Any DVC folks go for New Year's and days after?? How are the crowds?

[edk35]

We are tossing the idea of going next Dec. arriving a day or two before New Year's and staying thru the weekend following NY Day on Wed. Will the crowds be lighter than say the weekend before Christmas and the weekend inbetween the two holidays?? We celebrate our 25th anniversary next Dec. and our daughter will graduate from college in Dec. too. We thought we would go. I know it will be crowded but I was thinking that maybe the Thursday Jan. 2nd through the 4th would be better. THANKS for any suggestions/advice.

 

[drusba]

We are tossing the idea of going next Dec. arriving a day or two before New Year's and staying thru the weekend following NY Day on Wed. Will the crowds be lighter than say the weekend before Christmas and the weekend inbetween the two holidays?? We celebrate our 25th anniversary next Dec. and our daughter will graduate from college in Dec. too. We thought we would go. I know it will be crowded but I was thinking that maybe the Thursday Jan. 2nd through the 4th would be better. THANKS for any suggestions/advice.

Done it many times:

Myth 1: Christmas Day and couple days around it are the most crowded. Though those are extremely crowded, the heaviest crowds of the year are towards the end of the Christmas week, particularly Dec 29 to 31, with New Year's Eve being the most crowded day of the year when MK and Epcot in the evening are like being stuffed in a small closet with 100 sumo wrestlers.

Myth 2: Crowds drop off significantly beginning January 1. They drop off a little meaning, for example, Soarin goes from being a 3 1/2 hour stand-by line to 3 hours. Huge crowds remain for three to five days depending on when Jan 1 falls and if a Wednesday they won't diminish much before Saturday.

If you go then, do not expect to do every ride and attraction. Christmas decorations won't start to come down until Friday or Saturday and most park ones are likely to still be there Sunday. Everything is decorated and see the outdoor shows and parades which take on Christmas themes, Osborne lights (the most impressive light show on earth), and even Country Bear which switches to a Christmas show. Usually they just have all the parks open early in the morning and going early means you can hit a few things without much problem before the huge crowds begin. Hours also go to late at night and, other than on NYE, that can be a time to get on some things without enormous waits. Fastpass is a must but be aware that for popular rides those can be gone for the entire day and evening by noon. Some things, like Pirates or Haunted Mansion, can have huge lines in the morning but between 4 and 7, they can be much lighter.

If you want to eat at a buffet or table service restaurant during normal dinner hours you must make ressies many months in advance.

 

[edk35]

I am thinking we might just go over Thanksgiving week like we have 4 other times. Christmas is starting to scare me.

 

[eandesmom]

Done it many times:

Myth 1: Christmas Day and couple days around it are the most crowded. Though those are extremely crowded, the heaviest crowds of the year are towards the end of the Christmas week, particularly Dec 29 to 31, with New Year's Eve being the most crowded day of the year when MK and Epcot in the evening are like being stuffed in a small closet with 100 sumo wrestlers.

Myth 2: Crowds drop off significantly beginning January 1. They drop off a little meaning, for example, Soarin goes from being a 3 1/2 hour stand-by line to 3 hours. Huge crowds remain for three to five days depending on when Jan 1 falls and if a Wednesday they won't diminish much before Saturday.

If you go then, do not expect to do every ride and attraction. Christmas decorations won't start to come down until Friday or Saturday and most park ones are likely to still be there Sunday. Everything is decorated and see the outdoor shows and parades which take on Christmas themes, Osborne lights (the most impressive light show on earth), and even Country Bear which switches to a Christmas show. Usually they just have all the parks open early in the morning and going early means you can hit a few things without much problem before the huge crowds begin. Hours also go to late at night and, other than on NYE, that can be a time to get on some things without enormous waits. Fastpass is a must but be aware that for popular rides those can be gone for the entire day and evening by noon. Some things, like Pirates or Haunted Mansion, can have huge lines in the morning but between 4 and 7, they can be much lighter.

If you want to eat at a buffet or table service restaurant during normal dinner hours you must make ressies many months in advance.

UGH. So does that mean you think it's better to actually go over Christmas? We are looking at 12/29-1/7 but had hoped to do WDW the first 6 days and then Universal/IOA the last 2, with the last day back at WDW. I know the crowds are nuts but the points go so much farther if we time it like this. Going over Christmas would make it a shorter trip.

 

[Pakey]

I've been here for over a week and the crowds have definitely picked up after Christmas.

 

[myzel]

After the "Ball" has dropped and the tinsel has been picked up the crowds do indeed drop. We did this last New Years and where the weather could have been warmer the crowds did indeed drop off.

 

[TinkandGoofy'sMom]

My husband and I left the kids at home and went to OKW for 6 nights arriving Dec31 last year. The weather was beautiful the first couple of days, then it turned very cold and windy (being from the North we were prepared though). We didn't go to the parks on NYE, after travelling all day we were pretty tired. We were up bright and early on Jan 1 and went to DHS. It was like a ghost town!! We rode TSMM twice, barely any wait! One of the days was very busy at MK, so we just left when crowds picked up. We are the type to be at the parks at rope drop, do what we want, and leave when it gets crowded, or just go with the flow. For me, any time at Disney is better that being at home!!