Christmas Day advice

[Crl1817]

We are planning to spend Crhistmas Day in MK. We are also hoping to get an ADR at Chef Mickey's for breakfast that morning. I was orginially thinking we would try for a late breakfast spot so we can take advantage of extra magic hour that morning. But I'm concerned that the park will hit capacity and we won't be to get back in after breakfast. Is that a real concern?

Would it be better to do the earliest ADR at Chef Mickey's and miss extra magic hour?

Or should we sacrifice the meal at Chef Mickey's--it was a real highlight of our last trip? We could try for an ADR there on the 23rd, which is the other day we have planned for MK. Would we risk the park closing that day if we leave for a late breakfast ADR?

Thanks for any information or thoughts!

 

[Robo]

We are planning to spend Crhistmas Day in MK. We are also hoping to get an ADR at Chef Mickey's for breakfast that morning. I was orginially thinking we would try for a late breakfast spot so we can take advantage of extra magic hour that morning.

1- But I'm concerned that the park will hit capacity

2- and we won't be to get back in after breakfast. Is that a real concern?

3- Would it be better to do the earliest ADR at Chef Mickey's and miss extra magic hour?

4- Or should we sacrifice the meal at Chef Mickey's--it was a real highlight of our last trip?

5- We could try for an ADR there on the 23rd, which is the other day we have planned for MK.

6- Would we risk the park closing that day if we leave for a late breakfast ADR?

Thanks for any information or thoughts!

1- MK will likely hit capacity on Christmas Day.

2- It likely will not close until after 11AM.

3- I'd not want to miss out on about the most valuable MK riding time sitting in a high-doller buffet.

4- A choice only your can make. Weight the possible outcomes.

5- There's that.

6- Can't be predicted. However, there's a lower chance of MK closure before Christmas.

 

[glassslippergirl]

I'd try to get to MK as early as possible on Christmas Day. Get as much riding in as possible before the park hits capacity, and don't leave until you are done because you probably won't get back in.

We liked Crystal Palace in the middle of our capacity days. Maybe a lunch there or CRT would give you a nice reprieve after a busy morning.

Anyway you do it, Christmas at Disney should be awesome.

 

[lovin'fl]

Another thing to think about is that there is church services at the CR on Xmas day and that brings in crowds...my inlaws went both times we were at WDW for Xmas (we too thought about breakfast at CM but quickly decided against it because we figured it would be packed and transportation there would be packed and the CR would be packed).

 

[Redarrow5150]

We did RD at MK on Christmas morning in 2011 and plan to do the same this year. Hit the rides hard as the crowd starts arriving around 9am and by 10:30am it's beyond congested.

 

[Crl1817]

Thank you!

 

[Caribbeanprincess]

The best advice I can give is get there as early as possible!

 

[the pyromaniac]

I'll be there this Christmas but I was thinking EPCOT on the 25th, if we even hit a park that day.

 

[lovin'fl]

I'll be there this Christmas but I was thinking EPCOT on the 25th, if we even hit a park that day.

That's what we did in 2011...Epcot early with lunch at Rose and Crown (which wasn't the best...long wait and slow crappy service)...then we left the park as it was just unbearable. In 2013, we flew home early on the 25th while my inlaws went to church and then Boma for a late breakfast (which they said was really good and they saw Jon Stewart there).

 

[Crl1817]

I'll be there this Christmas but I was thinking EPCOT on the 25th, if we even hit a park that day.

I was wondering if I should shift our Epcot day to the 25th. But there are no extra magic hours in the am at Epcot that day. So I'm not sure. It's our last day so I'd really prefer to go to a park and would prefer either MK or Epcot.

Maybe with the extra magic hours, then a lunch ADR at Crystal Palace (if we can get one) and then fast passes in the afternoon we can do okay at MK? We have only been to disney world once and that was at Thanksgiving. So it was crowded, but not at-capacity crowded. . . .

 

[Brian Noble]

But there are no extra magic hours in the am at Epcot that day.

This could be a feature, not a bug.

 

[Alesia]

But there are no extra magic hours in the am at Epcot that day. So I'm not sure.

That is absolutely the best reason to go to Epcot over MK that day.

 

[Crl1817]

I thought the extra magic hours were good if you make it there at opening, bad if you don't?

