulously helpful. 2010 will be our first Christmas at WDW and we cannot wait. Thanks for your advice and comments.

 

[momof2disprincesses]

Just saw your thread and was reminded of our trip 2 years ago this week. We had the best time of our lives!! Here are some thoughts I had after getting back from our trip:

I'm not much for detailed day by day reports but I thought I give some thoughts on our recently completed trip. Some specifics first:

Who: 16 in all. My wife, son(15) and daughter(16). My parents, in-laws, wife's sister's family including my bother-in-law's parents.
When: 12/18 - 12/27
Where: BWV - 2 two bedroom units and a studio all with Boardwalk view.
Passes: 9-day Park Hopper


At little background. 2 years ago we went through a crappy Christmas season. Health and a few disappointments led to a less than festive Christmas in '05 My wife and I decided we needed to try something different to get the spirit back so we asked all those we spend Christmas Eve and Day with if they wanted to come with us to Disney. Everyone needed to say yes or we weren't going - there was no way we were going to leave someone behind at Christmas time You have to understand we are a very conservative New England family - snow on the ground and a fire roaring on Christmas Day type of family. I thought for sure someone would object to not being home for Christmas. I sent out an email at 11pm to all those involved and by 8am the next day I had a yes from each and everyone.

That started 680 days of planning - all of which was left to me. There was no problem with that as I like to plan things and no one else in my family likes to plan. I am blessed with a GREAT family who all tend to go with the flow. In fact, I don't think half of them would ever had gone to Disney (this is our 4th trip together) if I hadn't planned each trip for them. I always explain to everyone that the plan I put in place is for me, my wife and kids. They should never feel like I was forcing them to do anything they didn't want to do. On Thanksgiving day we all sat down together and I present each family with a 2" binder that represented the nearly 2 years of planning. Everything you could imagine - day by day itineraries, articles on special events we were doing, restaurants we were eating at, and an explanation as to why this trip would be different than any other trip because of the crowds. They were blown away. I have a great family and now they were really excited about this trip.

The Resort: It's our second time at BWV and I have to say that I like it the best of all the DVC resorts. The view is just fantastic and the location as far as I"m concerned can't be beat. Being able to walk to Epcot and MGM can't be underestimated. Avoiding the buses when at all possible just makes things easier. The lobby is just gorgeous at Christmas time and the staff were more than friendly. One complaint though. The TV's in the living rooms need to be replaced. I know you don't go on vacation to watch TV but when you do want to something bigger than a 19" would be nice. That being said BWV is #1 in our hearts. We had rooms on the 5th floor and had a good view of Illuminations from our balcony and I just love walking into our room at the end of a long day, stepping out on the balcony and taking in the view!

The Parks/Crowds: We prepared ourselves for the inevitable crush as the week went by. I have to say that by the 25th it had gotten crowded but nothing that we couldn't handle. We have taken 8 trips to WDW and consider ourselves knowledgeable of all things Disney. This was the first time however that we used TGM. I can't say enough about his advice. We only went to parks that were green, stayed away from EMH parks and used Fastpass more this trip than all other trips together. We got to the parks by opening each day and took a midday break back at BWV before heading back to the parks for the evening. The longest line we waited in our whole time there was about 10-15 minutes. This is not to say that there weren't 60-100 minute waits. By following TGM's advice we had already done the rides/attractions that now had long lines. We focused our efforts on doing as much as possible before the 25th as possible and then playing it by ear from that point forward.

The Events: We went to MVMCP, CP and Osborne lights.

MVMCP was on the 20th and we found the crowds to be heavy but manageable. We followed TGM's advice and arrived early, around 4pm. We did a few rides and then watched the 6pm Wishes from the bridge leading to Tomorrowland. A few times during the evening I felt like we were swimming upstream while all the fish were coming right at us. If you get that feeling your doing things right because your going somewhere that hordes of people are leaving. We got this feeling twice, once after the 6pm fireworks going to Tomorowland and then again coming over the same bridge after the first parade - people seemed to be pouring into areas we were leaving. During the first parade we spent most of our time on rides in the backside of the park. We then move to main street for the 9:30 Wishes and the parade. By the way, the parade was one of the nicest Disney parades I have ever seen and the Holiday Wishes was very nice. We used TGM touring advice all night and it worked to perfection.

CP - We had the dinner package at Le Celiere at 4pm on Christmas Eve and the went to the 6:45 show. I'll comment on the meal later. I was surprised by the length of the line for the dinner package guests but in the end we got great seats. This was a very emotional night as we would normally be together as a family at midnight mass back home so there was nothing better than to be at CP as a family on Christmas Eve.

Osborne Lights - As the week went by we didn't think we were going to be able to see Osborne Lights. On Christmas night on our way back from dinner we stopped at MGM just for the lights. We got there during the 2nd Fantasmic show and found the crowds at the lights to be light. Didn't know what to expect and were very pleased by how nice a display it was. A must see.

