Christmas Day in Orlando.....

[Lisa x]

Hi Everyone!

I know Christmas has only just gone but im starting my plans for Christmas this year.....

Last night my husband and I and our two friends booked to go to Orlando on 23rd December, 7 night cruise on Royal Caribbean from 26th December (Me and my husband have never cruised before so we are sooo excited) and then back to Orlando for 4 nights!

We were wondering about eating out on Christmas day and how park reservations work, are they the same 90 day rule? Would you advise to eat in a park or somewhere else and if off site, would we need to book somewhere later this year before we go? Oh and in the parks, are the menus the same or is it slightly different on Christmas Day, ie Christmas Dinner?!

We have never been away for Christmas before and I am more than happy to have a non traditional Christmas including skipping the dinner!

Oh and feedback on cruising would be great also....

 

[jtlover]

It has now gone back to 180 days so you will be able to book on that day. If you book then you should get what you want

Exciting to be there for Christmas

 

[Jets fan]

How exicting, I love Christmas in the US. On Christmas day we usually have dinner at one of the Disney hotels as it's so full of atmosphere and everybody is happy.

On Christmas Day we have had dinner (evening) in the:
Wilderness Lodge
Floridian
Contemporary

All brilliant in their own ways.

We have braved the Christmas Day parade in the Magic Kingdom a couple of times but it really is very busy so we usually go for a couple of hours in the afternoon and then go back in after dinner to watch the fireworks.

I'm sure wherever you are you will have a fab time

Tina

 

[Lisash]

We had Xmas lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern the year before last. It was as close to traditional lunch as we could get and was delicious Having said that MK was horrendously crowded so don't think we would go there again on Xmas Day. We are thinking of the Rose & Crown for a traditional fish and chip lunch

 

[Ware Bears]

How exciting!!

We've just come back from Christmas in WDW ~ I wanted to avoid MK on Christmas Day but got outvoted! We started off with an early breakfast at Crystal Palace and had a late lunch at Tony's. I kept waiting for the crowds but they didn't happen I have seen it much busier at Easter. I think the rain kept people away ~ it was showering on and off in the morning and absolutely torrential in the afternoon although it stopped for the noon parade to pass in peace. In the afternoon we were the only ones on Main Street ~ almost unbelievable on Christmas Day!! I would love to have taken a photo to prove it but the rain was so heavy I didn't want to ruin my new camera ~ if only I'd taken my underwater camera with me!

We left MK about 4.30pm and in the evening the girls didn't want to go back out so they stayed behind at the hotel and watched a film whilst DH and I went to Celebration for the evening.

One thing I did notice about this time of year is that a lot of the lunch menus disappeared and the dinner menus were in place at lunchtime as well.

We did a 3 night cruise on the Wonder just before Christmas. It was fantastic so you will have the best time ever on yours. Happy planning!!

 

[Lisa x]

Thank you so much everyone....

Ok so I had more or less ruled MK out for Christmas Day, now Im not so sure!

We never usually plan anything before we go, we just get there and decide day by day what we want to do, thought around the busiest time we better plan what we do, im wondering if this is going to start the whole pre trip planning bug now for every other time!

Ware Bears....it must have been amazing to be the only ones on Main Street on Christmas Day, rain or no rain!! I wouldnt have missed out on the chance just incase I got wet, we're not made of sugar, we wont melt!

 

[Tony Toon]

Hi - We are just back having spent Christmas and New Year with the Mouse and a lasting impression was of the enormous numbers of people everywhere. We didn't visit MK on Christmas Day but had brekkers at GF. Overnight it had tossed it down but for the walk from the car park into GF the rain had practically stopped. After breakfast we took the opportunity to wander around the grounds of GF in the improving sunshine before heading over to Epcot. None of us remember it raining in the afternoon at Epcot so it seems that MK was unlucky with the weather - although it did become quite cold. I would say that the early rain had kept the big numbers away on Christmas day but by golly they made up for it over the next week. The parks particularly MK were very busy and the I4 particularly between 192 and Lake Buena Vista exit (Premium Outlets) often resembled a car park. We have not been previously at Easter (we will this coming April) but have frequently been at WDW on 4th July and have never experienced crowds like last week, the most difficult decision was whether to take the monorail or the ferry into MK as the queues for both were indescribable and MK itself seemed to close most days. Apparently Disney were delighted with the increased visitor count (82,000 at Epcot on New Year's Eve) despite plunging temperatures but not the best visitor experience we've had. Would we go back at Christmas? ......... Mmmm - only maybe - although we did love the special Disney Christmas flavour.

 

[Camac]

If you are looking for an alternative Christmas Day you may be interested in our experience for Christmas 2009:

A two hour Segway tour of Celebration and the surrounding area in the morning followed by a wonderful lunch in the Celebration Hotel complete with pianist playing carols and the Blue Man Group show in Universal in the evening.

A great day and no crowds!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We have been in Mk on Xmas day - but the last few times have booked one of the resort hotels - my favourite so far has been the California Grill at CR

 

[Kidani Kid]

Don't be scared of going to Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day, but get there early whilst most people are opening presents over a leisurely breakfast. This was the second time we have spent Christmas Day in Magic Kingdom. Both times we have entered the park at 7 am and both times the park has been very quiet until around 11am. We managed to do all of the rides we wanted and even went on Space, Thunder and Splash Mountain twice each. We then watched the noon parade before a 1.30pm reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern. After lunch we returned to the Boardwalk Villa's for a break.

This year it was quite warm but we got absolutely soaked at 7 am entering the park. By 8am it had stopped and was quite sunny, but the rain returned whilst we were in The Liberty Tree Tavern and was still heavy when we returned to BWV, so we decided against going into Epcot and met up with friends in the evening at Downtown Disney when the rain had stopped.

The crowds this year were the heaviest we had known and were getting busier leading up to New Years Eve, but Christmas Day was definitely one of the quieter days especially before 11am. It was also quite cold as we only managed to swim on 3 days. Later this year we will return to our favourite time, October!

 

[Roddy lawrie]

HI Lisa we are just back from Disney over xmas , and given the weeks of snow here -I'm glad we missed some of it to be in the sunshine .Cant help you with regards to whats open xmas day -we used xmas day to use some of the facilities in Windsor hills and cooked a trad xmas meal at the villa , just thought the parks would be 2 busy

Regards your cruise -we are on our 6th RC this year , RCS ships are fantastic -sure you'll have a great time

 

[Lisa x]

Thanks again!! Some great xmas' had by everyone I see!

I have put the 180 day mark in my diary incase we decide to eat at Disney and spend Christmas Day in the park! So we have up until that point to decide what we want to do!

Im sure a night with our friends who will be with us, a few bottles of wine and loads of Orlando chat will make our mind up soon!!......

We have narrowed it down to Disney or Timpano Chop House (thats where we had our wedding reception & loved it).....so just need to make our mind up on that front! Im sure we will have a great day wherever we are, at least its not England!!

Roddy Lawrie - Im so excited for the cruise, never done it, so many people talk about it! Wonder if I get as addicted to it as I am to Orlando!!