Can you even park hop Christmas week?

[HappyCamperToo]

I just came across this reference to the fact that over Christmas, parks sometimes close to new guests as early as 10 a.m.!

1) Does that effectively eliminate park-hopping? If we wanted to go to AK, then catch Fantasmic, is it a real possibility that we'll be turned away at the DS gate?

2) Is it just the parking lots that get closed, or the gates, too? So if we parked at AK, could we take Disney transport to DS--no wait, that wouldn't work, because there might not be transport to get back to our car....(well, could we take a taxi, or would our car be locked into the AK parking lot overnight???!!!

Argh!!

3) Are there any sites that show a history of which parks have been closed on which days?

4) Also, can the CM's at one park get info about the closure status of the other parks?

Thanks!

 

[Redbudlover]

Subscribing - I would like to know about this too!

 

[dvc guy]

Relax it is not that bad.
Yes the parks will be crowded over Christmas week. The only days where I have ever seen a problem is on Christmas day and New Years Eve.
On those days I would suggest that you stay put. The other days while very busy I have never seen the parks closed in 8 years. We will be back this year for number 9.

If I remember correctly first they close the parking lots, then they close the park to non resort guests, then to all guests.

The key is to relax and slow down, you will never be able to see everything during this time of the years. Make a plan be flexible and make your ADR now if you have not already.

 

[kxmeeh]

I wonder if you are staying as a guest, could the front desk tell me if the park is closed before I even head over there? It would be so frustrating to take the monorail to be turned away. Maybe it's only me, but on my vacation, I don't want to wake up at 8 am. I think we are going to try to avoid it all together by going to typhoon lagoon that day. we could NEVER go swimming on christmas day in Pennsylvania.

 

[dvc guy]

If you are going over Christmas plan on getting up early if you want to do any rides.
I can understand not wanting to get up early, but if you show up at the parks a noon, you will find long waits and fast passes for 8 PM

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Subscribing!!!

 

[HappyCamperToo]

Relax it is not that bad.
Yes the parks will be crowded over Christmas week. The only days where I have ever seen a problem is on Christmas day and New Years Eve.

If you are going over Christmas plan on getting up early if you want to do any rides.
I can understand not wanting to get up early, but if you show up at the parks a noon, you will find long waits and fast passes for 8 PM

Thanks for the reassurance. We'll definitely be at the first park before opening. I'm just worried about the "hopping" part in the late afternoon. It's good to hear your recollection is that only 12/25 and 12/31 are the problem days.

Does anyone else have any first-hand experience with park closings?
Is it so infrequent that it's not tracked anywhere?
Is it only MK that might close, or do AK, DS and EP also hit capacity?

TIA

 

[MICKEEP]

I just came across this reference to the fact that over Christmas, parks sometimes close to new guests as early as 10 a.m.!

Thanks!

Judging by your ticker you will be down there the week before Christmas. This is a great time to go. We went last year from 12/17 thru 12/26 (And will be making a quick trip this year from 12/21 thru 12/25) and found the parks to be very empty right up till Christmas day. The only ride we had to wait more than 10 minutes was Soarin' because it was new. MK and Epcot may close Christmas day and NYE but AK and DS will be a good alternate for those days. We went to MK Christmas Morning in 2005 and found it unbearably crowded. We left around 11:00 AM and went to DS later in the day. DS was was pretty empty that night. We actually went to the Fantasmic show on Christmas night and the stadium was only about 1/3 filled.

 

[4EverFigment]

I have firsthand experience of last year's both Christmas Eve & Day, and NYE and NY day. We spent NYE at MGM and it was only super crowded when they handed out the party hats and noisemakers; it got unbearable and we left!

The parking attendants know all, it seems; I asked a few over the course of our trip when the parks would close and all of them said if one park did, it would be MK, and it would happen mid-day.

The CM's who have access to communications (walkie talkies, phones) can find out current status of any location. Or, as ubiquitous as cell phones are, you can call yourself and whoever you talk with can find out. (Someone on this board will know the other numbers, but the lodging line, 1-407-W-Disney often will transfer me around I get someone to ask).

We spent Christmas Eve at AK and it wasn't too crowded; EE wasn't open yet so there wasn't that major draw to AK. AK closes around 5 most days so we could have hopped to another park but we saved up our energy for Epcot on Christmas Day instead. We did have to park far out in the AK lot (Giraffe).

Christmas Day at Epcot was the busiest I've ever seen there. Huge crowds. Long lines for the "big" attractions like Soarin' and Turtle Talk with Crush. But then there were also the nice moments of walking on to SE and UofE, nice interactions with CM's and other guests. I don't remember hearing that MK closed, but I do recall hearing from other people that it was packed and the other parks were getting overflow.

My trip report reminds me that I noticed an increase in the crowd levels between Christmas and New Year's from the numbers I'd seen before Christmas.

Hope this helps!!

peace, figgy

 

[MICKEEP]

I don't remember hearing that MK closed, but I do recall hearing from other people that it was packed and the other parks were getting overflow.

Just for the record, MK had a power failure Christmas morning 2005 and all rides were shut down for a time. We had to be evacuated from Buzz. Since rides were not operating and the ride queues were closed, everyone in the MK was milling about in the common areas and the crowds were incredible. You could hardly move. We inched our way to the exit and got out of there.

 

[maelstrom]

I was at WDW for Christmas last year. I think I went to Epcot and MK on Christmas day. We got into the MK in the evening. Getting back home to POR was horrible, though. Two entire bus queues were filled, and the line was filling up the whole center aisle back towards the MK. No other resort had a line like that. I don't remember Epcot being as crowded as 4EverFigment says, but I'm sure it was. Christmas is a very hectic time, but you should have no trouble park hopping. Make sure you get over to MGM and Epcot at least one night to see the Osborne Lights (MGM) and the Lights of Winter (Epcot - it's the arch between FW and WS). And do Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the MK.

 

[robinb]

We go that week every year and we always park hop. We have never been denied entrance to a WDW park, even on 12/25 and 12/31 at the MK and Epcot. The key on those busiest days is to not hop too early, especially to the MK. The MK's parking lot usually closed at 10:00 AM-ish that week and I have heard that the park itself can close after that. Even so, I have personally seen people continue to pour into the MK on New Year's Eve when we are leaving for our break after lunch.

Be aware that if you park hop, don't expect to really do anything except hang out. The lines are very, very long and fast passes will be long gone before lunch. We usually do everything we want in the early morning and then spend the afternoon and evening doing parades and such.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

We had absolutely no problem park hopping last Christmas. As far as the actual Christmas holiday goes, we spent Christmas Eve and a good bit of Christmas Day (morning and night) in MK. On Christmas Eve, it was pretty crowded around the time of the first daytime parade. By the later afternoon parade, we got a great seat near the railway station only 15 minutes prior. Christmas morning, MK was EMPTY!!! Of course, rain threatened and eventually poured right around 11 am, when we were heading to Chef Mickey's for brunch. We did not return to MK until 11 pm-or-so that evening. Evening EMH was DEAD!!! We walked onto everything.

 

[HappyCamperToo]

Thanks everyone! It's great to hear what you've experienced!

Yes, we'll be there the week before. But, DH is joining us for our second week, and I've been trying to plot out his best "plan." The main hop I'm trying to coordinate is from a day at AK over to DS to see Fantasmic and the Osorne lights, and it sounds like we'll be able to make it work!

Maelstrom - I've never heard of the lights you described in Epcot, but we'll look for them!