The Food: We had ADR's for each day of our trip and unlike trips in the past we made everyone one of them. Here's a list:

Coral Reef - we had a diver message and personalized menus. That was a nice touch. The food was very good. Grade:A-
Rainforest Cafe at AK - Food was ok and the atmosphere was nice for the kids. Grade:B
Hollywood and Vine w/ Fantasmic Dinner Package- average food. Grade:C+
California Grille - fantastic food and service. Top notch. We watched Wishes from the patio (although it was foggy) Grade:A
Cape May - good food bad waiter. Grade:B-
Le Celiere - great food, excellent service, nice atmosphere. Grade:A+
1900 Park Fare - food was just ok, characters were fun. Had to wait an hour. Grade:C+
Ohanas - food was very good, entertainment kept the kids busy. Grade:A-

Overall the buffets were not as good as the other meals. Next time I think I'll book less buffets. A word about service. We had a couple waiters who weren't the best. I try not to let that bother me too much since everyone is human and while you expect your waiters to be chipper and happy that isn't always going to happen. You don't know if they have a sick child at home or something that would tend to make any one of us less the happy. For those that weren't at their best we just didn't leave anything extra for the tip. For waiters like the ones at Cali Grille and Le Celiere we gave them a much bigger tip because the services was so good.

Photopass: We never used Photopass before but figued we'd give it a try. We prepurchased the CD and split the $99 cost between 5 familes. The first day there we got 5 Photopass cards and took advantage of every opportunity we haf to get our pictures taken. There were only a couple times where the line for the photographer was too long to wait - maybe twice. We ended up with about 300 pictures on the CD. On Christmas day we had reservations for 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian so I booked the 30 minute photo session there. Everyone was dressed for Christmas so it worked out perfectly. They took about 75 pictures. I would recommend Photopass to anyone.

Some ramdom thoughts:
This was the first time we got passes for the lenght of stay. That enabled us to have the flexibility to go whereever we wanted each day - like on Christmas night when we went to MGM just to see the lights. We wouldn't have wasted a day on a 4 or 5 day pass just for that.
Crowds are a matter of expectation and common sense. We set our expectations that the parks were not going to look like they do in Oct. Common sense - if everyone goes to MK and Epcot every Christmas Day then STAY AWAY from those parks. It's not a secret that they are going to be crowded - resist the urge!
People need to listen to their kids. When they are tired there's no ammount of yelling at them that will reverse the effect of being in a park all day running around.
Not everyone that works for Disney can be happy and chipper every day. Don't be insulted if someone doens't act up to what you expect.
The Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Creme is easily conquered by 6 people.
Illuminations and Wishes are simply the best fireworks shows I have ever seen.
TGM says to stay away from EMH - I concur. We did, however, go to the MK one night from 10pm-3am and had a ball.
I thought I would come back and be depressed. I am not. We did so much that I feel that there wasn't anything left to accomplish.

Conclusion: Our best trip ever - just magical. Everyone enjoyed themselves so much. We returned tired but who hasn't returned from a Disney trip wiped out. Of the 16 people who went, young and old, they all told me that it will be a Christmas they will remember for a lifetime. There's no place like DIsney for family fun and memories.
__________________

WOW! I hope your family appreciated all of your efforts to help make their Christmas and WDW trip so magical! Your advice is priceless!!

I would totally do that for my family, but none of my extended family likes WDW.

 

[NC State]

Next year we're also planning to go during the CHRISTmas season. I'm not brave enough to go during CHRISTmas week but we will be going Nov 26-Dec 4. All the things to do sounds great and I can't wait!

 

[Geoff_M]

Went to DHS today and the crowds seemed a lot lighter than when we were last there earlier this week. We got there late (slept in) and was surprised at how short the standby waits were. TSM was posted at 60 at 10:30 AM, but the line said otherwise. Sure enough, we only waited 10 minutes. RnR was posted at 35 minutes around noon. For Star Tours we waited around 10 minutes around 1 PM. ToT was only around 15 minutes around 5 PM.

 

[Laura's Dad]

Thanks for all the help/suggestions. We have never been due to the fact that I am a high school basketball coach and have always had tounaments around this time, but next year looks like it could fit into our plans. We have always wanted to go at Christmas, mainly to see the decorations at the parks and resorts. We have been several times, so not doing the rides is not the end of the world. We also want to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and this can satisfy both cravings.

 

[dobtia]

I have a question here for Christmas vets.

We are making first Christmas trip ever. We know about touring the parks so we are not to worried about rides. We have visited a couple of resorts to look around during other trips. My question is which resorts are must see at Christmas time?

 

[BrerMom]

Wilderness Lodge is a must. The tree is beautifully breath-taking.

The Grand Floridian's Gingerbread House is worth a visit. Allow time to buy gingerbread.