Calling all December experts...Im kind of freaking out!!!

[glohoffman]

Ok, so awhile back I asked all of you about December crowds, and most of you made me feel at ease for the time we are going. I am expecting bigger crowds than I am used to, but after glancing at some crowd calenders for this year... I am nervous for our large extended family trip next year!!

We are going Dec 15-21 (or 22, depends on opinions), 2016. I think what I am worried about with these dates is they are Thursday-Wednesday before Christmas (Christmas falls on the following weekend) I am worried because they are over the weekend, the crowds will be worse than normal for this time. I am really good at planning park days using crowd calenders, so I can handle that, I am just scared for shoulder to shoulder people the whole trip because our park days will be on weekends as well (usually we come in on a weekend and only do park days during weekdays, so this is new to me). Not all of the days will be at the park, we would love to do some fun christmas stuff at the resorts as well, so I can tweak the park days around the calendars as well. We will fly in the 15th, but I would like take advantage of the lower crowds that day...so maybe hit up a park for the evening or MVMCP arrival night? (plane ride is only 2ish hours, so wont be to worn out from that)

Another concern...this is a trip with extended family. It will be me and DH and 2 DDs, Sister in law and her DH and their 3 kids, and my inlaws. So that is 11 people. Am I going to have a hard time with resesrvations and fast passes? I am in charge of the planning so I want to know what I am up against. They want dinner in the castle one night, and I think my father in law would really enjoy seeing the kids with mickey at a character meal, so outside that meals are up to me. Should I plan on a sit down every day? or would that be too much for that big of a group?

I have NEVER vacationed with a large group...nor been to Disney so close to the holidays....so I seriously need some help!!! I very much appreciate any advice I get from you all! (oh and these dates are pretty set because of school schedules, so going earlier in Dec is not an option)

 

[csjordan]

Ok, so awhile back I asked all of you about December crowds, and most of you made me feel at ease for the time we are going. I am expecting bigger crowds than I am used to, but after glancing at some crowd calenders for this year... I am nervous for our large extended family trip next year!!

We are going Dec 15-21 (or 22, depends on opinions), 2016. I think what I am worried about with these dates is they are Thursday-Wednesday before Christmas (Christmas falls on the following weekend) I am worried because they are over the weekend, the crowds will be worse than normal for this time. I am really good at planning park days using crowd calenders, so I can handle that, I am just scared for shoulder to shoulder people the whole trip because our park days will be on weekends as well (usually we come in on a weekend and only do park days during weekdays, so this is new to me). Not all of the days will be at the park, we would love to do some fun christmas stuff at the resorts as well, so I can tweak the park days around the calendars as well. We will fly in the 15th, but I would like take advantage of the lower crowds that day...so maybe hit up a park for the evening or MVMCP arrival night? (plane ride is only 2ish hours, so wont be to worn out from that)

Another concern...this is a trip with extended family. It will be me and DH and 2 DDs, Sister in law and her DH and their 3 kids, and my inlaws. So that is 11 people. Am I going to have a hard time with resesrvations and fast passes? I am in charge of the planning so I want to know what I am up against. They want dinner in the castle one night, and I think my father in law would really enjoy seeing the kids with mickey at a character meal, so outside that meals are up to me. Should I plan on a sit down every day? or would that be too much for that big of a group?

I have NEVER vacationed with a large group...nor been to Disney so close to the holidays....so I seriously need some help!!! I very much appreciate any advice I get from you all! (oh and these dates are pretty set because of school schedules, so going earlier in Dec is not an option)

Hi! I took 12 people last August...extended family, as well, and was the planner. You will be fine. However, ADR's for that week are in full swing. We are going 12/17-12/24 and have long ago made our ADR's. With a large group, you'll want to do that ASAP! We had no problem making our FP's. Just make sure everyone is properly linked in My Disney Experience so that you can make the FP's when your window opens. We have been New Year's week the past 2 years, and it is crowded, no doubt. Plan for rope drop, that will be your best bet! We got so much done early morning, before the crowds rolled in. Sometimes we stayed in the parks all day and sometimes we left after lunch and took a nap, went back in the evening and stayed until closing. Do what suits your group the most. When we had the large group, we all stayed together and did the same thing. It was just easier that way. We had no problems at all. Good luck!

 

[csjordan]

Ok, so awhile back I asked all of you about December crowds, and most of you made me feel at ease for the time we are going. I am expecting bigger crowds than I am used to, but after glancing at some crowd calenders for this year... I am nervous for our large extended family trip next year!!

