Christmas - bad time?

[Conicam]

We are considering a 5 day/4 night trip to Disney this year - Wednesday, December 21st through Sunday, December 25th. I keep reading that the crowds the week of Christmas are bad - which week is bad? The week BEFORE Christmas or the week AFTER Christmas? I want to be sure it's not a complete waste of money...

thanks in advance for any advice.

Coni in TX

 

[CPer'sMom]

We have visited WDW 3 times during the Christmas season ~ the week before Christmas. Usually we arrive on the 17th or 18th and stay until the 25th or 26th. On all of the trips, the first few days were relatively uncrowded at all of the parks. You could see the crowds gradually start to build the closer it got to Christmas Day. But still, not bad.
We never visited any of the parks on Christmas Day ~ too many people, especially at the MK.

The week after Christmas is very busy. IMO, a good time to avoid going to WDW.

 

[RebeccaLovesDisney]

I agree with the previous poster. The week before Christmas, while busy, is still very doable. The parks get busier each day, so the sooner you can start your vacation, the better. With some smart planning, you will be able to see alot and really enjoy all that WDW has to offer at the holidays.

I know a lot of people like going the week after Christmas, but I don't think this would be the time to go if you want to really see a lot of attractions at the park. Good if you want to just soak in the atmosphere, but definitly not for park touring.

 

[Doctor P]

Having been to WDW several times at Christmas (our favorite time of year), I would honestly tell you that if this is your first trip to WDW I might consider going at another time of year. Even the less crowded time before Xmas would be considered pretty heavily crowded by a novice WDW guest. If you have been before and know the ropes a little bit, Xmas time at WDW can be a particularly magical experience.

 

[Conicam]

Thanks for all the quick replies! We have been a few times before - our last time being Thanksgiving 2000. It was not overly busy then, but cold! I'm hoping the weather will not be quite so bad this time. We will at least be better prepared - and pack our long johns just in case!

Assuming the bosses give us the go ahead for the requested vacation days tomorrow - I'm booking the trip tomorrow! It will be a long year - but well worth the wait come December!

Thanks again!
Coni in TX

 

[Doctor P]

We're booked December 23-January 1, so I guess we'll see you there!

 

[lee330]

We went for Christmas in 2002 and would definitely do it again. There's something special about being there for Christmas. Disney goes all out with the decorations and such (You must see the lobby of the GF).

The crowds are pretty big. However, we spent christmas day in MGM (which we thought would be the least crowded and it wasn't bad), then we went to MK after the parade at 9:00pm, just in time for all the kids to leave. They kept the MK open until midnight and we walked onto all of our favorite rides until then.

By the way,
There is a celebrity reading of the story of Christmas at Epcot on Christmas Eve/Day. I can't remember the name of it but it was fantastic. Gary Sinese did the reading with a whole choir and orchestra. Quite an event but the seating was limited. You can get tickets in advance and I would recommend doing it.
Have fun!