 

[scoobydooby]

You are planning on entering the busiest theme park in the world on the busiest day of the year. With respect, of course you shouldn't be using the best park touring hours of the day eating breakfast at a hotel. MK opened at 7am every day Christmas week when we did Christmas at WDW so if you're really set on breakfast at CM if book the last possible sitting which is probably 11am as you can have ridden all the big stuff by then. If course you do run the risk the park will be closed for you to get back into. Personally I'd book lunch in the park if you want to be there all day.

 

[Alesia]

I thought the extra magic hours were good if you make it there at opening, bad if you don't?

Well, yes and no. If the OP were planning on hopping to another park later in the day, then MK EMH would be a good choice.

The thing to remember is that EMH will make that park busier for the whole day. So, while those first few hours will be fine, by lunchtime that park will be much more crowded than the other parks. Then you add the fact that Christmas day is absolutely the busiest day of the year and you are talking critical mass.

 

[Crl1817]

You are planning on entering the busiest theme park in the world on the busiest day of the year. With respect, of course you shouldn't be using the best park touring hours of the day eating breakfast at a hotel. MK opened at 7am every day Christmas week when we did Christmas at WDW so if you're really set on breakfast at CM if book the last possible sitting which is probably 11am as you can have ridden all the big stuff by then. If course you do run the risk the park will be closed for you to get back into. Personally I'd book lunch in the park if you want to be there all day.

Dh really wants to do Chef Mickey's again so I'm trying to sort out the best way to make that happen. It isn't quite just breakfast at a hotel after all. It was our favorite meal last time due to the character interaction. And we found last time that a late breakfast break generally worked well for us to feel recharged for more park going.

The feedback here that it is very likely the park will hit capacity on Christmas Day has been very helpful and we will not be doing Chef Mickey's on Christmas Day.

I'm still thinking through whether we will try to shuffle our days to do Epcot on a Christmas Day instead of MK. MK shows as green on the crowd calendar I checked and Epcot shows as yellow. Given that and the extra magic hours at MK and not at Epcot, it seems like MK is the better bet.

And I'm trying to think through whether we should try for an ADR at Chef Mickey's on our other MK day, right now on the 23rd. I'm not sure if we risk the park closing that day too.

I appreciate all the help!

 

[Crl1817]

Well, yes and no. If the OP were planning on hopping to another park later in the day, then MK EMH would be a good choice.

The thing to remember is that EMH will make that park busier for the whole day. So, while those first few hours will be fine, by lunchtime that park will be much more crowded than the other parks. Then you add the fact that Christmas day is absolutely the busiest day of the year and you are talking critical mass.

Not planning to park hop, but we are very likely to be done early in the day. We have a four year old so I doubt we will make a whole day at any park, maybe until three or so. I thinking extra magic hours in the morning, supplemented by fast pass in the early afternoon, with a mid day character meal. . . . That pattern worked well for us over Thanksgiving when we went in 2010. We'd hit our top three or so attractions for sure, between being at the park early and the fast pass system in place at the time and we loved the character meals. And for the rest of the time we were at the park, we were happy to do whatever had short waits. But maybe that strategy doesn't work for Christmas? I understand it is even more crowded.

 

[Brian Noble]

MK shows as green on the crowd calendar I checked

Who on God's green Earth thinks that MK is a recommended park on the 25th of December?

Whoever that is: stop paying attention to them.

 

[Alesia]

Dh really wants to do Chef Mickey's again so I'm trying to sort out the best way to make that happen. It isn't quite just breakfast at a hotel after all. It was our favorite meal last time due to the character interaction. And we found last time that a late breakfast break generally worked well for us to feel recharged for more park going.

The feedback here that it is very likely the park will hit capacity on Christmas Day has been very helpful and we will not be doing Chef Mickey's on Christmas Day.

I'm still thinking through whether we will try to shuffle our days to do Epcot on a Christmas Day instead of MK. MK shows as green on the crowd calendar I checked and Epcot shows as yellow. Given that and the extra magic hours at MK and not at Epcot, it seems like MK is the better bet.

And I'm trying to think through whether we should try for an ADR at Chef Mickey's on our other MK day, right now on the 23rd. I'm not sure if we risk the park closing that day too.

I appreciate all the help!

What crowd calendar are you looking at? Is it touringplans.com? I think they've really gone off the deep end. I highly recommend using the crowd calendar at easywdw.

 

[LuvGoofy6]

MK shows as green?? I would research that some more before I make plans based on that information.