We are going Dec 15-21 (or 22, depends on opinions), 2016. I think what I am worried about with these dates is they are Thursday-Wednesday before Christmas (Christmas falls on the following weekend) I am worried because they are over the weekend, the crowds will be worse than normal for this time. I am really good at planning park days using crowd calenders, so I can handle that, I am just scared for shoulder to shoulder people the whole trip because our park days will be on weekends as well (usually we come in on a weekend and only do park days during weekdays, so this is new to me). Not all of the days will be at the park, we would love to do some fun christmas stuff at the resorts as well, so I can tweak the park days around the calendars as well. We will fly in the 15th, but I would like take advantage of the lower crowds that day...so maybe hit up a park for the evening or MVMCP arrival night? (plane ride is only 2ish hours, so wont be to worn out from that)

Another concern...this is a trip with extended family. It will be me and DH and 2 DDs, Sister in law and her DH and their 3 kids, and my inlaws. So that is 11 people. Am I going to have a hard time with resesrvations and fast passes? I am in charge of the planning so I want to know what I am up against. They want dinner in the castle one night, and I think my father in law would really enjoy seeing the kids with mickey at a character meal, so outside that meals are up to me. Should I plan on a sit down every day? or would that be too much for that big of a group?

I have NEVER vacationed with a large group...nor been to Disney so close to the holidays....so I seriously need some help!!! I very much appreciate any advice I get from you all! (oh and these dates are pretty set because of school schedules, so going earlier in Dec is not an option)

sorry...thought it was 2015 you are going. You have plenty of time to plan! We always enjoyed a sit-down meal together. It was not difficult at all. Have fun!

 

[nherbert]

This is the second time I am planning for a Xmas holiday which includes your dates. I have to say that is the easiest week to plan for, lots of accomm options that qualify for offers, lots of ADRs, no problem with getting what I want. That is one of the best weeks as it feels like Xmas without being Xmas. The crowds in that week were fine. I have been during Xmas and also July, so that week is great.

You will be fine and you will have heaps of fun. But you do need to plan and book early,

 

[robinb]

I think your week will be super busy for the exact same reasons you are only able to go that week. My guess is that most schools will let out on Friday 12/16 and resume on Monday 1/2. So yes, I would expect wall-to-wall, shoulder-to-shoulder people. I know that's not what you want to hear, but I am a veteran of that time of year and it can be really, really bad. You *might* luck out and some school districts will release on 12/23 and resume on 1/9 but Disney has scheduled the Marathon is from 1/6-1/8 2017 and that's after the big crowds leave. FWIW, the only "quiet" day you might have would be the 15th and maybe the 16th, after that it will be wall-to-wall.

So ... how do you plan? I would make sure that you have everyone set up in MDX and stay up late to get FP+ right when they open up. That means that you will have to have plans SET IN STONE by then. You should also make your ADRs at 180 days from your check-in. This is very important for meals like BOG. I'm not sure if you will be able to book 11 people online or if you'll have to wait and call. I would avoid breakfast ADRs. They take up too much time and some people just can't get up in the morning. I would plan ONE ADR per day and then FP+ around that ADR in the late afternoon or evening (depending on the age of the kids). Allow people to have their mornings to themselves. Let them know what you're planning to do, but don't get caught up in waiting for family to get their butts out of bed if you want to make rope drop.

 

[glohoffman]

See this is where I am confused... I am hearing/reading so many conflicting things. For the most part I have read that the wall to wall people starts a couple days before christmas and heads into that week after being the busiest times...

 

[glohoffman]

This is the second time I am planning for a Xmas holiday which includes your dates. I have to say that is the easiest week to plan for, lots of accomm options that qualify for offers, lots of ADRs, no problem with getting what I want. That is one of the best weeks as it feels like Xmas without being Xmas. The crowds in that week were fine. I have been during Xmas and also July, so that week is great.

You will be fine and you will have heaps of fun. But you do need to plan and book early,

Thanks for your opinion! Do you think even that weekend will be ok since its the weekend before christmas weekend? I expect it to be busy...but was hoping to avoid the extreme park closure busy I have read about.

 

[glohoffman]

Hi! I took 12 people last August...extended family, as well, and was the planner. You will be fine. However, ADR's for that week are in full swing. We are going 12/17-12/24 and have long ago made our ADR's. With a large group, you'll want to do that ASAP! We had no problem making our FP's. Just make sure everyone is properly linked in My Disney Experience so that you can make the FP's when your window opens. We have been New Year's week the past 2 years, and it is crowded, no doubt. Plan for rope drop, that will be your best bet! We got so much done early morning, before the crowds rolled in. Sometimes we stayed in the parks all day and sometimes we left after lunch and took a nap, went back in the evening and stayed until closing. Do what suits your group the most. When we had the large group, we all stayed together and did the same thing. It was just easier that way. We had no problems at all. Good luck!

Thanks for the tips! Have you done December trips before? I am mostly concerned that since lots of our park touring will be the weekend before Christmas, that the insane crowds will already be in full swing that week before Christmas.

 

[glohoffman]

I was planning on doing MK our first full day in the parks (its a Friday and will prob be a MVMCP day) that way we can get more done being slower due to the party...
I am totally fine with having everything planned out through touring plans, and if the rest of the family wants to follow suit thats great, but if not they can definitely fend for themselves haha!

 

[thiabelle]

Obviously different school districts do different things but there will some (mine included) that will only have a week off. It is our shortest break of the cycle- not the longest. (And after going for three years in a row will have to sit out 2016 cause I am not flying in there on 12/24!!) How jealous I am of anyone who gets two full weeks off. And I would think most public schools will be back on 1/2 or maybe 1/3 not 1/9. That seems really late.

