Christmas Day Dinner in MK....How crazy???

[beachwarmer]

I need to choose a dinner location for Christmas day. We have been to WDW over Christmas several years and know the crowds at the MK are bad, but my daughter has requested to have her birthday dinner with Pooh. Her birthday is Christmas Day and she will turn 5.

We did Crystal Palace two years ago for lunch and it was crazy. The line for the buffet was out the door. I don't know if that is normal for Christmas Day since the power had gone off in the MK for about 45 minutes right before lunch in Adventureland. I think the power outage created this problem but thought I would come to the experts and ask:

1. Will I be able to get into the MK for dinner around 6 p.m.?
2. Will the buffet lines be crazy?
3. Do you have another suggestion for a dinner location? (We are planning to do CRT and BBB in the AM, but leaving the park at lunch time)

Please share your experiences and expertise. Thanks.

 

[DreaminDisney]

Good questions. We've never been there for Christmas (yet) so I can't help you but this year we're planning on trying to get ADR for breakfast at CRT, (Maybe we'll see you ) on Christmas morning and I read here more than a couple times MK could get filled to capacity on Christmas. Someone even wrote it could fill up by 10am so we were planning on going there early and leaving early. I think we're going to try and get ADR for 1900 Park Fare for dinner that night.
I don't know about going @ 6pm, maybe crowd level won't be as bad a during the day. I have read that Christmas and 4th July are pretty darn busy.

Anyone???

 

[KYMickey]

It will be NUTS to put it mildly! Do not plan on getting into a restaurant without an extended to wait. Your best bet is to select a restaurant where you can have a reservation and even then you'll probably have to wait awhile. I know your daughter wants a special memorable event but I don't think the memory she wants is easy to obtain on Christmas Day in MK.

I'm sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear but it is the situation and you're better off to hear it ahead of time instead of experiencing it without forewarning.

Even though we quite often visit during the holidays we seldom (read one time) visit the Parks on Christmas Day.

 

[beachwarmer]

Good questions. We've never been there for Christmas (yet) so I can't help you but this year we're planning on trying to get ADR for breakfast at CRT, (Maybe we'll see you ) on Christmas morning and I read here more than a couple times MK could get filled to capacity on Christmas. Someone even wrote it could fill up by 10am so we were planning on going there early and leaving early. I think we're going to try and get ADR for 1900 Park Fare for dinner that night.
I don't know about going @ 6pm, maybe crowd level won't be as bad a during the day. I have read that Christmas and 4th July are pretty darn busy.

Anyone???

We did CRT for Christmas Day breakfast in 2005. We had an 8:05 ADR and with the MK openning at 7 we had a chance to do rides first thing then eat at CRT. After breakfast we had a chance to do some more rides before it really started to get busy around 9:30. As long as you get there early and set your expectations low and collect fastpasses for rides you can have a great Christmas Morning in the park. We had lunch at CP that some year...we were stuck in CP for a long time because of the parade and the characters having to leave the restaurant since they can not be in two places at the same time. We left the Mk and spend the afternoon at the resort pool.

This year I am aiming for an early appointment at the BB Boutique then lunch at CRT. Good luck getting your breakfast ADR.

 

[Stacy007]

Hi-
I remember that power outage! DH and I were in the Hall of Presidents when, all of a sudden, that lights went out and it was PITCH black with a CM asking if anyone had a flashlight! LOL

Anyways, we had around an 8:00 pm ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern for Chirstmas that year. We checked in a little before and were seated without much of a wait.
-Stacy

 

[MomofKatie]

My advice would be- don't expect to be able to get back in to the MK for a dinner ADR. you very well won't be able to re-enter if you leave and the park fills to capacity. There is no special consideration given to people with dining reservations. If you need to be at the MK for dinner, you should get there in the AM and stay.

As long as you get FPs, use the less crowded morning hours for riding, and just know beforehand that it will be insanely crowded, you should be OK. Be ready to wait when you arrive at CP- maybe bring along bubbles, crayons, or some Play-Doh for your DD to keep her happy.

 

[elise72]

It all sounds too crazy for me.
I'm going to spend the day in my resort!

 

[Alltiggeredout]

I managed to get an adr for Kona Cafe at Poly for 7.10pm for xmas day.We plan to go to MK at opening,leave about 10/11,go back to our resort(CSR)for a swim and cocktail,a game of mini-golf and then on to the Poly for another relaxing cocktail before dinner.Good luck in MK if you are there for most of the day,and try and make it as calm as possible.

 

[Florimel]

Our first Christmas in WDW too this year. I have heard that the parks are really crazy, and close mid morning. We're planning on early room service breakfast, BBBB middle of the day and LTT early dinner. I think if we leave the park there's a high risk of not getting back in again. DD (the park commando) is planning on us getting to the parks asap, and she may have a point.