Are We Crazy To Go At Xmas?

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I'm going for the first time at Xmas this year. I plan on getting up way way early to do the parks--I'll probably be by myself since my family hates getting up early!

Also, my family wants to do MK on Xmas Day

Any tips for doing the Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day? How early to get there, any secret spots you know of where we won't be shoulder to shoulder with people? Best spot for the parade??

Now THAT, I will probably never do again (Christmas day at MK). Our first day at the parks was MK on Christmas day... boy was I naive. LOL (it was before I found this board! I didn't find this board until a few days after our trip- our first trip ever was on short notice, didn't plan a thing ahead of time! LOL)

It was a nightmare- especially at parade time. I'm not the least bit claustrophobic but I felt anxiety at that time. couldn't move, shoulder to shoulder pushing a stroller and 2 kids walking is NOT good. LOL

It was great later at night... we left around 9pm and I went back alone until midnight- the late night parade was great... sitting on the curb because it wasn't too packed. But I really will never do MK on Christmas again- not if I can help it. LOL

 

[5wdwnutz]

What great information.

We have been talking about a X-Mas trip in 06 and after reading everyone's tips, etc. I think it's something I really want to do. Keep the info coming..it's good ammo for DH to make up his mind.

Missy

 

[IwasatWDWforamonth]

As long as its not anyones first trip I highly recomend X-mas week, Its even more fun to stay for new year's eve.
I actually enjoy the crowds, just seems more exciting, higher crowds at X-mass seem more fun to me than summer crowds, Maybe because its cold outside instead of 90+ outside.
plus You will be able to see all the holiday stuff,
My mom and I have went during christmas the past 2 years and are planning on going back this year.
I even enjoy the MK on Christmas I also love the AK at night, no animals but its neat walking around at night.

 

[Jen D]

I did a poll recently of people who had gone Christmas Week, specifically from the 25th on, to see if it was worth it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=900998

I think the people who liked it slightly outweighed the naysayers, but there were a lot of people who voted it as being pretty awful, and most of them didn't actually post on the thread.

We're still thinking about it. For us the sticking point is not so much the crowds, which we'll manage one way or the other, but the incredible premiums Disney and the airlines charge for traveling during this period. If it costs twice as much as a late August trip, I just don't know if I could justify it.

Of course if you are able to arrive when it is still value season that makes a huge difference.

 

[2belles'mom]

"For those who visited WDW during Christmas week last year, how early did they open the parks? Was there a rope drop, or was everything open as soon as they started letting people thru the turnstiles"

"I'm going for the first time at Xmas this year. I plan on getting up way way early to do the parks--I'll probably be by myself since my family hates getting up early!

Also, my family wants to do MK on Xmas Day

Any tips for doing the Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day? How early to get there, any secret spots you know of where we won't be shoulder to shoulder with people? Best spot for the parade??"

Pete W. and Jelly Disney:
Pete W--If I recall correctly, the parks opened at 8:00, and there was no rope drop (at least at MK) Everything was open. Again, that was Dec. 27-28-29. You can't always count on that though--I believe that is the ONLY time at Christmas that we have experienced that, since 2000!

AND YUCK!! DO NOT DO MK ON CHRISTMAS DAY!!!!!!! AVOID, AVOID!!!! Animal Kingdom is your best bet! Or, Epcot. We have done Epcot, a couple of years. MK is horrible, hideous gridlock. You will be miserable. Save it for another day!

 

[rkmassa]

We just got back from a week at WDW in August. It was crowded but manageable. We have DL annual passes here in CA, which seems more crowded regularly than we experienced at WDW. Now we are planning on going 12/19 - 12/27/06. How crowded does it really get?

Thanks for all the help and tips.

You will be fine right up to the 25th. Might want to stay away from the parks then and enjoy your resort. We will be there the same time, and we plan on going to the parks the 17th to 24th. We will stay at our resort, rent some watermice, enjoy the boat trip to DTD (staying at POR), and check out some of the Christmas decorations at the other resorts from the 25th to 27th. We usually have to go in the summer, but have had two trips during this time in the last few years. Much nicer weather and not crowded until the 25th.

 

[Pete W.]

Pete W--If I recall correctly, the parks opened at 8:00, and there was no rope drop (at least at MK) Everything was open. Again, that was Dec. 27-28-29. You can't always count on that though--I believe that is the ONLY time at Christmas that we have experienced that, since 2000!

Thanks. I thought the official opening time for MK was still 9:00am during Christmas week, but I was assuming they would start letting people in the park early. Do you mean that the posted opening time was 9 but they let you in at 8, or was the official opening time 8 and they did not let you in any earlier?

