When do the Christmas crowds start

[Mary L]

I'm planning next year's 50th birthday trip. Going to try to do some guesswork on school schedules and take kids out of school for a couple of days before their Christmas break. According to touring plans it seems the crowds don't start until the 23rd of December. Can that be right. Does anyone have experience with this?

 

[Schmeck]

I'd think it would depend on what day of the week Christmas falls on.

 

[Mary L]

Christmas falls on Tuesday. Does the crowd begin the Saturday before, in this case the 22nd or the week before?

 

[PapaBear06]

We have spent the past 3 X-mas's at disney with this being our 4th in a row. We have found that crowds prior to X-mas day are significantly less than the crowds after x-mas day.

The biggest crowds are from Dec-26 - Jan 1. We do a lot of parks prior to x-mas day and put it on cruise control from the 26th on.


Side note. We totally avoid the parks on X-mas day......I hear it is very crowded

 

[sherriczyz]

We go every year in December...you couldn't have picked a better time of year! The weather is great, decorations are beautiful and the crowds are light. As the previous post stated it does depend on when Christmas falls. Just avoid the week of Christmas that's when the crowds start coming in. This year Christmas is on Monday...so usually anything a week before that date will be busy. I like the second week myself!

Hope this helps!
Have a wonderful 50th!!!

 

[MICKEEP]

We have spent the past 3 X-mas's at disney with this being our 4th in a row. We have found that crowds prior to X-mas day are significantly less than the crowds after x-mas day.
The biggest crowds are from Dec-26 - Jan 1. We do a lot of parks prior to x-mas day and put it on cruise control from the 26th on.
Side note. We totally avoid the parks on X-mas day......I hear it is very crowded

We agree. We were there last year up to 12/26 and we are going again this year up thru 12/25. The crowds the week before are relatively low. It only starts to get crowded the Saturday before Christmas, therefore 12/23 this year and probably 12/22 in 2007 will be when the crowds start.

As far as crowds in the park on Christmas day go, the MK is packed beyond belief. But we found that MGM was fairly empty on Christmas night last year. We walked on almost all rides and the late Fantasmic show was only about 1/3 filled. So go to MGM on Christmas day.

The only thing good thing about the week between Christmas and New Years is that the parks are open really late.

 

[AJKMOM]

Last year, we were there up to the Thursday before Christmas (Sunday). It got progressively more crowded, and on Dec. 22, there was a 3 hour wait for Soarin'. They said that Dec. 23-Friday- was one of the busiest days at the Orlando airport, so I would think if families were going for Christmas, they would plan to arrive that Friday night or Saturday. That's when the parks would start to get really crowded.

 

[CarolinaBlue]

We were there last year 12/17-12/26. It didn't start getting crowded until Christmas eve. Prior to that, we pretty much walked on everything. We were there at opening and were able to ride all the major rides with no problems. Wish I was going this year.

 

[Mickrzy]

I hope you guys are right, cause we go the 16 to the 22 this year. We leave for home on the 23rd and are hoping the week we are there it is a good week.

 

[bsmandi]

We will be there from the 18th to the 24th! From what I have read it shouldn't really be too crowded until maybe Saturday the 23rd. I hope that is the case, but if not we will just enjoy fact we are in Disney and it's Christmas time!! We are going to the Christmas Party on the 19th for the first time. I can't wait!!!!