Christmas Eve or New Years Eve?

[zuzanne]

We can either arrive on 12/23/06 for Christmas Eve or Arrive on 12/29/06 for New Years Eve. Unfortunately work schedules don't permit our being able to stay for both. Which would you choose and why? It will be me and Hubby we both love Disney during the Holidays. We especially want to do the Candle Light Prossesional (spell?) as well as the snow on main street parade and the Holiday lights at MGM. As well as eveything else we can fit in. I get excited just thinking about. Thank goodness we will be there in May for the Flower and garden show.

Suzanne

 

[disfam61]

I don't know what Christmas eve is like, but 2 years ago we spend New Years eve in WDW. NEVER AGAIN. It sounded like such a blast we couldn't wait to get there. ( We arrived 12/27) The first couple days the crowds were not bad and with fast pass actually pretty good. Started to get really busy on the 30th and the 31st was jam packed, busy, crazy, wall to wall people and down right scary with all the crowds. We started In MK at opening to beat the crowds, HA ! Didn't stay too long, it took over one hour to get from entrance to the bakery on Main Street. We detoured and headed to Buzz lightyear ride. Already a huge line and the fast pass return was for 3 hours later. We decided to try AK as it is not usually as busy there. Wrong, it was the busiest we have ever seen. After about an hour there and just dodging people my daughter (7at the time) started to have a breakdown and let us know she was tired having her face and head bumped into by everyone else's behind. Fortunately, it was a warmish day and we settled for the pool (sunny and temps about 75- warmer than back home so why not swim). By the time we boarded a bus and back to resort (CBR) not a chair left at the pool, and overflowing with people. By this time it was actually time for lunch. We took a taxi into downtown Orlando for lunch and then returned to our resort for a nap and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing a couple card games with the kids. Good thing we had them. By this time we were looking forward to the evening, dinner reservations at Epcot to start and then take part in the festivites. Thank goodness we had reservations, even with them we waited just over an hour for our table. This was still early in the evening. After dinner we planned on walking around the World showcase as there were street acts, live bands etc. The crowds were unbelieveable. At one point there were so many people coming towards us that no one could move, we were literally stuck. We were scared. It there was an emergency we would have been in danger. To make a long story even longer, we went back to the resort and played a few more games and went to sleep. New Years day was actually better and we enjoyed the parks while everyone else slept in. But we would never go again for New Years. I still have nightmarews thinking about the crowds.

 

[zuzanne]

Thank you for your honest response. I wish your holiday trip had been more positive. I know that the mob scene can get scary at times especially for a child. Hubby is leaning more toward Christmas Eve but says its up me which one to go for. Does anyone know when the dates and speakers will be out for the Candle Light Prosessional?

Suzanne

 

[Danauk]

We went to WDW this past Christmas and New Year (we were there from December 21st - January 2nd) and I have to say we had an amazing time and would go at that time of year again in a heart beat. We didn't really have any problems with waiting in lines or it being too crowded.
December 24th we went to the MK and walked on all the rides we wanted to until lunch time. We watched the lunch time parade which was when the crowds started to get heavier. So we grabbed an ice cream before doing a little shopping and then headed back to our resort for a swim. In the afternoon we hung around our resort and went for a swim before getting ready for our ADR at California Grill. We had an amazing meal, watched holiday Wishes from the viewing area at the restaurant where the music was piped in. After our meal we headed down to the MK to watch the 2nd showing of spectromagic at 11pm (I think?).
On New Years Eve we chose to go to MGM. We arrived at park opening and grabbed fast passes for RnRC and ToT and we had ridden both by 9:30. We went on a few other rides (star tours, Muppets, Great Movie ride and the backlot tour), had some coffees etc then did a little shopping. By now it was lunch time so we headed back to our room (we were staying at the BCV so just walked back.) We had lunch at the villa, went for a swim (we were the only people in the quiet pool) and then went down to the marina to hire a boat for half an hour. By now it was 5pm so we went back to our room to change for dinner. We were back in MGM by 6:30pm. Although it was busy it was not silly and was well set up for the crowds. Walk ways had been set up so you had to walk on a certain side of the walk ways around the hat. We listened to the music for a while and walked around the Osborne lights before heading off for our ADR at 7:30 at Hollywood Brown Derby. I couldn't believe how many spare tables there were in there, although the CM did say it would get a lot busier later. Anyway after dinner we went on a Star Tours and the Muppets attraction then did a little more shopping before heading over to watch the 10:30 Fantasmic. There was a line to see it but we got in easily and it was not full. After Fantasmic we went to see the Muppets show again (can you tell we like this?!) before heading over towards the hat to get a spot for the fireworks. The fireworks were amazing and the music with them was really cool. As soon as the fireworks finished we headed through the shops to exit the park (this was so much quicker than going with the flow down the street to the exit) and walked back to our room via a lap of the Boardwalk. We were back in our room 30 minutes after the fireworks ended.

We saw the CP on December 27th so it was running that week. I think the last showing though was NYE. I know the theatre was stripped out on New Years Day and that on that evening Illuminations didn't have it's holiday ending on any more.

I have to say that going Christmas week for us was no where near as bad as what it had been made out to be. Maybe we were lucky, maybe it was because I had done a lot of research and had planned carefully what parks to go to on what days, maybe it was because we got to the parks for opening and left by lunch time.
Sorry if this post is a little long and rambling, but I hope it has been useful to you.

 

[zuzanne]

Thank you, your trip info was great. I decided to go with Hubby's choice and go for Christmas. So we will arrive on 12/23 or 24 and stay thru 12/30/06, Wish we could stay over for both. We love the CP and the Osborne Lights so will definately be there to see those. We were there for Christmas in 2002 and loved it.
Thanks again for your help.

Suzanne