 

[alicat8]

I think you'll be ok. I'm in the NE and most schools won't be out until the 23rd (half day before Christmas Eve is standard). I'm also fairly sure that CA schools don't let out til right before Christmas too, and then they have a longer break. The "wall to wall people" probably only starts a few days before Christmas, not an entire week.

 

[canadiandisneynut]

We travelled with a group of 8 last year. At 6 months out, we called Disney to arrange our dining for us. We said where we wanted and when and let them book it all. It seemed easier to get it done in one call and ensure the table was arranged for us, then we could simply alter online later. Have a spreadsheet ready to go with options before your call.

 

[robinb]

See this is where I am confused... I am hearing/reading so many conflicting things. For the most part I have read that the wall to wall people starts a couple days before christmas and heads into that week after being the busiest times...

That's because Christmas is usually closer to the start of the winter vacation and there are still usually a couple days after NYE. In this case, it's smack in the middle and there are no days after NYE. I do hope I'm wrong for your sake.

 

[glohoffman]

That's because Christmas is usually closer to the start of the winter vacation and there are still usually a couple days after NYE. In this case, it's smack in the middle and there are no days after NYE. I do hope I'm wrong for your sake.

So wouldn't this year be a pretty good indicator of how my dates will be since the 24th and 25th are on a thurs and a fri? I would assume the schools would let out the friday before just the same and the crowds would hit that weekend before as well... so I can watch the crowd calendars and wait times to kind of judge.

I looked at the historical times from years ago when christmas fell on a weekend but I feel like its inaccurate looking a few years back...so much changes in a couple years!

 

[glohoffman]

Obviously different school districts do different things but there will some (mine included) that will only have a week off. It is our shortest break of the cycle- not the longest. (And after going for three years in a row will have to sit out 2016 cause I am not flying in there on 12/24!!) How jealous I am of anyone who gets two full weeks off. And I would think most public schools will be back on 1/2 or maybe 1/3 not 1/9. That seems really late.

Would love to hear about your past December trips and the dates you have went!!!

 

[Accident]

christmas day and the days surrounding it are always the most crowded of the year. With a full week off school for everyone before it, it's going to be packed.

 

[robinb]

So wouldn't this year be a pretty good indicator of how my dates will be since the 24th and 25th are on a thurs and a fri? I would assume the schools would let out the friday before just the same and the crowds would hit that weekend before as well... so I can watch the crowd calendars and wait times to kind of judge.

I looked at the historical times from years ago when christmas fell on a weekend but I feel like its inaccurate looking a few years back...so much changes in a couple years!

Yes, you can look at this year. EasyWDW has most of Christmas week 9's and 10's with a couple 8's earlier in the week. 8's are still really busy.

 

[glohoffman]

The last December that had Christmas fall perfectly on a weekend was 2011. And looking at historical crowds on touring plans they show the crowds as follows:

Thursday Dec 15th-1 (this would be a half day in a park for us)
Friday Dec 16th- 4 (this would for sure be our magic kingdom day)
Saturday Dec 17th- 5
Sunday Dec 18th- 6
Monday Dec 19th-8
Tuesday Dec 20- 8 (would be find not even doing parks this day, resort hopping and checking out christmas decor would be an option as well as DTD)
Wed- Dec 21st- 9 (we wouldn't visit parks this day, we would have breakfast at resort and check out)

While I know attendance rises every year...and I actually expect nothing under a level 6 even on arrival day...do you guys think I could use this as a guide on what to expect at least? Especially if Monday the 19th is our last park day...and we went to AK or something like that...could we possibly avoid too much craziness? Or am I grasping at straws here?

 

[thiabelle]

Would love to hear about your past December trips and the dates you have went!!!

What I found when we went was that the days before Christmas would build crowds exponentially. We went 12/21/13-12/28/13 and 12/21/14- 12/26/14. This year will be 12/19/15-12/26/15. The first few days were not that bad. Really. Then again I only ever travel at Christmas or summer so I don't know the meaning of low crowds and great weather. Having a good touring plan plus rope drop makes it doable for us. I guess I go in with the mindset that I will see what I see and anything else is either for next year or wasn't meant to be. I also don't travel with a big group (either just DD or we allow DH to tag along!!). I actually love to be in MK on Christmas Day. Yes it's crowded but that is part of the appeal for me.
Again- I really don't think every school in the country in going to have the entire week off prior to Christmas. Some will of course but not everyone. It will get more crowded the closer you get to the holiday but there will be a group of people that either can't or won't take the week prior off. I'm a good example of this. I get three personal days a year. This year I will take them on 12/21, 12/22, and 12/23 (and pull DD from school). I can't do that next year because I don't have enough days and I would lose the weekend. So we will spend the holidays at home or somewhere else but not Disney. I'll just wait till the calendar is my friend again.
Now- I will say in my experience- the days BETWEEN Christmas and New Years seem bananas to me. That's why for two years we decamped to the Dark Side but last year it was super crowded over there as well!!

 

[robinb]

Easy WDW has 6/6/7/8/8/9/9 for Thurs 12/14 -Wed 12/23 of 2015.