Am I nuts for considerin going 12-25 to 12-30? Updated post #29

[Boomer1]

We have gone to WDW the past three Christmases. The first two Christamases we had ADRs at the Crystal Palace in MK for after 3 pm. We were never refused entry. If you are really worried about this I would call guest services to get WDW policy. Both times we left our resort after lunch for our ADR, I would have cancelled our ADRs on Christmas Day if I thought we would have to been at the MK from early morning to 3 pm with those crowds in order to keep our ADRs.

 

[eliza61]

Dh, DD11 and I would like to go 12-25 to 12-30. Opinions please.....

I think just as long as you realized what the parks will be like and don't have unrealistic expectations.
The parks are beautifully decorated and the osborne christmas light special in MGM is fabulous, but it is packed.
Don't expect a lot of touring.

 

[familyS]

Our last trip was during Christmas week (Dec 26 through 29) and it was fantastic! We took advantage of the early morning Extra Magic Hours. This is a must do during this busy week.

The day we hit the Magic Kingdom we arrived early and the rope dropped a few minutes early! We rode every ride in Fantasy Land, hit Space Mountain and Astro Orbiter, then crossed the park to hit Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Carribbean- all before our 10:20 ADR at the Crystal Palace. (Adventureland and Frontierland opened at 9 instead of 10. ) My husband and I kept remarking how much easier it was than we expected- we were so far ahead of schedule all morning.

We had a great brunch and exited the restaurant to a massive crowd. We didn't care, because we hit all of our must sees. We hit a few more rides (like Haunted Mansion, Tomorrowland Transit Center, and the Railroad) before the crowds became unbearable. Then went back to our resort for a swim.

I can't remember what day of the week this was. I know that MK was close to capacity that day- so we hit Epcot for Illuminations that night and it was busy, but not bad.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I have been that week and we had a great time. We never encountered a park closed to capacity either, I think we got lucky. But then again, I subscribed to Tour Guide Mike and his site had best parks for each day charts, survival tips and lots of other great information. Best $20 I spent that whole trip.

Look at it as an overall experience. Its not just about rides, but the beautiful decorations. Tour the resorts, make dining reservations in advance. You will need sit down meals to give you something that you know you will be able to do each day. Eating in resort restaurants solves the dilemma of "what happens if the park is closed to capacity and I can't get into my ADR". If you do park ADR's its best to do early morning ones, the parks don't typically fill to capacity for a few hours if at all.

Avoid MK on New Years Eve. We went on the 30th instead for the late night EMH. We hung out at our resort most of the day, then went to AK for a couple of hours and actually rode a couple of things, then went to MK. This was an EMH night (and it usually is as they are trying to get people there before NYE instead of on NYE) so the park was open until 4:00 a.m. They did not only Wishes but the New Years Eve fireworks as well. Believe it or not we stayed until 4:00. Between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. it was one deserted park. We rode tons of stuff and it was just really fun to be there that late. Again, we had slept in, spent a lot of time lounging by our pool so that in essence our day was beginning at about 5:00 p.m.

I think if you go in with an open mind you can still have fun. The fact of the matter is that sometimes you go when you can. If this is your week that you can, by all means go for it. I would definitely stay onsite and I would think about how you want to deal with the crowds. By either going first thing at opening (Mk will open each day at around 7:00 a.m. an stay open until midnight or later) or going to the late night EMH's.

When you can pre book things. Like the Fantasmic Dinner Package, the Candlelight Processional Package and of course ADR's. This week is for planners. If you don't plan you will stand little or no chance of having fun. If you do, you increase your chances. I also think having park hoppers is a must at this time. Because each and every park will be mobbed and you want anything that increases your flexibility.

In the end the extended hours, the entertainment they have going on and the fact that there is something very special about spending Christmas and New Years at WDW can make for a really magical trip. Good luck, I hope it works out for you!

 

[familyS]

I agree with Amy & Dan about the benefits of TourGuideMiKE. We just used the Unofficial Guide for our Christmas week vacation (a few years ago), but it seems like in general crowds at Disneyworld are increasing. So we signed up with TourGuideMike for our next trip (Presidents week). He explains how the masses behave, which is useful information no matter how you tour.

 

[mlill]

We just went to WDW for Christmas 2006 and stayed until Dec. 28th. The week before Christmas was great, but then it got very crowded from the 24th on. The last few days we were there it was PACKED. If you go to MK EMH by 7am, you will be fine, and will be able to ride everything that's open early. By 11am, you could hardly walk down Main Street...

-Michelle

 

[belle2594]

We are going the week before Christmas and have never done the week of, but have gone during the summer. I would suggest resort dining instead if you may worry about not getting to your reservation because of closing at capacity. I have a daughter who was in sixth grade last year and her favorite park was MGM. She loved R&R and ToT. Ohana's and WHispering Canyon Cafe were her favorite resturaunts. Not all kids are the same but since you have not gone before I thought I would throw that in for a girls perspective. By the way, go to Downtown Disney and do Disney Quest. If she is a thrill seeker or into video games she will enjoy it. My DD loved doing the Rollercoaster simulater with her dad (not me ).

Oh yeah, Morniing Magic Hour is normally less crowded than evening Magic hour, or it seems that way to us. We have always rode all the major rides when we went to MMH and left that park around 11 am. So, if you have a DH like mine who will not do both in one day MMH is normally better for getting in all of the rides.

 

[Tumblwd501]

We went this past year from right before Christmas through New Year's Day and we had a blast! The decorations at the parks and the resorts were amazing and for our family it was a very special treat to spend the Holidays at WDW!

I will echo what previous posters have said, it is very crowded. So temper your expecations on how much you will be able to do to. That said, we also used Tour Guide Mike and we basically went to the park that was the least crowded for that day and we didn't really encounter to many problems. And since we were there for a week and a half, we were still able to get plenty of time in at each of the parks.

Bottom line, I wouldn't hesitate to go during that time period again in the future.

 

[disneycjm]

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who responded. After much deliberation we have decided to up our trip by a week. DH refuses to deal with crowds so we are going Dec.13th thru the 19th. We are now trying to decide between Pop Century and Wilderness Lodge. (I know BIG difference between the two). Have another question, can someone tell me where to find what parks are best on what days? Thank again everyone!

 

[dbmarie]

That will be a great week we went from Dec. 14th through the 26th at Pop Century and it wasn't crazy until the 23rd. Have Fun!

 

[byoung]

You are not nuts, you just like crowds.

 

[DisneyFairy19]

Its very crowded, but the weather is beautiful....