 

[melagan]

We are going the 15- 22. Is that going to really crowded the too. I am getting a little nervous now. It is our first trip and I really want to enjoy things without wall to wall people. I did plan our park days with the help orf touring plans,so I am hoping for not empty but not wall to wall people. Am I expecting to much??

thanks

 

[leighe]

My sister and I took a girls only trip last December 17-23 and we had a great time! The parks weren't crowded at all until about the 20th and then they were very managable with good planning. We did everything we wanted to do in MK in one day and spent another whole day just looking for characters and doing things over - I think we saw Philharnmagic about 6 times! We flew home on the 23rd and so didn't get to any of the parks but the resort (GF) did seem to be getting a little more crowded. My advice would be to get everything done you want to do early in the week and then use the latter part of the trip to resort hop, see all the decorations, and just relax. Christmas at Disney is gorgeous!

 

[MissBubbles]

This will be my first holiday visit. We're leaving home on Christmas Day to drive down and be at the parks from Dec. 27 - Jan. 2. This is my 5th trip, my mom's 2nd and my friend's 1st trip - but we're 40 years old and up. I'm the only one interested in some of the more popular rides - ToT, Test Track, etc. - so I think I'll be okay with FastPass or single rider lines. We're really going more to see the decorations and all the neat stuff they have during the holidays (Candlelight Processional especially).

I've been during Spring Break week in 2003 and it was packed as well. Bring on the crowds - people watching is a great hobby!! :yes:

 

[disneymom2one]

We've done the week before Christmas for many years and this will be our second year extending it all the way until a couple of days after Christmas. We love it. But we go to Disney enough that we have very few "must-do's". We spend time together as a family and don't concentrate on the parks as much. We plan a lot of ADR's and spend a lot of time at the resort (and for us it's DVC resorts for most of the trip) and just enjoy everything. I can't imagine not going.

If we could only stay at a value and had to feel like I had to see everything we wouldn't do it. But relaxing at BCV and OKW? Why not?

 

[37grumpy]

I haven't even finished reading all the posts and want to thank everyone for their input-and I didn't even write the original question! We are headed down to WDW for our first Christmas trip and I will be letting the man who is doing the planning know about TourGuideMike. We could use all the help we can get. I can't wait to see and feel that Christmas magic!

 

[dixiegirl]

We did Christmas 4 years ago. It was something I'm glad we got to experience, but I would not do it again. Incredibly crowded. It stayed packed all the way through New Year's. Very festive atmosphere, but the most draining vacation I've ever had.

Ditto for me - it was a few years ago and although I am very glad I got to see it, I would never do it again. DH and I really did not enjoy the parks at all - waaayyyy too crowded for us.

 

[henrylovespooh]

One of my very good friends went two years ago for Christmas and said never again. She said the parks were so crowded on Christmas and the two days after that she didn't want to leave her hotel room and felt no magic at all. She thought MK was a fire hazard because there were so many people you couldn't get down Main Street.

I'm hoping to go next year in the first week of December, but that's the closest to Christmas I'm willing to go.

 

[brerrabbit]

Went this past December. Can't remember the dates but we got there the Wednesday before Christmas and left the Wednesday after. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were great. Crowds were not terrible, large but manageble, and we rode everything we wanted to. Friday it was cold and we had reservations at Wolfgang Pucks, downstairs and that took a while because it was so cold the outside seating facing the lake was not open. On Christmas day we went to Magic Kingdom and it was packed but it started raining and since we had reservations at Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge we left the park at 2:00. Waited for 2 hours to eat. Spent the evening at the Hotel while son and daughter stopped at Epcot to do Mission Space with no wait. The rest of the stay was packed and Magic Kingdom was full and closed to anymore people by 1:00 each day. If you have been before and have a plan go for Christmas, we have been many times but never during the holidays and really enjoyed the decorations and the spirit of the season at Disney. We did CP on Monday night with Gary Sinese and it was great. You have to experience the holidays there at least once so go for it.

 

[NMAmy]

We did it last year and spent two weeks--and I was glad I had planned such a long trip because it was just so much more crowded than I had even imagined and I thought I was well prepared. Early Entry is usually our lifesaver but it was just way too cold to be out and about at that time of day. And we LIVE in Michigan so it's not like I'm not used to it.

Nightmare on Main Street is a great name for it. Imagine walking shoulder to shoulder with thousands of your newest friends. My dd is 14 and I made her AND Dh hold my hand so I wouldn't lose them.

It was pretty and we did have fun because it wasn't our first trip and we tried some new stuff we hadn't done before. As long as you go in knowing you won't be able to do much, you'll be fine. Oh, and be sure to make your meal reservations in advance because it's not a time when you'll just be able to find a meal somewhere. We stood in huge lines at the Epcot restaurant check-ins and the CM's would go up and down the line saying, "If you don't have Priority Seating, you will not get in." DH & DD were glad that I insisted on planning at least one big meal a day.

Once was plenty for us, though. Never again. We prefer the off-season.