Christmas 2007

[GrumpyUK]

We are considering going to Disney from Dec 13th -27th 2007. What are your opinions and the pros and cons of this? I note from another post that two parks were closed on 29th as they were so busy. Also does anyone know of any hidden costs at Christmas time?
Thanks

 

[casey49781]

I went to Disney in 2004 on dec 21 to 29, the crowds where really nuts and parks did close some rides had 90 min waits, i felt there were to many people there to enjoy,,,,I just returned this year ,I went dec 2- 11 and the crowds were alot better,,,we had a great time,,,

 

[KayleeUK]

From what I have heard if you don't like it busy you need to avoid the busy Christmas period. You will need to plan well to make the most of your time in the parks to avoid spending a long time in queues

Tim and Sue have been at Christmas time before, hopefully they can post some tips for you.

 

[florida sun]

Hi There

I went Christmas a couple of years ago, and I loved it. We went from December 19th - January 2nd, the 19th right through to the 25th was wonderful with low crowds, however from the 26th right the way through until the 1st January was a different story. Crowds the 2nd week of our trip seem to treble in size, wait times our first few days were fab but the day from Boxing day on was a min of 40 mins for the more popular rides, with some as much as 120+ mins. To ease this we use to get to the park about 15 mins before opening when crowds were at their lowest, we also took advantage of the Extra Magic Hours mornings, I know a lot of people will tell you to avoid the parks that run these, but they worked out well for us.

When we were there only one park closed because it was full to capacity and that was MGM on the 30th December. My advice would be to get to the parks as early as you can and avoid hopping to other parks on the more busy days.

 

[Laurafoster]

We were there this year for our wedding. We went on the 30th November and stayed till 14th. Most of these days were pretty quiet - little to no wait for rides. We then went on a 3 night Disney Cruise and came back for a 1 day on the 18th December - What a difference a week makes! we had gone from 10-15 max queues for rides to 2 HOURS!! It was mad! That being said the atmosphere in the parks was great so if your not to bothered about the queues then you'll be ok! I dont think there are any hidden costs for the hotels if booking direct with Disney - i know some travel agents add a supplement onto certain nights though so check that first!

Oh and be sure to make ADR's as ive heard that restaurants are packed!

 

[MYDISNEYHOUSES]

I agree, the time prior to Christmas is pretty slow. I think you should be fine with your dates. It gets really busy Christmas through New Years. That is when Americans have off from school.

 

[Goofyish]

We were in WDW from the 15th until the 28th last December. Up until the 24th/25th the parks were very quiet. Christmas week was very busy, but if you do a bit of planning and only go into the parks for specific things the crowds are manageable

Make sure you make plenty of dining reservations. We also found skipping breakfast and having an early lunch was a good way of avoiding the lines at counter service restaurants.

The atmosphere in the parks and the resorts is magical. It's great to go resort hopping to see all the decorations.

There are a number of special shows and extended Wishes and Illuminations as well as MVMCP.

We chose to spend Christmas Day in Epcot (as we stayed at the Dolphin it was easy to walk to). MK get completely mad on Christmas Day and usually closes it's doors.

The weather can be a bit chilly, especially early mornings and in the evenings. During the day it can be quite nice, with temps in the high 70's, but as soon as the sun begins to go down so do the temperatures!
You will need at least a sweatshirt at night if not a coat too.

I wouldn't recommend December for a first trip to WDW, but if you have been a few times before it's a great time to go as you won't be in such a rush to see and do everything and you can take your time and enjoy the atmosphere more