Anyone stay offsite during christmas week?

[Shelly]

Are we crazy? I'm nervous about staying offsite during Christmas week. We don't get the extra magic hours. Also if the park is full to capacity we don't get in. Anyone gone at this time and stayed off site, had any problems?

 

[dougsmom98]

We stayed off site Christmas week four years ago and didn't have any trouble. we did get to the parks as soon as they opened. Most of the time we stayed until 5:00 pm or 5:30 we didn't go back to the parks after we left, but my BIL did go back at night and never had trouble re-entering the park. The only day i would be nervous about is New Years Eve if you plan to be in the parks at night. Our kids were young at the time, so we chose to do Animal Kingdom during the day and we just hung out at the hotel at night. It was a really great decision for us. AK was not crowded and we had a nice relaxing day.
Good luck.

 

[riu girl]

We are planning on spending Christmas Week 2008 and new Years week 2008 offsite at Grand Palms.

I have read that as long as you are at the park trunstiles RIGHT at opening, you won't have any problems getting in. That will be our plan anyway. As well as avoiding the park that offers EMH hours that morning.

 

[mareed]

Have done XMAS offsite in 2004 & 2006. As others have said the key is avoiding the EMH park, and being there right at opening (actually 30 minutes before). Park opening is at 8:00 pretty much the week between XMAS & New Years, so this makes for some early mornings, but it's manageable this way. And MK has EMH every morning, so you can't avoid it, but still so few people want to be at a park at 7:00 on their vacation, that you're still fine arriving before 8:00.

We'll be back there for XMAS 2008, so obviously it hasn't scared us off! Go and enjoy, but you do have to get up early.

 

[Crazee'boutWDW]

Here's an idea that we used one year: We drove from an offsite hotel and found the MK closed at 10am. So, we drove to EPCOT and rode the Monorail straight to the MK. Yes, it was crowded! However, we paced ourselves and enjoyed the entire day. Good luck and May Pixie Dust fill your eyes!

 

[NJtoATL]

We are staying off site this Christmas. We only plan to do MK on the 23rd becuase of the crowds. The rest of the time we will be going to Universal. It's less crowded.